The Struggle for Religious/Gender Equality

Join us for this special lunchtime Schmooze with the Rabbis with guest Anat Hoffman, Chair of the Board of Women of the Wall.

Anat Hoffman, an Israeli born in Jerusalem, serves as the Executive Director of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) since 2002. Her position at IRAC places her at the forefront of the effort to advance religious pluralism in the State of Israel. As Executive Director of IRAC, Anat has fought (and won) recognition of Reform and Conservative conversions by the state; and led the struggle against gender segregation in the public domain, including on public buses, airplanes, and a national radio station.

In her teens, Anat was Israel's swimming champion, where she learned to dive headfirst into the deep end. This gave her the strength necessary to carry out her work in the past and today. Anat has led Women of the Wall for over three decades in their struggle towards gender equality at the Western Wall, the holiest site of the Jewish faith. She also served on Jerusalem’s city council for 14 years, heading the opposition. In this role, she pushed relentlessly for equality and tolerance in a city run by the powerful Orthodox block.

Anat was selected as "Person of the Year" by Haaretz in 2013 and chosen as one of the 50 most influential Jews by the Jerusalem Post in 2014. Globes named her as one of Israel’s top women activists in 2018.

Anat got her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UCLA and her master’s degree in Psychology from Bar-Ilan University. Anat is a mother of 3 and has one grandchild. She lives with her partner in Jerusalem.