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‘Women to Go’ Makes Its International Debut

August 12, 2012 by

On July 1, ‘Women to Go’ made its debut in North America. The Task Force on Human Trafficking with the help of event organizer, Phyllis Nutkis, brought the campaign to Evanston, Illinois. Women to Go forcefully confronts society with the evils of trafficking and prostitution by exposing these underground crimes in a public space. During a Women to Go event, women with price tags are placed in a storefront as if for sale, while volunteers explain the demonstration to passersby.

The event in Evanston focused on Backpage, a classified advertising site with an adult section. “There’s a tremendous number of ads that look like they’re for individual women offering their services, but really most of those are placed by pimps,” explained Phyllis. At the event, Phyllis and her volunteers collected 609 signatures on a petition urging Backpage to discontinue advertisements for sexual services.

The event was hosted by Williams Next Door, a small family owned women’s boutique. In addition to providing TFHT with the space, Williams Next Door also donated 10% of their sales that day to the campaign. Zoe Lembeck, one of the store’s owners, explained, “As soon as we heard about this, we jumped at the chance to be a part of it. We loved the creative presentation along with the informative and pragmatic side of it. Being part of this event feels exciting and relevant as a woman, and as a business owner.”

Although Phyllis hails from Chicago, she is one of TFHT’s most active volunteers. In addition to staging Women to Go Phyllis is also a lobbyist for Project 119. Phyllis credits her family who “…were always fighting for social justice,” with making social action an integral part of her everyday life. “I’ve been hearing about ATZUM’s work for years, and it’s inspiring. I always wanted to be a part of what ATZUM does, and this was something I could do.”

Organizing the event was at times challenging, though Phyllis maintains the “right person with the right skills would find it manageable.” She explains, “The rewards are many – meeting and working with dedicated, interesting, passionate volunteers; learning all kinds of new skills you didn’t know you had; and most of all knowing that you’ve done something really good and important in the world.”

If you are inspired by Phyllis’ success and want to contribute to the fight against human trafficking, host a Women-to-Go event in your community. To find out more, please e-mail Rebecca.

 

The Task Force on Human Trafficking debuted as Women to Go in Tel Aviv in October 2010.  The daylong event considerably raised public awareness about proposed legislation to criminalize the purchase of sexual services in Israel. Shalmor-Avnon-Amichay/Y&R, an Israeli advertising agency, designed the campaign for TFHT. The success of the Tel-Aviv event inspired TFHT to export Women to Go to different cities.

Filed Under: Events and Announcements

TFHT Participates in “A Dialogue Between Cultures” Conference

August 7, 2012 by

On July 24, ATZUM’s Task Force on Human Trafficking (TFHT) participated in the Knesset conference “Dialogue Between Cultures and the Fight against Human Trafficking: the Cultures of Eastern Asia” organized by Rachel Gershuni, Israel’s Ministry of Justice National Anti-Trafficking Coordinator. The Conference aimed to educate non-profit organizations and law enforcement and government officials about cultural differences that make identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking from East Asia challenging.

Israel is a destination country for low-skilled workers from Thailand, China, Nepal, the Philippines, India and Sri Lanka. Although many of these men and women come to Israel voluntarily for contract labor in the construction, agriculture, healthcare, and domestic care industries, some face conditions of forced labor. This includes unlawful withholding of passports, restrictions on movement, failure to pay wages, threats, sexual abuse and physical intimidation. Once in Israel, these men and women are vulnerable to being targeted for forced labor and sex trafficking. Additionally, labor recruitment agencies in Israel usually require workers pay recruitment fees of $1,000 to $10,000, a practice often resulting in workers suffering debt bondage.

 
When asked whether or not Ms. Gershuni considered the conference a success, she replied that she “fulfilled a personal dream by organizing this event,” and that it was the start of what she hoped would be a “larger conversation.” Ms. Gershuni plans to host the event in several other cities in Israel to continue to educate people about the importance of sensitivity to cultural differences while providing victims of trafficking with the assistance they require.

Filed Under: Blog

Orna Shurani to Celebrate 84th Birthday, Saved 27 Jewish Men

July 26, 2012 by

Arutz 7

July 22, 2012

By Chana Ya’ar

Later this month, Orna Shurani of Nahariya will celebrate her 84th birthday. For this particular woman, birthdays are a time of serious reflection as she risked her life on numerous occasions between 1944 and 1945 to save 27 Jewish men from Nazi persecution in Hungary. At several different points during that period, Orna was certain that she would not see her next birthday.

