Sybil Sheridan Explained

Honorific-Prefix:	Rabbi
Sybil Sheridan
Synagogueposition:	Rabbi
Organisation:	Rabbi at Newcastle Reform Synagogue; Rabbi at West London Synagogue (2014–20); Chair of the Assembly of Reform Rabbis, Movement for Reform Judaism (UK) (2013–15); Rabbi at Wimbledon and District Synagogue (2003–14)
Semicha:	1981
Birth Date:	27 September 1953 df=y
Nationality:	British
Denomination:	Reform Judaism (UK)
Spouse:	Rabbi Jonathan Romain
Children:	Four

Sybil Ann Sheridan (born 27 September 1953) is a writer and British Reform rabbi. She was chair of the Assembly of Reform Rabbis UK^[1] at the Movement for Reform Judaism^[2] from 2013 to 2015^[3] and was Rabbi at Wimbledon and District Synagogue in south west London. As of 2020 she is part-time rabbi at Newcastle Reform Synagogue.^[1]

Sybil Sheridan has edited two books and contributed to several academic publications. She is a major contributor to interfaith dialogue, both nationally and internationally, and has a particular interest in Jewish-Muslim dialogue and especially between women. She co-chaired the Home Office International Conference for Women in Judaism and Islam.^[4]

She has strong links to Israel and to the educational festival Limmud. She has lectured at Leo Baeck College^[5] and the Muslim College, London.^[4] She is on the International Editorial Advisory Board of Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues published by Indiana University Press.^[6] For eight years she was Jewish chaplain at the University of Roehampton.

Early years

A child of German-Jewish refugees,^[7] she grew up in Bolton, Lancashire, a member of Manchester Reform Synagogue.^[8] She read theology and religious studies at Cambridge University, being one of the first two Jews to do so (the other being Walter Rothschild). She then studied at Leo Baeck College and at the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem, and was ordained as a rabbi in 1981,^[9] one of the first women in Europe in the role.^[10]

Career

After four years at Ealing Liberal Synagogue, she took extended maternity leave, during which time she wrote a book of children's stories, lectured at Leo Baeck College, and worked with the Swindon Jewish Community. In 1994 Rabbi Sheridan became Rabbi of the Thames Valley Jewish Community (now known as the Reading Liberal Jewish Community)^[11] and remained there until her appointment as Rabbi of Wimbledon and District Synagogue. She job shared with Rabbi Sylvia Rothschild^[12] in that post from 2003 until early 2014. In 2014 she became Rabbi at West London Synagogue.^[13]

In 2011 she produced, with Cantor Zoe Jacobs of Finchley Reform Synagogue, what is thought to be the first major new collection of synagogue music published in the UK for nearly a century. Shirei Ha-t'fillah (Songs of Prayer), a compilation of sheet music and explanatory articles, was published by the Movement for Reform Judaism.^[14]

As of 2020 she is part-time rabbi at Newcastle Reform Synagogue.^[1]

Social justice

Sybil Sheridan has made several visits to Ethiopia to find out about and support the Jews in Gondar.^{[15] [16]} She was inspired by her visit to set up a new charity, Meketa (Amharic for protection or support),^[17] after seeing at first hand the poverty and lack of resources available.^[18]

In February 2013 she was one of a group of Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh leaders who met at Parliament to urge MPs to support a radical overhaul of the financial system including debt cancellation for the most indebted countries, more progressive taxation and an end to harmful lending.^[9]

Personal life

She is married to Jonathan Romain, Rabbi of Maidenhead Synagogue, and they have four adult sons.^[19]

