Cynthia_Culpeper

Cynthia Culpeper

Cynthia Culpeper

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Cynthia Ann "Cyndie" Culpeper (June 16, 1962 – August 29, 2005) was the first pulpit rabbi to announce being diagnosed with AIDS, which she did in 1996 when she was a rabbi at Agudath Israel in Montgomery, Alabama.[1] She was the first full-time female rabbi in Alabama and the first Conservative female rabbi in Alabama.[1]

Early life

Culpeper was originally from San Francisco.[2] She converted from Roman Catholicism at age 21, and was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1995.[3][4]

AIDS

Culpeper was working as a nurse in San Francisco General Hospital when she accidentally contracted HIV due to a needle stick, and was diagnosed with HIV in 1995.[5][3][6] She later became the first pulpit rabbi to announce being diagnosed with AIDS, which she did in 1996 when she was a rabbi at Agudath Israel in Montgomery, Alabama.[1] After revealing her diagnosis, her congregation rallied around her, insisting she continue to work, and wearing red AIDS awareness ribbons,[5] but in 1997 she gave up her position and moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where she could get "cutting edge" treatment at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's AIDS research clinic.[7] Culpeper spoke about AIDS to Jewish communities throughout America.[3] However, she did not want to be known as "the AIDS rabbi".[8] She died of AIDS in 2005.[9] Block #6020 of the AIDS Memorial Quilt has a panel commemorating her.[10]

Achievements

Culpeper was the first full-time female rabbi in Alabama.[1] She also became the first female rabbi to lead religious services in Poland when she conducted High Holy Day services at Beit Warszawa in 2000.[3] Culpeper also contributed a chapter to the anthology The Women's Torah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Torah Portions (2000).[11]

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "Community mourns loss of Rabbi Cynthia Culpeper, 43 – Southern Jewish Life Magazine". August 29, 2005.
  2. [2]
    Staff, J. (February 9, 1996). "I have AIDS, rabbi from S.F. reveals publicly".
  3. [3]
    "Community Mourns Loss of Rabbi Cynthia Culpeper, 43". Deep South Jewish Voice. August 29, 2005. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
  4. [4]
    "gen.culpepper.com". gen.culpepper.com. Archived from the original on 2014-08-09. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
  5. [5]
    "'I have AIDS,' rabbi from S.F. reveals publicly". Jweekly.com. 1996-02-09. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
  6. [6]
    "Alabama ousts governor, a Christian right advocate". Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  7. [7]
    "Rabbi Cynthia Culpeper dies at 43". Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  8. [8]
    "Rabbi Cynthia Culpeper dies at 43". 2 September 2005. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  9. [9]
    Brook, Larry (2005-08-29). "Rabbi dies of AIDS". JTA. Archived from the original on 2013-04-15. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
  10. [10]
    "Interactive AIDS Quilt". www.aidsmemorial.org.
  11. [11]
    Cynthia A. Culpeper. “Positive Pillars.” In The Women's Torah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Torah Portions. Edited by Elyse Goldstein, pages 63–69. Woodstock, Vermont: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2000. ISBN 1-58023-076-8.
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