SPECIAL COMMENTARY
Striving To Empower Israeli Women
difficulties of admitting and acculturat-
Health issues facing Palestinian
We heard repeatedly that women's
osh Chodesh Adar marked
ing thousands of Ethiopian immigrants
women are even more severe, with
issues in Israel are similar to those in
my first act of civil disobe-
in Israel, our group left the meeting
more than 40 percent of girls marry-
America, yet years of neglect have
dience.
with
these women determined to share
ing
between
the
ages
of
12
and
17
allowed these problems to fester and
Together with 28 other
their
story and seek a resolution to
years
old.
They
have
an
average
of
grow.
female rabbis from the Reform move-
their dilemma.
seven children per family, and many
There was a time when
ment, and a group of Ortho-
That's the bad news. The good
do not have the basic health education
women in Israel assumed
dox women known as the
news is that Israeli women are now
necessary to monitor their own health
they had achieved equality,
Women of the Wall, I stood
aware that they have work to do to
needs or those of their children.
with military service as the
at the Western Wall. and
great equalizer, a superi-
recited the morning prayers,
or health care system
marking the emergence of the
and subsidized child
new moon. It was a subver-
care. Recent studies,
sive act, for women's voices
however, have shown
are not permitted at the Wall.
this to be far from the
A government regulation
truth. The glass ceiling
prohibits religious acts that
RABBI MARLA exists in Israel just as in
could offend the feelings of
J. FEL DMAN
the U.S.
others, and the religious act
In a meeting with
Spec
ial
to
of women praying out loud
Mayor Yael German of
the
Jew
ish
News
offends some of the men
Herzliya (a town north
standing on the other side of
of Tel Aviv), one •of
the Wall. Although our group
only two female mayors in Israel,
of criminals escaped the long arm of
she spoke of recent successes in
the law, on past occasions women
scratching this glass ceiling. There
have been spit on, threatened and had
are 15 women serving in the
chairs thrown at them from the men's
Knesset — the largest class ever.
side. Because such assaults are not reli-
Two
women serve in the cabinet.
gious acts, they are not covered by the
However, no women are involved
regulation. For those who would
in the peace negotiations. Men
rather hit a woman than allow her to
continue to "parachute into poli-
pray out loud, it's not enough that the
tics" from elite military units,
men's side is two times the size of the
which until recently were barred
women's, and that they pray and
to women. The top of the party
dance and sing at will, with hundreds
Ethiopian women and children living in Israel hold photos of family members remaining
lists remains reserved for generals
of Torah scrolls, prayer books, tallitot
in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital.
and war heroes.
and all the accoutrements of prayer at
The glass ceiling is evident in
their disposal — all of which are lack-
gain the equal opportunity they previ-
The most heart-wrenching experi-
other fields as well. In the educational
ing on the women's side.
ously thought they had. Our delega-
ence of the trip was a meeting with
arena, more than 50 percent of Israelis
The Women of the Wall have
tion met with women business leaders,
women and children from Ethiopia,
with bachelor's degrees and master's
worked for more than 10 years to
educators, community activists and
the Falas Mura living in a caravan city
degrees
are
women;
nearly
50
percent
secure for women the religious rights
politicians who are networking with
outside of Jerusalem. Gripping tear-
of Israelis with doctorates are women.
denied them: the right to pray out
one another and making their mark
stained photos of family members lan-
Yet, only 7-8 percent of university
loud at the Wall, including reading
on Israeli society. Problems like
guishing in Addis Ababa, they cried as
professors
are
women
and
only
10
from the Torah, wearing tallit or tefill-
domestic violence and child abuse
they described the conditions of those
percent of the professional workforce
in if they choose, After years of litiga-
have been taken out of the closet and
left behind:
are women.
tion and over a hundred thousand
are beginning to be addressed in the
One
woman
has
an
adult
son
with
Women often find themselves lim-
dollars in legal bills, the Women of the
public
arena. A growing corps of
typhus
—
treatable
in
Israel,
but
a
ited to "pink collar" jobs, and their
Wall have offered a compromise and.
Orthodox women are being trained as
death-sentence in Ethiopia. Another
salaries
are
68
percent
of
men's
now seek only 11 hours per year at the
advocates for women who must
has a relative with a broken foot;
salaries.
Wall — just enough time for a
appear before a beit din to make sure
unable to obtain proper medical care,
Alice Shalvi, head of the Israeli
monthly Rosh Chodesh morning ser-
their rights are protected in the reli-
he cannot work to provide for his fami-
Women's
Network,
spoke
of
health
vice, not to include Rosh HaShana.
gious court. And as Mayor German
ly or meet his basic needs. Subsequent
concerns facing women, particularly
Even this was denied.
said, women are beginning to scratch
meetings with government officials
women from traditional communities.
I must confess that the struggle of
the glass ceiling.
clarified the ambiguous status of the
There is an increased rate of breast
the Women of the Wall is not my
American women can offer sup-
Falas
Mura
and
the
political
underpin-
cancer among Orthodox women; rules
struggle. Yet, I was pleased to be able
port and experience to their Israeli
nings of their dilemma. However, we
of
modesty
lead
many
to
refuse
mam-
to stand with these women who are
counterparts. We have similar strug- .
failed to obtain adequate answers to
mograms and other preventive mea-
asserting their rights and fighting for
gles and face many of the same chal-
these questions: If these women were
sures.
A
scandal
broke
out
recently
equality. I went to Israel as part of a
lenges. I learned from this mission
determined to be Jewish for purposes
when it was discovered that some rab-
Women's Rabbinical Network study
that we have much in common with
of the Law of Return, how could their
bis were illegally dispensing fertility
mission, focusing on women's issues.
Israeli women, yet we have much to
adult children be barred entry into
pills to women in order to increase
learn about one another as well. I
Israel? Even if their relatives are not
their childbearing, despite health risks
hope the dialogue among women
halachic
determined
to
have
the
same
Rabbi Marla J. Feldman is assistant
and a lack of medical supervision.
here and. in Israel will continue —
status, shouldn't Israel permit them to
director for domestic concerns of the Jewish Among secular Israelis, the increase in
that we might strengthen and
immigrate under family reunification
Community Council of Metropolitan
prostitution is bringing additional
empower one another. ❑
provisions? Even knowing the cost and
Detroit, based in Bloomfield Township.
health challenges.
ITN
it
3/17
2000
39