THE HEIROli JEWISH NEWS 24 Friday, August 14, 1981 40.090", Equal Rights for Women: A Different Kind of Battle for the Israel Defense Forces By YITZHAK RABI NEW YORK (JTA) — Are Israeli women equal to Is- raeli men? Yes, many people would say, pointing to the fact that women must serve along with men in the Israel Defense Forces. "This is only a myth," says Shuli Eshel, who wrote, directed and pro- duced a unique documen- tary film, "To Be A Woman Soldier," to prove her point of view- about the status of Israeli women. "There is no equality of the sexes in Israeli society. The Israeli army is a micro- cosm of the society, a micro- cosm where the inequality between men and women is sharply demonstrated." Eshel, a young, effer- vescent sabra, told the 8554355 MASTERCHARGE COUPON 0 C 0 z 50% ? z 0 Clothing Dry Cleaned & Pressed 0 SUTTON PLACE DRY CLEANING 23119 Lahser at 9 Mile COUPON /0 OFF Verticals several offer Manufacturers suggested retail prices, we use the LOWEST. Greene Bros. suggests you check and compare the retail prices before you buy. • • Horizontals • Woven Woods • Shutters • Shades Wallpaper 25% OFF Tremendous Selection Discount Applies Every Day Call the Store Nearest You Old Orchard Shopping Center Maple at Orchard Lake Road 626-2400 WINDOW SHADE CO. 15150 Seven Mile Road 342-8822 Open Mon. thru Fri. 8:30 to 5 Sat. 9 to 1 Open Mon. thru Fri. 10 to 5, Sat. 9 to 1 Please Note: Discounts are not applicable to specified prices, installation or repairs. Installation and measure additional. No freight on sizes up to 84"x84". that of her American counterpart, Eshel said American women are much more "liberated." Israeli women, she said, are at a state where American women were in the early 1960s when they started for the first time to be conscious of their second class citizenship in society. Eshel said that the con- troversy and responses that followed the showing of her film in Israel indicated that Israel is "ripe and ready" to ask questions and to probe the issue of women's r -l e and status in societ, order to change the situa- tion. The film also shows that a • lack of personnel has com- pelled the Israeli army to open up certain technical jobs to women's such as airplane technicians and control tower operators, jobs that were closed to women soldiers until recently. To illustrate this development, the film presents the story of Miri Dayan (no relation to Moshe Dayan) who had to fight against heavy odds to become the first, and so far the only woman commander of the women's tank in- structors course. and serving coffee. Eshel, who is in the United States to promote her film, has already re- ceived an enthusiastic re- sponse from the Public Broadcasting Servive which stated in a letter to her that "We very much want the film for PBS broadcast." Eshel said she now has to find sponsors for the film to provide the underwriting grants for televising the film on PBS. She said that her goal in making the film "was to im- prove the status of Israeli women" because "as a social documentary film maker my commitment is a social one." She contended that the Israeli woman is not equal to the Israeli man in all aspects of life — social and juridicial — nor in the general treatment accorded her in society. Continuing, she ob- served: "The time has come for women of Israel to take an active role in changing the situation toward equal- ity. One of the sources for the inequality is the army, where the division of the roles between the sexes is a long-standing tradition." Comparing the status of the Israeli woman to • UJA Meeting for Young Leaders 0 Discounts Are Not Everything! Telegraphic Jewish Agency in an interview here that her film was meant to "explode" the myth of equality between the sexes in the army and to the status of women as it really is. The film was broadcast last April on Israeli television and was acclaimed by critics as an important social docu- ment. The film depicts, through the real life stories of two women soldiers in their final month of service, the role of Israeli women in the army and in civilian life. Orly, a Yemenite from the city, and Abigail, from a kibbutz, represent the "av- erage" woman. When they entered the army they were, like many other 18-year- olds, full of hope and expect- ing to take part in defending the country. But they soon realize that all combat jobs or jobs that bring them close to combat are closed to women. They also discover that out of 709 professions in the Israeli army, only 225 are open to women soldiers. (By comparison, there are 630 professions in the U.S. army, of which 570 are open to women). Women in the Israeli army, the film shows, serve in mainly service roles. Orly and Abigail soon find themselves spending dreary hours in the office — typing, filing NEW YORK — The United Jewish Appeal East Central Region has or- ganized a Young Leader- ship Family Retreat, Aug. 28-30, at Camp Livingston in Bennington, Ind. Jewish community leaders from Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan will partici- pate in the three-day con- ference, sponsored by the UJA Young Men's and Women's Leadership Cabinets. The major focus of the conference will be the chal- lenges facing world Jewry in the next decade. The two scholars-in-residence for the weekend will be Dr. Jonathan Woocher, assis- tant professor of communal service at Brandeis Univer- sity; and Dr. Alan Dowty, professor of political science at Notre Dame. Gem Merchants Form Emerald Cutters Group RAMAT GAN — Leaders of Israel's precious stones industry have formed the Israel Emeral Cutters Asso- ciation. The new association con- sists of 12 companies whose annual exports of cut emeralds in 1980 reached almost $50 million, or more than 40 percent of world production, as Israel has emerged as the largest emerald polishing center. PRE-SEASON OUTERWEAR SALE . OFF / ‘• INFANTS - BOYS - GIRLS - APPAREL thru size 16 Inside Orchard Mall 6385 Orchard Lake Rd. at Maple, W. Bloomfield 851-5110 MARC ANKERMAN Disc Jockey "The Best Music in Town" Parties, Dances & Special Occasions 546-5797-544-0454 LIGHTS - SOUND EXPERIENCE If you're not wearing it, sell it. You can't enjoy jewelry if it's sitting in your safe deposit box. Sell it for immediate cash. We pur- chase fine gems. Diamonds and Gold Jewelry. A service to private owners. banks and estates. Call 642-5575. est. 1919 01# 30400 Telegraph Road Suites 104, 134 Birmingham, Mi. 48010 (313) 642-5575 LAWRENCE M. ALLAN President 1540* GEMOLOGIST DIAMONTOLOGIST AM.