ORAH Magazine Summer 2026

SU MME R 20 26

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our steadfast support As we welcome summer and the opportunities it brings for renewal, reflection, and connection, we do so against a backdrop of unprecedented challenges for the Jewish people, both in Canada and around the world.

Over the past year, we have witnessed a disturbing rise in antisemitism on university campuses, in our schools, synagogues, streets, and communities. Many Jewish Canadians have experienced fear, isolation, harassment, and hostility in ways that would have seemed unimaginable only a few years ago. At the same time, Israel continues to face existential threats from Iran and its terrorist proxies, including Hezbollah, whose relentless aggression has forced countless families to live under the constant shadow of conflict and uncertainty.

In moments like these, the importance of community, resilience, and purpose becomes even clearer.

This past January, CHW proudly led our first Impact Israel: Young Leadership Trip, bringing 12 remarkable young women to Israel for an immersive experience unlike any other. For many participants, it was their first visit to Israel and their first opportunity to witness firsthand the extraordinary projects their support makes possible. They met courageous women rebuilding their lives after violence, young people overcoming trauma, and healthcare professionals delivering lifesaving care under extraordinary circumstances. They returned home inspired, connected, and committed to carrying forward a proud legacy of Zionism, philanthropy, and leadership.

Their passion gives us tremendous hope for the future of CHW and the Jewish community.

That hope is reflected every day through the work of our partners in Israel and Canada.

Across our network of projects, CHW is helping vulnerable women, children, and families build safer and brighter futures. From programs that support survivors of domestic violence and abuse to initiatives that provide vocational training, legal advocacy, trauma counselling, and educational opportunities, our investments are creating lasting change where it is needed most.

The need for these services has never been greater.

The lasting effects of war, terrorism, displacement, and violence have left thousands struggling with profound psychological trauma. Through our support of the Psychological Rehabilitation Unit at Hadassah Hospital, individuals and families receive critical mental health support, helping them heal and regain hope. At Shamir Medical

Center, the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine continues to transform lives through innovative treatments that support recovery from complex physical and neurological injuries, offering new possibilities to patients who might otherwise have none.

These projects represent the very best of what CHW stands for: compassion translated into action, hope transformed into healing, and philanthropy creating measurable impact.

Thanks to you, over the last three years (July 2024-June 2026), the CHW Annual Campaign raised $2,900,257 in support of Shamir Medical Center and Hadassah Hospital.

As you read this issue of ORAH, I hope you will take pride in what we are accomplishing together. In a time when so much can feel uncertain, CHW remains steadfast in its commitment to strengthening communities, supporting Israel, and empowering those most in need.

Thank you for standing with us. Your generosity is saving lives, restoring dignity, and helping build a stronger future for generations to come.

If you are travelling to Israel this summer or in the near future, please let us know so that we can arrange a visit for you to tour our incredible projects.

Wishing you and your loved ones a safe, peaceful, and enjoyable summer.

Tova Train National President

Lisa Colt-Kotler Chief Executive Officer

TABLE OF

contents

Featured Supporters & Volunteers

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SIX MONTHS LATER: HOW IMPACT ISRAEL INSPIRED A NEW GENERATION OF JEWISH LEADERS

19 MAKING WAVES: THE MITZVAH PROJECT 46 FULL CHW DONOR THANK YOU LIST 52 CHW COAST TO COAST: EVENTS AND FUNDRAISERS

CHW Impact — Stories of Resilience 16 HEALING ON THE HORIZON: THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF HAGAL SHELI 20 THE INNOVATION ARSENAL HOW: MICHAL SELA FORUM IS LEADING THE CHARGE AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 24 THE POWER OF WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE AT HER ACADEMY 28

COLOURING OUTSIDE THE LINES WITH SAM HALABY - COVER STORY PHOTO CREDIT: DMITRY SPECTOR ISRAEL ARTIST SAM HALABY JOINS THE EVENT LINE-UP FOR CANADA ISRAEL FASHION WEEK X CHW FASHION BLOOMS

32 CHOOSING TO LIVE: OVERCOMING TRAUMA AT SHAMIR MEDICAL CENTER 34 SAVING LIVES UNDERGROUND: EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS AT HADASSAH HOSPITAL 36 DESIGNING RESILIENCE: TRAILBLAZING SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS AT NERI BLOOMFIELD SCHOOL OF DESIGN 38 PILLARS OF RESILIENCE: THREE WOMEN SHAPING ISRAEL’S FUTURE THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS AT JMC 40 A BARNYARD SANCTUARY: STUDENT STORIES FROM CHW NAHALAL YOUTH VILLAGE DAIRY FARM 42 TEACHING HOPE: MEDICAL CARE, TREATMENT, AND GUIDANCE AT NETANYA TECHNOLOGICAL HIGH SCHOOL 44 THE FUTURE IS STRONG: CANADIAN YOUNG JUDAEA SUPPORTS JEWISH YOUTH ACROSS CANADA 45 INVESTING IN CHANGE: CHW’S SOCIAL IMPACT INVESTMENT FUND IS EMPOWERING ISRAEL’S FUTURE Read current and past issues of ORAH online at chw.ca/about/orah 4

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PUBLISHER Canadian Hadassah-WIZO (CHW) CREATIVE TEAM Rebecca Bowslaugh Alex Saslove-Raisbeck Sharon Stern CONTRIBUTORS Amanda Aron Chimanovitch Alanna Elias Jennifer Ierullo Malka-Deena Lewis Katia Ousovitch Karen Rustia Alla Shchepotkina Alina Shpitalnikava NATIONAL PRESIDENT Tova Train IMMEDIATE PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT Lynn Gillman BOARD OF DIRECTORS Stephanie Caplan Dorothy Hanson Sandy Herlick Shanna Mittleman Barb Rosenstein Toby Rubin Ariella Schachter CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Lisa Colt-Kotler Printed in Canada.

CHW (CANADIAN HADASSAH-WIZO) National Off ice 209-638A Sheppard Avenue West Toronto, ON M3H 2S1 Telephone: 416-477-5964 Toll-Free: 1-855-477-5964 Email: info@chw.ca Web: www.chw.ca The articles which appear in ORAH Magazine, while representing the opinions of the authors (or issuing agencies), may not necessarily reflect the official views of CHW (Canadian Hadassah-WIZO). We welcome any letters or comments regarding the contents of ORAH Magazine.

Please note, while we use the Canadian Press spelling of words like “centre” we also use “center” in some cases when following the lead from our projects in Israel.

PLEASE NOTE: If we exceed our goals for a project commitment, due to donor generosity, we reserve the right to reallocate the additional funds raised to other funding commitments in Israel or Canada.

SUPPORT CHW Your generosity allows Canadian Hadassah-WIZO (CHW) to support education, healthcare, and social services, benefiting women and children in Israel and in Canada.

CURRENT CHW PROJECTS IN ISRAEL EDUCATION:

SOCIAL SERVICES:

CHW Hadassim Children and Youth Village • Lea Zev Shilman & Joseph Zunia Shilman Therapeutic Program • Music Program

Summer Camps Israel NEW • Mental health access for 5,000 Israeli campers

CHW Nahalal Youth Village • The Ruth and Fredz”l Cooperstock Dairy Farm Otot Association: Beit Hatzabarit NEW • Supporting at-risk youth with therapy, educational and workforce integration, and skills training for independent living CHW Neri Bloomfield School of Design at Haifa University • Student Scholarships Jerusalem Multidisciplinary College (JMC) Formerly known as Hadassah Academic College • Alanna Elias Blender Scholarship • Max & Faye Kifer Scholarship

HEALTHCARE: Hadassah Hospital, Mt. Scopus • Advances in Oncology - harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence to reshape personalized cancer treatment NEW Shamir Medical Center • The Limb Reconstruction Unit - advanced surgical equipment NEW

Bat Ami Sexual Assault Center NEW • Located at Hadassah Hospital, Ein Kerem Michal Sela Forum • The Michal Sela Canines • Michal’s Watch Protection Program HaGal Sheli • Tools from the Waves - Surf therapy program to combat trauma • Lighthouse Program NEW Her Academy • Education and training for women escaping prostitution Eden Association • Trauma Therapy Center for women and girls from the Gaza envelope

PROJECTS IN CANADA Franny’s Fund • Centres in five cities across Canada Scholarships and Bursaries • Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa Canadian Young Judaea (CYJ) • Camps and programs across Canada Annual Holiday Toy Drive • Calgary

ORAH SUMMER 2026

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D

We give you a place to tell it.

C AN

CA

Dear CHW, As I write this letter, we in Israel are yet again under Home Front Command restrictions as military action resumed with Iran last night.

Once again, we stocked our shelter room with water and snacks, blankets and pillows. Our three children stayed home as the education system has shut down. We are experienced in these preparations, but I’d be lying if I said it gets easier. In fact, just the opposite - the more this is normalized, the more I refuse to accept it.

R PE OK M BO D

In what country do children recognize the sound of a siren and instantly know to run to a bomb shelter?

In what country do soldiers - young and old - serve for nearly three years without rest? In what country do hospitals move patients into underground bunkers to keep them safe?

While we are incredibly resilient, the reality is that living in this constant state of alert is emotionally and physically draining. It is a weight we carry daily, even as we push forward.

This makes our upcoming visit to Canada this summer feel even more welcomed and profoundly needed. Yes, I will be traveling to Toronto, but not alone; my husband and our three children will be joining me. For our kids, this trip brings a truly extraordinary gift: they will be attending summer camp!

The thought of them experiencing the simple, beautiful joys of just being kids at a CYJ camp - without the sound of sirens or the need to rush to a shelter - fills my heart with immense gratitude. It will give them a much-needed break from our “norm,” which is anything but normal.

While the children are creating lifelong memories at camp, I am very much looking forward to connecting with the CHW community. This visit is a wonderful opportunity for me to meet those of you in the Toronto area, to thank you in person for your steadfast support, and to share more about our vital work on the ground.

Thank you for standing with us through every storm. I look forward to seeing many of you very soon.

With warmth and gratitude, Sharon Stern Director, CHW Israel Office

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IMPACT ISRAEL CHW YOUNG LEADERSHIP TRIP 2026 The first CHW Impact Israel trip of young leaders took place January 2-9, 2026. If you follow CHW on social media, you saw the great time everyone had on the trip – visiting our projects, forming new friendships, and eating delicious Israeli cuisine.

This was a chance for these young women to connect with one another and see firsthand the impact that CHW has on the lives of all the people we support in Israel.

ts

e ugh the stre rolling thro st a n li ro a C m. of Jerusale

Over the pa have fou st six months, sin nd myse lf sharing ce returning fro with frie m th nds and family bu e experiences a the CHW Impac professo t Is nd the pro t also wit rs who w h jects I vis rael trip, I ere deep resilienc ited not ly curiou my Master of Co e, and glo only unse s ab ba These co nversatio l Jewish connec out the intersecti lling cohort and tion that ns have h o personal n of com the elp and profe munity, ssional id ed me integrate trip highlighted for me. these ex entity. perience I have als s into bo os th my with ong tayed actively in volved w oing proje it cts, and in h CHW fu of the lo cal nd M shared re shuls in Edmonto arch I had the ho raising and volun nour of s teering flections n for Inte pea on rn remindin g me how CHW’s impact a ational Women’s king at one nd the str Day, whe powerfu alive. re I e l it is to b ring stor ngth of the wom ies home en I met, and keep Looking them ahead, I pla engaged with CHW n to continue fu ndraising student initiative , donatin to s g, a skills, wh my counselling c and projects. As I transitio nd staying areer, I h ether thro in any oth ope to co n from a ugh psyc er way n ntribu hoed ece about sh owing up ssary. The trip affi ucational or com te my profession al on rmed for munity s present, u me that with hum ce but about be leadersh pport, or ing cons ility and istently a ip a willing nd whole is not only ness to s I am here h e r eartedly v e . to help th strength e next ge forward neration in of CHW projects le and help the years to com e, and to aders carry the le ing those continue g yet to be supporti acy and born.

Shalom, ng the Carolina M

endes

8

HEAR FROM CHW’S YOUNG LEADERS SIX MONTHS AFTER THEIR IMPACT ISRAEL TRIP.

an Six months ago, I had the privilege of participating in a 10-day Canadi from women young de alongsi Israel to Hadassah-WIZO (CHW) mission the across Canada. As a lifelong supporter and legacy member of CHW, my both experience was deeply meaningful and continues to shape personal and leadership journey. ng My connection to CHW began long before this trip. I grew up attendi r Chapte Zahav the annual Bazaar as my mother was a member of Lev d firsthan ed witness I ment, and is now CEO of CHW. Through her involve and Israel and Canada both in nities the impact CHW has on commu developed a strong appreciation for the organization’s mission.

During the mission, we toured CHW-supported projects and visited communities devastated by the events of October 7, 2023. Bearing ed witness to both unimaginable loss and extraordinary resilience reinforc h, tzedaka olam, my connection to Israel and the Jewish values of tikkun Jewish chesed, and kavod habriyot. The trip strengthened my pride in my work.

CHW’s to tment commi identity and deepened my Since returning, I have focused on growing CHW Toronto Rimon Chapter, where I serve as President. Over the past six months, I have e welcomed four new members and launched a new fundraising initiativ and hips friends the by d Inspire ah.

Hashan Rosh for sales through honey ng camaraderie cultivated during the Israel mission, I am also explori hen strengt help will that an additional year-round fundraising project member engagement and support CHW’s mission.

Lauren learning to su

rf with HaGal Sh

eli.

Looking ahead, I remain committed to building the next generation g of CHW leadership, expanding Rimon Chapter’s impact, and creatin the with t connec to women young for meaningful opportunities organization. The Israel trip reaffirmed that CHW is more than an organization I support—it is a community, a legacy, and a cause I am proud to help lead.

Lauren Colt

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IMPACT ISRAEL CHW YOUNG LEADERSHIP TRIP 2026 The CHW Im pact Israel Tr country we ll. But this tr ip was truly life-chang ing ip allowed m woman livin e to see Isra for me. Having spent m g in Canada el y teenage ye after Octob er 7th was so through a completely ars in Israel, different le mething I co I thought I have been ns. Experie uld never h a member o ncing Israel I knew the ave imagine f the Geshe impact of C as an adult d. r L’ HW until th Jewish is journey. M Chaim chapter in Lon we support d o e through ou n, Ontario fo eting and sp r fundraisin eaking with r the past si g was incre x ye people who dibly movin se lives have b ars, but I didn’t fully u I learned th g and eye-o nderstand th een directly at being pa pening. rt of CHW is touched by e creating last about so m th e programs ing change. uch more th I witnessed an fundrais firsthand th ing. It is abo e difference I was inspir ut sisterhoo that a dedic ed not only d, m ated group b y the incred experience of women ca eaningful connections, ible program with me. On an n make in th s we visited e of the mo financially, e lives of oth d ,b st you can stil ers. l make a tre important lessons I to ut also by the strong, p ok mendous im assionate w omen who pact by givin away from this trip is Since return shared this that even if g your time ing from th yo , e u cannot co n e ergy, and ta Impact Isra in both Lon ntribute lents to help el Trip, I have don and To ronto, conti others. become eve used my art nuing to lea n istic talents m o re in rn from and volved with to Contributin connect wit CHW. I part g in this way support the cause by icipated in C h inspiring creating an showed me CHW’s imp women acr d selling pa ortant work that everyo oss our orga HW She Day events percut neck ne has uniq . nization. I h laces, with ue gifts the ave all proceed y can use to Our Gesher s donated to also st re ngthen our L’Chaim cha CHW. community pter contin look forward and support ues to grow to helping o , and I am exc thers disco ited to share ver the sam e sense of p everything This experi I have learn urpose, con ence streng ed with our nection, an thened my I know that d new in co spiration th n CHW will a nection to Is at this journ members. I lways be an ra e l, to CHW, and to ey has given important p the commu me. art of my life Zahava Gold nity of wom . stein en working to make a d ifference.

