Promoting Equality and Tolerance in Times of Peace and War

The Israel Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (IRAC) has a long proud history of securing civil rights for a just and egalitarian Israel. It is the embodiment of Reform Judaism in Israel. Often, the first things sacrificed in wartime are civil rights. Come hear Orly Erez-Likhovski, Director of IRAC, discuss how IRAC has continued to fight for freedom of religion and equality, battle against gender segregation and racism, promote LGBTQ rights, and protect the rights of converts and new immigrants. In this painful time after October 7, it is doubly important to protect these precious rights. Orly will also describe IRAC's active fight against the legal coup over the last year and the more recent additions to their work.

Orly Erez-Likhovski is the Executive Director of the Israel Religious Action Center of the Reform movement in Jerusalem. Erez-Likhovski holds a bachelor's degree in law from Tel Aviv University. After interning in the Supreme Court, she got a master's degree in law with a focus on human rights law at Columbia University in New York. Erez-Likhovski is a member of the Bar Association in Israel and New York. Erez-Likhovski has served as an attorney at IRAC since 2004, as Director of the Legal Department from 2014-2021, and Director of IRAC since 2021.

Erez-Likhovski has brought about significant legal achievements such as making gender segregation on public transportation illegal, ending the Orthodox monopoly on state-funded salaries to rabbis, filing (and winning) the first ever class action suit regarding exclusion of women, and disqualifying racist candidates from running to Israel's parliament.