ORT starts new year with new members: men

Pledging to "break the lace ceiling," throw "fun parties" and change the "Women" in Women's American ORT to "Whoa, men!" a Corte Madera man has been named president of the Marin ORT.

Larry Babow is one of the first men to take office in the women's branch of the Jewish fund-raising Organization for Rehabilitation through Training, since the national membership voted to allow men into its ranks last year.

National officers report that men, many of whom are husbands of current members, are joining in droves. However, no official numbers are available because not all of this year's membership dues have been collected.

During a recent Bay Area visit, ORT's national president, Ruth Taffel, said her charity may have doubled its national membership by changing the bylaws to allow men. Male inclusion, she explained, is a necessary step toward bringing the women's and men's branches of ORT back together.

ORT began in Russia more than 70 years ago as a men's organization, with Women's American ORT forming several years later. Today there are only a few men's chapters of ORT in the United States; unlike Women's American ORT, most are industry-based, not community-based.

Some ORT women opposed the move to include men, with forecasts that the men would become power-mongers. But most agreed that men would enhance their mission with added technical expertise and corporate ties, Taffel said.

"It's the bottom-line syndrome. If [women] see it as positive, they open the doors."

In Marin, 64-year-old Babow has opened a new era for his 400-member chapter, Taffel reported.

On Babow's heels came two more men who are paid members of the Marin chapter, though many others have shown up at recent meetings.

"We've had 50 percent men there who were as vocal or more vocal than the women," Babow said.

The semi-retired Hayward optometrist said male membership will reinvigorate Marin ORT, which has been less successful in attracting younger women. He doesn't anticipate any grumbles over his gender.

Apparently, Marin ORT has more pressing concerns than whether the president is wearing pants or a skirt. The 29-year-old chapter has shown a need for fresh leadership in recent years.

"They've evolved into all Indians with no chiefs," said Babow, whose wife, Barbara Babow, is a longtime member.

While the new president may boost morale, the double-sized chapter will be hard-pressed to increase earnings significantly. The new members have supported ORT financially for years, and their potential membership dues, at $25 apiece, comprise only a drop in the bucket. That's a problem, because Babow has grand plans for his term. If he can persuade national leaders and members, he plans to bring the next ORT school to the Bay Area.

The $5 million school would be modeled on 800 other ORT schools and projects that teach high-tech skills and other technical trades to 250,000 students around the world.

A handful of ORT members urged Babow to pursue his idea. He will unveil the plan to other Marin members during the chapter's annual membership brunch at 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 5 at the home of Michael and Vivien Bronshvag.

National leaders have been less enthusiastic, Babow said, because he wants the school to serve inner-city youth, not Bay Area Jews, up to 90 percent of whom attend college rather than trade schools.

That hasn't discouraged Babow, who noted, "They've opened the Pandora's box with me."

He says the organization is obliged to help others who are "living on the edge. I don't think the Jewish community needs it.

"We would be doing something to serve a community in desperate need. Nobody is going to say its a terrible idea. This is about apple pie, baseball and everything else."

Back in New York, Taffel said she suggested to Babow and other Bay Area ORT leaders that they utilize one of three regional resource centers -- in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York -- that offer expertise and technical programs to other urban areas.

"We would want to bring an ORT program to the Bay Area but not a school," which would be expensive, she said. "We can't just build a school in every major community," though she wouldn't rule it out.

Reservations for the membership brunch are still available. Admission is free for members and $10 for guests. For information, call (415) 456-0332.