Jewish Women’s Week

In 1947, Erna Patak, a refugee from Czechoslovakia, had a simple but powerful vision: women going door to door to build a better future through collective giving. Together with Rebecca Sieff, she hoped the campaign might last 10 years. More than 80 years later, Jewish Women’s Week is still led by women determined to support other women and families facing profound crisis in the aftermath of October 7.

Jewish Women’s Week has become an established, UK-wide annual house-to-house collection, authorised by the Home Office, and has raised an extraordinary £12 million since 1947. Over the decades it has evolved to reflect modern life, but its heart remains the same. We are deeply grateful to the volunteers who continue to knock on doors and to the generous donors who open them.

The 2026 campaign focuses on the often underestimated impact of conflict on women and children. In times of national trauma, women are frequently the stabilising force in the home, supporting partners, caring for children and managing daily life under immense emotional strain. Children and young people continue to live with anxiety shaped by insecurity, disruption and exposure to distressing events.

With your support, WIZO can continue rebuilding lives and strengthening the futures of women and children deeply affected by ongoing conflict.

If you would like to volunteer to be a Jewish Women’s Week collector, please contact: central@wizouk.org or call 020 7319 9169

Over the last 79 years, the Jewish Women’s Week campaign has raised £12,000,000, helping to create a better future for those less fortunate than us.

WIZO impacting the future.

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