We, women of Hashomer Hatzair

WE, WOMEN OF HASHOMER HATZAIR

Mariana Temido

WE, WOMEN OF HASHOMER HATZAIR

Mariana Temido

Graphic Design

Juliana Motta Biancardine and Michel Zisman Zalis

Illustration

Ilana Zisman

Translation

David Jaffe Cartum

Revision

Karen Isaacs

TEMIDO, Mariana.

We, Women of Hashomer Hatzair Original version printed in Brazil.

ISBN-978-85-5700-182-4.

1. Judaism. 2. Zionism. 3. Scouting. 4. Socialist.

5. Hashomer Hatzair. 6. Youth Movement.

7. Youth Zionist Socialist Organization. 7. Woman.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without prior permission from the author.

We, Women of Hashomer Hatzair Mariana Temido

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Triste, louca ou má Será qualificada Ela quem recusar Seguir receita tal A receita cultural Do marido, da família Cuida, cuida da rotina Só mesmo rejeita Bem conhecida receita Quem não sem dores Aceita que tudo deve mudar Que um homem não te define Sua casa não te define Sua carne não te define Você é seu próprio lar

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1. Sad, mad, or evil / will be marked / she who refuses / to follow the prescription / the cultural prescription / of the husband, of the family / Take care, take care of the routine / Those who reject/ the well known prescription / those who, not without pain / accept that everything must change / that a man doesn’t define you / your house doesn’t define you / your flesh doesn’t define you / you’re your own home. (Free translation) 7

We, Women of Hashomer Hatzair Mariana Temido

After long days and late nights of writing, we made it to the moment where the work is done. And arriving here, it is hard to believe. What will make this piece relevant is the process of extracting meaning and bringing it into real life that will happen differently with each person, each woman of Hashomer Hatzair, who reads these words. Hashomer Hatzair has always held the idea that we can’t give up our fights and ideals. Not because of our ego, but because we wanted something bigger. We wanted to bring a Jewish, Zionist, and Socialist influence into our communities and societies through non-formal education. And to this end, nothing is more appropriate to the way we organize and educate in our tnua than feminism, which is among the few social movements that are capable of truly motivating political agendas, bringing about both inner changes in people and outer changes in society — towards the future we all wish for. In the feminist movement, as in Hashomer Hatzair, the development and empowerment of each person is central. For these reasons, finishing this book actually gives me a sensation of agony, the one we taste when something that was ours is now gone.

Now you, who are holding this book in your hands, need to act: read, think, talk, discuss, practice, be active, and fight within the tnua.

Here is a piece of advice: take all these wonderful people with revolutionary ideas and use them for your own micro and internal revolutions. Transmit this feeling to anyone, whoever needs it. I am sure that everyone needs feminism and everyone needs Hashomer Hatzair in their lives.

I dedicate this book to our daily battles. The inner ones, when even we believe that we are going mad, or changing too much, or overreacting. And the outer ones, when we prove that we are more than necessary to everything. Revolution will either be feminist, or it will not be at all.

With so much love and respect, I thank all the great women who will ever hold this book in their hands.

Mariana Temido 9

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PREFACE

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INTRODUCTION I. THE WOMEN OF HASHOMER HATZAIR THROUGHOUT ITS HISTORY

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Tzeirei Tzion and Hashomer

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Holocaust

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Hashomer Hatzair Israel II. TESTIMONIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

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HASHOMER HATZAIR EUROPE

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Germany

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Austria

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Belgium

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Bulgaria

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France

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Hungary

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Netherlands

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Italy

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Poland

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Switzerland

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HASHOMER HATZAIR ANGLO AMERICA

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Canada

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United States

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HASHOMER HATZAIR LATIN AMERICA

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Argentina

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Brazil

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Chile

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Mexico

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Uruguay

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Venezuela

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HASHOMER HATZAIR OCEANIA

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Australia III. “BEING A WOMAN” AND WHAT THAT MEANS

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Hashomer Hatzair and beauty standards

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Hashomer Hatzair and weight discrimination

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Hashomer Hatzair and blackness

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Hashomer Hatzair and sisterhood

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Hashomer Hatzair and LGBTQ+

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Future Struggles

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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GLOSSARY

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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NOTES

The Portuguese version of the book “We, Women of Hashomer Hatzair�, was released in September 2018, on a Saturday, in the upstairs lounge of Ken Beit Mordechai Anilewicz, one of my homes and encouraging spaces for critical thinking since I was 8 years old. The night of the release was happy and warm, and counted over a hundred people who struggled to fit into that community and familial event. Less than two years after that day, I write this preface for the English version, with new criticism and reflections on this research that will always be endless. Endless because I am sure that with each passing day we develop and meet new protagonist women who should be here, which fills me with hope. I say this not only because it is a desire, but because I see these movements happening in our kenim, our feminist and safe space projects intensifying, and our work becoming more relevant. Furthermore, it is important for me to state that the research that was carried out itself is far more extensive than what was documented here, due to the fact that there would be no space to fit everything I found in a first book. Thus, I hope that more and more we can find new ways to make all the names and readings more accessible, and I would not like this first survey to be a reason for us to stop looking and studying more about our history. Using this source and also looking for new ones to build more inclusive futures should be the responsibility of the entire Shomeric community, and I am sure of the strength we have to achieve this goal.

When I had the idea of writing the book years ago, there were a few times when I believed that the accomplishment of this idea could never happen. After the whole process of publishing the first version, translating it into English was one of my deepest dreams, which is also incredibly coming true now. I strongly believe that this work can be accessed much more in all our kenim around the world with the English translation, which fills me with strength and courage, and I will always be willing to assist in all the work we are doing to amend and expand our history in order to make it more authentic.

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Along with the book itself, I began to draft and document peulot that work with the theme of women in our tnua, so that this research can be used as a source in our kenim for different ages. Over the last few years, there have been many peulot run, oriented, or suggested by me with this focus, which for me is very important, since from the first day that I dreamed of this work, I said that it would need to be a process that goes far beyond a written text, but rather extending to meetings, conversations, changes in educational processes and developments of peulot, in the daily life of the kenim. I believed and still believe that this is the only way in which this work can become relevant, by honoring the name of so many heroines we have in our history. At this moment, I am finishing the translation of a booklet with all the peulot that I have already used in Portuguese, so that they can be worked on in English as well, and reach more and more Shomrim*ot.

The work dedicated to producing this English version was very interesting, because it invited me to reread the thoughts of a Mariana from two years ago, with a perspective of two years later. The truth is that the vast majority of what is here still makes sense to me, but it also pleases me to understand that this first writing was done by a person who will still change, rethink and reconsider the world in different ways, but who in 2018 chose to pick these words to compose this book. I intend and hope that these words can be revisited by the entire Shomeric community for many years, and that new hands are faced with the constant need to rewrite and add stories, showing me that we continue to walk and build more with each passing year. I invite each of you who now reads this to allow yourselves to contribute and make this desire a collective achievement.

Chazak Ve’Ematz, Mariana Temido

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We, Women of Hashomer Hatzair Mariana Temido

PREFACE Laura Gryner de Moraes In March 2016, I was responsible for creating a ceremony in honour of International Women’s Day, March 8th. Back then, we were really involved with feminist activism, so it was personally important for me to carry out that task. After some thought, we decided to do something related to being Shomrot. We felt that “being a woman of the tnua” was a more relevant identity for us at the time than “being a woman of any wider category”, a discussion that we used to have frequently. Besides, it was important to focus on this subject because Minas HH (HH Girls), our feminist collective, was developing, and we were forming new relationships based on both being women and from Hashomer Hatzair. So, I put together every file I had on my computer, threw a stockpile of papers into my room, looked through Ken Beit’s files and...nothing, I could not find the name of a single woman.

Earlier I was optimistic about finding many female characters and/or women who had written documents and could be used as sources. However, not a single name came up. I confess — I felt rage and resentment.

Less than two years later, here I am, writing this preface.

This book is so much more than whatever I was willing to do back in 2016. It is not destructive, on the contrary: it inspires, builds, feeds, empowers, and is not trying to be any kind of manual. Rather, it reveals different “possibilities of existence”.

These incredible women are not role models to be followed exactly but rather examples, showing that we can be whoever we are and inspire ourselves into being who we aren’t. This book conveys, for the first time, the meaning of being Shomrot.

One of the issues faced here lies in two needs which are parallel and, perhaps, paradoxical. The first, that women are a class and need to be seen as such. This is necessary for the invisibility process, perpetuated through 105 years of the tnua, to be understood. The second need is the affirmation of women’s diversity. The assembly of women’s testimonies shows various

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movements, building and dismantling their categorizations time and again. In these testimonies, both similarities and differences are noticeable. Women have dealt with similar issues, all of them while facing their own unique battles.

In this moment where feminism is becoming prominent in many social movements, we are faced with the question of what ties these women together. The people whose stories are told in this book identify with being a woman. I think this acknowledgement is the only thing that ties them together as a single category. It is not sexism that has been keeping them together, it is that they identify as, and want to be recognized as, women.

At the same time, there must be a reason why the Shomrot have never been mentioned in the documented history of the tnua, or became writers of this history. In trying to find the reasons within all of these testimonies, we can arrive at a new way of understanding our history. These pages will never reach every woman who has ever been a part of Hashomer Hatzair, that is not even possible, but they go against the idea that being a Shomeret has something to do with following a particular pattern.

Mariana uses the stories she collected to uncover many kinds of sexism, to bring women together — women who will no longer be silenced — and sets up a dugma ishit (role model). How could this concept that is so central to the education of Hashomer Hatzair have become so harmful to women in the movement? Men have always been the example, and the point of reference.

It is healthy for women, in every sense of the word, to read this book and have in their hands the examples of other women who built incredible things in the tnua. This way, dugma rebuilds itself as a Shomeric strength, that involves and is passed on by these Shomrot.

The book gathers stories from different moments, from the creation of Hashomer Hatzair to the present day. It is a historical recovery and consists of testimonies told by Shomrot from all over the world, who have experienced being a woman in different contexts, and with different experiences and perspec-

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tives. This book is a source of strength for all women, of all ages; it can be used to rethink the tnua as a whole. And above all, it is an educational tool that can, and must, be used inside the tnua, in order to inspire girls and consider potential new paths for Hashomer Hatzair, concerning these fresh reports.

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INTRODUCTION The goal behind this book is to prove to Shomrot*im, and the people outside Hashomer Hatzair who read about our history, that the women of Hashomer Hatzair exist, have existed, and have always led the fights of our tnua.

For a long time I searched the archives of the kenim and online databases for names of women, trying to bring to the chanichot*im the knowledge of more than just masculine figures.

Soon, I figured out that those names barely existed, at least in the few sources available in Latin America; but at the same time, I knew that those women had lived and played relevant roles as upholders of the Hashomer Hatzair mission, since the earliest days of our tnua.

After a great deal of thought, I reached the conclusion that, as always, we women must go after the things we want by ourselves —This has been the setup of our struggles and pursuits for equal rights since the beginning, and maybe it will always be this way. So, I came to this basic fact: if I can’t find documents or references about those women, no one can, meaning that their stories are ageing, and being forgotten in the meantime. There is a need to start compiling those names as soon as possible. Enough talking about feminism while insisting exclusively on men as role models or sources to illustrate our history.

On account of these circumstances, I stay put, as an attempt to express the achievements of all the strong, intelligent, wonderful and admirable women; models for the current days and the days to come. And I guarantee to each and every one of you: our days of being silenced end today.

Hashomer Hatzair is a Jewish, Zionist, Socialist, youth movement that has been playing extremely relevant roles at crucial moments of world history since 1913. Most of the weight of the tnua is focused on its educational system, which is a tool for the development of autonomous, active, critically, and socially engaged human beings, who aim at reaching person-

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al fulfillment by engaging with a handful of possibilities. One of the central figures of our educational process is the role model - the symbol of an education based, among other things, on analyzing other people, in order to approach and acknowledge the qualities and flaws of the educators and learners. Because role models are so relevant, we claim that the existence of leaders, and the way they inspire and are admired by others in Hashomer Hatzair, is one of the major bases of our ideas.

This is where I get to the center of my reflections: who are all these leaders? Men? Women? The Shomrot and Shomrim have just started to process their identification with feminism.

It is more and more common to see women as heads of our tnua and to watch debates about this subject being incorporated in meeting schedules and sichot, which means that, even at a slow pace, this issue is being brought up more often than ever. I have heard quite a lot that Hashomer Hatzair is currently raising the flag of feminism. But I would like to introduce some thoughts, in order to illustrate my objection to this statement: what if I told you to think about three madrichot or madrichim who have changed your life, would they be men or women? How many mazkirot and female roshei chinuch have passed through your ken in the last three years? And what about mazkirim and male roshei chinuch? When the young chanichot*im ask for new madrichot and madrichim, when a kvutza reaches the hadracha, are these boys and girls expecting names of men or women in their future? The main issue here is not only to check if discussions about feminism and gender construction are taking place in our kenim, but if the marginalized identities that these ideologies represent are protagonists of our process; if they are role models for the women of the tnua; if such women are becoming empowered and subsequently fulfilled as Shomrot.

After all, does Hashomer Hatzair empower and encourage its peilot to develop their self-knowledge as women, besides considering them as “simple� members of the tnua? It is obvious that our path is positive and these first steps are extremely important, but are we actually experiencing and applying the

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feminist ideals to the things we do, besides dealing with these subjects pedagogically? The first question is simple, but the second demands coherence. Are we actually who we say we are? Do we still make sexist jokes, and laugh about them, inside the tnua? Do we still witness abuse of power from madrichim upon chanichot? And when it happens, do we stand against it, or do we pretend to be indifferent? Because this is what is actually creating the roots of sexism, a concept that I rarely see being deconstructed.

We, women of Hashomer Hatzair, have had to endure constant disputes over spaces; manterrupting during arguments; the use of pictures and documents written by men of the tnua, but never by women (which, yes, exist); the quotation of theories and events created by women, whose names are never mentioned for lack of information (and this is not a mere coincidence), or because the person telling the story simply did not feel like mentioning women’s perspectives and personalities.

During my research I found several photos with captions such as “Mordechai Anilewicz and his friends”, as if the women who used to keep company with him did not have names, will, courage, or history. Once, while doing my research, I remembered this library that in March 2017 reorganized its bookshelves so the covers of books written by men were facing backwards.

That way anyone could see, just by looking at the shelves, the obvious preference of one gender over the other — the consequence of an actual and constant process of silencing suffered by all women. The entire library was white; there were only a few covers turned up, and these were the books written by women.

Which brings me to this question: if we were given the chance to try the same experiment in our tnua, would it be any different? Are we actually standing against sexism? I say, not much.

And these are the basic requirements in order to deconstruct a sexist environment: to have women becoming autonomous, admired, and protagonists, whether they are madrichot, chanichot or mazkirot; to use and share quotes, pictures, documents, projects made by women, without silence or contempt. Everything

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that is produced by women must have its relevance considered, the same way as things produced by men. These are the keys that lead to the deconstruction of sexism and to taking in actual feminism — and taking out the superficial work.

This whole issue leads to a second and indispensable subject: it should be impossible to talk about Hashomer Hatzair without mentioning the fight against social inequality. There are many feminisms and inherent in each of them are different needs and attention to different systems which need to be deconstructed. And it is important to bear in mind that feminism is not meant just for us, mostly middle class, white, educated women. Feminism is essential, and it involves the battles of many other women, whether black, indigenous, immigrant or transgender — in the Brazilian context. It is obvious that if this book were being written in Israel, for instance, I would make sure to include the voices of Palestinian women. The voices of marginalized women, which are different in every part of the world, must be included.

As Hashomer Hatzair, we cannot let our outrage become selective, but I would like to note the place I am speaking from, where the process of creating this book took place. I recognize myself as a white woman in a privileged position in Brazilian society. I believe that this research is deeply important for the members of Hashomer Hatzair and for the part of society that is close to it, because many women in the movement recognize themselves the same way I do.

In order to create an environment of understanding, discussion, and empowerment, it is important to highlight that most of these stories come from this place, of our own identities and positions in society. I do not think that I have the right to write on behalf of the women whom I could not reach or represent. I believe that this book is worthy as a feminist resource to a great number of groups, but it will not reach many others.

This is the result of a political-educational choice. Which brings us to this question: how many times have white women become free and empowered, while simultaneously silencing black

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women? We must understand that the feminist fight does not belong only to us. It is essential to allow the different feminisms to exist simultaneously, paying respect to the limits of each one.

The empowerment of a white woman cannot start with the oppression of a black woman. Reducing social inequality, holding hands with inclusion, is part of a social struggle, a struggle towards equality and transcending gender; a struggle that must be a central part of Hashomer Hatzair.

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CHAPTER I THE WOMEN OF HASHOMER HATZAIR THROUGHOUT ITS HISTORY

This chapter aims to unveil the stories of some of the memorable women of the youth movement Hashomer Hatzair, throughout the different historical periods in which the tnua was active. The names and lives of these women are evidence of the extent of Hashomer Hatzair activist work throughout the world, showing that our ideology has many ways to be put into practice.

In the following chapter, you’ll find important moments of Hashomer history, since its earliest days; and each of them reveal a female protagonist from that time.

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TZEIREI TZION AND HASHOMER

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Aguda Tzeirei Tzion was a group founded in 1903 by Jewish and Zionist educators, who believed in the ideas of Theodor Herzl and argued that the young members of the Jewish community should be leading the Zionist cause. These young Jews were secular and because they attended non-Jewish Polish schools, they worried about a possible process of assimilation.

So they found in this new group a chance to maintain their identity and ideals.

Hashomer was another similar collective, founded in Galicia in 1910. This organization was created in response to the fact that young Jews weren’t allowed in Polish Scout groups due to anti-semitism. That is why they created a Jewish, Zionist scout group, dedicated to developing the spiritual and physical strength of young Jews. They only named themselves Hashomer in 1913, as a tribute to the group Hashomer, from Israel.

Before that, they were known as the New Organization for the Jewish Scout.

In 1913 the process of merging the two movements began, because both held Zionist and chalutzi ideals which needed to be strengthened, and many young people were already members in both movements. Tzeirei Tzion focused on intellectual issues and ideological debates, while Hashomer’s background was in experiential practice and group work. Thus, this merger was constructive for both.

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PERSONALITIES Despite it being uncommon at the time, many women of Aguda Tzeirei Tzion and Hashomer were active political agents, as well as feminist role models.

Beba Idelson3 Born in 1895, in Ekaterinoslav — a city that belonged to the Russian Empire — Beba studied Economics and Social Sciences and was the head of numerous women’s rights institutions during her lifetime. She joined Tzeirei Tzion prior to its merger with Hashomer and the subsequent foundation of Hashomer Hatzair.

In 1924, in Palestine, she started working with the World Zionist Organization. In 1930, she became the chairwoman of Mo’ezet HaPo’alot (Council of Women Workers).

During the Second World War she recruited numerous women to fight for the British Army. From 1949 to 1965, Beba represented the Mapai party in the Knesset. In her opinion, the state needed to support social reforms and the fight for gender equality.

Beba was an endless source of resistance against the religious coercion of the state in Israel. In 1960, she was the head of the Histadrut’s ninth committee, an organization she worked for until 1965. Beba was also the chairwoman of the World Movement of Pioneer Women from 1968 to 1975.

Puah Rakovsky4 Puah was born in 1865, in Poland. A former member of Tzeirei Tzion, Puah dedicated her life to the empowerment of Jewish women. She was consistently active against gender discrimination in Jewish education: “If the Torah had been taught without distinction of sex, if both Jewish girls and boys had studied our Torah, culture, and customs, then how many thousands of Jewish 27

mothers would have been saved from assimilation and conversion, along with the Jewish sons we lost because of the education they received from their assimilated mothers�.

She was forced to marry, but succeeded in persuading her husband to let her study to be a teacher. After a lot of effort she finally achieved what she wanted: to be a teacher in a Jewish school for girls. Upon reaching financial independence, Puah divorced her husband, something revolutionary for that period.

She struggled to guarantee that women were taught Hebrew and Judaism; to that end, Puah published pamphlets calling for the national organization of Jewish women, while encouraging a feminist uprising aimed at the elections. Her main goal was to provide secular and professional education to Jewish women, in order to help them achieve financial independence. Puah always stood up in favor of civic equality and policies for women’s rights such as labor law, equal wages, and equal opportunities in education. She insisted that women in Jewish communities take leadership roles instead of working under the direction of men, something she criticized in society as a whole.

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HOLOCAUST

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The Second World War happened between 1939 and 1945.

The Holocaust was a part of it, and is defined as the mass killing of human beings, among which were six million Jews whose ethnic extermination was led by the Nazi state. During this period Hashomer Hatzair was a source of resistance in the territories invaded by Germany where numerous kenim were based. The members of the tnua fought the Nazi regime in every possible way: organizing armed uprisings, bombing train tracks, rescuing people through underground passages, bringing food and information, and documenting the circumstances. Some of Hashomer Hatzair’s kenim were closed during the war, but the activities went on covertly, educating chanichot*im even inside the ghettos.

