Opinion ■ 111110 Equal Rights from page 27 days, post offices with separate lines, stores that have separate entrances and funeral homes that forbid men and women to sit together. At one government meeting, accord- ing to the study, women were told to move to the back of the room, and sidewalks once segregated only for special religious occasions are now segregated all the time. These findings corroborate what NCJW has found and fought against. To top it off, the Knesset again is con- sidering whether to expand the authority of rabbinical courts to rule on financial and civil disputes based on Jewish law. Rabbinical courts have had jurisdiction over personal-status issues such as mar- riage, divorce and burial, but not over financial or civil disputes. Women would likely wind up vic- tims of the move, pressured to transfer property disputes involving divorce to religious authorities in return for a get, the Jewish divorce decree itself. Hoffman refers to the growing pres- sure to relegate women to second-class status as a "mudslide." It is one in des- perate need of new and stronger retain- ing walls if women's rights in the 21st century are to be saved. Otherwise, friends of Israel will watch in horror along with a major- ity of Israelis as aspects of Israeli life become eerily reminiscent of its most backward neighbors. We can't let that happen. 7 SAVE MONEY! Modify your mortgage rates as low as 2%! PAYMENT RELIEF Citibank - West Bloomfield $317,000 mortgage 5.625% $2,597/m Modified to 2% > $1,771/m Monthly savings $826! Wells Fargo - Oak Park $114,598 mortgage 5.63% $1,127.61/m Modified to 2% > $865.83/m Monthly savings $261.78! WaMU - Franklin $555,000 mortgage 6.38% $4,205/m Modified to 2% > $1,823/m Monthly savings $2,382! Wells Fargo - Southfield $214,000 mortgage 5.125% $2,239/m Modified to 2% > $1,684/m Monthly savings $555! Chase - Southfield $160,800 mortgage 6.50% $1,878/m Modified to 2.25% > $1,221/m Monthly savings $657! Bank of America - Farmington Hills $259,000 mortgage 6.0% $3,454/m Modified to 2% > $2,241/m Monthly savings $1,213! Aurora - Huntington Woods $334,757 mortgage 6.75% $2,909/m Modified to 2% > $1,456/m Monthly savings $1,453! JHA coST T O YOU! •Whether you are up to date on payments or delinquent. Nancy Ratzan is president of the National •Take advantage of government programs Council of Jewish Women. Answering Israel's Critics •Short sale and foreclosure counseling available The Charge Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has been unfairly attacked for being anti-Israel, especially since his recent apology for inadvertently stigmatizing Israel in some of his books. • FREE CONFIDENTIAL CONSULTATION Call Jewish Housing Association and save thousands of dollars every year The Answer While Carter's apology was sincere, he hasn't backed off of his earlier claims that Jews and Israel have too much influence over U.S. Mideast policy and that Israel doesn't want peace. He also has failed to com- pletely condemn Hamas militancy. 1.800.458.0404 Jewish Housing Association 27777 Franklin Road, Suite 1700 Southfield, MI 48075 1.800.458.0404 www.jhamd.org Jewish Housing Association of Metropolitan Detroit J Jewish Federation — Allan Gale, Jewish Community of Metropolitan Detroit Relations Council WE'RE PART OF THE TEAM of Metropolitan Detroit Jewish Renaissance Media, March 4, 2010 A Michigan non profit organization 1576120 28 March 4 • 2010