WIZO Conference in Israel
Two hundred WIZO leaders from 25 countries including Australia will participate this week in the World WIZO AGM.
Chair of World WIZO Rivka Lazovsky and Australian WIZO president Gilla Liberman Photo: Henry Benjamin
The participants, who are Presidents of WIZO Federations worldwide, represent the Organization’s 250,000 overseas members.
The meeting of World WIZO leaders takes place annually in Israel to discuss pressing issues facing the Jewish people and Israeli society, and to formulate the Organization’s policy of support for Israel in coming years. The AGM also provides a forum to approve both existing and new projects, promote the status of women and address such matters as domestic violence, education and support for children and youth at risk.
The slogan of this year’s meeting is WIZO – the Best PR for Israel and heading the proceedings will be Prof. Rivka Lazovsky, Chairperson of the World WIZO Executive,
Two main subjects will come under discussion at this year’s Annual Meeting: Firstly, measures that WIZO can undertake to help and support children and youth in the south who for many years have suffered from the effects of the security situation in the region. In the course of the meeting, WIZO women will tour kibbutzim in the area, to help towards understanding at first hand the special requirements of those populations and approving rehabilitation projects for children and youth, especially those at risk.
During the military hostilities of 2014, hundreds of families from the south were offered accommodation and a safe refuge at WIZO youth villages in other parts of Israel. This was made possible thanks to the support of WIZO Federation members, and at the AGM the southern residents will have an opportunity to express their appreciation.
The second principal topic on the table is finding ways to contend with rising antisemitism around the world, and especially in Europe, further to Operation Protective Edge, and the important role of Jewish communities in defending Israel’s status and image. WIZO representative from all over the Diaspora report a sharp increase in anti-Israel attacks at various events and in the world media, as well as actual attacks of physical violence. Effective PR tools are needed if such attacks are to be countered and accordingly the AGM will conduct workshops and lectures by experts in the field.
Any explanation as per why we see the same old faces at the helm of WIZO for the past, say, twenty five years !!!
Surely these nice ladies have grand daughters who should be promoted as the torch bearers of our continuity at WIZO leadership levels .
My daughter is more concerned with her active, productive and integrated life in Australia. She is not part of WIZA and never will be – she says it is not relevant to her life here.
She lives in Bondi, Australia. In her view, if Australian aborigines claimed the rights of historical land ownership as zionists do in Palestine, they could take back the land that belongs to them. Australian aborigines have claims on the land that predate European settlement by 40,000 years.
How do I counter her views? Is WIZA even relevant to the younger generations?
Emma dear, your comments reveal quite clearly why your daughter ( I suppose you guys are Jewish ) is somehow as close to her Jewishness as Dubbo is to Murmansk, otherwise, let’s just say “Like daughter like Mom !”.
As such, revealing on a Jewish site your and your precious one’s disdain for matters Jewish is a bit a of a non-sensical gesture. In other words you are coming here to tell us that you are not into what we are doing….here, on Jwire !!! Sad on two accounts, one that you have missed out ( and your child ) on what Jewish life has to offer and the other one doesn’t matter any more, once the first one is proven…..
Anyways , my WIZO (!!!!) comments stand regardless of what Emma has to say.
Aaaaa, I just remembered, Emma is the most valuable name to me, it was my wonderful Mother’s name and she was truly dedicated to Jewish values.