Zahava (left) with Danielle (right).

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already considered myself actively Before travelling to Israel with CHW, I nteer, serve in leadership roles, and engaged in Jewish community life. I volu rio. Yet this experience showed me work to strengthen Jewish life in Onta a report, a presentation, or even a from ed something I could not have learn Jewish institutions matter and why the fundraising campaign. It reinforced why support them. next generation must step forward to was participating in the Hagal Sheli The most impactful moment of the trip on was not something I fully understood surf therapy program. If I’m honest, it . hand first it ng seei out with it d supporte paper. I may not even have immediately the about being on the ground with There is something profoundly different tly from the people whose lives are direc ing organizations we support and hear fundraising appeal can replicate that being changed. No brochure, video, or experience. h l as a tourist. I was seeing the aftermat For the first time, I wasn’t visiting Israe ing work e whil ma le still carrying trau of October 7 through the eyes of peop e the lessons I brought home is that whil of One . lives r thei ild every day to rebu ly simp that ng ethi som not is e ienc resil we often speak about Israeli resilience, support, resources, therapy, community, appears on its own. Many people need them heal and return to their best and compassionate organizations to help doing that work every day, often quietly selves. The CHW projects we visited are ng impression on me. and without recognition, and it left a lasti d my involvement with CHW through Since returning home, I have continue ity to speak at She Day London Gesher L’Chaim and had the opportun importance of using our unique about leadership, volunteerism, and the the messages I shared was that of One ct. skills to create meaningful impa of us has talents, experiences, there is no single path to leadership. Each d with volunteer opportunities to and perspectives that can be combine ways. strengthen our communities in different l, strengthened my appreciation This trip deepened my connection to Israe in supporting vulnerable for the role organizations like CHW play onsibility extends beyond resp populations, and reminded me that our requires each generation that one y, stor r ourselves. We are part of a large a stronger future for the to step forward, contribute, and help build Jewish people.

Danielle P

Jaffa. e history in Old

up th Laura soaking

Danielle (left ) with Karen

(right).

What moved me m ost wasn’t only the country itself, but th saw and the people e projects we behind them. The re silience of Israelis ra expected, that quiet n deeper than I , unshakable determ ination to keep build and keep choosing ing, keep living, goodness no matte r what is thrown at better person for ha them. I came home ving witnessed it. Isr a ael is, without ques tion, the holy land.

That spirit has turn ed into action over these six months. I’v to fighting antisem e committed myself itism wherever I ca n, speaking up publi and living openly an cly and consistently d proudly as a Jew so , people know exactly I’ve also been sharing where I stand. some of the wonder ful projects CHW su more people see th pports, to help e good work being do ne.

The trip pushed me deeper into my writi ng, too. I’m working cookbook built arou on two books: a nd my family recipes , and a very differen to recognizing and t project a guide breaking the psycho logical warfare used of the West. One of by the enemies my recipes, inspired directly by the trip, the Jewish Journal in was published in Los Angeles, which was a wonderful an Alongside the writi d unexpected gift. ng, it’s been a full an d meaningful season helping with CHW of showing up: events and other co mmunity gathering put goodness into th s, simply trying to e world.

I’m ready for whatev er comes next.

Laura Lewko

IMPACT ISRAEL CHW YOUNG LEADERSHIP TRIP 2026

Jen (left) making cheese with Nahalal Dairy Farm student Itamar.

I am the da ugh Cooper, and ter of longstanding CH Ig W Toronto Ta when it was rew up listening in on chapter me mid Chapter member way past m G etings from y bedtime.

Tamid Chap I also had th the top of th ail ter events o e opportun e staircase ver the yea incredible, ity to rs, passionate, likeminded so I’ve seen firsthand h volunteer at many longstandin women tog ow CHW bri g friendship ether; creati n s. ng such stro gs ng and In a post Oct ob and strength er 7 world, I felt that it was import en my pers a onal conne community. ction to both nt to grow my Jewish Knowing th circ Israel and th at CHW pro to join a cha e Toronto Je les vided all of pter of my o that for my wish wn. In Janu Chapter an mom, I was ary 2025, I jo d have jum inspired ped into CH ined the CH W full spee W Toronto d ahead!

Rimon I was a dele gate of the 2026 Impact opportunity Israel Trip a to see firsth nd I WAS IM and all the tremendou PACTED!! H incredible p s and uniqu aving the rojects that e impact ea CHW funds ch project h a a nd the s, p Upon return ropelled me in to want to d o more!

She Day Eve g home from Israel, I p articipated nt, was app in the inaug ointed as a Blooms Gift ural 2026 To Co-Chair fo -In-Kind Co r th ronto mmittee, a the Rimon nd I currentl e 2026 CIFW x CHW Chapter! Alo Fashion y hold the ti ngside my fe Lauren Colt tle o a , we are slo wly but sure rless leader (and Rimo f Vice-President of constantly n Chapter P ly becomin recruiting n g the resident) ew fundraisers , and makin young members, brain little chapter that cou g our chapte ld; storming ne r’s presence w and excit ing known and Through m impact felt y in ! become such volvement in CHW I’ve m an importa nt part of m ade many new friends young lead ers into the y life! I’m exc w CHW fold a ited to conti ho have already this incredib nd raising a n ue bringing le organizati waren m on does. CH to make a d W and the Im ess about all the amazi ore ifference! ng work pact Israel Tr ip have insp ired me Jen Cooper

Prior to the Impact Israel Trip, I was not a member of a CHW chapter and my knowledge of CHW was limited to, “oh they fundraise for programs in Israel.”

That has since changed!

CHW is not simply a fundraising group to provide support in Israel, it is helping individuals build skills, confidence, and independence for the future.

The Impact Israel Trip introduced me to CHW in a way that left me feeling compelled to become involved. On the trip, I visited CHW programs across Israel, I met dedicated staff on the ground and spoke directly with individuals whose lives have been forever changed. The trip made it impossible not to recognize the profound impact CHW has across Israel.

What began as an introduction quickly became a commitment.

In the six months since returning, I have become involved with a newly established chapter of women in their 20s and 30s, and I am excited to contribute to the next generation of CHW leadership and supporters. I look forward to sharing my experiences from Israel and helping others better understand the meaningful and lasting impact of CHW’s work.

I am excited to start supporting CHW and to play a role in strengthening its future. I believe Jewish women throughout the diaspora should take the time to learn about CHW’s work and consider becoming involved. When you see the impact with your own eyes, it becomes clear that supporting CHW is an investment in stronger communities, greater opportunities, and a brighter future for women and children across Israel.

Goldie Blaire Turk

Goldie living her be st life with the cows at CHW Nahalal Dairy Farm.

As Director of Events and Corporate Sponsorships at CHW, I was deeply grateful for the opportunity to visit Israel for the first time and experience its people, communities, and resilience firsthand. I met people of different faiths and backgrounds living and working together in mutual respect and support and witnessed countless acts of kindness across communities. What I experienced was a vibrant, diverse country where peaceful coexistence is part of everyday life, a reality too often overlooked.

Karen at the therapeutic horse stables at CHW Nahalal Youth Village.

This journey strengthened my pride in CHW and the life-changing work we support. Seeing firsthand how CHW improves the lives of women, children, and families, regardless of race, religion, or gender, reaffirmed why our mission matters so deeply.

I returned home with renewed hope, profound gratitude, and an even stronger commitment to standing with Israel and supporting CHW’s mission. I will always be grateful to the extraordinary women whose dedication, compassion, and unwavering commitment made my first journey to Israel so meaningful.

Karen Rustia

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IMPACT ISRAEL CHW YOUNG LEADERSHIP TRIP 2026 I was first introduced to CHW through my future mother-in-law and began attending CHW events several years before officially joining a chapter. In that time, I also supported CHW from outside the organization, which gave me an early appreciation for its commitment to supporting women and children in both Canada and Israel. What began as occasional involvement gradually evolved into a deeper connection and a desire to become more actively engaged.

Participating in CHW’s Impact Israel trip this past January was an incredibly meaningful experience. Seeing firsthand the programs, schools, and initiatives supported by CHW brought the organization’s work to life in a way that could never be fully understood from a distance. It deepened my appreciation for CHW’s impact on women and children in both Israel and Canada, and highlighted how interconnected that support truly is. The experience strengthened my connection to the organization and inspired me to become more actively involved as both a supporter and future leader.

In the six months since returning, I have continued to expand my involvement by attending additional local and national events, recruiting new members to my chapter, and sharing my experiences from Israel with others. One of the most rewarding moments was speaking with a group of young women interested in learning more about CHW and the Impact Israel experience; following that conversation, they went on to establish a new chapter of their own.

Looking ahead, I am excited to continue growing my leadership within CHW. I plan to join my chapter’s executive team, support initiatives such as Rimon’s upcoming Rosh Hashanah fundraiser, and become involved in committees supporting national events. I am particularly passionate about engaging more women under 30 and helping strengthen the next generation of CHW leaders in Toronto, while continuing to support CHW’s work benefiting women and children in both Canada and Israel.

Felicia Reeder

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Felicia (left) with Lili Ben Ami, Founder and CEO of Michal Sela Forum .

Click to watch the trip recap video and hear reviews from participants.

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healing on the horizon The sea is closed, but thanks to HaGal Sheli, the horizon is open.

I

n times of war, it is easy to forget that the soul, too, is under attack. Across Israel, children, adolescents, and entire families are coping with sudden displacement, deep fear, and the shattering of their personal security.

While physical protection is the immediate priority, there is an urgent, parallel need for psychological sanctuaries— spaces that allow people to process trauma and begin to regain their footing.

For HaGal Sheli (My Wave), the sea is usually that sanctuary. The ocean is where the healing happens, where physical movement releases trauma, and where at-risk youth and PTSD survivors gradually rebuild their resilience. Normally, this deep therapeutic work takes place when the immediate threat has passed.

But when the war with Iran intensified and heavy missile fire forced the closure of Israel’s beaches, “normal” reality halted. For the vulnerable populations served by HaGal Sheli, the therapeutic space vanished precisely when the world grew most chaotic.

True to the spirit of Israeli society where crisis is met not with hesitation, but with immediate mutual responsibility, HaGal Sheli did not wait.

By the third day of the war, the HaGal Sheli team was at four evacuation sites across the country. One of their teams arrived at a hotel in Jerusalem housing families evacuated 16

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from Beit Shemesh after a direct ballistic missile hit. The families left behind burned homes and scattered lives, arriving in an unfamiliar environment with nothing but the few belongings they could grab.

One of HaGal Sheli’s team members recalled the scene: “It’s hard to put into words how much support these families needed in those first hours. We didn’t worry about structured programming; we just did what needed to be done. We carried bags, watched the kids so parents could figure out their next steps, and simply sat and listened as people showed us photos of their destroyed homes. We were there to lift their spirits, even for a moment, and ensure they knew they were not alone.”

What began as an instinctive emergency response quickly evolved. HaGal Sheli scaled up rapidly, establishing a sustained presence across more than ten evacuation sites and hotels. They helped support 500+ evacuees by focusing on the only thing within their control: a consistent anchor of stability.

For teens deeply immersed in acute trauma, HaGal Sheli introduced vital emotional survival tools, including selfcompassion, limiting high-stress news consumption, and speaking openly about fears rather than withdrawing.

HAGAL SHELI IS SUPPORTED BY OUR SUMMER CAMPAIGN.

HaGal Sheli anchored their days with routine, even celebrating Purim together (see below photo) to reclaim a shred of childhood normalcy amidst the instability.

IF THEY COULD NOT BRING PEOPLE TO THE SEA, THEY WOULD BRING THE LESSONS OF THE SEA TO THE PEOPLE. The moment Home Front Command guidelines permitted, HaGal Sheli transitioned the evacuees into their surf therapy programs to actively prevent the onset of chronic PTSD. At the same time, operations resumed at HaGal Sheli’s 12 centres for the thousands of participating at-risk youth and trauma survivors.

Even without access to the water, the surf-therapy principles guided the process. Through land-based movement and balance-centred activities (see two photos below), youth were taught how to release somatic tension and find their centre when confronted with a changing wave.

During this latest and intense period of war, HaGal Sheli taught hundreds of youth a lifelong lesson: balance is possible even in a storm, you just need to get up and try again after a fall. While we cannot stop the waves of conflict, we can teach children and adolescents how to ride them. HaGal Sheli remains a constant force, an unshakable anchor of stability in a sea of uncertainty.

Since October 7, hundreds of people from displaced communities turned to HaGal Sheli for support, stability, and healing. One of them is Alex, a survivor from Kibbutz Mefalsim, who returned to HaGal Sheli not as a participant but as a volunteer supporting others. Alex shared: “Two and a half years ago, I was in their place. We packed what was left of our home into a single backpack and made our way through ruins and terrible scenes in the middle of the night, trying to reach family and community members. Leaving in such a traumatic way and arriving somewhere unfamiliar, somewhere far from feeling like home, is a terrible experience.

It certainly doesn’t make the healing process any easier. To this day, we haven’t fully healed from it.

What our community clearly remembers is how the people of Israel showed up for us: the embrace, the enveloping support, and those who came from all over the country just to listen and offer a shoulder to lean on. We owe them so much.

Today, it feels almost surreal to find myself on the other side, the one who gets to give. It’s an incredible privilege. We can’t change the trauma, but we can help bring a little light. The support we received was lifesaving, and every week I find myself saying how grateful I am for all of you.”

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Photo credit: Gal Kish

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Making waves

This group of kids are making waves of good — one person, one purchase, and one mitzvah at a time.

Visit the Mitzvah Project website.

Some of you may have noticed a new fundraiser being promoted on our website and in our newsletters. The Mitzvah Project is a youth-led initiative raising funds for HaGal Sheli’s trauma therapy as part of their Bar/Bat Mitzvahs.

money for HaGal Sheli to help kids and adults who have faced really tough challenges — like trauma, disability, or growing up without proper support. Through the power of the sea, they learn confidence, balance, and strength both on and off the waves.

This special group of 12-year-olds are at a really special time in their lives when they take on new responsibilities and start thinking more about the kind of people they want to be.

The kids created their website and decided each piece should be designed to be meaningful and symbolic rather than fine jewelry.

As part of their mitzvah projects, they wanted to do something that wasn’t just about them — but about helping others, too. Together, they decided to raise

“This Mitzvah Project is important to me because helping others makes me feel good. I like knowing that what we’re doing can make a difference in someone’s life. HaGal Sheli helps people across Israel who are facing challenges by giving them confidence, strength, and hope.

