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.