The 28th biennial convention of Hadassah WIZO of Canada which met recently in Vancouver, voted a 20 percent increase in financial support of its numerous Israeli programs despite inflationary costs. Clara Belinsky, president of the organization, focussing on the convention’s central theme of continued financial support of all Israeli projects, urged the close to 1000 delegates from around the country to complete the Founding Nation Builders $1 million program initiated at the last convention.
“More than half of the 40 necessary $25,000 contributions are in,” Belinsky said. “A final push will complete this important effort to aid Israel’s higher educational institutions and aims.” Mirial Small, honorary vice president of Hadassah-WIZO, who succeeded Belinsky as president for the next two years, emphasized self-fulfillment “through the voluntary acceptance of challenges” on behalf of the organization.
Raya Jaglom, president of World WIZO, warned the delegates that her organization will not be able to “expand or undertake necessary development plans” in Israel “because of inflation and other economic problems.” She stressed repeatedly the importance of Canadian financial support for WIZO which is now operating 200 day care centers in Israel as well as 200 schools, 70 youth clubs and 184 centers for women including nine in Arab villages.
APPROVES HEBREW UNIVERSITY PROJECT
The convention voted to help a new Hebrew University project which would establish a $250,000 permanent book endowment fund for faculty and departmental libraries at the university in Jerusalem. Bernard Cherrick, the university’s vice president, told the convention that “An unprecedented inflation and a 70 percent devaluation of the Israeli Pound in the past year has caused book prices to sear beyond the university’s capacity to supply these important technical and research books and journals.”
One of the convention highlights was the appearance of Dr. Reuven Feuerstein, director of Hadassah-WIZO’s Research Institute in Jerusalem and a world leader in restructuring training procedures for the learning handicapped. Feuerstein, whose revolutionary methods are currently in use in Israel, Europe and the United States, spoke before a special workshop attended by over 100 psychologists and educators and revealed that the Canadian government will put to use in its penal system two of his programs.
An exchange of letters between Feuerstein and Hadassah-WIZO with Ottawa government officials point to the use of his methods in Canadian penitentiaries and the recognition that it is “officially an exchange program between Canada and Israel.”
Monty Hall, a native of Winnipeg and one of TV’s best-known entertainers, become the first recipient of Hadassah-WIZO’s Canadian Award to “an outstanding Canadian, deeply humanitarian contributing to Jewish and Israel welfare.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
