Age46 years old years old

Hometown Cleveland, OH

Claim to Fame America’s first black female rabbi.

Bio Born in Cincinnati, OH, and raised a Pentecostal Christian, 45-year-old Alysa Stanton made history this past June when she was officially ordained a Jewish Rabbi. She is now presides at the 60-family synagogue, Congregation Bayt Shalom, in Greenville, North Carolina. Stanton became interested in the religion when her family moved to a predominantly Jewish Cleveland suburb. She formally converted to Judaism in her 20s after a year of study with a rabbi in Denver. Though she's the first ever non-white to lead her synagogue, she hopes to leave a legacy that is rooted in more than just race. “I am foremost a Rabbi who happens to be African-American,” she told TIME magazine, “Not the African-American Rabbi.”

Quote I love the mountains and the beauty of God's creation. I find it inspiring praying and meditation in natural places of beauty. I am inspired by people who think beyond the box and the unsung heroes who walk with integrity and purpose regardless of the obstacles and opposition that comes their way.