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PERSONALITIES

During the Holocaust there were many examples of women’s resistance, and it is important that we recognize the struggles of Shomrot facing the atrocities that were happening around them.

Chasia Bornstein - Bielicka6 Chasia was born in 1921 in Grodno, Poland. She joined Hashomer Hatzair at 12 years old. She sided with the resistance as soon as the German occupation began in her town, when she engaged in a clandestine movement inside the ghetto. She fought bravely in the uprising in her ghetto, Bialystok. During this time, she managed to escape the ghetto and bring back weapons and ammunition, something that was a huge benefit to her people. Upon Soviet arrival, Chasia’s knowledge of city routes allowed her to provide them with a map of German positions and base locations, which advanced their fight against Nazi forces. In addition, she used to visit the city post office in search of letters that were meant for relatives separated by the war, reuniting many families originally from Grodno.

Chasia founded an orphanage for Jewish children in Lodz in 1946 and, in 1947, she made their aliyah possible. Their travel to Israel was interrupted by a forced detention in Cyprus, where she took care of each and every child, all through the six months that preceded their arrival in Israel. Chasia is known for having dedicated her entire life to orphans as well as olim chadashim and olot chadashot.

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Haika Grossman7 Haika was born in 1919 in Bialystok, Poland. At 9 years old Haika was already a member of Hashomer Hatzair and at that age she couldn’t possibly have imagined the role in history she would have as a leader in the movement and in her society. At 19, she was among the leaders of Hashomer Hatzair’s Vilnius resistance, Bialystok’s uprising, and the partisans. Today she is a central role model in the history of resistance during the Holocaust.

When Haika arrived in Israel, she founded the kibbutz Evron. After its establishment, she became a member of the Israeli parliament through Mapam. Haika always upheld the ideal of reducing social inequality and fighting for equal rights in society.

When older, she was appointed secretary general of the Kibbutz Artzi.

“Our movement was big and strong — and it was beautiful, even in defeat. You need to know how to live, and more than this, how to die. We knew that with our death, nothing would end — that our death would be a symbol taught to all generations. And I want to say the following, even though it is difficult to say these words: the heroes of the people are not necessarily their known political leaders. The real heroes of a nation are small, silent, unknown people....”

Haika lived the ideals of Hashomer Hatzair in all of her actions. Her path in the movement was actually her life itself. She is a memorable role model for Shomrot*im, since even after years of resistance in the Holocaust, she made sure to expand her fight for equal rights of minorities in Israel. Haika fought in her name, in the name of Jewish women and men, and of those in need who weren’t able to express themselves the way she could.

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Haviva Reik8 Haviva was born in 1914, in a small village in Slovakia. In 1939 she made aliyah, and from that time onward she lived in Kibbutz Ma’anit. Haviva is known for her strong presence in the Jewish resistance. She joined the Palmach in 1942, and was responsible for recruiting and training over 250 volunteers. She was a member of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) and an inspiration to the world in a moment when the position of women in armed resistance was heavily questioned. In 1944, Haviva was captured by the Nazis. Hashomer Hatzair, and other institutions that came out of the Kibbutz Artzi are based in Givat Haviva, which is named after her — a historic and eternal symbol of inspiration.

Rosa Robota9 Rosa was born in 1921, in Ciechanow, Poland. Rosa was deported to a women’s camp in Auschwitz, and later transferred to Birkenau — in 1942. During her time there, she worked in the clothing labour unit, where she managed to organize a resistance group in communication with the clandestine force inside the camp. From then on, Robota took part in the force by smuggling explosive ammunition. With the help of three other Jewish women who worked with her in gunpowder production, Rosa began to smuggle the explosives using match boxes. Nearly twenty other female Jewish prisoners took part in the operation; all of them were between 18 and 22 years old.

The arrangements for the uprising took a year and a half to be prepared and in October 1944 they exploded one of Birkenau’s crematorium ovens — a successful effort carried out by the rebels.

After the explosion, Rosa was interrogated, but she never turned in any of her partners. Robota believed that the continuity of such acts had more value than her own life. On January 6th 1945, nearly two weeks before the camp’s liberation, Robota and three of her friends 32

We, Women of Hashomer Hatzair Mariana Temido

were hanged in the presence of the other prisoners. It is said that moments before being hanged, Rosa shouted one last time: Chazak V’Ematz Ruzka Korczak10 Ruzka was born in 1921 in Bielsko, Poland. The Shomeric spirit had been in Ruzka since she was a girl: as a student Ruzka organized a protest against the anti-semitic actions of the school principal. In 1939 she moved to Warsaw in order to join Hashomer Hatzair. During the Second World War she took part in the FPO, the Partisans Organization. As a member, together with her friend Vita Kemper, she planned the rescue of their captain upon his delivery to the Nazis.

Ruzka emigrated to Palestine after the war and chose Kibbutz Eilon to be her new home. One of her missions was to tell the stories of the Jewish resistance during the Holocaust. In order to fulfill this mission, she worked for many years as the head of Moreshet, a research institute founded by members of Hashomer Hatzair who had been part of the resistance, and associated with the Kibbutz Artzi. As a fighter, Ruzka was in charge of recruiting women for many kinds of important operations. She has written about the hard times women like her went through in order to carry out such a role, making her efforts even more incredible and exciting.

“I recall that in the first operation I was chosen along with one of our female comrades; we felt that the entire fate of the female sex depended upon us. If we fulfilled the task we had been trusted with, we would pave the way for the other girls.”

“No matter what part of the labour I think about, the name of a female comrade will be associated with it.

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None of these women were extraordinary. None had specific training or qualifications. They were young women, who had grown up working and were up to any task they were told to do... The work had to be done every day, this was the hardest part; it takes more courage than any heroic action — that takes only a few minutes to be carried out. These women were forced to act like heroes on a daily basis — and they did it...”

“We did not have the privilege of choosing between converting to Christianity and sacrificing ourselves to sanctify the name of God—in this we differed from our ancestors… We did have a choice about the manner in which to live to the very end as free Jews and die as liberated people.”

Tosia Altman11 “Jews are dying before my eyes and I am powerless to help. Did you ever try to shatter a wall with your head?”

Tosia was born in 1919 in Lipno, Poland. Tosia was remarkably important during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. For a long time, she worked as a messenger of the resistance, inside and outside the ghetto. She used to bring to the ghetto, in addition to the messages, some of the educational material that was forbidden by the Nazis. At some point, she also started smuggling weapons and explosives.

On January 18th 1943, Tosia took part in the battle at ZOB’s 34

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(Jewish Combat Organization) command bunker, located at Mila 18. In the end, she was among the small number of survivors. Tosia managed to organize an escape group a few months after this battle. In May, she was seized by the Gestapo.

Tosia’s message: “Maybe this is how it all started, that within the tumult of bombardments and shells, under the ruins of crumbling buildings, the will arose and the passion for life grew? Maybe actually from this, that the desperate person, in their last moment of existence, through eyes widened by horror and looking into the abyss of extinction, managed to grasp the beauty of life and the power of creation? Or maybe it wasn’t the beauty or the willpower, but simply the instinct of existence that would not let them die?

And then someone started traveling in a wagon through dark nights, on rainy roads, to distant towns and remote places all over the country, secretly knocking on dark windows in the evenings. And as the door opened and the warmth of the house welcomed the weary traveler, eyes would widen with joy and amazement and lips would mumble only one word: the Hanhaga.

Still? Even today? Are we really not alone? Questions poured out, demanding to drive away the bitter reality, memories of old conversations returned, dances and arguments came back to life.

Everything must have started from this, from 35

someone traveling on the roads and knocking on a dark window… And maybe it was a new beginning?”

The following words were said by Ruzka Korzak, when Tosia Altman arrived in the Warsaw Ghetto, in 1941: 12 “Tosia came.

It was like a blessing of freedom.

Just the information that she came.

It spread among the people…

As if there were no ghetto…

As if there was no death around.

As if we were not in this terrible war.

A beam of love.

A beam of light.”

(Korczak 1965)

Yehudit Schischa-Halevy13 Yehudit was born in 1926 in Komarno, Czechoslovakia. Yehudit was still young when she joined Hashomer Hatzair. She had a highly developed body intelligence. In 1944 Yehudit was sent to Auschwitz. She used to entertain the other prisoners with dances, making the hard time a little lighter.

“Somehow we managed to live and even entertain each other. I was asked to show movement — sometimes acrobatics and other times movement jokes that I made up — and I realized I did something good.”

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Once she denied an official request to dance at the SS Christmas Party. Her punishment was to stand barefoot in the snow, during which she made a decision: if she survived, her life would be dedicated to dancing.

As the war ended, Yehudit went to Budapest, where she created a dance contest for Hashomer Hatzair. She also worked with hundreds of orphans, teaching them dance and math. These children managed to emigrate to Palestine thanks to Yehudit.

After her arrival in Palestine she moved to Kibbutz Gaaton, and spent most of her time studying dance in Haifa and bringing this knowledge back to the kibbutz. Later, she created a dance center for young residents of kibbutzim in the area. She was greatly awarded for her contributions. Her first award was in the Israel Festival for Young Artists, and she subsequently went on to win many other prizes including the 1997 Artist Prize of the International Society for the Performing Arts, and the 1998 Israel Prize (the state’s highest cultural honour).

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HASHOMER HATZAIR ISRAEL 14

Hashomer Hatzair Israel, in parallel with the world movement of Hashomer Hatzair, consists of a tnua with constant strength and ideology whose national presence is deeply relevant.

This process began in the face of a dilemma: back then, Socialist-Zionists could choose between supporting the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, or making aliyah to Palestine. The Shomrot*im’s decision was to make their own socialist reality in Zion — an example of their belief in Socialist-Zionism, in the experience of creating a kibbutz, and in the proletarian struggle within Palestine. More members of Hashomer Hatzair started to make aliyah, mostly beginning with the Third Aliyah, although a small number of Hashomer Hatzair communities were created before this.

Here, I share a few names that were relevant to the establishment and building of the State of Israel, and are considered role models to the global tnua. In addition, I also include a document about gender, written by the Israeli tnua in 2014.

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PERSONALITIES The following personalities are important women in the history of the State of Israel. They range from politicians to educators and artists, and all of them have become inspirations.

Aliza Amir Zohar Written by Mika Yaakoba-Zohar, Aliza’s granddaughter

Aliza Amir Zohar was born in Hust, Czechoslovakia in 1932. When she was a year old she moved to Israel, soon after her father passed away. She was brought up by her mother and extended family in Jerusalem, where she began participating in Hashomer Hatzair, serving as a madricha in her later years in the youth movement. After her army service in the Nahal in 1951, she joined kibbutz Baram in the Galilee at the age of 19. There she met Yankale Zohar and in 1954 they got married. One year later they had their first daughter, and went on to have two more daughters.

In the kibbutz Aliza worked in agriculture, the children’s house, and accounting. In 1968, she completed her Bachelor’s degree in philosophy at Tel Aviv University. She was the first person from Kibbutz Baram sent to learn a subject not practically functional for the kibbutz, such as engineering or agriculture.

Aliza published a collection of short stories for adults in 1966 titled Like Green Marble (‫)כמו שיש ירוק‬. In 1969 she published a similar book for children called Stop the Rain, and the Diamond ( ‫)הגשם דום והיהלום‬. She published a second children’s book called At Grandma Nina’s (‫ )אצל סבתה נינה‬in 1980.

In 1978 she served as the madricha for the kvutza that founded Kibbutz Gshur in the Golan Heights, guiding them in the kibbutz formation process. In 1980 she was elected as the mazkira (head secretary) of the Kibbutz Artzi, the organization of the kibbutzim of Hashomer Hatzair. She was the first and only wom39

an mazkira, which remains true for the United Kibbutz Movement, the organisation that later absorbed the Kibbutz Artzi. An important issue at that time was whether to start kibbutzim in Golan Heights. She was opposed to settlement in that area, but the final vote was cast in favour.

From 1985 to 1990 she served as the CEO of Elcam Plastics, Kibbutz Baram’s medical supplies firm. In the five years that she was CEO she led the firm to many successes, including official approval by the USFDA (food and drug administration).

From 1990 to 1999 she was the president of Tel Hai Regional College in the Galilee, near Kiryat Shmona. Under her leadership, Tel Hai University developed and became an academic institution officially recognized by the Israeli government as a higher education college, which was an important achievement for this peripheral, remote area. For her work in education, in 1996 she was selected to participate in Israel’s national Independence Day ceremony by lighting a torch in honour of the young country’s independence.

In all aspects of her work, be it industry, management, or the movement’s leadership, she paved the way as the first woman in that position. Throughout her life, Aliza remained dedicated to the potential of Hashomer Hatzair as a transformative force in Israeli society and for Jewry around the world.

Berta Hazan15 Berta was born in Vienna, Austria. Her parents were Russian, from Minsk. She studied pedagogy in her hometown and even managed to start her career before traveling to Israel, where she worked at the educational centres of different kibbutzim.

She took part in the creation of the first Mosad Chinuchi (a high school institution), based in Mishmar HaEmek. Following the creation of the institution, she went on to become the coordinator of many Hashomer Hatzair kibbutzim’s educational systems. Berta 40

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published four books, all focused on the subject of collective and intimate education as well as current issues of Israel.

Emma Levine Talmi16 Emma was born in 1905 in Warsaw, Poland and joined Hashomer Hatzair at age 15. At 19, she emigrated to Palestine by herself, and there she worked in agriculture and construction. In 1927 she began to live in the kibbutz of Hashomer Hatzair which later became Mishmar HaEmek. Emma worked in the kindergarten of the kibbutz.

In 1955 she became one of Mapam’s members of knesset, having dedicated fourteen years to the social concerns of the party. Most of all, Emma fought for gender equality, against religious coercion, and to increase access to education in marginalized parts of Israeli society.

Sara Eshel17 Sara was born in Linitz, Russia. At age 13, she emigrated to Israel with her family. She is the author of many children’s books — one of which was written in memoriam to one of her children.

Her life was dedicated to educational research. In 1949, Sara was appointed the International Secretary of Hashomer Hatzair — the first and only woman to occupy the role.

Shulamit Aloni18 Shulamit was born in 1928 in Tel Aviv, Israel. She took part in the war of 1948 as a member of the Palmach. She graduated in Law from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and continued teaching Law for many years. Shulamit was also a member of Mapai, the Israeli Labor Party. She was responsible for the foundation of Ratz “the citizen’s party” in 1973, and of Meretz in 1991.

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Shulamit was a member of Knesset for a long time. The struggles for human rights and women’s rights, and decriminalizing homossexuality — which became a reality in 1988 — were her focus during these years. Shulamit served as Minister of Education during Yitzhak Rabin’s government. She took part in Bat Shalom, a group of Israeli and Palestinian women united for peace.

Shulamit Bat Dori19 Shulamit was born in 1904 in Warsaw, Poland. During her life Shulamit studied Psychology and Philosophy. At age 21 she decided to leave her family — the outcome of a marriage arranged by her parents — and to live on her own, without any kind of support.

After joining Hashomer Hatzair Warsaw, Shulamit started to produce plays within the tnua. In 1923 she made aliyah and chose Afula to be her new home, where she worked in handicrafts. Years later, she went back to her homeland and became a counselor of Hashomer Hatzair Poland. Back then, in addition to participating in workshops to develop her skills, Shulamit also wrote a pamphlet about Israeli women.

After this time in Poland, she decided to study dance and theatre in Berlin. When she went back to the kibbutz, she took this knowledge along with her. Shulamit was a leader and pioneer in the subject of theatre in the kibbutzim, always teaching theatre and culture with a social, political and collective perspective. One of her plays depicts the new immigrants — a deeply political issue of the time. In the 1960’s, she started to teach in the theatre department of Tel Aviv University.

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BITANIYA ILIT20 In 1921 twenty young Jews decided to build an agricultural collective in Bitaniya Ilit, a camp at the top of a mountain near the Kinneret.

Bitaniya was very important in the history of Hashomer Hatzair, mainly due to the creation of a kvutza through the experience of collective life, with constant arguments over ideology and sharing of personal stories. Despite many difficulties in its creation and the future breaking up of this kvutza, these chaverim are still quoted as great examples to Shomrot*im.

Among the twenty members of this group, only four were women. The following story belongs to one of them:

Shinka “Questions, thoughts, analysis, hallucinations, visions — why do you cause me pain? Why do you come back all the time? Why do you forbid me to be wild, run a crazy race towards the future, chase the secret interpretation of life? Now, you have come to eat and poison my soul, with a toxin that pushes tighter and tighter. When the land is firm, when it is time to watch everything grow and become beautiful and pure — then you come out, to deny and corrupt. And nothing was left behind for me, nothing but chaos, demands, questions, and despair — nothing but an abyss. I want to run away. A storm is raging inside my body, and its power, that once brought me here, now sends me away. Oh! Where is it pushing me to? Yes, it tells me to search for myself, myself. Perhaps my weakness is what motivates me to run?

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And once again, questions and thoughts sneak through my brain, and a hidden voice asks “Can you make it? Will you carry on? Will you be strong enough to move forward, or will you stay behind? Will you ever manage to say “I’m free!” to yourself? Do you see the possibility of cooperation and creation?

There is no answer. My strength is tired out. Without menace I will spread my arms forward — they will fall, exhausted.

At once, I shall stand up. I want to overcome my weakness, prevent my feelings from taking control.

I leave. I look around me. I look at the others, their faces — What would I like to read in them? In times like these, I shall scream at you: “Oh, my brothers! I have loved you and I shall find a way to get across to you, to go with you”. I have questions, and I shall seek answers. Did you hear that? Did you notice the spark which flares and fades, instead of growing into a shining flame? Do you know why that is?

I look at their faces and seek an answer. Instead, I find indifference, misunderstanding, a fake or disinterested laugh. And we mustn’t forget: some of them don’t even care, they just stare at the world with arrogance.

I shall suffer until I lose my mind; I shall endure the cold ice that surrounds us. You hurt me — all of you, who I love so deeply. I return to myself and decide to remain, neither looking nor asking. And, sometimes, I will meet a suffering man who suffers and whose

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blood boils — I shall foresee and understand his feeling.

Why has he come to me now? Why was his loneliness a problem? Or perhaps his desire is to see us both tortured and relieved?

He wants to take the woman who had never been considered, who had been dismissed by him, who used to be seen as an empty being, whose soul was asleep. Yes, take her strongly and turn her into ashes under your feet. Do it when she is weak — but do not make fun of her when she goes back to a clear state of consciousness, do not be afraid of your own excitement and do not complain about her weakness.

I have neither forgiveness nor hostility to offer. I may understand you, but I shall never become a life form that provides only nursing and comfort. I believe we will not find the path to one another while we fail to find in each other the same human value, while we are blind to each others’ souls.”

Veida 21 Hashomer Hatzair Israel - 201421 The following document is the result of a conference carried out by the Israeli tnua. Its purpose was to educate and define itself in regards to feminism.

“Equal value of men and women The belief in human equality, the demand that all humans are born and remain with the same rights by virtue of being humans. Hashomer Hatzair is

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based on this belief and defends that everyone is equal, no matter their religion, race, gender or sexual orientation.

The acknowledgement of human equality has brought civil and human rights to the world, but has not expressed these rights equally to women as it has to men. The feminist ideal was created in order to fight sex-based discrimination against a specific gender, and as an effort to build a society based on full gender equality. Rebecca West put this in simpler terms when she said: ‘Feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings’.

We are told that the feminist movement has accomplished its goal and that, today, women and men have the same rights. But the fight is far from over. The existence of equal rights does not necessarily mean that equality exists: women are still discriminated against in all aspects of social life.

We have evolved in legislation, but not in conscience, culture, job market, language and more. Our society is the picture of an unequal world, ruled by a sexist hierarchy that glorifies men and oppresses women.

Despite the remarkable achievements of the feminist movement, it seems that neither this reality... nor the social consciousness will change so soon; there are still many battles to be fought and miles to be walked.

Over the years, negative and wrong images of the feminist movement and its supporters were painted, something which derives from the fear of this idea

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creating a change in the existing balance of power and in the preservation of men’s superior status.

We choose to adopt mentalities and actions that fight to end sexist oppression and exploitation and, this way, to transform the idea of equality into a real standard in our society.

Breaking the limits of gender The central reason for gender inequality comes from a barrier created by gender consciousness, of both men and women. This barrier is holding back the social process of deconstructing gender. We are subjected to the narrow social standards and the concept that binds the biological sex we are born with, male or female, with the social role that we should accomplish.

As women, we are expected to be perpetual sexual objects and to be seen from a fake, unattainable ideal which corresponds to the role of mother, wife and working woman that is dictated to us from the moment we are born.

As men, we are expected to be strong, aggressive and senseless, to be pillars. We must provide our families with resources and make them feel safe. These expectations are the result of social standards that have been attached to us since we were born, whether from the house we grew up in, the school we go to (and its differing guidelines regarding boys and girls), the media we watch and observe, or any other part of our lives. These expectations have nothing to do with biological attributes — the brain is genderless. Besides,

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they uphold and support the sexist hierarchy that glorifies men over women and increases inequality.

