Readers of Olam Yehudi more than likely agree with my strongly-held viewpoint that it is extremely important to increase the visibility of women in our community. Unfortunately, at least in America, there isn’t much being done about the lack of visibility of women. As a matter of fact, most women are not even aware that a phenomenon exists whereby women are excluded from publications or any visible role. And, if they are aware, there reactions are either apathy at the ability to change a force that seems out of our realm of influence, acquiescence or even a condoning of the practice in the interest of loosely-defined tznuis.
I tend to rely on my (Facebook) friends in Israel to get any type of inspiration or motivation that something can be done to change the trajectory of the erasure of the women. In Israel, there is a growing pushback against publications that erase women, the forced separation of sexes in non-religious venues, and the imposing of rigid modesty standards. Watching these brave women from afar, I try to emulate them – with, sadly, very little success.
Right before the holidays began, I noticed on Facebook that people were discussing a poster of prominent women for the sukkah. The poster was drawn by Debbie Kaszemacher Grovais and being distributed by Esty Shushan, creator of the Israeli political movement, No Voice No Vote. The platform is simple: If women aren’t represented in political parties, those parties should not receive the female vote. The posters have beautiful lifelike illustrations of Donna Gracia Nasi, the Rebbetzin of Lublin, Rebbetzin Batsheva Kanievsky, Sara Schenirer, Rebbetzin Chaya Muska Schneerson, Rabbanit Margalit Yosef, and Rabbanit Asnat Barazani, all incredible role models who deserve a place of recognition.
I bought 20 copies and eagerly awaited the posters. Call it hashagacha or blame it on UPS’s inability to overcome office bureaucracy, but the posters only arrived on Chol Hamoed (thanks to my incredible husband who ran around for days trying to locate them; without Jacob, I probably wouldn’t have gotten the posters before Chanukah). I wasn’t able to give out the posters on Sukkos which is a good thing. Unlike in Israel, it poured in New York over the holiday, and the posters, although coated, were not laminated and would not have lasted more than the first few days.
Instead, I began to give out the posters as presents, encouraging my friends and relatives to put them up in their homes, for their daughters to see and to find out more about them. Other than Sarah Schenirer and Rebbezin Batsheva Kaniefsky, the women on the poster were unknown to almost everyone.
Slowly but surely, I gave out the posters to women who would not on their own initiative consider purchasing a display of women, even one of such modestly dressed women. However, after a little persuasion, nobody turned down a poster of women, who, despite their different limitations, affected tremendous change, each in her own way.
This wasn’t blanket marketing, or guerilla tactics, it was more of a stealth approach, a gentle reminder that women like to see other women, that these special people shouldn’t be lost to the pages of history. Women responded to this approach and were happy to receive the poster.
This little incident, my own contribution to the push for including women, reminded me that, sometimes, even a little effort can go a long way. After all, as I told Tzippy Shushan after she expressed her regret that the posters were so delayed in arriving, we are running a marathon, not a sprint.
Sometimes, the smallest action can make a difference. When a friend of mine realized that an advertisement for the company she worked for was only going to utilize male images, she went to her (female) boss and insisted that if women couldn’t be photographed, there shouldn’t be any images used at all. Another wealthy friend of mine was asked for a donation to support a well-known Torah class website. When she realized that there were thumbnail images of the male speakers, but not the female speaker, she told the fundraiser that although the site was doing good work, until those in charge allowed thumbnails of women on their website, she could not support their cause.
Over time, with gentle, positive actions and initiatives, putting our money and time towards organizations and institutions that respect and include women, it is possible to change perceptions and, then, our ultimate goal, policy.