- INSIDE: R. I. Jewish Historical From The Editor, page 4 Assoc iation 11 130 Sessions Street Around Town, page a Providence, RI 02906 Education, page g THE ONLY ENGLISH-JEWISH _WEEKLY IN R.I, AND SOUTHEAST MASS. VOLUME LXXI, NUMBER 36 FRIDAY, AUGUST 10, 1984 30c PER COPY' Israeli Women Seek New Role "Civilization & Jews" To Air by Linda Matcban Jewish women's organization, US/ Israel Boston Globe Women to Women.) On WSBE-TV October 1 TEL AVIV - It would have been easy Even women who are sympathetic to to get the impression, at the Sixth feminist ideals have trouble with the National Feminist Conference held in notion of a formal feminist movement. Israel in May, that feminism is a major Yona Ballas, for example, a Kfar Saba force in this country. artist and mother of three, is proud to Some 500 Israeli women jammed into point out that much of her artwork - the high school where it was held, and etchings of pregnant women staring where pink (not blue) Israeli flags draped longingly outside of windows, of the walls. wistful-looking women with babies - Women crowded into workshops on have themes that she considers feminist. "Recovering From Rape" and "Feminist But would she call herself a feminist? Issues on Pregnancy." In a session called "I don't want to be a feminist," Ballas "Sexual Exploitation by Professional says without hesitating. "They are radical Helpers" women shared harrowing ... It is difficult to be a woman here, but personal stories about being sexually feminism doesn't show me a way to make propositioned and abused by their doctors, it easier .. Feminists ask me to fight my lawyers, therapists. Others lined up three husband, and I don't want to fight him." deep to collect literature on everything Said Jerusalem's Shifra Jacobson, 30, from feminist jewelry to shelters for who describes herself as a radical fe minist battered wives. here: "Feminism is just a dirty word in But the energetic women at this Israel. In general, it's a word that can't be conference may well be most of the mentioned without people getting into Abba Eban feminists there are in Israel. Leaders of hysterics. Immediately, you're seen as a the women's movement here say they lesbian. You hate men. You don't know by Robert Israel public television station. The second doubt there are more than 500 in the your place." A major 10-part series that chronicles installment of the series will air Tuesday, country. That's barely a dent in Israel's But the feminist movement in Israel the history of the Jewish people will air on October 2, also at 9 p.m. Thereafter, population of roughly 4.1 million people. persists. It has a lot to take on, and it has Channel 36, WSBE-TV this fall. Entitled remaining episodes will be telecast on Even the most committed advocates of chosen to take on almost everything. Heritage: Civilization and the Jews, the Mondays at 9:00 p.m. equal rights for women here will admit the The question of religious law, for program will premiere on Monday, T he quality and impact of the series is Israeli feminist movement, which began example. Since 1953, certain matters October 1 at 9:00 p.m. on Rhode Island's (con tinued on page 7) about a decade ago _ with pertaining to the marriage and divorce of consciousness-raising groups afld action Jews in Israel have been under the committees, is today having problems exclusive jurisdiction of rabbinical courts, On Being Single And Jewish gaining ground. which make judgments on the basis of "It's a minority group. It's unorganized. their interpretation of Jewish religious law by Karen A. Coughlin It's not nationwide," acknowledged which has its source in the Bible, the Joanne Yaron, a journalist who helped Talmud, and in the codes of Jewish law. coordinate the conference. Under religious law, for instance, a wife The Singles It is loosely coordinated, at best, with can ask her husband for a divorce, but only Activities Director the exception of the National Feminist he can grant it. A wife whose husband has Conference held annually in Israel. deserted her and who has left the country "There are two separate worlds - one It is difficult for someone not hooked (and is therefore outside the jurisdiction of single and one married," says Judith Jaffe, into the feminist network to track down the religious courts) cannot marry anyone who for the past 15 months has been some of the feminist groups, since their else. senior adult coordinator at the Jewish addresses change frequently. Rabbinical courts do apply legal, social, Community Center in Providence. There are feminists in Tel Aviv only and financial pressure upon recalcitrant Jaffe, a divorcee for 12 years and the remotely