As a movement that believes in the creation of a fair and equal society, we must break the gender standards. Our goal is to allow each and every person the freedom to choose their own path without fear of social exclusion in all of its forms. It is our job to create a safe society based on mutual respect between men and women, and to recognize the person first as a person and not as someone of this or that gender. We understand that we too have a role in the preservation and creation of gender standards, and thus the invisible gaze of introspection, which demands attention and action from each of us, is essential to our capacity for success in bringing about change.

Feminist movement Hashomer Hatzair chooses and resolves to be a feminist movement that places the value of men and women at the center of the struggle for equality, as well as the fight against any type of discrimination.

This way, we will define ourselves as a feminist movement.

We will work to promote equal opportunities for women and men in society and strive for essential equality between the sexes, addressing the roots of oppression and discrimination in culture, education, and all social institutions.

Feminism is not just a female struggle, it is a struggle for all of us, women and men! We act against any

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manifestation of sexism and against any expression of discrimination on the street, in the neighborhood, on the bus, in schools and in the environment that surrounds us. We will not submit to the existing norms. As educators, we will educate for liberation and for equality between the sexes and call for breaking the limits of gender. We, as a movement, have a responsibility to identify sexist trends in society and to act against them. We will support egalitarian legislation that encourages fundamental change in consciousness, and in the social and behavioral spheres. We will create the ken and the shomeric group as a safe and egalitarian space, a tolerant space that respects its members. We will not allow sexist statements, behaviors and references, and we will endeavor to create a respectful language, as part of its creation, for the purpose of empowering members of the ken. We will strive to create an egalitarian society between the sexes both in our movement and in the wider society. “

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CHAPTER II TESTIMONIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

This chapter covers the kenim of Hashomer Hatzair around the world, as an attempt to highlight some of the particularities of each ken.

This way, I believe that from these statements we will be able to more realistically and effectively analyze our work and the feminist fight inside the tnua.

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HASHOMER HATZAIR EUROPE The testimonies below were given by women from different kenim of Hashomer Hatzair Europe. They are madrichot, female roshei ken or post bogrot, former and active members of different kenim. The goal of having such diverse testimonies is to allow an understanding of the complexity of what sexism represents, and of what is recognized and strengthened as feminism in each place.

GERMANY Dikla Levinger Peila Mekomit Ken Berlin, 2017

Hashomer Hatzair had a long rich history with many kenim until the rise of the Nazis. Ken Berlin was re-opened in 2012 and since then has been slowly becoming more stable.

We have two groups, one for kids aged 7-12 and one for teens, aged 12-18. At the moment, the groups are forming and still getting to know each other. In this time of building our community, gender equality and understanding of sexism, feminism and the meaning of gender roles are things we want our ken to always take into account. These topics are also present in our peulot in a subtle way. That means for example, that we use language that acknowledges all genders, such as “chanichot*im”, or that if a problematic remark comes up, we address it on the spot.

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of as many kinds of power structures and discrimination among us and in the wider society, and fight for social justice from an intersectional (multi-level) perspective in a way that will allow us to grow bigger and stronger together.

AUSTRIA Lara Gilkarov Rosh Ken Ken Tel Amal, Vienna, 2017

To begin with, it should be noted that women in Hashomer Hatzair Vienna, in Ken Tel Amal, are well respected. The movement has socialist and democratic traits, especially in a liberal country like Austria. This is why women have had important rights in decision-making in Hashomer Hatzair Austria history.

Today in Vienna, there are more women than men in leadership positions in our ken.

During World War II, there were not a lot of Jewish women involved in the resistance movement of Austria. In fact, the movement was shut down because of the Austrian-German coalition in 1938.

Still, the Austrian movement was close with the Polish one and always looked up to and took an example from the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, especially Mordechai Anilewicz and an important woman, Rosa Robota, from Poland. Today we mostly talk about these two figures that were also a part of Hashomer Hatzair and who seem very important and crucial to us as shomeric leaders.

Furthermore, Hashomer Hatzair Vienna admires and is very thankful to a very special and important woman who had a relevant role in the resistance movement during the Second World War. Ms. Maria Restituta Kafka was a nun and a nurse in a Viennese hospital. Although she was an orthodox christian, she ded53

icated her life to opposing the Nazi movement in Austria, more precisely in her hospital in Mödling, Vienna. She was murdered in 1943 and is considered an important martyr in Austrian Society.

Today, women in Hashomer Hatzair Vienna are well respected and play a very important role in our ken. We often do activities about sexism, feminism, gender gaps in the ken, either with the whole ken or within the smaller kvutzot. This year, for example the kvutza Juwel (12-14) had a peula about girls and boys in the kvutza and had separate activities in order to find out about differences concerning their gender within the kvutza. In addition, we will soon plan an activity about sexism, in order for everyone to understand the challenges women face on a daily basis.

It is very important for the ken to respect all women in the ken, as we have female Rosh Ken, madrichot, and tzevet leaders. Hopefully we will keep going in the right direction.

BELGIUM Talia Czapnik Peila Ken Pedi Ben Ezra, Brussels, 2017

The ken of Brussels is known as the biggest ken of Hashomer Hatzair in the world with about 250 chanichim coming every Saturday. As a ken of the World Movement, Hashomer in Belgium has the same values as in the rest of the world. Feminism is one of these values even if it is not expressed directly, but instead present in the form of equality. Equality is one of our main values which the chanichim learn as soon as they arrive. Everyone is equal no matter his gender, his religion, his beliefs or his skin color. The proper ‘feminism’ is present in the movement but mainly because of the madrichot. Officially Hashomer is for equality, we defend both gender’s rights and values. So you may ask, is there 54

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sexism? No, not really. As Shomrim, we all defend equality and in Belgium we are the first to fight for it. The only kind of sexism you can find is the jokes that some people make. Of course there are jokes about women, like everywhere and they are mostly present in the older kvutzot. Other sexist comments aren’t accepted. And even if jokes bother some girls, you know that you do not have to take these seriously because the boys will be the first ones to stand to support you. Because we were raised in a democracy where everyone can speak their mind, where men and women are equal because they learned it at school but also at Shomer. The most important thing is to know that no matter what they will be there to support you. These are the values of our movement, these are our values.

About feminism, we do not really take actions such as protests, even if we should. We do not really talk about feminism during peulot because young girls aren’t very impacted by the subject in Belgium, in the Jewish community at least. There are many actions taken by the Belgian government to promote gender equality such as encouraging the job of engineer for men and women, or the same with promoting other jobs that may be more accessible for one gender. But sexism is still present, as it is everywhere. That is why one of our projects this year is to promote feminism and equality and to talk and debate more about it with our chanichim.

Our definition is more a humanist way to see it. We do not see feminism as a fight against men or a fight for “female power” but more as a fight for equality between both genders in every aspect. Our feminism can be related to humanism as the human being is placed in the center. We are also against the predefined ideas and stereotypes of each gender. We encourage both genders to play games that may seem more attractive for the opposite gender, and to make an abstraction of that idea of difference depending on the gender. Even if we do not properly take action, we teach our chanichim about equality and feminism is a part of this equality.

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BULGARIA Lina Rugery Post Bogeret Ken Sofia, 2017

My name is Lina and my experience in Hashomer Hatzair started back in 1998-1999, when I started being a chanicha in the movement. I spent all my teen years in the movement. After a short break (because of university and work) I came back to Hashomer Hatzair at the age of about 22, in order to be the rosh ken of a ken which actually did not have a shaliach present in the country. We were happy to receive support and regular visits from Oren Zukierkorn, who succeeded to keep the ken in Bulgaria alive during this hard period. Additionally, we did not have a ken, so we were using the “hall of the grandparents” in the Beit Ha’Am (the building of the community), when it was possible. It was very hard to stay positive when not having a place of our own, because we happened to find ourselves locked out of the building before a peula, looking for fast solutions for what to do.

We as a movement were doing some paid jobs in the community (giving food and drinks) in order to earn and save money for materials, so we could keep the budget for Machane Israel.

My goal at that time was to keep the ideology and maintain some stable numbers of chanichim (even if it was a small number), in order not to let Hashomer Hatzair disappear from Bulgaria. After two years Mariana replaced me and by the end of the same year a new shaliach came — Idan. We had a ken and everything started moving in the right direction. Regarding my opinion about sexism in the ken — I believe that after the renewal of the movement (thanks to Zvi Keren somewhere in the 90’s), we did not experience any issues of this kind. Really, we have always aimed for the madrichim to be male and female in a team, and the Roshei Ken have been from both genders.

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FRANCE Myriam Danziger Bogeret Ken Paris, 2017 Feminism in Ken Paris

My name is Myriam, I live in Paris and I am a madricha in ken Paris. I am going to talk to you about what feminism looks like in my ken.

First of all, I was educated in a very liberal way of practicing my Judaism and in my movement, the MJLF (Jewish Liberal Movement of France), I was taught that girls and boys are equals in all sorts of ways. Consequently, I have always cherished these values, and that is why I am so concerned when it comes to feminism. I arrived in ken Paris at the age of 14 and I had to face other Jewish people of my age, and not liberal ones.

On one hand, there were some who were very religious and for whom the equality between men and women was not something necessarily obvious. I was disconcerted at first, of course, but over the years, I learned to debate with them and to share my opinion. Even though I was confused at the beginning, it became a very good experience for me, because it made me reinforce my feminist identity.

Once, during our machane kayitz, I asked if I could recite the kiddush (a traditional prayer) for shabbat, and two boys of my own shichva told me that I could not because girls do not recite it.

I was truly offended, and it shocked me a great deal, to the extent that I gave up doing it. This was the first sexist experience I lived (but fortunately the last one in Hashomer Hatzair)... On the other hand, I met numerous other friends, who shared the same values as I did (the contrary would be surprising in Hashomer Hatzair!)

Now that I am a madricha, I am actually taking care of a 14-15 year old group (shichva) of girls in ken Paris! This shichva (kvutza) 57

is named Hazorea, and they have been composed only of girls ever since they were little in Hashomer Hatzair. As you can imagine, educating such a group is an important mission for me, because I have to make sure that they grow up in a feminist atmosphere. Indeed, I really want them to be proud of who they are, and proud of their specificity (because every other shichva in ken Paris is made up of boys and girls). Moreover, I try to help them fight stereotypes about women and their role in society, and we have regular debates concerning women’s condition in France, differences between men and women and so on. They will have a lot of projects to lead this year concerning women’s condition and what they can do to improve it.

At the end of the year, when I will no longer be a madricha in this movement, I really want to know that I did succeed in my mission and that they are ready to enter the “real (not always women-welcoming) world”, and most of all, ready to change it.

HUNGARY Eszter Racz Rosh Ken Ken Budapest, 2017 Sexism in Budapest

I feel it is really a part of our daily life. Well, part of the life of the people who are affected. I haven’t experienced sexism in the workplace because I have not worked that much. The part I experience the most is catcalling, which is really frustrating.

It is frustrating because the girls who know what this is barely talk about it, the boys/guys/men who do it are not honest about it, and the other guys who do not do it have no idea it exists and they are surprised when they hear I have been catcalled three times today. The worst part is that men think they have the right to look at women from head to toe without question, 58

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while standing right in front of them. Men who are my age, my dad’s age or my grandfather’s age. Or they think they can tell each other that “oh yeah this one looks good” while I am walking next to them, because I chose to wear something flattering.

All this, the whistles, the “oh you are so pretty” calls and looks are bothering because it is scary. Scary because I feel like they think they can do anything, and therefore I do not feel safe when I am alone even in a crowded space. And no one talks about this, because it feels like an over talked topic.

There are other aspects of sexism bigger than this in Hungary of course. For example a few years ago this known singer, Akos, said a statement which caused an outrage: “A women’s goal should be giving birth because that is the only way to fulfill herself”. It is good that it caused an outrage but people like that exist in politics or just among civilians. My family has a friend from their high school who thinks women’s emancipation is the worst thing that ever happened in the 20th century. He also thinks women belong in the kitchen, not worth much else, maybe for babies. Sentences like this are said a lot, you just hear it on the tram, bus or just on the street. It is not the worst problem in my country but it still exists, and there are many radicals especially outside the capital. Budapest is sort of like a bubble that way. The rural cities think differently, their lives are different.

I think it is still very much, even in my generation’s, heads that women are different, not as equal and some of them still make jokes about women belonging in the kitchen, this or that is not your job, you are not as strong etc. So we still have a lot to work on, because I think I am not the only woman feeling unsafe even in the daylight.

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NETHERLANDS Joella Waldman Madricha Ken Maastricht, 2017

My name is Joella Waldman and I am a madricha from the ken in the Netherlands. The ken in the Netherlands is very small and was on the verge of being shut down. The ken is located in Maastricht, a small university city in the South. The ken currently has 6 chanichim, 1 madricha (me) and 1 shlicha. Before I became a madricha I had little to no knowledge about the Hashomer Hatzair movement. I became a madricha in March 2017 and before me there was a male madrich leading the ken for 2 years on his own.

This responsibility of running the ken has now been passed on to me. Our kvutza consists of 6 male chanichim ages 6-9. Many people doubted my ability to lead the ken on my own as I was at a huge disadvantage of not knowing anything about the movement prior to me becoming a madricha. Trying to get 6 young boys to listen to a female instructor that they have never really met properly before proved to be more difficult than I imagined. But being the only madricha and only female in the ken I continued to try and find new ways for the boys to listen to me. Eventually with a lot of patience and persistence I gained their respect as a madricha but also as a female leader. This experience has shown me more than ever that it is very important to be a figure of leadership towards the chanichim in Hashomer Hatzair and earn their respect as a leader of their Shomeric education. Being a woman in the Hashomer Hatzair movement is something that I value greatly and continue to strive for as a female figure of leadership. There weren’t many candidates to take over the ken and become a madricha, but the ineligible candidates were all males. The candidates that were eligible did not want the responsibility — therefore I stood up and volunteered to become the new and only madricha 60

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of ken in the Netherlands. As a young woman I took a stand and took the responsibility nobody else wanted.

ITALY Angelica Edna Calo Livne Post Bogeret Ken Yad Mordechai, Rome, 2017

After my bat-mitzvah, I started going to Hashomer Hatzair Rome, for no particular reason. Back then, I was picky and lonely.

I had two good friends, with whom I used to share my secrets and thoughts. I also had a lot of cousins and I kept my self-confidence because I knew how to sing, dance, recite, and because I was a good student.

Soon, my school and my local Jewish community started to invite me to take part in shows and performances. But I knew that because I was born female my family would put me in a second class position. So, my life changed completely one Saturday afternoon. A slow walk into the corridor led me to a wide hall, where youth of all ages were running, yelling, laughing and squeezing each other at the Mifkad. Suddenly, an arm surprised me, and its owner said: “Hey!! Why don’t you go with your own kvutza? Hurry up”. I laid my confused eyes on the smiling guy holding my arm, and said: “No, I am just trying to find my brother!”. But he insisted: “Let’s go! How old are you? This one! This one should be your kvutza, the Chalutzim. I am Dancik, your madrich!”. I wanted to disappear... but I stayed. And I went back the following Saturday.

I got used to that chaos real fast. I learned to hold hands with the other kids and dance to Israeli songs after the Mifkad. I also learned about Bialik, Mordechai Anilevitch. Hannah Senesh and Haviva Reik became my heroines.

One day, I was chosen to dance Ginat Egoz at a great show 61

organized by WIZO (Women’s International Zionist Organization), and from that day forward I became the official organizer of the ken. We started giving support to Karen Kayemet, Keren Hayesod and other Hebrew institutions by raising donations through Israeli dance performances and exhibitions. At fourteen, I started going to a rabbinical school with Rabbi Elio Toaff. I was the only girl in the group that would be sent to synagogues in Padova, Milan and Venice. I was smart. I had learned to look in the eyes of whoever I would be talking to. I had also been told not to tell Toaff that I went to Hashomer, because he would not accept me in face of that. I really cared about studying Hebrew, the Torah, the Mishnah, so I nailed my exam, it was perfect... and then I revealed that I was about to become a madricha in Hashomer Hatzair. The Rabbi was pleased with my honesty, and so I managed to stay both in the school and in my ken, until I made aliyah.

So, I became a madricha. In Hashomer we build groups to follow ideals, to resist, start outer and inner changes. In order to fulfill a dream, we need integration, arguments, confrontations, physical work that gathers and gives strength to go on, to earn fulfillment through common success. My kvutza grew and we started calling ourselves the Maapilim. The result of the merge between Chalutzim and Maapilim was the creation of Gdud Beit Alfa. We became pieces of a mosaic, and part of a bigger picture.

This group became a new family. We were all together, we used to help each other to find our hidden skills. We were taken over by a new and magical spirit, which expanded and developed our charisma — which we didn’t previously know, as well as the feelings of collectivity, mutual help and affection. The ken becomes a home, a source of safety, joy and fulfillment. The chaver demands a group and we, through the kvutza and the activities in the ken, discover the experience of the platonic cave, because the blind ones remain, but with the preservation of the chaverim, the madrichim and, later, the chanichim —who become travelling companions, witnesses and colleagues, new ideas come up.

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A new and, until then, unknown language was created, regarding a new kind of value: hiking, nature, work plans, machanot, nights sleeping in tents. And then I started having arguments with my family. Mostly with my father, may god rest his soul (Z’L). My parents were very involved in the Jewish community.

He was one of the Keren Hayesod activists and one of the creators of Hebrew defense in Roman schools and synagogues. My mother was a WIZO activist. They were very proud of the support I used to give to Hebrew institutions and because I had been constantly chosen as representative of the young Italian Jews as when Israel’s Prime Minister Golda Meir came to Rome in 1972.

However, they suddenly realized that part of Hashomer ideology was to make aliyah. Leave everything behind and start living in Israel. How could they allow a little girl from a good family to become part of such a scandal? By the time this discussion took shape I was 15 years old. “From now on, you must forget the ken!

I can’t allow you to go to a camp where boys and girls sleep under the same tent. You are a lady. Your brother can do whatever he wants. But not you. You’re not allowed”. My father was categorical. It was the eve of Machane Kayitz. We were traveling to Gragnola, in Frignano, province of Modena. I was the madricha of the Habonim. They meant everything to me. After the machane, the bogrim were scheduled to attend the European seminar, in Glaubenberg, Switzerland. It was a tragedy. I cried for three consecutive months. My parents planned a great trip to Sicily with my whole family, and I spent the entire month of August looking like it was Tisha B’Av. When we returned to Rome, I was requested to attend the Moetzet Madrichim (the madrichim meeting). So I had to go there under cover (for the first, and last time in my life, because my father had forbidden me to go near the ken again). When I walked into the Mazkirut, all bogrim and madrichim were there. Orale and Danick looked at me with a serious and harsh expression, and said in front of the others: “Edna, apparently your mind has 63

been growing apart from being a madricha, from your kvutza; your chaverim are not that big of a deal to you. You’d rather go on a tourist trip to Sicily, than on a machane and an important seminar.” They knew about the issues involving my parents, my struggle to make them understand this new language, the values I learned to respect after I joined the ken. My heart was broken and my eyes were almost spilling the tears. My chaverim were all looking at me, in silence. Only a few looked away. “I tried to say no...” I explained — while doing my best to keep the tears away. “I am not happy to say this, but from now on, David Gerbi will be the madrich of your kvutza, the Habonim. When you return to the ken, you’ll be in charge of the cleaning”.

It was 17:10 when the sicha finished, and I left the ken. I had a meeting with my father at the synagogue at 17:00 — on the other side of the Tiber (Rome’s famous river). On top of that, there was a demonstration going on the Garibaldi Bridge, which I had to cross on foot. Students, cops, shouts... I was hopeless. I remember that I thought: “I will either jump from that bridge or kill myself when my dad finds out that I was in the ken... plus, what’s the point to live without the ken and my kvutza anyway?” I was only 15, my life was the peulot and sichot with my chanichim, the Israeli dancing afternoons, and believing that, in Israel, my dreams would come true. When I left the ken, my dad was waiting for me outside. He was leaning on our Fiat, his face was dark... and then I snapped: “I do not care anymore, dad. I lost everything. My kvutza, my chaverim. The respect of my madrichim!!”. “Hop in”, he said, in a calm voice. After we started moving, I accidentally looked at him, and with his eyes on the road he said: “You did not lose anything. You’ve hit me with your best shot. You’ll have everything you want from this life; you can go back to the ken!!”; “But dad, do you not see? Now I am responsible for cleaning!”; “And you will be the best. Do not worry!! In a month, you’ll be a madricha again, wait and see”.

I returned to the ken and, one month later, I created the 64

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kvutza Yehuda - curiously, my husband’s name is Yehuda, we met and fell in love after I made aliyah. My parents and the families of my chanichim learned to accept a new language; the language of Zionism, collectivism and idealism.

I made aliyah in 1975 and, since then (after four years of Hashomer shlichut in Rome), I have been a resident of Kibbutz Sasa.