I’m proud that through this project, we can support people in Israel and help them discover their own strength.” - Jonah

“I’m doing the Mitzvah Project because at Bar and Bat Mitzvah age it’s important to know how much one Mitzvah could change the world. All of our proceeds go to HaGal Sheli, which is a surf therapy organization in Israel. When someone buys from us, I’m not just happy that we have raised more money for HaGal Sheli, but I’m happy to know that the community is able to wear Jewish jewelry loud and proud.” - Bree

They may be young, but they believe small actions can have a rippling effect and bring about real change. They’re learning that kindness is powerful, teamwork matters, and that even one wave can start something amazing.

“This Mitzvah Project is important to me because I lived in Israel. And when I learned how to surf at the opening of the HaGal Sheli centre in Kfar Neurim, I felt calm and it was so fun. HaGal Sheli helps people that have traumas from October 7. I know what it’s like since I was in Israel when October 7 happened, which was very scary.”

- Zoe

“The Mitzvah Project is important to me because I want to raise money to help people who have trauma from what happened on October 7th. Selling this jewelry is special because when people wear these pieces they proudly show the world that they are Jewish.

HaGal Sheli helps people through surfing, which I think is very cool and unique.” - Maddie

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The innovationarsenal Michal Sela Forum treats domestic violence as a preventable system failure that can be solved through bold innovation.

MICHAL SELA FORUM IS SUPPORTED

BY OUR SUMMER CAMPAIGN.

Michal Sela Startup Academy Cohort Six.

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n 2025, 31 women in Israel were murdered by the very people who claimed to love them. Their deaths left 51 children orphaned, their lives permanently shattered.

Not a single cabinet discussion on domestic violence was held by the government that year.

Where the state left a void, the Michal Sela Forum (MSF) built a fortress. In 2025 alone, MSF deployed cutting-edge technology to shield 375 women (an increase of 60% from 2024) from imminent danger.

The collective trauma of the past few years has caused regional risk factors to spike dramatically, bleeding directly into the home. Between 2022 and 2025, individual requests to MSF for tailored security intervention more than doubled (+137%).

MSF met that surge head-on, and, thanks to foundational partners like CHW, protection has increased by over 520%.

To date, 998 threatened women and 3,787 at-risk children have received life-saving MSF Protection Packages.

Refusing to accept femicide as an inevitability, MSF treats domestic violence as a predictable, preventable system failure that can be solved through bold innovation.

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DISRUPTION AT A NATIONAL SCALE In February 2026, the Knesset convened a historic, dedicated session led by MSF, focusing solely on technological solutions to prevent domestic violence.

For the first time, entrepreneurs, lawmakers, and senior security officials sat in the same room to advance concrete government investment. At its conclusion, the committee issued an official call for national adoption of these lifesaving, ‘blue-and-white’ tools, urging the Ministries of National Security, Justice, and Education to establish dedicated incubators and resource pools.

The Michal Sela Forum is no longer just an organization; it is an ecosystem rewriting national policy and pop culture.

• • •

The Ministry of Welfare announced plans to build an official government hub dedicated entirely to scaling MSF’s Safe-Tech initiatives into viable companies.

The State Comptroller has formally recognized MSF’s leadership, adopting their “Zero Femicides Per Year” across senior government decision-making.

Iconic Israeli artist Marina Maximilian Blumin collaborated with MSF to release the anthem “Magia Li Tov” (“I Deserve Good”), bringing the conversation into millions of homes.

“I founded the Michal Sela Forum with a singular, unyielding goal: to save the next woman. This journey crosses borders, politics, and sectors. Even in times of deep national crisis and war, the best minds and leading partners are standing with us. These startups bring the disruptive thinking required to change reality. They are part of a global struggle to ensure real, unshakeable safety for women around the world.”

”

— Lili Ben Ami, MSF Founder & CEO (Pictured left, front row centre)

STARTUP ACADEMY — THE NEW ARSENAL The Michal Sela Startup Academy held its sixth cohort, in cooperation with Google for Startups and the support of The Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation and Cross River. This year marked a profound tipping point, graduating nine groundbreaking startups—a 30% increase over previous cohorts. More importantly, over half of these teams originated outside MSF’s traditional hackathons - proof “Safe Tech” has broken into Israel’s mainstream high-tech ecosystem. And this tech isn’t being built in an ivory tower; a majority were led by women, three of whom took their personal trauma as survivors to forge a shield for others.

Tene Ariel, designer of LUNA app.

MEET TWO OF THE INNOVATORS Lioness: Founded by a Lioness Elisheva Magori is an attorney, a poet, a social activist, and a survivor of severe domestic abuse. For over a decade, she watched women and children get systematically crushed by a fragmented legal system where courts, police, and welfare departments refused to share data. Abuse flourished in those institutional blind spots.

Elisheva built Lioness.ai to destroy those blind spots.

By using AI to consolidate disjointed legal records into a singular, clear timeline, her platform gives women the upper hand, exposing patterns of ongoing legal intimidation before they escalate.

Luna: Defending the Defenders Tene Ariel is an Israeli reservist and an award-winning industrial designer. He watched his sister - also an active reservist - navigate public spaces with ineffective tools like basic alarms or bulky pepper sprays that women hate carrying because it makes them feel like the aggressor.

Tene designed LUNA, a hybrid system combining a smartwatch app with a compact, non-threatening, AIbacked wearable device engineered around natural human reflexes, enabling untrained users to automatically and gradually signal under high stress. It won first place at the prestigious E2i Student Design Challenge in Europe, judged by senior officials from Interpol. Luna uses AI to recognize a distress situation automatically. It responds gradually starting with a flashlight and vibration, escalating to an audible alarm, and ultimately calling emergency services if the user is incapacitated. It shifts the paradigm from panic to automated protection.

Read about all nine disruptive “safe-tech” innovations from Michal Sela Startup Academy on the following page. --> ORAH SUMMER 2026

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NINE DISRUPTIVE “SAFE-TECH” INNOVATIONS FROM MICHAL SELA STARTUP ACADEMY Paintly (AI Child Screening): An AI-powered decision-support platform that applies computer vision to analyze young children’s drawings. By identifying early visual markers of severe emotional trauma and domestic abuse, Paintly arms educators and welfare workers with an objective, data-backed tool to intervene long before a crisis escalates.

KRICKET (Teen Behavior Simulator) [Survivor-Led]: An interactive, NLP-driven (Natural Language Processing) chat simulator tailored for youth aged 12–15. Designed by a domestic abuse survivor, the platform uses intelligent text simulations to train teenagers to recognize digital manipulation, love-bombing, and control tactics, disrupting toxic behavioral loops before their very first date.

Vibe (Safe Messaging Overlay): An elegant, privacy-first software overlay for WhatsApp that scans chat logs for early indicators of digital abuse, severe bullying, or gaslighting. Vibe strikes a critical balance in youth safety: it alerts parents to actionable signs of danger while fully preserving a teenager’s digital privacy and independence.

Shahar (Sanctuary Tech for Ultra-Orthodox Communities): A highly targeted, culturally adapted digital interface discreetly embedded inside mikvahs (ritual baths) and secluded communal spaces. Using a brief, anonymous smart questionnaire, it allows ultra-Orthodox women to safely assess their domestic risk level and access rabbinically approved professional intervention without leaving a digital footprint.

The Elephant in the Room (Welfare Safeguard): A smart, decorative IoT (Internet of Things) device engineered for social work offices and high-risk therapy rooms. The device actively monitors audio signatures during tense face-to-face sessions, instantly detecting verbal aggression or physical escalations to trigger silent, real-time alerts to security personnel.

LUNA (Reflexive Physical Defense): Recognizing that 98% of pepper-spray owners freeze up and fail to use it under adrenaline, LUNA bypasses the panic response. It is a compact wearable device synced with a smartwatch app that utilizes AI to automatically detect acute distress. It deploys a tiered defense mechanism—graduating from blinding flashlights to an audible alarm, and immediately routing GPS coordinates to emergency services if the user is incapacitated.

SiiS (The Smart Jewelry Taser): A beautifully crafted smart bracelet that functions as a highly effective, non-lethal defense mechanism. In a physical emergency, it deploys a powerful micro-taser to neutralize an attacker while simultaneously broadcasting hidden GPS distress signals and recording cloud-based forensic audio for future legal prosecution.

LionessAI (The Digital Case Coordinator) [Survivor-Led]: Israel’s pioneering AI platform built specifically to dismantle “legal abuse.” Founded by a survivor and family law attorney, LionessAI securely consolidates and synchronizes fractured records from courts, police, and welfare departments into a singular, undeniable visual timeline—preventing abusers from exploiting institutional data gaps.

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TOFI (Trauma-Oriented Flow & Integration) [Survivor-Led]: An AI-driven rehabilitation and case coordinator designed by a survivor of sexual assault. The platform dynamically maps out a tailored, immediate lifeline for survivors by analyzing their complex psychological, medical, and legal needs, instantly matching them with verified doctors, trauma therapists, ORAH SUMMEr 2026 and relevant support networks.

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The power of women Supporting women Her Academy proves that when women support women, anything is possible.

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his International Women’s Day, Her Academy did not just celebrate solidarity—they lived it in its rawest, most urgent form.

In early March, an Iranian ballistic missile struck near their Tel Aviv campus. The blast left behind a scene of devastation: shattered windows, smashed computers, severed electrical lines, and classrooms filled with wreckage.

For their staff, the hardest part wasn’t surveying the debris—it was telling the students what had happened.

These are women who have spent their lives enduring violence, exploitation, and profound instability. For many of them, Her Academy is the first place they have ever truly felt safe, seen, and valued. It is not simply a school; it is their sanctuary of stability, belonging, and future possibility.

”It was truly devastating, But resilience is not abstract—it is built every day by women determined to rebuild their lives, and by the community that stands beside them.”

- Iris Stern Levi, Co-Founder and Executive Director

Then, the crisis deepened. Within weeks of the strike, thieves broke into the vulnerable campus twice. They tore wiring from the walls, ripped out air conditioners, and stole the very tools donated for the spring semester: textbooks, folders, and schoolbags.

Iris Stern Levi, Co-Founder and Executive Director, said the physical damage left a deep emotional wound behind.

RESILIENCE IN THE RUINS What happened next defines the true spirit of women supporting women.

Instead of retreating, the students and staff stood shoulder-to-shoulder.

Arriving not for lessons but for labour, these resilient women picked up brooms and shovels. Together, they cleared shattered glass, swept away debris, and salvaged what little remained.

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” HER ACADEMY IS SUPPORTED BY OUR SUMMER CAMPAIGN.

A LIFELINE IN THE DARKEST HOURS

After thieves ripped out the air conditioning system.

The broader reality of war has placed an immense burden on students. While schools across the country closed, workplaces expected parents to show up. For Her Academy students—many are single mothers—this created an impossible crisis: how to work with no safe framework for their children.

Simultaneously, war breeds profound isolation.

Even in ordinary times, holidays are deeply difficult for women healing from trauma. In wartime, that isolation is magnified. For the first time in the organization’s history, due to structural damage and safety concerns, Her Academy was forced to cancel their shared Passover gathering. It was a painful, heartbreaking decision.

Yet the bond between them could not be broken. Their doors were locked, but their hearts remained open. Staff worked tirelessly, providing essential food, clothing, baby supplies, and urgent assistance to create stability amid chaos. After every missile siren and security incident, they reached out immediately, ensuring every student knew she was not alone.

A student cleaning up after the missile damage.

THE SISTERHOOD INCLUDES YOU The impact of Her Academy is proven. In 2025, 254 women studied in their vocational schools, and 66% of participants in their employment program secured and sustained meaningful jobs.

For over two months, the physical doors have been closed, and 160 students await a return to the classrooms, the community, and the futures they deserve.

Shattered window and debris after the missile.

The missile and thieves broke walls and stole equipment but cannot touch the collective power of women supporting women. Students and staff have cleared the rubble. Now, with its global community—the vital backbone of this sisterhood—they will rebuild their future.

In May, Her Academy announced that it is beginning a new chapter. Co-Founders Iris Stern Levi and Tal Hamoui will continue to support Her Academy as board members and strategic advisors as the organization seeks an experienced Executive Director to lead the next stage of growth, expansion, and impact.

A student helping clean the damage to the library.

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SAVE THE DATE: AUGUST 18 - 19 SAVE LIVES AND EMPOWER VIC TIMS OF VIOLENCE & TRAUMA PTSD, depression, and domestic and gender-based violence are at an all-time high in Israel after more than two years of terror, sirens, and war.

Our projects on the ground report overwhelming demand for trauma recovery and PTSD treatment.

They need more resources—and they need them now.

Intimate Partner Violence reached epidemic proportions after COVID-19 in Canada and after October 7 in Israel and never receded.

CHW is answering that call. On August 18-19, CHW will host a powerful 30-hour online crowdfunding campaign. All donations during the campaign will be matched 3:1 thanks to our generous community of Superheroes and Matching Heroes.

Our 2026 goal is $900,000. Your support empowers violence victims, fills critical gaps, and helps the most vulnerable begin to heal. Together, we stand with Israel, not only in solidarity, but in recovery.

LEARN MORE:

CHW.CA/SOS 26

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JOIN OUR TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS: CHW is looking for 100 volunteers across the country to help during our 30-hour crowdfunding campaign (for approximately 2-3 hours). We offer volunteer hours for students and a virtual training session for all canvassers.

If you’re interested, email jennifer@chw.ca.

NEW

2026 CAMPAIGN PRIORITIES NEW

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Colouring

SEE SAM PERFORM HIS ART LIVE AT FASHION BLOOMS IN TORONTO!

Outside the lines with artist Sam Halaby

B

orn in Daliyat al-Karmel in 1989, Sam Halaby stands out as one of the most vibrant and singular voices in contemporary Israeli art. A self-taught painter and multidisciplinary creator, Halaby has cultivated a unique immersive visual language that resists easy categorization.

Raised as the tenth child and only son in a traditional Druze family, his artistic gifts were recognized and nurtured early by his late mother, Emily, despite social pressures toward more conventional pursuits. By the age of 13, he was already painting commissioned portraits to support the household. Over time, he developed a practice grounded in intuition, manual dexterity, and an unyielding devotion to colour as a form of expression, remembrance, and transformation.

Halaby’s work now spans painting, sculpture, and largescale, site-specific installation. At the heart of his practice is an approach aligned with action painting: the markmaking is not about precision or control, but about energy, bodily movement, and direct engagement with material.

The gesture overflows from canvas to object, from object to space, until the architecture itself becomes a surface of inscription. The result is a baroque chromatic field, unrestrained, layered, and saturated, where colour spills beyond the edge of the frame and becomes atmosphere, pulse, rhythm.

