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Kol HaIsha - Women's Center
38 Ben Yehuda
Street,
P.O.B. 37157
Jerusalem
Tel: 02-6222591, 6222455
Fax:
02-6256187
Executive Director: Yvonne Deutsch
Administrative Director:
Sima Kedmi;
Resource and Referral Center Director: Donatella Orsini
Community Projects Director: Galit Sa'adi
Kol HaIsha was established in May 1994 as the only
feminist grassroots organization in Jerusalem where women of all
backgrounds and political persuasions (religious and secular,
lesbian and heterosexual, Mizrachi and Ashkenazi, Jewish and Palestinian,
Ethiopian, Russian and others) can come together as equals to
identify common interests, raise awareness and take action on
issues of concern to them.
The primary goals of Kol HaIsha are: to provide a
space for the celebration of women's cultures and values;
to reach out to women of Jerusalem, particularly those who are
not otherwise exposed to feminist perspectives and create programs
that empower them and support them; to bring about social change
in local Jerusalem settings in keeping with the feminist vision;
to promote a vision and a model of true peace and tolerance.
Kol Ha-Isha has several on-going projects. The Resource
and Referral Center provides Jerusalem women with information,
referrals and evaluation of the social and legal services available
to them. The Center will also provide publications in Hebrew
and Arabic (as well as other languages) on the rights of women
according to Israeli law. The Antea, the first women's
gallery in Israel which runs educational programs using art as
a tool for educating the public about women's issues.
In the past, Antea has held several exhibitions including Beauty,
Mastectomy and Violence Against Women. The Community Outreach
Project works with women from disadvantaged communities in an
effort to help them establish support groups and other frameworks
for empowering and bringing about social change. The workshop
for women threatened with violence provides battered women who
have obtained temporary court orders to have their abusive spouse
removed from the family home with a framework for critically evaluating
their situation and planning for the next step. The Campaign Against
Violence Against Women brings to public attention the national
issue of domestic violence through silent vigils which come in
response to every murder of a woman in Israel.
Kol HaIsha provides: support groups for exploring
ethnic identity, lesbian and bisexuals; ongoing courses in such
areas as consciousness raising, feminist theory and empowerment;
and a women's library. A newsletter is published every
two months advertising the organisation's activities.
"The army that will defeat terrorism doesn't wear uniforms, or drive
Humvees, or calls in air-strikes. It doesn't have a high command, or
high security, or a high budget. The army that can defeat terrorism
does battle quietly, clearing minefields and vaccinating children. It
undermines military dictatorships and military lobbyists. It subverts
sweatshops and special interests.Where people feel powerless, it
helps them organize for change, and where people are powerful, it
reminds them of their responsibility." ~~~~ Author Unknown ~~~~
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