Happening

Resources

A bibliography of audio-visual resources of interest to Jewish women is available from the American Jewish Congress. The items listed, both short and full-length films, are available from various organizations throughout the country. The topics range from a feature film about the Biblical heroine Ruth, to a short documentary on Chen, the Israeli Women’s Army Corps. The bibliography describes the content of each film, gives a short critique and lists prices for rental or sale. To obtain your copy of the bibliography, contact:
Mr. Julius Schatz Director, Commission on Jewish Affairs American Jewish Congress 15 East 84th Street New York, NY 10028

The American Jewish Committee recently released a 42-minute videotape film, “Jewish Identity and Self-Esteem: Healing Wounds Through Ethnotherapy” (a technique which probes and clarifies people’s feelings about their ethno-religious background). Dr. Judith Weinstein Klein, the film’s producer and a California-based ethnotherapist, has edited 40 hours of group meetings with young Jewish men and women struggling with particular identity problems. For further information on the film,
contact: Institute of Human Relations The American Jewish Committee 165 East 56th Street New York, NY 10022

A new publication highlighting the negative impact of the Right-to-Work laws on women workers and the struggle over the ERA is available from the Labor Committee of the National Organization for Women. The booklet stresses the importance of collective bargaining agreements and the need for unionization. Copies cost 50 cents each, with discounts available on bulk orders. Write to:
NOW Action Center 425 13th Street N.W. Suite 1048 Washington, DC 20004

Conferences

“New Day: Beyond ERA” is the theme of a nationwide event planned for July 1, 1982, by the National Women’s Conference Committee. The meeting will concentrate on building state advocacy networks to support the principles outlined in the 1977 National Plan of Action from Houston. The Committee is also planning a second National Women’s Conference in 1983, to consist of four simultaneous regional meetings for the training of grassroots leaders. For further information, contact:
Ms. Sarah Harder Schofield 225 UW-Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI 54701 (715) 836-5717

Women in the cantorial field are invited to attend the first Women’s Cantor’s Convention, to be held Thursday, May 6, 1982 from 4 to 8 p.m. in Norwalk, Conn. The conference is being organized by Congregation Beth El Cantor Deborah Katchko-Zimmerman. According to Cantor Katchko-Zimmerman, “I personally think we (women Hazzanot) all have a lot to gain from getting together. We could talk about why we chose this beautiful art and how we made our individual decisions.” Mini-workshops are being planned. For information on the convention, write or call:
Cantor Deborah Katchko-Zimmerman Congregation Beth El 109 East Avenue Norwalk, CN 06851 (203) 838-2710

Interested persons are invited to submit papers and proposals for inclusion in the Women and Literature Section of the Midwest Modern Language Association’s 24th annual meeting to be held Nov. 4-6, 1982, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The topic for the session is “The Tie That Binds and Blinds: Literary Portraits of Sisters.” Papers should examine the subject or author’s treatment of the sisterly relationship—its strengths, tensions, supportive-ness, competitiveness, and jealousies. The deadline for submissions is April 15, 1982. They should be sent to:
Ms. Jane S. Bakerman Department of English Indiana State University Terre Haute, IN 47809

Groups and Projects

The Tel Aviv Rape Crisis Center, serving the Dan area and the entire central region of Israel, is currently seeking donations from individuals and organizations interested in assisting rape victims in Israel. The center receives some government assistance, but must rely heavily on private funding. Its staff members operate a 24-hour emergency hot-line, escort victims during police investigations, work to change societal attitudes toward rape, and provide counselling and guidance to victims and their families. There were an estimated 7,000 to 10,000 sexual assaults carried out against women in Israel during 1980. Concerned individuals should send donations to:
Rape Crisis Center P.O.B. 33041 Tel Aviv 61330

A new Jewish Family Day Care program, which places Jewish infants and toddlers up to age three in the care of trained, licensed “providers” (mostly women remaining at home to care for their own children along with others) was launched by the 92nd Street YM-YWHA last September and is now in full swing. The program, the first of its kind in New York City, seeks to fill the previous void in Jewish day care programs for infants, and to provide youngsters with quality care in a Jewish environment. Parents and providers are “matched” according to interests, religious backgrounds and observance, neighborhood and time schedules. For further information, contact:
Arlene Bernstein or Barbara Zerzan The 92nd Street YM-YWHA Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street New York, NY 10028

The Jewish Women’s Caucus is an ad-hoc group formed prior to the 1977 Houston Conference in order to “serve the special interests of Jewish women in conjunction with international matters and to emphasize that Jewish women are not a single-issue group.” The group has convened on several occasions, some connected with the U.N. Mid-Decade Conference on Women in Copenhagen last August 1980. (See Regina Schreiber, “Copenhagen: One Year Later,” LILITH #8.) For further information on the Caucus and its activities, write:
Jewish Women’s Caucus 3001 Veazey Terrace N.W. Apt. 1604 Washington, DC 20008 (202) 362-5294

“Eve to Erica: Jewish Women in Fact and Fiction” is the title of a course on Jewish women offered at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. The course, given by Diane S. Isaacs, explores the many images of Jewish women presented by Jewish writers. Authors from Fania Fenelon to LILITH’s own Aviva Cantor are covered. To obtain the course syllabus, contact:
Ms. Diane S. Isaacs Department of Afro-American Studies 214 Social Sciences Building University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN 55455