Rabbi Sandra Lawson
Executive Director of Carolina Jews for Justice (CJJ)
Rabbi Sandra Lawson
Executive Director of Carolina Jews for Justice (CJJ)
Biography
Rabbi Sandra Lawson (she/her) is a nationally recognized leader, visionary strategist, and community builder working at the intersection of Judaism, justice, and community transformation. As the Executive Director of Carolina Jews for Justice (CJJ), she brings her passion for equity, her commitment to grassroots organizing, and her visionary leadership to Jewish communities across North Carolina. Under her leadership, CJJ is expanding its reach and deepening its impact in North Carolina.
As one of the first African American, queer, female rabbis, Lawson brings a powerful and unique perspective to conversations about identity, inclusion, justice, and faith. A veteran of the U.S. Army, sociologist, and rabbi, Sandra has spent her career lifting up marginalized voices, building bridges across differences, and helping communities live out their deepest values.
A 2018 Reconstructionist Rabbinical College graduate, Lawson is a nationally recognized thought-leader who has consciously worked to transform perceptions of what a rabbi — and the rabbinate — looks like. She is known for tackling difficult questions surrounding Jews and race, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and social justice through her writing, podcasts, essays, media appearances and keynote speeches.
Previously, she served as the inaugural Director of Racial Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Reconstructing Judaism and as Associate Chaplain for Jewish Life at Hillel at Elon University. She also founded Kol Hapanim – All Faces – an inclusive Jewish community where diversity is embraced.
A social media pioneer, Lawson models what it means to teach Torah and build community in digital spaces, building a following of more than 100,000 people across multiple platforms. In 2020, the Forward named Lawson to its "Forward 50," proclaiming her a "truth-teller." In 2022, the Center for American Progress named her one of 22 Faith Leaders To Watch.
Lawson's diverse background brings depth to her speaking engagements. She served in the U.S. Army as a Military Police investigator specializing in child abuse and domestic violence cases, and later worked as an investigative researcher for the Anti-Defamation League's Southeast Region, becoming the go-to expert when law enforcement needed information on hate groups.
Born in St. Louis and raised in a military family, Sandra holds a graduate degree in Sociology from Clark Atlanta University, a Master of Hebrew Letters (MHL) and rabbinic ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School. She lives in North Carolina with her wife, Susan, and three "fur babies": Bridget, Simon, and Stella.
Speaker Videos
My Story of Becoming Jewish
Black, Jewish & Queer: Navigating Judaism with Multiple Identities
Speech Topics
Embracing Genuine Connection in a Polarized World
We are living in extraordinary times, where partisan politics and extremism seem to rule the day and world conflicts continue to heat up. Every age group feels the effects of these issues, but none more so than Gen Z. This generation has been thrust into the heart of these challenges, living in a digital age where activism and social justice are a part of everyday life. To want to change the world is amazing, but there are some small adjustments that can be made starting today that can multiply the effects of activism and improve your life, too. Drawing from teachings, particularly the idea that “words that come from the heart, enter the heart,” Rabbi Sandra Lawson explores how authentic communication can serve as a bridge to deeper understanding and connection, transform our conversations and lives and heal the societal fractures we all face. She’ll give you specific tips for more genuine and understanding dialogue so we can uncover shared values and cherish the spectrum of human thought and experience.
My Journey to Judaism & Becoming a Rabbi
Sandra Lawson grew up in a non-religious home, in a military family. While in college she joined the United States army and in 2004 converted to Judaism. Then in 2011 she became the first African-American, accepted into the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.
Black, Jewish & Queer: Navigating Judaism with Multiple Identities & Building Bridges
Sandra Lawson sees her multiple identities as an asset and uses her identities as a bridge builder. Her 21st century rabbinate takes her from nursing homes, to cafes, to the world of social media where she uses the aspects of her identity to connect with others.
Thinking Outside the Box Called Judaism
Jews want to engage in Jewish life and want to be part of a Jewish community. For many Jews the current model of the synagogue does not work and it is time to create innovative ways to connect to Jews. And to create different models of what it means to be a rabbi in the 21st century. Through technology, music and prayer Sandra is using her rabbinic training to meet Jews where they are in their lives and she is creating sacred spaces outside the boundaries of synagogues.
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