A progressive conservative
Cynthia Culpeper may have caught a few Varsovians off guard last week when she flew here from America to celebrate passover. After all, there aren't many female rabbis in the world, let alone Poland.
Culpeper belongs to the conservative denomination, which, ironically, is a liberal branch of Judaism. She was invited by a liberal Jewish organization called Beit Warszawa (Jewish Home of Warsaw), which was set up last year by Polish and international business entrepreneurs with Jewish roots, to stimulate interest in liberal Judaism in Poland.
Last Monday, the rabbi met with her friends in a cafe in New Town to answer questions about her life and experiences as a female rabbi.
In Poland, a female rabbi is a novelty. But, according to Culpeper, there are dozens of them around the world. Female rabbis are an example of the faith's more relaxed approach than that of the Orthodox system, under which women are not allowed to be rabbis or pray in the male-only rooms of synagogues.
During the meeting, Culpeper was asked a myriad of questions such as whether female rabbis are "better" than their male counterparts and what the future holds for Judaism.
Interestingly, Culpeper wasn't born Jewish, but comes from a Catholic family with Irish roots. "I went to a Catholic school, (where) I was told a list of rules and regulations," she said. "I asked questions (about the rules) and was never given any answers."
But Culpeper was determined to have them. As a teenager she met Ted Alexander, a rabbi from San Francisco, who showed her how to find her answers. Soon she discovered her calling.
Today, she said, many Varsovians are becoming interested in Judaism. One of them is Judyta, who last year realized she wanted to rediscover her Jewish roots when she found out about the Beit Warszawa. She is a great fan of Culpeper.
"Anyone with a personal dilemma can go to her for help," Judyta said.
Piotr Pazinski, editor in chief of the Jewish monthly Midrasz, said he hasn't attended any of the group's meetings. And although he is not an Orthodox Jew, he prefers going to the Orthodox synagogue. "I think it's better to go to the Orthodox synagogue infrequently than to take part in a lot of such meetings," he said. He explained that he is skeptical about movements where everything is allowed and nothing is a must.
But just like Culpeper, Judyta believes that liberal Judaism is the best way to generate interest in the religion. "The rabbi is an authority to me," Judyta said. "She is nice, pretty and curious about the world. Such 'normality' is great."
