Happening

NON-SEXIST LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
Myra Sadker Day, March 5,1998, will initiate a national effort by a corps of volunteers, to break the gender barriers that inhibit both females and males. Myra Pollack Sadker (1943-1995) pioneered much of the research documenting gender bias in American education from elementary through graduate school. A list of more than 101 suggestions such as “tryan activity that is non-traditional for your gender; study how religion and gender intersect in your life; award a scholarship; visit a women’s college; take youngsters to a women’s athletic event” is free from Myra Sadker Advocates for Gender Equity; 1401 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20952; (301)738-7113; fax 301-424-0474; DSadker@aoL com

Rebecca Gratz, Lillian Wald and Molly Picon are featured this year on posters in honor of Women’s History Month (March), created by the Jewish Women’s Archive and Ma’yan. Free to Jewish community centers, synagogues and schools, they may be purchased by individuals for $10 each or $25 for the set of three. Also available are last year’s posters of Glikl of Hameln, Rose Schneiderman, and Henrietta Szold. Ma’yan-the Jewish Women’s Project, 15 W. 65th St., New York, NY 10023; (212)580-0099; fax (212)580-9498

Egalitarian Holiday Posters show a woman leading a seder, women reading Torah, and a man cleaning for Passover. Each set of 1618×22″ color posters with smaller black and white sets for students and a teacher’s guide is $100 plus postage and NY/NJ sales tax. Catalog from Melton Research Center, 3080 Broadway, New York, NY 10027; fax (212)749-9085; www.jtsa.edii/melton

Gender Issues in Jewish Day Schools, the proceedings of a 1996 Brandeis University conference, explores how to foster dialogue between boys and girls, bring women in the Bible to the center of biblical text study, and handle gender issues in the classroom. The collection of articles, workshop handouts and bibliographies, by 30 contributors, is $12.50; bulk rates available. Bureau of Jewish Education, 333 Nahanton St., Newton, MA 02159-3213; (617)965-7350×227; fax (617)965-9776.

Eighty Books for 21st Century Girls is an annotated list of important books and favorite titles that provides mart, capable, talented female role models. Free from the Women’s National Book Association, founded 80 years ago when women were not permitted to attend the American Booksellers Association’s annual convention. (On their 75th anniversary they produced “75 Books by Women Whose Words Have Changed the World.”) WNBA, 160 Fifth Ave., New York NY 10010; (212)675-7805; http:///bookbuzz.com/wnha.htm

If only I were prettier, taller, thinner…then my life would be perfect. A free brochure, “The New Me,” created by Hadassah with health education students at Townsend Harris High School in New York, urges teens to “Look beyond the minor to find the real you.” It suggests things girls can do to feel better about themselves. Hadassah, 50 W. 58th St., New York, NY10019; (212)303-8094; www.Hadassah.org.

New Voices, which recently published a special issue on gender, is the only national monthly publication produced by and for Jewish students. It features news and opinions on the arts, entertainment, internet, and Israel programs, and it lists jobs and internships. To receive a free one-year subscription, send your name, school address and year to Mik Moore, Jewish Student Press Service; 114 W. 26th St., #1004, New York, NY 10001; (212)675-1168; fax (212)929-3459;jsps@panix.com

LEARN HEBREW
Free Hebrew lessons are offered in “peer-led, low pressure, results-oriented” classes from beginning through advanced levels. Volunteer facilitators are 20-to 8G-something year olds who offer 170 classes in 25 states. Classes are free to Hadassah members and membership is $25 per year There is a modest charge for course materials. To find out about a class in your community call Hadassah (212)303-8164 or call (800)664-JOlN to learn about membership.

RECOVERY
The Impact of Violence in the Lives of Working Women includes absenteeism, reduced productivity, and hazards in the workplace. This instructive publication, designed for employers, gives policy guidelines and bibliographic resources. $10 from NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund, 99Hudson St., New York, NY10013: (212)925-6635.

Gemilah (from the Hebrew word for recovery) is an electronic discussion group on issues relating to recovery from alcohol and drug dependency within the context of traditional Judaism. Sponsored by the Union for Traditional Judaism. Subscribe by sending an e-mail to majordomo®utj.org with the message reading subscribe GEMILAH

SEND YOUR WORK
Skin Trading: Women, Complexion & Caste, an anthology, will explore the significance of color-based and phenotypic social and economic hierarchies in the lives of women from diverse cultural backgrounds, especially Black, Jewish, Native American or Latina women. Submit a brief abstract of your academic or activist perspective with a bio by February 1, 1998. Articles due September. Jhana Sen Xian, editor, jhana@msn.com

For a book on Yiddish film, to be published by Five Leaves, send personal or academic articles by June 1998 to Sylvia Paskin, Garden Flat, 15, Savernake Rd., London, NWS 2JT, England; (0171 )~284-4542; fax (0171)-482-4502.

XX Empowered, the Magazine for Young Females (the logo is the symbol for female chromosomes) is “about the strength, intelligence, love and power that girls have to offer.” Young females are invited to send quality photos and negatives, art work, poetry, articles about topics, issues and people that interest you. XX Empowered Magazine, P.O. Box 1236, Colorado Springs, CO 80901; (888)TEENMAG; www.eyf.com

Living Text: The Journal of Contemporary Midrash is anew semi-annual journal that prints poetry, narrative, drama, art and music articles and interviews pertaining to midrash. Send submissions to: Jill Hammer, editor. Living Text, jilhammer@jtsa.edu Subscriptions are $36 ($18 for students) from Living Text, 7318 German town Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19119.

