The Women's International Zionist Organization (WIZO; he, ויצו ') is a volunteer organization dedicated to
social welfare in all sectors of Israeli society, the advancement of the status of women, and Jewish education in
Israel and the
Diaspora
A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin. Historically, the word was used first in reference to the dispersion of Greeks in the Hellenic world, and later Jews after ...
.
History
WIZO was founded in
England on 7 July 1920 by Rebecca Sieff,
Dr. Vera Weizmann (wife of
Israel's first president, Dr.
Chaim Weizmann), Edith Eder, Romana Goodman and Henrietta Irwell to provide community services for the residents of
Mandate Palestine.
WIZO branches opened across Europe, such as that run by
Julia Batino in Macedonia, but many were closed down in the wake of
Nazi occupation and the
Holocaust. Branches in
Latin America continued to operate during the war.
In 1949, after the establishment of the
State of Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, WIZO moved its headquarters to Israel and Sieff became president of the world WIZO organization. In 1966, she was replaced by Rosa Ginossar. Other past presidents include Raya Jaglom and
Michal Har'el Modai, former
Miss Israel and wife of Israeli politician
Yitzhak Moda'i.
Presidents Evelyn Sommer (WIZO) and Ilana Ben Ami (WIZO Israel) tried to negotiate with Mexican president
Luis Echeverría in 1975 to dissuade him from condemning
Zionism as Racism during the
World Conference on Women in Mexico. Despite Echeverría's promises,
UN General Assembly, after the impulse of Arab countries and the support of the
Non-Aligned Movement countries and the Soviet bloc, adopted
Resolution 3379
United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379, adopted on 10 November 1975 by a vote of 72 to 35 (with 32 abstentions), "determine that Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination". It was revoked in 1991 with UN General Assembly R ...
against Zionism. Almost 20 years had to pass before the UN
Resolution 46/86 revoked the
1975 determination.
Among WIZO's early social welfare projects in Mandatory Palestine were the establishment of Tipat Halav well-baby clinics and clothing distribution centers, many still in operation today. WIZO opened the country's first day care center in
Tel Aviv in 1926.
In 2008, WIZO, together with two other Women's organizations, received the
Israel Prize
The Israel Prize ( he, פרס ישראל; ''pras israél'') is an award bestowed by the State of Israel, and regarded as the state's highest cultural honor.
History
The Israel Prize is awarded annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state cer ...
for its lifetime achievements and special contribution to society and the State of Israel.
Political activity in Israel
WIZO formed a party and ran for
Knesset in
Israel's first elections in 1949, receiving 1.2% of the vote. It won one seat and was represented by
Rachel Cohen-Kagan, chairwoman of WIZO at the time. Cohen-Kagan later ran in elections for the
fifth Knesset as a member of the
Liberal Party (though she was a member of the group that broke away to form the
Independent Liberals).
Today
Today, WIZO runs 180 day care centers in Israel,
caring for 14,000 children of working mothers, new immigrants and needy families. The organization also runs summer camps, courses for single-parent families and therapeutic frameworks for children removed from their homes by court order.
WIZO is now the largest women's Zionist organization in the world. In 2008, 36 member countries sent delegates to Israel to celebrate the organization's 88th birthday.
The current World WIZO president is Esther Mor, who replaced
Tova Ben-Dov
Tova Ben-Dov (Hebrew: טובה בן-דב) Honorary Life President of the Women's International Zionist Organization (WIZO), the largest women's Zionist organization in the world. Elected as President of World WIZO Executive from 2012-2016. In her ...
,
in 2016.
See also
*
List of Israel Prize recipients
This is a complete list of recipients of the Israel Prize from the inception of the Prize in 1953 through to 2022.
List
For each year, the recipients are, in most instances, listed in the order in which they appear on the official Israel Prize ...
*
WIZO Haifa Academy of Design and Education The NB Haifa School of Design, named after Neri Bloomfield and formerly ''WIZO Canada'', is a college of art located in the German Colony in downtown Haifa, Israel. It is the leading professional and academic institution for higher education in ar ...
References
External links
Official website (in English)
{{Authority control
Jewish organizations
Organizations established in 1920
Women's organizations based in Israel
Israel Prize recipients that are organizations
Israel Prize for lifetime achievement & special contribution to society recipients
Women's rights organizations
Defunct political parties in Israel
International women's organizations
Jewish women's organizations
World Zionist Organization