metro » Rebel With A Cause Woman of the Wall Anat Hoffman to speak of women’s rights at the Wall and beyond. Anat Hoffman at the Western Wall, Rosh Chodesh, July 17, 2015: The action resulted in arrest, harassment and protest. Lynne Golodner | Special to the Jewish News T Spa Holiday Event 20% OFF EVERYTHING ONE DAY ONLY Visit Rivage Day Spa Wednesday, Nov. 30th, 9am-8pm, and enjoy all spa services, gift cards, products, and spa packages at 20% off. Shop customized gift packages, exclusive products in our boutique, or a gift card for someone on your holiday list. Rivage Day Spa was featured in DaySpa Magazine as the ideal place to relax, recharge and renew. www.rivagedayspa.com 210 S. Old Woodward, Ste. 250 | Birmingham, MI 48009 | 248.839.2021 24 November 24 • 2016 hread, a new group dedicated to bringing together Jewish women for thoughtful pro- grams, will present Anat Hoffman on Thursday, Dec. 8, for “Rebel with a Cause,” a night focused on exploring what it takes to allow women full access to tradition, society and faith. A proponent of equal access for women in Judaism, Hoffman is executive director of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) and director/co-founder of Women of the Wall, advocating for more than a 25 years for women to have the right to pray at Judaism’s holiest site. Hoffman has endured buckets of water poured on her as she dared to pray near men. She has been verbally and physically assaulted as she tried to bring sacred scripture into worship near men. She dares to speak up when others stay silent. These lessons about standing up for what you believe and more will be part of her presentation in Detroit. At IRAC, Hoffman works to promote Jewish pluralism, tolerance and equal- ity, and to combat racism, corruption and religious coercion. She served as a Jerusalem city councilwoman for 14 years in a city where women are tradi- tionally consigned to a subordinate role, and she has advocated for the right of women to pray at the Western Wall and for women’s equal pay for equal work. “We are thrilled to have Anat Hoffman here in Detroit to inspire our commu- nity to action,” says Sherrie Singer, one of three founders of Thread, along with Jennifer Fishkind and Amy Shefman. “We are facing challenging times — as women and as thoughtful, open-minded Americans — and we need the passion and strength of such a great leader to guide us forward in this troubling land- scape.” Rabbi Michael Moskowitz of Temple Shir Shalom says, “Anat Hoffman gives voice to the values most important and concerning us today in Israel. She works nonstop to make sure Israel lives the best of what our Judaism should be. She has helped create a grassroots movement so essential for the future of our homeland, most particularly with women’s rights and the importance of equality for all. Her work truly inspires and motivates.” Driven by a mission of empowering, educating and engaging Jewish women, Thread was formed as an independent group for Jewish women ages 30-55 in Metro Detroit. Thread’s goals are to cre- ate a better understanding of the roots of Judaism, its significance today and impact on the future; to embrace Jewish traditions in a modern context; to inspire more women to get involved in the community; and to provide community service and social action opportunities as an expression of tikkun olam. This program featuring Hoffman is sponsored by Hadassah of Greater Detroit, the Sisterhood at Temple Israel, Temple Beth El, The Well, Congregation Shaarey Zedek, Temple Israel, the William and Audrey Farber Family Foundation, the Jewish Community Relations Council/American Jewish Committee, Temple Shir Shalom, Hillel Day School, National Council of Jewish Women of Greater Detroit and the Mandell and Madeleine Berman Foundation. * Anat Hoffman will speak at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, at the Berman Theater in West Bloomfield. Doors open at 7 p.m. Free, but registration is required: www.threadcommunity.org. Lynne Golodner owns Your People LLC, a marketing firm.