Kehilat Orach Eliezer is a congregation on the Upper West Side of New York City that identifies itself as Modern Orthodox, although it is technically independent of the movement. Starting next month, instead of having a rabbi as their spiritual leader, they are hiring Dina Najman, a 38-year-old woman who has spent much of her life studying halakha, or Jewish law. She is being given the title of "rosh kehillah," which essentially means "head of the community." Although she will not be counted in a minyan, she will be performing many of the traditional functions of a rabbi. The article says that she will deliver sermons, answer questions on Jewish law, and teach classes.
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