Partnership against poverty
As Mount Sinai College year 6 students Talia Kaplan and Vivien Fainerman proudly sang Hatikvah in front of more than 600 people – including former Israeli defence minister and aspiring prime minister Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon – at the combined WIZO/The Joint major fundraising dinner in Sydney on August 24, attention quickly turned to the children of Israel – 890,000 of whom live without basic necessities.
AS Mount Sinai College year 6 students Talia Kaplan and Vivien Fainerman proudly sang Hatikvah in front of more than 600 people – including former Israeli defence minister and aspiring prime minister Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon – at the combined WIZO/The Joint major fundraising dinner in Sydney on August 24, attention quickly turned to the children of Israel – 890,000 of whom live without basic necessities.
Silence filled the Randwick Racecourse ballroom when a short documentary was shown featuring a low-income family of seven living in a two-bedroom rented apartment in Ofakim.
The mother told of having to split two eggs into five portions so her kids could have lunch, until her youngest were accepted into a WIZO daycare centre and provided three free meals per day.
The significance of the night – announcing a historic fundraising partnership between WIZO and The Joint to tackle increasing poverty throughout Israel – was not lost on The Joint Australia’s president Eva Fischl or WIZO NSW president Anat Vidor.
Fischl said what prompted the unprecedented campaign was discovering a frightening statistic: 1.7 million people in Israel currently live below the poverty line.
“This wasn’t a statistic for Ghana or India or Ethiopia – this is Israel,” Fischl said.
“But for once there is a problem in Israel with an answer.”
Vidor said the combined campaign, with the community’s support, will change many lives in Israel.
“We don’t have to re-create the wheel, because between the two organisations we have the full infrastructure – 1100 welfare institutions to help most of these people,” Vidor said.
“All we are lacking are the funds.
“We now have the opportunity to prevent a second generation of poverty.”
Guest of honour, Ya’alon, revealed a family connection to both organisations.
“Two of our grandkids have been educated in a WIZO kindergarten last year,” Ya’alon said.
“And Ada, my wife … her uncle was actually rescued by The Joint during the Shoah … and two weeks ago he decided to donate his life savings, $250,000, to The Joint.”
Ya’alon said Israel “can’t tolerate what is happening to kids like we’ve seen in this video – to allow such poverty, it is against our way.
“It is a challenge we have to deal with and overcome, and we can.
“But in the meanwhile, yes, we need the invaluable assistance of organisations like WIZO and The Joint, and yourselves.
“I am happy to be in Sydney, witnessing for the second time, the commitment of the Jewish community here, their spirit and inspirational support to the State of Israel.
“I travel a lot and I can confirm that this is a unique community, so thank you all.”
SHANE DESIATNIK
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