WIZO REVIEW SPRING-SUMMER 334 May, 2014 | Page 10

Meeting of Representatives 2014 The ‘Group Photo’ outside the Knesset For the presentation of work plans each Division Chairperson presented just one of their activities. Congratulations to Ingrid Rockberger, WIZO Review Editor, who carefully controlled the timing of this session and to the dedicated chairpersons who adhered to the restrictions! This was a much-improved session on previous MORs enabling us to learn about some of the programmes in greater detail. Out on tour During Tuesday’s touring day we were full to bursting with admiration for WIZO at work and with emotion by our being in Israel’s heart, Jerusalem! Having visited Modiin in its earliest days of development, it is great to see what an important part WIZO plays in early age education of its youngest citizens. How we admire the expert care and love given by the day care centres’ staff and the warm happy environment in which the children flourish. The visit to the Knesset was memorable. Speaker Yuli Edelstein received us so generously. He hopes that eventually there will be no need for the political parties to be obligated to put women on their lists because so many will be elected without this contrivance. The present number of women MKs may not meet WIZO Israel’s aims, but we certainly appreciated the quality of MKs Shuli MaalemRefaeli, Penina Tamanu-Shata and Michal Biran who joined one very supportive male MK – Nachman Shai - to discuss gender equality, with MK Aliza Lavie, Chairperson of the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women in the chair. A lively discussion ensued between the MOR delegates and the MKs on the importance of female leadership in the Diaspora and its contribution to strengthening the Diaspora-Israel relationship. Lunch cooked by our own chefs Lunch at the Rebecca Sieff Centre for the Family was most memorable particularly because the tasty buffet had been prepared by students studying culinary skills in the vocational training school together with the chefs for the school and day care centre. These teenagers have dropped out of mainstream education and are referred to the school by the social services. There 10 I SPRING/SUMMER 2014 I WIZO RE VIE W are wonderful results due to the intensive care and attention they receive individually, helping them to overcome their difficulties and almost all of them gain their Bagrut and go on to serve in the army. The Rebecca Sieff Centre was formerly the Jerusalem Baby Home and we heard Eli Tal El’s moving story of how he spent the first three years of his life in the home after his mother died and his father couldn’t cope with caring for his five children. Services to our youth Teaching the next generation to become leaders is the task in hand at the Haberer Centre. These articulate teenagers, speaking fluent English, impressed us greatly. They learn their skills whilst working with younger people. We also heard from Dr Michal Rotem about the Resilience programme which is helping 1,150 young people in WIZO’s six youth villages how to cope in stressful and crisis situations. Thank you so much to Jana and Simon Falic for their most generous invitation to dinner in a magical location overlooking the lights of Jerusalem…a night and day to remember! Division presentations The Fundraising Division’s session was excellent and we will all be showing the three short moving films about Mell, Oshra and Adi. The material and concept for ‘Sponsor A Youth’ is beautifully prepared and is an extremely good aid for our income raising activities. We congratulate Esther Mor and her volunteer and professional team! Janine Gelley presented the Organisation and Tourism Division’s work and introduced Ofer Yarom who gave us fascinating insights into successful advertising campaigns which ca