Women’s Zionist group marks centenary on 100th anniversary of female suffrage
WIZO-UK was “delighted” to mark its 100-years of existence on the day women were first able to stand as MPs.
WIZO-UK said it was “delighted” to hold its gala dinner in its centenary year with another prestigious centenary – the day women were first able to stand as MPs.
The star-studded event at the Guildhall last week was held 100 years to the day since the Qualification of Women Act 1918, which paved the way for the first female Members of Parliament, provided they were aged 21 or over.
The Act passed at a time when women could not even vote unless they were aged 30 and owned property, but less than a year later, Lady Astor won a bi-election, to become an MP in Plymouth.
WIZO-UK said: “We are delighted to share the date [of our Gala Dinner] with another prestigious centenary that celebrates women and their achievements.”
The theme set the tone for an evening in which 500 supporters praised the organisation’s work and helped raise more than £1 million for the WIZO Vocational High School in Jerusalem.
Among the guests were Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, Israeli Ambassador Mark Regev, Lord Eric Pickles and prize-winning author Howard Jacobson, with UK-born Jerusalem politician Fleur Hassan-Nahoum as guest speaker and Israeli TV presenter Eden Harel as host.
Hassan-Nahoum became City Councillor in Jerusalem in 2016 and a year later became leader of the Opposition. This summer she joined Mayoral candidate Minister Zev Elkin as his number two.
A campaigner for women’s rights and pluralism, with event organisers describing her as “a fine example of the opportunities for women to build a successful career, make a difference and influence change whilst enjoying family life”.
Guests also heard from Kineret Munitz, a counsellor and psychotherapist at WIZO’s vocational school, which is fundraising for an extensive refurbishment. She said: “There is a lot of heart and soul invested, not to mention blood, sweat and tears.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
