WIZO UK celebrates 100 years of changing lives and building futures
This year marks the centenary of the establishment of WIZO UK, who work to help and support vulnerable members of Israeli society.
2018 marks WIZOUK’s centenary. 100 years have passed since the realisation of a dream by Rebecca Sieff, Romana Goodman and Vera Weizmann, to establish an international organisation comprised of women working together as one to help and support the more vulnerable members of Israeli society.
For a century, WIZO has remained loyal to the vision and dreams of its founders. The key principles remain: to support, advance and improve the lives of every disadvantaged Israeli citizen, to help them become self-sufficient and contributing members of society, regardless of race, religion, age or economic circumstances.
WIZOUK has been celebrating its centenary with a series of events across the year, including a Centenary Bridge Lunch, attended by 116 people and raising over £20,000; a Golf Day, for which 100 people braved the rain and raised £18,000; a Centenary Lunch attended by over 300 people, including World WIZO Chairperson, Professor Rivka Lazovsky, at which Ronit Ribak-Madari became the new WIZOUK Chairperson and a Gala Dinner organised by Leeds WIZO, which raised over £30,000, at which (Judge) Robert Rinder was the guest speaker. The year’s events will culminate in WIZOUK’s glittering Gala Dinner, which is due to take place on 21st November and which will be attended by over 350 of the great and the good within the UK Jewish community.
The largest independent social welfare organisation in Israel, WIZO supports over 800 projects across the country for every stage of life. These include day care centres for children, emergency centres for babies and children at risk, 100 after-school programmes and youth villages for at-risk teenagers. Among additional services is support for single parent families, foreign language groups for immigrants, shelters for victims of domestic violence and a retirement home.
The fundraising focus to mark this special centenary year is the £1.8 million required for the vital renovation and refurbishment of the WIZO Vocational High School, WIZO’s ‘School of Dreams’. Located at the Rebecca Sieff Centre for the Family in Jerusalem, the school supports teenagers in years 9-12, most of whom arrive with severe emotional and behavioural and psychiatric problems. Difficulties at home including physical or sexual abuse and mental health issues have, in the majority of instances, led to these vulnerable young people falling victim to violence and drugs.
With WIZO’s unique experience and passion, students are able to complete their mainstream education. The school also provides a team of dedicated psychologists, counsellors and social workers, enabling these vulnerable teenagers to become fulfilled individuals and contributing citizens.
WIZO helps every student become skilled in one of three marketable trades, including music and sound production, culinary studies and hairdressing. Students also participate in weekly enrichment activities, giving them a real sense of self-worth. More than 80% of graduates go on to find gainful employment and 90% are accepted into the IDF, thereby helping to secure Israel’s future by strengthening its valuable workforce. This important school renovation and refurbishment project will enable WIZO to continue supporting vulnerable teenagers for many years to come.
Centres such as these are vital in giving disadvantaged teenagers a chance to achieve their full potential in life. And this is what WIZO is all about: changing lives, building futures and weaving hope into the fabric of Israeli society.
- For more information about WIZO and the ‘School of Dreams’ project, please call: 020 7319 9169 or go to: www.wizouk.org
- WIZO is a registered charity: 1125012
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.