Nancy Ratzan

Nancy Ratzan was elected president of NCJW in March 2008, after serving as an NCJW vice president for six years. Among many other roles within NCJW, Ratzan chaired NCJW's judicial nominations campaign, BenchMark: NCJW's Campaign to Save Roe, since its inception in 2001 and has led the Grassroots Capacity Building Workgroup since 2007. In 2003, she represented NCJW on an interfaith mission to China to investigate family planning practices. 

In addition to her NCJW experience, Ratzan was the second woman to serve as president of Temple Beth Sholom, an 1100-family reform congregation in Miami Beach, and was founding chair of The Open Tent, an innovative program to expand and strengthen the Jewish community. 

An attorney, Ratzan was a partner in the Miami law firm of Steel, Hector & Davis, where she specialized in appellate, first amendment, and higher education law. 

Nancy is a courageous, effective advocate of social change whose commitment to justice is grounded both in her Jewish and feminist values.  Her vision, passion, and devotion to mobilizing the voice of progressive Jewish women inspire powerful grassroots engagement on women's and civil rights issues -- locally and nationally.