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January 2, 2004/Tevet 8 5764, Vol. 56, No. 15
Hooting for change in the Jewish world
PETER EPHROSS
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
NEW YORK - They dressed up like owls, but whether they're wise is in the eye of the beholder.
On Dec. 19, several women dressed in purple-and-black owl customes, members of the activist group known as Jewish Women Watching, and handed out "anti-awards" to several major Jewish organi-zations outside the offices of the United Jewish Communities in New York.
The issue first heated up when the group accused two Jewish newspapers in New York, the For-ward and The New York Jewish Week, of censorship after they refused to print advertisements submitted by the group that outlined the activists' griev-ances.
The "Greasy Latke Awards" are just the latest in a series of digs handed out over the past several years by the group for what it perceives to be the "sins" of the organized Jewish world, including sexism and homo-phobia.
Among the groups cited were several of the Jewish community's major players.
The North American Jewish federation system was blasted "because the 19 largest Jewish federations in the country are run by men." The award went on to say, "Thanks guys, for shutting us out, proving that even in the 21st century, women still can't climb to the top of the decision-making ladder."
No one disputes the fact about the 19 federations, but many involved in the fed-eration movement say it is making strides to address the problem.
"There's a strong desire on the part of the UJC and top national leadership to see this system change," said Jacob Solomon, the executive vice president of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation.
Shifra Bronznick of New York is trying to help make this change happen.
Her organization, Advanc-ing Women Professionals and the Jewish Community, will be releasing a report early next year on the systemic problems that keep the glass ceiling in place.
"I know that change takes longer than we want it to take. I know that change has to be collaborative. It's not like here's this recipe - this is how you do it," said Bronznick, whose group receives some of its funding from the UJC.
But, Bronznick said, people involved in the federation movement are beginning to realize that their culture has to change if gender equity is going to become more than a dream.
Jewish Women Watching also condemned the UJC, the umbrella group for North American Jewish federations, for accepting a $1.5 million donation from the Reverend John Hagee of San Antonio, who the group says is anti-gay, anti-abortion and anti-Muslim.
Responding to the attack, Glenn Rosen-krantz, a spokesman for the UJC, said in a statement, "Hagee's congregants very generously support Jewish federation campaigns to preserve the vitality of Israel and aid Israelis facing significant challenges to their lives and livelihoods posed by Palestinian terror-ists."
Michael Steinhardt, the philanthropist, was blasted for spend-ing "millions to send privileged students to Israel and uses his financial power at Hillel to prioritize kosher sushi rolling parties over a social justice agenda."
Steinhardt declined to comment on the group's accusations.
While the group raises the issue of women's representation in the Jewish world, there is disagreement over whether its tactics - and especially its anonymity - are effective.
Editors of both The Jewish Week and the Forward cited the group's anonymity - the identities of its members are unknown, and the group's only contact information is its Web site, www.jewishwomenwatching.com - as reasons for declining the ad.
"Who are they? What's their address? Who do you phone? Who do you talk to," J.J. Goldberg, the Forward's editor, asked rhetorically. "We want a name and an address when we take an ad."
Goldberg said he also refused an Op-Ed submitted by the group because it made ad hominem accusations, again anonymously, and that discussing the issues this way "is one of the plagues of Jewish public discourse these days."
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