Hadassah-WIZO
The Queen Esther Hadassah chapter was formed in 1926 by Mrs. Levine, the wife of the Rabbi. Most of the women in the community joined and many of them were still members fifty years later. Lee Goldstein Shulman, a longtime member commented, “when you were in the Jewish community of Kitchener at that time, you had to be involved.” The chapter had monthly meetings where the ladies met for discussions and to plan activities to raise money for Palestine. In the 1950s, the Kitchener chapter held an annual Tea & Bake Sale in the YMCA/YWCA. Over the years, booths were added for aprons, toys, handicrafts and Israeli goods.
In 1954, under the guidance of Mary Daufman and Anne Miller, the young married women of Kitchener formed a second Hadassah chapter. The Sharon chapter was named after a fertile flowering valley in Israel. Its first president was Alyce Orzy. This chapter held New Year’s dances, Arbour Day teas, bingo, strawberry socials, rummage sales, and monthly round robins. There was an annual Hadassah Stag for the men with a Social Evening for women. In 1962, Sharon chapter created its main fundraiser, a yearly community directory booklet that continues publication to this day. Members were kept busy with fashion shows, an annual Tu B’shvat ball, and Purim carnival.
Hadassah stepped into the 1960s with flair and spectacle when the first annual Hadassah Bazaar was held in 1962. The Bazaar quickly became a celebrated tradition in the general community, taking months of preparation. More than 10,000 people typically attended, exploring not only the many food and baking booths, but also Israeli goods, hats and handbags, toys, books, white elephant items, handicrafts, clothing and furniture. Over the years, the event had many different themes, from Bonanza Western to Women’s Day, from Carnival to Zodiac.
For more than thirty years, Lillian Weiss was a driving force behind Hadassah, always finding new ways to increase Bazaar’s attendance. She was named an outstanding member in 1966 and was awarded a lifetime membership in 1969 for her significant contributions.
