A Month of Trials and Triumphs: WIZO’s Response to Crisis and Continuity

Dear Friends, Women of WIZO,

We in Israel are no strangers to turbulent times, but this past month has been especially intense—even by our standards. Nearly half of it was spent under sirens and barrages of Iranian missiles, deliberately aimed at densely populated civilian areas.

During the 12 days of the conflict with Iran, 16 WIZO institutions were damaged. These included our retirement home, seven day-care centers (four of which suffered severe damage in Rehovot, Holon, Be’er Sheva, and the Weizmann Institute), three branches of WIZO Israel, two clothing donation centers, a high school, and two youth villages. The scope and distribution of these attacks on WIZO institutions reflect the vast scale of the missile fire on Israel’s home front, which sustained heavy damage. Entire neighborhoods were hit hard, including those where many of our WIZO members live.

And yet, despite the destruction and disruption of daily life, there are also hopeful aspects to this scenario. First, we are grateful that, despite early fears of mass casualties, the number of fatalities remained relatively low. This is thanks to the world-leading warning and interception systems in place, and to the exemplary discipline of Israeli citizens who followed Home Front Command directives.

Secondly, Israel succeeded in carrying out a swift and decisive military operation that neutralized an existential threat that had loomed over us for two decades. It demonstrated overwhelming military superiority over one of our most formidable enemies. This operation strengthened our collective sense of security – in the IDF’s power, in the sophistication of our intelligence services, in the professionalism of our military, and in the boldness of the Israeli Air Force, which is capable of defending us even thousands of kilometers from home. In the early days of the fighting, the IDF eliminated 29 senior Iranian generals (Brigadier General and above) – more than the total number of civilian casualties in Israel, testifying to the strength of our response.

And through all this, June is also a month of conclusions, closures, and moving forward. It is a time for graduation ceremonies and farewells as another cohort of our students completes their journey. This month is filled with deep emotion, admiration, and gratitude as we watch our string, joyful graduates – from the Na’aleh program, our high schools, and our youth villages—the very best of what we nurture. Every graduation ceremony feels as special as the first: the pride of the parents, the excitement of the educational teams, and the anticipation of the graduates themselves—all draw us in to experience these moments alongside them. On your behalf, we wish them success in their military service and in the next chapter of their lives.

We close this extraordinary month with gratitude for the good that persists, with hope for better days, and with confidence in continued success -nationally, and within our WIZO family.

With sincere thanks and deep appreciation to all our partners,

Anat Vidor, World WIZO President

Anita Friedman,  World WIZO Chairperson