His most monumental project to date is The House of Colors, his former four-storey childhood home, now transformed and inaugurated in 2023 as a working studio, immersive site-specific outdoor environment, and gallery in Daliyat al-Karmel. Perched on a hillside amid dramatic natural surroundings, the house is visible from afar and radiates a chromatic presence that transforms the rural landscape. Across more than 600 square metres, Halaby has hand-painted every surface, exterior and interior, including furniture, household objects, and even the grand piano in the music room, in hundreds of overlapping, nuanced hues. The house becomes an immersive painting. His technique, marked by voluptuous splashes, layering, and chromatic improvisation, reconfigures the dynamic rhythm of the building.

Sam Halaby will be performing his art in-person at CIFW X CHW Fashion Blooms Toronto this fall, and his art will be available to purchase at both the Toronto and Montreal CIFW X CHW events. Read more on page 30.

Watch a video of Sam Halaby.

©PHOTO CREDIT: DMITRY SPECTOR

CHW’s Impact Israel trip visited The House of Colors in January 2026. Below is Sam with CHW National President Tova Train.

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More photos of The House of Colores from CHW’s Impact Israel trip in January 2026.

Photo below courtesy of Dmitry Spector.

x Canada Israel Fashion Week (CIFW) debuted in 2025, welcoming 2,700+ attendees, showcasing 13 fashion labels, 35+ vendors, and 11 artists, while celebrating Israeli and Canadian creativity and raising funds for important causes.

Founded to spotlight the beauty, diversity, and creativity of Israel and the Canadian Jewish community, CIFW has quickly evolved into a dynamic platform uniting fashion, art, and culture.

In Toronto on November 8 and Montreal on October 21, the highly anticipated CHW FASHION BLOOMS will host over 500 guests in what promises to be the highlight of CIFW. The events will showcase extraordinary runway presentations of acclaimed Israeli designers and will include a Celebrity Runway, live entertainment, an open bar, and gourmet treats. Sponsors will enjoy exclusive perks and reserved first- or second-row seating.

Together, CIFW and CHW will raise funds for five CHW grant recipients supporting at-risk women and children: Franny’s Fund in Canada and HaGal Sheli, Her Academy, Michal Sela Forum, and Eden Association in Israel.

BECOME A SPONSOR Building on this success, CIFW 2026 will expand into Montreal and continue again in Toronto, featuring leading Israeli and Canadian designers, immersive art, live performances, a curated marketplace, and the return of CHW FASHION BLOOMS.

The full line-up for CIFW will be available online when tickets are launched.

BECOME A SPONSOR BE A MULTI-CITY AFFAIR M O N T R E A L | O C T O B E R 2 0 -2 1 T O R O N T O | N O V E M B E R 5 -8 A showcase of Israeli and Canadian fashion designers, artists, and performers A luxury marketplace and art exhibit

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You’re INVITED!

CIFW X CHW FASHION BLOOMS Montreal: October 20-21 Toronto: November 5-8

For more information.

leg D

e nit P Da

TORONTO HIGHLIGHTS:

esign

• • • • • • •

Cocktail & Dessert Reception A unique presentation bringing together fashion visionary Danit Peleg (3D), the elegant Hili Ari, and Israeli designer Yaron Minkowski All shows include live performance and exhibit by artist Sam Halaby Exclusive VIP Sponsor pre-show experiences, reserved seating, and exclusive perks Live performances Exhibitions, collector-focused initiatives, and private acquisition opportunities A thoughtfully curated marketplace set within an elegant art-gallery environment, featuring 18 Israeli and 7 Canadian vendors.

NEW IN 2026: SHOP THE RUNWAY

Guests have the opportunity to purchase select runway looks immediately following each show.

MONTREAL HIGHLIGHTS: • • • •

Cocktail & Dessert Reception A luxury presentation bringing together fashion visionary Danit Peleg (3D), the elegant Hili Ari, and a leading Canadian talent, alongside curated live performances Art Sale, including pieces by Sam Halaby Exclusive VIP Sponsor seating and valet parking.

FOR SPONSORSHIPS:

FOR EXCLUSIVE PERKS RESERVED SEATING, BECOME A SPONSOR NOW!

FOR TICKETS:

LOOK FOR OUR LAUNCH EMAIL COMING SOON

www.fashionblooms.ca

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Choosing to live

SHAMIR IS SUPPORTED

BY OUR ANNUAL CAMPAIGN.

Shachar almost lost the battle against post-trauma. This is the story of how he made the choice to live again.

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n Israel today, the psychological front-line is expanding at a terrifying pace. Since September 2023, the Defence Ministry has tracked a 40% rise in PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) among military personnel, a figure on track to skyrocket by 180% by the end of the decade. Walk into any clinic treating the 22,300 troops wounded in combat, and you will find that for 60% of them, the primary battle is now against post-trauma.

This is a crisis carried heavily by neighbours, parents, and coworkers—the reservists. Their pleas for mental health support have surged by a staggering 1,000% over peacetime levels, and they now account for 64% of all new trauma cases.

But as massive as these military numbers are, they are eclipsed by a silent civilian crisis. More than a year ago, in February 2025, researchers at Tel Aviv University noted that 580,000 civilians were living with severe PTSD. That was before the conflict widened. Through the 14 months that followed, including the terrifying reality of a 40-day war with Iran, there has been total statistical silence. The data has a 14-month blind spot, leaving the true scale of the nation’s civilian trauma entirely unmeasured.

Shamir Medical Center (SMC) developed Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), an innovative treatment for acute, treatment-resistant PTSD. With CHW’s support, SMC has treated 825 patients with complex-PTSD to date.

One of those patients is Shachar. This is his story.

S

hachar Mizrahi grew up in Gush Etzion as one of seven children.

Determined to serve in a premier combat unit, he joined a one-year preparatory program, lost 30 kilos to strengthen his body, and was accepted into the IDF’s Golani Brigade. Shachar served as a commander’s driver and communications specialist, discovering and dismantling terror tunnels along the Gaza Strip. In July 2014, during Operation Protective Edge, Shachar and his unit found themselves trapped under intense direct enemy fire.

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Months later, the trauma caught up with him. Shachar began waking up in cold sweats from vivid nightmares.

Still in service, the mere scent of his uniform triggered severe panic. He became curt, angry, and withdrawn, chain-smoking in corners and snapping at his friends. The sleepless nights took such a heavy toll that he could no longer fulfill his duties as a driver. The army released him on mental health grounds—a relief, but a reality for which he was entirely unprepared.

Suddenly, Shachar was alone. His army mates continued their service while he felt abandoned by the system. In 2015, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was not widely acknowledged. Shachar was lost, drowning in guilt, and his family did not understand his invisible pain.

He threw himself into work, becoming a workaholic, and began drinking heavily to numb the feelings. For three years, he desperately tried to suppress the overwhelming darkness. Exhausted and unable to take it anymore, Shachar carefully planned to end his life.

“I came back from the war intact on the outside, but on the inside, something broke completely. I sank into places where darkness was all I could see.”

The day arrived. Shachar got into his car and drove toward a Jerusalem forest, intending to drive off a cliff. On the way, his brother Asaf, a social worker, called him. Asaf hadn’t realized how deep the darkness was until that exact conversation. Asaf told Shachar the precise words he had needed to hear for three years: “You are not alone.” Those words broke the isolation and stopped the car.

Shachar admitted himself to a psychiatric ward. It saved his life, and for the first time, he finally understood he was not manic or clinically depressed, he had been suffering from PTSD. “There were moments when I didn’t want to continue but then came a moment when I chose life again.

Not a dramatic choice, but a quiet, simple, daily choice to live alongside the pain,” he said.

When Shachar was released from the hospital, he chose to fight for his future. He stopped his medication and joined rehabilitation groups, where he first heard about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). He enrolled in a clinical trial treating complex PTSD using hyperbaric oxygen chambers. Under the dedicated care of the Director of the Trauma Unit Dr. Keren Doeynas-Barak, Shachar completed 60 two-hour sessions. The improvement was immediate. By the end of his HBOT treatment, Shachar was finally back to himself.

He moved to Tel Aviv and adopted Zachary, an abused dog that intuitively knew to calm Shachar when he had a panic attack or nightmare: “a therapy dog without certification.”

In Tel Aviv, he studied music production, became a successful DJ, and began dating a young woman, Avital.

Life was finally as it should be.

The challenges returned with the COVID-19 pandemic, which halted all music festivals and threw Shachar into a deep depression. Dr. Doeynas-Barak maintained contact with Shachar. Recognizing his dire state, she invited him to undergo 20 additional HBOT sessions.

The HBOT treatment helped stabilize him. Shachar and Avital moved in together, and he proposed. They were planning their wedding—until the events of October 7 shook up the country and paralyzed Shachar with fear.

With his entire old unit back on the front lines, Shachar was consumed by survivor’s guilt and isolation. He refused to leave his apartment and nearly called off the wedding.

Once again, Dr. Doeynas-Barak showed up, providing another critical round of hyperbaric oxygen treatments to pull him back from the brink. In February 2024, Shachar and Avital were married. Today, they share their lives with their baby girl, Elia Rose, and their faithful dog, Zachary.

To truly heal, Shachar needed to give back. He joined an organization where injured veterans’ mentor newly wounded soldiers, escorting them through rehabilitation and HBOT treatments as part of his reserve duty.

Today, Shachar shares his story through raw, unfiltered lectures across the business, non-profit, and military sectors. In today’s reality, there is virtually no home, friendship circle, or workplace in Israel untouched by combat trauma.

Shachar hopes by sharing his story, he will shine a light on this “transparent injury” and demonstrate how it is possible to grow from crisis.

“I was in dark and difficult places in the years after the war, and through a lot of hard work and great faith I discovered something:

“Even in the driest desert you can find flowers.”

Shachar believes pain doesn’t have to be the end of the story, but the beginning of another chapter of growth, of choice, and of a more complete life. With the right support and life-saving treatments like HBOT, it can be the beginning of a beautiful new chapter.

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Saving lives under When the sirens sound, Hadassah transforms below the surface.

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hen sirens begin to wail, the routine of Hadassah Hospital undergoes a massive but pre-planned and orderly metamorphosis.

The immediate directive is stark: ’flatten’ the departments.

That means swiftly discharging patients who can return home safely, so those who have to remain hospitalized can be shielded from a missile attack in one of Hadassah’s limited number of protected areas.

Hadassah has applied an inviolable rule: safety first.

All patients (and staff) are required to be in a missileprotected area within minutes of an alarm and that takes effort by hundreds of staff members.

Those who can’t be discharged but who are mobile and can reach their department’s protected space independently, remain where they are. But for others—those who can’t be released because they are fragile, dependent, or on complex machinery, or who are not fit enough to reach protected areas at home—the protocol demands a subterranean shift.

BUILDING A SHADOW HOSPITAL Hadassah moves fast, activating the medical infrastructure across their two campuses in spaces that have been premapped and prepped for emergency conversion.

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ground

Maintenance teams, construction crews, and logistics staff quickly adapt the subterranean infrastructure. Overnight, doctors’ offices, locker rooms, and surgical briefing areas are converted into patient care zones. And with practiced precision, hundreds of patients—from the newborns in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to frail and elderly patients in the Internal Medicine wards—are moved to safety.

“It felt less like medical triage and more like a massive engineering feat,” one staff member recalled after the emergency was over. “It was like mobilizing an entire city overnight. Everyone was working full throttle—medical teams, IT, cleaning, and maintenance.”

The availability of underground beds soon reach capacity, even after reducing the number of hospitalized patients by half. In an effort to utilize every possible safe area for patient care, Hadassah turned an underground parking lot into a fortified, 40-bed therapeutic sanctuary. Even though it’s not in the hospital itself, it can be populated with “subacute” patients—such as the elderly, the frail, and those requiring intravenous antibiotics, dialysis, or wound care.

This logistical maneuver solved a secondary looming crisis.

Hadassah freed up critical, protected beds closer to the operating rooms within the hospital walls. This allowed surgeons to continue to save lives and treat acute patients.

HADASSAH HOSPITAL IS SUPPORTED BY OUR ANNUAL CAMPAIGN.

BENEATH THE CONCRETE Operating a medical facility inside a windowless concrete basement presented inherent challenges. Staff members mounted climate monitors on the bare walls to make sure temperatures were warm enough for the patients. The space also lacked built-in medical gas infrastructure, so portable oxygen cylinders were brought in.

Yet, the truest challenge wasn’t logistical. Spending days on end in a basement can cause disorientation and delirium, particularly among those experiencing cognitive decline.

The garage also fostered unexpected, heartwarming bonds. Staff intentionally paired two elderly women with dementia. The two women began sitting together for meals. Soon, an unspoken devotion bloomed: one would instinctively share her food, while the other ensured her companion was never left alone, even trying to carefully watch to make sure her infusions and oxygen tubes were in place. In this most unlikely setting, the staff watched a beautiful therapeutic friendship survive the dark.

The nurses and social workers gave special attention to the patients’ emotional wellbeing. They strictly enforced a day-night routine, turning on bright lights for morning baths and dimming overheads or using blindfolds at night to simulate regular sleep cycles. ©PHOTO CREDIT: ARIEL JEROZOLIMSKI

Nursing students volunteered to feed frail patients. Staff drew vibrant flowers on the concrete walls and introduced art therapy. During brief lulls in missiles, nurses even escorted patients to the surface (see below photo) just to feel the sun and pick wildflowers in the upper parking lot—a simple act to ground them in reality.

For Elena, a 93-year-old grandmother, the underground emergency hospital became a refuge during wartime. Admitted with a severe respiratory complication, she recovered medically and was ready to leave—but returning home was not simple.

Her daughter, Maya, was caring for four young children while living under the constant threat of sirens and missile attacks. With schools closed and shelters a daily necessity, Maya could not safely bring her mother home or provide the supervision Elena needed.

While social workers searched for a rehabilitation placement, Elena remained in the underground hospital, receiving ongoing care. Seeing the family’s distress, a nurse found a simple but powerful solution: a video call.

Social workers logged endless hours finding safe, fortified rehabilitation frameworks in the area where those well enough to do so could complete their recovery outside the hospital.

When Elena saw her grandchildren’s faces on the screen, her expression transformed. “My babies,” she whispered.

For the next hour, she laughed and chatted with her family, her loneliness replaced by joy. Above ground, Maya felt a sense of relief for the first time in days—seeing her mother safe, smiling, and connected despite the challenges of war.

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Designing resilience

How CHW scholarships are empowering the next generation of trailblazing women.

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n a year marked by unprecedented national anxiety, shifting front lines, and deep personal sacrifices, where does a society look for hope? At the Neri Bloomfield School of Design, the answer can be found in the sketches, stitches, and fierce determination of two young women: Liron Amir and Noa Lipsitz-Dai. Both women are Fashion Design students, and both carry the heavy burdens of Israel’s current reality. With the life-changing support of CHW scholarships, these two remarkable women have been given the breathing room to do more than just survive.

STITCHING A LEGACY OF SURVIVAL Noa Lipsitz-Dai’s youth was forged in the quiet crisis of hospital wards. As the oldest of five children, Noa’s childhood was cut short when her younger brother was diagnosed with a rare liver condition, requiring a transplant in Belgium. For years after their return to Israel, Noa’s routine was unyielding: visiting her mother and brother every day after school and sleeping on hospital chairs over the weekends.

Just as her brother began to recover, tragedy struck again when her older brother was diagnosed with a brain tumour. The accumulated trauma took a heavy toll, eventually leading to her parents’ separation.

