Marriage and domesticity are of great importance to both women and men (Sangster, 87). For most, to enter wage labor was a difficult decision since 'For some women, their image of femininity also carried with it a commitment to domesticity (Sangster, 79)' as it did for my mother. Without a doubt, it is apparent that women's workplace experiences are highly correlated to their daily lives outside of work (Sangster, 83).
             An interview focusing on my mother's experiences in the workplace was of great help to me in identifying key issues in a Jewish woman's life. The interview also put an 'emphasis on productive relations, paying more attention to the interconnections between women's familial, community and workplace lives (Sangster, 4).' The questioning conducted with my mother on the topic of past workplace experiences revealed that anti-Semitism, sexism, and managing a family outside of work were all obstacles which she had to conquer in order to manage the contrasting goals of production and reproduction. In her opinion, her role as a wife and mother was indispensable for the survival of the family. ' In Canada, much pressure was put on [her] to work and also to keep house. [She] grew up in an old fashioned home, where [her] mother stayed home and the father worked to put the bread on the table. Women back home had to take care of the house. Back in Russia, very few women my mother's age worked outside the home. It was hard for [her] to adapt to this Canadian lifestyle, but [she] had no choice (Tsalkind).'
             The Jewish Woman and the 'Shmata' World of Work
             The working world was already a harsh enough place to be as a female, and being a Jewish immigrant in Canada with limited English could only complicate matters. Studies like the ILGWU have concluded that '94 per cent of sewing machine operators in Toronto are born outside Canada (Das Gupta, 51).' With s...