Cynthia Culpeper Explained

Cynthia Ann "Cyndie" Culpeper (June 16, 1962 – August 29, 2005) was the first pulpit rabbi to announce being diagnosed with AIDS, which she did in 1996 when she was a rabbi at Agudath Israel in Montgomery, Alabama.[1] She was the first full-time female rabbi in Alabama and the first Conservative female rabbi in Alabama.[1]

Early life

Culpeper was originally from San Francisco.[2] She converted from Roman Catholicism at age 21, and was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1995.[3]

AIDS

Culpeper was working as a nurse in San Francisco General Hospital when she accidentally contracted HIV due to a needle stick, and was diagnosed with HIV in 1995.[4] [5] [6] She later became the first pulpit rabbi to announce being diagnosed with AIDS, which she did in 1996 when she was a rabbi at Agudath Israel in Montgomery, Alabama.[1] After revealing her diagnosis, her congregation rallied around her, insisting she continue to work, and wearing red AIDS awareness ribbons,[4] but in 1997 she gave up her position and moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where she could get "cutting edge" treatment at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's AIDS research clinic.[7] Culpeper spoke about AIDS to Jewish communities throughout America.[5] However, she did not want to be known as "the AIDS rabbi".[8] She died of AIDS in 2005.[9] Block #6020 of the AIDS Memorial Quilt has a panel commemorating her.[10]

Achievements

Culpeper was the first full-time female rabbi in Alabama.[1] She also became the first female rabbi to lead religious services in Poland when she conducted High Holy Day services at Beit Warszawa in 2000.[5] Culpeper also contributed a chapter to the anthology The Women's Torah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Torah Portions (2000).[11]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Community mourns loss of Rabbi Cynthia Culpeper, 43 – Southern Jewish Life Magazine. August 29, 2005.
  2. Web site: I have AIDS, rabbi from S.F. reveals publicly. J.. Staff. February 9, 1996.
  3. Web site: gen.culpepper.com . gen.culpepper.com . 2016-10-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140809111855/http://gen.culpepper.com/ss/p41740.htm . 2014-08-09 . dead .
  4. Web site: 'I have AIDS,' rabbi from S.F. reveals publicly . Jweekly.com . 1996-02-09 . 2012-10-14.
  5. Web site: Community Mourns Loss of Rabbi Cynthia Culpeper, 43 . Deep South Jewish Voice . August 29, 2005 . 2012-10-14.
  6. Web site: Alabama ousts governor, a Christian right advocate. 29 October 2014.
  7. Web site: Rabbi Cynthia Culpeper dies at 43. 29 October 2014.
  8. Web site: Rabbi Cynthia Culpeper dies at 43. 2 September 2005 . 29 October 2014.
  9. Web site: Brook . Larry . Rabbi dies of AIDS . JTA . 2005-08-29 . 2012-10-14 . https://archive.today/20130415075621/http://www.jta.org/news/article/2005/08/29/13186/RabbiCynthiaCulpep . 2013-04-15 . dead .
  10. Web site: Interactive AIDS Quilt. www.aidsmemorial.org.
  11. Cynthia A. Culpeper. “Positive Pillars.” In The Women's Torah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Torah Portions. Edited by Elyse Goldstein, pages 63–69. Woodstock, Vermont: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2000. .