She studied at
Migdal Oz (seminary) of
Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel, and graduated
summa cum laude from the Honors Program at
Stern College for Women in 2009.[3] As a student leader, in response to the
Agriprocessors meat scandal, she organized a panel on ethics and the laws of
Kashrut.[4] Kletenik subsequently suggested that the foundation of the biblical laws of kosher are essentially ethical, that "the earth is not yours to plunder".[5] Her Senior Honors Thesis was entitled To Judge or Not Judge: Women's Eligibility to Serve as Judges: an Exploration of the Biblical, Tannaitic, Amoraic and Tosafist Literature.[6]
In 2011, Kletenik earned a
Master of Arts degree in Biblical and Talmudic Interpretation from the Graduate Program for Women in Talmud at
Yeshiva University. While at Yeshiva, she was one of the leaders of the Social Justice Society of Yeshiva University, which The Forward called part of "a boom in Orthodox social activism among the young".[7]
Kletenik is a Starr Fellow at Harvard University.[11] She has written about Jewish studies[12] and other topics.[13]
Previously she was a congregational scholar at the
Modern OrthodoxCongregation Kehilath Jeshurun[14] on the
Upper East Side of Manhattan. During her tenure at Kehilath Jeshurun, which concluded in 2014, Kletenik was among a few Orthodox women worldwide functioning as religious leaders.[15] Kletenik has been a vocal advocate of advancing women as rabbis and clergy, notably suggesting as much in a public sermon.[16] She has written about this position, which has been deemed controversial,[17] in the Huffington Post.[18] Kletenik has also written on political affairs, which she considers through a philosophical lens, most recently opining on ISIS in 3:AM Magazine.[19] Working towards a more egalitarian Jewish leadership landscape, she is also a founder of the Orthodox Women’s Leadership Project.[20]
^Anna Goren (September 24, 2014).
"Kosher Meets Hipster". The Atlantic. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
^Kletenik, Gilah.
[1]. Yeshiva University, Stern College for Women. S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program, 2009.
^Michael Orbach (March 6, 2009). "Social Activism, Modern Orthodox-Style - A Younger Generation Takes Steps To Change Larger World". The Forward. p. 1.
^"AWP Orthodox Leaders Cohort". AWP: Advancing Women Professionals and the Jewish Community. February 23, 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2014.