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
editCulpeper 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
editCulpeper 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
editCulpeper 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
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d "Community mourns loss of Rabbi Cynthia Culpeper, 43 – Southern Jewish Life Magazine". August 29, 2005.
- ^ Staff, J. (February 9, 1996). "I have AIDS, rabbi from S.F. reveals publicly".
- ^ a b c d "Community Mourns Loss of Rabbi Cynthia Culpeper, 43". Deep South Jewish Voice. August 29, 2005. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
- ^ "gen.culpepper.com". gen.culpepper.com. Archived from the original on 2014-08-09. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
- ^ a b "'I have AIDS,' rabbi from S.F. reveals publicly". Jweekly.com. 1996-02-09. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
- ^ "Alabama ousts governor, a Christian right advocate". Retrieved 29 October 2014.
- ^ "Rabbi Cynthia Culpeper dies at 43". Retrieved 29 October 2014.
- ^ "Rabbi Cynthia Culpeper dies at 43". 2 September 2005. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
- ^ Brook, Larry (2005-08-29). "Rabbi dies of AIDS". JTA. Archived from the original on 2013-04-15. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
- ^ "Interactive AIDS Quilt". www.aidsmemorial.org.
- ^ 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.