Rabbi Mary Zamore

Rabbi Mary Zamore's headshot of her smiling in a dark long sleeved shirt.

Rabbi Mary L. Zamore (she/her) is the Executive Director of the Women’s Rabbinic Network. A recipient of WRJ’s Women’s Empowerment Award, Rabbi Zamore has also been named a T’ruah Rabbinic Human Rights Hero. She was a fellow with the Association for Public Religion and Intellectual Life at Auburn Seminary, NYC, studying in the Oppressions and Repair Colloquium. She is the editor of The Sacred Exchange: Creating a Jewish Money Ethic (CCAR Press, 2019) and The Sacred Table: Creating a Jewish Food Ethic (CCAR Press, 2011), designated a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. Ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 1997, she proudly served congregations in Central New Jersey for 18 years before joining WRN.

Aligning Financial Intent with Accountability

D'Var Torah By: Rabbi Mary Zamore

This Shabbat, Shabbat HaChodesh (announcing the new month of Nisan), is one of the four specially designated Shabbatot before Passover. In other words, Passover is almost here! Six months ago, we were celebrating the Jewish new year by immersing ourselves in prayer and reflection, especially with cheshbon hanefesh: the accounting

In Fear, What Will We Choose to Build?

D'Var Torah By: Rabbi Mary Zamore

As former slaves, the Israelites were no strangers to backbreaking labor to glorify Pharaoh and Egyptian deities. During their transformational journey from Egypt to The Promised Land, the Israelites build two notable structures for their own use. The first, the Mishkan, the portable Tabernacle, was commanded by God, with its

The Importance of Gracious Receiving

D'Var Torah By: Rabbi Mary Zamore

At the beginning of my relationship with my husband, I was not always gracious in receiving his gifts because I felt they did not reflect who I am and pointed to his not truly knowing me. In hindsight, I see an earnest young man, a little overwhelmed by the task

What is Holy to God? Each of Us

D'Var Torah By: Rabbi Mary Zamore

In the second century, Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai and Rabbi Eliezer, son of Rabbi Yosei, traveled from the Galilee to Rome to plead for the repeal of a royal edict forbidding Shabbat, circumcision, and the laws of ritual purity. While there, the rabbis gained the emperor’s trust by curing his

The Enslavement of Debt, Then and Now

D'Var Torah By: Rabbi Mary Zamore

“When you acquire an eved Ivri, Israelite debt servant, that person shall serve six years – and shall go free in the seventh year, without payment” (Exodus 21:2). Parashat Mishpatim begins with commandments governing the relationship between an Israelite master and eved Ivri, a fellow Hebrew who has defaulted on