THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Israeli Feminists Record Gains By REENA SIGMAN FRIEDMAN (Copyright 1978, JTA, Inc.) A prominent leader of the Israel Feminist Movement spoke out against what she believes to be the funda- mentally unequal position of women in Israeli society. Surveying the growth of the feminist movement in her country, she observed that although much progress has been made in recent years, many obstacles remain to be overcome. Joanne Yaron, coor- dinator of the Public Rlea- tions Committee for the Tel Aviv Section of the Israel Feminist Movement, made her remarks in a special in- terview in New York. She is also a member of the Tel Aviv Women's Center Rape Crisis Committee and serves as international liaison for the movement. She observed that, within the last five years, the movement, which now numbers some 1,000 active members, has gained rec- ognition in the press and has significantly influenced public opinion. Ms. Yaron attributed the recent rise in popular respect for the feminist movement to its espousal of a number of humanita- rian social issues which are of concern to the population as a whole. In the last few years, feminist programs on be- half of rape victims, bat- tered wives and mater- nity patients have, in Ms. Yaron's words, "made us acceptable to the run-of- the-mill person in Israeli society. They can identify us as Good Samaritans, working for a good cause." The Tel Aviv Israel Feminist Center, with Race Will Aid Olympic Team Playboy magazine and Detroit radio station WWWW will sponsor a 5,000-meter "Run for the Money" 8:30 a.m. Sunday to help raise money for the U.S. Olympic team. The race will start be- tween the athletic fields and the Coast Guard station on Belle Isle. Runners can pick up their numbers after 6 a.m. on race dax. The race, sanctioned by the A.A.U., is open to everyone. The Motor City Striders running club will officiate. Winners will receive spe- cial Playboy/ WWWW medallions. A "Run for the Money" running shirt will be given to each of the first 1,000 race entrants. Teens to-Dance at Beth Shalom Beth Shalom USY will host a "Boogie-on-Down" dance for teens in grades 9-12 9:30 p.m. Sept. 9 at the synagogue. There is a charge. For in- formation, call Darryl Leff, 544-0175, or Terry Schwartz, 681-7504. which Ms. Yaron is actively involved, operates a 24- hour Rape Crisis Hot Line, staffed by women volun- teers. Feminist leaders in Tel Aviv have been working closely with police, medical personnel and law enforce- ment officials to change public attitudes about rape, ensure more -Severe pro- secution of rapists and pro- ' vide more sensitive care for victims. Ms. Yaron also disclosed that wife abuse has emerged as a public issue in Israel only within the last few years. Since it has be- come known that there are some 30,000 to 50,000 in- stances of wife-beating in Israel each year, a number of "Battered Women's Shel- ters" have been established by feminist groups, the largest of which is in Haifa. A third major area of con- cern has been, according to Yaron, the treatment of maternity patients in the Beersheba Siroka Hospital which caters primarily to Bedouin women and Jews from Arab lands. One recent study revealed that the care provided these patients was anything but sympathetic and, in many cases, quite degrading. Leaders of the feminist movement in the Negev publicized the situa- tion and steps have been taken to improve hospital conditions. The Israel Feminist Movement has made great strides in recent years and has embarked upon cooperative pro- jects with Na'amat, WIZO and other non-feminist women's organizations, political and apolitical. tion Five of the present law, which enables married women to obtain an abor- tion on the basis of limited financial resources. Rep- resentatives of the various religious groups are at- tempting to eliminate this section, a move which, in Ms. Yaron's view, would discriminate against poor women seeking an abortion. With respect to the mobilization question, Ms. Yaron praised the ef- forts of a group of Israeli high school girls working independently of the feminist movement, to gain passage of a more stringent law regulating the drafting of young women into the army. Based upon the proposi- tion that equal rights must be accompanied by equal ob- ligations, the proposed legislation would stiffen the criteria for exemptions and would enforce the existing National Service Law, re- quiring girls who do not join the armed forces to perform alternative service. Ms. Yaron said that, while many Israeli feminists demand the sep- aration of church and state as a means of improving the condition of Israeli women, her own inclination is to work within the established religious framework. Ex- pressing her agreement with the aims of Jewish feminists in the United -States, Ms. Yaron praised the work of Israel's League for the Rights of Women in the Rabbinic Courts, which seeks to achieve its objec- tives through loopholes in the Halakha (religious law). "Eretz Yisrael is not something apart from the soul of the Jewish people; it is no mere national posses- sion, serving as a means of unifying our people and buttressing its material, or even its spiritual, survival. Eretz Yisrael is part of the very essence of our nation- hood; it is bound organically to its very life and inner be- ing." —Avraham Yizhak Kook Personal Financial Planning Stressing her desire not to alienate her religiously ob- servant sisters, Ms. Yaron said, "I would like very much to preserve Judaism in Israel ... I want Israeli women to be free without abandoning our historical tradition. I feel that we can achieve equality within Judaism." call HAROLD JAFFA Pennsylvania Securities Company Brokers for stocks, corporate and municipal bonds and mutual funds. 559-3120 and ask for Mr. Jaffa. Leasing. • • Where else but Tamaroff, of course! Where you'll get "straight-talk" answers to all your leasing questions. Where you'll get choice, savings, service and - convenience. Choose any car make (even foreign). Save with no middlemen, no extras plus get top dollar for your present car. You'll get continuous, courteous service and convenient free loaner cars. For "no run-around" leasing, call Sam Scotella or Larry Daniel at 353-1300. TamaRoFF Leasins co. 28585 Telegraph Road South of 12 Mile / opposite Tel-Twelve Mall Telephone (313) 353-1300 For the first time, in Ms. Yaron's words, the feminist movement is "being taken seriously in the Knesset." In her view, the two most criti- cal legislative battles facing Israeli feminists at the pre- sent time are those concern- ing the new national abor- tion law and the recruit- ment of girls into the army. Israel's comparatively liberal abortion law, which took effect last February, has come under attack of feminists because of its re- quirement that women de- siring abortions must re- ceive permission from a committee of medical pro- fessionals. This stipulation, according to Ms. Yaron and other feminist teaders, dep- rives women of the oppor- tunity to act as "free human creatures." The current debate fo- cuses upon the fate of Sec- Friday, September 1, 1918 23 JleAvaditem ge6(aie riterAtex Yeaciamai OPENING MEETING 5- stekhry, Ygie. 12 12:45 DR. DAVID SIDORSKY Guest Speaker CRISIS! ARAB and JEW TOGETHER? r oneperdian 7tCLG ga/uiet/ Youdz ilidi at 9 Ve ,141 • ,q Y/4 nf .957-29-90 Early Bird Drawing for Paid-Up Members— You Must be Present to win Thrift Shop Van will be waiting for your gently used clothing _abiL ra.42