aware of what women's husbands in divorce cases - although the mother of two grown children, feels movement groups are doing in Jerusalem extent to which they do is a source of "There is mutual misunderstanding just 40 miles away. Around the country, argument in Israel and an indication of between single and married people - women's centers close frequently. Most how thorny the issue really is. (There is "a misunderstanding that education could often, the closings are because of money tremendous amount of reconciliation," dispel." And Judith Jaffe is well prepared problems and burnout. according to Dov Fri mer, the director of to provide some of that education as she Elliot Schwartz the Institute of Jewish Law at New York's ·earned a Master's Degree in Psychology NOGA, Israel's only feminist magazine to me," she says, almost as if being single Touro College School of Law, who has from Loyola University in 1979 where she (the title is the Hebrew word for "Venus") were a contagious disease. is having trouble finding a distributor, practiced law in Israel. But, reconciliation focused many of her research projects on is happening "less and less/' according to the problems of single adults. "Married men and women might fear admitted Rachel Ostrowitz, one of its that a single friend could 'steal' their editors. Ofra Friedman, a legal advisor for Pioneer As she discusses several important Women/Na'amat, the Movement of" spouse," she adds. Most of the feminist activity in the "Among single people who are searching country - shelters for victims of violeqce, Working Women and Volunteers.) In any case, the court's authority is for a spouse and are not comfortable-with women's resource centers, a publishing single life, there can be envy of those who house, among other projects is limited. There have been instances in which husbands have extorted money and are married," Jaffe says. concentrated in the large centers of Tel The word "pain" begins to be heard in Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa, although property from their wives as a price of ,granting·a divorce. In one notorious case, a Jaffe's further comments. several other groups do exist elsewhere. "After the breakup of a marriage, there Efforts to unite them all into a single man who refused his wife a divorce 25 years ago was sentenced to jail until he is usually a grief period of about a year, as coordinated feminist movement have after the death of a spouse," she says. never managed to succeed with any changed his mind. He is still in jail, and nothing more can be done. Painful too, she adds, is the frequent national impact. breakup of friendships made when the Feminism, it seems, is winning no The absence of separation between religion and state in family matters is an single was part of a couple. popularity contests here. It is almost an "Even if the two women from a couples aspect of life in Israel that has infuriated either-or proposition in Israel: you're · foursome have been close friends, very either a feminist or you're not. It is many women, including Shulamit Aloni, a member of Knesset and longtime often that friendship ends. That is very common to hear a feminist sum up painful for the single woman," Jaffe adds. champion of women's rights who someone in the other camp with a remark These are some of the problems singles such as "she's nice - too bad she's not a maintains that legally, women in Israel are Judith Jaffe little more than the "property" of their face in our society, and groups like The feminist." Center Singles hope to make it easier to husbands. She has been vocal and blunt aspects of the facts of single life, the And it's common to hear a non-feminist face them. Jaffe's group sponsors about addressing it: listener, married or single, might squirm dismiss the feminist movement here as once-monthly brunches featuring guest "The clergy is very, very strong here," with a little discomfort, but cannot help merely "strident," or ignore it, or discount speakers, game nights, happy hours, it - as antifamily, as a frivolous fringe Aloni said in a recent interview. "And as but hear how honest and perceptive her long as (matters oO marriage and divorce square dances, outings of various kinds, group at a time when Israel has more comments are. wine-and-cheese gatherings, dine-outs and remain under the jurisdiction of the most "There's a disease between married and important concerns, as a foreign import discussion groups. It provides baby-sitting orthodox clergy, the status 'of women will singles, as there has been at times between perpetuated by Americans, an import services for single parents, and in short, continue to be bad.