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Rabbi Dr. Elyse Goldstein 40+ Year Highlights


1980-83: Student pulpit: Temple Beth Or of the Deaf, New York
1982: Leads first sign-language interpreted tour of Israel 
1983-86: Ordained from HUC-JIR in NY; First job, Assistant Rabbi Holy Blossom Temple
1986-91: Solo Rabbi, Temple Beth David, Canton Massachusetts; part-time pulpit 
 from 100 families became full time to 205 families 
1989: Featured in Half the Kingdom documentary
1991: Invited to return to Toronto to found Kolel: The Adult Centre 
 for Liberal Jewish Learning
1996: Awarded Woman of Distinction from YWCA  
1997: Elected first female president of Toronto Board of Rabbis
1998: Published first book ReVisions: Seeing Torah through a Feminist Lens. 
 That book won The Canadian National Jewish Book Award in the field of Bible. 
2000: Rabbinic consultant for Diary of Anne Frank at Stratford 
2000: Second book, The Women’s Torah Commentary, published
2001: Named ORT Woman of the Year
2002: Leads her first tour of Israel from Toronto, the first of 12 more to come; 
 plus tours to Jewish India, Jewish China, and Jewish South Africa
2004: Third book, The Women’s Haftarah Commentary, published
2005: Awarded Covenant Award for Exceptional Jewish Educators (highest award 
 in Jewish education); Kolel awarded grant to become the first to offer online 
 teaching on the internet
2008: Awarded Doctor of Divinity, Honoris Causis by Hebrew Union College
2009: Fourth book, New Jewish Feminism published, National Jewish Book Awards 
 finalist  
2011: Retired from Kolel, Founds City Shul 
2013: Named one of America’s 50 Most Influential Rabbis by The Forward 
2015: Featured as Everett Scholar at Chautauqua Institute 
2017: The Clergy Project, her Soulo show, wins Best of Fringe and goes to New York
2017: Awarded Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causis by Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly known as Ryerson) and is their commencement speaker

2024: Becomes Rabbi Emerita of City Shul
2024: Speaker at Hall of Philosophy, Chautauqua Institute 

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