Rachel Lubarsky (later Cohen-Kagan) was born in the city of Odessa in the Russian Empire (today in Ukraine), Her father was one of the founders of the Lovers of Zion movement.

Her father's occupation exposed her at an early age to the great Zionists and Jews of Odessa like Ahad Ha'am and Hayim Nahman Bialik.

[1] She immigrated to Mandatory Palestine in 1919 on board the ship Ruslan, and became involved in the Women's International Zionist Organization (WIZO).

A member of Moetzet HaAm, in 1948 Cohen-Kagan was one of only two women (the other was Golda Meir) to sign the Israeli declaration of independence.

However, Cohen-Kagan was one of the seven MKs who broke away from the party to found the Independent Liberals in opposition to the impending merger with Herut.