Dita Gould is Blue Box collector of the year
Melbourne’s Dita Gould has been recognised as the 2019 JNF Australia Blue Box Worker of the Year.
Dita Gould
The JNF Victoria 2019 Blue Box Worker of the Year is first Victorian to receive the national award since 2015.
Dita Gould has been collecting for JNF for 57 years. Her understanding of the goals and aspirations of JNF runs very deep. She recalls that she started collecting for Blue Box, after hearing about it from another collector who lived on her street. At that time she was volunteering at Emmy Monash Aged Care, talking to residents about art. Dita remembers being continuously encouraged for her support of the Blue Box Campaign by the neighbouring collector who got her started.
Dita is most thoroughly deserving of this award. She is always among the first to volunteer. Over her extraordinary 57 years as a JNF collector, she has set a wonderful example to her three sons, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Dita told J-Wire: “Thank you for the honour. My only reward is that I can work for Israel. As a child we had a Blue Box in our home and JNF has always been close to my heart. Each year I go to Israel and it is a privilege to see what all the money collected goes towards”.
She lists prime motive is her first love is Israel.
Dita also believes that without JNF there is no Israel. JNF have made the land, roads, infrastructure and she wants to give all her energy to the one cause that she believes does the most for Israel.
She also strongly believes, until today, that there is nothing quite as effective as the personal interaction of door to door Blue Box collecting.
Ronit Fraid, President JNF Australia, said: “Dita Gould’s passionate dedication to JNF, truly reflects the heartfelt purpose of our mission. Her love and understanding of what JNF represents for Israel and the Jewish people have energised her amazing volunteering efforts for almost half the life of the JNF organization itself. We are very proud of Dita for her outstanding and much-deserved achievement.”
Dita plans to continue volunteering as a Blue Box Collector until she can no longer physically do it.
Her son Gary said: “Dita has spent her lifetime volunteering in our community. It has been a very big part of her life always.”
This year’s JNF Australia Blue Box Pesach campaign will support the development of the Nitzana Ecological Park, in the remote Negev. For more information or to make a donation visit www.jnf.org.au
