Gender Variation in the Careers of Conservative Rabbis: A Survey of Rabbis Ordained Since 1985 Prof. Steven M. Cohen and Judith Schor July 14, 2004 Sponsored by: The Rabbinical Assembly 3080 Broadway New York, NY 10027 Contacts: Steven M. Cohen:
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[email protected] CONTENTS Gender Variation in the Careers of Conservative Rabbis: A Survey of Rabbis Ordained Since 1985 4 Appendix A: Survey Questionnaire 20 Appendix B: Resolution on Equal Opportunity for Rabbis 28 Appendix C: Rabbinical Assembly Policy Memorandum on Gender Variation Study 30 Gender Variation in the Careers of Conservative Rabbis: A Survey of Rabbis Ordained Since 1985 Prof. Steven M. Cohen and Judith Schor July 14, 2004 OVERVIEW men earn more than women. In the Spring of 2004, almost 20 years after the first female Other critical factors possibly hampering women’s rabbi was ordained by the Conservative movement, the advancement may be related to women’s less satisfying early Rabbinical Assembly, with the support of the Jewish career experiences as rabbis. More than male rabbis, female Women’s Foundation of New York, embarked on a study of Conservative rabbis … the career paths of male and female Conservative rabbis. complain of hurtful gender-related remarks in This is the report of that study. their work-life, The key findings demonstrate significant varia- tions in the career paths and experiences of men and report less satisfying relationships with rabbinical women. Specifically, men, more than women: supervisors in their first jobs, work full-time, cite more unfair treatment in the interview process for their most recent positions, work in congregations, report less time (earlier termination or departure) lead the congregations where they are employed, in their first jobs, and report more frequent termination of their lead congregations far larger in size than those led contracts or loss of their positions, by women rabbis.