Now, so many years later, Orna is a recognized Righteous Among the Nations, a privilege that has earned her the right to live out her golden years in Israel surrounded by friends and family – a happy ending she could never have imagined. Born Erna Csizmadia in Hungary in 1928, Orna was the youngest of three sisters. The Csizmadia family was very close and Orna’s older sisters, Olga and Malvina, were very protective of her. [Read more…]

Filed Under: In the Press

Call to Action: Help Us Launch the ‘Jewish Tooth Fairy Fund’

July 26, 2012 by

Allow us to introduce you to the ‘Jewish Tooth Fairy Fund,’ ATZUM’s newest initiative.  The project is focused on providing a full range of dental services to Israeli survivors of terror attacks and their families who cannot afford the treatments and have no access to dental insurance.  Survivors of terror attacks often require dental intervention as a result of their injuries.  Additionally, many terror survivors who have reached advanced age require dentures they cannot afford, while those of any age often have teeth negatively affected by their long stays in hospitals and rehabilitation facilities and suffer pain and poor self-image as a result.

In each of these cases, ATZUM serves as an address to which these individuals can turn for financial and practical assistance in obtaining the dental care they so urgently require. However, we need your help to make the Jewish Tooth Fairy Fund a reality. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Events and Announcements

Righteous Among the Nations Bella Liper: 1917-2012

July 18, 2012 by

ATZUM is saddened to announce the passing of Bella Liper, a Righteous Among the Nations and all-around extraordinary individual who lived in Haifa for over 60 years.

Here is her story:

Bella Liper was born in 1917 in Kiev, Ukraine as Valentina Yakimova.

As the only girl among five children, Bella was pampered by her parents and enjoyed a very happy and comfortable childhood.  In school, Bella met Luvka Liper, a Jew from the area.  Later, they married and finished their education together. In 1941, Bella gave birth to their first daughter, Hanna.

When the Nazis reached Bella’s hometown, all of the Jews were ordered to gather in the ghettos.  Bella decided to smuggle her husband out of the ghetto and hid him in her room. Soon, they realized that this arrangement was unsafe and they looked for a new hiding place.  They decided that Luvka would hide in the storage area below the house, a large space created between the ground and the floor by the house’s wooden support beams.

As time passed, several members of Luvka’s extended family came to Bella for help. Without a second thought, she welcomed each of them warmly and hid them in the hiding place below her house. After three weeks, there were seven people under Bella’s care. Bella kept them all safe and well-fed until 1945, when the Russian soldiers had conquered the area.

After the Russians took over, the Germans were forced to escape.  As they retreated, they burned everything within 300 meters of the railroad tracks to ensure that no one would attack the German trains and they would have a clean getaway.  Because Bella’s house was located next to the railroad, the whole group, including Bella, Luvka, their baby and Luvka’s extended family, was forced to escape and find refuge elsewhere.  After traveling a great distance by foot, the group happened upon a safe house.  They stayed there until 1948, when Bella, Luvka and little Hanna immigrated to Israel.

In Israel, Luvka was immediately drafted to the army.  Bella settled down in a little apartment in Haifa, where she gave birth to her second child, a son.  After Luvka was released from the army, the family bought a new house and lived a peaceful life in Haifa.

A few years ago, Luvka passed away, and Bella moved into an apartment in Kiryat Eliezer.  Though she missed Luvka, she was never alone – her big loving family, including actual family members and her extended ATZUM family, visited her all the time.

On Friday, July 13, Bella passed away at the age of 95.  She was laid to rest by family and friends at the Old Haifa Cemetery. 

May her memory always be a blessing for the Jewish people and a constant reminder of the humanity within us all.

Yael Rosen
Project Coordinator, Righteous Among the Nations

 

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

It’s Time You Became A ‘Jewish Tooth Fairy’

June 28, 2012 by

Allow us to introduce you to the ‘Jewish Tooth Fairy Fund,’ ATZUM’s newest initiative.  The project is focused on providing a full range of dental services to Israeli survivors of terror attacks and their families who cannot afford the treatments and have no access to dental insurance.  Survivors of terror attacks often require dental intervention as a result of their injuries.  Additionally, many terror survivors who have reached advanced age require dentures they cannot afford, while those of any age often have teeth negatively affected by their long stays in hospitals and rehabilitation facilities and suffer pain and poor self-image as a result.

In each of these cases, ATZUM serves as an address to which these individuals can turn for financial and practical assistance in obtaining the dental care they so urgently require. However, we need your help to make the Jewish Tooth Fairy Fund a reality.

We are seeking a community that is willing to be a Jewish Tooth Fairy for ‘Nachum’. He is a 47 year-old husband and father of three who was seriously injured in a 2003 bus bombing in Jerusalem while on his way to work. Prior to the bombing, ‘Nachum’ owned and operated a vegetable shop, and was able to provide for his family. However, ‘Nachum’ is now unable to work as a result of his severe post-traumatic stress, and his family is struggling financially. His recovery is a long and difficult process, and he still has a long way to go.

ATZUM will partner with Israeli dentists willing to donate their time to provide ‘Nachum’ with the care he requires. One dentist met with ‘Nachum’, and they are eager to begin a treatment that will ease his pain. The dental work is extensive and the necessary materials are costly. In order to treat ‘Nachum” appropriately, $4,000 must be raised in short period of time.

We appeal to you, your friends and your community to help us bring relief to ‘Nachum’ and his family.  It’s time you became a Jewish Tooth Fairy.

