The first British Orthodox woman to be ordained as a rabbi has said she wants to be a role model for women and girls who want to be more involved in religious life.

 Dina Brawer, who has chosen the title "Rabba", received her qualification in a ceremony at Yeshivat Maharat in New York this week after four years of study.

She said: “In becoming the first female Orthodox rabbi in the UK, I want to be a role model for girls and women on how to become more deeply involved in Jewish ritual, prayer and study of sacred text.”

Rabba Brawer, who is also the founder of the UK branch of the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance and a former scholar in residence at Hampstead Synagogue, added: “Every field that has welcomed women's contribution has benefitted as a result. It is imperative that Orthodox Judaism seizes the opportunity to be likewise enriched.”

Dr Miri Freud-Kandel, fellow in modern Judaism at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies, called her ordination “momentous”.

“She has galvanised a grassroots movement, bringing together women and men, young and old, to elicit a response from the established institutions that dominate Jewish community life in the UK,” Dr Freud-Kandel said.

“Her efforts have shown that is possible to bring about change and to push through barriers, and she is encouraging others to seek more involvement in all aspects of community life.”

Yeshivat Maharat was founded in 2009 by Rabbi Avi Weiss as the first Orthodox institution set up specifically to ordain women.

Its graduates were initially known as “maharat” - a term meaning “leader of Jewish law, spirituality and Torah” - but have increasingly come to choose the title “rabba”, while some have opted for “rabbi”.

Despite the opposition to women’s ordination from the central Orthodox establishment, the yeshivah’s alumni have been able to find roles within Orthodox synagogues in the USA.