Publications

Books

• Sybil Sheridan: "Abraham from a Jewish Perspective" in Norman Solomon, Richard Harries, Timothy Winter (eds): Abraham's Children: Jews, Christians and Muslims in Conversation, pp. 9–17, London and New York: T & T Clark, 2005. (hardback); (paperback)
• Stephen Bigger: Creating the Old Testament: The Emergence of the Hebrew Bible, Basil Blackwell, 1989. . Sheridan contributed two chapters^[5]
• Sybil Sheridan (ed.): Hear our voice: women in the British rabbinate, Studies in Comparative Religion series. Paperback, 1st North American edition. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press, 1998.
• Sybil Sheridan (ed.): Hear our voice: women rabbis tell their stories. Paperback, 203 pages. London: SCM Press, 1994.
• Sylvia Rothschild and Sybil Sheridan (eds.): Taking Up the Timbrel: The Challenge of Creating Ritual for Jewish Women Today. London: SCM Press, 2000
• Sybil Sheridan: "Human Nature and Destiny" in Seth Daniel Kunin (ed): Themes and Issues in Judaism, World Religions: Themes and Issues, pp. 166–191. New York: Cassell, 2000. (hardback); (paperback)

For young people

• Sybil Sheridan, illustrated by Olivia Rayner: Jewish World, Stories from the Religious World series. Paperback, 48 pages. Silver Burdett, 1987. . The stories include recent historical experience in the Holocaust^[20]

Journal articles and lectures

• Sybil Sheridan: "Are We Prisoners of Our History?" in European Judaism, volume 28, no. 2, Autumn 1995, pp. 68–72. Berghahn Books Inc.
• Sybil Sheridan: "History of Women in the Rabbinate: A Communal Case of Amnesia". Lecture delivered at BET DEBORA – European Conference of Women Rabbis, Cantors, Scholars and all Spiritually Interested Jewish Women and Men, Berlin, May 1999^[21]
• Sybil Sheridan: "My first day at Leo Baeck College" in European Judaism, 39, no.1, Spring 2006, pp. 69–70. Berghahn Books Inc.
• Sybil Sheridan: "Aliza Lavie Tefillat Nashim: Jewish Women's Prayers Throughout The Ages (Book review)", Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies and Gender Issues, no.15, Spring 2008, p. 212. Indiana University Press.

Newspaper articles

• Sybil Sheridan: "What future for the Jews left in Ethiopia?", The Jewish Chronicle, 10 June 2009
• Sybil Sheridan: "We must not abandon the Jews left in Ethiopia", The Jewish Chronicle, 26 January 2014

Podcasts

• Stefanie Sinclair: Regina Jonas: the first female rabbi, Open University, 2013. Includes an interview with Sybil Sheridan^[22]

External links

• Official blog
• Movement for Reform Judaism page on Rabbi Sybil Sheridan
• Einat Ramon

"Taking Up the Timbrel: The Challenge of Creating Ritual for Jewish Women Today (review)", Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues, no. 7, Spring 2004, pp. 236–239

