On December 1, 2023, the 18th of Kislev 5784 in the Jewish calendar, the Beit Din of Kelita Cohen, a rabbinate student for six years at the Reform Rabbinical Institute, was held. Cohen becomes the first Brazilian Reform rabbi whose work focuses on her region.
On social media, the newly ordained rabbi wrote:
“Seven years ago I applied for a position at the Reform Rabbinical Institute as a rabbinate student. Driven by the irrepressible desire to get to know and immerse myself in the millennia-old library of the Jewish people, while at the same time being able to serve the community that was mine at the time in a more appropriate way, I embarked on this path. It was six intense years of study and sacrifice, of sleepless nights and trips to Israel to be better prepared. (…) This journey as a rabbinate student has come to an end. Which doesn’t mean that my studies are over. On the contrary! Studying is a lifelong commitment. But now, as a rabbi!”
The Union of Reform Judaism of Latin America congratulates the new rabbi on her ordination and wishes her a healthy, strong rabbinic leadership journey, and that she can be a light in the construction of a vibrant Jewish experience in our region.
B’hatzlachah, Rabbi Dr. Kelita Cohen!
