CHW Memories Project
Anne Eisenstat:
Playing a part in the forces of Jewish destiny
Anne Eisenstat was born in Bristol, England, but immigrated to Montreal when she was a child. Her parents had strong Zionist beliefs; Anne remembers having two large portraits of Theodore Herzl and Max Nordau hanging in the dining room of her childhood home, and her parents regaling stories of them around the table.
Relations, National Vice-President, and Dominion Vice-President.
It came as no surprise when Anne became an active Zionist at the age of 13 when she started her own Canadian Young Judaea chapter. By the age of 15, she was President of the Daughters of Judaea, a junior chapter of Canadian Hadassah-WIZO.
Under Anne’s Presidency, CHW’s rapid pace of activities in Israel were maintained, and even increased. During her tenure, the following projects were completed: the new building in Acco for the Acco Baby Home, the addition of the Biology and Agro-Mechanics Buildings, and the Laboratory Building at Nahalal. On top of that, Hadassim Children and Youth Village received a new dormitory, a second teacher’s lounge, and a Visual Aids department.
Anne moved on to Senior Hadassah when she joined the Deborah Chapter in Montreal. During her first year as Chapter President, she organized a successful communitywide concert featuring JewishAmerican violinist, Isaac Stern. It wasn’t long after that, she became involved at the national level. In the years before her Presidency, she held a series of key executive positions including: National Treasurer, National Chairman of Public
[ 47 ] Winter 2016 ORAH Magazine
On January 15, 1964, Anne was elected Canadian Hadassah-WIZO’s National President. She was reelected for a second term in January 1966, and was in office during the culmination of CHW’s Golden Jubilee in 1968.
Anne Eisenstat had a lifelong devotion and dedication to CHW. She had both implemented and witnessed the help CHW provided in the peaceful struggle necessary to build a Jewish Land. In the final months of her presidency, the Six-Day War broke
1964-1968 out, creating the greatest challenge of her leadership. The war exploded in the month of June 1967, and threatened the very survival of Israel. Under Anne’s leadership, CHW mobilized their resources, and every city, town, and hamlet across Canada responded to the call of emergency giving. Following the war, Anne was quoted as saying, “we shall forever be grateful to God that the miraculous Six Day War was won by us. Had it been otherwise, the Jewish people of the world would have been drastically affected; our status, our pride in the world, and the tragedy for the Jewish people, which has existed for centuries, would begin all over again.” As a leader, Anne was known for her energy, dynamism, and vision. These are the qualities that made her such a great CHW President.