I am really thankful to this movement, where the norm is “positivity”. The ten commandments of Hashomer (10 dibrot), the work plans and the non-formal education develop new men and women, who pay attention to the anguish and suffering of others and are always ready to react and share their self-potential. The final goal is to reach the GOOD, the courage, the adversities, the love towards creatures and nature. I am thankful to the values I learned and now I am the positive Hebrew response to anti-semitism, to materialism and to emptiness. Hashomer Hatzair has given me its instruments so I could make a dream come true and create a new reality. Hashomer spirit has a lot to do with empathy — it becomes an engine for the community where the chaver chooses to live. The humanistic education performed by the tnua legitimates this positive thinking, this wish for a righteous society and this will to help the weak. Hashomer is a trigger for activism and initiative, for raising curiosity and the courage to step in and play the game.

The values I learned during my youth give me strength to keep building a reality based on education, sociability, work, dynamism and diligence. The multicultural Teatro Arcobaleno, the Bereshet LaShalom foundation — where I was taught to educate aiming at the construction of dialogue — and the courses of Humanist Education from the Pedagogy College; these are part of an immeasurable legacy that’s been given to me, exclusively thanks to the ken.

By the way, my parents were so determined and excited about the possibility of doing something for Israel, that in 1977 65

they made aliyah. And now they rest in peace in Herzliya. My beautiful story with Yehuda started after the Shomria of 1976, in the Galilee. Our four children did Shnat Sherut for Hashomer before they started going to the army. And our kibbutznik community says that our souls wear the Chultza Shomrit!

POLAND Barbara Zuzanna Dewora Gregorczyk Mazkira Ken Tosia Altman, Warsaw, 2017

As a member of the Warsaw Ken I want to start with the fact that most of the Kenim in the world are named after someone who was a male. We often hear for example “Ken Yitzchak Rabin” or “Ken Mordechai Anielewicz”, but rather rarely are there names of the kenim that were given after a woman.

And what I want to mention is that our Ken is named after Tosia Altman, who was a brave young girl, but she is often forgotten. She worked so hard just to fight for the rights that every human being should have. It was her who organized all the underground structures of Hashomer Hatzair during the war, and she also was a ŻOB member and a messenger of weapons through the Warsaw ghetto. So why shall we remember Mordechai Anielewicz (who also did something amazing!) and forget about her? Why not learn about both of them?

And the second thing I want to say is that the Warsaw Ken is in majority built by ladies. I guess that’s why the peulot about feminism are so common here :). Our Shomrot come to the meetings and our tradition is that everyone who wants shares their stories about what happened to them during the week. And many of them mention things like, for example, not being allowed to play football at school by the teacher with other boys or even 66

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things that we do not really pay attention to, such as stupid jokes about women and their “duty to prepare the meals”, and they also say that they are scared of saying something to stop this, because they are afraid that they will be the person that everyone laughs at…Even though they know that it affects every single woman in the world, and they know it offends them. They ignore it, because “come on, it is only a joke!’’, but in the group of people there will always be someone who doesn’t get the joke right.

The more this kind of humor is shared the more people start thinking of women as if they are objects. And not only as a part of the Hashomer Hatzair movement, but also as free people we should all stand against this. Freedom is actually everything that we have, and everytime we treat somebody not equal, we take a little bit of our own and their freedom. And just as people, we should stand on guard for it, then we become the silent heroes of the world.

SWITZERLAND Silvia Oren Post Bogeret Ken Yitzchak Rabin, Zurich, 2017

When I was about 13 years old I started to go to Hashomer Hatzair and quite loved the activities. In the late sixties, the world and European youth rebellion took place and the socialist and zionist ideology in Hashomer Hatzair was a good solution for us. I was quite extreme and radical! After finishing high-school, I made aliyah in 1972 to Kibbutz Baram and got married. In 1974 we moved to Kibbutz Magen: there were more Swiss people we knew from back home, and Baram after the October war in 1973 was a very hard place to stay.

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the most interesting work life. There is a lot to tell, but I would like to stress the changes of mind, personally and in kibbutz life.

When I was young I was convinced to build a new life and a better society. Meanwhile we got well established, the kibbutz members are very different in age, the world changed and individuality and personal freedom are dominating. Kibbutz life has to change. We’ve got a lot of personal freedom, but much of the responsibility is yet communal. We haven’t yet made the demanded changes, so our community has a lot to improve. My personal changes are in point of mind and possession: I’m going with my feelings and like an easier and more convenient life.

We tried to build another society… There are still good values alive. We have to discuss basically, what values we want to take forward and define our sharing and responsibilities in a new manner.

Rebecca Norton Shlichona Ken Yitzchak Rabin, Zurich, 2017 Hair

“Guess who I saw at the pool yesterday”, Flora asked us with a grin. “Who?” I asked, looking up. “The Gorilla who has PE with us! That girl from the other class, the one with the hairy legs”, she said spitefully. “You mean Melissa?” I asked. “I do not know her name, but I do know that she has more than just hairy legs now that I have seen her in a bathing suit!” Flora grinned, the other girls around us laughed. Flora’s long, tanned legs glowed in the sun. Her best friend, Gina, absentmindedly stroked the red dots on her shins, remnants of the waxing she had done the day before. I carefully hugged my knees to my body. The hairs on my legs were pale and thin and yet I did my best to cover them with my arms, hoping that no one had noticed them yet. That evening I took my

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mother’s razor out of her bathroom cupboard and shaved off all my fine, new hair. We were thirteen years old and in our first year of high-school and I was beginning to learn what it meant to be a woman.

Hair was a topic closely interlocked with femininity, I soon discovered. Girls in my class compared shampoos and conditioners, talked about hairstyles and haircuts, dyed their hair various colours and complained about it becoming greasy so quickly. A full head of glossy hair was seemingly what every girl wanted and I would jealously watch as Karina, a girl in my class, brushed her fingers through her thick hair every few minutes, letting it fall casually on her shoulders in perfect locks. I remember my dejection at my own thin, wispy hair. It was partly out of frustration and partly out of the wish to rebel that I decided to cut my hair off when I was 14. I remember sitting there, smiling at myself in the mirror, watching as each cut the hairdresser made, caused my long, fine, dark waves to fall gently to the floor. My small act of rebellion happened in complete silence, save the “snip, snip” of the hairdresser’s scissors. The pixie cut I wore to school the next day caused an uproar. Every step I took along the corridor made heads turn. Girls I had hardly ever spoken to before came rushing over to gape at my short, boyish hair and to tell me in awe, how impressed they were at my courage. “I could never cut my hair off”, Alison said, her eyes wide in shock and wonder, her hands caressing her own long, blond mane. “You look gorgeous”, Dora said, “like a model!” “I really admire your courage! You look stunning”, another girl told me. “You’ll get all the boys’ attention now”, Sandrine said, a slight hint of jealous admiration in her voice. Sandrine was quite right. Tobias came up to me at break time. “You look like a transvestite”, he told me.

After all the compliments I had received, it was his remark that stuck in my head. For the next seven years I let my hair grow long again. I am twenty-one years old now and the hair on my head falls over my shoulders in thin wisps. It doesn’t suit me, but 69

at least it is feminine, I tell myself. I have learnt a lot about what it means to be a woman. The hairs that I shave on my legs and under my arms leave thick, black stubble, I own a Venus Gillette razor and my shaving foam has aloe vera extract. I wax my bikini zone, I pluck my eyebrows. I wear red lipstick when I go out in the evenings and flirt with men wearing cologne. I finally feel like I am the woman society has taught me to be.

A few months ago, however, I met a woman with hairy legs.

I was fascinated. I had never seen a woman’s legs like that before. I was completely ignorant, I realized, of what my body looked like in its most natural form: hairy. How was it that shaving and waxing was what it took for me to feel female, when women naturally have hair growing all over their bodies? Throughout the entire month of August, I let all my body hair grow. At first, I felt a little repulsed. My crotch itched, my legs were scratchy. I was fascinated by the hairs on my legs. Who knew they could grow so long? They were soft and I spent hours stroking them, staring at them amazed and enchanted. The sensation of feeling them lift up when I was cold was a completely new one to me, and I secretly delighted in it. No one had ever told me, I could be this way. I had learned very quickly about my different options when I entered the world of body hair: razors, wax, hair removal cream, tweezers, laser treatment. No one ever told me I could also just let it all grow.

I was often told what I had to do in order to be a certain way. I was told that being a certain way was expected of me. I was shown time and time again, that not being that way would mean being laughed at. I wish someone had told me that I had more than two choices: feminine or masculine. That I could be feminine with body hair, that I could be feminine without body hair. That I could be a woman no matter whether the hair on my head was long or short. Society sets standards and we forget that those standards are not what make us who we are. Being a feminist, I realized, means being a woman in whatever way I choose to be.

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HASHOMER HATZAIR ANGLO-AMERICA After Hashomer Hatzair Europe, we have testimonies from the kenim in the United States and Canada. They are madrichot, female roshei ken or post bogrot, former and active members of different kenim.

CANADA Brit Asher Bogeret Ken Nir Oz, Toronto, 2017 How do Feminism and Sexism Exist at Ken Nir Oz

In Hashomer Hatzair Canada we take a lot of pride in our progressive stances and actions, however we sometimes fall into being hypocrites to our morals. Though we strive for equality within the Hashomer community and broader Canadian society, there is much room for growth.

My name is Brit Asher. I am a Female Canadian Shomerol and have been a part of Hashomer Hatzair since 2009. This is my personal perspective on the presence of sexism and feminism at our ken “Ken Nir Oz” and on our Moshava “Shomria”.

Growing up at Shomria, I often saw men filling a majority presence in most spaces, though it was not really something I gave much attention to. Whether it was being praised for taking leadership positions, or being highlighted for their public speaking skills or their humor, male madrichim were largely represented. In

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hindsight, I realize that though I thought that there were more male madrichim in hadracha, the majority was actually female despite the female voice being so underwhelmingly represented.

The rosh tarbut was always male (as far as I can remember), erevim consisted of overwhelmingly male dominant casts, and women led rikud while men ran “Big Kid Basketball”.

Though it was subtle and not necessarily realized at the time, the male dominance was there and seeped into social settings as female members of hadracha were sexualized or stereotyped.

Upon entering hadracha I began to see the ways in which the subconscious sexism tainted the female experience, as well as set the male standard to adhere to only a few specific characteristics. In our nightly sichot I watched female voices getting shut down to make space for louder male voices and persistent women getting referred to as “bossy” or “bitchy” while persistent males were “passionate” or “inspiring”. It was a major shock for me as I grew to see how male dominant our culture was. I would like to believe that the sexism present was purely subconscious and unintentional, though it is hard to feel that as you experience unequal treatment time and time again with little to no acknowledgment of the mistreatment.

But then we started to take notice and things began to change. Well-intentioned men began asking how they could make the hadracha space more inclusive, while women began to demand equal representation.

Though the issue is still one that we struggle with, the Canadian hadracha has made many positive strides in our progressive actions for equality.

For instance, this summer the hadracha elected the first independent female rosh tarbut, Jennie Martow. The community has become more conscious of the spaces our voices take up in conversations as we verbally remind each other to take a step back if we’ve dominated a conversation or relied on the volume of 72

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our voices to determine if our opinions are heard.

The growing presence of feminism in Hashomer Hatzair Canada has begun to deplete the sexist culture that was once so evident. Conversations amongst madrichimot have begun as we try to dissect the ways in which we can create safe and empowering spaces for all. Our community has a lot to say, and although we are not able to present each individual opinion on the topic, a few other Canadian Shomrim*ot have reached out in order to share their experiences and thoughts on how sexism and feminism exists in Hashomer Hatzair Canada.

Jennie Martow Bogeret Ken Nir Oz, Toronto, 2017 A Lack of Inclusivity for Varied Sexual Orientations and Sexualities

For me, one of the most invalidating experiences I had on our Moshava was during “girl talk”. This was a time when all girls in the kvutza would sit down (sometimes with a madricha or two) and talk about who we thought was cute and who we had a crush on. There were two main issues with these conversations.

The first was only an issue for what I assume is a minority of people. The question was always posed as “which boys do you like?” I identify as pansexual, meaning that my sexual attraction to someone is not dictated by their gender. I did not have this understanding of my sexuality when I was a chanicha and while struggling with how to identify myself, I was inadvertently being told by both my kvutza mates and my madrichot that I should only be interested in men. During these ‘girl talks’ I compartmentalized my sexuality and suppressed a part of who I am.

The second issue created had to do with the term “girl talk”.

To us, this meant absolutely no boys allowed into the conversation. This often left the boys feeling ostracized and created a gen73

der divide within my kvutza which has been very hard to get over.

The girls in my kvutza secluded ourselves from the boys, just as we had been taught to do by girls in kvutzot above us.

We have only begun to address this issue recently, but progress has been made. Madrichimot are being careful of the examples we set and the wording we use in order to create safer spaces for our chanichimot than the ones that were provided to us.

Iris Benedikt Bogeret Ken Nir Oz, Toronto, 2017 Feminism in Hashomer Hatzair Canada‌or Not

In Hashomer Hatzair Canada we pride ourselves on being a progressive and inclusive space full of youth who are critical thinkers, interested in challenging the status quo and caring about issues of our time and social and environmental justice. Because of these assumptions of what we are good at and the conversations we invite the youth in our communities to enter, discussing issues that marginalized people in our societies face, we often overlook the ways in which we fall short and actually are a product of our broader realities, and therefore are guilty participants in perpetuating cultural norms which encourage problematic views of gender and sexuality.

Though we consist of a large percentage of feminists, putting feminism into practice within the culture of our youth movement is not always simple when we spend a lot of time evaluating the world as a whole without consistently bringing the critique to our own actions on micro-levels.

Though in serious discussions we often do try and address issues and serious topics surrounding consent, elevating non-male voices, understanding gender as a complex and personal thing, in less intentional settings it is still very common to overlook the ways that male voices might be elevated through conversation, 74

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as role models of charismatic loudness and assertiveness in roles of leadership, and as comedians and entertainers. As well as this, conversations surrounding sex and sexuality are often ones where louder male voices will dominate and encourage one another to be seen as sexual gladiators, while the same kind of encouragement and enthusiasm is not granted to women and people who do not identify within the binary.

Within the structures of our facilities as well, there is a constant assumption of binary gender representation regardless of our many discussions about gender diversity. Our lack of ability to recognize and address who is included in certain conversations and what roles we are perpetuating among the youth who are a part of our community make it evident that feminism is something that we still need in order to create safer and kinder spaces which do not perpetuate hurtful and at times violent norms.

While our intellectual conversations ripple into the actions and the respect that individuals grant towards each other in our community, and in turn help produce kinder people, it is important to continue to be self-reflective and critical of how we can do better in order to continue to be aware of how we affect individuals and systems we want to change.

UNITED STATES Nehama Dormont Peila Ken Philadelphia, 2017

In the North American movement of Hashomer Hatzair feminism has become a prevalent topic of discussion in the past about six years. More and more it is being recognized and efforts have been made to make women feel more included and respected in the movement. For our older chanichim at dinner there were gen75

der circles for men and women. It was an opportunity for the older Shomrot to express frustrations and experiences surrounded by others who shared those feelings. Although we are imperfect and a work in progress it gives hope that we are changing and adapting to make women more visible.

The women of my kvutza have been very lucky to have such strong female role models from our madrichot. For me personally, the last few years I have never felt more confident, my madrichot did a wonderful job making the girls comfortable. They showed me that I could be in an authority role, a leadership role, without seeming bossy or rude, that when women do lead they deserve the same respect as men. That my voice shouldn’t be quieted in peulot, that what I was saying had merit and that I did not just belong back in the kitchen. Even watching my sister take on leadership roles within the world movement was empowering, it was a reminder that women belong in those places and shouldn’t be backing down. More and more I started seeing more women in our Hanhaga, in fact in 2017 there was only one male member of the Hanhaga.

Within my own kvutza I feel respected by my kvutza members. The men would never in a million years dream of purposely harming the women or putting them down because of their gender. On account of all the gender and feminism education that we work to provide within the North American movement most of them can outwardly call themselves feminists and not feel ashamed. Although women’s voices are drowned out sometimes it is something that the men are working on changing and being better at recognizing when they are interrupting someone.

We all work together at the end of the day, because we are one collective kvutza regardless of each other’s gender and that’s what truly matters.

In the past years we’ve begun to start talking more openly about consent and comfortability. Topics like sexual assault and harassment have become less taboo, making people less afraid, 76

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trying to create a space that is conscious of what goes on around us. There was a proposal put in place to have a sexual harassment/ consent peula for every kvutza to make people aware. We have signs in our bathrooms reminding people that if someone is touching you and you aren’t okay with it that you need to tell someone.

The little changes we make are what make the difference. We have a gender neutral bathroom that isn’t specifically for non cisgendered people, it is used by everyone so no one feels singled out by using it. We hope over time these small changes will help shift people’s comfortability with tricky topics.

All the changes that have been made are great, they are positive things but some things still cause a lot of problems for the women of Hashomer Hatzair North America. A lot of times women aren’t seen as being as funny as their male counterparts. In our erevim, which are usually little plays put on at night before bed, women aren’t seen as funny, or put in roles that are as funny. It does bother a lot of girls. They also aren’t included as well in a lot of sports; while having a peula about gender issues we watched a frisbee game that was occurring, there were only two girls playing and they were wide open, unguarded and no one was passing to them.

When we brought it up the man leading the game denied it, because people do not like to consider the idea that something sexist could have been going on right in front of them. He started to realize it, and understood that it was an issue, that no one even bothered with the women who were playing because no one was going to pass to them. It is things like that which are still present in the everyday life of the women of Hashomer Hatzair North America. These things are being fought and are by no means intentional, rather bred from an outside culture of sexism that we are constantly attempting to change, constantly reminding ourselves. The change has to begin somewhere and we have decided to make our ken one of those places. The Shomrim and Shomrot of North America are striving every day for gender equality, for a more accepting and humanistic world one person at a time.

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HASHOMER HATZAIR LATIN AMERICA In this spectrum of personal testimonies, we have reports from women of different kenim of Hashomer Hatzair Latin America. They are madrichot, female roshei ken or post bogrot, former and active members of different kenim. Regarding these specific testimonies, I insist on highlighting, having being raised in the Latin American tnua, the emotion and complexity that are present for me in being able to provide a means to materialize our continental idea of the feminist fight. As the current continental mazkira, I guarantee that feminism is an indispensable flag for us: with many peulot dealing with gender and participating in local demonstrations. I am proud to tell you that Hashomer Hatzair Latin America breathes a feminist reality everyday.

ARGENTINA Andrea Schuster Post Bogeret Ken Tzavta, Buenos Aires, 2017

It was not that Hashomer Hatzair Buenos Aires was sexist when I first encountered the movement. On the contrary, the debate happened on the basis of equality and non-discrimination.

Only later we understood the particular situation and began to engage, as individuals and as a movement (when feminism hit

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the headlines of Argentinian society, due to all sorts of terrible stories), in feminism. Because if we really were male and female members of a movement striving for emancipation and against all kinds of oppression and bigotry, we had to be involved with feminism. And so it happened.

I have always said that Hashomer Hatzair is a space where the logic that organizes the rest of society disappears. In the movement, we are all more human. The relationships are built with respect, care, and the idea of kvutza. However, when we began talking about feminism, we not only found that this topic was not something we handled directly as a tnua, but also that no one was free of sexism: we were prisoners and supporters of the same sexist logic as everyone else.

So, we became aware of it. We started to include gender affairs in our activities, go to public demonstrations and create networks. However, that is not good enough.

It has been one year since my bogrut ended, and it is increasingly clear to me that we did not want to question many of our own traditions and logics, because it was easier not to, because tradition said so, or because we did not know how.

Now, in retrospect of my personal experiences, I see how much I have been affected by the sexism present in Hashomer.

When I first joined the hanhaga, for example, my voice and those of the women around me had to sound like a man’s in order to be heard. Everything attached to the stereotype of a woman had to be put aside so I could become a good leader. It is not that there was a lack of women in the hanhaga, but that the women who were in there had to act as if they were not women. And what does it mean, to act as a man or a woman? Is such labeling not a sexist attitude in itself?

I feel that, in a way, it was easy to talk about certain subjects when the feminist peak first reached Hashomer. It was not so brutal to discuss gender issues (to free ourselves from binarism), abuse, offense, femicide, rights, structural inequality etc. The dif79

ficult part was to translate all that into the manipulation itself .

We can see sexism inside ourselves and highlight it, scream it, understand it, and change it in everyone.

It is time to rethink, remake, recreate our points of view. We fight for the ideals that Shomrim and Shomrot around the world have defended, looking back at the history of the tnua. We should start thinking of ourselves as feminists too. To think of yourself as a feminist is to be self-critical at first, and to criticize others afterwards. This is the right moment to do so, even if it is a hard task.

Why do we put a madricha (woman) and a madrich (man) together? How do we behave at parties with our chaverim and chaverot? What games do we play? What songs do we sing? Do we have a protocol against gender-based violence? How qualified are we to offer sex education? What is the relationship between feminism and Judaism?

