Rabbi Deborah Waxman was officially inaugurated as the leader of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and the Reconstructionist movement on Oct. 26, marking a dual achievement for the rabbi, ordained at RRC in 1999: She became the first female leader of the seminary and the first female rabbi to head a Jewish denomination.

The ceremony was held at the National Museum of American Jewish History, with many prominent figures in attendance from around the country, including a number of Reconstructionist leaders. 

The invocation was delivered by Rabbi David Teutsch, chair of the Department of Contemporary Jewish Civilization at RRC and head of the Levin-Lieber Program in Jewish Ethics.

Addressing those gathered, David Roberts, chair of the RRC board of governors, described Waxman as a visionary "whose passion and keen intellect combine into a leadership style that empowers, educates and energizes those around her."

Waxman's speech revolved around the theme of redemption, both biblically and modern day.

“Living a Jewish life gives me the companionship of others on a similar journey,” she said.