Israeli Pioneer in Peace and Women's Movements to Speak
During Women's History Month at USM
March 4, 2004
The University of Southern Maine Women's History Month keynote
speaker is Marcia Freedman, a pioneer of the Israeli women's
and peace movements. Freedman will speak on "Women, Peace
and Political Action: The Israeli Experience" at 5:30 p.m.,
Monday, March 15, in Luther Bonney Auditorium on the Portland
campus. Her address is free and open to the public, as is
a reception in her honor that will take place at 7 p.m. in
the Woodbury Campus Center.
The annual Women's History Month dinner will also take place
in the Woodbury Campus Center at 7:30 p.m. on March 15. Tickets
for the dinner are $15 public and $9 for students and must
be reserved by calling USM's Women's Studies Office at 780-4862.
Freedman emigrated from the United States to Israel in 1967.
She was elected to the Israeli Knesset and served from 1973-1977
as a member of the Citizens Rights Movement. She raised concerns
not addressed in Israel before--domestic violence, rape, incest,
breast cancer, and teenage prostitution. She introduced legislation
that led to reform of Israel's then highly restrictive abortion
law and in 1977 co-founded the Women's Party.
During her years in Israel, Freedman was an active member
of the Israeli peace movement and is currently president of
Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and
Peace, a national organization of American Jews committed
to Israel's well-being through the achievement of a negotiated
settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
She is the author of "Exile in the Promised Land," a memoir
of her years in Israel.
Editor's Note: To help arrange interviews with Freedman,
please contact USM's Office of Public Affairs at 780-4200.
USM is celebrating Women's History Month with a varied series
of events, including a March 20 walking tour of "Portland
Irish Women's History." A list of events that are open to
the public appears below:
Thursday, March 4
Ladies' High Tea and Feminist Insurgency Society discussion,
"Working Class Women & the Academy," Sonia Acevedo, USM English
major, Eileen Eagan, USM and Janet Zandy, author of "Calling
Home: Working-Class Women's Writings," 2:30-4 p.m., Woodbury
Campus Center Amphitheater, Portland, free and open to the
public, 780-4289.
Friday, March 5
Author Janet Zandy will join Kimberly Simmons' "Women and
Social Change" class, 9-11:30 a.m., Room 523, Luther Bonney
Hall, Portland, free and open to the public, 780-4289.
Tuesdays, March 9 and March 30
Lavender Bag Lunch Series sponsored by the Center for Sexualities
and Gender Diversity, 12 noon-1 p.m., Boiler Room, Woodbury
Campus Center, Portland, free and open to the public, 780-5767.
Tuesday, March 9
Women's History Month lecture, "Cultures of Desire: Peyton
Place and the Place of Writing in Working Class Life and Culture,"
Ardis Cameron, USM, 1:15-2:30 p.m., Woodbury Campus Center
Amphitheater, free and open to the public, 780-4289.
Wednesday, March 10
Women's Suffrage Film Series, "Life & Times of Rosie the Riveter,"
11:30-1:30 p.m., Women's Resource Center, Woodbury Campus
Center, Portland, free and open to the public, 780-4996.
Wednesday, March 10
Women's Resource Center Taboo Topics Series, "The Stigma of
Reporting Sexual Harassment," 7-8 p.m., Burnham Lounge, Robie-Andrews
Hall, Gorham, 780-4996.
Wednesday, March 17
Women's Resource Center Taboo Topics Series, "Breaking Up
Is Hard To Do," 12 noon-1 p.m., Woodbury Campus Center, Portland,
780-4996.
Saturday, March 20
Women's History Month Walking Tour: "Portland Irish Women's
History," 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., meet at the Irish Heritage Center
in St. Dominic's Church, 34 Gray St., Portland, free and open
to the public, for more information and to confirm details,
contact Professor Eileen Eagan, 780-5058.
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