The new management was elected by the expanded General Assembly of WIZO, which gathered for the 100th anniversary of the organization, an event attended by over a thousand WIZO supporters.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFWorld WIZO Chairperson Mrs. Anita Friedman(photo credit: Courtesy)
In statutory elections, which were held this week during World WIZO's Enlarged General Meeting (EGM) in Tel Aviv, WIZO presented its new executive committee headed by newly elected World WIZO Chairperson Mrs. Anita Friedman. Friedman has been a member of the WIZO movement for 25 years during which she has filled many positions, in Israel and abroad. She succeeded Prof. Rivka Lazovsky, who served for the past eight years in the role. The executive of World WIZO determines the organization's policy and is responsible for managing WIZO's affairs in Israel. Mrs. Esther Mor was re-elected and will continue to serve as World WIZO's President for a second four-year term.The new management was elected by the expanded General Assembly of WIZO, which gathered for the 100th anniversary of the organization, an event attended by over a thousand WIZO members, donors and supporters from 40 countries around the world.Friedman, 59, a native of Bogota, Colombia, grew up in a Zionist family and made Aliyah alone at the age of 17. In 1989, she moved with her family to Miami for her husband's business. It was there that Friedman became involved in WIZO and eventually rose up through the ranks to become Chairperson of WIZO Florida and vice-president of WIZO USA. In 2013, the family returned to Israel, and Friedman was appointed deputy chairman of the fundraising department at WIZO, and two years later was elected as the department's chairperson. Under her leadership, WIZO extended its fundraising activities, expanding its inventory of hundreds of welfare and educational services, which include day care centers, schools and youth villages for at-risk youth, shelters for abused women, "warm homes" for girls and more.In her acceptance speech at the WIZO EGM this week, Friedman stated that she would act to promote adjustments in the education system in Israel to the labor market in a way that allows women to combine working, raising a family and managing a career. This includes: longer school days, free education for children from the age of 3 months old, and state sponsored frameworks for children during education system holidays.As President of World WIZO, Esther Mor is charged with representing WIZO throughout the world and in Zionist institutions and for strengthening the relationship between WIZO and all its worldwide federations in the Diaspora. Esther Mor has been a member of WIZO for 39 years and has held several positions in the organization. From 2000-2016, she served as Chairperson of the World WIZO Fundraising Division. She also served as WIZO's representative in many countries around the world, strengthening identity and membership and establishing new federations.The chairperson is the head of the organization and is responsible for the organization's 800 institutions and educational establishments in Israel. In addition, Friedman is responsible for liaising with all branches of local government agencies, public and business entities operating with WIZO to strengthen society in Israel.
