Jewish Feminism in Israel: Some Contemporary Perspectives (HBI Series on Jewish Women)

This volume brings together, for the first time, the voices of feminist theorists, public policy administrators, philosophers, sociologists, art critics, lawyers, and political and human rights activists on the topic of Jewish feminism in Israel. Essays range from broad discussions of Israeli feminism and women and religion in Israel to more specific examinations of gender (in)equality on the kibbutz, Mizrahi (non-Ashkenazi) feminism, Women in Black and other peace movements, domestic violence and its link to Israeli culture, and avant-garde feminist art. By addressing such a wide variety of issues, this volume highlights the complex and nuanced ways in which the interplay of religion, culture, social forces, political processes, and the state impacts the lives of women in contemporary Israeli society. The expansion of feminist consciousness as a response to politics, the militarization of nationalist ethos, and ethnic division ties the essays together. This theme enhances the volume’s timeliness in the face of the current Intifadah in the Occupied Territories and the repression unleashed by Israeli security forces in response to it.

Collectively, the essays in Jewish Feminism in Israel present a systematic, critical, and dynamic view of Israeli Jewish feminism within its specific social and political context. Its particular strength lies in the multiple ways it addresses women’s experiences in Israeli society, focusing both on the obstacles to equality and the creative ways in which women are coming together to pursue change and transform their environment.