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In recent years, authoritarian regimes have been gaining strength worldwide, mostly following financial and social crises. Although our country has managed to keep its democracy intact, we must remain aware and be vocal about its violations. Attacks on the courts and especially Israel’s Supreme Court, have increased. There are also more and more attacks - from the highest government offices - against Israeli journalists, and even against the Attorney General’s office, and other safeguards of democracy. During this webinar, we will scrutinize the different threats and challenges to Israel’s democracy. One of them, the Supreme Court Override Bill, could remove all power from the Supreme Court. While the Knesset is not fully functional, this can open a Pandoras box for extremist behaviors and indoctrination. It is imperative to understand where seemly harmless actions can lead and what we can do about them.

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 learnt 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 BarIlan University. Anat is a mother of 3 and has one grandchild. She lives with her partner in Jerusalem.

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