Rabbi Sandra Lawson

Rabbi Sandra Lawson (she/her) is Executive Director of Carolina Jews for Justice (CJJ), a statewide grassroots organization building power for electoral justice, immigrant rights, and community safety through coalition-based organizing across North Carolina. A 2018 Reconstructionist Rabbinical College graduate, Sandra has worked to transform perceptions of what a rabbi looks like. She tackles questions surrounding Jews and race, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and social justice through her writing, podcasts, media appearances, and keynote speeches. With more than 100,000 followers across social media platforms, she models what it means to teach Torah and build community in digital spaces.

Before entering the rabbinate, Sandra served in the U.S. Army as a Military Police investigator and later as an investigative researcher for the Anti-Defamation League's Southeast Region. She has also served as the inaugural Director of Racial Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Reconstructing Judaism and as Associate Chaplain for Jewish Life at Elon University. In 2020, the Forward named her to its "Forward 50." In 2022, the Center for American Progress named her one of 22 Faith Leaders To Watch. In 2025, she was named to Out Magazine's Out100.

Sandra holds a graduate degree in Sociology from Clark Atlanta University, 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.