Barbara Sofer is a prize-winning journalist and author who lives in Jerusalem and lectures frequently to Jewish and general audiences. She speaks about Israel, Judaism, women's issues, and spirituality. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Hebrew University of Jerusalem, her byline has appeared in The New York Times, Woman's Day, Readers Digest, Parents, The Boston Globe as well as many other publications. She has written six books and contributed to others. She writes a Friday column for The Jerusalem Post that deals with the challenges and miracles of everyday life in Israel, where she moved from the United States 35 years ago.
As the Israel Director of Public Relations for Hadassah, she has witnessed and documented the daily effort to create an island of peace and sanity within Jerusalem's biggest medical center. Because of the prominence of Hadassah Hospital in the news, she has worked with top-tier media, including Sixty Minutes and Nightline in formulating programs that show Israel in a positive light. She contributed to the Emmy winning CNBC program Jerusalem ER.
Sofer appeared on Good Morning America'snew Seven Wonders of the World series as an expert on the spiritual uniqueness of Jerusalem and likes to think of herself as a "magida," an itinerant teller of the stories of Israel, past and present. She has served as a scholar-in-residence and visiting lecture in a variety of venues, including synagogues, churches, regional conferences of Hadassah, national conventions, for Jewish communities and at schools. She is also a committed member of the Shira Hadasha, an egalitarian-Orthodox community and an informal spokesperson for Orthodox feminism.
Her prizes include many Rockower awards for Jewish journalism, the Sidney Taylor Award for the best Jewish children's book, and the 2008 Eliav-Sartawi Award for creating understanding through Middle Eastern journalism. Sofer is married to scientist/writer Gerald Schroeder. They have five children.Email Barbara at bsofer@gmail.com
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