Moran Zer Katzenstein (; born August 13, 1982) is an Israeli women's rights activist, lecturer, social activist, strategist and media personality. She is among the initiators of the coalition of women's organizations and founder of "Bonot Alternativa" (Women Building an Alternative; ), an organization which has been at the forefront of the ongoing judicial reform protests held across Israel.

Biography 
Moran Zer Katzentstein was born in Holon, the eldest of three. Her family lived in Migdal HaEmek, and moved back to Holon when she was five.

She grew up in a religious household but attended a secular school. Zer Katzenstein was active in the Bnei Akiva youth movement. She completed her studies at Katzir highschool in Holon where she studied media & communication. During her IDF military service, Zer Katzenstein served as a human resources officer and was honorably discharged with the rank of lieutenant.

After her army service, she went on to pursue her bachelor's degree in communication and management at the college of management and in conjunction served in an operational role in the Shin Bet. She completed her degree in 2007. She went on to complete her master's degree in business administration in 2010 at the same college.

Zer Katzenstein began her professional career in 2009 as a brand manager for L'Oréal.

In 2011, she began to work as a brand manager for Coca-Cola where she later managed the retail marketing branch.

Between 2015 and 2017, Zer Katzenstein was a marketing lecturer at the college of administration.

In 2016, she began work as VP of marketing at Honigman where she worked until 2018. She later went on to work as a marketing director at Google.

In 2020, she founded a creative and strategy agency and a school for YouTube professions entitled "yyy".

In 2021, she joined the management team at Playtika as head communications officer and also as a senior director at the company.

Beginning in 2023, she serves full-time and voluntarily as the leader of the women's movement "Bonot Alternativa" (Women Building an Alternative).

Women Building an Alternative 
While vacationing in Eilat with her family, she became aware of a gang raping incident that had taken place. Zer Katzenstein decided to initiate protests "in response to the rape and the lawlessness with which women are being treated in Israel". She founded "Bonot Alternativa" (Women Building an Alternative) in 2020, through the unionization of business women, entrepreneurs, CEOs, media personalities, social activists, and heads of women's organizations. In 2023, Bonot Alternativa became an official association.

Activism against judicial reform 

In 2023, as part of the 2023 Israeli judicial reform protests, Bonot Alternativa, under her leadership, initiated the "Handmaids' Protest" which drew inspiration from Margaret Atwood's novel, The Handmaid's Tale and also the TV series The Handmaid's Tale which is based on it. The exhibition included hundreds of women throughout Israel silently marching in red cloaks. The handmaids became the symbol of the protests against judicial reform and brought the movement led by Zer Katzenstein to the forefront of the struggle, while Zer Katzenstein serves as a frequent speaker at rallies across the country.

On the morning of June 29, 2023, Zer Katzenstein was detained for questioning by police during a protest near the home of the Minister for the Advancement of the Status of Women, May Golan. According to Zer Katzenstein, the Minister is "single-handedly hurting the ongoing struggle for women's rights in Israel". Zer Katzenstein was released shortly afterward.

Awards 

 2023 - "Knighthood" Prize by the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation

Personal life 
Zer Katzenstein is a married mother of three and lives in central Israel.

External links

References 

1982 births
21st-century Israeli businesspeople
Israeli women activists
Israeli women chief executive officers
Israeli women's rights activists
Israeli founders
Google employees
Living people