Nostalgia Sunday – Working Women
Filed under: General, History and Culture, Nostalgia Sunday
They promised equality but didn’t deliver. The status of women in Israel has been discussed, researched, analyzed, and — if you look through the Labor Movement image archive, categorized, too. Under the heading “Women Workers” are photos of women standing shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts in the field…
…but also rattling those pots and pans…
…and fulfilling other traditional women’s roles.
The ideal of women, standing alongside their brothers in arms, was usually just that.
Just as often, images of women’s work had something to do with an apron…
…in a poster that is spookily reminiscent of this ad for laundry soap!
Despite its ambivalence, Labor Zionism always recognized the power of the female voter — “Who brings a blessing upon the family and the nation”.
Through organizations like the Israel Women’s Network (IWN), Israel’s foremost non-profit organization dedicated to women’s equality and rights, things are slowly beginning to improve. IWN has initiated laws such as the Sexual Harassment Prevention Law of 1998, the 2005 law establishing a Commission for Equal Employment Opportunities; fought discrimination in the workplace; helped women who have been refused divorce and/or custody; aided victims of sex trafficking — and there is much more to do.
Foto Friday – Workers of the Promised Land
Filed under: Foto Friday, General, Holidays, Israeliness, Life, Politics
In the spirit of May 1st, here are a few shots from the big demonstration held in Tel Aviv by socialist youth movement HaNoar HaLomed. But first, a picture from the archives of Marxist movement Matzpen, and their May 1st march in 1979.
And the face of Israeli socialism today:
Three thousand marched from Rabin Square…
…to the Histadrut headquarters where the rally was held.
What would these members of HaShomer HaTzair make of the new socialist revival?
Picture from the Labor Movement archive
Leo’s grave
Filed under: General, Holidays, Immigrant Moments, Israeliness, Life
My father-in-law, Leopold Laufer, died two years ago on the eve of Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day, a significant date considering his very Zionist roots. A Czech by birth who made his way to the States with his father, mother and sister during the years of World War Two, he spent some time in Manila organizing Zionist youth, and continued in that vein for the rest of his life, working for the good of others as well as making aliyah at least three times during his life. The year that he died was a leap year, so it turns out that his yahrtzeit is actually the day after Yom Ha’atzmaut, but for us, it’s our own memorial day, just in the reverse of the Israeli Memorial Day-into-Independence Day.
We go up to his grave on Har Menuchot (roughly translated as the Hill of Eternal Rest) in Jerusalem on the day of his death, and while it is a hill, technically, in reality it feels more like a graveyard hi-rise. It’s the cemetery for Jerusalemites, given that the more historical Mount of Olives — which also has a much better view — is chock full.
And while we’re not of Sephardic descent — just plain ‘ol white bread Ashkenazi — Leopold Yehuda Laufer is buried in the Sephardic section of the cemetery, surrounded by Maimons and Turjemans, because we preferred the more laid-back Sephardic burial society. It’s sad to visit him, and yet, this year, there were some funny moments. Since he’s buried in a section above a firing range, anything that’s said is punctuated by rapid fire. Noisy and amusing, in turn. And this year, we brought the two new members of the family with us, my twin sons Ziv Maimon – no relation to those buried around Leo — and Lev Yehuda, who is named for his saba Leo.
If you squint a little, you can see the firing range in the distance
Pooping out the Pope
Filed under: coexistence, General, History and Culture, Religion, Travel
Pope Benedict XVI welcomes Israeli President Shimon Peres at the pope's summer residence of Castel Gandolfo near Rome in 2007.
It will mark the first visit of a pope to Israel since Pope John Paul II made a five-day pilgrimage in March, 2000.
I’m not sure who put together Pope Benedict XVI’s schedule, but even doing a quick scan of it left me breathless. It looks like somebody’s trying to poop out this pope, expecially considering he’s in his 70s.
Take a deep breath and imagine you’re in the Popemobile:
Monday, May 11
11:00 Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, Official Welcoming Ceremony
12:05 Arrival at Mount Scopus helipad, Jerusalem. Welcoming Ceremony by Jerusalem Mayor, Nir Barkat.
16:05 Visit to the President’s Residence, joint planting of a tree in the Presidential Garden
17:30 Visit to Yad Vashem, Memorial ceremony at the Remembrance Hall; Wreath laying; Address by the Pope.
19:00 Interfaith Meeting, Notre Dame HotelTuesday, May 12
09:15 Meeting with the Mufti, Temple Mount
10:00 Visit to the Western Wall
10:35 Meeting with the Chief Rabbis, Heichal Shlomo
12:00 Visit to the Church of Dormition – site of the Last Supper
12:30 Visit and Prayer at Latin Patriarch
16:15 Mass at the Garden of GethsemaneWednesday May 13
08:00-19:00 Visit to BethlehemThursday May 14
08:30 Travel to Nazareth
09:15 Arrival in Nazareth, Welcoming Ceremony
10:00 Mass at Mount of the Precipice
15:50 Meeting with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Church of the Annunciation
16:30 Meeting with the Faith Heads in Israel, Church of the Annunciation
17:30 Prayer at the Church of the Annunciation
19:00 Return to JerusalemFriday May 15
09:15 Meeting at the Greek-Orthodox Patriarch
10:00 Visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher
13:30 Leaving Ceremony, Ben Gurion Airport
Whew! Talk about an intense four days. Let’s hope the Pope has some comfortable walking shoes.
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