For Such a Time as This
In the days of Esther, the Jewish people lived between fear and hope. Sirens of danger filled the air, and uncertainty pressed against every home. Yet in the quiet chambers of Shushan, a young woman discovered that courage often arrives disguised as responsibility. She stepped forward, hesitant, trembling, but determined, and through her, a nation rose.
Today, as Israel stands in the shadow of Operation Roaring Lion, we find ourselves living a modern chapter of that ancient story. Families run to shelters. Children fall asleep in safe rooms. Hospitals remain on alert. Yet within this storm, something unshakeable endures: the strength of women, the power of community, and the resilience born from solidarity and friendship.
This is where WIZO stands, the Civilian Iron Dome, the steadfast heartbeat of Israeli society.
While armies defend the borders, WIZO protects daily life.
While soldiers face the frontlines, WIZO strengthens the home front.
Across Israel, our 180 daycare centres safeguard the children of doctors, nurses, and emergency teams, allowing them to remain at their posts. Our shelters offer refuge to vulnerable women. Our youth villages hold more than 5,000 at-risk teens, giving structure, safety, and hope. And our elderly homes provide dignity, care, and protection to those who built the country with their hands.
These are not just services; they are lifelines. They are the quiet miracles of ordinary days.
They are the modern echoes of Esther’s bravery.
For just as Esther stepped into destiny not because she felt prepared, but because her people needed her, so too do WIZO women step forward, again and again.
Not because the times are easy,
not because the path is clear, but because it is necessary.
Resilience is our inheritance. Solidarity is our strength. Friendship is our shield. Victory is our promise, written into our history, lived through our women, and renewed in every act of compassion.
We come from a lineage of Deborah’s fire, Miriam’s song, Rachel’s devotion, and Esther’s quiet courage. Today, WIZO women continue that lineage with unwavering purpose. We do not shrink from the moment. We rise to meet it.
We were made for such a time as this, a time that calls for courage, unity, leadership, and love. May this Purim remind us that hidden within darkness is the promise of light, and within every woman the power to change the course of history.
Chag Purim Sameach!
With love,
Shelley Trope-Friedman
President, WIZO South Africa