Cynthia Culpeper

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

• Timeline of women rabbis