Women of the Wall’s Susan Silverman named one of ‘sexiest’ rabbis by Jewrotica

One of the Forward 50 top Jews, Silverman has become a symbol for WoW’s struggle for the right to hold egalitarian services at the Western Wall.

Rabbi Susan Silverman

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Written by Staff on December 31, 2013 [Jerusalem Post]

Rabbi Susan Silverman, Women of the Wall activist and sister of American comedian Sarah Silverman, has been named one of the world’s “sexiest Rabbis,” by Jewish erotica website Jewrotica.org.

The list, which Jewrotica published online on Monday, aimed at “highlight[ing] rabbis who are engaged in awesome and inspirational work,” according to a release sent to the media. Among the criteria for nomination were smarts, action and “badassery,” Jewrotica explained.

One of the Forward 50 top Jews, Silverman has become a symbol for WoW’s struggle for the right to hold egalitarian services at the Western Wall.

Silverman is married to solar energy entrepreneur Yosef Abramowitz and has five children, two of whom are adopted Ethiopian Israelis.

“Everybody who fights for religious freedom is, as my Nana would say, a hot ticket,” Silverman told The Jerusalem Post. “And those that make care for orphans a rabbinic call-to-arms are serious about Torah. I am happy to be called a Torah-loving-hot-ticket.”

“It’s become in vogue of late for different publications to present rabbi lists,” Jewrotica selection committee member David Abitbol told the Post. “These lists purport to be at least somewhat authoritative and yet it seems that a lot of rabbis doing truly awesome and inspiring work get left out of these lists. Even the idea of a definitive list of top anything Rabbis is a bit of a joke if not outright offensive.”

The Jewrotica list is less about conventional definitions of sexy and more placing the spotlight on “rabbis who serve to define the very best of what a rabbi can, and should, be.”

All he and his fellows wanted to accomplish, he said, was to “inspire conversation about great ways to project and manifest Judaism. While some of our material is admittedly a little risqué, Jewrotica is really all about inspiring conversation about the scope and nature of Judaism.”

Other rabbis on the list include Rabbi Josh Yuter, Rabbi David Dunn Bauer, Rabbi Jill Hammer, Rabbi Benay Lappe, Rabbi Yonah Bookstein, Rabbi Dan Shevitz, Rabbi Aviad Bodner, Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann, and Rabbi Yonatan Gordis.