Rabbi Yocheved Mintz changing role at Congregation P’nai Tikvah

The first woman rabbi in Las Vegas is retiring as spiritual leader of Congregation P’nai Tikvah but that doesn’t mean she is stepping down from all of her duties. Rabbi Yocheved Mintz has been the spiritual leader for 11 years and she now will become the rabbi emerita or senior educator, and she will be involved with the congregation as much as her successor needs her. “It’s not retirement, it’s rewirement,” she said.

“But I decided to leave now so I would be able to help them through the transition.”

Last weekend, Mintz stood in front of her congregation for the final time. Saturday night she gave her final service to more than 120 guests at the Havdallah Celebration. More than 100 blessings were given.

“There was such an outpouring of love,” Mintz said. “They were very moving, very tender … much like the congregation. People spoke from their hearts about how I touched them as a rabbi.”

Becoming a rabbi was a dream come true for Mintz . “When I was five years old, in 1945, I wanted to be a teacher, an actress, a rabbi and a trained white horse,” she said. “And at that time it would have been easier to become the horse than it would to become a rabbi.”

But looking up to a loving grandfather she wanted to be just like him. “He was a rabbi and the head of the Orthodox Jewish community in Cleveland,” where she grew up.

“I loved the books in his house. He was kind, wise, and I was fascinated watching him counsel. He was the patriarch of his family and I was in awe of him. Yet he was still Grandfather.”

And her love for him continued to grow as she grew up. “I found out more about him. He was a disciple of Rabbi Abraham Kook, a very prominent figure in Israel. My grandfather was born in Jerusalem and so was my father, who is also a rabbi.”

In fact, there is a long legacy of spiritual leaders in her family. She is the 18th generation of rabbis in the Porath family, but is the first woman. She has been studying since she was a young child, and was teaching Hebrew and Judaica in Ohio when she was just 16.

Mintz was married when she was 19. Years later, she and her husband, Dr. Alan Mintz, a pioneer in age management, moved to Las Vegas where he was instrumental in developing the Cenegenics Medical Center in Summerlin.

While Mintz was teaching in Las Vegas, doing interior design and working as an actress, she was afforded the opportunity to follow her dreams. By that time the door had already opened for women to become rabbis so Mintz was thrilled to learn there was a seminary in California where they taught trans-denominational Jewish, which was just what she had been looking for.

While not all rabbis lead a congregation that wasn’t the case for Mintz. In 2004 she was ordained and became the spiritual leader of a congregation in 2005. Her husband of 38 years passed away suddenly, soon after her ordination.

“I wasn’t surprised to see her become a rabbi, she was always spiritual,” said Cindy Fox, a member of the congregation who was there before Mintz stepped to the pulpit.

“When she became leader it was certainly different than it is today. Many people couldn’t speak Hebrew at the time and very few were studying the Jewish faith. But she guided us. Now everyone is going to classes and educating themselves. It has been so amazing to watch,” Fox added.

“She also focused a lot of effort to be welcoming, which is a traditional part of our culture. And our congregation has become a sacred space where it feels like family.”

Fox said Mintz has been her mentor, spiritual leader and friend. “She will be missed in this community. She has left a remarkable legacy.”

Another member agreed. “She is a lady who inspires,” said Barbara Holland, another congregation member. “She has built a viable synagogue.

“So many members hadn’t had the opportunities as children to learn or expand their education,” she said. “She taught us to not only to read Hebrew but to chant from the Torah. It takes a lot of commitment as that takes 18 months. Now some of our seniors are celebrating their own bar/bat mitzvahs,” a Jewish rite of passage.

“She has also rekindled my Jewish spiritual soul,” Holland said.

And it isn’t only her own congregation that will miss her, because she is also very active in the entire Jewish community, across all denominations. She is also a vital part of the Southern Nevada community with her civic work. “She helps to promote good relations, to interface and promote other religions to work together,” she added

“She is a strong leader in both religion and civic causes.”

Both Fox and Holland agree they will be personally affected by her retirement. They echo each other when they say, “She has engraved herself on my heart.”

It will also be sad for the rabbi. “I became their spiritual leader in 2005. Now, 11 years later here we are,” Mintz said. “They are a wonderful, sweet, welcoming, warm congregation. I’ve also had the honor of helping and attending to people in times of joy and sorrow.”

She will always be a teacher, though, and hopes to do as much as she can. But there is another role in her life that blesses her. “I’m a mother of four, grandmother of 14 and great-grand of one.”

Mintz will also cut down on some of her civic work, which includes being a president, and/or board member for many causes. “But I will stay as active as my health allows.”