The ICJW Executive met in November 2018 in Paris to discuss their priorities for the coming years. They convened in the Center Rachi, visited the Paris Jewish Museum, and enjoyed a Seine River Cruise and other opportunities for sight-seeing and networking with the local Jewish community.

Almost 40 women attended from Australia, USA, Latin America, Europe and Israel – a truly international gathering! Our delegates to the UN in New York and Geneva reported on their work, as well as our representatives to the European Women’s Lobby, Council of Europe, World Jewish Congress and UNESCO. We also heard about the wonderful work that individual affiliates are doing in their own countries, whether working with the elderly and disadvantaged, or advocating on their behalf.

Guest speakers included  David Odier , Manager of the Centre Rachi, who told us about  his work with the Simon Weisenthal Centre, and Colette Cohen of Langage de Femmes, an organisation that brings together women of different cultures to counter racism and antisemitism. This is a very new organisation but is doing great work in this field. On  the second day we were addressed by Francis Kalifat, President of CRIF, and Yonatan Arfi, Vice President, who both talked about the fight against antisemitism in France today.

This was the first Executive Meeting chaired by new ICJW President Penelope Conway. She thanked Elisabeth Birene, Evelyne Berdugo and all the women from Coopération Féminine for their organisation of the meeting and the delightful Seine Cruise.

Many members have posted pictures on our Facebook page from the event – click here to visit the page.