Sincerely,

Levi Lauer
Founding Executive Director, ATZUM

Gila Berdichev
Coordinator, Survivors of Terror Project

Rebecca Hughes
Assistant Coordinator, Survivors of Terror Project

Filed Under: Blog

SAVE THE DATE: ‘Women To Go’ Chicago

June 26, 2012 by

In October 2010, TFHT staged the first ‘Women To Go’ live installation in Tel-Aviv to raise public awareness about sex trafficking and garner support for legislation to criminalize the purchase of sexual services.  Israel’s Women To Go campaign drew much local and international attention and was highlighted by Israeli news coverage and a feature on CNN. 

Chicago’s installation will take place Sunday, July 1, at Williams Next Door, 706 Church St. in Evanston, Illinois.  The specific call to action will be a petition to pressure Village Voice Media, owners of Backpage.com to discontinue their “adult” services section, the largest venue in the U.S. for trafficking of women and girls.  You can sign the petition here.

The Women-to-Go Campaign features women posing “for sale” in a display window, complete with price tags and detailed specifications such as age, weight, and measurements. Volunteers explain the display to onlookers and circulate petitions.

The problem of sex trafficking is not isolated in a few faraway countries.  It is a global issue affecting us all. Join us on July 1 in raising public awareness of this flagrant violation of the most basic of human rights.  Together we can put an end to this brutal form of modern slavery.

Filed Under: Events and Announcements

The Leo Baeck Education Center Righteous Among the Nations Project

June 14, 2012 by

The Jewish Press

June 11, 2012

By Yocheved Golani

Yael Rosen, Director of ATZUM‘s Righteous Among the Nations Project speaks with pride of the astonishing accomplishments made in a joint project with the Leo Baeck Education Center in Haifa.

Students there launched a research project about specific remarkable, heroic acts during World War II, focusing on the heroism of the Van Hall and Boissevain families from Amsterdam. “The beauty of fostering the inter-generational, cross-cultural relationships that resulted from this effort is indescribably valuable,” Yael says. She has much more insight to share.

“The research project began in 2009, culminating in a heartfelt, sometimes tearful opening ceremony for the exhibition held May 21 at the Leo Baeck Education Center in Haifa. ATZUM is involved with improving Israeli society in various ways. One branch of our work is an attachment to the Righteous Among the Nations, gentiles who risked their own lives by saving Jews during the Shoah. The public sometimes hears of this group of people through Yad VaShem. Several RAN members reside in Israel. We at ATZUM believe that these now elderly survivors, aged 77-95, deserve whatever financial, legal and bureaucratic help they need. Since the Leo Baeck school has impressive social action programs of its own, we joined forces.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: In the Press

Righteous Gentiles saved an entire world

June 5, 2012 by

Canadian Jewish Tribune

June 5, 2012

By Atara Beck

HAIFA – At a moving ceremony honouring Righteous Gentiles, their merit was epitomized by child survivor Rivka Nordheim, who said:

“It is written in the Talmud: ‘He who saves a life, it is as if he saved an entire world.’ You could take out the words ‘as if.’ I have 14 children and 110 grandchildren, attended 19 grandchildren’s weddings and have 38 great-grandchildren. I was saved by the Baracs family at their great risk. They saved an entire world.”

The packed event took place on May 21 at Leo Baeck High School in Haifa, and it was the culmination of three years of extensive student research into the rescue activities of the Boissevain and Van Hall families, and by extension the Baracs (the families are all related), who were recognized as Righteous Among the Nations (RATN) by Yad Vashem Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority in Jerusalem.

It was the launch of an impressive 10-day exhibition, titled The Light in the Darkness, which included documents, testimonies and other discoveries at Yad Vashem and Lohamei HaGeta’ot (Fighters of the Ghettos), among other museums, as well as related art and literature. [Read more…]

Filed Under: In the Press

Honoring altruism

May 31, 2012 by

Jerusalem Post

May 31, 2012

By Abigail Klein Leichman

Social activism group believes students can learn from Righteous Gentiles who saved Jews during World War II.

 

The Nazis murdered Esther Boissevain Grinberg’s father and six other relatives. The rest of her family barely survived the war years in Holland. Yet Grinberg’s family was not Jewish. Her parents, and 16 members of her father’s extended family, were gentiles who paid the ultimate price for refusing to stand by as Jews were being persecuted.

Today, the 78-year-old retired nurse is an Israeli grandmother living in Kiryat Tivon. She was the inspiration for “The Light in the Darkness,” a 10-day exhibition that opened on May 21 at the Leo Baeck Education Center in Haifa – a school of more than 2,000 pupils that was founded in 1938 as a kindergarten for German Jewish refugees.

The culmination of three years of student research, the exhibit includes authentic photographs, documents, objects and artworks of the Boissevain family and of the Jewish community in Amsterdam, with the cooperation of Yad Vashem Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority and the Dutch Friends Foundation of the Holland Department of the Ghetto Fighters House Museum Association. [Read more…]

Filed Under: In the Press
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