• Shmuel Rosner (9 January 2015) "Rosner's Torah-Talk: Parashat Shemot with Rabbi Sybil Sheridan", Jewish Journal. Retrieved 13 August 2017.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Rabbi Sybil Sheridan . . 13 September 2017 . 13 August 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170813150345/http://www.reformjudaism.org.uk/rabbi-sybil-sheridan/ . live .
2. News: Moving chairs as Reform changes leading posts . . 8 July 2013 . 3 March 2014 . Simon Rocker . 20 October 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131020112950/http://www.thejc.com/community/community-life/109247/moving-chairs-reform-changes-leading-posts . live .
3. Rabbi Paul Freedman elected as new Assembly of Rabbis Chair . . 12 June 2015 . 25 June 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150626120206/http://news.reformjudaism.org.uk/press-releases/rabbi-paul-freedman-elected-as-new-assembly-of-rabbis-chair.html . 26 June 2015 . dmy-all .
4. Web site: Idols. An-Nisa Society and Leo Baeck College. 17 January 2010. 2 April 2013.
5. Book: Themes and Issues in Judaism. World Religions: Themes and Issues. Seth Daniel Kunin . . vii. 2000.
6. Web site: Nashim: Editorial Details. Indiana University Press. 5 August 2017. 4 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170904170808/http://www.iupress.indiana.edu/pages.php?pID=88&CDpath=4. live.
7. Web site: Elul Thoughts from Rabbi Sybil Sheridan . Sybil Sheridan . 22 September 2016 . . 13 September 2017 . 13 September 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170913190606/http://www.reformjudaism.org.uk/elul-thoughts-rabbi-sybil-sheridan/ . live .
8. News: A batmitzvah when you're older can feel like coming home. Sophie Hardach. The Guardian. 18 July 2015. 25 September 2017. 29 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170929183904/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jul/18/a-batmitzvah-when-youre-older-can-feel-like-coming-home. live.
9. News: Economic change is about justice, not charity, say faith leaders . Independent Catholic News . 1 April 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130128041710/http://www.wimshul.org/node/178 . 28 January 2013 . dmy-all .
10. News: I've always had to prove myself – Rabbi Barbara . . 2010 . 29 September 2017 . 4 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304190512/http://www.jewishtelegraph.com/prof_74.html . live .
11. Web site: Reading Liberal Jewish Community . JCR-UK . Congregation Data . 7 August 2019 . 26 July 2020 . 14 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210514013441/https://www.jewishgen.org/jcr-uk/Community/re/index.htm . live .
12. News: What future for the Jews left in Ethiopia? . Sybil Sheridan . . 10 June 2009 . 23 November 2012 . 20 October 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121020192517/http://www.thejc.com/judaism/judaism-features/what-future-jews-left-ethiopia . live .
13. News: Sheridan goes back to pulpit . . 24 October 2014 . 10 April 2016 . Naomi Firsht . 20 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240220013252/https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-jewish-chronicle/20141024/282003260686867/TextView . live .
14. News: ESongbook is music to the ears of Reform . . Simon Rocker . 14 July 2011 . 2 April 2013 . dead . https://archive.today/20130413203550/http://jc-thn-ws2.jc.cust.nseuk.net/community/community-life/51707/songbook-music-ears-reform . 13 April 2013 . dmy-all .
15. Web site: Are there still Jews in Ethiopia?. The Anglo-Ethiopian Society. Jean Broadbent. Winter 2011. 2 April 2013. 14 June 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130614033451/http://anglo-ethiopian.org/publications/articles.php?type=L&reference=publications/articles/2011winter/jews.php. live.
16. Web site: Abyot Fray is no longer water free!. Link Ethiopia. 5 July 2012. 2 April 2013. 12 January 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140112114026/http://www.linkethiopia.org/blog/2012/07/05/abyot-fray-is-no-longer-water-free/. live.
17. Web site: Home page . Meketa – supporting Jews in Ethiopia . 20 March 2016 . 30 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160330122931/http://www.meketa.org.uk/ . live .
18. News: Race against time to save the lost Jews of Ethiopia. James Preston. Maidenhead Advertiser. 7 September 2012. 2 April 2013. 9 September 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120909021515/http://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/News/Areas/Maidenhead/Race-against-time-to-save-the-lost-Jews-of-Ethiopia-05092012.htm. live.
19. Web site: Maidenhead Synagogue in The Times . . 11 August 2017 . 13 September 2017 . 13 September 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170913142016/http://www.reformjudaism.org.uk/maidenhead-synagogue-times/ . live .
20. Book: The Primary English Encyclopaedia . Margaret Malett. 24. 2008. Third. Abingdon, Oxon and New York: Routledge. 978-0-415-45103-1.
21. Web site: "History of Women in the Rabbinate: A Communal Case of Amnesia". Lecture delivered at BET DEBORA – European Conference of Women Rabbis, Cantors, Scholars and all Spiritually Interested Jewish Women and Men, Berlin. May 1999. Sybil Sheridan. hagalil.com. 2 April 2013. 9 January 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130109230842/http://www.hagalil.com/bet-debora/jewish-women/history.htm. live.
22. Web site: Regina Jonas: the first female rabbi . Stefanie Sinclair . . 27 February 2013 . 16 February 2015 . 3 March 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150303175456/https://itunes.apple.com/gb/itunes-u/regina-jonas-first-female/id609629052 . live .