The times are changing and many of our paradigms are in crisis. However, a crisis represents an opportunity to create, build.

Perhaps this is the moment to start dreaming about a tnua that puts gender in perspective. And to do so, the first thing we’ll have to do is to look inside: are we capable of that?

The seed has been planted, now all we have to do is water it.   Lai Munduate Peila Ken Tzavta, Buenos Aires, 2017

Woman is the delicate one, the one who listens, who comforts, who cares.

With nothing but a look, she says everything, that we need to hear.

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temperate.

The rose defines her.

One day she gets tired, leaves, searches and fights.

Woman is the one who fights, the one who battles.

Nadia Rogovsky Bogeret Ken Tzavta, Buenos Aires, 2017

I joined ken Buenos Aires in 2014, at 15 years old. I had been warned more than once: “the walls of this ken talk” — and they do. One can get really surprised at how much these walls know and how nosy they are. From time to time, they get to know about things that even you do not know about yourself.

A few months after I joined Hashomer, the walls began to talk about me. It came to me by accident, during a dinner party with my kvutza at a friend’s place. “Cocksucker”, that’s what the walls had been saying about me — quite a few walls had been saying that — and, apparently, to people of my kvutza and the kvutza below. “Cocksucker”? Where did it come from? It doesn’t matter if it is true or false, but why does it have to be a bad thing?

During the machane choref of 2015, the walls talked about me again. One evening, I was taking a walk with this boy I had dated before. The walls had probably been talking a lot about us, because when we walked through a group of chanichim, one of them screamed: “DO HER”. It sounded like an order; they laughed so much after that. Who did he think he was to tell his friend what to do with me? What if I did not want to? Did he not think about that at all?

Months later, the walls attacked a third time. We were hav81

ing our last peula as chanichim*ot. My madricha came close to me and said: “do not kiss the first boger who flirts with you; when you become a bogeret, be careful!” I felt so confused, I did not understand what she was talking about. If only I had chosen not to get the picture; because I could not stop crying after she told me that a group of bogrim had been betting on who would sleep with a girl from my kvutza, now that we were bogrot. I cried. I cried because I had never felt so used. I was an object in the eyes of the bogrim. What could be so cool about having fun with our sexuality? Because I cried so hard, my madricha said she shouldn’t have told me that; not all the bogrim were involved. Why did my tears make her feel guilty? It was not her fault. She was right to tell me everything the walls had been saying about me.

Later on that year, during the machane kayitz, the walls attacked me harder than ever. They’d talked about me so many times that it became natural; there was no need to cover it up anymore. Why was everyone so interested in who I should, or shouldn’t go out with? Just because he was a chaver tnua? I became the joke of the bogrut. I had bogrim, four years older than me, laughing in my face and reminding me that the guy I was dating was ignoring my existence.

During one of my first parties with the other bogrim, the walls talked again. I was sitting on a corner with a co-boger, a friend. It had been forever since my eyes were set on him. But then, out of the blue, he came with a bunch of nonsense; things the walls had said. He complained that I had been with another boger before him. What? Did I look like a trophy? A prize? Why were the walls talking about me as if I were a prize? Was it painful for him, finding out that he could not get to be the first? Is this what the bet was about — the one my ex-madricha had told me about?

Is it anyone’s business to know who I want to be with?

The year continued and apparently the walls would never shut up. The beginning of a relationship is usually a hot topic for the nearest social circles of the fresh couple. And Hashomer was 82

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no exception to this rule. It is ok to talk about a new couple for a week or two, even three, tops. But why did I stop being treated as a person after I became someone’s girlfriend? People only came to me out of curiosity about my relationship. Everything I did or said had to have some connection with my boyfriend, no questions asked. Everytime the walls talked about me, they talked about my love affair. Did everyone forget who I used to be? As if I had never been with anyone before. I was born again, and this time I came with a boyfriend. Shnat? “ What will happen with your boyfriend?” Did the entire tnua forget about the other things involved in shnat? And it got even worse when the news about my relationship crossed the continent and reached the people of my shnat. Is this why we do shnat? Is there not anything else inside me?

In 2017, the walls still talk, even from a distance. During the time I dated that guy, I was seen as his girlfriend, period. So when we broke up, nothing else mattered. And it got worse: the walls had been saying things that I had never heard about, that I had never been asked about. It is complicated to leave a country where people are so concerned about your life; you’re not there to deny the rumors made up by the walls. In Argentina I was the monster.

People had forgotten who I was before the end of my relationship. Pictures of me with other people were shared, and my entire shnat kvutza was asked about this matter, except me. Why? And what about my life, why does everyone have to keep digging it up?

Why does everyone trust these walls so much?

Sometimes, the walls turn me into a secret. One day, during my year on shnat, the walls turned me into an eternal secret.

There were infinite things that had to do with me. The walls had ruined my intimacy, even after promising not to. Who guarantees one’s intimacy? Who guarantees that whatever you do will stay between you and the person you’ve been with? When did my sex life become a joke to be laughed at?

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the walls look you in the face and say “feminazi” during an aseifa because you argue that it is bullshit to send more men than women to arrive earlier at a machane because “men are stronger”. Or when someone tells you “you know what? I am not holding doors for you anymore” when you try to explain that holding a door for a woman isn’t a sexist thing per se; but believing that it is an obligation is. Sometimes, they do not even bother to look at you while you talk to them, they’d rather turn their back and ignore your words.

Surviving the walls. What does one need to do to be liked by them? One must behave like the walls, in other words: to make pranks, to “accept a joke and do not overreact”, to be nice and chill, to avoid being hysterical, to not care about things. Get it? Really masculine. Or to always be prepared to do something: “I can do it”, “it is ok, really”, “don’t worry, I’ve got this”, as a good woman would do. Maybe that’s the formula to make the walls leave us in peace.

Nina Saroka Peila Ken Tzavta, Buenos Aires, 2017 We will not be quiet anymore

On this March 8th, we stop. We stop and demonstrate. We scream for us, for every one of us: construction workers, housewives, teachers, professionals, unemployed people of all ages, genders and sexual orientations; for the ones who are here and the ones who are not; for the living ones, the arrested ones, the missing ones, the dead ones. We scream because we will not be quiet anymore, because we do not want to simply stay alive, we want to belong to ourselves, we want to be fulfilled. Fulfilled with rights, equality of wages and opportunities. Here and around the world, because despite everything, we’re fearless when we’re together; because the revolution lies inside every woman who stands against the patriarchy; because we are numerous, organized, and 84

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if one of us is touched, there are thousands behind her back. If our lives do not matter, then try getting along without us. Revolution will either be feminist or it will not be.

BRAZIL Iéte Arruda Salomé Facilitator Ken Florianópolis, 2017

My name is Iéte Arruda Salomé, my husband’s name is Léo Levitan and we have two daughters, Déborah Levitan and Cynthia Levitan. I am thankful to the young women of the youth movement of Hashomer Hatzair, Rio de Janeiro: Mariana Temido, the one responsible for this research, and Luiza Frajblat for including my name and my story.

I will bring to the present my memories and emotions from the past from a totally personal point of view. Since I was little, volunteering was modeled for me in my family. I remember well my mother knitting baby clothes for mothers in need, as a donation to a maternity wing in São Joaquim, a city on the outskirts of Santa Catarina where it snows every year. I have always supported and helped other people and it has always been something natural, pleasant, non-discriminatory; a real commitment that fulfills me as a person, a mother and a woman.

Since AIC (the Israeli Association of Santa Catarina) was founded in Florianópolis, back in the 90’s, other institutions have joined our community, such as WIZO and the youth movement Hashomer Hatzair. Some particular people were important during the first steps of our local ken. One of them was Ethel Scliar Cabral, who brought Hashomer Hatzair to Santa Catarina.

As we have never had a Jewish school in Florianópolis, Hashomer took on the very clear role of providing non formal Jewish education to children and teenagers, in addition to the 85

ideological pillars of the movement.

In the beginning, we were worried about making projects for the participation of young people from Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, who were coming to Florianópolis to give support to our local community.

As the years passed, the children who had been in the first peulot were old enough to lead the tnua as madrichim. This was a very important moment for the movement, which started to participate in the Shnat Hachshara program in 2006. So, a local cycle of madrichim was being formed. This reality still remains: almost every two years, young Jews from our community spend a year studying in Israel.

I have always been involved with Hashomer Hatzair, but I have never had a role in the youth movement. That’s why I have called myself the “Hashomer Facilitator”. My role was to support the continuity of the local Judaism; to maintain and consolidate, always looking towards the future. The more I contributed, the more I learned and met new friends. Hashomer Hatzair’s mission — to believe in the existence of a better, fairer, non-discriminatory, responsible world that respects nature, with a Jewish education — has always been connected to my beliefs. That’s why I did not have any doubts working together with these young people for the common good.

The activities for the community used to happen on Saturday afternoons, and afterwards they were moved to Sundays, always in partnership with AIC, which shared some room for Hashomer Hatzair. I used to work with logistics, financial support and actually all kinds of demands — besides numerous contributions for the afternoon snacks. Once I found a recipe that said: “Hashomer Chocolate Cake” and a handnote written by me: “I will double this recipe and give it to Hashomer on a big tray. It gets tasty because it has chocolate frosting”.

Another recipe that everyone loved was the challah I made for many community shabbatot and numerous times for Hasho86

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mer as well, when the madrichim organized the collective shabbat - a moment to discuss subjects related to humanistic Judaism and experience the most holistic of the religious rituals. This is how I have supported common goals for years.

In October 2005, I worked with HH international to bring the Shomria to Florianópolis. People from Israel, Brazil and Latin America came. My friend Jayme Fucs was in charge of this effort.

It took place in Campeche (Florianópolis/Santa Catarina), where we could stay face to face with the sea and share everything the event had in store for us.

In 2008, my husband and I took part in the 95th anniversary of Hashomer Hatzair, in Israel. We were so grateful to be enjoying the company of the young Shomrim, of Brazilian friends living in Israel and in kibbutzim, and the speech of Shimon Peres himself during the event.

With the due respect to my memories, I close this narrative thanking all the youth of the Youth Movement Hashomer Hatzair from Florianópolis/Santa Catarina, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo; and with a special thanks to my two daughters Déborah and Cynthia, who have included volunteer work in their lives. It is always good to remember that the members of HH Florianópolis developed their activities with unique dedication and love, which is a quality that would make any community proud.

Tsamiyah Carreño Levi Post Bogeret Ken Florianópolis, 2017

My story in Hashomer began with its arrival in Florianópolis, in 1996. Within the memories I have from these first years, there’s Vivian, who came from São Paulo just to give us peulot, and is the best example of a cheerful and beloved madricha.

Growing up going to Hashomer has given me the possibility of getting in touch with the richest aspects of a communal youth 87

and Jewish life, in addition to the bridges I built with youth from SĂŁo Paulo and Rio at the machanot and later, with others from Israel, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Mexico that I met during seminars and Shomriot.

My creative, dramatic, and argumentative skills were improved during the time I spent in this space, because of how much I was encouraged to dialogue and invent, either as a chanicha, a madricha or a peila. The constant interaction with games, together with interesting moments of discussion, opened my mind to different ways of looking at the world, and to be an agent that acts individually and in a group, in the community and in society.

Being the peila of Ken FlorianĂłpolis was a great opportunity to learn about community work, to organize groups and events and to develop myself through the relationship with peilim from other Latin American kenim. The moments of planning activities were complex in some angles, but always constructive and exciting.

It was a challenge to be a woman in this space, but I leaned on examples of strong and brave women who came before me, and built this history with me — Natalia, Deborah, Luana, Tsuriel, Cynthia, Laura, Noa, Tamara, Isadora, Deborah, among others. The arguments over subjects such as gender inequality took some time to be established as serious and necessary agendas, but we never stopped trying to find room for dialogue and change. I believe that the Hashomer spaces must be inclusive, welcoming and supportive of the development of conscious young girls and boys, who will step in and transform the environments they go to.

I carefully wish to the women and girls of the present and future (Iael, Carolina, Irene, Amanda, Isabela, Laura, Rafinha, Duda, Debinha, Ana, Flora, Gabrielle, among so many others): leadership, sweetness, strength and courage to keep going as builders of this beautiful and amazing history.

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Esther Kuperman Post Bogeret Ken Beit Mordechai Anilewicz, Rio de Janeiro, 2017

I joined Hashomer at age 10, and intensively experienced everything that Hashomer had to offer until I was 19, from bat Israel to bogeret, machanot, peulot, travels, and a totally secular and progressive Jewish education. In 1970 I went on shnat and got to know a little of Israel, kibbutzim and socialism. When I came back I decided that before making aliyah I should study, and then I went to college. In the end, I did not make aliyah, but everything that I learned in Hashomer has stayed inside me. Back in my college days, I joined a lefty group. I fought against the dictatorship; I fought for Brazil and a better world. This happened to be a way to put into practice everything that I had learnt in the tnua.

Nowadays, I work as a teacher and researcher, but I am sure that what I teach and what I write in my books is greatly influenced by the education that Hashomer provided me. The love for Israel, the humanistic Jewish values, the appreciation of justice and solidarity, a specific outlook towards the world, the friends I made during my time in the tnua — and who are still my best friends — these are good things that I have inherited and passed on to my daughter, and now to my granddaughter. I think I had the best development a person could have. I am thankful to Hashomer for being who I am.

Fernanda Gerchenzon Futer Chanicha Ken Beit Mordechai Anielewicz, Rio de Janeiro, 2017

I am 16 and I joined Hashomer Hatzair at age 12, without knowing exactly what could be waiting for me. There, I got to know the world of critical thinking and understood that I live in a homophobic, prejudiced, racist, and sexist society. I also learned

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that I do not need to sit, watch everything peacefully, and support things that I do not agree with; that I could stand up and encourage myself in order to change this reality. I learned that I have the power of change. In addition, I found in Hashomer a space to declare myself a feminist and little by little, getting inspired by numerous and amazing Shomrot, to change my attitudes and get empowered. As if it was not good enough already, Hashomer is a space where I can share my anguish, fears, and worries on account of being a woman living in a sexist society that is slowly changing.

In Hashomer Hatzair, the seed of feminism was planted and watered inside me, and it was so strong that now I am very interested in this matter, reading A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions, and completely in love with education and feminism. The best part is that this magic happened there, but it gave me enough groundwork to be this person anywhere I go. And I, Fernanda, am so thankful to be one of the seeds that grow watching the steps of great women, whose examples and dedication are forever rooted in Hashomer Hatzair, and whose actions and attitudes point, as a lighthouse, to the way we should go.

Giovanna Goldrajch de Paula Peila Ken Beit Mordechai Anielewicz, Rio de Janeiro, 2017

They explain what we already know, they make us look stupid, naive and weak.

They reaffirm their flaws when we grab the highlights.

Their masculinity made of glass cuts our feet, which grow stronger with every step we take.

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Maika Caner Chanicha Ken Beit Mordechai Anilewicz, Rio de Janeiro, 2017

We are Hippolyta, they shut our mouths.

We speak, they interrupt.

We laugh, they give us a strange look.

We build an opinion, they threaten us.

We defend our principles, they throw us to the ground.

We scream, they trample us.

We try to get up, they knock us down again.

We fight, they strip us.

We cry, they beat us.

We ask them to stop, they kill us.

We get rid of our bodies, they set us on fire.

Isabella Hisgail D’Aquino Peila Ken São Paulo, 2017

nothing the sound of the guitar we sing we dialogue we deconstruct and construct with love we learn how to educate Hashomer also represents a space for debate What does it mean, to be a woman In this femicidal world in this violent town in this youth movement that sometimes imprisons

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and makes its own pillars bleed sometimes it seems like men are using a kind of mask, it is so beautiful to act, to pretend that you care, when in reality, you reproduce.

Hashomer is, whether you want it or not, part of this big world; it is drowning in the context of a femicidal society, and even striving for freedom and education, in many moments the limits are crossed sometimes the male chaverim, on account of being close friends and fighting companions, will hurt you even deeply.

That guy that you had as your partner may hit you from behind, by harassing a friend or even yourself, either by discriminating against your weight, cheating in a monogamous relationship, silencing women in the movement, imposing his masculine opinion as if it was primordial.

Priscilla Karaver Mazkira Ken SĂŁo Paulo, 2017

I joined Hashomer SĂŁo Paulo in 2002, at the peak of my 8th year of life. I grew up in the tnua, where I have been through its entire educational cycle. My first year of peilut was in 2010 and I did shnat in 2012. From 2013 to the present day, I have occupied

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the role of mazkira in my ken — except for one semester in 2016.

This ken has been made up mostly of men since I can remember. I was the only woman of my shichva for a long time.

During this period, my colleagues and madrichim used to treat me as a sort of accessory that had to be protected. When I entered the hadracha, I finally had a fellow woman by my side, Aline, who joined the group and became an inspiration to me. She was so strong and would never accept not being listened to, causing a heavy reaction from the male part of the peilut, which used to label her as “crazy”. Back then, I was very shy and, even feeling really distressed, I could not say a word. Besides, almost every one of these men had been my madrich before, and I still felt admiration for them. As expected, I was the only female representative to be sent to shnat by my ken (not only in 2012, but in the entire last decade). During this year in Israel, many cases of harassment and violence against women took place, and I was one of the victims.

Every single one of these cases was silenced; it hurt me deeply.

During my shnat, I knew that the future years would be crucial: I was either going to watch the closure of my ken; or take part in its restructuring, since Hashomer São Paulo had been going through a tough crisis. The responsibility was heavy. The years of 2013, 2014 and 2015 were hard, we even had to stop our activities for chanichim for a while. But we never stopped believing; we decided to continue meeting ourselves once a week, in order to develop our group and to sort out possibilities of reconstruction.

I used to feel exhausted very often, I was hopeless. On one hand, I wanted to give up, but on the other, I knew I could not.

The arrival of a remarkable woman changed everything.

Dahlia joined us in 2014 and worked as the peila mekomit for one year. She gave me strength to go on with our fight, we were the only women in the peilut, so we cooperated a lot with each other.

We did not realize at the time, but she walked our group through a very intense process of union; without it, I am sure the doors of our ken would have closed by now. It became our main source of 93

motivation to keep prevailing over the challenges we faced and rebuilding our ken.

In 2015, a new shichva entered the peilut — chaverim that had been my chanichim in 2011. They were the last shichva we had, (a shichva that had been set in our former ken — Bom Retiro).

The influx of new madrichim encouraged me to keep on fighting: I had to give them the opportunity of becoming madrichim. The only one who’s stayed with us is Bebel, a strong and brave girl, who has taught me so much since the time she was a chanicha.

She is the second woman of Hashomer São Paulo to go to shnat in 15 years.

At the end of 2015, and in 2016, our prospects improved, on account of a partnership with a community that was growing.

And so, we started to have chanichim again. At the end of 2015, we were back with our Saturdays of activities after more than one year.

In December of the second year, we brought 7 chanichim to the national machane, a moment of extreme emotions for me. The last mifkad, to be there in the front again, now with chanichim. I called a girl, Alice, to put the degel down. Brave woman, she went alone, at 9 years old, to her first machane.

Now, in 2017, we are already experiencing some stability: a steady group of chanichim and a qualified group of madrichim.

Now we are sure that our hard work has paid off, it is real and it is growing . We took 18 chanichim to the winter machane. I am still afraid of the future; we do not have a short term plan for renewing and expanding our activities, nor a ken. But we’ve made it! We’ve done something unbelievable!

I know that I had, and still have, a very important role in this group; I was an essential piece during the restructuring process, and I still am, now that our work is heading to a new level. But it is difficult to talk about myself (since we, women living in a patriarchal society, are not educated nor encouraged to acknowledge ourselves as people with relevance). Now, pushing myself into a 94

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self-analysis, I know that my leadership was crucial during the whole process. I was the organizer of the restructuring, it is all in my diaries, what we had to do, how to do it, who would do it. Besides, no matter how hard the moment was, I could always think about the future, about escape routes, and this energy would influence the rest of the group.

The group has always respected me, even though it is mostly masculine. I have always felt comfortable; each of them is open to hear me and acknowledge my fight. If an occasional sexist incident occurs — since no one is free from this burden — everyone listens to me, then we discuss and get to the bottom of the issues we face. And inside our ken, things could not be any different.

My protagonism and the respect that flows within this group are elements that give great support to my personal development, and this is very much related to my strength to stand up and fight in different fields.

My self-development as a woman and a feminist grew little by little, I could not highlight only one single episode of it. With time, I got to understand the numerous oppressions I faced on account of being a woman, and everything that I had always complained about started to have names. The tnua was an important part of this process, and this process was important for the tnua.

Sexism leaves a stain on the body and the subjectivity of a woman; it lowers our self-esteem, makes us feel unsafe; and to me, Hashomer, the bogrut of São Paulo, our group has helped me to go through all that, to grow stronger and leave the social standards behind.

With this strength, I managed to bring deeper and more categorical discussions about gender and sexuality to the tnua.