FEMINIST HISTORY
New Directions for Women, the feminist newspaper that for 22 years provided a running account of the feminist movement, now has a Ten Year Index (1973-1981) and a Twelve Year Index (1982-1993) available for $25 plus $5 shipping from Women’s Institute for Freedom of the Press, 3306 Ross PL, mv, Washington DC 20008; (973)366-6036.

Nominate a Heroine. The Beijing Women of Rochester, NY, have established a project to continue — worldwide— the struggle for women’s equality begun in their region 150 years ago. You may nominate “a woman who in her acts of courage gives voice to all women, and hope to all humanity.” Include her name, country, contact information, nationality, date of birth, bio and personal background. Why is she a heroine in her own country? What challenges has she overcome? Include contact information for two references and for yourself as nominator. (You may nominate yourself.) Nominations, no longer than three pages, are due by February 28, 1998. Selected heroines will be notified July 30 and will be honored with a monetary award to support their continued work and be included in a book of photographic essays. 100 Heroines, P.O. Box 23750. Rochester, NY 14692; (716)234-4292; fax (716)586-7523; Heroine100@aol.Com

Women’s History Catalog offers special materials to enhance your 1998 celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Women’s Rights Movement in the United States. Free from The National Women’s History Project, 7738 Bell Rd., Dept. P ,Windsor, CA 95492-8518; (707)838-6000; nwhp@aol.com

Women Immigrants from the Former Soviet Union are featured in a Hebrew-Russian-English wall calendar for 5758 produced by the Israel Women’s Network and the Zionist Forum. This project aims to counteract a very negative stereotype—of involvement in crime, violence. pornography and prostitution-that makes their integration into Israeli society especially difficult. Suggested donation $15. Israel Women’s Network, P.O. Box 53186,91531 Jerusalem, Israel; (011972-2)-6718885; fax 6718887.

TZEDAKA
A Family Foundation: Looking to the Future, Honoring the Past tells the story of the Nathan Cummings Foundation and the process the children and grandchildren went through in setting foundation goals and program agendas, and the sharing of direction and control among themselves. The 64-page report will prompt questions and provide ideas for others who have recently formed a family foundation or are considering creating one. Free from The Nathan Cummings Foundation, 1926 Broadway, #600, New York, NY 10023; (212)787-7300; fax (212)787-7377; www.ncf.org

Toanot Rabbaniot are women trained to be advocates before the rabbinical courts in Israel. In Ramat Gan, a new three year course of study in Jewish law prepares women who have already completed a university degree for a certification exam. You can support this program with a tax deductible contribution designated for Toaniot Rabaniot Program-Midrasha Lebanot to American Friends of Bar Ilan University, 91 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10003.

Judaism and Socially Responsible Investing describes projects for “your own back yard and how to get your Jewish community involved. Brochure from Shefa Fund, 805 Willow Grove Ave, #2D, Philadelphia, PA 19038; (215)247-9704; fax (215)247-1015; shefafnd@libertynet.org

REUNIONS
Jewish feminists held a pioneering gathering 25 years ago at the McAlpin Hotel in New York City. A reunion is planned for Feb. 22, 1998. Contact: Shirley Frank, 25th Year Celebration, POB 1874, Cathedral Station, NY10025-1874; fax (212)255-7787; SRF Writer @aol.com

The Orthodox Feminist Conference, which brought together nearly 1000 women last year will meet again in New York, February 15-16 contact: (800)550-6674.  

WOMEN AT PRAYER
Celebrate your simcha with the Women of the Wall. Preferably at their regular Rosh Hodesh davening, January 28, February 27, March 28, April 27, May 26, June 25. If possible, make your plans one month in advance by contacting Betsy Cohen-Kallus 011-972-2-563-3248; bkallus@netmedia.net.il If you will be in Jerusalem on these new moon dates and would like to participate get details of time and place from Chaia Beckerman 011-972-2-678-6416; mscb@pluto.mscc.huji.ac.il

A Daily Women’s Tefillah Group at Columbia University—the only daily prayer group exclusively for women that we know of—is now entering its second year. Participants include women from all over North America and Israel, students at Barnard, Columbia and the Jewish Theological Seminary, Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, unaffiliated and unlabeled. Join them, Sundays at 9am. Monday through Friday at 8am, and Shabbat afternoon about an hour and a half before sundown at 105 Earl Hall, 117th Street and Broadway in Manhattan; Jewish Student Union (212)854-5111.

Kehillat Yedidya, the Orthodox congregation with a commitment to egalitarianism—”essential for the religious sanity of Jerusalem” according to scholar David Hartman—meets in the Efrata School on Gad and Yehuda Streets. Your contribution (tax deductible in the US) can help them build a synagogue on a site recently acquired. Send a donor-advised check made out to the New Israel Fund, or PEF-Israel. Kehillat Yedidya, P.O. Box 10245, Jerusalem 91101, Israel; yedidy@jen.co.il