Mme President. Colleagues
Who’d of thought it?
Who’d of thought that a women’s organisation founded in 1943
around midway through WW2, it’s purpose to encourage Jewish
women to not only give Voluntary service ...but to be seen as Jewish
women serving both in the Jewish & wider community, who could
have known that we’d survive & be celebrating our three score years
plus ten?
I wonder what they would say , those first four National
Presidents....Lady Hartog, Esther Samuel, Hilda Schlesinger &Lady
Rose Henriques... I wonder what they would say.. the women at the
birth of the League, women with illustrious surnames like Brodetsky
,Swaythling , Rothschild, Montagu, Sieff & of course Miriam Moses, I
wonder what they would say if they could know our 70 year history.
Wouldn’t it be good if we could tell them that the organisation they
founded with around 100 members grew to a peak of more than
5,000 dedicated volunteers in over 70 groups throughout the UK , &
though now reduced in numbers is still giving outstanding service in
many areas, & , with a real sense of responsibility, to this day
representing the League & making their mark on major communal
bodies , Local, National & International?.
Wasn’t it wonderful that they created an organisation in which
Jewish women of all shades of our religion could become members?
, where they would not be judged by how much money they
donated or how religious they were, but could work in harmony for
the common good... but this didn’t happen overnight, let’s look at
the beginning:
The resolution that was put before the meeting & unanimously
adopted was as follows :
1. Name - The League of Jewish Women
2. Membership-ordinary subscription2/6d per annum .
For those aged 16 -21...1/6d per annum
3. A constitution to be drafted
4. Membership open to All Jewesses living in Great Britain &
Northern Ireland.
The first committee was elected & Mrs Brodie, wife of the
Chief Rabbi, became Vice Chairman as have subsequent wives
of Chief Rabbi’s
B’nai Brith offered their premises in Woburn House for
meetings.
And so we were born
During the term of the first President, Lady Hartog, 10 Groups
were founded the first two being Clissold & Didsburyin 1943 to
be closely followed by the next two- Golders Green &
Richmond & Thames Valley in 1944.
By 1946 the League boasted 1,184 members, increased
membership fees to 5/-& more importantly had established a
wide range of voluntary services & rotas.
As membership grew & more groups were founded the variety of
welfare services undertaken increased & by 1950 we were thought
of by many as THE organisation to turn to, offering help ..as they say
... from cradle to grave. People knew that in a time of need they
could call on us with confidence.
What a lot we have to be proud of!.
If only there was time to tell it all!
Each National President, Executive committee & council brought
their own agenda & saw different needs that they could address.
Let’s look at some of the highlights.
FRIENDSHIP CLUBS:
In the 1940’s there were many excellent & thriving Jewish youth clubs but
alas nothing that provided meeting places with recreational activities
focused on the many isolated, lonely & bored over 60’s...considered
elderly then !
Remember.. it was post war, people’s lives had been disrupted & there
was little out there for them.
In 1949 Cricklewood Group held a Brain’s Trust at which this question
was asked :
’ Is the time right to start a club for the Jewish elderly?’
What do you think was the answer?
From this question & with the cooperation of the United Synagogue
providing premises & support , the first Friendship Club was born,
run by League volunteers &with Lily Hyman as chairman.
Nothing succeeds like success & within a short time Friendships Clubs were
being held at Synagogue premises of all denominations &
. as they became aware of the great service provided the y grew proud to
be involved in this facility for Senior Citizens.
In time, as the membership increased, the Association of Jewish
Friendship Clubs was formed with the League as the overall ‘Parent’ &
most, if not all of the willing weekly volunteers, were local League
members.
There are hundreds & hundreds of people who could tell you how their
Friendship Club gave them a renewed purpose in life, brought them
friends & companionship, a chance to meet people & enjoy
entertainment, a game of cards, a cup of tea.
The proof of this huge success is in the estimated figure of 250, 000
members,men & women who benefited over the years.
As we know... all good things come to an end & with diminishing numbers
both in membership & volunteers the Asscn. of Friendship Clubs closed
their Head Office in 2007 .
Nearly 60 glorious years. What an achievement!
The natural follow on was Day Centres & you will hear more about this
form a later speaker : but another venture was into Friendly Circles
which were formed to give people in their 40’s & 50’s the occasion to
meet & socialise & though not a roaring success there were many good
friendships made & i think a couple of ‘shidachs’
The first LJW Residential conference, held in Bournemouth in 1975, was
instigated by the then President Edie Noble . This brought together
members from many League groups , exchanging ideas , learning much
from our speakers & enabling us to plan for the future.
This first conference was so successful that subsequent Presidents each
held one at the end of their term with venues in Manchester &
Birmingham & back again to B/mt. Sadly, owing to rising costs this was
eventually brought to a close . What a pity !!! But it was good while it
lasted.