Since then, we’ve had numerous debates inside the peilut about these matters; we added these subjects to tochniot and rethought some attitudes that were previously seen as natural.

As I said before, sexuality is an issue that’s always been part of my experience in the tnua. This discussion broke into my life 95

a little later — in comparison with the gender matter — from the moment I acknowledged myself as a lesbian woman. When it happened, I demanded to speak about this subject to the peilut. We had managed to go deep in the deconstruction of sexism, but heteronormativity was an untouched subject until that moment. Now this is starting to spread, even in a soft way. My experience tells me that some aspects are quite delicate: if on the one hand it is important to talk openly about my sexuality, since hiding it leads to supporting heteronormativity; on the other I feel the weight of being inside a synagogue and in the middle of a restructuring process — I am afraid of how the families might react to this.

To close my story, I would like to emphasize that the discussions about gender and sexuality in the tnua, since I joined it (15 years ago), have improved in massive terms. I remember my times of chanichut, when the jokes about women and homosexuals ruled, and now they are no longer accepted. However, there’s still much work to do; we still need a strong and constant process of deconstruction, so we can change our naturalized ways of thinking and acting; so our movement, that is supposed to be transforming the social reality, actually achieves this mission. I am very proud to be part of the history of this tnua and to build, with my collective, the paths that Hashomer will walk in the future.

Chazak Ve’Ematz.

CHILE In October 2017, the peilim of Hashomer Hatzair Chile decided in a meeting of the bogrut to change the name of their ken to Ken Haika Grossman, as a tribute to this amazing woman, who has represented, and will continue to represent, a model for us as long as we exist, transcending the limits of time.

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Sigal Bogdanic Post Bogeret Ken Haika Grossman, Santiago, 2017 Today there is no costume.

Divine and peaceful, that’s how I feel. Regardless of whether I am dependent, sweet, the best, the tyrant, I watch myself and I like what I see. I grew up between two poles, my inner self and my memories - then both merged together and now they make connections with outer experiences.

1997: My memories of a school in Santiago - which was not so conservative for that time — shortly after a Chile that had been silenced, a democracy, if one can say so. People used to hide their feelings; their lives depended on “what would others say”; women used to dress up as women, men used to compliment their costumes. “You must wear your uniform at school, a knee-length ‘dress’”. Why do I have to show my legs, while boys do not?

I grew up in a free family, in which men and women were equally seen as human beings, and the groundwork of this belief was love. In my family, we could always talk about anything. Penis, vagina, leg, shoulder; these are all parts of the body and we must learn about them. On account of my origins, history, memories and actions, today I acknowledge myself as a woman.

1999: Classroom; my female self; 11 years old; preadolescence age; hormonal boom; my evolution was under construction. Context: Bullying seen as a simple incident within a harassed, wasted, post-dictatorship, Latin-American history, coming from ages of conquests. A hurt, resentful, abusive man. A woman wearing a costume.

People will say that bullying is not exclusive to the Latin-American reality, that it happens everywhere; of course yes, we are global, divided, abused societies, since the day that a man decided that this land was his, and women believed him.

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Therefore, I tell you that back in those years, I really felt that I was wearing the costume of a woman. They said I looked like a transvestite for being liberal, tall, big, for having bushy eyebrows and a desirable body. Who am I? Am I so horrible and distant?

While my body was growing and going through changes, I started to feel that my female self was leaving her woman costume behind — both parts accepted that, my interior and my exterior. I understand, now there’s hard work to be done, concerning the holy human being, holy eros, the emotion that once gave us life, the emotion that connects us, emotions that are currently being misrepresented.

2003: I was walking until I heard the sound of human steps, I felt a negative energy, I did not want to turn my head and then “boom!”, someone had just intimidated, violated me. He knew exactly where to put his hand, and then ran away. No, it can’t be, damn you. I sat and cried, he did not tell me who told him to do that and why. The only thing that remained was the pain of my fragility.

2004: The first time I learned about the art of seduction-compassion. I raised my hand to call a taxi. 17:00.

Sigal: “Good morning, I need to go to this address”.

Taxi driver: “Of course, sit in the front seat”.

I fastened the seat belt, opened the window a little... There was a heavy mood in the air. He talked to me, I smiled and tried to look calm. Two traffic lights later, I felt a masculine hand resting on my left leg. I thought “Okay, there’s no reason to freak out, breathe and stay calm”. I asked him about his life, in order to create a “friendly and trustful” environment. I managed to make him speak about a thing or two, and “forget” about his abusive action, his problem. When I was about to leave the car, he pressed my leg with his hand. I looked at him, I was not angry. “Relax, relax, nothing is going to happen”. I took out my money to pay, he asked if I wanted to go somewhere with him. I told him that my mother was waiting for me. Then I put my hand on his leg, looked firmly at 98

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him and said “this is not how things are done”. I paid and left the car. My heart was beating so hard. I learned — got to know the art of seduction-compassion. A kind of seduction that brings forward the essentials of human beauty, that gives me power. There aren’t bad men, only NOT LEARNING = LACK OF LOVE. I always felt what it is like to live in a Latin-American society, where people’s lives depend on “what would others say”, a very conservative society, that’s for sure, and I actually do not care about it very much. If I am sad, I cry in front of anybody; if I am acting seductive, I tempt, look, woman, man, cat, tree, I think “it is so beautiful”; if I am angry, I say it. Soon we will argue, forgive, make things even. If I am happy, I want to be love.

By thinking about my body and myself, “my woman” without all the costume, I feel even with men, I know I have a masculine side mixed with my femininity, I feel good about him, I feel good about her, I feel good about myself.

In my opinion, we, women who have been through many years of submission, are in a guerrilla war. There’s not much resentment anymore, a war over equality has begun, so much blame; now wrath, wrath for becoming equal, for “why do you look at me that much”, “why do I have to shave”, “why are you touching me without my consent”, “why can’t you be sensitive”, “you’ve been a bad father: you will not see our children any longer”, “I must keep my status”, “I do not love him, but he pays the bills”, “I feel I am being fooled”, “I fool him”, “I am a bad mother”, “I am a bad woman”.

Latin-American women, women of the world, we are the ones who bear life; men give us a seed and energy, we plant it in our wombs and transmute it. May we plant it with love, create roots with compassion and admiration, with innocence, the future children.

No more costumes, may we stay beautiful among beautiful women, may we admire each other, creating with loyalty. Loyalty, keyword. If I am loyal to myself, I shall create with loyalty. In such an unloyal society, it is necessary to go back to our origins and 99

understand the creation as something fruitful and in the process of transformation. After all the blaming and the victims, we need compassionate, loyal and sensitive warriors.

I want to thank Mariana Temido for this experience. We met each other last October, during an event at Hashomer Hatzair Rio de Janeiro, and her moving energy worked like a charm with me. Thank you for writing this book and giving voice to us.

Viviana Rojas Peila Ken Haika Grossman, Santiago, 2017

When I walk on the street I often hear men twice my age yelling, whispering, looking at me. My only options are screaming or ignoring them and when the night begins and I am alone, all I can do is stay quiet and walk fast. Nothing harsh has ever happened to me, I am left with my impotence, but most of the time it is nothing but an interruption of my day, I do not even remember what happened afterwards. I believe this happens to many of us, the things men say become habit, the sentences and insults become repetitions. We learn to include this in our daily lives. They say that most of the time we are guilty, because we tease them.

They also say that we are overreacting, and that this is something normal.

People only stay aware when the harassment goes beyond the verbal; when bruises and wounds can be seen — and then comes the fear that this may happen to you or to someone close. A case only shocks when it reaches the news, never before. Without a police report, it will stay forever as just another story. Someone tells you that a woman that you know has been harassed or violated: who’s never heard that before? Or do we only get to know about stories of harassment through the news? When something happens to a female friend, everyone seems to agree that things like that are horrible, and that justice must be done and a woman 100

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must have all the support she can get; but no one ever gets to the bottom of these stories. Where was everybody hiding, before she needed to be helped?

Once, I was walking on the street with a friend, and a truck stopped next to us, at a traffic light. Two men in their fifties were sitting inside the truck. The driver looked at me, honked his horn and told me how good-looking I was; I got mad and yelled at him.

We were close to the truck, so I could notice that he was enjoying that mad version of me. I felt disgusted. My friend got closer to start an argument — and with that, he managed to change the man’s mood. Right before the lights turned green, he apologized to my friend and took off quickly. Right there, I understood the way men see women. They see women as goods. If a woman is not currently in the possession of a man, the first man to claim her is allowed to have her. That truck driver apologized to my friend because he was my current owner.

Men make women believe that they are weak, hence cowards; women are only confronted when they are defenseless. It is opportunism. A woman is only talked to when she’s alone, at night, when no one will hear her screams. The feminist movement is often discredited by ridiculous and baseless charges. The first time these charges are heard, they are not taken seriously; but if one hears them everyday at home, on the streets, at the school, at work and on the news, they start to get very serious.

Nothing harsh has ever happened to me. Do I have to feel lucky for that? Do I have to ignore the things men scream at me, the times they treat me badly, the differences that are made at my school, only because I could be living a worse situation? And how can I ignore the rapes, the femicides, the brothels, women dying during abortions, laws that are not being followed and partial justice? People can weaken us, since we’re not united enough and because we ignore ourselves very often. If we stay united, we will put pressure until we get what we want. Enough with this track, this society that leaves us as second class; we do not have 101

to stand it. It is a fight that involves us all, women and men, and the most revolutionary shift will be achieved through education.

Nowadays, education is a system where sexism is inherent. If we change education, we achieve equality. There’s the key. It is useless to wait for changes without educating the people. Our voices echo on the streets, but it is pointless, because most people refuse to listen. We have to make them listen.

MEXICO In 2017, the new ken of Hashomer Hatzair Mexico was named after Tosia Altman, representing an educational and political mark in the history of our movement.

Natasha Konzevik Peila Ken Tosia Altman, Mexico City, 2017

This story has two goals: the first is to highlight sexism in Mexico and introduce characters and groups that fight for a country ruled by gender equality. The second goal is to zoom in and focus on how Hashomer Hatzair Mexico deals with gender roles.

Mexico is an extremely sexist country, this a cultural, and many times invisible, matter. Men are given more opportunities and rights. Women are given fear, fear of leaving our houses alone at night, of using public transport and being chased at any time; we are afraid of getting murdered only for the sake of being women.

In Mexico seven femicides happen per day; seven Mexican women lose their lives, and only 25% of the cases are properly investigated. We also struggle with impunity, because the legal authorities do not act as expected. The investigations take too long; families can go years without knowing the whereabouts of a relative.

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In 2016 the State of Mexico achieved first place in the ranking of violence, with 263 femicides, even though an Alert of Gender Violence Against Women (AVGM) had been spread to eleven municipalities in 2015.

Below, we shall see numbers regarding sexism in Mexico: - 3 out of 10 women have experienced some kind of violence from their current partners; - 60% of women who go to public hospitals and clinics suffer violence inside and outside the establishments; - Mexican women earn between 13 to 23% less than men for the same jobs.

After this overview of sexism in Mexico, we shall learn about feminist characters and organizations.

Marta Lamas is a feminist Mexican icon. The subjects that she focuses on are: bigotry, sex work and abortion.

She created the Fem magazine, the first feminist magazine in the country and, years later, she co-founded GIRE (Information Group on Reproductive Choice). After years of work by the feminist movement, under the guidance of Lamas, in 2007 the Supreme Court of Justice decriminalized cases of induced abortion until the 12th week of gestation.

Mónica Mayer is a woman who has also played an important role in the feminist fight, with an artistic touch. One of the installations that she created is called “El Tendedero”. It has been taken to several places over the years, and it consists of papers containing answers to specific questions. Regarding the tendedero that’s been settled for Semillas (Mexican Society Pro Women’s Rights), the statements that prompted the answers were: “That’s how I defended myself from being harassed” and “I fight against abuse”.

Mayer shows the importance of performing activism through art, political art, because culture can also be used to educate and approach issues such as abuse and violence against women.

Las Reinas Chulas is a theatre company that does social criticism through satire and music. Its activist work focuses on 103

building a culture that respects women’s rights.

Now that we know a little about our feminist characters, let’s analyse the gender affairs within Hashomer Hatzair Mexico.

Several questions automatically come forward when this subject is at stake: are we really free from reproducing sexist structures, which are usually invisible and cultural? If we call ourselves a feminist group, how do we promote this ideology? Are the men and women of the movement actually being heard and paid attention to? Do the chaverim acknowledge themselves as feminists? How do we educate towards feminism?

Many of these questions are answerless, but they still fulfill the goal of making us ponder and rethink situations and episodes that took place in HH Mexico.

I believe that, in Hashomer Hatzair Mexico, we are not free from reproducing sexist behaviors, since we’re drowning in a patriarchal culture in which cases of violence against women are seen as natural. Even with all that’s been said above, we are a small and wise community, yes; we fight for a more righteous world, and the feminist fight is part of such a world.

In Hashomer, we take everyone into account, no matter their sex. The roles of the hanhaga have been occupied by women numerous times, meaning that any of us can reach positions of leadership and support the movement. I think that we have many challenges to face: one is to induce the madrichim to be more interested in this issue, so there will be more tochniot dealing with feminism, and we’ll be able to build, together with the chanichim, a more feminist movement; the other challenge is to attend pro women’s rights demonstrations and invite feminist groups to do activities with and for us, inside and outside the ken.

In conclusion, I think that everyone, from their respective trenches, can add a grain of sand in order to make this world a more inclusive place; be it through the arts, the academy, the legal profession, or from Saturday to Saturday, educating and being educated about feminism, not accepting disrespect or that 104

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anyone sees women as inferior human beings, only because they are women. Everyone must understand that sexism establishes harmful stereotypes for both genders (or the two existing spectres), and that not reproducing them is not enough; we must fight them.

URUGUAY Sara Lazar Post Bogeret Ken Negba, Montevideo, 2017

My name is Sara and, now that I am 55, I can proudly affirm that I have belonged to Hashomer Hatzair for the past 51 years! In other words, I would not be “me” without this experience, which is an intrinsic part of who I am, without a doubt. This involvement is one of the foundations of my identity and it determines the paths I should take, regarding how I act, see, and feel the world. A symbiosis that supported my development, regarding what I like to call, with the wink of an eye, our Trinity: Hashomer Hatzair, HaKibbutz HaArtzi and Mapam — since my aliyah, in 1981.

That old ken on Maldonado street was my childhood shelter, a cozy place where I could feel nestled every weekend. These were the toughest years of the military dictatorship — the values and learning I used to take in during the peulot were an elixir for not losing my empathy, nor my solidarity, in face of all the fear and injustice that surrounded us. In the tnua, I have learned to “do important things”, not because of my judgement, but with respect to how a shomer should run her or his life. That (and a lot more, chronologically speaking) is why my ideology has always been my fortress and my source of belief. Based on these roots, I have managed to grow the life that I have today — taking either personal, family, community, or political terms into account. That 105

explains how, at the age of 16, I became part of the staff in charge of our radio program; and the administration of the restored Chativa Martin Buber, along with Nicolás, my chaver since I was 15 (father of my children and my companion for life).

When I started to feel at home on kibbutz Ein Hamifratz, not long after I made aliyah, I translated the excitement I was feeling into an absolute and devoted commitment to the community, which led me to stay in charge of the work and labor planning of the cards factory. After six short months of ulpan, the determination of an idealist and the acknowledgement and support of my work colleagues, I managed to adjust the factory operation and improve productivity. After the beginning of the First Lebanon War, over 2/3 of the permanent residents were signed up!

Experiences like these always leave marks, but they also make me think about the stains that I leave behind... At the same time, bearing in mind this severe contrast present in the Galilee (I refer to the Arab population), I took my first steps into politics and more specifically, into what we call “coexistence”. Since the beginning, I had been excited about the idea of building bridges that bring understanding and cooperation to both peoples. I reached out to Mapam representatives from that area and started from “below”, without knowing the language and with the “news”(at least for me, who had never felt oppressed for being a woman before) regarding everything that involved being a Jewish activist woman living in a patriarchal society where neither the feminine, nor the feminist voice was heard in public spaces.

From the decades of activism through coexistence in the Central and Western Galilee, I would highlight the administrative roles I occupied (either at municipal, union or national elections, and national plans), but, again, to me these were always support for efforts involving collective political organization. So, I would rather speak about “the difference” that I made with my intervention: thanks to my work with families and to my role modeling, the first Druze women finally got into Haifa University! At first, the 106

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process was hard, but the permission finally came, after numerous meetings and mutual visits. The common effort by dear women, who understood my activism as an assistance to open spaces that were previously closed for Druze women, also enabled the foundation of the first kindergarten built in a Druze village and, in later years, the construction of many others — this time under the administration of the Union of Working Women (NAAMAT).

On my kibbutz, Gaaton, I have been in charge of numerous roles and jobs, always putting the collective well being over any particular interest as the first and main premise. My time at Tzavta Buenos Aires, in the mid 90’s, was important in increasing the impact of the progressivist base and in creating alliances with different sectors of Argentinian society. These actions soon turned into activities that widely impacted the public. At the same time, I set the precedent of an institutional self-government, by preparing the groundwork for actually achieving autonomy and economic independence.

I have always been respectful, responsible and sincerely committed to solidarity. And I believe that this touch of innocence, acquired by anyone who’s ever been in the tnua, in longer or shorter terms, has never left my body. Our children were educated the same way, and now they are grownups, who contribute the best part of themselves to society. I must admit that over the years, most of this “ideological innocence” has been transformed by the constant use of critical thinking — which I developed during my years in the university, and further as a teacher, but it never turned into cynicism, nor despair or lack of love, because the peculiarities of our tnua, the scale of values that have been passed to us since our first peula in the ken, is what keeps ruling my judgement and every single one of my actions.

I am zionist and socialist, and very proud of it!

Chazak Ve’Ematz!

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Victoria Alonso Zorkraut Peila Ken Negba, Montevideo, 2017

Given the circumstances that our ken has always endured, the episodes of sexism are few, in comparison with the other tnuot (especially the bigger ones, where many people work without a fixed tafkid). I have seen both mazkirot and mazkirim, peilim and peilot, gizbarim and gizbarot. We try to choose the person that fits best in the tafkid, on account of the daily survival of the ken and the small number of bogrim. The current bogrut of Uruguay works as a group, with equality and respect.

However, there are still mistaken conceptions when minor things must be taken care of, such as tidying up the ken, organizing events, the cleaning role at Yom Avoda (we reserve one day of each month for that). The subconscious of the bogrim tells them to leave the bogrot in charge of these things without offering enough help or any help at all, because they believe the girls should do it and that’s it.

Nowadays the sexism in our ken — which isn’t so harsh by the way — reveals itself through the smaller things, and it is never ignored by the bogrim/ot. I know that former bogruiot suffered with heavier sexism, which used to happen especially when someone should be making use of a “punishment” for an inconvenient chanich, or when someone had to make important decisions and how that was seen (for instance, people used to remember a mazkir and what he did, and forget about a mazkira, judging only by their genders). The tnua was much more heteronormative and pro-patriarchy in the past.

A shomeret could feel weak, especially on account of the jokes and the experience with the bogrut. The activities used to support the ego of male bogrim, and the sexual objectification of women’s bodies; the group of bogrim who used to arrive earlier at machanot was always composed of men, never women. With 108

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time, and with new kvutzot entering the bogrut, on top of the spotlight achieved by LGBTTTQI, gender equality and feminist movements, Hashomer Hatzair Uruguay started to evolve every year and fight more and more.

VENEZUELA Tamar Campos Founder of Ken Nachshon Caracas, 1954

Tamar was born in 1939 in Havana, Cuba. Tamar used to go to a non-Jewish Cuban school — so Hashomer Hatzair was her main contact with Zionism and Israel. She recalls that in 1947 while she listened to news of the creation of the State of Israel on the radio, she was taken by a strong connection with Zionism.

Hashomer Hatzair was the place where she could understand the actual meaning of that connection. When she joined the tnua, she saw herself starting a process of self-knowledge and familiarization with one’s self.

In 1954, when Tamar was only 14, her parents decided to move to Venezuela. She missed Hashomer activities so badly that once she brought toys to the synagogue and started playing with the children that were just sitting around. When their time was over, she asked the kids to come back the next Saturday and, right there, she started the activities of the tnua. Back then, the only Jewish institution in Caracas was a synagogue, which granted part of its space to her, so she could use it as the ken of Hashomer Hatzair. She organized the entire place by herself; a concrete courtyard behind the synagogue. She chose the name of the first kvutza: Kvutzat Israel. In 1958, they welcomed their first shaliach, who decided that the ken should be called Nachshon — the first person to cross the Red Sea. 109

In 1962 she decided to make aliyah and traveled to Israel with an Israeli theatre group that was in town. When she arrived at kibbutz Carmia, Tamar was chosen to work in the cultivation of bananas — the only woman among that group of workers. She used to call herself a chutzpa (audacious). Tamar remembers that she always knew exactly what to believe in and why, so she never had to worry about critics. She never had to ask for permission to accomplish what she had in mind. During our interview with her, I asked Tamar if she was ever put down by someone for being a woman, and she answered: “No, because I would never allow that”.

