Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari is head of the Rackman Center, which she founded in 2001. Prof. Halperin-Kaddari holds the rank of a full professor at the Faculty of Law at Bar-Ilan University and, from 2007 through the end of 2018, she served as a member and Vice President of the Expert Committee of the UN Committee on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). While serving on the Committee, in 2013, she initiated and led General Recommendation Number 29 regarding the economic consequences of marriage, family relations and their dissolution (Read); and in 2017, conducted CEDAW’s official investigation of the prohibition against abortions in Northern Ireland, which led to a legislative change in July 2019.
Keren Horowitz earned her LL.B. from Tel Aviv University and her M.Sc. In computer science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She performed her legal internship at Ehud Shilony & Co. and for several years worked at the law office of Herzog Fox & Neeman, specializing in labor law. She served as Head of the Rackman Advocacy and Legislation Unit from 2014 to 2018. She was selected and began to work as CEO in 2018. During her years in the Rackman center Keren led a number of struggles to promote women’s rights, among them: the appointment of a first legal assistant to the rabbinical courts, the promotion of adequate representation for women in professional committees during the Covid-19 period, the promotion of substantial equality in the distribution of the burden of child support between parents.
Shir obtained her LL.B in Law and Psychology from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. During her academic studies, she actively engaged in the field of family law and personal status. Shir gained practical experience by completing her legal internship at the Civil Department within the Office of the State Attorney. She furthered her expertise by working at private law firms and the Legal Aid department under the Ministry of Justice, consistently focusing on matters related to family law and personal status.
Galia holds an LL.M. and an LL.B. (with honors) from Bar Ilan University. Since being certified as a member of the Israeli Bar Association in 2013, she has worked in the field of family law. Galia has participated in a number of courses and received various certifications, including on the subjects of mediation, family mediation, durable power of attorney and consulting for couples and families. In the framework of her work at the Rackman Center, Galia provides legal advice to women who call the Help Line and represents select cases before the civil and religious courts in Israel.
Shay Zilberberg earned his LL.B. and LL.M. (with honors) in the thesis track. Both degrees were conferred by Bar-Ilan University.
In 2019, he began working on his doctoral dissertation in the Faculty of Law, under Prof. Amihai Radzyner, on the interface between civil law and the rabbinical courts.
He works in family law and personal status, representing clients in both the civil courts and rabbinical courts, with specialization in Jewish law and Hebrew law relevant to these fields.
Vered holds a Bachelor of Laws degree (LL.B) from the Hebrew University and a distinguished Master of Laws degree (LL.M) from the University of Haifa. Her thesis focused on the topic of violence against women on social media. Vered has worked for several years in private law firms, specializing in civil and administrative litigation. Afterwards, she transitioned to working for organizations dedicated to promoting human rights.
Leah holds an LLB from the Hertizlya Interdisciplinary Institute, a BA in History from Smith College and is currently studying for a Master’s Degree in Gender Studies at Bar Ilan University. She joined the Rackman Center staff in 2020 but has worked with the Center on various projects since 2015. Leah has been a professional writer and consultant in the not-for-profit sector since 2001 and has worked for a number of Israeli organizations in various fields, including youth/young adults at risk, women’s rights, education, Jewish renaissance and pluralism, shared society, health and more. She strongly believes in the importance of transparent and close partnerships between organizations, the government and donors and their role in building a strong society in Israel.
Gilit Inbar-Kimchi holds a B.A. in behavioral sciences with majors in management and economics, and an MBA from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She is a graduate of the Group Facilitation Graduate Program at Bar-Ilan University. For many years, she worked to strengthen and empower women and took part in setting up volunteer networks for new mothers as part of the national program, Mother to Mother in the Community, from Oranim College.
Sherry holds a bachelor’s degree in general history and art history from Tel Aviv University. She held various roles in account management and collection and customer relations.
Einat Offer earned her B.A. in English Literature and Information Science and M.A. (Cum Laude) in Gender Studies from Bar-Ilan University. She held account management and marketing positions at international consulting and market research firms. She is also a Certified communication coach (CLDCC, CCIL) and has developed, facilitated and led women empowerment workshops and women in business clubs.
May is a Law (LL.B.) student at Bar Ilan University. She volunteered at a shelter for battered women and worked for two years as a coordinator in a youth movement. Pre-specialized in a law firm in the commercial field and a member of the Legal Council of the University.
Carmel is a law student at Bar Ilan University. served as a tank instructor, an active editorial member of the “Democratic Culture” journal.
Karin is a Law student (LL.B) at Bar-Ilan University. She served in the IDF as a psychotechnical interviewer.
Shani is a Law student (LL.B.) at Bar-Ilan University. She served in the IDF as a commander in one of the reserve units.
Noa is a Bachelor of technology management student at Bar-Ilan University. As part of her national service – she volunteered at Gerin Ofakim as a coordinator of projects and events for the benefit of the community in the city.