5 Days That Changed My Life by Lynn Gillman

5 DAYS THAT CHANGED MY LIFE

By Lynn Gillman In late August 2019 at a Board of Directors meeting, Marilyn Libin, CHW National President, announced that the World WIZO General meeting to be held January 2020 in Tel Aviv was to be an EGM (Enlarged General Meeting) and it would be to launch WIZO’s Centenary.

Encouraged by Marilyn to attend as one of CHW’s nine delegates to the WIZO EGM, I decided to go by the time I sat down on the train to return to Ottawa.

To be honest, I felt I needed to go as I had not visited a CHW project in a while and we would have time to arrange a visit plus as World WIZO is one of CHW’s partners, it would be good to get an inside view.

As well, leaving Ottawa in the middle of the winter for sunny Israel was certainly appealing. I was about to learn that WIZO had “pulled out all the stops” for a once in a lifetime experience. I had no idea the scope and effort of WIZO for the EGM but soon realized very quickly while walking into the Grand Ballroom at the Hilton in Tel Aviv with the delegation from CHW, that this was going to be a special experience. Over 770 women from across the world were attending as either a delegate or observer.

You saw huge swaths of women from every corner of the globe waving their country’s flag. I think what hit me immediately was that this is not our grandmother’s WIZO but a modern women’s organization taking on the commitment to change the lives of those in need in Israel.

CHW Delegation and Staff attending the World WIZO EGM in Tel Aviv. (L-R): Elayna Latsky, Reeva Waksberg, Brondell Shapiro, Cathy Williams, Marilyn Libin, Daniel Pike, Alina Ianson, Debbie Eisenberg, Lynn Gillman, Roslyn Joseph

A very proud moment for our delegation was a ceremony where Debbie Eisenberg, Immediate Past National President, and Claudia Goldman, Past National President, both received Honorary Life Memberships from World WIZO.

The first speaker of the event was one of the most dynamic speakers I have ever heard. Full of energy and Israeli chutzpah, ex CEO of El Al and Retired General Elyezer Shkedy gave a stirring speech about leadership, Zionism and Jewish values. After that I was not sure anyone could top him; however, each and every speaker came ready and eager to deliver their message full of passion, insight, and innovation.

It was impossible not to feel inspired and encouraged to go back home and to become more committed to CHW. During one session we heard from past graduates of WIZO’s schools that have gone on to be incredible and important citizens. Now these graduates are giving back to WIZO to help.

Showing the strength and power of Israeli women, there was also a session to highlight four courageous women who had become great leaders by overcoming obstacles. A crowd favourite, Daniel Birnbaum, CEO of SodaStream, focused on transforming organizations and how he puts the sparkle back in his company every day. Everyone was listening and taking in each and every word from him. One of the days was devoted to visiting outstanding WIZO institutions. Fourteen buses headed out for an adventure early one morning. My bus’s first stop was a visit to a WIZO community centre in Hadera where we heard gut wrenching stories from women who had escaped abuse, and their heroic fight for their lives and the lives of their children. Later we went to CHW Nahalal Children and Youth Village where it was time for the Canadians to show off certainly, one of the star projects of World WIZO.

Undoubtedly, the highlight of the visit was hearing from the students and so many of them came up to the Canadian delegation to tell each of us the impact of our support on their individual lives.

Without any prompting, each student was eager to relay their story and wanted us to deliver a message to the supporters back home, about their gratitude and the difference that CHW had made to their lives. Each day of the EGM, you went to bed with a full heart and mind.

I couldn’t help but think how fitting our Annual Campaign theme this year “Home is Where the Heart is”, encapsulated my trip to Israel.

I certainly left my heart in Israel at our projects but also the inspiration from these few days made me see WIZO and CHW with a whole new heart.

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