Spring 2004 No. 306 www.wizo.org U.S.$3.50 NIS 14 FlowerFlower ChildrenChildren SpringingSpringing toto LifeLife LookingLooking AheadAhead HelenaHelena GlaserGlaser TovaTova Ben-DovBen-Dov NightmaresNightmares && DreamsDreams FainaFaina andand thethe DolphinariumDolphinarium WomanWoman PowerPower AboutAbout thethe 23rd23rd EGMEGM 002 6/2/04 2:30 PM Page 1 Dear Friends, I would like to express my everything relevant to our movement, activity that will fulfill great appreciation for the the needs of all of our diverse Federations, and with your activity carried out by you, help, to demonstrate and reinforce the strength and the WIZO chaverot in Israel stability of the Jewish people. and in the Federations We will confront the wave of anti-Semitism that is throughout the world. I felt a sweeping the world, we will support processes that tremendous flow of emotion strengthen Israeli society and particularly the status of when I saw you, 600 women women, and we will speak out against the violence that is delegates from 30 Federations around the world, together perpetrated against women and children. with another 200 delegates from Israel, at the 23rd World Please don’t hesitate to approach us, to submit your ideas, WIZO EGM in January 2004 in Tel Aviv. I could feel the suggestions and initiatives to us. motivation that moves you, the joy of creativity and the We are currently in the midst of upgrading and improving desire to give and to aid Israeli society. our Internet site in English and in Hebrew. As the new Chairperson of the World WIZO Publicity and We greatly value your cooperation. Information Department & WIZO Review, together with our I am proud of you. entire department: Iris, Idit, Elad, Hillel and Anat, I promise Adi Bershadsky that we will do everything in our power to provide the Chairperson Publicity & Information, necessary service to you. We would like to deal with WIZO Review WORLD WIZO EXECUTIVE BY VIRTUE OF THEIR OFFICE AS PRESIDENTS OR CHAIRPERSONS OF FEDERATIONS Helena Glaser Elizabeth Einhorn, Chairperson, Argentina Amalia Polack Honduras Yaeli Starkman President, World WIZO Beit Heuss Australia Jo Gostin Hong Kong Vered Nagar Raya Jaglom, Honorary Life Atara Ilani, Chairperson, Austria Eva Deutsch Hungary Erzsi Simon Belgium & Israel Yochy Feller President World WIZO Parents Home Luxembourg Ingrid Bolmut Italy Ziva Fischer, Michal Modai, Honorary Life Brenda Katten, Chairperson, Bolivia Sara Epelbaum Jamaica Jennifer (McAdam) Lin President World WIZO Public Affairs and NGO Department Brazil Sarita Schaffel Japan Sarah Hyams Tova Ben-Dov, Chairperson Lily Peyser, Chairperson, Tourism Bulgaria Latvia Hana Finkelstein World WIZO Executive Department Canada Rochelle Levinson Lithuania Rachel Kostanian Chile Juanita Wechsler Mexico Sylvie Mizrahi Miri Perlis, Treasurer Ruth Tamir, Chairperson, Building, Colombia Sara Mekler New Yochy Feller, Chairperson, Maintenance & Purchasing Division Costa Rica Esther de Rosenstock Zealand WIZO Israel Curacao Yael Ackerman Norway Janne Jaffe Hesstvedt Ora Baharaff, Chairperson, Deputies: Czech Republic Zuzana Vesela Panama Sandra Israel Human Resources Division Janine Gelley, Deputy Denmark Kaja Sarde Paraguay Tosca Ismajovich Dom. Republic Helen Kopel Peru Fanny Treistman Celia Michonik, Chairperson, Chairperson, Tourist Department Ecuador Ruthie Horvath Portugal Dr. Elizabeth Kahn Fundraising Department Orna Keren, Deputy Chairperson, Estonia Revekka Blumberg Singapore S.J. Khafi Sylvie Pelossof, Chairperson, Formal & Informal Education Dept. Finland Eva Bensky South Africa Lee Joffe Organization & Education Dept. Saya Malkin, Deputy Chairperson, France Nathalie Spain Berta Bensadon Tabor Ruth Rubinstein, Chairperson Fundraising Department Cohen-Beizermann Sweden Marion Gluckman Germany Rachel Singer Switzerland Lucie Gideon Formal & Informal Education Dept. Esther Mor, Deputy Chairperson, Gibraltar Julie Massias Uruguay Gladys Billig Fundraising Department Great Britain Michele Vogel USA Evelyn Sommer, Dina Bar, Chairperson, Early Age Nurit Pollack, Deputy Chairperson, Greece Flora Mihael Mercedes Ivcher Care and Education Division Building Maintenance & Purchasing Guatamala Soly Berkowitz Venezuela Ena Rotkopf Adi Bershadsky, Chairperson Division Holland Helen Lion Zimbabwe Rhebe Tatz Publicity & Information Dept., WIZO Review Visit our website: www.wizo.org 02 WIZO REVIEW Spring 2004 003_Contents 6/2/04 3:47 PM Page 1 Rebecca Sieff WIZO Center, Corner 38 David Hamelech Blvd. & Rebecca Sieff St., Tel-Aviv Tel: 03-6923805 Fax: 03-6923801 Spring 2004 l No. 306 l www.wizo.org Internet: www.wizo.org E-mail: [email protected] Annual Subscription: U.S.$ 12.50, NIS 50 Single Copy: U.S.