Jewish family help fund faces possible closure
![]() THE United Sisterhood is in serious need of financial assistance to avoid closing its Jewish Family Assistance Fund.The United Sisterhood, which will celebrate 75 years of helping the underprivileged in August this year, may have to cut down on supporting projects and people it has assisted for many years, and may have to close the Jewish Family Assistance Fund. The reason for the lack of funds is varied, but neither the Jewish Family Assistance Fund nor the United Sisterhood have suffered from any maladministration or from any misuse or misappropriation of funds. Neither fund has any outstanding creditors. The economic situation in South Africa has hit Jewish community, and many former regular donors are finding it more and more difficult to cope themselves with inflation. In addition, the Johannesburg Jewish community has become an aging community. Even though interest rates have risen, possibly giving our senior members more income from investments, the cost of living has increased way beyond this income. Their contributions to our Tikkun Olam programmes have either stopped or have been drastically reduced. Another spin-off of the rising cost of living has been that the number of people in need has risen. Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) has also meant that more and more older white South Africans have been retrenched and cannot find employment. The United Sisterhood is unique in that it does not ask what colour people in need are, nor does it ask the gender of these people, nor does it ask them what religion they follow. It asks merely what the need is, and how best to address that need. Should the United Sisterhood not raise the required amount, the results will be as follows:
In addition to the above, the United Sisterhood render the following services:
We have provided these humanitarian services for many decades. We will have to stop doing all of this unless we raise sufficient funds to do so. Please help us to help all these people! |
![]() ABOVE: Ellen Appleton, past chairperson of the United Sisterhood, with children at the New Nation school.LEFT: Children at the MC Weiler School on prize-giving day UNITED SISTERHOOD OFFICESInside the grounds of Temple Emanuel, corner Oxford Road and Third Avenue, Parktown.
Bank account for direct transfers: NEDBANK KILLARNEY CURRENT ACCOUNT ACC NO: 1916 004 172 BRANCH CODE: 191605 United Sisterhood helps the Jewish wayThe United Sisterhood, umbrella body for the three Johannesburg-based synagogue sisterhoods, is world-renowned for its social action programmes in areas like Alexandra MC Weiler School: 60 years serviceFor more than 60 years, the MC Weiler School in Alexandra has provided education, food and uniforms to children from the poorest families Bringing matric to the underprivilegedA unique school in the grounds of Bet David has enabled hundreds of poor students from Alexandra to pass their matric. The Mitzvah School recently celebrated 21 years. When sisterhood means serviceThe founder of Progressive Judaism, Rabbi MC Weiler, encouraged the women who attended his services to form a sisterhood where they would work for the movement and the community at large. That was the beginning of the SA Union of Temple Sisterhoods |