It is late and I am tired, but so much has happened  today I couldn’t wait to write about the amazing experiences!

Our day began in  Akko with a tour of the historic old city. We then proceeded to Haifa. Haifa is Boston’s “sister city” in Israel, and after my many years as director of the Boston JCRC doing countless projects in Haifa, the city feels like my second home.

We began our day at the Haifa Feminist Center, which was founded in 1983 and is the oldest grassroots feminist organization in Israel. Its unique structure combines a number of feminist organizations under one umbrella into a non-hierarchical, collaborative force for change. Under the umbrella there is Kayan (an Arab feminist organization whose members we met with yesterday), Oswat (an Arab LGBT organization), a rape crisis hotline and counseling program, and the violence against women prevention program. We heard from representatives of each program about their work and the obstacles they face.We also heard from Hannah Safran, one of the founders of the Center and early leaders of Israel’s feminist movement.

From there we went to the Israel Family Planning Association called “Open Door,” and met with the Executive Director and the Haifa manager. This NGO is a member of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, and they promote and advocate for sexual and reproductive rights in Israel regardless of gender, faith, religion, ethnicity, or geographic origin. 

We learned about the largely liberal laws in Israel concerning abortion and family planning, including full insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization through the birth of two children. It was wonderful to be there with two of the US leaders in this field, Kierra Johnson from ChoiceUSA and Nancy Northrop from Center for Reproductive Justice. 

We had a delicious lunch at Cafe, Cafe in the German Colony and got a beautiful view of the magnificent Bahai gardens, before driving down the coast to Tel Aviv. In Tel Aviv we met with members from Israel Gay Youth, one of NCJW’s grantees, in their wonderfully welcoming space in an Meir in the center of Tel Aviv. We discussed the progress and challenges facing the LGBT community and their programs and perspectives on the current status of LGBT life in Israel, which has undergone rapid changes over the past 10 years.

After dropping our luggage in our rooms at the Carlton Hotel, we were treated to a wonderful discussion with the board and staff of WEpower (our new signature grantee) about their efforts to revolutionize the status of women in Israel through getting women to run and be elected to public office. We met with three products of their success: Yifat Kariv, a 34 year-old new Member of Knesset (MK) from the new Yesh Atid party; Michal Rozin, a new MK from the Meretz party and former head of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel; and,  Stav Shafir, who at 27 is the Knesset’s youngest member ever,  was one of the key organizers of the social protest movement during the summer of 2011 and is part of the Labor party.

There are 48 new members of Knesset after the elections earlier this year, and 27 of the 120 MKs are women. I must say if they are an example of what will be coming from this new government, then I am optimistic about the future! All three of them were passionate advocates for change to the status quo both in terms of social and political issues. They love their country, and they believe strongly that if it is going to survive as a Jewish democratic state there must be an end to the conflict with the Palestinians and a commitment to social and economic reform for all of Israel’s citizens.

I had met Stav in New York last spring before she decided to run for office, and I was as impressed with her tonight as I was then. She is a superstar, and I hope she and other voices for social change will have a strong future in Israeli politics.

Read another recap of the day from Choice USA’s Kierra Johnson.