Former Politician and MK, Civil Society activist, and a public opinion influencer

Rachel Azaria was born in Jerusalem to Israel Azaria, a Tunisian-Jewish immigrant to Israel, and Sharon Friedman, an American Jewish immigrant to Israel. She grew up on moshav Beit Gamliel and was educated in the National Religious school system.

After serving in the Israel Defense Forces, Azaria studied at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she earned a BA in Psychology and a master's degree in conflict resolution.

She won the Tami Steinmetz Prize for her master's thesis on the self-perception of the founders of the first Israeli settlements in Samaria.[citation needed] She was a member of the debating team at the Hebrew University, participating in debates in the European and World Championships. She participated in the Shalom Hartman Institute's Young National Religious Leadership program from 2001 to 2003. She is fluent in English.

Azaria is married to Elyashiv, a Talmud teacher, and has four children, and lives in Jerusalem. She held US citizenship prior to her entering the Knesset, when she had to give it up as a condition of becoming an MK.