Temple Emanuel Breaks Tradition with Two Female Co-Senior Rabbis

This past year, Temple Emanuel, Colorado’s oldest synagogue, installed two new female senior rabbis— a leadership decision unprecedented not only for the congregation, but for the country. 

This type of leadership is unusual in Judaism, which has traditionally followed a patriarchal structure dating back to the Torah. The first female rabbi formally ordained was only in the 1930s. 

Rabbi Emily Hyatt, a K-12 graduate from Denver Jewish Day School (formerly Rocky Mountain Hebrew Academy) and a DJDS parent, and Rabbi Elizabeth Sacks, also a DJDS parent, have now taken a historic step by serving as co-senior rabbis of the largest congregation in Colorado. 

In fact, Hyatt and Sacks are only the second duo of female rabbis to share a senior rabbinic partnership; they are also the youngest team to lead a congregation of this size. “To have two rabbis, that's a different structure, and it requires brave and courageous leadership,” Hyatt said. 

Hyatt and Sacks were officially installed last November as Co-Senior Rabbis, CEOs and executive directors of Temple Emanuel, but their idea of this partnership had been developing for years. “The first time she [Sacks] and I ever talked about wanting to do this was before COVID,” Hyatt said. 

However, the plan only moved forward when Rabbi Joe Black announced his retirement in early 2024, opening the opportunity for a new leadership model. 

When congregants were informed about their new co-senior rabbis, Sacks says, “Rabbi Hyatt and I are humbled to say the congregation was excited.” 

As with any significant change, there were also questions, especially from older members, about what would happen if the rabbis disagreed. Since they hold equal authority, some worried that the decisions could stall. 

“Disagreeing is the point of a good partnership,” Hyatt said. “Rabbi Sacks and I model our relationship a lot off the concept of a havruta.” 

Both Hyatt and Sacks want to emphasize that they are not supposed to agree on everything, and if they did, then they couldn’t do their job as well as they do. “It's important to have multiple perspectives for diversity of a community,” Sacks said. 

Both rabbis also hope the leadership provides a new model for women in Judaism. Hyatt notes that they are “reimagining the structure of synagogue leadership,” not only by having two female co-senior rabbis, but also through having two senior rabbis in general. 

With the leadership of a congregation of more than 2,100 families comes significant responsibilities. Hyatt and Sacks divide their work according to experience and expertise. Both share sermon duties equally, but Hyatt focuses more on Shwayder Camp due to her previous experiences as camp director, while Sacks concentrates on the preschool and religious school, reflecting her passion for education. 

The rabbis also mentor other clergy members. Temple Emanuel welcomed two new clergy this year: Rabbi Joshua Margo and Cantor Gabriel Lehrman. Margo is in his second career, and while Hyatt supervises and teaches him, he also brings new perspectives to her. 

Lehrman, a recent cantorial school graduate, receives mentorship primarily from Sacks, with additional guidance from Hyatt. 

“What Rabbi Hyatt and Rabbi Sacks are able to accomplish is pretty inspirational," said Temple Emanuel congregant Hannah Kletsky, an eighth grader at Denver Jewish Day School. 

This leadership change not only breaks tradition, but also, Hyatt and Sacks hope, sets a precedent for future generations in the Denver Jewish Community.