International Council of Jewish Women
INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN
INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN , an organization linking Jewish women from 47 countries in the five continents with 52 affiliated national organizations, which represents a total membership of over 1,000,000. The Council was founded in 1912 in Rome, but ceased to function during World War i and did not resume its activities until 1923, at a meeting in Vienna. After its meeting in Hamburg, Germany, in 1939, it was rendered inactive by World War ii and the Nazi Holocaust, but was reconstituted in 1949 in Paris, where representatives from six countries met and drew up the constitution which reestablished the International Council of Jewish Women on its present basis. Ten regular triennial conventions have been held since the first one in 1951.
The major objective of the icjw is to advance human welfare in the Jewish and general communities. It seeks to stimulate and assist its affiliates to promote programs and train volunteers to serve in the fields of child, youth, and family welfare, mental health, medical care, education, special needs of the aged, and the social, economic, and legal status of women both in Jewish and secular law.
Dedicated to the purpose of strengthening the Jewish community and the Jewish family in the great traditions of Judaism, the icjw encourages and helps its affiliates to foster and promote Jewish education. The icjw also exchanges information on projects which are supported by the affiliates to advance education and social welfare in Israel,
United Nations Work
The icjw seeks to spread knowledge about and promote support for the United Nations, to which it has been accredited, and has been granted consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ecosoc) and with the United Nations Children's Fund (unicef). For these purposes the icjw has appointed an official accredited representative and an alternate in New York City and a representative in Geneva who participate directly in their activities. They attend regular sessions of the United Nations and cooperate with national and international organizations engaged in United Nations-related activities. On the basis of their consultative status they participate directly in the work of ecosoc and unicef.
Structure
The International Council of Jewish Women is a non-political organization consisting of affiliated national organizations and associated members from countries where there is no affiliate. It is supported by dues from both categories of membership. Each affiliate organization is autonomous and is made up of a cross section of the Jewish women of that country, and carries out educational and social projects in accordance with the country's needs and opportunities. The icjw maintains close contact with affiliates through the exchange of information, field service visits, and reciprocal communication between icjw and the affiliates through the office of the president and the 11 icjw standing committees which comprise members of the affiliates. The council publishes the icjw Newsletter in English and Spanish, which appears several times a year.