Call me Isza.

Femininity: the Jewish-Polish Women’s Heritage

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Lady, maiden, girl, woman, isha – in one word: żeńszczyzna. Polish ‘żeńszczyzna’, a rough equivalent to English ‘femininity’ and Hebrew ‘isza’ – woman, is one of the earliest terms for women common to all Slavic languages. It became the leitmotif of our project. Call me Isza is an initiative we created to give voice to the heroines of everyday life: the Jewish and Polish women active in the areas of Wiśniowa, Dobczyce and Myślenice – neighboring towns in southern Poland – during the occupation (and beyond). Ordinary women in extraordinary circumstances and extraordinary women in ordinary situations became the inspiration for the series. By starting with questions about family stories, we will encourage the current residents to explore the HERstories of their female ancestors, which are intertwined with the HERstories of Jewish women. By following common points unencumbered by prejudices, we will discover unknown but significant stories of the Jewish part of society. In doing so we will preserve the heritage of Jewish women from Wiśniowa, Dobczyce and Myślenice, and we will create

POLISH-JEWISH WOMEN’S HERITAGE ARCHIVE.