I lived in Israel from 1970 to 1976. I knew Marcia mostly after we both returned to the States, as she co-founded Brit Tzedek v’Shalom, but I knew her there as the courageous Knesset member who introduced legislation in the Knesset to outlaw domestic violence (it was called wife-beating), only to have these motions literally laughed down. She was persistent, earning respect and introducing the Knesset’s first session on violence against women, founding the Haifa Women’s Center, and eventually succeeding in getting funding for girls and for battered women among other ground-breaking initiatives. She was a strong activist in the Knesset for peace and for the rights of Arab citizens. We had weekly women’s consciousness-raising meetings that informed our lives that were inspired by Marcia and her work. We loved her for her courage and determination, the “small, still voice that makes itself heard.”
Ruby Poltorak
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