The trained vols of our LJW Care Counselling Service , which ran for about
10years , helped many people in the Jewish community through a bad
patch in their lives at a time when counselling services were not as
freely available as they are today
Our excellent record of Xmas day volunteering in Homes , Hospitals
& Luncheon Clubs enabled many non Jewish staff to celebrate the
day with their families. This service was most welcome & greatly
enhanced the League’s reputation.
John Golding House, the house bequeathed by a grateful recipient of
League care, was, until last year administered by a League Committee who
were dedicated to the needs of the residents of this Sheltered
accommodation & enabled them to enjoy a secure life in their later years.
The League’s representation on important Jewish & Non Jewish outside
organisations has given Jewish women a voice in decision making where
previously they had no say .
This is merely a flavour of our achievements....
And the list goes on. We know that countless people have benefited
from our welfare services but i would like briefly to allude to the
time of my term of office 1985 – 1988... an unbelievable 25 years
ago.
It was a time when nominations for election to League Council was well
oversubscribed & candidates canvassed prior to the meeting & paraded in
front of the members at the packed Woburn Hall AGM .
David Cameron ... you’ve got nothing on us!
Our premises at Woburn House, to put it mildly, left a lot to be
desired & our office & meetings room even more so. We worked in
difficult circumstances.
We employed one secretary & some part time help plus a committed
volunteer , Edna Joseph , remember her?..she was a real asset & a
delightful person to work with.
Our staff rolled off our printing on an old Gestetner machine someone had
donated & it was a real production for the twice a year send out when
5,000 copies of each piece of paper often adding up to a total of 25,000
,were run off. A slow, boring & mucky process.
Of course, we didn’t have a computer or a photocopier , & we
seemed to spend a lot of time in the crotchety old lift going
backwards & forwards to the US offices to beg the use of their copier
for which there was, of course, a charge.
Our excitement when I raised the funds to purchase an electric typewriter
knew no bounds.
When I took over as President we were £10,000 in the red & I promised
that, although not a natural fundraiser i would aim to raise £50,000, a very
large sum in 1985 .
By the end of my term we had raised, with the help of members, charitable
foundations & generous contributors, more than the £50, 000 I had aimed
for & I was so pleased that i could retire having removed the financial
burden for the incoming team.
Also,just before my departure in 1988 I was thrilled to install our very own,
our very first computer & photocopier with funds I was fortunately able to
raise from a Swiss Charitable Foundation.
We were worming our way into the 21st Century !
Over the years I had the enormous pleasure of visiting every Group in
London, all but one Out of Town Group (Aylesbury) & the NW Region many
times. I thoroughly enjoyed getting together with members , attending
local meetings & in some instances, overnight hospitality. It was amazing
to learn of the many & varied projects & rotas undertaken& I shall always
remember these experiences.
I joined the Streatham Group of the LJW for 10/- in 1963... 50 years ago.
It was the best ‘Ten Bob’ I ever spent. I expect all of you feel the same
about your first subscription.
Someone once said’ If you cast your bread upon the waters.... occasionally
a smoked salmon sandwich comes floating back’
I think all of us here today, & the many, many members who are not with
us, a number of them because they are devoted to their Tuesday Rotas,
would agree that we have reaped the rewards of our service over & over
again.
All of us know we made a difference , all of us know that how ever much
we have given to the League the bonus has been a real sense of fulfilment
& worth . We learned much on the way ,& relished in the companionship of
like minded people. Not least, serving in the wider community, we were the
best possible ambassadors for the Jewish Community.
We should congratulate all our Past Presidents who took on the enormous
responsibility of leading our organisation. Each one built on what had gone
before & left their mark for others to follow. It’s good to see so many Past
Presidents with us today .I am sure they would agree that we all benefited
from the standards set by those who went before us.
I spoke earlier of first four Presidents.
Let’s, for a moment also remind ourselves of those outstanding Presidents
of more recent times who sadly are no longer with us: Rosa Freedman,
Vera Braynis, Ruth Winston Fox, Pheobe White,Sybil Brown & the two who
were very special to me , Edie Noble & Valerie Hyams.
We remember them with affection & appreciation as we do another
extraordinary person in our history , Amelie Jakobovits, our beloved Lady
J. who always made time to be with us & was always available to give
wise advice & encouragement. It is fitting that we remember her too at
this meeting.
It is she who at an AGM in Woburn House named the League
‘The Jewel in the Crown of Anglo Jewry’
I believe that she was right then & would be right now.
I believe that the League, though maybe a bit down, is certainly not
out.
I believe the League of Jewish Women, founded in 1943 is, in 2013,
very much alive & kicking & while it may be necessary to streamline
& modernise- we still have much to offer.
While i am very aware of the value of a strong leadership , for 70 years the
core & strength of the League has always been in the selfless service given
day by day, in so many groups, in so many communities , in such a variety
of ways by you, our loyal members & i want to close by paying a warm
tribute to every administration, every Group that was formed & every
member who has brought us to this important anniversary day.
There is no doubt that the League is a shining example of all that is best in
the voluntary sector.
Mme.Pres. / Colleagues.... We can rejoice in our past. Long may the league
continue & thrive in the future.