From Kensington & Chelsea WIZO

Dear Mr Dangoor

I am writing to thank you most sincerely for your kind donation to our Summer Lunch and to tell you a little of why we are raising money for WIZO and where our money goes.

Over eighty years ago in 1918, the British Federation of the Women’s International Zionist Organisation was created in Manchester and at that time Rebecca Sieff and her colleagues were eager to organise social and welfare services for the pioneers in Palestine. The underlying principles of WIZO remain as relevant to Israel today as they were in pre-State Palestine.

There are now in Israel today a WIZO network of 800 projects and services ranging from daycare centres, special schools, youth clubs and WIZO family centres. WIZO also plays a significant role in supporting the socially oppressed and with the mass immigration of the many poor immigrants.

The Kensington & Chelsea WIZO group was started over 40 years ago by an enthusiastic and energetic group of women, most of whom are sadly no longer with us. They decided to raise money and build their own Mother and Baby Home (as they were then called) for WIZO and with the help of money from husbands, parents and many friends, they were soon able to lay the foundation stone in Kiryat Nordau for the home which has now been in operation for well over 30 years. These Mother & Baby homes are now called Day Centres and The Kiryat Nordau Day Centre caters for poor immigrant children who are looked after all day, receiving food and care.

Unfortunately, we as a group can no longer fully maintain the upkeep for this centre, which is now under the general umbrella of WIZO, but our commitment to WIZO is directed to help in the general umbrella of WIZO, but our commitment to WIZO is directed to help in the general maintenance of the Kiryat Nordau Day Centre and we are happy to know that in our way we are participating with WIZO in helping with their many commitments in Israel.

It is with the generosity of people like yourself that make our efforts worthwhile and help us to continue.

Attached with our grateful thanks is our official receipt.

Jane Hodes
Treasurer

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Dear Mrs Hodes

Thank you for your letter explaining the work of the WIZO and the various projects which you have undertaken, to make life easier for various people (which I presume includes Israeli Arabs).

I recently watched a television programme on cave dwellers in Mount Carmel 15,000 years ago – one cave was occupied by human s and the other by Neanderthals. The Neanderthals vanished from the surface of the earth because they did not reproduce sufficiently to replace previous generations. It is as simple as that.

Recently, former President Yitzchak Navon gave a talk at our synagogue when he explained to us that merely a quarter of Israelis now live abroad, another quarter being religious do not want to fight for Israel. The remaining Israelis are only producing 1.6 children per couple, while Palestinians and other Arabs are doubling and re-doubling every generation.

This is our problem and WIZO would do well to tackle this anomaly. We need quantity more than quality. It is a matter of life and death.

 

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