LADIES WHO LUNCH
IT ALL started with the women of Wizo, founded in 1918, who in the intervening near-century have raised tens of millions for Israel’s most needy.
Generations of women have come together in support of the welfare organisation and it was once considered the charity for “ladies who lunch”.
But other charities have caught on, establishing dedicated women’s divisions and committees with significant leadership and fundraising potential.
Women in Jewish Leadership cochair Laura Marks says it reflects a burgeoning influence. “Traditionally, people have said that ‘if you want to get any money out of the community, you have to go to the men in the room’. People have not taken the women seriously. But things are changing.
“There is more evidence that women are playing a bigger role in deciding how families allocate their money. There is a realisation that women may not be ones earning the biggest bucks, but they may be having the biggest influence on where that money is spent. Women together are stronger, more confident and collective.”
For charities such as Jewish Wom- en’s Aid, the annual women’s lunch is a major income generator.
Co-chair Hilda Worth says the £180,000 raised f rom the l unch accounts for around 25 per cent of JWA’s annual pot, enabling it to expand its services for domestic violence victims in London and Manchester and its educational work in schools and universities across the UK.
But she acknowledges that a midweek event running for more than three hours can exclude working women — two-thirds of the JWA lunch committee do not have have paid jobs. For those in work, “we hope there are other ways we can engage them”.
The magistrate and mother of four, who’s married to former UK Israel Business chair Marc Worth, says she “occasionally” hears dismissive comments about women on such committees.
But Mrs Worth, who in her 20s set up the first Young Wizo committee in Nottingham, says for those with a professional career, it is “a way of expanding your horizons. Some friends shy away from it because they think it is about choosing tablecloths and napkins. It is much more than that.
“We’ve all done simchahs, we’re all very capable. Everyone gets the recognition they need, otherwise I don’t think they would come back. It’s very collaborative. I think women working together can be really effective.”
JWA executive director Naomi Dickson says the lunch committee members are “intelligent, hard-working and thoughtful. They add immense value to us as a charity.”
Full-time mother Emma Krais is a former chair of Jewish Care’s Women of Distinction committee, co-founded by her mother, Lynn Lindsay.
Since 1999, the committee has raised £1.3 million for the charity.
As well as supporting Jewish Care projects, the WoD lunches also honour the achievements of women in a variety of fields. Mrs Krais, who remains on the WoD committee, says it provides “a chance for like-minded women to get together and do something for the community. Not only raising money, but creating awareness of what Jewish Care has to offer. We have always tried to bring in important speakers on issues affecting women.
Do men want to attend? “They tend to stick to their breakfasts,” she laughs. “They wouldn’t be shunned.”
Manchester-born Karen Goodkind has co-chaired the United Jewish Israel Appeal women’s division during 20 years of communal involvement. “I just wanted to do something to give back.” She now leads women’s missions to Israel.“In my experience, a lot of women want to do things in their own right,” she explains. “You are in a room full of women and it’s quite a powerful feeling. You go in and see people you haven’t seen in months. You’re looking at what everyone’s wearing, there’s chitchat and camaraderie. On top of it all, you know you have have done some good.”
She also established “a women’s lunch with a twist” for Chai Cancer Care nine years ago, which has become the annual Chai spa day. “There’s a lunch element, we have massages. Once Nicky Clarke came in and did hairdos.”
UJIA’s head of major gifts, Jacalyn Sank, says that “our women’s campaign, committee and lay people are vital to UJIA’s overall fundraising.
“They represent half of our supporters and whether people give individually, as couples, or as family gifts, the female perspective, involvement and commitment is highly valued.
“From my experience, women are essential components in the decisions on what people give as a couple and to which charities.” The women’s lunch “is a flagship event of UJIA’s calendar”. The women’s mission to Israel is “the best recruiter of female lay people to join committees, because when you see our projects first-hand in Israel, it gives the women the experiential moments that connect you for life”.
Wizo president Loraine Warren, who was made an OBE for charitable services this year, said the women’s fundraising initiatives make “significant” contributions. Wizo has sent close to £20 million to Israel over the past 10 years.
Increasing numbers of men attend its annual literary lunch, which features a top author. “They are a lucrative way of fundraising for us. It hasn’t changed the dynamicof Wizo,butithasopeneda raison d’etre to men. They understand why we are there and what we are doing. I think that is good because that message does sometimes tend to get lost.”
After having children, Mrs Warren gave up her job as a buyer for Debenhams. In that “transitional stage”, she decided to volunteer for the charity.
“I was absolutely blown away by the scope of what Wizo was doing. I thought I was going to do it for a while and I’ve been doing it for over 20 years.
“This perception of ‘ladies who lunch’ has been a negative one in the press, but I don’t think it’s that bad. We all like an excuse to dress up. We have had women who have attended a lunch because they wanted to hear a speech and then afterwards say they would like to visit a centre in Israel, or that they have skills to offer.”
Increasing numbers of men are attending Wizo events