When it came time to serve, Noa walked right back into the fire, completing her National Service at the exact hospital that saved her brother—playing with sick children to give exhausted parents a moment to breathe.

Through all those dark years, Noa held onto a dream: fashion. For Noa, clothing is an ancestral inheritance. In the 1930s, her maternal greatgrandmother studied tailoring at “Ort Warsaw” in Poland, standing as an independent businesswoman who single-handedly provided for her family through the Holocaust. Today, Noa channels that same heritage.

To make ends meet, Noa spent her rare free time tutoring first- and secondyear students in sewing and pattern making. But fashion design is an exhausting, all-consuming discipline; maintaining a permanent job while excelling in class was a mathematical impossibility. The financial burden on Noa and her single mother was becoming unsustainable.

The scholarship provided by CHW and the Eldee Foundation changed her trajectory, acting as a lifeline that allowed her to stay in the studio. “The scholarship has allowed me to succeed in my studies,” Noa shared.

Noa’s great-grandmother used her needle to survive and provide; this scholarship is letting Noa use hers to build a future.”

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FROM THE FRONT LINES TO THE STUDIO Born in Gabon and raised in South Africa before making Aliyah at age 12, Liron Amir’s entire life has been a masterclass in adaptability. Fluent in French, English, and Hebrew, she grew up navigating vastly different cultures, a journey that forged an independent, fiercely determined young woman.

That innate sense of duty naturally led her to become an officer in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). But Liron’s military commitment didn’t end with her mandatory service. Since February 28, as geopolitical tensions escalated into active operations against Iran, Liron has been continuously called up for grueling reserve duty.

“Balancing intensive academic design critiques with the operational demands of active army service has tested every limit I have,” Liron shares. “It has pushed me to my absolute bounds in time management and mental resilience.”

On campus, Liron is known not just for her immense design talent, but for a protective, anchoring personality that lifts her entire department. For Liron, fashion design is the ultimate synthesis of discipline and personal expression.

But discipline cannot pay tuition when you are wearing a uniform on a military base.

The scholarship granted by CHW and the Lily Silver Foundation stepped into the breach for Liron, easing the crushing financial pressure of a student-soldier.

“Knowing there are people who believe in us and choose to support our growth is profoundly encouraging,” Liron says.

“This scholarship didn’t just alleviate stress; it created the actual physical opportunity for me to keep fighting for my degree while serving my country.”

Scholarships are a strategic investment in the advancement of women and of society.

As a CHW supporter, you are honouring the legacy of a Warsaw dressmaker by ensuring her great-granddaughter can graduate. You are giving the young women who take care of everyone else, a community that finally takes care of them.

Because of CHW’s scholarships, the studio doors remain open, the sewing machines keep running, and Israel’s next generation of female leaders continue to shape the world—one design at a time.

Designs by Noa Lipsitz-Dai

SCHOLARSHIPS ARE SUPPORTED BY OUR END ORAH SUMMER 2026 37 OF YEAR CAMPAIGN.

Pillars of resilience

The stories of three extraordinary young women shaping Israel’s future with the support of CHW scholarships at Jerusalem Multidisciplinary College.

THE POWER OF SHOWING UP

REBUILDING THE FOUNDATIONS OF HOME

While some leadership is measured in sweeping institutional projects, Computer Science student Talia Barzilai demonstrates the profound impact of quiet, consistent presence. Guided by the daily question, “Who can I help today,” Talia has dedicated her time to anchoring the youth of her community.

Reut Saino Michan, an Information Systems Management student, believes combining academic excellence with civic duty is a privilege and an unshakable obligation.

When the war displaced hundreds of thousands of Israelis, Reut stepped forward to become their anchor.

Over the past year, Talia has been a pillar of the volunteer patrol program in her community. She patrols public spaces at night, seeking out teens and young adults on the streets who may be enduring emotional, social, or family crises. Approaching them with an open heart and zero judgment, Talia offers a rare commodity: a safe, listening adult presence.

Where initial skepticism from defensive teenagers might cause others to turn away, Talia stays.

She makes a conscious effort to learn names, remembering faces, and steadily building trust over months. Local youth now actively seek out Talia when the weight of their world becomes too heavy to carry alone.

Talia brings this same stabilizing energy to local youth clubs, mentoring adolescents to foster their self-esteem, confidence, and a sense of true belonging during a period of profound national anxiety. On campus, she is equally intentional, organizing community-building initiatives designed to bridge social divides and foster respectful, empathetic dialogue among Israel’s diverse student body. In a world increasingly fractured by noise, Talia proves that listening intently and showing up consistently is one of the most powerful forms of social leadership available to us.

Talia is the recipient of the 2025-26 Alanna Elias Scholarship Award. She is pictured above with her scholarship.

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SCHOLARSHIPS ARE SUPPORTED BY OUR END OF YEAR CAMPAIGN.

As a coordinator for families evacuated from bombarded border towns to temporary housing in Jerusalem, Reut became the steady presence families needed amidst total upheaval. She provided tailored, one-on-one support to traumatized evacuees, paying acute attention to teenagers struggling with the loss of their routines, schools, and friends. Reut coordinated with social services to meet immediate physical needs while simultaneously designing recreational and emotional support spaces.

Her bond with these displaced communities ran so deep that after her formal employment ended, she remained as a volunteer.

Reut currently works for a non-profit dedicated to helping combat veterans transition into civilian life. There, she designs educational programs that provide veterans from varied backgrounds with the mentorship, psychological framing, and practical tools required to build successful futures after uniform.

Reut also serves as a tour educator, leading specialized historical educational programs through Jerusalem for active-duty and reserve units. By connecting soldiers to the deep heritage of the city, Reut provides them with a rare, vital space for reflection, perspective, and emotional renewal between grueling periods of intense military service.

Through every role, Reut is actively weaving the frayed edges of Israeli society back together.

Reut is a recipient of the 2025-26 Max and Faye Kiferz”l Scholarship award. She is pictured above (centre) with her grandmother (right), who studied at JMC before it was a college, and JMC President Ariela (left).

THIS YEAR, JMC IS CELEBRATING ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY!

Kama is a recipient of the 2025-26 Max and Faye Kiferz”l Scholarship award.

GIVING A VOICE TO THE UNHEARD For Kama Tzuntz, art, military duty, and social justice are deeply intertwined threads of a single mission: serving those that society too easily overlooks.

For the past three years, alongside her academic studies in the DAN Department of Creative Human Design, Kama has coordinated volunteer service missions to the Jewish community in Ethiopia. Navigating complex political and bureaucratic obstacles, she has dedicated herself to fighting for families waiting for years to immigrate to Israel and reunite with their loved ones. From recruiting and training volunteers to managing global partnerships with the Jewish Agency and Bnei Akiva, Kama has been the driving force behind dozens of missions, personally traveling to Ethiopia as a delegate to maintain a living bridge between the communities.

When war erupted, Kama seamlessly added another commitment on the front lines. She served an astonishing 449 days of reserve military service in northern Israel, providing critical operational support to combat forces, aerial coordination, and rescue efforts. Upon completing her deployment, she volunteered in a specialized unit, repairing and adapting tactical equipment for soldiers entering combat zones.

Returning to her campus studies, Kama channeled the weight of her experiences back into her art as a tool for national healing. Her first-year exhibition, Jerusalem, featured portraits of Ethiopian Jews painted entirely with soil from the holy city—a visceral representation of a generations-long yearning for home (see one of the portraits above). More recently, she turned her lens toward the visible and invisible wounds of war. Her exhibition Fear of Falling Asleep, used multimedia installations based on deep interviews with combat veterans coping with severe PTSD, while a parallel project featuring a custom-designed chair with a wooden leg sparked a raw public conversation about the reality facing wounded veterans and amputees.

For Kama, art is a powerful catalyst to elevate the forgotten, honour the brave, and demand meaningful dialogue. ....................

These scholarship recipients were selected for their academic achievements, community involvement, and innovation. These are women who are excelling at their studies and are already making an impact on their communities using the skills and knowledge they’ve acquired. They show tremendous promise and will continue to be leaders and change-makers.

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Click to watch a video about the completed renovations.

A barnyard sanctuary The new cow pen.

L-R: Daniel, Itamar, Sanad, and Ilai.

Nahalal Youth Village’s renovated dairy farm fields the leaders of tomorrow.

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t first glance, the newly renovated and expanded dairy farm at Nahalal Youth Village is a triumph of modern agriculture. Thanks to the visionary support of Ruth and Fredz”l Cooperstock and CHW, the facility enjoys new roofs, spacious barn sheds, an entirely new infirmary, a state-of-the-art milk tank, and more. For the herd, it is a sanctuary of comfort, dignity, and health.

But look closer, past the infrastructure and the serenity of the cows, and you will see the true heartbeat of the farm: the youth.

While CHW’s investment (and 100+ year partnership) built a physical structure for the animals, it simultaneously expanded the theoretical classrooms.

The Ruth and Fredz”l Cooperstock Dairy Farm at Nahalal serves as a living laboratory where grit is forged, trauma is healed, and life-changing values are harvested.

A SHOCK TO THE SENSES For many students, the introduction to the dairy farm is a shock to the senses. It stinks, it’s messy, it requires early wake up calls, and it’s physically demanding. Yet, the farm has a unique way of transforming initial hesitation into profound personal pride.

Take Daniel from Carmiel, who arrived in Grade 8.

“When I first came to the dairy farm, I was afraid of the cows because it smelled so bad,” he recalled. Now in Grade 11 and a shift leader in the dairy farm, Daniel credits the barn with building his independence.

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“The main takeaway from my experience in the dairy farm is the importance of consistency,” Daniel said.

“There’s no such thing as not waking up at 5:00 a.m. No one else is going to milk the cows. You do it because you are committed.”

This sense of radical responsibility is echoed by Ilai, also now in Grade 11, who arrived at Nahalal under the heavy shadow of crisis. Displaced from his home near the Lebanese border after October 7, Ilai spent a year languishing in a hotel room, losing his routine, his motivation, and his sense of self.

Nahalal and the dairy farm became his anchor. Similar to Daniel, the smell was initially a deterrent, but consistency changed his perspective. “Today, I wake up every day at 5:00 a.m. and milk the cows,” Ilai said proudly.

“It’s not easy or comfortable or convenient... But it gives you responsibility and power.”

For a boy who lost his home to war, the dairy farm provided something irreplaceable: a second home and a space to rebuild his dreams.

GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY In an educational landscape heavily reliant on textbooks, the Nahalal dairy farm offers an experiential antidote.

Here, mistakes aren’t marked with red ink; they are solved with critical thinking and calloused hands.

Itamar, Grade 11, from a moshav near Ashdod, came to Nahalal with a passion for agriculture, mistakenly thinking he already knew it all. The farm quickly humbled him, and then built him up.

“You learn with your hands,” Itamar explains. “Why you need to sanitize the cow before you start milking, why the milk tanks are refrigerated... and you learn not by someone lecturing while you sit at a desk, bu t when you do it yourself.”

Behind the scenes with CHW Israel Director Sharon Stern (right) and WIZO Social Media Meital Bergman (left).

Click to watch cute Scan the QRacode video Nahalal tofrom watch a cute Dairy videoFarm fromstudents.

Nahalal.

“You see it with your eyes and do it with your Hands — You figure out how everything works.” - Itamar .

The physical transformation of the Nahalal dairy farm is undeniably impressive. The cows now enjoy double the space, dry soil, proper drainage, and a healthy environment to thrive.

Itamar driving the tractor, working the field.

This hands-on confidence spilled over into the fields, where Nahalal staff trusted Itamar and his peers to manage an entire plot independently, resulting in an amazing yield.

But the true return on investment isn’t measured in liters of milk or square meters of roofing— it is measured in the confidence of a displaced boy standing tall at 5:00 a.m. in the freezing rain. It is measured in the critical thinking of fixing a malfunctioning fridge, and the profound resilience of teenagers stepping into adulthood with unshakable maturity and responsibility. Through this renovated space, Nahalal is raising more than just livestock - they are raising the future leaders, innovators, and caretakers of Israel.

We would like to add a shout-out to the dedicated Nahalal staff, especially Dairy Farm Manager Sarit Yoker, who pours her heart and professional expertise into everything she does.

HEALING AND EMPATHY IN THE BARN Beyond the mechanics of agriculture and the discipline of early mornings, the expanded dairy farm cultivates a deep, quiet empathy. Cows are sensitive animals; during the recent conflicts, they too suffered from the tension and sirens. The students noticed. Learning to soothe a stressed animal teaches these teenagers a profound level of emotional intelligence.

The students form genuine bonds with the herd, finding favourites among them. For Daniel, it’s a resilient calf born prematurely with a heart-shaped mark on her forehead, who survived against all odds to become the largest in her pen. For Ilai, it’s Tomer, the oldest and gentlest cow in the barn, whose familiar presence provides a calming rhythm to the morning milkings.

NAHALAL IS SUPPORTED

BY OUR END OF YEAR ORAH SUMMER 2026 CAMPAIGN.

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teaching hope

NTHS IS SUPPORTED

BY OUR END OF YEAR CAMPAIGN.

The NTHS 2026 graduating class.

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dolescence can be challenging under the best of circumstances. For many students at Netanya Technological High School (NTHS), those challenges are compounded by trauma, family instability, abuse, anxiety, neglect, and social isolation.

Recognizing that academic success is impossible without emotional well-being, the school has developed a comprehensive approach to mental healthcare that places students’ emotional needs at the centre of their education.

Through a unique program focused on medical consultation, treatment, and guidance led by consulting physician Dr. Daniel Yarkoni, students receive personalized emotional support, crisis intervention, health education, and mentorship designed to help them overcome adversity and build healthier futures.

“No student should ever feel invisible. Our role is to ensure that every young person knows they matter, that support is available, and that there is hope for a better future.” - Dr. Yarkoni A SAFE PLACE TO BE HEARD Many of the school’s students come from complex backgrounds. For these young people, having a trusted adult who listens without judgment can be life-changing.

Through one-on-one consultations, students are provided with a safe and confidential space to discuss personal 42

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challenges, process difficult experiences, and receive guidance. The goal is to address immediate concerns and equip students with the tools they need to navigate adulthood with resilience and confidence.

MORE THAN COUNSELLING The program extends well beyond individual support sessions. Students participate in workshops that address topics such as emotional well-being, healthy relationships, conflict resolution, self-esteem, addiction prevention, responsible technology use, and stress management. They are encouraged to develop healthy routines, including proper sleep, nutrition, academic responsibility, and positive social connections.

A key focus is helping students recognize emotional distress in themselves and others. Through initiatives that encourage students to seek help when needed, the school is fostering a culture where mental health conversations are normalized and supported.

The program also works closely with parents and teachers, providing training and guidance to help them identify warning signs of emotional distress and respond effectively when students are struggling.

EARLY INTERVENTION SAVES LIVES One of the program’s greatest strengths is its emphasis on early intervention.

Students often disclose traumatic experiences that might otherwise remain hidden for years. Through careful listening and professional support, school staff are able to identify risks, connect students with appropriate resources, and provide vulnerable youth with the support they need during critical moments in their development.