HASHOMER HATZAIR OCEANIA At last, I share the stories I collected from women of the ken in Australia. They are madrichot, female roshei ken or postbogrot, former and active members of different kenim.

AUSTRALIA Fay Morris Post Bogeret Ken Beit Anielewicz, Melbourne, 2017

I was born in Chelm, Poland in January 1938. From that you will see that this was not really a good time for a Jewish child to be born.

When Hitler’s armies invaded Poland my family escaped into the Soviet Union where we were refugees until Polish citizens were allowed to return to Poland in 1946. We left Poland 110

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in September 1948 for Paris where we waited for a boat to take us to Australia. I always had a very strong Jewish and left wing identity.

In 1953 Hashomer Hatzair Australia was formed by a group of Bogrim who broke away from Habonim. A group of Bogrim from Sydney, who also left Habonim decided to make aliyah to a Kibbuz Artzi Kibbutz and the two groups combined to form the first Shomer Garin with the intention of making aliyah to Kibbutz Nirim in the Negev.

In May 1953 a friend of mine asked me to go with him to an Achad B’May evening celebrated by the newly formed group of Shomrim. Although I enjoyed the evening I did not give it much thought.

In December 1953 I decided to join Hashomer Hatzair because its left wing ideology and its strong Jewish identity appealed to me. I attended the first camp which was held on the Hachshara.

In the early days the movement was very small and times were difficult. The Melbourne community always supported the ruling party in Israel and there was bitterness that the Shomrim broke away from Habonim which was the largest Zionist youth movement. But, slowly our numbers increased. I was a member of the first Tzofim Bogrim group. Our tochnit was mainly on Zionism which I found interesting. I knew much about the history of Hashomer Hatzair in Poland because I knew Jewish history and read a lot about the history of the movement during the years of the Shoah. At the end of 1954 our group began to learn Hadracha and I became a Madricha.

Slowly the movement began to attract more members. Some were children of Shomrim who survived the Shoah and settled in Melbourne. Others were children of Israelis. In 1956 we had two Kovshim groups, one Tzofim group and one Tzofim Bogrim group.

We were attracting more young people because we had great ruach and really interesting people in the movement. At the end of 111

1956 the group I belonged to (Lahav) and the Bogrim group amalgamated to form Gvulot. Many of the original Shomrim made aliyah to Kibbutz Nirim and some of the Tzofim Bogrim left to go to university. The Junior movement kept growing by leaps and bounds and in 1958 when the Polish borders were opened and Polish immigration to Australia started we had a large group of Polish speaking youth join the movement. I became their Madricha and had to relearn my Polish so I could give sichot in Polish.

There was also a group of mainly Hebrew speaking youth. For me this was a very busy time as I took two groups in the movement and studied to become a teacher. It was a sight to be seen on a Sunday night, after the sichot about 50 Shomrim dancing Israeli dances in the yard of Beth Weizmann, the Zionist headquarters.

More of the leadership group made aliyah and it became hard to have enough senior people to share the work. At the end of 1959 our first Shlichim, Shoshana and Dov Agmon arrived in Australia, but by that time I was tired and in 1960 I left the movement.

So many years have passed and many of my friends are no longer here, but I still keep in touch.

Lauren Winn Bogeret Ken Beit Anielewicz, Melbourne, 2017

Hashy has been an essential place that has helped foster and support my feminism as well as many others in the movement. Hashy Australia is a proudly feminist movement. For me it has been an important counter-culture to the outside world that so often disempowers women.

I remember from a young age we had peulot about gender equality and women’s empowerment. Hashy was probably the first place that really sparked my interest in feminism.

Something that has inspired me throughout my process in 112

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the tnua has been the actual women in the movement. The last 5 mazkirim_ot in Australia have been women. It has been important to show to our chanichim_ot that even if there is still an issue of gender inequality in positions of power in Australia and the world, they can come to Hashy and feel empowered and that all genders are equally capable. We also try to make it a safe space where they can be themselves regardless of gender stereotypes or expectations.

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CHAPTER III “BEING A WOMAN” AND WHAT THAT MEANS

This chapter addresses the expressions of Hashomer Hatzair women and matters related to “being a woman”. I understand that the conception of feminine includes diverse and wide-ranging dimensions, which can grow apart from each other. This collection is useful for considering a range of things related to “being a woman”. Here I focus on oppressions against the feminine, regarding not only beauty, body standards, and the difficulties that surround sexuality, but also sisterhood and the necessity of creating an ideal of sisterhood within the feminist fight.

The goal behind introducing these issues through personal stories is to show that even with the structural role of sexism in Hashomer Hatzair, the very existence of sexism affects each of us in different ways, creating insecurity, uncertainty, and regrets, also in personal terms.

It is important that Hashomer Hatzair starts to concentrate on the structural battle of deconstructing sexism; but also that the chaverot are given personal follow-up, to develop and empower; as well as to support and facilitate the processes of deconstruction on different scales, respecting the moment that each woman is living in. Besides, it is clear that the tnua’s struggle should include the deconstruction of patriarchy for men as well, turning feminism into an ideology and fight shared by everyone — although the protagonists must be the women.

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HASHOMER HATZAIR AND BEAUTY STANDARDS Luisa Martins Soares Bergara Chanicha Ken Negba, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2017

I live in a society where the values are upside down. People have taught me that the perfect body is with no belly, big breasts, hard thighs, blonde and straight hair; but no one’s ever taught me to be like that. And I resisted this reality with a straight hit. Most of the people who crossed my path have never paid enough attention to my character and my personality, at least when I was younger and less mature. Having a brand new iphone, or headphones that no one else in school has, and of course, a perfect body; these are the things people pay attention to. I do not want to sound like a “poor little girl”, or even like a girl who suffered bullying for being fat, for having curly hair, or black skin. I sound like a daughter, a friend, a sister. I am trying to sound like me, Luisa, who’s never been fat, who has straight hair and never suffered bullying.

During August vacation, in 2016, my mother found this amazing discount on a twelve day cruise to Miami. Well, my family is large and in my house there are six women; so this was our chance to travel together and, for the first time in my life, on a ship.

When I first got my period and my body started to change, my weight was 110, 112 pounds. This ship belonged to a company from the US, so all the food and attractions had this “American style”. At breakfast: pancakes. At lunch: hamburgers. For a snack: 116

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ice cream machine. At dinner: pizza, fried eggs, bacon, cheddar... there was not a way out of there, and I ate what I liked. Actually, among the restaurants, one had Brazilian food on the menu, and it had rice and beans, but it used to open and close too early. I never managed to eat there. When I got back to Rio, some of my clothes did not fit me like they did before the trip. I decided to check my weight.

119 pounds. To most people, this isn’t a relevant difference, after all I just gained 9 pounds. But I could not see this angle of the picture. This number meant more than it should, it became the starting point of several efforts to lose weight. I have never liked the gym, I would rather do sports or dance. I was in the ninth grade at the time, third trimester, and I did not have time to work out. I started to develop a silent eating disorder called anorexia — which can be literally represented by that image of a skinny girl looking at the mirror and seeing a fat version of herself. I felt a distressing will to lose weight, to have the perfect body. At the same time that I developed anorexia, I started to have bulimia.

That was cruel; it drained my energy and killed me little by little, day after day. Everything that surrounds an eating disorder is very intense. It is not just skipping meals. Whoever suffers with this sickness skips every single meal, and a heavy feeling of blame is the consequence of not managing to do so. It is not just inducing vomit once before bed. Whoever suffers from this sickness is always ready to cleanse themselves after each meal, and feeling as if they had gained pounds and pounds is the consequence of not managing to do so. I lived this predicament for seven months.

As different diagnoses lead to different treatments, it was decided that the best way for me to get better was hospitalization.

The medical procedures range from consultations every week, to intensive care at a psychiatric clinic. December 2nd 2016, 10:25

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a.m: my first moments in such a distinct world. No cell phone, no sisters, no parents... no friends, no news, no vacations. And, with daily clinical follow-ups, I stayed there for 78 days. I acknowledged myself and managed to understand the agitated peace of a hospital, where people come and go all the time, people who took me as their pet — I was the youngest patient in there. February 21st 2017, I was discharged from the hospital and returned home!

I remember the exact moment when I was told that my parents were waiting just outside; the moment when I said goodbye to the friends I made in there; the moment when I went outside with my bags of laundry and clothing. When I left the hospital, two friends surprised me. Both from Hashomer Hatzair. They have been so important during my treatment! And all I could feel, outside the hospital and at the door of Ken Beit, was an indescribable happiness. My day was so intense, full of emotions and joy; the day of a teenager who had just met herself again.

Being a teenager means: to wish that you were 18 to have a car; and that you were 10 to earn gifts at children’s day. I used to think that my adolescence would be outlined by sitting in the front seat, wearing backpacks, and hanging out at parties and coming back after midnight. I was not a child anymore and I only understood that when — in addition to sitting in the front seat, wearing backpacks, and hanging out at parties and coming back after midnight — the social standards became part of my daily life.

Suddenly, you can’t part your hair in the middle, it needs to be tossed back to one side; Wear jeans to school, but only if they are the right brand otherwise cover it up with a jacket tied around your waist. If you have good grades, you’re a nerd. If you do not, you’re dumb. You’re not allowed to simply prefer pink or violet, you need to keep up with the fashion trends. Being fat is absolutely unacceptable — buy yourself a scale and deal with your weight.

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Are you skinny? Oh, so you’re a giraffe, underfed, “when did your mother stop feeding you?”.

This is how I grew up. My girlfriends too. These standards feel like rules: undeniable and mandatory. No one’s ever taught me how to be a teenager, how to bear all this pressure. No one’s ever told me I would have fun all the time either. I looked into the mirror, I saw some extra fat and a disturbed look. Something I had never felt before. I was lost, insecure, afraid. Very afraid. The obligation of staying thin grew roots inside me, and I, face to face with my youth, celebrating being 14 years old, could not turn my back on this burden. Everything started by skipping dinner once. Then the push-ups, no more afternoon snacks, ginger water, waking up later than I should to skip breakfast, working out. I had been completely contaminated by the beauty standards.

I joined Hashomer in the first semester of 2015. A friend had told me about a special Saturday activity that was going to happen with tons of special features and I, respecting my curiosity and my love for collecting good moments, decided to go. I had never been busy on Saturdays, nor studied at a Jewish school, so going to Hashomer was big news to me. Saturday after Saturday, I felt more and more interested in the tnua and the subjects we were dealing with, because I would never have these sichot and tochniot at school or anywhere else. At Hashomer Hatzair, I became a better citizen and a better woman. Back then, I felt 100% taken by the Hashomer spirit, a consequence of being perplexed and not having support to understand what it means to be a teenager. There, at such a green ken, where everyone has a blue heart, everything started to make sense. I met a “Luisa” who I had never seen before. A critical thinker Luisa, owner of a more adventurous spirit and a tireless will to question why everything is the way it is. I started to use new words, new concepts, and, driven by this

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new energy, I met a movement within my movement: Feminism.

Now, I have become a strong woman, capable of fighting, aware of how to make myself noticed and understood. I had the chance to actually see the meaning of sisterhood, resistance, fight, rights, and not just that, I have been an active agent of the terms and actions. My feelings and my admiration for Hashomer are beyond any explanation. This movement brings love to the good days, and refuge to the hard ones. An education to be admired and a history to be proud of. Hashomer is my home, my refuge, my school; it is peace. I do not have to care about the clothes I am wearing or how my hair is parted. When I am in Hashomer, I feel my body filled with happiness. At home with my blood family, or at school, which tires me out, the responsibilities are a heavy burden and I can’t handle everything by myself. However, on Saturdays I feel happy, excited, adventurous; I am taught to explore, to have tochniot, to use ink, paint, tons of water, and the new knowledge I am gaining. In Hashomer Hatzair, I learned how to be a woman. In Hashomer Hatzair, I learned how to deal with my adolescence. The tnua became my peace, my encouragement. When I understood that I would not be able to attend the last mifkad of 2016, my only request was: “Mom, go to the mifkad in my place. The energy that flows in Hashomer is something fantastic. I will be fine”.

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HASHOMER HATZAIR AND WEIGHT DISCRIMINATION Beatriz Saraiva Stolerman

Bogeret Ken Beit Mordechai Anilewicz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2017 The fat version of me: an identity that almost no one likes to talk about. Once I was asked what kind of woman I identified as, and if I identified as a woman. I said yes. I spoke about everything I had read before, about what I had questioned or been doubtful of: my sexuality, my gender identity, my cultural identity. But never about my convictions.

Never about my body. Never about my weight. This matter has never brought me any doubts. It is just, maybe, another feature that I would rather ignore and never talk about. This story pays respect to the “fat me”.

For many years, I wanted to believe that I had nothing to do with that image, that I could never become that. The “fat me” was an unstable quality inside my head, because it had to be changed at some point of my life. I had this goal. I was not happy with the way I looked, and I was willing to do anything in order to change.

For many years, I was invisible to many people, on account of being the “fatty”, the “if you lose weight you’ll look gorgeous”.

It was hard to be a girl and a young fat teenager in Hashomer Hatzair as well. It was another social environment to feel oppressed in, where I felt completely apart from the other girls and, consequently, a permanent target of jokes. After all, “it’s just 121

a joke, isn’t it?! Why should I care?!” — I used to ask myself all the time. Take off my shirt and wear nothing but my bikini? Never. Shorts? Definitely not. Any clothes would disturb me as much as I needed to make me think that all my extra pounds were in evidence, and to forbid me to have fun, feel free and above the criticism of others, or anyone’s jokes. There goes my self esteem.

The abstract of my life used to be: a never ending search for the acknowledgment of other people; and my attempts to be accepted in public spaces and the relationships that I used to have.

I needed to be within the beauty standards. I had to wear a size 8, no matter what, just like the other girls. I had to be thinner than the person I was going out with, even if this person was a man.

And, for my entire life, I denied something that is perfectly normal: my body.

Then, I started to understand feminism. I started to breathe feminism. Through the deconstruction of several inner dogmas, I learned about the existence of numerous imprisoning attributes of our bodies and minds. I understood that everything I had been told throughout my life was nothing but prejudice, a frustrated attempt performed by society, hoping that we, women, live under one conventional shape. And that will never happen, because each one of us has a completely personal essence — a type of beauty, a way of being, a personal grace and gravity.

The female fat me (or fatty, chubby, overweight, you name it) has found inspiration in great women all over the world, in their revolutionary ideas, their self-love. Loving yourself is, above all, a revolutionary act! It means to understand your essence and accept, embrace, and feel yourself. It means to look into the mirror and think of yourself exactly what you’re supposed to think: that you’re wonderful in your harmony. But, bear in mind that this is part of a bigger process. And that’s why (among many other

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things) we, women, need feminism. And that’s why we, fat women, need feminism.

Our fight is about our right to exist, about the oppression of the “ideal”, about the lack of representation and the importance of the body as part of your identity for self-acceptance and self-esteem. It is about the importance of feeling good inside a body that belongs only to ourselves, and is meant for ourselves. It is about understanding that loving yourself unconditionally is something healthy, that there’s nothing wrong with us, and that our body can be shaped anyway we want; it is meant to make us happy. Our body is our home. Our body is ours.

Let us be revolutionary!

We, fat women, are Hashomer Hatzair too.

And this is our fight.

HASHOMER HATZAIR AND BLACKNESS Rebeca Regen Ferreira

Chanicha Ken Beit Mordechai Anilewicz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2017 My name is Rebeca Regen Ferreira, I am 15 and black, daughter of a white mother and a black father. When I was little, the colour of my skin was never a problem for me, and for the most part, with children it did not make a difference. I was the missing piece to finish off my family’s gradient. At home, I was called “nigga”, “blackie”, “blackie-black”; affirmative names regarding my skin colour. But outside my home not so affirmative names like “mu-

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latto”, “darky”, and “brunette” started to disturb me. I noticed how much everybody cared about the colour of my skin and it was so confusing to me; besides, I have always been one of the few black people in Rio de Janeiro’s Jewish community, making my situation even more complicated. After a while, I started to have problems with acknowledging myself.

One of the first conflicts I had to deal with happened when a kid from my class asked if I was born that colour, or if I had been tanned for too long, because he had never seen a black Jew before. Since then, I started to pay attention to the details and doubt myself more often. I started to understand why I was the only black kid in school on the side of the ones who paid tuition, and not of the ones getting scholarships (even if it was few). In Hashomer, this thought came to me very late, but it was crucial.

Once again, I was the only black presence, this time in my shichva and my ken. This diversity gap has never been a trending topic, but it never had to be, because Hashomer had created a safe environment through an anti-prejudice policy, which allowed me to feel cozy. The crucial moment I was talking about took place when a black activist was invited to give a speech about black feminism. From then on, I was not alone anymore. I felt love and familiarity with that black woman. I loved how she hit her chest and spoke with energy about her colour and ancestry. I loved how her eyes shone while she talked about the pain and the burdens she had to bear throughout her life. She sounded familiar when I understood that her fight was my fight. From then on, I began not just to accept, but to love the colour of my skin, the texture of my hair and the thickness of my lips. I began to understand the important role I occupied, not only inside the tnua or the Jewish community. I began to acknowledge and introduce myself as a black woman; to step in whenever people hesitated to describe

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me. And, at last, I began to give more value to my place of speech and my privileges; to search for a safe place where I could express myself and become a representative for those who can’t speak for themselves, and so, I began to fight for their right to have such a place. Because I did not have a black woman role model in the Jewish community for a long time, I would be this role model so that other girls like me would not need to take so long to learn how to love themselves.

HASHOMER HATZAIR AND SISTERHOOD Eva Tardin Distelfeld

Peila Ken Beit Mordechai Anilewicz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2017 According to the German philosopher Martin Buber, social relations consist of two mechanisms: the I-I, that happens when the individual searches for experiences and knowledge and, in the end, grows apart from the particular relation. And the I-You, that happens when a relation is connected to a universe of essentiality, reciprocity and dialogue. It is clear that the I-You connection has been historically ignored; the human faculty of empathy is rare and selfishness turns out to be something valuable. This is an explanation for the existence of abusive interactions, regarding both individual and collective lives, from micro to macro levels. This phenomenon affects everyone; however some people, minorities in particular, have to deal with it more than others — by being surrounded by this abuse every day. I belong to two different mar-

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ginalized groups: women and Jews. And I only intend to speak about these matters, nothing else. But oppression is not passive, there is always resistance — a word that I have learned about in Hashomer Hatzair.

When I think about female resistance, the first thing that comes to my mind is the concept of women based on companionship, which is an essential concept regarding all dimensions of one’s life. In addition to the denotative meaning, sisterhood is the competence of feeling empathy, from one woman to another; in other words, it means to try your best in order to understand the place where a woman stands, to build an I-You relationship and a dialogue that is free of destructive criticism, and especially to join forces and support each other, so both can grow mutually.

Writing these words reminds me of many sexist situations that I have witnessed inside Hashomer, but they also remind me of the resistance that I have learned and taught about. Once, during a sicha, we asked the 9 year old chanichim if they had ever been forbidden to be themselves for any reason. A girl told us that, several times, she had to stop playing and speaking because she knew that the boys would mess with her otherwise. So, after the sicha I told her that she could use me as a support whenever she needed, especially in moments like that. We talked for a while, and she told me about other oppressions that she had suffered, even at such a young age. I told her that nothing could ever shut her mouth, that she would never have to change on account of being a woman and that this is how empowerment works. I believe that we shared the most pure kind of sisterhood in that moment — and that was how I finally learned that sisterhood is a form of resistance too.

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HASHOMER HATZAIR AND LGBTQ+ Bruna Rubinsztajn

Bogeret Ken Negba, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2017 It is curious, even funny, to write about matters of identity in the heart of the 21st century. Here, I write as a Jewish woman, who belongs to the LGBTQ+ community and to Hashomer; and I ask myself if this should be a contradictory sentence. It is not.

What’s even more curious is that these identities — and their very existence — have come out for good, but there still are some that find it difficult to be acknowledged out loud.

There are places that provide us with comfort, so we can be affirmed in who we really are; and there are other places that force us to declare things we do not even think about. How much do we actually contemplate our own identity and our participation in groups and communities?

In a Jewish community, for instance, it is rather easy to say “I am a Jew”; but it is almost impossible to say “I am gay”. I know how cliche this sentence sounds, but my argument is here. We can’t talk about identity without talking about representation — and going further, about oppression — first. You can’t say that you belong to a widely oppressed community, if you belong to a widely oppressor community.

“Being a woman” and “being LGBTQ+” are both oppressed and marginalized identities, due to structural, historical, and especially religious matters. In conservative communities, such as

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the Jewish one, sexism and homophobia grow stronger and the refusal of these identities is even worse. I must ask: how many Jewish LGBTQ+ do we know? More specifically, how many Jewish transgender people do we know?

