Vicki Shiran facts for kids

Vicki Shiran (born February 28, 1947 – died March 15, 2004) was an amazing Israeli woman. She was a criminologist (someone who studies crime), a sociologist (someone who studies society), a poet, and even a film director. Vicki was also a well-known person in the media and a strong activist.

She was a leader in a movement that helped Mizrahi Jews in Israel. Mizrahi Jews are people whose families came from Arab or Muslim countries. Vicki fought for equal rights for everyone. She was a key figure in helping Mizrahim get ahead in society. She also helped start groups like The Mizrahi Democratic Coalition and the feminist group Achoti. Many people see her as one of the main founders of the Mizrahi feminist movement.

Early Life and Education

Vicki Shiran was born Victorine Ben Natan in Cairo, Egypt. Her parents were Salvo and Fortuna Ben Natan. Her father, Salvo, had a degree in accounting but worked in a factory.

In 1951, when Vicki was four years old, her family moved to Israel. She grew up in the Hatikva (which means "hope" in Hebrew) neighborhood in Tel Aviv. This area was a poor part of the city. When she was 13, her father lost his job. Vicki had to leave school to help her family earn money. But she was determined! She went to night school and finished her high school exams at age 17.

In 1974, she married Haim Shiran, who was a filmmaker from Morocco. They had two daughters together.

Vicki loved to learn. She earned her first degree in literature, history, and criminology from Tel Aviv University. Later, she also got a master's degree in criminology from the same university.

In 1991, Vicki earned another master's degree and a PhD from New York University. Her PhD looked at political corruption in Israel. She studied how politicians were treated differently based on their background. She found that Mizrahi and Arab politicians were often punished more harshly. But politicians closer to the ruling group were treated more gently.

In the 1990s, Vicki taught criminology and gender studies at Beit Berl Academic College. She also taught at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 2003, she started the Women's and Gender Studies Program at Beit Berl. She became its first leader.

Fighting for Rights

Vicki Shiran was a very active person who fought against unfairness in Israel. She focused on three main areas: peace between Israelis and Palestinians, women's rights (feminism), and the rights of Mizrahi Jews.

She often spoke her mind, even if it was seen as bold or challenging.

Vicki supported peace organizations in Israel. She often spoke out against the occupation of Palestinian lands. She also supported the idea of a Palestinian state. She joined groups like the Mizrahi Democratic Rainbow and East to Peace in the 1970s. She went to many peace meetings and protests in Israel and Europe.

As a feminist, Vicki helped start the Mizrahi Women's Group. She felt that the mainstream feminist movement in Israel didn't pay enough attention to social issues. She believed it didn't fully include the experiences of Mizrahi women. In 1999, this group became the Mizrahi feminist movement called Achoti. This group works for fairness in money, society, and culture. It also supports women who have a lower income.

Vicki started her activism for Mizrahi rights when she was young. She was a leader in youth protest movements in her Hatikva neighborhood. Later, in the 1970s and 1980s, she was part of groups like the Black Panthers and the Eastern Front. From 1969 to 1975, she ran a community theater in Jaffa.

In 1981, she organized a conference called "Israel – That's Me!" This meeting openly discussed the differences between the Ashkenazi establishment (the main ruling group) and Mizrahi and Palestinian-Israeli citizens. This led her to create the New Direction Stage in Hatikva. There, she invited Ashkenazi politicians to hear criticism about how ethnic background and social class were linked in Israel.

In the early 1980s, she led a movement called "Tsalash" (Zionism for Equality). In 1981, this group went to the High Court of Justice. They argued that a TV series called "Pillar of Fire" ignored Mizrahi Jews and their role in building Israel. Vicki demanded the series be stopped until this was fixed. The court rejected her claim, but this case, known as "the Shiran Appeal," became a very important moment for Mizrahi people fighting against unfair treatment in Israel.

In 1981, she joined a political party called Tami. This party aimed to represent the traditional Mizrahi religious community. Vicki became the party's spokesperson. In 1996, she helped found the Mizrahi Democratic Rainbow Coalition. This movement fought for social, economic, and cultural justice. In 2003, Vicki and other activists won a case in the High Court of Justice. This case was about fair housing and land distribution for all.

In 1983, she ran for mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo. She didn't win, but her efforts showed her dedication to public service.