For 16-year-old Lineh*, the program helped reduce her risk of depression and PTSD. Lineh has a complex relationship with her mostly absent father. Through her counselling, Lineh learned that she is not to blame and that she is allowed to feel both love and anger toward her father:

“For a long time, I preferred to stay silent, pretend everything was fine, and hope that one day my father would look at me with pride, or at least understand me.

But growing up also means understanding there are wounds that stay within us, even when we deeply love the person who caused them.”

Students are taught that their past experiences do not define them. With support, guidance, and opportunity, they can overcome obstacles and build meaningful, productive lives.

BUILDING RESILIENCE AND HOPE Mental healthcare at NTHS is not simply about responding to problems. It is about helping students discover their strengths and envision a positive future.

Whether encouraging students to complete their matriculation exams, continue to post-secondary education, or develop career aspirations, the program helps them see possibilities beyond their current circumstances.

AN INVESTMENT IN THE NEXT GENERATION The school’s holistic approach reflects a simple but powerful belief: emotional wellbeing is essential for success. By integrating mental healthcare into everyday school life, NTHS is helping at-risk youth heal from trauma, develop resilience, and gain the confidence they need to thrive.

Thanks to your generosity, students who might otherwise fall through the cracks are receiving the care, support, and encouragement they deserve. *Name changed for confidentiality purposes.

MAKE A difference WITH

We are a multi-generational group of people passionate about supporting at-risk women and children in ISRAEL and CANADA. You can contribute to CHW in many ways: • Support a campaign • Monthly giving • Cards and Certificates • Join our Legacy Circle • Support a fundraiser

• Join a chapter • Start a chapter • Volunteer at an event • Host a fundraiser • Volunteer as a canvasser

For 100+ years, CHW has been CHANGING LIVES, PROVIDING HOPE, and BUILDING FUTURES. CONTACT: Jennifer Ierullo, Director, Donor Relations and Volunteer Engagement & Outreach at jennifer@chw.ca or 416-477-5964 ext. 112 ORAH SUMMER 2026

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the future is strong Each year, CHW provides funding to Canadian Young Judaea summer camps in Canada, which aim to strengthen young members’ Jewish identity and principles.

The Jewish Outreach and Leadership Training (JOLT) program at Canadian Young Judaea (CYJ) fills a crucial gap by offering teens structured leadership training and practical, hands‑on opportunities to engage with community issues. Participants consistently demonstrate high engagement, thoughtful problem‑solving, and a clear sense of responsibility for the community’s future.

By building skills, confidence, and ownership, JOLT strengthens long‑term civic participation and provides a scalable blueprint for youth-led community engagement.

Seeing these young people step up with passion and courage proves that investing in them is investing in the soul and sustainability of our community.

There are 65 young leaders, in Grades 9-11, participating in JOLT across Canada. 100% of CHW grant funds are used towards program development and financial aid. CYJ also offers volunteer opportunities for JOLT participants at 30 Jewish organizations across Canada, including CHW.

STRENGTH IN COMMUNITY Machane Lev remains a vital part of the CYJ community, offering a safe, affirming space for children, youth, and staff to celebrate their gender and sexual identities. At a time of rising antisemitism and shrinking inclusive spaces, Lev fosters pride in Jewish identity, while supporting personal growth and belonging. Its continued presence strengthens community resilience and affirms CYJ’s commitment to equity and inclusion.

Machane Lev, like all CYJ programming, is committed to providing camp experiences to every Jewish child, regardless of family financial constraints. In 2026, there was a 20% increase in camper registration and a 30% increase in financial aid requests. Thanks to your generosity, CYJ can uphold this promise and deliver the lasting benefits of summer camp and strengthened community connection.

“I joined JOLT because I was looking for a way to earn volunteer hours for my high school requirements. Since becoming a member of this cohort, I have made amazing friends and connected more deeply with people I already knew. In addition to new connections, JOLT has allowed me to learn more about my community, ways I can give back, and the power I hold as a young person to make a difference in my city, Canada, and the larger Jewish community. Thank you, JOLT!” -Seth, Toronto JOLT Participant 2026

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investing in change CHW’s Social Impact Investment Fund is empowering Israel’s future.

In 2022, CHW pioneered a new approach to philanthropy by launching Israel’s first gender-lens Social Impact Investment Fund. Rather than providing one-time grants, CHW offers low-interest growth capital to carefully selected early-stage businesses improving the lives of women and youth through education, healthcare, and social services.

This innovative model is more than a “handout”—it’s a hand-up. As loans are repaid, the capital is reinvested, creating a sustainable cycle of impact that grows year after year.

BUILDING RESILIENCE THROUGH INNOVATION CHW’s first investments demonstrated how purposedriven businesses can create lasting social change.

Social Space TLV transformed a former Tel Aviv strip club into a vibrant social innovation hub where thousands of visitors engage in conversations about human trafficking and gender-based violence. When war forced its doors to close, the organization quickly adapted, using the CHWfunded space to provide art therapy and programming for evacuated families and youth. Today, more than 75,000 people have experienced its transformative educational programs.

“The tour had a great impact on me. It really changed the way I look at the world.”

- Participant, Journey for Impact (J4I) 2022.

Social Space tour group.

Tech19, located in Yerucham, empowers women from Israel’s geographic periphery through careers in the high-tech sector. Despite the severe economic disruption caused by the war—including military call-ups and client losses—the company retained every employee. Today, Tech19 employs more than 40 women, has outgrown its offices, and continues to provide financial independence and opportunity for women and their families.

“A moving experience—and constructive. Thought provoking and action provoking.” - Participant, J4I 2022.

The Tech19 team at a conference.

EXPANDING OUR IMPACT This year, CHW is investing in its third social enterprise: Akim. The loan will help purchase a permanent home for six women with intellectual disabilities requiring 24-hour support, providing a safe, community-based alternative to institutional care that promotes dignity, independence, and inclusion.

A MODEL FOR THE FUTURE The war challenged every organization in Israel, but it also validated CHW’s vision. By investing in sustainable enterprises rather than one-time funding, these organizations had the flexibility to adapt, protect jobs, and continue serving vulnerable populations when they were needed most.

CHW’s Social Impact Investment Fund proves philanthropy can do more than respond to today’s challenges—it can build resilient organizations, strengthen communities, and create lasting social change for generations to come.

To learn more about CHW’s Social Impact Investing, contact lisa@chw.ca.

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A very special

Thank you

In recognition of generous cumulative giving* received between January 1 and December 31, 2025 from $1,000+ GIFTS OF $1,000,000+

The Azrieli Foundation Esther & Harry Lebovic on behalf of The Joseph Lebovic Charitable Foundation The Wolf Lebovic Charitable Foundation

GIFTS OF $500,000+

Neil Closner Marla and Aubrey Dan

GIFTS OF $100,000+

Debbie Eisenberg & Gary Levene Raizi and George Fleischmann Carole and Bernie Zucker and Family GIFTS OF $50,000+ Anonymous Ruth Cooperstock Karen and Lionel Dubrofsky The Eldee Foundation Jaclyn Fisher Foundation Roslyn Joseph Irving and Estherz”l Matlow The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Susan & John Rose Estate of Marilyn Rotenberg GIFTS OF $20,000+ The P. Austin Family Foundation Tali and Jeff Baum Marion Caplan Sylvia and Lornez”l Cristall Mandy and Russell Fleischer Adrienne Folbz”l Estate of Benny Freedmanz”l Helen E. Hoffman Jeannette Hoffman Joy D. Kaufman in memory of David S. Kaufman Elayna & Jonathan Latsky Miriam Neveren Memorial Fund Olymbec Development Inc. Estate of Martha Vajdaz”l

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GIFTS OF $10,000+ Aron Abecassis Susan & Joseph Balinsky Shelley & Dan Baruch Fran Belzberg Karine Bellisha and Michael Cons Patricia (Lala) Berkovic Brookfield Partners Foundation DFC Auto Group Inc. Dianne Kardish Memorial Fund Karen Durbin and Frank Ander Wendy Eisen Fiera Capital Shelley Fine Ilene & Stephen Flatt and Leslie & Joel Flatt, Upper Canada Soap Ganz Family Foundation Lynn Gillman Marcia and Bernard Glick Shirley Glick Ira Gluskin & Maxine Granovsky Gluskin Charitable Foundation Michael and Libby Goldgrub Foundation Gayle & Harry Goldgut Sala Goldhar Barbara Hennick Sarah and Gary Hutman Leila Lax Lipco Investments Inc. PAC Group Fund Pursuits M.W. Inc. Marlene and Ronald Richardson Patricia Royer Sharon (Cookie) Sandler Rosalie Sharp Fred & Jon Sherman Marilyn and Stephen Sinclair Barry Slawsky Shawna Goodman & Todd Sone Family Foundation Beverly Suliteanu Marilyn Waserman Terry and Robert Yanowski GIFTS OF $5,000+ The Felicia And Arnold Aaron Foundation David Abramsky The Asper Foundation Alexandra Azouri

Azuria Group Barrday Inc. A. Benjamin Gallay Fund Heather Glassman Berkowitz Judy Betel Barbara Borenstein Brettler/Mintz Foundation Brown Group of Companies Susan Glazer Brown and Mitch Brown Stephanie Caplan Trudy Clifford Diane E. Cohen Linda and Gary Cohen Lisa Colt-Kotler and Andrew Kotler Continental Capital Investments Inc. Delaney Capital Management Ltd. Leigh and George Eisenberg Ruth Freeman Judy and Benaron Gleiberman Nita Goldband The Goldberg Family Foundation Adele Goldstein Mel Goldstein Rhonda and Stan Gordon Sandra Herlick and Jack Frieberg International Logistic Solutions Canada, Inc. Yaakov Kaplan The Henry and Berenice Kaufmann Foundation Katarina Kraizel Laboratoire Riva Elizabeth Laxer Gustav Levinschi Foundation Marilyn Libin and Jed Gaines Sherri Pinsler Lieberman Earl and Jordanna Lipson Fund Glennie and David Mandel Sande and Gerry Marcus Berry Meyerowitz Florence and Sheldon Miller Eleanor Mintz Heather Mintz Abby Minuk Shanna Mittleman and Todd Mandel MNP LLP Heather Ordon Paradise Homes Corp.

PearTree Financial Services Ltd.

Estate of David Pollackz”l Bonnie Belzberg Red Planet Group Esther Benbihy The Benjamin Foundation Fern Reich Carol Berall Felicia Salomon Susan Segal Judith Berg Allan Berger Hayley Baboushkin Shaffer and Ian Shaffer Jeanette Berger Brondell Shapiro Julie Berger Myrna and Steve Singer Irene Berkowitz Lisa Stern and Zachary Gillman Eleanora Berku Deborah and Howard Szalavetz Donald Berman Jewish Eldercare Foundation Gail D. Teperman Beystone Properties Tinnerman Wealth Group Sonia and David Bickman Abby Tobias Eric Bissell Adina and Elias Toby Jennifer Blitz and Dan Kaminsky Tova and Marshall Train Erika Bloch Jennifer and Greg Tugg Karen Bloom Wainberg Family Lorraine and David Bloom Michelle and Robert Weinberg Pearl and Gerald Bloom Renée Wolfe BMO Wealth Management Woodcliff Management Group Inc. Beth Bogner Gwendolyn Yacht Renee Bogoch

legend

GIFTS OF $1,000+ Aaron Waxman and Associates Ruth R Aaron Alma and Bruce Abugov Karen and Marc Adler Gil Aharon Joseph Akerman Albert Abrum Lager Foundation Sheila Alexander ALL ABOUT WORDS Annette R B Holdings Ltd. Simmie Antflick Creig and Jeannie Antliff Jacob Arbeiter Marla Glassman Arnovitz and Neil Arnovitz The Balinsky Family Barry Bank Debbie and Mark Bank Gertrude Barath Lori and Philip Barer Baron De Hirsch Cemetery Inc. Barrel Oil Corp Linda and John Barron David Baskin Baskin Wealth Management Renna Bassal Kaselle Beach Jeff Beber Sharron Beder Liliane Bekhor Tobie Bekhor Belfor Canada Estate of Leona Bellz”l Bell Kearns and Associates Ltd. Lauren and Samuel Bell

Marnie and Darren Bondar Stewart Bondar Esti Bonkowski Estate of Miriam Bookbinder Borden Ladner Gervais LLP Boston Traders Michelle and Jack Bottner Tiana Koffler Boyman James Braunstein Bridgeport Asset Management Inc. Carrie and Mitchell Brody Andrea Bronstein Rosalind and Neil Brown Bernice Brownstein Gladys Buckler Lynda and Howie Budd Burnett Family Pauline Burns, Oshawa Pam Calderone Canada Israel Fashion Week Beverley Carley Giancarlo Cataldo The Cedars Haliburton Chad Bayne Professional Corporation Elaine Chelin The Chesterfield Shop Estate of Arlein Chetner Esther Chetner Glenda and David Chetner Aviva and Stephen Cheuk Bonnie Chodos The Chodos Family Foundation Cora Cohen Jacqui Cohen Family Foundation Laurie Cohen

Paula Cohen Sandy Cohen Tamara Collier Claire Conrad Cons Properties Inc. Construction Dancon Inc. Allan Cooper Barbara Cooper, East Garafraxa Gail and Richard Cooper Leba and Jack Cooperstone Beverley and Ron Corber Sandra and Bernard Corenblum Stephen Cotsman and the family of Teresa Schwarzfeld John Cullen Judith Curry Ann and Morris Dancyger Daron Financial Inc. Joanne Davidson DC Construction Delmar International Inc. Rob Di Iorio Pasquale Di Pierro Karen and Stephen Diamond Ron Diamond DLVRD Logistics Inc. Marie Doduck Lisa Draper Rozlyn Druckman Rhoda and Jerry Dubin Lauren and Philip Duchen Ruth Dvorkin Maureen and Jack Dym Karen and Tom Ehrlich Stella Ekstein Marilyn and Ron Elias Ian Ellbogen Harvey Elman Corinne Engel Daryl Erdman Joseph Ergas Diane and Larry Erlick Evans Investment Counsel Maxanne Ezer Terrie Faber and Perry Gerwing Lynn Factor & Sheldon Inwentash Rachel Farber Solly Feldman Jay Feldman Diana Salvati Fellen Allan and Susan Fenwick Charitable Foundation Gail and Joel Fenwick Ellen and Gerald Fialkov Annette and Larry Filler Molly and Henry Finkelstein John Fisher

