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Alice Shalvi

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Alice Shalvi
Shalvi in 2013
Born
Alice Hildegard Margulies

(1926-10-16)16 October 1926
Essen, Rhine Province, Prussia, Germany
Died2 October 2023(2023-10-02) (aged 96)
Occupation(s)Professor of English literature, educator, women's activism
SpouseMoshe Shalvi
Children6

Alice Shalvi (Hebrew: אליס שלוי; 16 October 1926 – 2 October 2023) was an Israeli professor and educator. She played a leading role in progressive Jewish education for girls and advancing the status of women.

Biography

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Alice Hildegard Margulies (later Shalvi) was born in Essen, Germany, to an Orthodox Jewish family. Her parents, Benzion and Perl Margulies, were religious Zionists.[1] Alice was the younger of two children. The family had a wholesale linen and housewares business.

In 1933, soon after Hitler's rise to power in Germany, the family home was searched, prompting their move to London in May 1934.[2] In London, Shalvi's father and brother imported watches and jewellery. When the Blitz began, they moved to Aylesbury, 50 kilometres north of London, and lived in a small house in Waddesdon, which was part of the estate of James Rothschild.

The family built a factory there for ammunition calibration devices that established them financially.[2] In 1944, Shalvi studied English literature at Cambridge University. In 1946, she was sent to the 22nd Zionist Congress in Basel as a representative of British Jewish students.

In 1949, after completing a degree in social work at the London School of Economics, Shalvi immigrated to Israel, settling in Jerusalem.[2] She became a faculty member in the English department of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and earned her PhD there in 1962.[3]

In May 1950 she met Moshe Shelkowitz (later Shalvi), a new immigrant from New York City, whom she married in October of that year. They had six children: Joel (b. 1952), Micha (b. 1954), Ditza (b. 1957), Hephzibah (b. 1960), Benzion (b. 1963) and Pnina (Perl, b. 1967).[4]

Moshe Shalvi died on 6 July 2013.[5] Alice Shalvi died on 2 October 2023, at the age of 96.[6]

Academic and public career

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Shalvi headed the English literature departments at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She was the founder of Pelech, an experimental school for religious girls that unconventionally taught Talmud[7] (1975–1990), and of the Ohalim movement of neighbourhood associations (1973–1979); she was also founding director (later chairwoman) of the Israel Women's Network (1984–2000). In this position, she was one of the most prominent feminist advocates in Israel, developing a program that covers most forms of discrimination and disadvantage faced by women in Israeli society. An important aim of her work was gaining acceptance of Israeli women's contributions in all sections and at all levels of the armed forces, since army service plays a significant role in Israeli economic, political, and social life. In the 1990s she founded the International Coalition for Agunah Rights.[8] She also served as rector of the Schechter Institute for four years.[2] Shalvi also served as a member of the advisory board of the Remember the Women Institute[9] In 2018 she published a memoir entitled Never A Native.[10]

Awards and recognition

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  • In 1989, Shalvi received the Emil Grunzweig Human Rights Award, as founder of the Israel Women's Network.[11]
  • In 2000, Brown University awarded her a Doctor of Humane Letters.[12]
  • In 2007, she was awarded the Israel Prize for her lifetime achievement and special contribution to society and the State of Israel.[13]
  • In 2009, she was co-recipient (with Rabbi Arik Ascherman) of the Leibowitz Prize, named to commemorate Yeshayahu Leibowitz, presented by the Yesh Din human rights organisation for public activism in the spirit of Leibowitz's political and philosophical teaching.[14]
  • Shalvi was a member of the board of The Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information.[15]
  • In 2017, she was honored with the Sylvan Adams Nefesh B'Nefesh Bonei Zion Prize Lifetime Achievement Award.[16]
  • In 2018, she was awarded the National Jewish Book Award for Women's Studies for her book Never a Native.[17]

Published works

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  • Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia[18]
  • Studies in English language and literature, 1966
  • The relationship of Renaissance concepts of honour to Shakespeare's problem plays, 1972
  • Never a native, 2018

See also

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References

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  1. ^ One on One with Alice Shalvi, A Woman's Work
  2. ^ a b c d A soldier for sexual equality, Haaretz
  3. ^ "Alice Shalvi's CV on the Official Israel Prize website" (in Hebrew). 17 April 2007. Archived from the original on 27 June 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  4. ^ Wishlah, Charlotte. "Alice Hildegard Shalvi". Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia. Jewish Women's Archive. Archived from the original on 16 July 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  5. ^ משה שלוי ז"ל Moshe Shalvi | Jerusalem Post, בית עלמין סנהדריה, הארץ, הקרן החדשה לישראל, שתיל, תיאטרון החאן | 07.07.13
  6. ^ Alice Shalvi, trailblazing feminist and educator, dies at 97
  7. ^ Blum Leibowitz, Ruthie (19 April 2007). "One on One with Alice Shalvi: A woman's work". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  8. ^ "An Interview With Alice and Moshe Shalvi". Forward.com. 16 April 2008. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
  9. ^ "About the Institute". Remember the Women Institute. Archived from the original on 26 May 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  10. ^ "The Most Famous Israeli You've Never Heard Of". Tablet Magazine. 22 October 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  11. ^ "List of recipients of the Emil Grunzweig Human Rights Award on the Association of Human Rights in Israel website" (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 19 August 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  12. ^ "Honorary Degrees". Corporation | Brown University. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  13. ^ "Judges decision for awarding the Israel Prize" (in Hebrew). 25 April 2007. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  14. ^ "Announcement of award of Yeshayahu Leibowitz Prize 2009". Retrieved 20 June 2010.[permanent dead link]
  15. ^ "Official Web Site". Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  16. ^ "Prof. Shalvi at 90: 'Advancing women to transform society' - Israel News - Jerusalem Post". www.jpost.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  17. ^ "Past Winners". Jewish Book Council. Archived from the original on 5 June 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  18. ^ Rozenberg, Dr Lilach (25 February 2008). "Encyclopedia sheds light on achievements of Jewish women". Ynetnews. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
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