Newsletter – May 2019 – CCW is 30 !!

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CCW Celebrates its 30th Anniversary!

2019 is a special year for CCW as it marks the 30th anniversary of its founding. From a collective of therapists dedicated to improving the lives of Israeli women through feminist therapy, to an organization with two main centers and over fifteen satellite branches, CCW has come a long way. Since its establishment, CCW’s commitment to the empowerment, recovery and growth of women from various socio-economic and ethnic groups has remained unchanged.CCW celebrated its 30th anniversary with a special event at the Peres Center for Peace in Jaffa-Tel Aviv on April 2nd. The event entitled “Let’s talk about it- 30 years of feminist therapy” focused on several contemporary dilemmas that emerge in the therapy room. Each dilemma was discussed by an expert lecturer and was followed by a personal or artistic account to give the audience a taste of some of the issues that arise during therapy. After the lectures, the evening ended with a ceremony honoring the CCW founders, including those who currently live in the States and the UK. This was followed by a short concert of Israeli singer Korin Allal.

Thank you to all who donated in honor of this occasion. Below is a short clip from the concert:


Playable Video
CCW founders on stage (from the left): Irris Singer, Bella Savran, Jo Oppenheimer, Judy Shotten, Joyce Brenner, Janet Baumgold-Land, Janet Goldstein, Pearl Reine, Ronny Perlman, Ruth Elraz.
CCW staff and members of the board

“Let’s talk about it- 30 years of

feminist therapy”

The short lectures and personal accounts presented during the event focused on four main issues:


Sexuality and Relationships


On the left Tamar Mor-Sela and on the right Tal Cohen


In her short lecture “Sexuality- From the Personal to the Political” Tamar Mor-Sela, author of the book “Awaken: Women Talk Sexuality,” touched upon the difficulty of speaking honestly about women’s sexuality. After her lecture, Tal Cohen, spoken word artist who won the Israeli Poetry Slam competition in 2018, shared her personal experience through a humorous poem.


Parenthood


On the left Dr. Orna Donat and on the right Dafna Daud


Dr. Orna Donat, author of the book “Regretting Parenthood: A Sociopolitical Analysis,” spoke about the tremendous pressure placed on Israeli women to bring children into the world and become mothers. This very personal issue is turned into a social concern and influences a woman’s life from birth. Dr. Donat’s lecture was followed by the personal account of Dafna Daud who discussed her choice to not have children and the reactions her decision evoke.


Gender Identity


On the left Dafna Greener and on the right Kul Lior Kolton


Social worker and psychotherapist Dafna Greener discussed the differences between sex, gender and sexuality, stressing that biological sex does not always match a person’s gender. She presented findings from research on various scales of gender and sexuality. After the lecture, “QUEER Yourself” community group activist Kul Lior Kolton talked about what it means to live as queer in Israel, including the daily challenges that one faces.


Aging


On the left Dr. Bar-Tur and on the right Rina Schenfeld.


“Positive health” expert Dr.Liora Bar-Tur spoke in her lecture about the importance of balancing physical health with strong mental health during the aging process. As women live longer, they take on multiple roles and redefine their place in the family and in society. Her lecture was followed by the performance of 80 year old choreographer and dancer Rina Schenfeld who continues to perform to this day.


Celebrating the past, present and future


Jo Oppenheimer
CCW Founder Jo Oppenheimer speaks about the importance of confidentiality during the inter-generational conversation.


Former and current staff during the inter-generational conversation.


As part of the 30 year celebration, we capitalized on the rare occasion that every one of our 10 founders from Israel, the UK and the US were here in Israel, by holding a fascinating evening of inter-generational conversation. Our therapists thought it would be meaningful to hear from our Founders and learn from their experience and motives, since each of them holds a unique piece of CCW’s history.

On 4th April, eight of our Founders, the current CCW team, along with former CCW staff members, convened in Jerusalem for an evening of learning, sharing, refreshments and music.

Each Founder and one current staff member shared a highlight from her career at CCW and linked this experience to the purposes and values that she held precious during her professional journey. After that, we split into groups and had the chance to respond, air our views and ask our Founders questions. The rest of the evening gave us an opportunity to mingle, dance and continue conversations among the different generations.