Major Donor

Foundation Builders

Person of Distinction

Keyholder

Women for Women

Lillian Freiman Society

Person of Valour

Legacy Circle

Double Chai

Sustainer

ORAH SUMMER 2026

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Legend

GIFTS OF $1,000+ CONT’D Sharon and Edward Fitch Phyllis Flatt W. M. Fleischer Charitable Foundation Sharon Fligel and David Papernick Karen Florence Barbara Fogler Eva Frank Lorraine and Mark Franklin The Jeremy & Judith Freedman Family Foundation Lisa Freedman Pam Freedman Nora and John Freund Elly (Helen) Freund-Bell Seth Frieberg Patricia and Allan Friedland Linda Friedlich Lois Friedman Fine Harvey Frisch Fruitman Kates LLP Linda Frum and Howard Sokolowski Randi Garbas Ruth and Alby Garbe Corinne and Mark Gelfer Gelman & Associates Genatec David Gerstein Francine Gerstein Josh Gerstein Rita Gerstein Gestion Julstef Inc. Daniella Givon and Bernard Pinsky Rose Marie Glassman Lynn Glazer Daniel Glazerman Barbara Gleibermanz”l Fern Glicksman Vera and Malcolm Glube Rosemarie Gold Myer A. Goldbergz”l Debbie and Ian Goldberg Helen and Marvin Goldberg Janice Goldberg Leo and Shirley Goldfarb Foundation Rosylin and Gerold Goldlist Claudia and Paul Goldman Glory and Joe Goldman Diane and Wayne Goldstein Ellen Goldstein Norman Goldstein Ann Goodman Esther and Jonathan Goodman Joanna and Matthew Goodman Debbie Gorman Marvin Gorodensky Shannon Gorski

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Shirley Katz Aviva Gottlieb Eva and Alan Katznelson Bailey Grad Joy E Kaufman Sarah and Henry Granatowicz Dolly Kerzner Gina Grant Dora and Harry Kichler The Lindy Green Family Foundation Barbro Kimel Roselle and Morris Green Kimel Family Shellianne Bedder Green & Warren Green Sandi and Julius Kirschner Marion Greenberg Perri Kirshenblatt Robyn and Saul Greenspan Paula Klaiman Howard Greenspoon Jaclyn Klayman Judy Groberman Francie and Stuart Klein Saryl Gross Debbie Kleiner Bonnie Grossman Lisa Klinger Sharon Grossman Laurie Koch George S. Grostern Adam Grosvenor Clarice Brownstein Kolomeir Bonnie Grundman In Memory of Shirley Konigsbergz”l Sheila and Ralph Gurevitch Marla Korman Jodi Gurza Ethel Kostman Nathan Haber KPMG LLP Shelly Haber Sharon and Fred Kroft Andrea Halperin Gail and Melvin Ksienski Jackie Halpern Kugler Kandestin LLP Nancy Baker Halpern Esther and Irving Kulik Rhonda and Richard Halpern Sugithan Kumaresan Jackie and Hayim Hamborger Francy Kussner and Arthur Yallen Jessica Handelman Wally Kusters La Prima Investments Limited Dorothy Hanson and Sheldon Shagal Kyra and Harris Hanson Harriette Laing Gabriela Hardt-Neumann In memory of Eleanor Lambertz”l Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd. Lana Landa The Heller Group Legal And Esther Landsman Executive Search Inc. Sonja and Harry Langburt Jennifer and Jeffrey Hesselson Janice and Howard Langer Naomi Himel Esther and Dave Laredo Sonya Hirsch David Laren Enoch Tim Ho Susan Lavy Eva and Gordon Hoffman Esti Lax Michael P. Hollinger Anna Leff Foundation The Mel Hoppenhem Family Foundation Les Papiers MPC Inc. Howard B. Lohner CPA Inc. Miles Leutner Romy Hutman and Stuart Schick Leslie Levant Brenda and Bruce Isakow Shifra and Ron Levene Shoshana Israel Bailey Levenson and Victor Drevnig Jack Dym Investments Ltd. Marlene Levenson Bonnie Jackson Sheila Nemtin Levine Joyce and Howard Jacobs Rochelle Levinson Jennifer Jacobson Ruth Levitan Steve Jenkins Barbi and Michael Levitt Jim Wilson Financial Group, CIBC Wood Gundy Shelley Levitt Beverly Kahn and Robert Kotzer Karyn and Jonathan Levy Sandra and David Kaminker Eva Kaplan Marleen and Harold Levy Margo and David Kardish, In Memory of Rena Levy Tessie Zelikovitzz”l & Eva Kardishz”l Philip & Harriet Libin Family Foundation Judy Katsof Judith Lifshitz and Danny Kaufer Chen Lim April and David Katz

Major Donor

Foundation Builders

Person of Distinction

Keyholder

Women for Women

Lillian Freiman Society

Person of Valour

Legacy Circle

Double Chai

Sustainer

ORAH SUMMEr 2026

Lisa Linden and Andrew Wiseman Margaret and Andrew Lindzon Susan and Paul Lindzon Sharon B. Lipman Jeffrey H. Lipton Lesli Logush Lohn Foundation Glynnis Louis Fran and Alan Luborsky Lynx Equity Limited Sandra Lyons Madison Midland Limited Evelyn Maizen Devorah Mandell Judy Mandleman Marsid Family Foundation Martin Stein Real Estate Ltd. Beulah Martin Lorraine and Randal Martin SOMAR Foundation, Sandy & Larry Martin Evelyn Mashaal Anne Matlow Leanne and David Matlow Linda and Myron Matlow Sharon L. Mayer Shirlee Medjuck Roslyn Mendelson Dorit and Ezer Mevorach Tyla and Larry Meyer Sarah Meyer Mark Mandel Migson Public Storage Brooke Miller Luba Miller Naomi and Corey Miller Risa Miller Rodney Miller Sandy and Michael Minden Minuk Construction & Engineering Company Sonia and Greg Mitelman MNP LLP Michelle Moll Anita Morris Joan Morris George Morrison Walter Moscovitz Michele A. Moss Jillian Mosse Regine Mydlarski Lynda Nadolny Janice Nathanson Madelon and Jay Niman Lori Noble Kathie and Mickey Norris Northern Management Services Marnie Mars Nusbaum Vita Edith Novick Naomi Oelbaum Susan Orenstein ORT Canada

Laura and Richard Orzy Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP Osmington Inc. Alex Ostenz”l P.TSO Photography Adrienne Pacht Marilyn and Larry Pacht Frank Pantazopoulos Linda Papernick Parklawn Group Hannah and Marvin Pascal Lola Pawer Steven Pearl Jennifer Pearlman Pennylove Holdings Sharon L. Pollock Beth and Lorne Price Erica Prussky Marsha Ptack Rochelle Rabinovitz Merle Rachlin David Rashkovan RBC PH&N Investment Counsel RBC Royal Bank Rebecca and Alan Simpson Family Foundation Rochelle Reichert Cheryl Reicin Beverly Reisman Jill Reitman Reliance Construction of Canada Ltd. Ofer Reshef Lisa Ritchie Monty S. Robbins Murray Robins Soni Robins Wendi Rockert Dianne Roebuck Debra Roher Eric Rose Nanette Rosen & Michael Feldman Randy Rosen Marvin Rosenblatt Barb Rosenstein Lori and Jeff Rosenthal Meryl Rosenthal Penny Ross Irene Rossz”l and Stuart Ross Mrs. Fagey Rossdeutscher Fonda Roth Norbert & Gusta Roth Foundation Sheila and Danny Rother Shelley Rothman Sonia and Gerry Rowan Lorne Rubin Toby and Sidney Rubin Stephanie Rusen S&S Conversions Susan Sacchi Karen and Barry Sacks Susan Sager Larry Saltsman

Samper Developments Limited Maxine Sanders Judy and Sam Sapera Randi and Peter Satok Steven Satov Bea Schachter Stewart Schaefer Evelyn and Norman Schayer Lionel Schipper Diane and Harold Schwartz Jerry Schwartz Gayla Schwartz Michael Schwartz Rhonda and Howard Schwartz Elaine Schwartzman Scotia Wealth Management Ann Secter Alvin Segal Family Foundation Marcy and Mark Segall Tammy Seigel Linda Senzilet Jane Shadley Monica and Barry Shapiro Vivien Sharon Linda and Arnie Shaw Rhonda Sheff Gerald Sheiner Lloyd Sheiner Betty A. Sherwood Elaine Shiff Susan Shinoff Michael Shulman Judy A. Siblin-Librach Deborah Siegel and Eric Beutel Hinda and Allan Silber Edith and Bruce Silcoff Nathan and Lily Silver Family Foundation The Silverberg Fund Silverspoon Dinner Brenda Simpson The Leonard Simpson Family Foundation Rebecca G. Simpsonz”l Marny & Bruce Simpson Melissa Singer in memory of Phyllis G. Singer and A. Leo Singer Beverley Siskind and Arthur Caplan SK Design Boutique Jeannie and Peter Sklar Sheryl Skopit and Kevin Sherkin Carin Smiley Stan and Carey Smith Jay Smith Rebecca Snukal Bobbi Soderstrom Arlene Solomon Karen Solomon Fran and Edward Sonshine Carol Lou Spiegel Chaim & Clara Spilberg Memorial Fund Julie Spira Harriet and William Star ORAH SUMMER 2026

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Legend

GIFTS OF $1,000+ CONT’D Cathy Stein Haya and Stanley Stein Rebecca Stein Suzanne and Martin Stein Debbie S. Steinberg Dr. Mireille Steinberg Heidi Steinberg-Fenton Sandra and Howard Sterling Gary Stern Vivian and Howard Stotland Shana and Ronnie Strauss Earl Stuart Reesa Sud Barbara Sugar Lauren and Alvin Suissa Barbara and Martin Sversky Eunice Swadron Beverly Swedko Swiss Vienna Pastry Symetryx Corporation Cherry Tabb Table 51 Lois and Marvin Tafler Carole Tanenbaum Jennifer and Ken Tanenbaum Francine Taras David Tartick Mary and Ken Taub Sara and Irwin Tauben TD Commerical Bank Maidy Teitelbaum Howard Tenenbaum Louise and Gary Tenenbaum Stephan Tetraullt Tribute Communities Think of Food Ltd. Harriet Train Miriam and Paddy Trehearne Robin Turack Ruth Ullman Union Lighting & Home Universal Lighting Corp.

Tina Urman Marty Usher Susan Van Der Hout Lillian Vineberg and Morris Goodman Arlene Viner-Holmes and David Holmes Jeffrey Wagman Fred Waks Linda R. Waks Nadine Pupko Walman and Terry Walman Cynthia and John Warren Goldie Wassermuhl Mary Waterman and Collin Paulson Donna and Fred Webber Wendy Weber Debbie Weinberg

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Alfred H. Balm Marilyn and Arthur Weinstein Marilyn Weisbart Barry and Esther Naiberg Family Fund Caroline Weiss Eva Bartonz”l Sasha and Thomasz”l Weisz Susan Baruchz”l Zees Wengerz”l Natalie Batshaw Janet and Allen Werger Jacquie Bayley Mark Wexler Debbie Baylin Wexmark Homes Maria Beckz”l Karen Goldhar White Leona Bell Ruth Wilanskyz”l Bergwen Industries Ltd. MedMobility Hedie Williams Dida Berku Carole Winberg Marilyn and Paul Bild Judy Winberg Annette and Ted Wine Sarah Block and Denis Beaulieu Cynthia Wine Else Boehm Nina Wine Estate of Eva Braunz”l Jane Winikoff-Plotnick and Lawrence Plotnick Gloria Bruner Randi and Sam Winter Orah Buck Carole Wolfe Frieda Bugisz”l Sherri Wolfish & David Factor Sam Bugis Sylvia Wolynetz Byron Holdings Ltd. Rachelle Wolynetz-Frankel Robin and Norm Chernick Sylvia Wortsman Estate of Anetta Lorna Cherninz”l Toby and Joel Yan Sandra Chernoff Celia Yazer CIBC World Markets Canada Deborah Yedlin and Martin Molyneaux Caroline Cohen Yonge Vision Helen and Alan Cohen Betty Young Susan Young Louise Cohen Nelly Zagdanski Robyn B. Cohen Beverley Zaifman Miriam Cooper Judy and Martin Zelikovitz Dr. Geoffrey Conway Memorial Foundation Helen and Leonard Zenith Charles Coulson Rose Zivot Shirley Croll Andrea Zlotnik Beverley Davis, In Memory of Evelyn Davisz”l Elaine R. Zucker Estate of Suzanne Destonz”l Rochelle Zwicker Trudianne Dolman Connie Zwingerman z”l WE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE AND RECOGNIZE THE STEADFAST SUPPORT OF THE FOLLOWING: 1-R32 Foundation Susan Abramowitz Carole and Arnold Abramson Freda and Marvin Abugov Linda Adams and Gil Troy Luba Allen Sam Altman Avi Amir Anonymous Stuart Ansky Vivian Astroff Naomi Azrieli

Frieda Dym Bina and Leonard Ellen Family Foundation Joanne T. Emerman Mark Epstein Estate of William Evansz”l Paul Faibish Karen Farkas and Clyde Hurtig Margaret Farkasz”l Esther Rachel Federmanz”l Susan and Arnie Fine Cynthia Flower Frankenburg Foundation The Friedberg Charitable Foundation Rachel Lili Gerstenzangz”l Karyn and Joseph Gold Estate of Ginette Ingrid Goldz”l Bernard Goldbergz”l Beryl Goldmanz”l

Major Donor

Foundation Builders

Person of Distinction

Keyholder

Women for Women

Lillian Freiman Society

Person of Valour

Legacy Circle

Double Chai

Sustainer

ORAH SUMMEr 2026

Sam Goldsmithz”l Carol Goldstein Sylvia Goldstein Ilona Gondorz”l Morris & Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation Howard Grant z”l Sandra Greenz”l Shirley Greenbergz”l Helen Greenfeld Mark Halpern Ms. Annette Hanson Estate of Frank Hardyz”l Judith Harris The Harweg Foundation Gertrude Helperinz”l Fanny Hendlerz”l Judy and Douglas Hendler Estate of Beatrice Norma Hockz”l Michelle and Arnon Kaplansky Estate of Dianne Kardishz”l Alan Katz Kaye Bernstein Trust Fund #1 Dena Kelsonz”l Chana Kempner-Sternz”l Fay Kiferz”l Estate of Lee Koffmanz”l Seren Kratzz”l Beatrice B. Kruppz”l Mina Kupferberg Connie Kussnerz”l Rachel Lapidusz”l Marie Buxbaum Ledererz”l Estate of Abe Leithz”l Estate of Anna Ruth Leithz”l Enid Lesserz”l Carol and Stewart Lesser Charlotte Levenez”l Estate of Nora Finkler Levinez”l Joseph Levittz”l Joe Levyz”l Jay Libfeld

The Alvin & Mona Libin Foundation Estate of Sybil Sarah Lichtensteinz”l Shirley Lipovskyz”l Irving Henry Liptonz”l Bluma Litner Anabel Louisz”l Neil Maizen Edith S. Mandellz”l Louis Manpelz”l Marion Mayman Hedda Medjuk Jacqueline Meltzer Minto Apartments Limited Susan Mintz Modico Canada Ltd. Mariann Molnarz”l Bertha Moskovitzz”l Estate of Eunice C. Mouckleyz”l Bella Muller Estate of Elizabeth Narodz”l National Bank Financial Inc. Dr. Jay Newmanz”l Estate of Lucy Niskerz”l William H. Owenz”l Norma Palmerz”l Paul Heller Ltd. Barbara & Pinchas Pleet Sandy and Alan Posluns Frayda Raber and Charles Wiseman Joyce Raymond Helen Readz”l The Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman Foundation Faith Ribackz”l Georgina Rigorz”l Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation Gloria I. Rosenberg Paul Rosner Molly Ross Ruth and Hy Ross Ruth E. and William H. Ross Foundation

Royal Bank of Canada Jeffrey Royer Perla Rozen Rima Rozen RSM Canada Tracey Rumig and Stephen Eichler Ariella Schachter Evelyn Bloomfield Schachter Marcia Schnoor Ilse Seetnerz”l Faigelz”l and Len Shapiro Etta T. Shermanz”l Kayla Shoctorz”l Judy Silver Linda Silverman Marianne Simorz”l Phyliss Reta Sniderz”l Heather and Areyh Snitman Mildred Sonshinez”l Soskin Family Foundation Carla and Lawrence Stein Thelma Grace Steinz”l Allan Stitt Gerald Strollz”l Sam Switzerz”l & Family Syra Kamin LTD Eva Szuszz”l Estate of Tatjana Tryjanskiz”l Karen and Ben Varadi Elise and Barry Walderman Gabi Weisfeldz”l Janet Weisz-Asa Manual Whitzmanz”l Shelley Wolkin Sharon Zeiler Inez Zelikovitzz”l *At time of printing - July 2026.

