AT CEREMONIES held at the Supreme Court building in the morning and at the President's Residence in the afternoon, Miriam Naor – the 11th president of the Supreme Court, the third to be born in Israel, the second woman to hold the title, and first and so far the only of all Supreme Court presidents to be born in Jerusalem – stepped into the world of retirement on Thursday, the day on which she celebrated her 70th birthday. Although gender equality remains a bone of contention in the country, in the court system, women do not retire at an earlier age than men, and neither men nor women are forced to retire while still in their sixties. Retirement age for both is 70. Even then, it's not over if they don't want it to be. They are snapped up as visiting professors by foreign universities to lecture in law, and may even receive positions in local educational institutions, such as the law school at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya where former Supreme Court president Aharon Barak, 81, is a professor of laws. Barak also teaches at the Hebrew University, Yale Law School, Central European University, Georgetown University Law Center and University of Toronto Faculty of Law. Esther Hayut, the new Supreme Court president and the third woman to head the court, will turn 70 in 2023. IT'S THAT time of year again when members of various Emunah groups in Jerusalem, and even further afield, are looking forward to the annual Chug Na'avah Tehilla Fall Luncheon whose co-chairwomen this year are Tirtza Mann and Sally Tokayer. This year's luncheon on November 6 will be in honor of Shirley Cahn, who some people may remember as being the proprietor of the long defunct and in its heyday highly popular millinery store on Ahad Ha'am Street. The luncheon will be held at the Bayit Vegan Guestouse, at 8 Hapisgah St. at 12 noon. Cahn has served Na'avah Tehilla in a myriad of roles. She was co-president for two years, and also chairwoman of the board, co-chairwoman of two luncheons and a garden party and graciously hosted two of the popular Emunah quiz nights, which not only bring people together around various dining room tables in Jerusalem, but are good fund-raisers for Emunah projects. In addition she hosted a New Member Tea in her gracious home where new members were welcomed and introduced to new friends. She also successfully ran the New Year Greetings project. Cahn is a popular and respected figure in the group and her advice is frequently sought. The luncheon program includes guest speaker Rabbi Jeff Bienenfeld, a film in which a recently married young woman talks about how Emunah helped her and her six siblings to grow up to become productive Israeli citizens, plus musical entertainment by Mishael and, of course, it's a given that there will be simcha dancing with Cahn. All proceeds from the luncheon will go to a worthy Emunah project. Emunah was founded 13 years before the State of Israel, and in addition to making a difference in the lives of people who benefit from its various projects, it has also given a sense of purpose to thousands of women in Israel and the Diaspora who over the years have joined its ranks. Emunah runs close to 200 innovative programs for adults and children in areas of education and social welfare and cares for 12,500 Israeli children on a daily basis. ON THE same date, November 6, some of the people attending the Emunah luncheon may continue on to the Menachem Begin Heritage Center, which will host the inaugural Conference of Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies, taking place from 2-7 p.m. The topic will be “The Struggle for United Jerusalem,” and the list of speakers will naturally include Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat and Jerusalem Affairs Minister Ze'ev Elkin among others. THE TAUB Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel will hold its annual international policy conference on November 20 at Mishkenot Sha'ananim. The conference on Educational Inequality in Israel from Cradle to University will be held in both Hebrew and English with simultaneous interpretation. Chairing the first session will be former education minister and current President of Shenkar College Prof. Yuli Tamir.
