Meesh Hammer-Kossoy
Meesh Hammer-Kossoy | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Michelle Hammer-Kossoy |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | New York University |
| Thesis | Divine justice in rabbinic hands: Talmudic reconstitution of the penal system (2005) |
Meesh Hammer-Kossoy (October 1969 – present), also known as Rabbi Meesh Hammer-Kossoy, is an American-Israeli who became one of Israel’s first female Orthodox Rabbis in 2015.
Education and career
Hammer-Kossoy obtained a B.A. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Talmud from New York University.[1] She completed her dissertation in 2005 which explored the criminal punishment system in the Talmudic period.[2] After completing her studies at Beit Midrash Har’el, in 2015 she received Orthodox ordination from Rabbi Herzl Hefter and Rabbi Daniel Sperber,[3] thereby becoming one of Israel’s first female Orthodox Rabbis.[1][4]
As of 2024 Hammer-Kossoy works at the non-denominational Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. In 2024 she spoke about how people contact her because they want to interact with a female rabbi.[5] She also works with groups and clergy members to ask families to ‘adopt’ asylum seekers who came to Israel alone as minors.[1]
Personal life
Hammer-Kossoy lives in Jerusalem with her husband and their three children.[1]
Selected publications
- Hammer-Kossoy, Meesh (2015-01-01). "Daring Decrees and Radical Responsibility: Why Rabbinic Tikkun Olam Is Not What You Think". Tikkun Olam: Judaism, Humanism, and Transcendence. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
- Hammer-Kossoy, Meesh (2015-11-08). "Pardes 360: Why Orthodox Judaism Needs Women Rabbis". Elmad. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
- Hammer-Kossoy, Meesh (2020-06-15). "Why is it so easy to fear those different from ourselves?". The Forward. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
- Hammer-Kossoy, Rabbi Meesh (2020-05-05). "#MeToo and Sexual Harassment: A Familiar Mishnah through a New Lens". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
- Hammer-Kossoy, Meesh (Spring–Summer 2025). "Uncovered: Women's Roles, Mitzvot and Sexuality in Jewish Law". Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues (45): 278–283. ProQuest 3240512915.
References
- ^ a b c d Gradstein, Linda (2018-04-25). "Interview with Rabbi Meesh Hammer-Kossoy". Hadassah Magazine. Retrieved 2025-06-19.
- ^ Rocker, Simon (2024-12-16). "The rabbi who helped to crack Israel's Orthodox glass ceiling". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
- ^ Morrison, Aaron (2015-06-12). "Orthodox Women 'Rabbas' To Be Ordained In New York". International Business Times. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
- ^ "Spa day no more". The Times of Israel ; Jerusalem, Israel. 8 March 2017. ProQuest 1875197506.
- ^ Reich, Aaron (2024-07-08). "Jerusalemite of the Week: Rabbi Meesh Hammer-Kossoy". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2025-06-19.