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The Painful Silence: Terrorism’s Forgotten Victims

December 18, 2012 by

The Times of Israel

December 18, 2012

By Gila Berdichev

In September, US Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed by terrorists who stormed the US Embassy. Just a few weeks later, a car bomb killed Lebanese security chief Wissam al-Hassan. And last month, a serious Hamas offensive sent rockets into Israeli cities previously thought invulnerable, killing five and wounding 70 private citizens. Now, our brothers and sisters in the United States are reeling from a mass execution at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, an act of extreme violence that left 26 dead, including 20 young children.

Unfortunately, this latest surge of violence circumventing the globe is nothing new.Over the last year, I have heard stories about many other attacks, bombings and grisly murders around the world – premeditated acts of terror as well as impulsive and senseless acts of violence.

When terror acts occur in Israel, we pray that there are no fatalities. When one man is killed, it is as though the whole country has a lost a father, brother, husband or friend. When one young girl dies, all of Israel mourns the death of their little girl. In the hours after an attack, we focus on the death toll. And if there are no fatalities, we breathe a deep sigh of relief and go about our day. [Read more…]

Filed Under: In the Press

Running the Marine Corps Marathon for ATZUM

December 17, 2012 by

On October 28, over 23,000 runners from across North America gathered in Arlington, VA for the 37th Annual Marine Corps Marathon. Among them was Daniel Schwartz, a man on a mission.  Schwartz, a native of Silver Spring, MD, decided to run the marathon in a bid to raise money for ATZUM. 

Though the marathon covers a grueling stretch of 26.2 miles (from Arlington, VA then winding through the streets of Washington,DC), the thought of quitting never even crossed his mind.  He explained, “Completing a marathon is far easier when the runner realizes that his task has purpose beyond race day.  ATZUM’s four core projects improve Israeli society and the organization’s work is truly inspirational.”  Of course it also doesn’t hurt to have a cheering section, and his wife Shira and daughters Noa and Keren supported him by wearing t-shirts bearing his picture and the inspirational phrase, ‘chazak, chazak, v’nitzchazek.’ [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog

TFHT Presents: Professor Gail Dines at Hebrew University

December 3, 2012 by

TFHT is pleased to announce that on December 19, Professor Gail Dines will present a lecture entitled “How Porn Creates the John: Porn, Trafficking and the Social Construction of Masculinity” at Hebrew University on Mount Scopus. The lecture will take place in The Faculty of Social Sciences Building room 3202 beginning at 2:30 PM. The Task Force on Human Trafficking and The Lafer Center for Women and Gender Studies are hosting the event.

Professor Dines is Professor of Sociology and Women Studies at Wheelock College in Boston, MA. An internationally acclaimed speaker, she is the author of numerous articles and books, including her most recent work Pornland: How Porn has Hijacked our Sexuality.

For more information, please contact Rebecca.

Filed Under: Events and Announcements

Prostitution in Israel: Myth vs reality

December 3, 2012 by

Jerusalem Post

December 3, 2012

By Rebecca Hughes

For too long, the conversation surrounding prostitution has been based on a myth. While the damage that stems from inaccurate depictions of prostitution in popular culture is significant, it is nothing compared to the damage created by misinformed policymakers and law enforcement officials.

There is a dangerous gap between the glamorous depiction of prostitution in pop-culture and the reality that prostituted women and minors are forced to contend with on a daily basis.

When society’s decision makers ascribe to these myths and are oblivious to the suffering of prostituted people, real women and children fall into the abyss and are all too often unable to climb back out. [Read more…]

Filed Under: In the Press