Magda Halevy was invited to visit and take part in two main events of the Emunah Midrasha and group in Brussels, Belgium., Following the idea presented at the last World Emunah Convention to facilitate the contact between groups, the first event was a joint work meeting with the French delegation who traveled to Brussels to discuss the possibility of organizing a mini-conference of the French speaking groups of World Emunah in Europe.
The French were warmly welcomed by President Monique Benizri, Vice-President Nicole Jeandel, Mmes. Sophie Heiman, and Myriam Kosman and other members of the bureau of Emunah Brussels. At the end of the session, Chaired by Magda and Monique the following decisions were made:
1) It was decided that the event will take place in Paris.
2) This conference will be to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel. The following topics were suggested:
- The centrality of the State of Israel
- Religious Zionism
- 60 years of the work of Emunah in the State of Israel
- The role of the Jewish woman and her future in today’s society
- The identity of the Jewish woman
- The cycles of a woman’s life (single, young mother, grandmother), and her different
roles and problems
This conference will be under the patronage of the Israeli Embassy in France and the Israeli Ambassador to UNESCO.
The second event of the Emunah day was a festive afternoon and evening celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Israel, under the patronage of the Israeli Embassy and with the presence of the Israeli Ambassador Tamar Samash. A lecture was given on the subject of “L’art israélien”, accompanied by a cocktail with over 120 guests – Money was raised for Ahuzat Sarah. The leadership of different Jewish organizations attended including Mme. Lilian Seidman from the Belgian Council of Jewish Women, Mme. Lily Grosman vice-president of the CCOG and a delegation from Emunah Antwerp, headed by President Dora Spitzer.
Magda thanked the members of Emunah Brussels for their support of the children of Ahuzat Sarah and praised their creative work. She also conveyed greetings from World Emunah.
During her visit, Magda was able to appreciate first hand the different shiurim on Hebrew and Jewish subjects, including an evening with guest speaker Rav Haim Dayan, who came especially from Paris to lecture about the origins of Queen Esther.
From Belgium, Magda traveled to Paris to visit the group of Emunah Paris Boulogne where she met with the bureau, presided by President Rabbanit Belahsen as well as members Chantalle Dehe, Directrice Melanie Lasry, Prof. Jinnette Soufir, Dr. Janette Chalime, Joelle Pasternak and other chaverot. They discussed the decisions taken at the meetings with the Brussels bureau, including the organization of the above mentioned conference. It was confirmed that the conference would take place in Paris. A decision was made to contact leadership from other French speaking communities, as well as Emunah Spain, whose leaders have expressed an interest in taking part in this conference. During the meetings, plans to expand the existing groups and fundraising activities in Paris were discussed, as well as the strengthening of contacts with other communities in different cities in France. In response to a special request from Emunah Israel, Emunah Strasbourg and Emunah Paris Boulogne pledged to carry out special fund-raising activities during Purim to grant financial support to two of the midrashot in Yad Binyamin and Shomria for women evacuated from Gush Katif.
A Yom Limud was held by the Midrasha in Paris to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Israel, a large group of ladies from different communities and organizations participated. Guest speakers at this event where Dr. Francine Kaufman and Political Science Professor Frederic Amsel.
World Emunah would also like to express extreme gratitude to the family of former President of Emunah Paris Mme. Colette Binder for their very generous donation on behalf of Ahuzat Sarah. This donation will cover the costs of renovating the water pipes in Achuzat Sarah as well as acquiring a new water tank and installing emergency stairs. These are projects that very few people like to fund, but are vital to the upkeep of our homes.
Many thanks to all our Emunah friends in France and Belgium for their dedication and hard work on behalf of our organization.
Visits to the Brussels and Paris Boulogne Emunah groups by Magda Halevy, Director of the Ibero-Latinamerican and French Departments of World Emunah