All of our foremothers and female ancestors are wonderful inspirations of strength and character. But how is Rebekah different? How does she challenge the gender norms of the Ancient Near East? Together, we'll take a look at the text to decode her story.

Rabbi Miriam Hoffman is the Reform rabbi at Brandeis Hillel. Rabbi Miriam was ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in May 2023. At the University of Arizona, where she received her BA in Family Studies and Human Development, Rabbi Miriam was heavily involved in Hillel University of Arizona. After graduation, she spent a year in New York as an Avodah Jewish Service Corps member, before heading to Jerusalem to kick off her rabbinic studies. Upon returning to Los Angeles, Rabbi Miriam served as the rabbinic intern for Hillel at USC for two years, where her excitement for Hillel work was reignited. When not working, you can find Rabbi Miriam doing various arts and crafts, hitting the gym, or talking Torah with friends and family.