38 Friday, May 12, 1918
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Sternstein Tribute
Israel Birthday Salute
The state of Israel reborn is the fulfillment of the aspirations of the Jewish people
cherished through the millennia. The return of the people to their ancient land, reconverting
it from a desert to new fertility, testifies to the unbroken link between the land oflsrael and its
people.
The re-establishment of the state of Israel after so long a time is a tribute to the undying
loyalty of the Jewish people to their dream of a sovereign and independent Jewish homeland
in the land of the Bible. The achievements oflsrael are a source of pride for all Jews wherever
they reside, and have earned the admiration and respect of all mankind.
We salute Israel's stand against enemies who seek Israel's destruction and in Israel's
search for peace and tranquility.
We also salute Israel, which even under the stress of perpetual war, has succeeded in
building a Democracy where science and art can flourish, a society devoted to progress and
humanitarian idealism.
The American Jewish community is united in its support of Israel, America's only true
ally in the Middle East and the region's only Democracy.
We are confident that the people of America join us in this tribute to Israel on its 30th
anniversary.
— Rabbi Joseph P. Sternstein, president, Zionist Organization of America
Israel Has Equal Rights Laws,
Yet Women Still Find Prejudice
By TAMAR KAUFMAN
World Zionist Organization
JERUSALEM — Thirty
years ago the women and
men of the Land of Israel re-
joiced together at the estab-
lishment of the first sover-
eign Jewish state in 2,000
years. For their part, the
women looked back with
pride at' the role they had
played in building and de-
fending the Jewish settle-
ment, and they looked for-
ward to even greater
achievements in the free,
democratic nation being
born.
The women were im-
mediately called upon to do
their part in mid-wifing the
birth of the new state, as it
was attacked on all sides by
powerful enemies.-Mothers
and daughters, sometimes
side by side, served in every
capacity imaginable: as doc-
tors and nurses, as combat
drivers and cooks, as armed
escorts and guards.
After the cease-fire,
women like Manya
Shokhat, Rachel Yanait
(Ben Zvi), Ada Maimon,
Sarah Azariyahu, all
pioneers from the early days
of the Second Aliya, turned
joyfully and with renewed
strength to the work of
building an egalitarian
society where women and
men would have the same
opportunities to contribute
to the people of Israel.
As elections to the first
MONT(;OME FAY
WA RD
A TREE PLANTED
STRONG AND BOLD
LIVES MIGHTILY
THEREAFTER
Knesset drew near,
women were divided as
to how to proceed. Before
the establishment of the
state, they had had to
fight for their civil and
political rights — includ-
ing the right to vote — in
addition to the right to
work in any jobs they ch-
ose. During the struggle
for the vote, an indepen-
dent list of women candi-
dates had run for the
Representative Assem-
bly and many of the local
governments.
Ms. Azariyahu, and some
of the other suffragists, put
their faith and trust in the
new parliament, believing
that women should work
from within the various
political parties in further-
ing their interests.
Other suffragists, how-
ever, felt that the indepen-
dent women's list should
continue to run in elections.
In the past it had served to
goad other parties into put-
ting more women candi-
dates on their lists, and to
take women's interests
somewhat seriously. They
felt that this function was
still valid.
History records that the
second opinion won out. The
Women's Association for
Equal Rights teamed up
with the Women's Interna-
tional Zionist Organization
(WIZO), and received one
seat in the first Knesset.
During the course of
the next 30 years, al-
though the women's list
ceased to run binational
and local elections,
women continued to be
represented in Knesset
and in municipal gov-
ernments through the
various political parties.
Although decreasing, the
ratio of female to male
representatives has al-
ways been better in Israel
than in most other coun-
tries.
The status of Israeli
women has changed with
the development of the
state. For example, a law
forbidding bigamy was
passed in 1959; in 1950, a
law forbidding the marriage
of minors was enacted; in
1951 the Equal Rights for
Women Act became law;
and in 1964 the Equal Pay
for Equal Work law was
enacted.
. In some areas the rights
enjoyed by Israeli women
are the envy of women
elsewhere. A pregnant
worker is entitled to a brith
leave extending from just
prior to the birth to three
months afterwards, with
the right to remain home for
a full year without fear of
losing her job. If she quits
her job during this period,
she is entitled to the com-
pensation she would have
received if she had been
fired. In addition, extensive
day-care facilities for age
groups from toddlers to nur-
sery school are a boon to
working parents.
Israeli women are not
satisfied, however. For
instance, although there
is an Equal Rights for
Women Act, stating that
any laws discriminating
against women as such
are not to be enforced,
that law has a section
which expressly excludes
personal status (mar-
riage, divorce, bastardy,
etc.), which is under the
sole jurisdiction of the
rabbinical courts.
Since the religious court
system is based on an Or-
thodox interpretation of the
Oral Law, which many see
as patriarchal, women may
be discriminated against as
a matter of course.
Another example: the fact
that there is a law on the
books requiring equal pay
for equal work is no guaran-
tee that the law is effective
or the principle observed.
Everywhere one turns in Is-
rael one finds testimony to
the contrary.
In factories one can find
two separate wage lists
hanging on the wall, the
lower wages for women and
the higher for men. In the
pages of the national
dailies, personnel-wanted
ads usually state the de-
sired sex of the employee —
and the openings are de-
pressingly stereotyped.
Vision of Jerusalem
Happy Ann iversary, Israel!
Great moments. What could be made of this countryside.
A city like Rome...
I would isolate the old city with its relics and pull out all
the regular traffic; only houses of worship and philanthropic
institutions would be allowed to remain inside the old walls.
And the wide ring of hillsides all around, which would turn
green under our hands, would be the location of a glorious
New Jerusalem...
Tender care can turn Jerusalem into a jewel. Include
everything sacred within the old walls, spread everything
new round about it.
— Theodor Herzl, November 1898