Hashomer Hatzair, as a movement that claims to be at the vanguard, is ahead of the curve regarding the Jewish communities, especially nowadays, in 2017. Among such conservatism, Hashomer is a comfortable environment, where LGBTQ+ people and feminist women are welcome to discuss and address any of these issues; however, there’s still much work to do. Now that society is so immersed in the struggles of these marginalized groups, it has been easier to acknowledge, admit, and represent particular identities, but it hasn’t always been that way, and this is frightening.

How many LGBTQ madrichim*ot have we seen in the tnua?

How many of them have told their chanichim*ot that they were LGBTQ? I understand that Hashomer is living a process and that it is ahead of other social environments regarding these issues; but within its doors, things are more difficult to be achieved. As an educator of Hashomer Hatzair, I can’t simply talk about my sexual orientation with my chanichim*ot; some of them may leave the tnua because of it, or we might have to deal with parents’ complaints. Once again, my argument is here.

This is generating a cycle. The chanichim*ot do not get to engage with actual representation, so their understanding of non-heteronormativity as something “normal” is blocked and this subject is turned, once again, into a taboo. Everyone is straight, unless proven otherwise: the phenomenon of heteronormativity.

The chanichim*ot do not have space to become aware of themselves, to acknowledge themselves as LGBTQ+, simply because heterosexuality is the rule.

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When I came out, I used to see Hashomer as a refugee, where I could feel safe; however, at the same time, my homosexual relationship was the “tnua’s gossip” and only a few people actually helped and protected me — many others did not know what to do.

The tnua addresses homosexuality, but is it ready to deal with a homosexual couple within its doors? Are the peilim*ot ready to protect this couple from the rest of the community?

In conclusion, to exist is to resist. For any oppressed identity, the simple act of self-acknowledgement is an act of resistance and fight in itself. It is important that people like me, women, Jewish, LGBTQ+ (not necessarily at the same time), acknowledge themselves, declare out loud the simple matter of existing.

Hashomer Hatzair is living the beginning of a huge struggle, to become a youth movement that makes room and provides representation to every one of us — where the chinuchi process, from the beginning, will lead to the deconstruction of all traces of heteronormativity, sexism and homophobia that are present in our chanichim*ot; and to a never-ending fight. A progressive movement that dares to dream, exist and resist any kind of threat.

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FUTURE STRUGGLES By analyzing all these stories and critiques it is clear that, step by step, the women of Hashomer Hatzair are managing to deconstruct both the large systems and the small details that uphold sexism in the tnua. However, even with this large collection of women leading the tnuati process, the lack of information and records are still a reality. Most of the time, to talk about Hashomer Hatzair and its fights is to talk about the men who appear as leaders of the processes, speaking in events and appearing in the photos. While the male figures are usually chosen and seen first in a Google search; the female names are harder to be found, even after deep research.

I would never be so naive as to think that this phenomenon is the consequence of pure chance. We must raise awareness about the intentional and constant preference for male representation — which happens even when the earlier steps of the work were all taken by a woman. Hashomer Hatzair carries along the burden of sexism just like the rest of society; our movement mirrors the wider social relations of our lives.

We urge for feminist and anti-sexist policy, both in the tnua and the society. I believe it will be more difficult to silence women, and preventing their development in the tnua will be harder and harder — the same goes for the society around us. This collection aims at addressing all these names above, so they start being quoted and recalled, and we get to know about their current and past existence — and about other names that will come out more and more often in the future.

As Shomrot, we have an obligation to our own growth, and the growth of others; and an obligation to make Hashomer Hatzair a more inclusive place, where people feel represented, 130

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encouraged and empowered. In my opinion, the phenomenon of female dugma ishit is getting stronger and spreading. In the near future, it will possibly lead to days of greater autonomy, representativity and influence for the tnua.

It is also our responsibility, as an educational movement, to make it possible to create a process of understanding and transformation of aggressors and abusers: Hashomer Hatzair must treat these people as human beings that are part of society, to have an educational role towards them.

I also think that part of my mission as a woman is to address, through education, the deconstruction of the dream of patriarchal society; but on the other hand, I must respect my limits, as a person who was raised in this very same society. We must never forget that we have full legitimacy and prerogative to demand our place, just like anyone who works in a youth movement should have. The empowerment of women, and the deconstruction of sexism, are increasingly expanding the female representation in tafkidim that have been mostly occupied by men.

I trust you with my expectation that this book will become an encouraging tool for many of the future female leaders of our tnua — as the personalities that I met throughout this journey were to me. I believe I can only acknowledge myself as a woman today because of the women who came before me — my roots. And I hope that many other women will seek, in their future, what I am now and what I am trying to become.

Chaverot*im, Chazak! Chazak Ve’Ematz! Chizki Ve’Imtzi!

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

It is impossible not to thank all the wonderful people who have made this project possible. In the first place, each one of the incredible women who have shared their stories with me, and given the means to create this collection. Then, I would like to thank my great friends, Arnon Segal Hochman, Asi Garbasz, Bruno Frajblat, Diana Lacs Sichel, Ezequiel Lamdan Pessach, Gabriela Glazman, Michel Zisman Zalis and Rafael Turkienicz, who listened, supported, and brought me the best suggestions, in order to build a collective work through love and care in Hashomer. In addition, a special thanks to B’nai Brith’s Albert Einstein Store and Patricia Tomalsquin, an inspiring woman, who came to me while this book was in progress and, out of the blue, decided to support the project.

Thanks to Ana Carolina Wrobel de Villeroy, Laura Gryner de Moraes, Lúcia Duarte Soares and, again, Michel Zisman Zalis, the minds behind the illustration, preface, revision and graphic design of the Portuguese version of the book.

There’s a seat full of care and love reserved for my brave mother, Shirlei London, who has helped me think of how to make this project viable.

I shall be forever grateful to the people and institutions who have supported the creation of this book: . Eva and Helena Distelfeld . Família Israel . Família Sichel . Ilana and Mariano Zalis and family, together with Regina Rotenberg Zisman . Jacques, Marcos and Monica Clapauch Motta

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. Joëlle Rouchou . Liran Levy . Maika Caner . Paulina Hechtman . Rachel Gorayeb . Regina Gutnik Kosminsky . Salomão and Miriam Lacs Z’’L At last, I would like to thank everyone who has contributed, in any way, to this work, either by providing information, suggestions, worries, care or encouragement.

In addition to the acknowledgments that were already registered in the Portuguese version, at each stage of work with this research, the number of people who help me and allow this knowledge to be widespread only increases. For this version of the book translated into English, I would like to express my deep thanks to the worldwide Hashomer Hatzair tnua, especially Oren Zukierkorn, who not only made several efforts to make this translation possible financially, but who was also available to listen and give the best recommendations in the most difficult of moments, and in the most human and kind way.

It is indispensable to also thank Karen Isaacs, post bogeret of Hashomer Hatzair Canada, who carefully went through several versions of the English translation, reviewing each line with affection and patience. Being able to have this exchange with Karen was not only necessary for this English version to effectively become a book, but it was also extremely valuable to have someone so motivated and socially concerned taking part in this project. After all this process, I undoubtedly say that Karen is one of the women who should have been added to this book as part of Hashomer Hatzair’s story.

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I would like to thank Sofia Roitman Gomes Ribeiro, a Shomeret, important and inspiring mazkira from the ken of Brasilia and a very beloved friend who dedicated her time and ability to give another look and meticulous review of the English translation, making it possible to bring this version closer to my original writing.

Finally, I would like to thank Juliana Motta Biancardine and Michel Zisman Zalis for the graphic design work and Ilana Zisman with the illustration of the English version, making this research more complete and full of love. Michel was the friend who did all of the graphic design part of the Portuguese version, the one who printed the first copy of the book and gave it to me as a surprise. Like this, on a random day of our lifes, he gave me one of the best gifts I could ask for, the first possibility of seeing and touching my book. After all the work with the Portuguese version, he was the one that introduced me to Juliana, and they were both responsible for bringing Ilana’s art into this book. I feel amazingly happy because in this version I had the possibility of adding these two strong, amazing and caring women in the design and illustration part, which I feel represents more the Mariana I am in 2020, who has a lot of similarities (as is the same text) but also a lot of differences from 2017. I will always be thankful for them for making this version so beautiful and meaningful for me.

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GLOSSARY

Achad B’May: “May 1st” Aliyah: “rise” Immigration to Israel.

Hamosad Lealiyah Bet: illegal immigration to Israel be-

tween 1934 and 1948.

Aseifa: “meeting”. Deliberation in Hashomer Hatzair involving ideological arguments/bureaucracies of the ken.

Bat Mitzvah: a ceremony where women reach adulthood.

Banot: “girls”.

Beit Ha’Am: “house of the people”. Many communitary (physical) centers based in Israeli cities and kibbutzim were given this name.

Bereshit LaShalom: “A beginning for peace”. Educational foundation that provides dialogue through art, founded by Angelica Edna Calo.

Birkenau: one of the Holocaust extermination camps in Poland.

Bitania Ilit: first kvutza of Hashomer to make aliyah, in 1921.

Bogrut: “maturity”. One of the Hashomer Hatzair age stages.

Boger and Bogrim/Bogeret and Bogrot/Bogrot*im: “mature man” and plural/”mature woman” and plural/”mature” without gender distinction. A stage/age grouping in Hashomer Hatzair.

Challah: bread eaten in Jewish ceremonies, particularly Shabbat.

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Chalutz and Chalutzim/Chalutza and Chalutzot/Chalutzot*im: “pioneer man” and plural/”pioneer woman” and plu-

ral/”pioneer” without gender distinction.

Chalutzi: “pioneer”, but alluding to an object.

Chanich and Chanichim/Chanicha and Chanichot/Chanichot*im: “male learner” and plural/”female learner” and

plural/”learner” without gender distinction. Usually refers to participants in Hashomer Hatzair activities.

Chativa: military or institutional “division”.

Chaver and Chaverim/Chavera Chaverot/Chaverot*im:

“male friend” and plural/”female friend” and plural; “friend” without gender distinction. The word used by Hashomer Hatzair members to call each other.

Chazak

Veematz/Chizki

Vemtzi/Chizku

Veimtzu:

“strength and courage” spoken to a man /“strength and courage” spoken to a woman/”strength and courage” without gender distinction. Hashomer Hatzair motto.

Cheder Haochel: “eating hall”.

Chinuchi: “educational”.

Chultza Shomrit: uniform Blue shirt of Hashomer Hatzair.

Balfour declaration: a letter sent in 1917, by Arthur James Balfour to the Baron Rothschild. The letter states the interest of the British government in facilitating the settlement of the National Jewish Home in Palestine.

Dibrot: “commandments”.

Erevim: “evenings”. Get-togethers in Hashomer Hatzair to take part in activities.

Garin: cooperative group.

Gdud Tel Amal: shichva formed by chanichim from the

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Warsaw Ghetto.

Gdudim: group of Hashomer Hatzair Kvutzot of the same age.

Givat Haviva: educational institute founded by Hashomer Hatzair in Israel.

Ginat Egoz: Israeli song.

Gizbar and Gizbarim/Gizbarit and Gizbarot: “male treasurer” and plural/”female treasurer” and plural.

Habo: Habonim Dror Australia nickname.

Habonim: refers to Habonim Dror, a Socialist Zionist Jewish Youth Movement. The literal translation would be “builders of freedom”.

Hachshara: “training”.

Hadracha: “guidance”. Refers to facilitation of groups and chanichim in Hashomer Hatzair.

Hagana: “defence”. Jewish paramilitary organization active in Palestine between 1920 and 1948.

Hagshama: “fulfillment”.

Haifa: Israeli city.

Hanhaga: “leadership”. The directive body of the tnua.

Hashomer: “guardian”. The former group of Hashomer Hatzair that merged with Tzeirei Tzion.

Hashomer Hatzair: “Young Guardian”. Socialist Zionist Jewish Youth Movement.

Hashy: Hashomer Hatzair Australia nickname.

Hazorea: Hashomer Hatzair kibbutz in Israel.

Histadrut: “organization”, “union”.

IDF: “Israel Defense Forces”.

Yishuv: “settlement”.

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Ken/Kenim: “nest” and plural. Hashomer Hatzair venues.

Keren Kayemet: “National Jewish Fund”.

Keren Hayesod: “Communitary Fund”.

Kibbutz/Kibbutzim: pluralist and cooperative agricultural

communities in Israel.

Kibbutz Artzi: federation of Hashomer Hatzair kibbutzim.

Kidma: “progress”.

Kiddush: shabbat wine prayer.

Knesset: Israeli parliament.

Kol Israel: Israeli radio station.

Kovshim: “conquerors”. Used to be a name of a certain age group in Hashomer Hatzair.

Kvutza/Kvutzot: “group” and plural. Hashomer Hatzair age groups.

Machane Choref/Kayitz: “summer/winter camp”. A trip for chanichot*im, with Hashomer Hatzair activities.

Madrich and Madrichim/Madricha and Madrichot/Madrichim*ot: “male educator” and plural/”female educator”

and plural/”educators” without gender distinction.

Mapai: “Workers’ Party of the Land of Israel”. Former Israeli political party.

Mapam: “United Workers Party”. Former Israeli political party founded by Hashomer Hatzair Ma’apilim: early illegal settlers of Israel.

Mazkir and Mazkirim/Mazkira and Mazkirot/Mazkirot*im: “male general secretary” and plural/”female gen-

eral secretary” and plural/”general secretaries” without gender distinction.

Mazkirat kibbutz: general secretary of a kibbutz.

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Mazkirut: Secretariat, the group elected to be responsible

for a particular thing in Hashomer Hatzair.

Meretz: “Energy”. Israeli political party.

Mifkad: Hashomer Hatzair closing or opening ceremony at events.

Mishmar HaEmek: a kibbutz in Israel.

Mishna: the written collection of the Jewish oral traditions.

Moshava Shomria: name given to the camp sites of the Hashomer Hatzair summer camps in Canada and the United States.

Nachshon: an Israeli kibbutz and the name of the Hashomer Hatzair Venezuela Ken. Negba: an Israeli kibbutz.

Negev: a desert in Israel.

Nikayon: “cleaning”.

Oleh chadash/olim chadashim/olah chadasha/olot chadashot: “male new immigrant” and plural/”female new im-

migrant” and plural.

Oranim: Israeli college.

Palmach: Zionist paramilitary defense group.

Peil Mekomit/Peila Mekomit: “local activist”. A person hired as a coordinator in the Latin American kenim of Hashomer Hatzair.

Peilut: group of Hashomer Hatzair activists.

Peil and Peilim/Peila and Peilot: male activist and plural/ female activist and plural.

Peula/Peulot: “activity” and plural. Discussion, conversation, debate or activity held in Hashomer Hatzair.

Pre Peilut: kvutza in the last year as chanichot*im.

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Ratz: “Movement for Civil Rights and Peace”. Former Israeli

political party.

Rikud: “dance”.

Rosh and Roshei: “male coordinator/female coordinator”

and plural.

Rosh Chinuch and Roshei Chinuch: “male/female educa-

tion coordinator” and plural.

Rosh Ken and Roshei Ken: “male/female ken coordinator”

and plural. Secretaries of the kenim of Hashomer Hatzair Europe.

Rosh Meoravut and Roshei Meoravut: “male/female involvement coordinator” and plural.

Rosh Tarbut and Roshei Tarbut: “male/female culture coordinator” and plural.

Ruach: “wind” or “spirit”. Ken Australia’s get-together, when everybody sings their songs, is called that way.

Seder Pesach: the supper during Passover, when the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt is recalled.

Shabat: “Saturday”. Jewish sabbath and day of rest.

Shaliach and Shlichim/Shelicha and Shlichot/Shlichot*im: “emissary man” and plural/”emissary woman” and

plural/”emissary people” without gender distinction. Someone sent from Israel to become responsible for a ken or a group of kenim in the diaspora.

Shlichona: person hired as an organizer/coordinator in Hashomer Hatzair Europe kenim.

Shichva: Hashomer Hatzair age groups.

Shnat: short for “Shnat Hachshara”. Training year for the 18 year old kvutzot in Israel.

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Shnat Sherut: “volunteering year”. Volunteering time be-

fore the Israeli military service.

Shoah: “Holocaust”.

Shomerol: member of Hashomer Hatzair Canada without gender distinction.

Shomerian: Belgian members of Hashomer Hatzair.

Shomria: one of Hashomer Hatzair’s large educational gatherings, mostly seminars.

Shomeric: action/object related to Hashomer Hatzair, in the masculine and the feminine genders.

Shomer and Shomrim/Shomeret and Shomrot/Shomrot*im: “male Hashomer Hatzair member” and plural/ “fe-

male Hashomer Hatzair member” and plural/ “Hashomer Hatzair members” without gender distinction.

Shomrit: something related to Hashomer Hatzair.

Sicha/Sichot: “conversation” and plural.

Tafkid/Tafkidim: “role” and plural.

Theodor Herzl: Hungarian Zionist thinker. Herzl was the founding father of Political Zionism and responsible for the first Zionist Congress, in 1897.

Tisha B’Av: “Ninth of Av”. Jewish mourning day. On this day, the Jews remember the destruction of the first and second Temples.

Tnuat Noar/Tnuot Noar: “youth movement” and plural.

Tnuati: related to the tnua.

Tochnit/Tochniot: “program” and plural. Pedagogical planning aiming at a specific goal and group of Hashomer Hatzair.

Torah: Jewish religious tradition’s most sacred book.

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Known also as the “Old Testament” — the first part of the Christian Bible.

Tzavta: ken of Hashomer Hatzair Buenos Aires.

Tzeirim Bet: “young bet”. Name of a shichva of Hashomer Hatzair.

Tzerei Tzion: “Zion Youth”. The movement that merged with Hashomer to create Hashomer Hatzair.

Tzevet: “group” or “work team”. Hashomer Hatzair work group.

Tzofim/Tzofot: “scout boys”/ “scout girls”. Name of a shichva of Hashomer Hatzair.

Tzofim Bogrim/Tzofot Bogrot: “mature scout boys”/ “mature scout girls”. Name of a shichva of Hashomer Hatzair.

Ulpan: Hebrew language classes.

Wizo: “Women’s International Zionist Organization”.

Yehuda: fourth son of Jacob and Leah, part of a Jewish biblical story.

Yom Avodah: “work day”.

ZOB: Jewish resistance organization that fought in Poland during the Second World War.

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HAKIM, Esther Carmel. Jewish Women’s Archive. Available at:<https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/author/carmel-hakim-esther Accessed on 03.07.2017.

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NOTES 1. Song “Sad, mar or mean” — Juliana Strassacapa 2. “Hashomer Hatzair, A life story 1903 - 1920” — Jayme Fucs

Bar 3. Free translation from English, https://en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Beba_Idelson e https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/ idelson-beba.

4. Free translation from English, https://jwa.org/encyclope-

dia/article/Ra- kovsky-Puah.

5. Free translation from English, ”Ha Masa Le Polin 2013”

booklet — Hashomer Hatzair.

6. Book “Women in the Resistance” — Frida Milgrom 7. Free translation from English, https://jwa.org/encyclope-

dia/article/Gros- man-Haika.

8. Free translation from English, https://jwa.org/encyclope-

dia/article/ Reik-Havivah.

9. Free translation from English, https://jwa.org/encyclope-

dia/article/Robo- ta-Roza.

10. Free translation from English, https://jwa.org/encyclo-

pedia/article/ Korczak-Marla-Rozka.

11. Free translation from English, https://jwa.org/people/

altman-tosia; “Ha Masa Le Polin 2013” booklet - Hashomer Hatzair 147

12. Free translation from English, https://jwa.org/ency-

clopedia/article/ kashariyot-couriers-in-Jewish-resistance-during-holocaust.

13. Free translation from English, https://jwa.org/encyclo-

pedia/article/Ar- non-Yehudit.

14. “Hashomer Hatzair, A life story 1903 - 1920” — Jayme

Fucs Bar 15. Free translation from Spanish “Berta Jazan” — Givat Ha-

viva.

16. Free translation from English, https://jwa.org/encyclo-

pedia/articleLe- vine-Talmi-Emma e https://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Emma_Talmi.

17. Free translation from English, http://www.kibbutz.org.il/

itonut/2012/dafyarok/121115_sara_eshel.htm.

18. Free translation from English, https://en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Shulamit_Aloni and http://www.conexaoisrael.org/ obrigado-por-tudo-shulamit/2014-01-26 joao.

19. Free translation from English, https://jwa.org/encyclo-

pedia/article/bat-dori- shulamit.

20. Free translation from Hebrew, book “Kehilateinu” —

Meir Yari.

21. Free translation from Hebrew “Megilat hashomrim

haveida ha’artzit 2014“ — Merkaz Hadracha Hashomer Hatzair Israel.

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149

150

“ (...) as always, we women must go after the things we want by ourselves — This has been the setup of our struggles and pursuits for equal rights since the beginning, and maybe it will always be this way. So, I came to this basic fact: if I can’t find documents or references about those women, no one can, meaning that their stories are ageing, and being forgotten in the meantime. There is a need to start compiling those names as soon as possible. ”