$ 3.50, NIS 14 14 04 20 Cover: Spring means flowers, renewal and love for Heyut Aspav at the WIZO Gardening & Landscape Technology Youth Village 10 24 Contents 02 Adi’s Letter 20 Nightmares that Won’t Go Away 04 The Power of Women: The 23rd EGM 24 Friends in Deed 10 Helena Glaser: Envisioning the Future 27 Israel Prize 2004 14 Tova Ben-Dov: Doing Good Deeds 28 Spring is in the Air Every Day 32 Aviv Now 18 The New World WIZO Executive 34 WIZO Around the World Chairperson: Adi Bershadsky / Editorial Board: Idit Ben-Horin, Brenda Katten, Anita 8 Shefa Tal St. Jamitovsky-Rooz, Ingrid Rockberger, Cliff Savren, Elad Schneur, Briana Simon, Yariv P.O.B. 57388 Sultan, Iris Zohar-Pinhassi / Editor: Hillel Schenker / Project Manager: Sari Itzhak / Tel Aviv 61572 Graphic Designer: Aya Noah / Marketing Director: Danny Betito / Coordinator: Liat Sharon / Tel: 972-03-5652100 Production: Miki Stoppelman / Cover Photo: Shai Ignitz / Printing: Levin Epstein / Photos: Fax: 972-03-5626476 Ariel Besor, Rafi Deloya, Shai Ignitz, Vardi Kahana, Kfir Meir, Yossi Slovotsky Spring 2004 WIZO REVIEW 03 005_009_ELAD_2 6/3/04 9:30 AM Page 1 The Power A SummarySummary ofof thethe 23rd WorldWorld WIZOWIZO EGMEGM Over 600 delegates from 31 WIZO Federations around the world were joined by hundreds of Israeli delegates for an action-filled and inspiring week at World WIZO’s 23rd Enlarged General Meeting (EGM). It was a week to remember Michele Vogel Chairman British WIZO Photos: Shai Ignitz, Yossi Slovotsky 04 WIZO REVIEW Spring 2004 005_009_ELAD_2 6/3/04 9:30 AM Page 2 International WIZO Conference of Women: An unforgettable EGM ➔ Spring 2004 WIZO REVIEW 05 005_009_ELAD_2 6/2/04 2:32 PM Page 3 International WIZO Conference ➔ is an honor, as Chairman of British WIZO, to be asked once again to summarize the 23rd World WIZO It Enlarged General Assembly (EGM). At the opening session, Michal Modai, our outgoing President, reminded us how hopeful we were that a new era of peace was dawning in the year 2000, only for the Intifada to dash all hopes of that elusive peace and to bring with it the death of over 900 Israelis and 6048 injured – each one of them is a father, son, brother, mother, daughter, sister, and we mourn them all. The impact of the Intifada on the economy has been catastrophic – 1.32 million people, including 650,000 children, living below the poverty line; unemployment at over 11% and welfare and education budgets slashed by the government, leaving more people without the basic means to get on with their lives. It is depressing that 1 in 4 Israelis is in need of social We came, we saw, we’ll go back as ambassadors welfare services. Confronting the Challenges The stereotypical Jewish mother is one who is constantly feeding her family. It is her way of nurturing, of caring, so when World WIZO Vice President and Executive Chairperson Helena Glaser requested extra funds for the Poverty Campaign, we all rose to that challenge over and above our commitments, raising a total of 5.4 million dollars. How could we, as Jewish mothers, imagine cupboards without food, or having to tell your child to stay at school or on the army base rather than come home because there they would have food? We salute WIZO Israel for being third amongst the 50 Federations in fundraising achievements. We are sure that under the chairmanship of Yochy Feller you will go from strength to strength. We learnt much from Yochy about WIZO’s work with single parents, with victims of domestic violence and about the constructive, unique courses for leadership for women. Education is the Key Deep concern was expressed about government cuts, especially in the education budget in this longest ever recession. If education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty, then surely I could have danced all night! these cuts are short sighted and a recipe for disaster. There must be a change in the education system and its curriculum and a greater respect for higher learning, said former Technion My First EGM, Like a Bat-Mitzva at the Wall In the city of Rio Grande do Sul, where I was born, the Jewish community is truly small, and I was the only Jewish girl attending the local school. Therefore being in Israel was a unique experience of belonging, of living with people of my own kind. Partaking of a WIZO Conference in Israel was as if I had had my Bat-Mitzvah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. In Israel I felt ‘spiritual peace’ and a warm feeling of welcome among all my fellow friends. Sharing the same ideals has legitimated my Judaism. Stella Galbinski Breitman WIZO Brazil Aviv Delegate from Rio Grande do Sul The performing troupe from WIZO Nachlat Yehuda 06 WIZO REVIEW Spring 2004 005_009_ELAD_2 6/2/04 2:33 PM Page 4 President Professor Hanoch Gutfreund, because if students are unable to find money for higher education, they may leave the country. This theme was developed further with a powerful speech by Professor Avishai Braverman, President of Ben Gurion University, who considered whether the crisis in Israel could provide a chance for change. He feared major demographic changes within the next 20 years west of the Jordan River. This will require difficult decisions if Israel is to remain both a Jewish The 800 women and a democratic state.