UJW truly walks the walk

STAFF REPORTER AND UJW

PHOTOGRAPH: CINDY KREE

Pictured : Helen Slavin (volunteer of the year); Diane Levine (chairman); and Justice Sharise Weiner (guest speaker).

“As expected, in our ever-changing world, we are still faced with serious challenges. As a result of socio-economic changes, there are fewer and fewer women available who are able to commit to giving of their time to doing voluntary work on a consistent, long-term basis and particularly to assume leadership roles in service organisations,” she said.

Despite this, the committee of the Johannesburg branch had decided to create a new position for a social worker and Cindy Kree had been employed to assist with projects.

Guest speaker Justice Sharise Weiner gave a talk on xenophobia and the Jewish experience. She reflected on how Jews were not unique in being hated. Foreigners also suffered in a similar way for being different. She explained that xenophobia came from an unreasonable fear of something foreign or strange.

She gave a detailed reflection of different examples of xenophobia in different countries and told her audience of lessons to be learnt from Zambia in dealing with xenophobia. In Zambia they had introduced a curriculum into the school programme to allow children to understand why people migrate and to have a sense of acceptance and empathy.

Weiner reflected on how this prevented xenophobia from turning into what had been experienced in South Africa in 2008 and now again in 2015.

Levine highlighted the UJW’s main projects:

* Kosher Mobile Meals, the flagship project, has grown from 118 beneficiaries in 2006 to 162 in 2015. As the community moves northwards (due to demographic change), the range of suburbs covered has increased. “Presently our reach extends as far as Sandton, Illovo Linksfield, Edenvale and Lombardy East,” said Levine.

* The Friendship Club Lunch is for senior citizens with limited mobility. They are treated to lunch and entertainment on a weekly basis;  

* Panic buttons – 32 of the meal recipients who live on their own were provided with panic buttons connected to a security company, because many of those recipients live in unsafe areas such as Hillbrow, Berea, Yeoville and Bellevue;

* Adult education – 32 speakers were hosted;

* House and Garden Circle – this is a highlight for many. Visits to beautiful gardens and homes around Johannesburg are arranged;

* Granny and child-headed households – 62 families with 320 family members are being taken care of in Pimville, Soweto. They are given monthly food parcels, clothing and treats;

* Three Alexandra crèches are being assisted with food and financial support;

* The After Care Centre in Alexandra has 45 children daily with the assistance of the Hirsch Lyons School;

* Feeding schemes – some 120 adults and children are fed daily in Alexandra: 70 unemployed men are fed every Friday in Orange Grove: 4 000 cups of soup are supplied per month to patients at the Hillbrow Community Health Centre: 150 children daily are given lunch at the Johannesburg Preparatory School in Berea: and children of refugees at the Albert School receive a donation of rice and soup;

* Support for victims of sexual assault is given to about 100 people a month at the Legal Unit of the Hillbrow Community Health Centre. They are provided with comport packs of clothing, toiletries and food;

* Maternity unit patients at the Hillbrow Clinic are provided with baby clothes;

* The Betrams Primary School – with the assistance of Habonim, the school was renovated.

* Sewing school – an empowerment project in partnership with Impact for Christ Ministries in the inner city, to teach skills to unemployed people to be able to support themselves;

* Domestic Workers’ Appreciation Day – about 90 people attended this and were given goody bags, talks and entertainment.

Highlights of the year were the Mandela and Mitzvah Day projects which provided 1 500 pairs of school shoes to children in poverty-stricken areas.

Another highlight was the participation in the recent Israel Expo organised by the SA Zionist Federation to showcase Jewish organizations.

The committee members for 2015-2016 are Diane Levine, chairman; Elaine Katz, treasurer.

Members: Phyllis Radford – Adult Education Division; Shirley Ancer and Estelle Cline – co-chairman Kosher Mobile Meals; and Shirley Ancer honorary secretary and immediate past-chairman.

Helen Slavin – House and Garden Circle; members: Omnia Nock, Phyllis Seligman and Sivea Stein

Hillary Feinberg, who has been chairman of Adult Education Division for 20 years, has stepped down from her position and the UJW welcomed Phyllis Radford.