Jewish Women's Archive Honors Unsung Local Heroes During Women's History Month

BROOKLINE, MA, Mar 3, 2003—The Jewish Women's Archive (JWA) is honoring four Boston-area women who have dared to stand up for the rights of others at the fourth annual Women Who Dared dinner on March 19th, 2003. These women, from different generations, have all taken risks on behalf of issues that range from Soviet Jewry, to women's empowerment, the treatment of victims and survivors of violence, and press coverage of the war in Afghanistan.

The Boston Women Who Dared dinner, held in partnership with Hadassah Boston, is scheduled for March 19th at Temple Mishkan Tefila in Newton MA. The dinner will celebrate the women's daring and marks the launch of the JWA's 2003 Women Who Dared multimedia web exhibit, at jwa.org/wwd, featuring in-depth interviews with the honorees, biographical information, and photographs.

With this program JWA seeks to demonstrate the multigenerational and varied character of Jewish women's activism, to honor unsung heroes in local communities, and to provide role models for the next generation.

The honorees are:

• Marcella Bombardieri, a journalist for the Boston Globe. Bombardieri spent six weeks in Kabul reporting on the war in Afghanistan. She traveled from remote villages to the site of a battle in the Shah-e-Kot Valley to provide accurate coverage.
• Galina Nizhnikov Veremkroit, a former Soviet Refusenik and activist in the Jewish Women's Movement in Russia. Veremkroit demonstrated against the Soviet authorities and experienced harassment by the KGB. Since immigrating to the US, she has worked tirelessly to help Soviet Jews resettle here.
• Rivka Solomon, a writer and activist on behalf of women's issues. Solomon edited That Takes Ovaries!, a collection of essays by women that celebrates women's bravery. Solomon has cultivated open-mike events across North America and abroad at which women speak out and share their own stories of challenge and bravery.
• Janet Yassen, a founder of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center. Yassen helped create the field of advocacy and treatment for victims and survivors of violence. She has traveled to Israel and the former Yugoslavia to serve as an international consultant on these issues.

"Honoring these women recognizes the possibilities for us all," said Rachel Sagan, Women Who Dared Program Director.

"It is inspiring to learn about the daring of women who seek to assure a just and dignified life for others," said JWA Executive Director Gail Twersky Reimer. "These women are role models for us all—women and girls, men and boys."

JWA is simultaneously co-sponsoring a Women Who Dared program in Chicago on March 19th, 2003. A Baltimore Women Who Dared program was held in December 2002.

The dinner will be held at 6:30 PM, Wednesday, March 19, at Congregation Mishkan Tefila in Newton MA. Tickets cost $50.00, which includes dinner (dietary laws observed). Reservations are required. For more information or reservations contact the Jewish Women's Archive at (617) 232-2258.

The Jewish Women's Archive is a national organization based in Brookline. The mission of the Jewish Women's Archive is to uncover, chronicle and transmit the rich legacy of Jewish women and their contributions to our families and our communities, to our people and our world. JWA uses traditional methods and emerging technologies to accomplish this mission. The JWA website is at jwa.org. The event is partially funded by the Dorot Foundation in honor of Alice Shalvi and Deborah Lipstadt.