Women's International Zionist Organization (WIZO)

Summer interns. Do you have one? We do. She's a lovely, cheerful and intelligent young woman from UC Santa Barbara in California and she chose to spend the summer in Israel, interning in our marketing department. It's a tricky thing this whole internship concept. It requires a lot of work for the person overseeing the intern: training, guiding, teaching, overseeing their every task. You find yourself rushing to get your own work done in the rare minutes when you've managed to give the intern a task that will occupy them for a bit. It is a big responsibility to manage a young person who likely has never stepped foot in an office setting. And these young people, eager to learn but working for no pay -- they're looking to get something useful out of their experience, not just pass the time. But they probably don't expect to be driven to exhaustion either. After all, they are college kids who came to also experience the beauty and fun of Israel. So why have an internship program at all? Who needs this added task? Because the rewards, when it's done right, are absolutely wonderful: Knowing you deepened a young Jewish person's connection to Israel; you taught them a life skill; you gave them their first (hopefully positive) experience in the work world; you showed them that bosses can be mentors and not just someone to be feared; and in our case, you made them fall in love with the wondrous world of nonprofits and with WIZO. You hope that when they board their flight home, they leave not only suntanned but also inspired. Now I have to wrap up this post because my intern arrives in 2 minutes and I have to figure out what I'm teaching her next... 😂 Happy summer internships to all the Onward kids here in Israel! #internships #summerintern #onwardisrael

Liz Campbell, a Christian artist living in South Africa, together with Bnoth Zion WIZO Cape Town Ruth Branch, has launched an unbelievable "Love Letters 2 Israel" campaign where Christian supporters around the world have rallied together to write letters of encouragement and support to the people of Israel. We are so grateful for this incredible show of love! Read more in the article below: 👇 https://lnkd.in/dsibC3jc

Young women in high tech recently took part in training high school students at WIZO Hadassim Youth Village for future careers in high tech. Women account for about 36% of the tech workforce in Israel, but that number drops dramatically as you go up the ladder. These kinds of programs are critical in encouraging women to pursue careers in STEM industries. Thank you Dora for being part of this important program.

Women currently serve as the head of government in just 13 of the 193 member states of the United Nations, according to the Pew Research Center. Shocking statistic, isn't it? Two more women have joined their ranks recently and made history: Claudia Sheinbaum became Mexico's first female president yesterday. And Halla Tomasdottir is set to be elected as Iceland's next president, though not the first female to achieve this rank. Iceland elected a woman as president in 1980 and has also had two women serve as prime ministers. As much as we would like to believe that women's rights have advanced significantly in modern times, we clearly still have a long, long way to go to achieve gender equality. WIZO is a global women's organization: the W in our name stands for WOMEN and we have been proud feminists since 1920. I04 years later, we're still fighting for women. #genderequality #womensrights #womenleaders

Empowering a real change in the field of domestic violence requires a multifaceted approach: aiding the victims, educating youth, treating the offenders, enacting legislation and raising public awareness. WIZO’s division for the status of women works on all these fronts. And, we have identified another important front: that of professionals who can spot the early warning signs of domestic violence and intervene. WIZO, in partnership with the Israel Human Resources organization and Hertz, the car rental company, designed a program for human resource professionals to be able to identify victims in their company, be a confidential source of support and refer them to appropriate treatment and resources. The program was fully funded by Hertz and WIZO experts led the trainings. In the same week, WIZO’s professionals in the field of domestic violence also held a training session specifically geared for nurses in Israel’s wellbaby clinics, Tipat Chalav, who oversee the care for newborn babies and their mothers. The postpartum period is often filled with various emotions, stressors and challenges and can often lead to domestic violence and turmoil in the family. Hence, giving nurses the appropriate tools to identify, flag down and help treat violence in the home is a crucial step in combating it in society. Are you an HR professional in Israel who is interested in bringing these trainings to your company? Write to us in the comments! #hrpro #hrtrainings #humanresources

We are beyond excited to share that our former World WIZO marketing intern, Sydney Fox, is launching a new WIZO chapter in Atlanta, Georgia! The bright, energetic and passionate college student, who was a superstar last summer at WIZO headquarters, was so inspired by WIZO that when she returned home she wanted to continue her involvement. Sydney, a college student who grew up in Atlanta, spent last summer in Israel and during her internship, she produced fantastic content for our social media, traveled all over Israel to see WIZO projects firsthand, and even walked down the runway in WIZO’s historical fashion show marking WIZO’s 103rd birthday. “WIZO provides women with a sense of belonging and support. Whether you are a member of the WIZO team, or a participant in one of the organization’s projects, WIZO makes you feel like you are a part of a revolutionary movement that transforms the lives of thousands of women worldwide," she said. Atlanta, Georgia will be the FIFTH WIZO USA chapter, along with chapters in New York, Florida, California and Texas. We are so inspired by Sydney's leadership and thrilled to see a new generation of WIZO power women taking shape in WIZO USA!!

Yom Hazikaron this year is more heart-wrenching than ever. The number of soldiers and victims of terror who have been added to the ever-growing list is large and hard to process. We mourn each and every single one of them and send love and strength to their families, friends and communities which extend around the world. Roi Avraham Maimon is one of the fallen heroes who will be commemorated today. He was a graduate of WIZO Nir Ha'Emek and he was killed in Gaza on January 8, 2024 while serving as a combat paramedic in the reserves. The oldest of five siblings, Roi was just 24 years old. Roi's grandfather was the rabbi of a community in France before the family made aliyah to Israel. And Roi's father, Yair, shared with the mayor of their hometown Afula, how much the family loved Israel and hoped that more Jews from France would join their community here. A Zionist family who paid the heaviest price for their beloved country. May Roi's memory be a blessing. Click to light a candle in Roi's memory on Israel's official site: https://lnkd.in/dr5V-gJD #yomhazikaron

This Pesach, we are encouraging WIZO families around the world to leave an empty chair to show you still care about the hostages in Gaza. As we sit and eat and drink, enjoying the company of those we love, retelling the the story of our ancestors' plight, we cannot forget the victims of today. So "ma nishtana"? How is this Pesach different from all others? Because this year, 14 of our women are still being held hostage in Gaza. At your seder table this year, please leave an empty chair for Daniela. Let our women go. #emptychairsforhostages #passover2024 #BringThemHomeNow #letourwomengo #hostages #israelhamaswar

This Pesach, we are encouraging WIZO families around the world to leave an empty chair to show you still care about the hostages in Gaza. As we sit and eat and drink, enjoying the company of those we love, retelling the the story of our ancestors' plight, we cannot forget the victims of today. So why is this Pesach different from all others? Because this year, 14 of our women are still being held hostage in Gaza. At your seder table this year, please leave an empty chair for Noa. Let our women go. #emptychairsforhostages #passover2024 #BringThemHomeNow #noaargamani #letourwomengo

6 months of darkness, and yet, we somehow also found some light in the dark. Am Israel Chai. #hamaswar #october7 #amisraelchai