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The Canadian Jewish News, Thursday, November 2i, 1985-Page 3
Hadassah-WIZO convention views institutions
SHEILA DROPKIN
WINNIPEG - ■
Cecily Peters, national Hadassah-WIZO president, helped bring delegates attending the opening meeting of the organization's biennial convention here closer to the people they help support when she used videotape to present part of her report. (The parley opened over the weekend. A full report in the next CJN.).; : ■ . Filmed in Israel inv; mediately after Peters' arrival from the United Nations Women's Conference this summer, the tape shows.her visits to the institutions funded, by the Canadian organization. In Jcrusalenv, she is seen . at the Canadian Hadassah-WIZO Research Institute which has received international acclaim for the work accomplished by its dircc- ; tor. DV; Reuven Feuers-tein. with brain damaged, retarded and learning-impaired children. (Feuers-tein has lectured widely in Canada arid recently conducted a seminar at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education in Toronto.)
Peters is also shown meeting with Dr. Mor-dechai Woron, director of the Asaf Harofe Hospital near Netanya, discussing the .vairious departmehts and services supported by
Canadians, most specifically, the new diagnostic medical imaging centre now being established.
The national president also visited Hadassim, one of the -largest arid most modern boarding and day schools in Israel, and Ac-co Hofin, a' children's village that was transformed last year into an absorption centre for Ethiopian: Jewish children who arrived in Israel without their parents. In recent months, however, children with families have been admitted as well. '
Rabbi Nahum Cohen, director of the village, was a convention participant.
In a written report presented to, supplement the film, Peters reviewed the first two years of her 4-year term.
"In the last two years, I have lived one of the .. most intense educational,: creative, inspiring and even occasionally frustrating experiences anyone could hope to pass through," she wrote.
"Yet I feel personally enriched and grateful for this wonderful opportunity to expand my horizons and to do so for such a wonderful cause — the improved quality of life of our greater family, the people of Israel."
Among the milestones of her presidency to date, Peters included the par-
Hadassah-WIZP national president Cecily Peters is seen with Ethiopian Jewish youngsters in Israel.
ticipation in the 1983. conference^ in Israel to mark the 50th anniversary of Youth Aliyah, along with six other Canadians, 250 delegates from elsewhere in the Diaspora and 150 Israel is. -
She added. that among the organization's new pro- . jects in Israel are the previously mentioned imaging centre at Asaf Hospital and new fellowships at Hebrew University in corhputer science and research in anti-Semitism. ^ The organization's com-
mitment to a number of institutions- ip Israel, including the Nahalal and Hadassim schoolsV the Neri Bloomfield Haifa College, 12 day care centres, a kindergarten and youth and women's clubs, have been ' maintained and Avili continue well into the future, Peters said.
The organization has also undertaken a more prominent role in representing the interests of Canadian Jewish women arid held public affairs seminars in Ottawa in 1984 and last
spring with this purpose in mind, she said. Workshops on human rights and women's issues have been, sponsored throughout Canada and emphasis is being . placed within the. organization's chapters on Canadian and international affairs.
Canadian Hadassah-WIZO had the largest of . this country's delegations to the UN conference in Nairobi where members . participated in workshops dealing' with, general, women's issues as well as
those specincally affecting Israel. Peres said.
The organization will continue to concentrate on increasing membership and fund raising. The designation of September as Hadassah-WIZO Month in various major Canadian cities has been effective in attracting hew members and in promoting a greater awareness of the organization's achievements. ~
"Canadian HadasSah-WIZO is unique among
. Israel-based organizations, in that our activities arc c.ondutted not only for tne benefit of the Israeli, institutions which we support, but also: for the people of Canada," Peters said.
" "We are foremost in the. developriient of projects to enhance Jewish education and identity among our members and their families, of working with other women's groups to improve the conditions of indigent and battered women . and children in this country and to enlighten our elected officials about women'.s, issiies and. ■. in working within the greater community to inform our neighbors about Israel's problems and solutions.
"Our confimunity->yide public affairs programs in numerous Canadian cities have done much to improve relations and understanding among difTerent ethnic groups."
Other speakers at the opening session included Elia.shiv Ben-Horin, Israel ambassador to Canada; Winnipeg Mayor. William Norrie; Manitoba MLA Bryan Corrin, representing the province; Pearl McGpnigal, Lieutenant. Governor of. Manitoba; Neri Bloomfield, president of the Canadian Zionist Federation and pa.si president, 1972-76,- of Canadian Hadassah-WIZO and Dr. Yonah Alexander.
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