A WORLD OF WOMEN’S MARCHES

Area Jews and Jewish groups participated in peaceful women’s marches that took place in Washington, D.C., Cleveland and around the world on Jan. 21 to stand up for women’s rights and other causes following the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump.

The Washington Post reported that more than 1 million people marched in cities worldwide, with estimates of about half a million people in Washington, D.C., and 15,000 in Cleveland.

March in Cleveland

The march began at Public Square in downtown Cleveland, traveled to City Hall, and looped back to Public Square. Ohio leaders, including U.S. Reps. Marcia Fudge, D-Warrensville Heights, and Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, spoke before and after the march.

Gail Sands, a board member for the National Council of Jewish Women/Cleveland, spoke on behalf of the group, in a speech that drew wide audience applause.

“We believe that for women to be truly free, they must have control over their own bodies and individual reproductive choices, without government interference in personal, private medical decisions. And for that to happen, every woman must have access to quality health care services, birth control, HIV/AIDS care and prevention, and medically accurate sexuality education,” Sands said.

“We are here, because like all of you, we believe in immigrant and refugee rights regardless of status or country of origin. It is our moral duty to keep families together and empower all aspiring Americans to fully participate in, and contribute to, our economy and society.”

NCJW/Cleveland also helped plan the march. Becky Brouman, director of volunteer, community and program development for NCJW/Cleveland, said that less than a week before the march, she heard that two Case Western Reserve University graduate students were planning it and had little experience with such events.

“They were expecting like 25 or 50 people,” Brouman said.

She helped the students work through logistics, connect with other women’s groups in the area, create their overarching message and book speakers.

“I was absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of people and everyone behaved themselves – everyone was there for the same reason. There wasn’t anyone inciting anything, I thought that was just incredible,” said Myrna Arlen Bloch, co-president of NCJW/Cleveland.

Moreover, despite misconceptions, the march was not intended to primarily serve as a protest to Trump nor solely for women’s causes, but to bring people together around issues that affect them.

Vivian Singer, a Chester Township resident, said that although she attended marches in the past to protest the Vietnam War and in support of Planned Parenthood, this was her first local march. She said she believed in many of the causes represented, although supporting immigrants and refugees were important for her to speak out about.

“My father escaped from the Nazis in ‘38, his parents didn’t make it, so I never met my grandparents. So I am very big on refugees and immigration. I think it’s very important, I think we have to defend immigrants,” Singer said.

March on Washington

Jews from the Cleveland area also were represented at the Women’s March in Washington. NCJW was on the planning committee of the Washington march and Debbie Hoffmann, NCJW’s president and a Beachwood resident, was one of those who helped organize it.

“The spirit was unbelievable,” Hoffmann said, adding that although it was nearly impossible to get close enough to hear the speakers, “it didn’t matter because we all knew what we were there for.”

Hoffmann also said that just before the march, Jewish attendees met at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in Washington, D.C., and about 1,000 people showed up at the synagogue to march together.

A Russell Township resident who attended the Washington march, Edward Leigh said, “I felt it wasn’t political. For me, it was really about social justice. It wasn’t just for women, it was for people who I felt are being oppressed.

“It was just such a wonderful feeling because after the election I felt, ‘am I the only one that feels devastated?’ And so … I saw that there were millions of people that felt just the same,” he said.

What’s next?

Even as the marches were ongoing, people discussed in person and on social media how they could keep the spirit and advocacy going.

“What we are going to be working on is working in coalition with our partners, because one organization cannot do it alone,” said Hoffmann, who added that protecting voting rights, lobbying for Supreme Court nominees who will support Roe v. Wade and influencing 2018 candidates on issues including reproductive rights and promoting a two-state solution in Israel, were among her group’s chief concerns.

NCJW / Cleveland also is planning for the future, beginning with a Feb. 9 event. “Roe Together” will bring together Ohio-based pro-choice groups to discuss what area people can do to further protect reproductive rights.

Dana Trau, women’s reproductive justice co-chair for NCJW/Cleveland, said, “It’s really a way to harvest the energy and the feelings of wanting to make a difference.”

What some local attendees said about the Women’s marches

“The coolest thing was that it was so peaceful and so polite and everyone helped each other. … I’ve never seen such a large crowd of people and so much respect going on between each other.”

Shirah Goldweber, a South Euclid resident who attended the Washington, D.C., event

“It was just kind of this melting pot of people coming together under one united voice.”

Julie Brown, a resident of Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood who attended the Washington, D.C., event

“I’m a public school teacher and a lot of my kids were really nervous the day after the election. … I felt really strongly to be able to stand up on their behalf.” 

Miriam Giardina, a Resident of Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood who attended the Washington, D.C., event

“It’s important to do something to show that you are not alone and when people come together there is power and there is power in numbers. So I think that’s why it was important for us to be there, to be a powerful voice.”

Becky Brouman

Director of volunteer, community and program development at NCJW/Cleveland

“I thought the march was an appropriate way to let the executive branch and the Congress know that their mandate is narrow and that they cannot discount women – not just women, but everyone who feels the way the marchers do.”

Laurie Mitchell Billowitz, a Shaker Heights resident who attended the Cleveland march

“I think there’s a power in numbers, so to raise your voice in collaboration with all these other voices is powerful, and that’s why I was there. Not just for me but for the next generation.”

Dana Trau

Co-chair of women’s reproductive justice for NCJW/Cleveland

Naomi Grant, the Violet Spevack Editorial Intern, contributed to this story.