We apologize for any errors or omissions.

Donor Spotlight The Azrieli Foundation’s transformative $900,000 investment will support life-saving healthcare, providing advanced treatment, rehabilitation, and hope to patients recovering from unimaginable physical and psychological trauma.

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events

fundraisers SHE DAY NATIONAL CELEBRATIONS ACROSS CANADA

ViCTORiA

NATiONAL EVENTS

SHE DAY- a multi-city celebration in honour of International Women’s Day, was hosted by CHW in communities across Canada, with an event for snowbirds in Del Ray Beach, FL.

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SHE DAY programming explored themes of women’s empowerment, leadership, health, mental wellness, fashion, and beauty.

Participants experienced an inspiring lineup of speakers, artists, and performers, who brought their communities together through uplifting talks, energizing performances, and engaging activities.

VICTORIA CENTRE LUNCHEON & BOOK PRESENTATION

ORAH SUMMEr 2026

On May 14, CHW Victoria Centre hosted a Potluck Luncheon & Book Presentation with author Randi Biederman to introduce her new book: “SCHINDLER’S LISTED – The Search for My Father’s Lost Gold” (A daughter’s memoir of her father who was rescued by Oskar Schindler.)

Watch video recordings of all CHW webinars and panel discussions on our YouTube video playlist!

DON’T MISS OUT ON FUTURE EVENTS:

chw.ca/events

COMPLIMENTARY WEBINAR WITH ISRAEL CANADA: ISRAEL UNLOCKED

Recipes of Resistance: The Ravensbrück Recipe Book was a moving webinar that explored the remarkable story of Rebecca Teitelbaum’s secret recipe book, created while imprisoned in the Ravensbrück concentration camp.

Participants heard from Lise Kirchner and Ellie Lawson from the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre.

Stress and Anxiety Management with Dr. Audrey Sasson, ND, held on February 24, provided participants with valuable insights and practical strategies for managing stress and anxiety in everyday life. Attendees benefited from Dr. Sasson’s expertise and left with useful tools to support their overall well-being and resilience.

Israel UNLOCKED: From Vision to Keys was a four-part complimentary webinar series presented by CHW in partnership with its national corporate partner, Israel Canada. The series provided participants with valuable insights into Israel’s real estate market, including investment opportunities, home-buying, and owning property in Israel.

CHW VANCOUVER CENTRE GAMES DAY

CHW VANCOUVER NOVA CHAPTER CHALLAH BAKE

CHW VANCOUVER CENTRE IMAGES OF WOMEN IN ART HISTORY

On May 6, over 80 players came together for Vancouver Centre Games Day. It was an afternoon of games, lunch, friendship, and philanthropy. All proceeds from the event were in support of the 2026 CHW Annual Campaign.

On January 25, CHW Vancouver Nova Chapter hosted a Challah Bake for young women 40 and under, in the Vancouver Jewish community.

CHW Vancouver Centre hosted a unique presentation celebrating women through images of motherhood in art history. With Dr. Efrat El-Hanany, PhD, Capilano University.

ORAH SUMMER 2026

VANCOUVER EVVENTS

COMPLIMENTARY STRESS & ANXIETY MANAGEMENT WEBINAR

NATiONAL EVENTS

COMPLIMENTARY WEBINAR: RECIPES OF RESISTANCE

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TORONTO EVENTS

CALGARY EVENTS

events

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fundraisers CHW TORONTO CENTRE CHW 101

CALGARY CENTRE SHAVUOT FLORAL WORKSHOP On May 20, CHW Calgary Centre hosted a Floral Workshop for Shavuot.

Participants created beautiful floral arrangements under the guidance of a local expert florist.

It was a wonderful way to connect and learn!

CHW 101, held on February 11, welcomed new chapter members for an engaging introduction to CHW’s mission, projects, and impact at both the centre and national levels. The event provided an opportunity to connect with members of the Toronto Executive, learn about volunteer opportunities beyond the chapter level, and gain a deeper understanding of how to become more involved in CHW’s work. If you’re interested in getting involved, contact jennifer@chw.ca.

CHW TORONTO CENTRE DISCOVER AND CONNECT

CHW TORONTO NOVA CHAPTER PURIM FUNDRAISER

CHW TORONTO HATIKVAH CHAPTER PICKELBALL PLUS

Held on February 12 and 26, these meetings brought together women interested in becoming involved with CHW. These informal gatherings were opportunity to connect like-minded women, and foster new relationships and leadership opportunities. This initiative led to the formation the new CHW Toronto Ahava Chapter!

The first CHW Toronto Nova Chapter Purim fundraiser was a wonderful success, supporting women and children escaping domestic violence.

Nova Chapter is grateful to Creation Food Company for their generosity in donating the baked goods, ensuring that 100% of the proceeds went directly to support this important cause.

CHW Toronto Hatikvah Chapter hosted Hatikvah Pickleball PLUS+ on March 7. It was a wonderful night of Round-Robin Play, a Learn-to-Play Clinic, and socializing.

ORAH SUMMEr 2026

All funds raised at this event were in support of HaGal Sheli.

DON’T MISS OUT ON FUTURE EVENTS:

chw.ca/events CHW TORONTO B’YACHAD CHAPTER CURTAIN CLUB THEATRE

CHW TORONTO B’YACHAD CHAPTER HIGH TEA

CHW Toronto Atid Passover fundraiser sold 700+ pots of tulips and delivered them across Toronto and the GTA on March 29. Proceeds will support Eden Association’s Trauma Therapy. Special thanks to the dedicated volunteer drivers, runners, and committee members whose efforts helped make this meaningful fundraiser a success.

On April 26, CHW Toronto B'Yachad Chapter hosted their second annual High Tea. With a great speaker, a successful silent auction, fun games, great prizes, and a delicious spread, it was a wonderful time. The chapter raised $3000 for Franny’s Fund!

CHW TORONTO TAMID CHAPTER GREAT NIGHT OUT WITH JUDY GOLD

CHW TORONTO L’NETZACH CHAPTER PJ’S & PANCAKE WALK

CHW TORONTO SHOSHANA CHAPTER CHALLAH BRAIDING

On April 26, CHW Toronto Tamid Chapter presented: Great Night Out with Judy Gold, raising over $64,000 to fund critical PTSD care for Israelis deeply affected by the events of October 7 and the ongoing war. It was an inspiring and uplifting evening, full of connection and laughs.

On April 26, CHW Toronto L’ Netzach Chapter came together and raised over $18k in support of trauma recovery at Hadassah Hospital and Shamir Medical Center.

CHW Toronto Shoshana Chapter enjoyed a fantastic evening together. Danielle Altman, chef extraordinaire from The Pink Penguin Bakery, taught the chapter how to braid a challah, and it was a wonderful event in support of CHW Netanya Technological High School’s Culinary Arts Program.

On March 26, CHW Toronto B’Yachad Chapter hosted a night at the theatre for “The Last Wife”, a contemporary retelling of the compelling relationship between Katherine Parr and Henry VIII, at Curtain Club Theatre.

ORAH SUMMER 2026

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TORONTO EVENTS

CHW TORONTO ATID CHAPTER PASSOVER TULIPS

events TORONTO

CHW TORONTO LEV ZAHAV CHAPTER MOTHER’S DAY FUNDRAISER

CHW TORONTO DOR L’DOR CHAPTER WALK FOR 18K The Dor L’Dor Chapter raised almost $19k at their annual Walk. All funds raised support psychological rehabilitation at Hadassah Hospital.

CHW TORONTO TZEDAKAH CHAPTER AT OUR TABLE (AOT)

After delivering hundreds of flowers and mailing hundreds of cards, Lev Zahav Chapter raised over $33,000 in support of urgent trauma care. They would like to recognize their incredible volunteers, who generously donated their time to help make deliveries.

MONTREAL EVENTS 56

fundraisers

AOT 2026 brought together more than 330 guests for a sold-out evening of philanthropy and community. Featuring renowned physician Dr. Shai Efrati, the event raised vital funds to support mental health and trauma recovery programs in Israel and Canada.

OTTAWA

CHW MONTREAL CENTRE PARLOUR EVENT WITH DR. SHAI EFRATI

CHW MONTREAL CENTRE PASSOVER CHOCOLATES

CHW Montreal enjoyed an inspiring evening at the home of Roslyn Joseph, featuring Dr. Shai Efrati, who spoke about his groundbreaking work at Shamir Medical Center, using Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to treat PTSD and trauma.

The CHW Montreal Passover Fundraiser was a tremendous success, once again selling out and resulting in hundreds of boxes of chocolate being delivered across Montreal on March 22. A big thanks to everyone who helped make this fundraising initiative such a success.

ORAH SUMMEr 2026

CHW OTTAWA CENTRE PHANTOM SPRING TEA

The Phantom Spring Tea was a monthlong virtual fundraising campaign supporting mental health rehabilitation and recovery in Israel, providing critical resources and care to individuals on their journey toward healing and resilience.

SHUK FUNDRAISERS

CENTRE & CHAPTER

ALL ITEMS AVAILABLE ONLINE WWW.CHW.C A/SHOP Visit chw.ca/shop to see all local and national fundraisers.

N AT I O N A L Cards For Any Occasion CHW offers a complete selection of any-occasion cards and certificates to recognize life-cycle events, such as: • Anniversary • Get Well • Bar/Bat Mitzvah • Holidays • Birth • Mazel Tov • Birthday • Sympathy

• Thinking of You • Thank You • Todah Rabah • Wedding

Available online: chw.ca/cards

CHW Rosh Hashanah Cards Send a Rosh Hashanah card in support of CHW. The painting used for this card was created by a member of ALUT, the leading Israeli association working with people on the autistic spectrum, creating fulfilling lives for them and their families.

Am Israel Chai Necklaces Keep Israel close to your heart with this unique handmade necklace. made by CHW London supporter Zahava Goldstein, owner of Purple Hamsa Ceramics and Art.

Handmade Mezuzahs One-of-a-kind, handmade mezuzahs (scroll not included). The perfect gift for a new baby, wedding, engagement, anniversary, or housewarming.

Designed by artist Debra Satok.

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CALGARY CENTRE Haute Couture Brooches

An elegant accessory for any occasion. Silk, 3-inch diameter, magnetic back.

M&S Schmalberg has been handmaking flowers in NYC since 1916. World-famous designers order their pieces for haute couture, runways, and celebrity designs.

MONTREAL CENTRE CHW Montreal Centre Fundraiser A Treasure For My Daughter has served as a cherished handbook and recipe book for the Jewish home since the 1950s.

TORONTO CENTRE

CHW Toronto Nova Chapter Fundraiser The perfect gift! Customize your water bottle, travel mug, wine tumbler, thermos with a CHW logo, Blue Jays logo, or text of your choice.

For every item purchased from the CHW page on Namaka’s website, Namaka will donate $10 to CHW.

ORAH SUMMER 2026

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With the current rise of antisemitism, Jewish businesses are at a greater risk of cyber attacks now more than ever.

PROTECT YOUR COMPANY FROM CYBER ATTACKS SERVICES: • • •

CYBERSECURITY CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE DATA ANALYITICS

• • •

VULNERABILTY ASSESSMENTS THREAT MONITORING IT SECURITY TRAINING

Our certified experts conduct comprehensive security assessments of your cloud, network, and software by providing strategic measures to fortify IT business operations and safeguard data.

APII PROTECTS CHW FROM CYBER ATTACKS, SO THEY CAN FOCUS ON PROTECTING AT-RISK WOMEN AND CHILDREN. Book your free consultation today:

apii.com

If you have an urgent issue, you can reach us at:

416-639-1441 or contact@apii.com

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ORAH SUMMEr 2026

Ensure your legacy and The future of your loved ones Through the lasting friendships you built over the years with CHW, and our vital projects that have touched your life, we become part of your extended family. As your partner in philanthropy, CHW can help turn your vision into reality.

It starts now and continues with the legacy you leave behind.

Consider a planned gift of insurance, gift in your will, establish an endowment fund; there are many options to enjoy significant tax and financial advantages while providing financial security for our projects in Israel to sustain them for generations to come. Many of our Sustainers want to ensure that their support will sustain CHW in perpetuity and they have opted to set up an endowment with us. To learn more contact alanna@montreal.chw.ca.

To learn more

To build this future lifeblood, we have launched the Foundation Builders: a giving level for endowment support.

FOUNDATION BUILDERS DETAILS: •

A one-time minimum gift of CAD $25,000 (lifetime or planned) directed to the CHW Endowment Fund.

KEY BENEFITS:

•

Recognition on CHW’s website and in ORAH magazine, plus an inscribed keepsake plaque.

•

Membership in the Legacy Circle with major-supporter status and additional benefits.

•

Donation is unrestricted and supports CHW’s commitments each year and in perpetuity.

•

Only the interest earned each year on the investment will be allocated to CHW’s annual commitments.

•

Steady, perpetual income for CHW projects and programs.

•

Legacy-building: gifts continue supporting causes meaningful to donors, even posthumously.

•

Buffer against economic strain, ensuring continuity of vital services.

Learn more: CHW.ca/legacy ORAH SUMMER 2026

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x A MULTI-CITY AFFAIR M O N T R E A L | O C T O B E R 2 0 -2 1 T O R O N T O | N O V E M B E R 5 -8 A showcase of Israeli and Canadian fashion designers, artists, and performers A luxury marketplace and art exhibit More information inside on pages 28-31.

BECOME A SPONSOR FA S H I O N B LO O M S T O RO N T O Honouring

Harry Lebovic with the Henrietta Szold H u m a n i t a r i a n Awa rd

F E AT U R I N G

FA S H I O N B LO O M S M O N T R E A L

S pe c i a l Tr i b u te

Sigal Weizmann

z”l

fashion visionary Danit Peleg (3D), the elegant Hili Ari, and Israeli designer Yaron Minkowski. With live performance and exhibit by artist Sam Halaby.

P ro c e e d s w i l l e m p o w e r v i c t i m s o f v i o l e n c e a n d t ra u m a .