Since the war began, we’ve periodically posted selections from Eretz Nehederet [“A Wonderful Land”], an Israeli comedy that’s been on TV for years. We’ve done that not because there’s anything particularly funny going on, but because humor is a window into the soul of a society. Even the very subjects that Eretz Nehederet chooses to focus on are an indication of what Israelis are thinking about.
Today, we address what many Israeli women call the people wearing the “transparent uniforms,” the women left behind at home while their husbands and partners are fighting in Gaza and elsewhere. These are the women who have to keep working their jobs, taking care of kids, managing a household, sometimes trying to keep their husband’s business afloat at the same time—and often coping with a significant reduction in income while all this is going on.
Our podcast today is with a woman who has helped create the Reservists’ Wives’ Forum, about which we’ll hear more below.
In the meantime, we begin with Eretz Nehederet’s recent clip about the issue, to which we’ve added English subtitles for our listeners and readers. [A reminder that an “Order 8” is the order for reservists to report to their units ….]
And now, on to a much more serious look at the same issue:
Merav Lemberger, pictured above, is a graduate of Shalem College, where I work. Along with Sapir Bluzer, another Shalem graduate, and other women, they have created the Reservists' Wives Forum. Through the Forum, they are leading a determined struggle on behalf of the families of reservists who have been on the front lines for almost four months.
So far, their work has led to allocations of nearly NIS 9B for families impact by war through the absence of one member of the couple, but they are far from done.
In today’s conversation, we hear from Merav about what she and her colleagues are fighting for.
Merav Lemberger is a lawyer, mother, wife and activist.
After completing her studies at Shalem College, Merav received her LLB at the Hebrew University. She has worked at Yad Vashem, the Shalom Hartman Institute and the Israeli Prime Minister’s office. When her present maternity leave is over, Merav will begin working as legal assistant for judge Hani Ofek.
Merav is married to Amitai. They have three children and live in Jerusalem.
The link above will take you to a brief excerpt of our conversation; the full conversation, along with a transcript for those who prefer to read, is being made available to paid subscribers to Israel from the Inside.
Impossible Takes Longer is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble and at other booksellers.
Music credits: Medieval poem by Rabbi Shlomo Ibn Gvirol. Melody and performance by Shaked Jehuda and Eyal Gesundheit. Production by Eyal Gesundheit. To view a video of their performance, see this YouTube:
Our Threads feed is danielgordis. We’ll start to use it more shortly.
