Vicki Shiran
Encyclopedia
Vicki Shiran was a leader of a movement promoting Mizrahi Jews consciousness in Israel. She was an advocate of "equal rights" and played a key role in the fight for the advancement of Mizrahim, who are Jews who immigrated to Israel from the Arab World and Third World countries. She was among the founders of The Mizrahi Democratic Coalition and the Feminist group Achoti.
, and immigrated to Israel when she was 4. She spent her childhood in The HaTikva (Hope in Hebrew)slum. She received her B.A. and M.A. from Tel Aviv University
, and a doctorate in Criminology from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice
in New York.
. In 1981 she initiated The "Israel-That's Me!" conference, discussing the rifts between the Ashkenazi establishment and Mizrahi and Palestinian
-Israeli citizens of Israel in the open for the first time. This led her to establish the New Direction Stage at the HaTikva slum, where she and her activist friends invited Ashkenazi politicians and public figures so that they hear their criticism about the overlap between Israel's ethnic and class divides. She sued the Israeli broadcast authorities in the Supreme Court for the exclusion of Mizrahi representation in the fancy anniversary TV series, "The Pillar of Fire". She was from the inception of Israel's feminist movement. In 1991 along with her colleagues initiated the Mizrahi Women's Group, that lead to the 2001 establishment of Achoti (Sister) - For Women in Israel. In 1996 she was among the founders of The Mizrahi Democratic Rainbow Coalition
, who sued the government of Israel in the Supreme Court, and won, on issues of public housing and land ownership. During the last years of her life she led the successful legislation drive and lost Supreme Court suit against the broadcast of pornography on public TV. She taught at the Beit Berl Teacher's College and at The Hebrew University. In 2002 she founded the Gender Studies program at the Beit Berl College.
Early life and career
Vicki Shiran was born in CairoCairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, and immigrated to Israel when she was 4. She spent her childhood in The HaTikva (Hope in Hebrew)slum. She received her B.A. and M.A. from Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
, and a doctorate in Criminology from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
The John Jay College of Criminal Justice is a senior college of the City University of New York in Midtown Manhattan, New York City and is the only liberal arts college with a criminal justice and forensic focus in the United States. The college offers programs in Forensic Science and Forensic...
in New York.
Political Activities
She embarked her political activism in the early 1970s, taking part in the political theater of JaffaJaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
. In 1981 she initiated The "Israel-That's Me!" conference, discussing the rifts between the Ashkenazi establishment and Mizrahi and Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
-Israeli citizens of Israel in the open for the first time. This led her to establish the New Direction Stage at the HaTikva slum, where she and her activist friends invited Ashkenazi politicians and public figures so that they hear their criticism about the overlap between Israel's ethnic and class divides. She sued the Israeli broadcast authorities in the Supreme Court for the exclusion of Mizrahi representation in the fancy anniversary TV series, "The Pillar of Fire". She was from the inception of Israel's feminist movement. In 1991 along with her colleagues initiated the Mizrahi Women's Group, that lead to the 2001 establishment of Achoti (Sister) - For Women in Israel. In 1996 she was among the founders of The Mizrahi Democratic Rainbow Coalition
Mizrahi Democratic Rainbow Coalition
The Mizrahi Democratic Rainbow Coalition is a social justice organization among Mizrahi Jews in Israel....
, who sued the government of Israel in the Supreme Court, and won, on issues of public housing and land ownership. During the last years of her life she led the successful legislation drive and lost Supreme Court suit against the broadcast of pornography on public TV. She taught at the Beit Berl Teacher's College and at The Hebrew University. In 2002 she founded the Gender Studies program at the Beit Berl College.
External links
- http://www.ha-keshet.org (in Hebrew)
- http://library.osu.edu/sites/users/galron.1/00464.htm (in Hebrew)
- http://www.ynet.co.il (Articles in archive in Hebrew)
- http://www.achoti.org.il/english.html