A Call To Activism

Arlene Victor will lead national WAND.

rlene Victor tells
people that her
family always
has been im-
mersed in Jewish com-
munity activities. And
she gives much credit for
her own call to activism
to her daughter's liberal
passions.
This fall, she will take
on a two-year term as
national president for
the 3,000-member
WAND, Women's Action
For New Direction. By
utilizing women through
lobbying and fund-rais-
ing, WAND hopes to
reduce the military bud-
get and to curtail vio-
lence.
Ms. Victor is quick to
tell those who ask that
her involvement in this
group came after learn-
ing about Sane Freeze
from her daughter,
Jackie, now 27, who first
canvassed for the organi-
zation in the mid-1980s
as a student at the
University of Michigan.
Her friends tell the
story differently.
"It is very nice that
Arlene tells her daughter
that," says longtime
friend Lorraine Lerner,
who co-founded metro-
Detroit WAND in 1986
with Ms. Victor. "But
I've known her for 35
years, and she has
always been in the fore-
front of things. She was
the first recycler I'd ever
et. She was president
of the PTA. She was
always thinking of
things on the global
scale and beyond her
home.
"I try to remind her of
this," Ms. Lerner says.
"Wh

A

,

Jackie, grew up with was
a mother who was quite
active — maybe not on
the scale that she is now.
Jackie went with that as
her model."
For Ms. Victor, the
WAND mission is sacred.
She has always believed
curbing violence and
reducing arms would
help bring peace to the
world, but she didn't
become active with the
cause until the mid-
1980s.
"I guess Jackie really
took my message and
carried it further," Ms.
Victor admits. "And then
we joined together."
Jackie regularly can-
vassed the U-M campus,
and she reported to her
mother the apathy she
encountered. She asked
students if they were
concerned about the
threat of nuclear war,
and no one cared.
"She felt her future
was at stake," Ms. Victor
recalls. "And no one paid
attention to her."
Ms. Victor listened
closely to her daughter's
plea. "I resolved that I
would be in there with
her.
"I started on this path
because it was some-
thing I needed to do to
fulfill my role of protec-
tor of my children and
their future," Ms. Victor
says. "I felt then that
there was a white ele-
phant in the room, and
everyone was pretending
it wasn't there. But it
was a danger, and it was
taking up more room all
of the time.
"That was the threat of
nuclear war."

1980 as an educa-
tional organization,
WAND, then known
as Women's Action
For Nuclear
Disarmament, has
broadened its focus
and changed its
name (Women's
Action For New
Direction) to reflect
the times.
"Our mission is to
empower women to
act politically," says
Susan Shaer, WAND
national executive Arlene Victor
director. "We do this
tures about 50 percent of
265 members, including
through lobbying, which
every federal tax dollar.
Jewish activists Joyce
unfortunately has be-
The group also will work
Kaplan, current presi-
come a dirty word when,
to get more women elect-
dent Phyllis Schwartz
in fact, it is the truest
ed to Congress, and
and May Davidson.
form of democracy.
members will continue to
Jewish state legisla-
"We changed the name
lobby for passage of the
tors Rep. Maxine
because we won the bat-
Violence Against Women
Berman, D-Southfield,
tle," Ms. Shaer says."We
Act and other legislation
and Sen. Lana Pollack,
still are interested in
aimed at reducing vio-
D-Ann Arbor, are sup-.
nuclear disarmament.
lence.
porters of WIL, a WAND
But the issue had been
"We will continue to
affiliate made up of
mitigated by internation-
take a leadership role
members of state legisla-
al treaties. The pressure
among women's organi-
tures.
was on for a new direc-
zations on the horrific
Next month, WAND
tion: to reduce the mili-
situation in Bosnia and
will host Women's Peace
tary budget."
the atrocities visited on
Day, honoring three local
Now that Ms. Victor
women, in particular,"
women involved in the
has risen to the group's
she says. "Only women
fight against domestic
helm, her goal is lofty: to
together at the grass-
violence. Ms. Shaer will
double national member-
roots level will make
come from Boston as
ship in two years to
change happen."
guest speaker for the
6,000, and to advance
Ms. Victor is active
program, to be held 9:30
the organization's mes-
with many women's
a.m. May 6 at the
sage through education.
groups, including Detroit
Birmingham Community
"I look forward to the
Women's Forum of the
House.
day when women will
American Jewish
Honorees are Debi
claim the military bud-
Committee, EMILY's
Cain, founder of The
get," she says. "It will be
List (Early Money Is
Haven shelter for domes-
up to women to effect
Like Yeast — which
tic abuse, Althea Grant
systematic change.
makes the dough rise),
of the rape counseling
Military spending is a
which is a pro-choice,
center of the Detroit .–
°-)
women's issue. No terri-
Democratic women's
Police Department, and c.;
tory is out of bounds for
political action commit-
Jan Finlater, a Wayne
us."
tee, and Women In
State University law pro- Ea-
On the WAND agenda
Politics, a local group
fessor and vice chair of
are further cuts in the
she founded with Linda
the Domestic Violence
defense budget, which
Soberman.
Prevention and Treat-