Mishegas, Sex & Gender

Fashion and passion

It’s more or less well-known that women, Jewish and otherwise, earn significantly less than men do for the same work. The Forward recently had an article about how few Jewish women there are in leadership positions and how relatively little they get paid.
And this is at least partly because the leading Jewish organisations don’t see women as equal human beings, as demonstrated by the publicity for Birthright/NEXT’s upcoming Evening of Fashion and Passion event.

…an evening of fashion and passion presented by the Council of Young Jewish Presidents and Birthright Israel NEXT, NY. Hosted by Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Esti Ginzburg,

Fascinating if you get excited by the idea of a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. Unfortunately, the effect of this sentence is to imply that the target audience is male and heterosexual. This is a problem when the nominal audience is “Jewish professionals,” since it exposes an assumption that Jewish professionals are male and heterosexual.

the event includes an Israeli wine tasting, a fashion show by hot Israeli designers, and an after party. Open to all young professionals,

If you’re a woman, you might think twice about going, since it’s really not at all clear whether your role is “Jewish professional” or “sexprop.” This is probably because the Jewish leadership does not appear to distinguish between “woman” and “de facto pornography.”

this is a major opportunity for guests to get a sense of the incredible variety of Jewish engagement opportunities in New York—

As long as you’re male. Ladies, hope you don’t think you actually had a serious chance at Jewish leadership!

and to party with hundreds of other professional, active, vibrant young Jews.

Swimsuit models, guys! Swimsuit models! Who knows – maybe the chicks will have got drunk at the wine tasting. You might even get laid!
Let’s see.

  • Using the objectification of women’s bodies to advertise an event – check.
  • Endorsing the idea that titillation is acceptable advertising – check.
  • Assuming that readers find the idea of “swimsuit model” enticing – check.
  • Implying that they are primarily interested in communicating with that segment of the readership which is male and heterosexual – check.
  • Further implying that they are generally okay with the dehumanisation and inappropriate eroticisation of women – check.

Birthright, the Council of Young Jewish Presidents, and the other complicit organisations thus demonstrate that by default they think women’s main function in the Jewish professional world is as titty. That’s a huge part of why there are so few women in leadership, and why women are earning $0.61 to a man’s dollar. Until the leadership can understand why an event like this is deeply problematic (hint: it’s not about prudery) we’re not going to see much change.

10 thoughts on “Fashion and passion

  1. I agree with you on the “sexprop” premise, as a generalization, but I’m not sure if the specifics of this case really bear that out. This is being marketed as “a fashion benefit to bring up and coming Israeli designers to the American forefront”. Getting some Israeli models to participate isn’t such a stretch, and there’s nothing in the promotion literature about them wearing swim suits, right?
    Getting a Victoria Secret model… come on, that’s a scoop. Victoria Secret takes the very best (I used to steal my neighbor’s copy when I was younger, I should know), so if you view this from a professional/industry standpoint, having Esti Ginzburg there is a positive, and the event IS designed to promote Israeli fashion designers.
    Also, I thought BR-NEXT-NY was a “stealth”, “ultra-orthodox” kiruv organization. What are they doing putting on this fleshfest?

  2. Word to Avigdor on this one (never thought I’d say that), but I really am baffled by Birthright NEXT’s involvement with this given that we do know, despite Avigdor’s “liberal” “helping” of “quotation marks,” that BRI NEXT in NY is a pretty stealthy kiruv outfit.

  3. fleshfest: new vocab word i shall work into everyday conversation.
    I totally get it though. the general lack of thought about target audience. then again, maybe you are a lesbian and also into objectifying women…that happens too i’m sure.

  4. I thought swimsuit models had to actually have sex on camera before one calls it pornography.
    And, FYI, assuming that swimsuit models as a class exist primarily for the male gaze is to misunderstand the fashion industry. Lack of gender equity in the Jewish world is a serious issue – not sure it makes sense to conflate it with outrage over having a model serve as an emcee.

  5. And the responses to the post exactly show the problem. What/ What’s the problem with making an event whose promotion makes it clear that it’s about showing off a bunch of hot women – hey it’s a swimsuit model! That ought to bring out a lot of the young professional women!
    Uh, yeah, guys. Keep thinking. Work harder.

  6. that BRI NEXT in NY is a pretty stealthy kiruv outfit
    Of course it is. We’re talking about mid-20’s American Jews, who grew up in one of the world’s most open socities. A lot of them attended excellent private schools and later world-class universities, and many work in various professions like medicine and law.
    Of course they are completely susceptible to brain-washing! First, Birthright hypnotizes them into becoming Zionist zombies . . . . then Birghright Next puts them under the Orthodox trance.

  7. Of course they are completely susceptible to brain-washing! First, Birthright hypnotizes them into becoming Zionist zombies . . . . then Birghright Next puts them under the Orthodox trance.

    Um, yes. Go to Ohr Somyach and meet these people in the flesh.

  8. yeah, comparing swimsuit modeling to pornography is rediculous. we aren’t in meah shearim. last time i checked, wearing a swimsuit is not, on its own, dehumanizing, particularly if this is an event to showcase fashion.
    secondly, last time i checked, there were also women who are sexually attracted to women. most of the ones i know refer to themselves as “lesbians”. ever think maybe they might want to check out some models, too? or do you assume lesbians lack sex drives?
    Rediculous. There’s enough real discrimination and abuse going against women. Getting upset over this is a waste of your energy

  9. wearing a swimsuit is not, on its own, dehumanizing, particularly if this is an event to showcase fashion.
    You must have meant:
    wearing a swimsuit is not, on its own, dehumanizing, UNLESS this is an event to showcase fashion.

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