Rabbi Amy Bigman grew up in the Detroit suburbs and graduated, with distinction, from the University of Michigan in 1987 and was ordained a rabbi by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1992. Rabbi Bigman's rabbinic thesis dealt with issues relating to the treatment of terminally ill patients.Rabbi Bigman has served congregations in Michigan and Missouri. In addition, she was the assistant director of the Ecumenical Institute for Jewish-Christian Studies in Southfield, Michigan, from 1996-2000.
Rabbi Bigman has served on many boards and committees in the communities she has served. Among them, she served for two years as the president of the Association of Reform Rabbis of Greater St. Louis.
Rabbi Bigman represented the St. Louis Rabbinical Association on the boards of the Jewish Fund for Human Needs (JFHN) and the Missouri Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (MORCRC), both based in St. Louis, Missouri. She also was a member of the inaugural by-invitation-only class of the RCRC's Clergy Institute for Reproductive Choice in 2006 where she was honored to make a presentation representing the Jewish faith at a briefing on Capitol Hill.
Rabbi Bigman became the rabbi of Congregation Shaarey Zedek of East Lansing in July 2007. Rabbi Bigman was the founder of the East Lansing Area Clergy Association in 2010 (now the Interfaith Clergy Association of Greater Lansing) and served as its coordinator for the first three years of the organization’s existence; she also served as co-coordinator from 2021-2023. She also served on the Sex Education Advisory Board for East Lansing Public Schools from April 2012-June 2016 and September 2017-March 2022. Rabbi Bigman also sat on the Personal Health and Sexuality Education Advisory Board for Okemos Public Schools from August 2012-May 2018.
Rabbi Bigman received her honorary Doctor of Divinity in recognition of her 25 years of service to the Jewish and general communities from her alma mater, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, in March 2017.
Rabbi Amy Bigman was appointed in December 2019 by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to serve a three-year term on the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board (“Children’s Trust Fund”), now renamed Children Trust Michigan. Children Trust Michigan serves as a voice for Michigan’s children and families and promotes their health, safety, and welfare by funding effective local programs and services that prevent child abuse and neglect. Rabbi Bigman represented the State of Michigan’s religious community on the board. Rabbi Bigman continues to serve on its Public Awareness Committee.