Female Rabbi Fuels Outreach, Diversification

as more than just a practice in a synagogue.

North Carolina Hillel Sharon Mars, the new UNC campus rabbi, isn't quite what you might expect.

"I know when you hear rabbi, people tend to think of an elderly man with the long beard and sidelocks," Mars said. "I look the opposite of that."

For one thing, Mars is a woman. And while she said female rabbis are more common than they once were, she added that not everyone has been exposed to them yet. "I don't consider myself a pioneer, but it is different and for some people, they've never met a female rabbi," she said. "Hopefully, it's enlightening."

Besides being a woman, Mars does not hold all of the traditional Jewish beliefs that are usually associated with that image."I like to think of myself as an evolving Jew," she said. "I have an affiliation, but that doesn't stop me from interacting with all Jews."

Mars began working for N.C. Hillel, the Jewish student organization on campus, Aug. 1. Her position is a new one because traditionally the executive director of Hillel was also the rabbi.

But Or Mars, Hillel's executive director and Sharon's husband, said his organizational duties left him little extra time for students. "I was doing so much legwork that I was missing the personal connection," Or said.

Or said his wife's duties will include being available to students, planning programs, working with multicultural and interfaith communities and being a resource for the entire UNC campus.

"I wanted to invest in Jewish education on campus, to take the interesting Jewish discussion we have out onto campus," Or said. "There are probably people on campus who know very little about Jewish life, and (Sharon) is a resource for them."

One of the programs Sharon is facilitating at Hillel is the monthly women's holiday of Rosh Chodesh. Every month when the new moon appears, Sharon said it is customary for Jewish women to meet to socialize and learn from each other. "It's a holiday designed specially for women, so (Sharon), being a woman herself, is able to help us get more out of it," said sophomore Julia Kessler-Hollar, student secretary and treasurer of Hillel.

Sharon said she is strongly committed to pluralism, the idea of accepting multiple ways of identifying oneself as Jewish, such as culturally or spiritually.

"Pluralism is a mind-set and something I embrace because without it the world is too black and white and limiting," she said. "It's convenient to have one label on yourself, but it doesn't promote growth."

Senior Adina Dubin, Hillel's student president, said Sharon's stance on pluralism meshes perfectly with Hillel's principles. "Hillel is committed to pluralism so Jewish students feel comfortable no matter what their history or background is," she said. "Her commitment to pluralism is really a commitment to making students feel comfortable."

Before coming to Hillel, Sharon was a rabbi at Chapel Hill Kehillah, the only synagogue in Chapel Hill. While she was there, she often assisted Hillel students in planning services.

Sharon was ordained at the Hebrew Union College Reform Movement Seminary and worked for Hillel right after she graduated from college.

"I hope to be a support for students, to make Judaism inviting, exciting and accessible to them," Sharon said.

"My goal is to make Judaism cool and dispel the notion that Jewish life is only in the synagogue."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.