As we face a new Jewish year…
I would like to begin with a message from World WIZO President Tova Ben-Dov:
I wish you a happy, healthy and joyous New Year
TAMAR LAZARUS
A year of new beginnings
A year of unity and harmony and peace
A year of compassion, love and giving
A year of hope and of Mazal.
May WIZO continue to provide education, empowerment and opportunities for a better future.
WIZO would like to wish a hearty mazaltov to all the achievers from the Absa Jewish Achiever Awards who have contributed so greatly to the development and building of our country.
We were thrilled with the new category “The Europcar Jewish Women in Leadership Award”, and marvel at the many names put forward. This award aims to honour the remarkable contribution made by Jewish Women in business, professions, politics, philanthropy, arts and in serving the Jewish and wider communities, among them proud WIZO SA members.
In the last few months of the year, we honour our own WIZO achievers at the Rebecca Sieff Awards. This is a day celebrated in all South African WIZO centres for women who have given 25, 40, 60 and more years of devoted service to WIZO, enabling them to become agents of change for so many women and children less fortunate than themselves.
Rebecca Sieff took a leadership role in establishing WIZO to look after the women who toiled long hours under gruelling conditions in what was then called Palestine and whose babies had little or no access to nursing facilities when the need arose.
The establishment of the first Mothercraft training centres safeguarded the infants and freed up the mothers to continue with their valuable work in building up the country. The 800 WIZO facilities in Israel that offer help, support, comfort, direction and training, arose directly from the vision of that iconic woman, Rebecca Sieff.
With the ending of shmita and Israel’s renewal of the land, we hope that there will also be a renewal of peace and prosperity so that the Jewish people may live happily in their beloved homeland.
WIZO South Africa thanks its members and friends for their support and partnership.
May all the house of Israel be blessed with a Shanah Tova.
Chag Sameach!