Marcia Freedman papers

Collection

Identifier: 11-MWalB02725

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Marcia Freedman papers consist of journals, speeches, lecture notes, correspondence, manuscripts, typescripts, and research files created by Marcia Freedman, an American-Israeli activist and feminist. The collection also contains many articles about Freedman, including newspaper clippings, as well as book reviews for her memoir Exile in the Promised Land. Of particular note are materials documenting her feminist roots, files relating to her election to the Knesset in Israel in 1973 and her founding of the Women’s Party in Israel in 1977, as well as autobiographical writings throughout the collection. Material dates from the late 1960s to the 2010s. There is also some audiovisual material and born-digital mixed media files, such as diskettes, CDs, and flash drives (some of which consists of as-yet unidentified content). Collection is predominantly in English, though there are also many newspaper clippings in Hebrew; some European languages are also represented.

Dates

Creation: 1968 - 2016, undated

Creator

Freedman, Marcia, 1938- (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Access to the collection is in accordance with the policies of the Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections Department, Brandeis University. Please contact the department for more information.

Some advanced notice is needed for access to these materials because the collection is stored offsite. Please contact the department for more details.

Conditions Governing Use

Requests to reproduce or publish material from the collection should be directed to the Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections Department, Brandeis University.

Biographical / Historical

Marcia Freedman is an American-Israeli women’s rights and peace activist. Born in the United States in 1938, Freedman emigrated to Israel in 1967. During the early seventies, she was a founder and leader of the feminist movement in Israel. In 1973 she was elected to the Knesset and served until 1977 as a member of the Citizens Rights Movement. During her tenure, she advocated for women’s issues and feminist reform in Israel. As a result of her work, the Youth Ministry’s budget for girls in distress was increased and wife battering in Israel was investigated. She also introduced legislation that led to the reform of Israel’s highly restrictive abortion law. She co-founded the Women's Party in 1977. In 1977 she also opened the first battered women’s shelter in Israel and helped create a network of support and services for women. She returned to the United States in 1981 and was active in women’s and peace issues. In 1990 she published her memoirs, Exile in the Promised Land, to wide acclaim. She again returned to Israel for extended stays from 1997 to 2002, helping to found the Community School for Women, which offered courses in women’s studies to disadvantaged women in Israel. She was also the founding president of Brit Tzedek v’Shalom in 2002, also known as Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace.

References: Brit Tzedek v’Shalom, also known as Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace: http://btvshalom.org/ Marcia Freedman. “Gay & Lesbian Biography”, edited by Michael J. Tyrkus and Michael Bronski, St. James Press, 1997.

Extent

3 Linear Feet (1 record center box, 2 manuscript boxes, 1 oversize manuscript box, and 2 half manuscript boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

Arranged in five series: 1. Knesset and Early Political Work, 1971-1999, undated; 2. Correspondence and Personal Papers, 1968-2016; 3. Writings and Printed Material, 1968-2006, undated; 4. Research Files for Speaking Engagements, 1976-2000, undated; 5. Audiovisual and Born-Digital Materials, 1970s-2007, undated. For more information about each series, please consult the series descriptions in the box and folder listing below.