Lia Bass
Lia Bass | |
|---|---|
| Personal life | |
| Born | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Education | Jewish Theological Seminary of America |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Denomination | Conservative Judaism |
Lia Bass is a Brazilian-born American rabbi and the first Latin American female rabbi in the world.[1] She is also Northern Virginia's first female Conservative rabbi and the first woman from Brazil to be ordained as a rabbi.[2][3]
Early life and education
[edit]She was born in Rio de Janeiro.[1] Bass attended a Jewish day school in Rio and was a regular participant in sports run by her local Jewish Community Center and Zionist youth movements.[4] After finishing high school, she went to teach Hebrew as a second language in Israel before returning to Brazil to attend college, where she served as president of the Jewish University Council.[4] She was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York in 1994.[5][2][3]
Bass speaks Portuguese, Spanish, English and Hebrew.[1] As part of her studies of the Torah, her main focus is on the Book of Leviticus.[6]
Career
[edit]In 2001, she became the rabbi of Congregation Etz Hayim in Arlington, Virginia,[1][3] serving until 2020.[7] She served as rabbi of Etz Hayim Synagogue in Arlington and gained media attention in 2007 for introducing a "slimmed down" shabbat service in order to make it more accessible for the congregation.[8] In 2020 she founded and, as of Sept. 2022, runs the Jewish Institute for Lifelong Learning & Innovation (JILLI), based in Arlington, Virginia.[9] She founded the JILLI after discovering from the Department of Motor Vehicles that Northern Virginia had the highest number of Jewish residents that were not associated with a recognised synagogue. She created it as an outreach mission to serve their religious needs.[4]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Cohen, Diane (December 2009). "A Message of Progress". Northern Virginia Magazine. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013.
- 1 2 Spark Experience. "A Taste of Brazil Flavors Passover". Jewish Food Experience.
- 1 2 3 "Rabbi". etzhayim. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013.
- 1 2 3 Bell, Zoe (19 November 2025). "Inspired by Hebrew, Arlington's Rabbi Lia Bass Enhances Jewish Life in NoVa". Washington Jewish Week. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
- ↑ "Spring 2012 Letters". cjvoices.org. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013.
- ↑ "Parshat Vayikra: Why Leviticus can bring us closer". Jewish Times. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
- ↑ "About Us". Eitz Chayim. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
- ↑ ARMSTRONG, KRISTEN (1 February 2007). "Synagogue Tries Out Slimmed-Down Services". INSIDENOVA.COM. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
- ↑ "Founder & Spiritual Leader". Jewish Institute for Lifelong Learning & Innovation. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
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