Happening

GROUPS AND PROJECTS

The Women’s Tefillah Network is an umbrella organization of Orthodox women’s prayer groups in the New York metropolitan area. For more information about WTN, contact:

Rivkeh Haut, 852 East 13th Street, Brooklyn NY or Judy Bernstein, 1332 Taft Road,
Teaneck, N.J. 07666

The Coalition for Western Women’s History plans to hold a conference in 1986 on “Women’s West: Race, Class and Culture,” billed by organizers as “deeply and firmly—not tokenly— multi-cultural and multi-racial.” Jewish women are invited to join the Coalition, participate in a Jewish interest group, and attend the conference. For information on all these, write:

Sue Armitage, Coalition for Western Women’s History, c/o Women’s Studies, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99164

DRAMA AND FILM

The American Jewish Theatre has launched a theatre group for Jewish women writers, known as the Deborah Project. The group plans the development of new plays, monthly one-woman shows and “a marathon” of one-act plays. For further information, call:

Susan Nanus, Coordinator, (212) 427-6000, ext. 220

The Creative Theater, devoted to the development of educational theater in Israel, performs original works, most focusing on issues in contemporary Israeli life. A recent production, “Through Five Windows,” describes the experiences of five Israeli women—one a native Israeli and four who are newly arrived settlers—focusing on their very different backgrounds, motivations and adjustments to their new situations. It is now available on videotape. For more information, contact:

JWB Jewish Lecture Bureau, 15 East 26th Street, New York NY 10010, (212) 532-4949 

Lilly Rivlin, whose documentary, The Tribe, was recently shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, is presently working on “Women’s Rituals,” a 27-minute documentary that includes: a Tashlich ceremony developed by E.M. Broner and Lilly Rivlin; a Feminist Seder created by Broner; and a female naming ceremony created by Rabbi Julie Gordon and her husband, Rabbi Jonathan Ginsberg. Rivlin is seeking completion funds for this film. For further information, write:

L. Rivlin, Women’s Rituals, c/o Lilith Magazine, 250 West 57th Street, Suite 1328, New York NY 10019 

Among the current Cinema Guild film and video releases is “Abortion: Stories from North and South,” a cross-cultural documentary of the abortion issue; and “Rape/Crisis,” an award-winning docudrama on the roots of sexual violence in our culture. For further information, contact:

The Cinema Guild, 1697 Broadway, New York NY 10019, (212) 246-5522

CULTURAL MATERIALS

A six-cassette series of 13 lectures entitled “The Jewish Woman in History and Literature” by Dr. Paula Hyman, Dean of the Seminary College of Jewish Studies of the Jewish Theological Seminary, is available from The Jewish People’s University of the Air, an educational outreach program of Touro College and its Herzliah-Jewish Teachers Seminary Division. The series is one of 15 cassette “courses” put out by Touro, all of which include outlines, suggested reading lists and instructions for use. The cassette series may be ordered, for $39.95, from:

Jewish People’s University of the Air, 30 West 44th Street, New York NY 10036

Lois Diamond’s company, Tirtzah, manufactures talitot (prayer-shawls) for women. The talitot are available from:

Tirtzah, Box 220 Guilderland NY 12084

Helaine Victoria Press has published four new postcards featuring women in American Jewish history. Two cards honor individual women: immigrant writer Mary Antin and pioneer publisher Ross Sonnenschein; one card features the founders of the National Council of Jewish Women; and a fourth has a photograph documenting the 1909 Shirtwaist Makers Uprising in New York City, which was spearheaded by Jewish women workers. Each card includes a short biography of the woman on the cover, as well as historical information. (The first three cards were researched by Sue Elwell, and the fourth by Jocelyn Cohen.) The new cards are available individually, or as part of a set of 16 cards on Jewish women writers, activists and thinkers ($7 for the set). Order from:

Helaine Victoria Press, Dept. JR, 4080 Dynasty Lane, Martinsville lndiana 46151

Tapes of various keynote addresses and workshop sessions from a 1984 Los Angeles conference entitled, “Illuminating the Unwritten Scroll: Women’s Spirituality and Jewish Tradition” are available from:

Infomedix, 12800 Garden Grove Blvd., Suite E, Garden Grove, Cal. 92643, (714) 530-3454

PUBLICATIONS

The results of a national survey systematically comparing the views of American Jewish and non-Jewish women on family, work and public policy, have recently been released by B’nai B’rith Women. The survey, entitled, “Beliefs and Values of American Jewish Women,” indicates that Jewish women are less traditional than non-Jewish women about the role of women in our society—for example, they are much more accepting of working women as good mothers. Copies are available from:

