NCJW Israel Program Report July 2011
NCJW Israel Program Report July 2011
- Message from Shari Eshet
- LGBT Youth Program Launches School Effort
- Women’s Budget Forum at Adva
- The 2011 Jewel Bellush Israeli Feminist Award
- NCJW Women’s Mission to Israel
- For More…
Dear Friends,
At this year’s Israel Benefit Luncheon held June 21 in New York City, NCJW was proud to honor president (1996-1999), philanthropist, advocate, dedicated volunteer, and now Florida state senator, Nan Rich. As president of NCJW, Nan changed the face of NCJW philanthropy in Israel by leading in the creation of the Israel Granting Program, which funds a variety of advocacy and service projects in Israel focusing on women’s empowerment, the needs of women and families, and literacy efforts for children and youth. Under Nan’s leadership, NCJW also began to advocate for women’s rights, children’s rights, and minority rights in Israel, engaging its own membership through action alerts, letters, and press releases, as well as meeting with Israeli officials responsible for policy decisions regarding those issues.  (300x178)1.jpg)
In 1999 Nan developed NCJW’s relationship with Tel Aviv University, which led to the establishment of the NCJW Women and Gender Studies program there. This is the first program of its kind in the Middle East, changing the face of gender studies in Israel and the Middle East forever.
Nancy Ratzan, NCJW president (2008-2011), said of Nan in her honor: “I am confident that NCJW would not be the relevant, essential, unique voice it is today — in Israel, in the US, in the halls of Congress, inside the White House, or at the tables of change all over the country — if not for the clarity of vision, the tenacity of leadership, and the cultivation of emerging leaders that Nan provided.”
As thirty years of traveling to Israel with NCJW can attest, Nan’s commitment to Israel also lies in our missions to Israel, including the women’s mission planned for November. More than a tour of a beautiful country, these missions allow NCJW women to experience, first-hand, social change in the making for women and children. To see that our support of Israel’s civil society can remain strong and be the determining factor in making a difference in the lives of all Israelis. We at NCJW join Nan in believing that women’s rights are human rights, that peace is good first and foremost for women and children, and that NCJW has the responsibility and the privilege of helping to protect, encourage, and empower our Israeli friends.
With Nan’s legacy as our shining light, NCJW will continue to work for the benefit of women and children in Israel.
Watch a special video message from Nan on NCJW’s Youtube Channel!
Sincerely,
Shari Eshet
Director, NCJW Israel Office
LGBT Youth Program Launches School Effort.jpg)
One of the projects NCJW’s Israel Granting Program has helped support this year is the pilot of a Gay-Straight Alliance program, a twin project of the American GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) and Kamoni-Kamocha – The Israel Gay Youth Organization (IGY). The program operates in schools, colleges and universities, aiming to create a secure environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students. In a program update to NCJW, IGY reports that it has been reaching out to schools in an effort to establish student-led clubs to combat homophobia and intolerance. While many students have responded with heartfelt pleas for such a program at their school, the reaction of administrators has been mixed. Some are fearful of getting involved, and others expressed outright homophobia. Three interested schools are expected to launch the clubs as a pilot program for the 2011-2012 school year. Read more about the pilot program.
Women’s Budget Forum at Adva
The Adva Center, a grassroots advocacy organization that promotes equality for all of Israel’s citizens, received a grant from NCJW to help fund The Women’s Budget Forum, a coalition of feminists in Israel whose work involves advocating for government funding of gender-based programs for women and educating Israel’s lawmakers on women’s issues. Adva recently reported a rare and exciting development: Israeli women in the Knesset from both the left and the right and from women’s and human rights organizations have banded together to successfully prevent the passage of a law that would raise women’s retirement age from 62 to 64. At present, 50 percent of women aged 61 are not in the labor market, and raising the retirement age means that these women will need to wait two more years before they can receive either social security payments or workplace pensions. A national committee recently invited the public to submit position papers on the topic. Adva Center, along with three other organizations funded by NCJW — Mahut Center, Itach and Supportive Community — spoke against the bill.
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The 2011 Jewel Bellush Israeli Feminist Award
Artist and feminist organizer Shula Keshet will be the 2011 recipient of NCJW’s Jewel Bellush Israeli Feminist Award to be presented during the NCJW Women’s Mission to Israel this November. The annual award was established by NCJW member Barbara Dobkin to salute Israeli feminists..jpg)
Since 2006, Keshet has served as the director of Achoti for Women in Israel, a leading feminist organization that promotes the cultural, social, and economic voice of women from disempowered communities in Israel. She succeeded in establishing creative collaborations between the business sector and women from different disempowered sectors of Israeli society: Ethiopian and Russian women, Arab women, Mizrahi women, Bedouin women, and Israeli-Palestinian women. Her work led to a coalition of 16 organizations seeking to ensure fair employment for women in Israel.
“Shula Keshet broke new ground in Israel both as a well-known Mizrahi feminist artist and a veteran social activist,” said NCJW President Linda Slucker. “NCJW is honored to recognize her for her leadership and for her unique contribution to women’s equality.”
“Shula Keshet’s work designing and implementing cultural, feminist, and social activism projects embodies the leadership that the Jewel Bellush award seeks to reward,” added NCJW CEO Nancy K. Kaufman.
NCJW funded Achoti in 2005 as part of its Israel Granting Program.
Accepting Registrations!
NCJW Women’s Mission to Israel
November 2−8, 2011
Join us November 2−8 for a special opportunity to see Israel through the lens of NCJW, including a unique look at Israel’s rich history, current events, and future challenges to grassroots activism and social justice issues.
Register today and submit your deposit!
The mission cost is $2,900 per participant.
Payment in full is due by September 1, 2011.
Bring your compassion, commitment, and the pioneering NCJW spirit to what promises to be our most exciting mission ever!
For more details please email ncjwmission@gmail.com.
I, along with others, often have the opportunity to record more personal reports of our work and experiences in Israel for the NCJW Insider blog on our website. Visit www.ncjw.org/Insider for recent posts on Israel by me and others.