Mizrahi Feminism

Vicki Shiran is seen as one of the "founding mothers" of Mizrahi feminism. She was the first public face of this movement.

Mizrahi feminism is a movement that focuses on the special challenges faced by Mizrahi women. It looks at how being Mizrahi and being a woman can lead to different kinds of unfairness.

A key moment for Mizrahi feminism was the 10th Feminist Conference in 1994. At this time, Mizrahi women in the feminist movement felt their issues were not being recognized. They also felt they weren't included in important decisions. Mainstream Israeli feminism often came from the United States. It was mostly adopted by white Ashkenazi Jewish women in Israel. Many people didn't believe that women's issues could be different for different groups. Mizrahi women felt ignored and pushed aside within the feminist movement that claimed to represent all women.

At the conference, Vicki and other Mizrahi women decided to "take the mic." They wanted to make sure their voices were heard, even if it meant a direct disagreement with the Ashkenazi feminists. They protested strongly and went onto the stage. They accused Ashkenazi feminists of racism and exclusion. They then shared their own experiences as Mizrahi women in Israel. They talked about how their names were sometimes changed when they arrived in Israel. They spoke about the unfair treatment and racism they faced. They also talked about being pressured to give up their Arab culture and languages to fit into Israeli society.

The planned discussion for the evening was completely changed. It became an open debate between the participants. The Ashkenazi women strongly disagreed with the claims that they were part of the problem. They said that ethnic issues were not important to feminism. But the Mizrahi women accused them of silencing their voices. They demanded that the unique challenges of Mizrahi women, which combine gender, ethnic, and class identity, be included in the Israeli feminist struggle.

After the conference, some Mizrahi women felt they had to create their own movement. They held the first Mizrahi feminist conference in 1996. This conference focused on the history of unfair treatment of Mizrahim in Israel. Vicki Shiran became a main thinker behind Mizrahi feminist ideas. She helped unite the group into a strong, independent movement. She also took part in local feminist activities. She was one of the founders of Ahoti (my sister), For Women in Israel, a Mizrahi feminist movement started in 1999. This movement first worked for the labor rights of women from lower-income groups. Later, it expanded to other areas, like promoting women's art and writing, and supporting fair trade. They also set up the Ahoti House, which is a community center and a place for activism.

Vicki also came up with the "quarters" principle for representation. This idea says that resources and positions should always be divided equally among Israeli-Palestinian, Mizrahi, Ashkenazi, and lesbian women. This principle is used for things like committees, conferences, and panels.

Media Work

Vicki Shiran was a member of the board of directors for the Israel Broadcasting Authority (from 2000 to 2004). She was also on the board of the Second Authority for Television and Radio. She was a director for the Channel 2 News Company (from 2000 to 2004). And she was a board member for Am Oved Publishers (from 2001 to 2004).

Vicki became a well-known person in the media. She appeared often on television and radio. She also wrote many articles in newspapers like Yedioth Ahronoth. She used these platforms to promote the social issues she cared about. In her interviews, she always insisted on equal representation for women and other groups who were often ignored in the media.

Zamira Ron from Achoti said about Vicki: "She was a legend. Everyone knew her political views, but her politics were always about people." She added, "She always wanted us to go into struggling neighborhoods. She wanted us to find women and men in their forties who had never had the chance to go to school. She wanted us to convince them to go back and get a higher education. She spoke to them like a friend, simply and at their level."

Vicki Shiran also wrote the script for a film called The Salt Statue (1981). This film was produced by Israeli Educational Television. It won an international UNESCO Award and a famous Israeli prize called David's Harp.

Later Life and Legacy

In 1997, Vicki Shiran was diagnosed with breast cancer. Even though she was ill, she continued to work hard for cultural and public welfare.

In early 2004, her health got worse. She passed away on March 15, 2004. She was buried in the civilian cemetery at Kibbutz Einat.

About a year after she died, a book of her poetry called Breaking the Wall was published in 2005.

Another book, To My Sister, Mizrahi Feminist Politics, was published in 2007 and is dedicated to her memory.

The Vicki Shiran Prize was given to the best documentary film at the International Women's Film Festival of Rehovoth. This prize was awarded every year until the festival closed in 2014.

In 2013, a film about Vicki Shiran's life story, called Breaking the Wall, was directed by Itzhak Halutzi.