The Women’s International Zionist Organization (WIZO) 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 in the Diaspora.
On June 7, 1920 in London, Rebecca Sieff, Dr. Vera Weizmann, who was the wife of Israel’s first President Dr. Chaim Weizmann, Edith Eder, Romana Goodman, and Henrietta Irwell founded WIZO to provide community services for the residents of Mandate Palestine.
WIZO eventually opened up branches all across Europe, such as the one run by Julia Batino in Macedonia, but many of them closed down due to Nazi Occupation and the Holocaust. However, the branches in Latin America continued to operate during World War II.
In 1949, after the establishment of the State of Israel, WIZO moved its headquarters to Israel and Sieff became president of the world WIZO organization. In 1966, Rosa Ginossar replaced Sieff as president of WIZO. Other past presidents of WIZO include Raya Jaglom and Michal Modai.
WIZO also formed a political party and ran for the Knesset in 1949 and received 1.2% of the vote. WIZO won one seat and was represented by Rachel Cohen-Kagan, who was chairwoman of WIZO at the time. Cohen-Kagan later ran in the fifth Knesset as a member of the Liberal Party, despite the fact that she was a part of the group that broke off to form the Independent Liberals.
Some of WIZO’s early social welfare projects in Mandate Palestine included the establishment of Tipat Halav well-baby clinics and clothing distribution centers, many of which are still open today. WIZO also opened up Mandate Palestine’s first day care center in Tel Aviv in 1926.
In 2008, WIZO, along with two other women’s organizations, received the Israel Prize for its lifetime achievements and special contribution to society and the State of Israel.
Today, WIZO runs 180 day care centers in Israel and care for 14,000 children of working mothers, new immigrants, and needy families. WIZO also runs summer camps, courses for single-parent families, and therapeutic frameworks for children removed from their homes by court order.
WIZO is currently the largest women’s Zionist organization in the world. 36 member countries sent delegates to Israel to help celebrate WIZO’s 88th birthday in 2008.
World WIZO’s current president is Tova Ben-Dov. Ben-Dov replaced Helena Glaser in 2012.
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