B’nai B’rith Women, Program Services and Public Affairs Department, 1640 Rhode Island Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036, (Please enclose a 9×12 envelope with your request)

The Annotated Guide to Women’s Periodicals In the U.S. & Canada lists over 250 publications and reviews each one. To order a copy or copies contact:

Annotated Guide, c/o N.S.I.W.S., Bx.E-94, Earlham College, Richmond IN 47374

The Jewish Observer, a monthly magazine published by Agudath Israel of America, recently devoted an entire issue to “The Jewish Woman” from an Orthodox perspective. Articles addressed women’s personal spiritual growth, sense of community, “place in Torah study,” role as “transmitter of the Torah heritage,” and response to the challenge of feminism. Copies may be obtained for $2 from:

Agudath Israel of America, 5 Beekman St., New York NY 10038

The American Jewish Committee’s William Petschek National Jewish Family Center has published a booklet, “Genetic Engineering and the Family, Promise or Peril?”, dealing with Jewish perspectives on the issue. For a copy write:

Morton Yarmon, American Jewish Committee, 165 East 56th Street, New York NY 10022

For information on discrimination against females within the criminal justice system, or on the National Council of Jewish Women’s program dealing with child abuse, contact:

National Council of Jewish Women, 15 E. 26 St., New York NY 10011

GRANTS

The National Foundation for Jewish Culture has announced a grants program for publication of scholarly books in Jewish studies. Four awards, of a maximum of $5,000 each, will be presented annually to help young scholars publish a first book if funding is lacking. For more information, contact:

Academic Affairs Dept., National Foundation for Jewish Culture, 122 East 42nd Street, New York NY 10168, (212) 490-2280

The Feinsod Herz Fund welcomes funding proposals from Israeli non-profit tax-exempt organizations. For information contact:

Roger J. Herz, The Feinsod Herz Fund, PO Box 171, New York NY 10028

The Fellowships in Jewish Educational Leadership program (FIJEL) of the Jewish Education Service of North America sponsors two programs for individuals seeking careers in Jewish education: the FIJEL Intern-Fellow Program; and its Administrators’ Training Program. For more information, write:

Jewish Education Service of North America, 730 Broadway, New York NY 10003

CALLS FOR MATERIAL

The Jewish Women’s Resource Library, a project of the Los Angeles Section, National Council of Jewish Women, is both a resource center and a circulating library of books and unpublished materials on Jewish women. Contributions of material are welcome and may be sent to:

Shoshana Hirsh, Staff Consultant, The Jewish Women’s Resource Library, 543 North Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles CA. 90036, (213) 651-2930

The New Women’s Information Center of Na’amat Jerusalem will be housed at Na’amat Hachevra, 10 Shalom Aleichem Street, Jerusalem. The Center’s library and resource files will provide information on all facets of Jewish women’s lives, in various languages. Contributions are welcome. Contact:

The Women’s Information Center, Na’amat Jerusalem, 17 Strauss Street, Jerusalem, (02) 244-878 or (02) 221-631

The Program for the Study of Women and Men in Society is calling for scholars in all fields to submit papers which either reflect or utilize the perspectives of new research in men’s studies, for an anthology. Deadline: December 1, 1985. Contact:

Harry Brod, Program for the Study of Women and Men in Society, Taper Hall 331M
University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA. 90089-4352

Editors of Arc, an English-language literary magazine published by the Israel Association of Writers, are soliciting submissions for the next edition. Material (prose and poetry) must be written originally in English by writers living in Israel, and must be previously unpublished. The magazine may be obtained, for $2.50 including postage (or the shekel equivalent) from:

The Israel Association of Writers in English, 4 Rehov Nathan, Ramat Gan Israel 52435

Submissions are sought for a Lag B’omer anthology, to include poetry, plays short stories, and drawings. Material dealing with “women sages and heroines” is of particular interest. Previously published work will be considered. Send submissions to:

Judith Shulamith Langer Caplan, 27 W. Penn Street, Long Beach NY 11561

AD

SATISFY!, an illustrated manual with board game to help improve and repair your relationship. New, unique. Couples, lovers, friends, parents can learn, practice, and enjoy these skills. Tested, recommended by professionals. Perfect friendship or wedding gift. Send $18.95, Dept. L, Factor Publishing, Box 815, Eastsound, Washington 98245. Check, M/C, Visa.