Our Rabbi
Rabbi Elizabeth Tikvah Sarah (“Elli”) joined us in December 2000 and we are enormously fortunate to have her as our teacher, leader and friend. Although it is impossible to say all we would like to about our Rabbi here, in what follows you will find out more about her remarkable character and background.
Elli is a profoundly passionate Jew with a deep love of the spiritual, theological and practical aspects of our faith. She leads by example (she is the epitome of the saying, ‘If you want something doing, ask a busy person’), and is also committed to supporting the learning, participation and contribution of everyone in the community, regardless of background. Elli has fostered a sense of community in our congregation that touches all of us – members, Friends or just once in a lifetime visitors to our synagogue by the sea.
Our Rabbi has a long history of activism both inside and outside the world of Judaism. As a feminist lesbian, Elli is a steadfast voice against inequality and discrimination. As a Rabbi, she is learned, wise, highly intelligent, a skilled teacher, compassionate, dedicated and much more. From intricacies in theology and Hebrew language to humanitarian issues and the puzzles of daily life, Elli’s erudition and keen insight make her lessons and sermons unique, penetrating and stimulating.
If you want to learn more about your Jewish faith and history, if you are not Jewish but have an interest, or you are interested in converting to Judaism, the Access to Judaism classes that Rabbi Sarah runs are fascinating and instructive – you can commit to the entire course or just drop in as a particular class grabs your attention. Elli encourages dialogue and intellectual discussion in a warm, inclusive and relaxed atmosphere that welcomes all students, of all ages and all levels of understanding.
Our Rabbi is committed to making a difference, on both a small scale and in the wider world. Her dedication to our synagogue and our community, her warmth, vibrancy and deep empathy for humanity as a whole is something we never take for granted. We are privileged to introduce her to you.
Elli’s background and experience
Rabbi Elizabeth Tikvah Sarah was appointed as part-time minister of the Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue in December 2000.
She studied Sociology at the London School of Economics (1974-77) and Rabbinics at the Leo Baeck College in London (1984-89) where she received s’michah. Since ordination she has worked as a full-time congregational rabbi (Buckhurst Hill Reform Synagogue, 1989-94), as Director of Programmes for the Reform Synagogues of Great Britain and Deputy Director of the Sternberg Centre (1994-97), and as a free-lance rabbi – including a part-time congregational appointment (Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation, 1998-2000). She has also contributed to the training of rabbis at the Leo Baeck College since 1994 in various ways: as a rabbinic tutor, a part-time lecturer in Hebrew, in Spirituality, Practical Rabbinics and Progressive Judaism – and also chaired the LBC Rabbinic In-Service Training Team for seven years. She currently serves as a mentor to some recently ordained rabbis.
A writer, Elizabeth Tikvah Sarah has edited three books and contributed over three dozen articles and several poems to various journals and anthologies. She also teaches and lectures in many settings on a variety of topics and has delivered three conference sermons and three conference ‘key-note’ lectures.
An active feminist for more than twenty years, her passions include: Classical Hebrew; biblical study; celebrating Jewish life; creating new midrashim (commentaries on the Torah), prayers and rituals; ethical action; doing what she can to make Jewish life more inclusive; and helping to build bridges between different faith and ethnic communities.
Actively engaging in dialogue and justice work in a number of different contexts, Rabbi Sarah is a member of the UK Friends of Rabbis for Human Rights and has been an active contributor to the Jewish-Christian-Muslim Dialogue Group inaugurated by Rabbi Tony Bayfield at the Sternberg Centre for the past 16 years.