Conflicts in Israeli Feminism and the Question of Palestine

Here’s another event UHP students in particular might be interested in attending.  College life and DC in general can often seem like living in a bubble — or maybe a snowglobe — but don’t forget that there’s a whole wide world out there.  Even if a topic like this looks a bit overwhelming at first, remember that you’re UHP!  (Here’s a hint, for extra points with your profs, tell them you’re going to this and invite them.)

Conflicts in Israeli Feminism and the Question of Palestine by Smadar Lavie, Associate Professor of Studies in Women and Gender, University of Virginia

Wednesday, February 24, 2010
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

Lindner Family Commons, Room 602
1957 E Street, NW

Professor Lavie explores the conflicts inside Israeli feminist movements. What is largely known outside Israel, and in English as “Israeli feminism” is the feminism of the minority European-Jewish elite. It bears little or no appeal to the grassroots — the Mizrahi (“eastern,” Hebrew) majority of Israeli women who are of Middle Eastern origins. Most Mizrahi communities vote for right-wing parties partially because left-wing parties are associated with the Ashkenazi elite. The deep commitment of the general Mizrahi population to Zionist ideology places Mizrahi feminists, critical of Ashkenazi Zionism, in a predicament.

Reception following; RSVP Here

Sponsored by the Culture in Global Affairs (CIGA) Program & the Global Women’s Forum of the Elliott School of International Affairs

The George Washington University

An Upcoming Lecture

Hi, all. My English Department colleague Robert McRuer sends word of a special lecture that may be of interest to some UHP students. Here are the details:

The Department of English, the Program in Women’s Studies, and the University Writing Program are pleased to announce a special lecture:

Entangling the Discourse of Choice:
“Assisted Dying” and Representations of Severe Disability

Kateřina Kolářová
Assistant Professor of Gender Studies, Charles University in Prague

Friday, February 5, 3-4:30 PM
Rome Hall 760
George Washington University

Professor Kolářová critiques the discourse of individual choice that shapes the debate on assisted dying. The discourse of choice calls upon specific heteronormative as well as ableist notions to re-configure notions of sociality, relationality, responsibility, and care. Case studies include German legislation regarding the “patient’s will,” British media coverage of the “voluntary death” of a young rugby player, and the Spanish film The Sea Inside.

I hope to see some of you there, and I would welcome thoughts on the lecture to be posted afterward on the blog! Maria Frawley

Crafty Bastards!

It’s Alumni Weekend at GW (Any UHP Alums out there reading this?) But you don’t have to already have your GW degree to enjoy a lot of what else is happening in the neighborhood and in the city.  The Foggy Bottom Blog (FoBoBlo.com) has a short rundown of some cool events for the weekend, much of which might have special appeal to UHP students.

Check out their Weekend Picks and pay special attention to one of the coolest things to do in DC this weekend:

Out of FoBo: Saturday is Crafy Bastards! The Crafy Bastards Arts & Crafts Fair, hosted by the Washington City Paper, runs from 10 am to 5 pm in Adams Morgan (Marie Reed Learning Center at 18th & Wyoming). If you’re among the first 2,500 shoppers, you can even get a free tote bag. Booths showcasing all kinds of homemade everything (jewelry, clothes, toys, yarn, etc.) are there for your shopping pleasure. Follow the event on Twitter @craftybastards.

UHP Students Rocked the Hillary/Gates line

I had heard that UHPers were out front in line for Hillary/Gates tickets, and just (finally) read an article this morning that prominently features a bunch of them (and it looks like an Honors student even contributed to the article, too.)

If you haven’t seen it yet, you can check it out here.

Way to represent the UHP!  I trust that none of our UHP students contributed to the upper-class-american-refugee-camp-style mess left out afterwards.

Were you in line?  Do you think it was worth it?  Excited to see Hillary/Gates? Think it’ll be better than Barbra Streisand? Tell us in the comments.