- . ----------,,. sh Historical R - 1 . _Je~i . 11 Association 130 sessions Str~~~06 providence , RI Inside: From The Editor, page 4 I Around Town, page 8 I THE ONLY ENGLISH-JEWISH WEEKLY IN RI AND SOUTHEAST MASS VOLUME LXXII, NU MBER 44 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 198 5 30c P ER COPY Report From Nairobi's Women 's Conference by Wendy Leibowitz Despite this, the Israeli delegates came Women Unite (JSPS) ISRAEL BUREAU - The back optimistic, perhaps because they auditorium at the Van Leer Institute in were expecting the worst. The equation of Jerusalem was packed. Despite fire Zionism and racism originated at the first *Take regulations, people sat in the aisles, United Nations Women's Conference in hanging on to every word spoken from the Mexico City in 1975, and was reiterated at Bad< the podium. The Israeli delegation had the Copenhagen conference in 1980. returned from Nairobi and was reporting However, due to determined efforts by the "' Night.)) on the proceedings at August's United United States, Zionism was not listed as Nations International Conference on an obstacle to peace in the Nairobi Women. conference's final document setting forth The official Israeli representation was a goals and strategies for the progress of I diverse group, ranging from Knesset women. member Sarah Daron, who headed the According to delegate Nitza Shapira delegation, to Esther 11 am, the head of the Libai. Government Advisor on Women's Israeli feminist movement. Palestinian Affairs, "Nairobi marked a real step I women and a delegation from the Israeli forwa rd, fo r Israeli women and all women. Communist Party were also present in Unlike the previous conferences in Nairobi, at times drowning out the official Copenhagen and Mexico City, women Israeli representatives. spoke confident ly, with one voice, MARCH I T he theme of the conference was pledging to work towards total equality for I "Equality, Development, and Peace," yet, women all over the world. There we re I not unlike t he situation at the United inany professional women from the Third AGAINST Nations itself, these lofty-goals were often World. and many more female- headed I I lost in the shouting. Israel placed second delegations from Africa, Asia, and Lat in I only to South Africa as a target of America. The U.N. Decade for Women VIOLENCE___. hostility. The Arab and Soviet blocs ac hieved much in enabling women to be continually tried to inject anti-Zionist aware their rights and to use them." women turned out, this year over 600 are rhetoric into the conference, disrupting In the official forum, countries sat expected. the proceedings with shouts of "Death to alphabetically. as in the United Nations "Unfortunately," according to Cynthia Zionists." General Assembly. Thus Israel, Iran and Davis, another coalition member, Continuedon a e9) "statistics show the frequence of violence :j increasing. There is some question about by Susan Higgins-Bostian whether violent crimes are happening I If you are driving through downtown more often or women just feel better about Providence, Saturday night, and you are reporting or notifying the centers and the very surprised at the sight of 600 women crisis shelters about the situation. Clearly Importance of Family suddenly turning a comer and walking the statistics reflect an increase in Throughout the meeting, the t hrough the dimly lit streets, remember something and the key issue is that that importance of the family, living and this, they are your mothers, daughters, has not changed at all." working together toward t he goal of lovers and wives. What kind of violence? "We are talking social harmony, was stressed. T hree hundred and sixty-four days a about sexual assaults, battering and Representatives of the two agencies year t hey have legitimate fears about harassment that happens in the streets, in t hat help provide funding for JFS, the walking alone on the street.~One night a the home, and at places of employment," Jewish Federation and the United year they bond together, taking only says Davis. Way, each made comments supporting flashlights, courage and each other and On this night, Saturday, October 5, an that belief. Charles Samdperil, venture out into the darkness to make a open invitation is extended to anyone President of the Jewish Federation and statement. One night a year they want concerned about the increase of violence Doris Forsyth, allocations manager of everyone to know that they will not rest against women to attend the pre-march the United Way, spoke highly of JFS until the issue of violence against women rally at 7 p.m. on the state house lawn. and promised continued financial is no longer an issue. One