The thunderous applause at the plenary session of Kfar Sava's city council about a month ago after a speech given by 17-year-old Shahar Elkwasser filled the young woman with cautious optimism. She had concluded her speech, about the status of women and the way to attain real equality and shrink the wage gap between men and women, with a declaration about the importance of sexual-equality education from an early age.
Her evident passion apparently impressed the city council members: In an unprecedented fashion the members of the coalition and the opposition voted unanimously in favor of integrating gender studies throughout the city's school system, from early-years education to the end of high school, during the new school year.