night a year, Announcements will be made and support. these women look forward to the chance to recoginition given to the groups who work Paul Segal then spoke of the "take back the night." on this issue all year long. At accomplishments of JFS over the The first Take Back T he Night march approximately 8 p.m., women only, will fifteen years that he has been started in Europe in 1976. In Providence begin to march into the night around t he associated with the agency. He thanked in 1979, 60 women bravely walked through city of Providence. his staff, describing how they have the downtown much to the amazement of "This has been a sensitive issue," says tackled the many problems JFS bas many onlookers. Each year the number of Jodi Glass, one of the Take Back T he faced in the l980's. And he spoke about participants has grown. Las_t year 500 (Continued on page9) how JFS has become interdependent with the community it serves. Marcia R ieaman "We once had to ask to be part of an agenda," Segal said, "but now people are asking us if we can present by Robert Israel programs at synagogues and schools." The Jewish Family Service has Outgoing JFS president S. Samuel indeed come "a long way," as Paul Kestenman also underlined t his theme Segal, Executive Director of J FS, told a of the agency emerging as a visible capacity crowd of almost two hundred force in the community. people assembled at the Jewish " I always thought of JFS like the Community Center in Providence on State of Rhode Island," Kestenman Wednesday, October 2. In fifty-six said, "a jewel that was too much of a years of serving the community, the well -kept secret. Well, we 've decided to agency has grown and changed with t he change that and the public has ta.ken times. There are new challenges that the original fou nders mus t never have notice." Newly installed President Marcia S. imagined would ever plague the Jewish Riesman spoke of the stresses and community: unemployment, alcohol­ strains that Jewish families, like all ism and chemical dependency, suicide, American families, experience in and problems faci ng the elde rly. Yet today's world. As new President, she Jewish Family Service has met these declared, she will wo rk toward "keeping problems head-on. With a new slate of Jewish values st rong in a society that is officers elected and inducted during the often fragmented." meeting and a new multi-image Slide Pret1entation audio-visual slide presentation entitled Following the election of officers, the "We're Here ... Just Call ," JFS is audie nce was shown the new aggressively tackl ing those problem11 audio-visual interpretation of the work and seeking to involve and educate the community-at-large. (Conlinued on pagc9) -2 - THE RHODE ISLAND HERALD, FRIDA¥, OCTOBER 4, 1985 Lecture At SMU Three To Be Honored On Jewish Pioneers At Temple Emanu-EI Jewish cowboys, gamblers, and sheep by Robert Israel Local News ranchers in the old wild West will be the On Tuesday, October 8. at Temple subject of a lecture at Southeastern Emanu-EI in Providence, in celebration of Massachusetts University on Oct. 9. Simhat Torah, three individuals will be Renowned editor and author Dr. Kenneth honored for taking on the great task of Libo will describe "the thrilling saga of the furthering the principles of Torah within the Jewish community. NEA's Frank Hodsoll To Speak At Brown t~•h:;~h':';=::t:/:,~~~~:':~ They are: Mrs. Jenny Machlowitz Frank Hod.so il, chairman of the ..,................. ....................__ _ , the history of the pioneering of t his Klein. Max Riter and Edward 0. Adler. National Endowment fo r the Arts, will continent. Mrs. Klein has been associated with speak st Brown University's Sayles Hall Sponsored by SMU's Center for Jewish Temple Emanu-El fo r 42 years. Being on Wednesday, October 23, at 7:30 p.m. Culture, the lecture/ discussion will take chosen as one of this year's Simhat Torah The theme of his lecture is the arts in place at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall of the honorees adds to a list of accolades, which public policy. College of Visual and Performing Arts includes Rhode Island Jewish woman of Hod.soil has been chairman of the (Group VI) Building. t he Year and a listing in Who's Who of Endowment since his appointment by Libo is a former editor of the Jewish World Jewry along with the titled of President Reagan in 1981. His many Daily Forward and co-author with Dr. grandmother and great-grandmother. Mrs. accomplishments in the past fou r years Irving Howe of "World of Our Fathers" Klein has participated in communal life in include developing various regional and and "We Lived There Too: A addition to her work at Temple Emanu-EI.