Sandy Chernoff, left, with honoree Bonnie Belzberg. (photo from CHW Vancouver Centre)
On Sept. 21, Vancouver Centre council of Canadian Hadassah-WIZO (CHW) held its opening event, a brunch with a fashion show and a program honoring volunteer Bonnie Belzberg. The event drew more than 120 women, who came to offer kavod (honor) to Belzberg, as well as to see the fall fashions from Stepin Out, a ladies store in Steveston.
Bev Corber, the council president gave opening remarks followed by a tribute given by Belzberg’s lifelong friend Sandy Chernoff.
According to Chernoff, Belzberg has been an ardent Zionist since her early years at Camp Biluim and as a counselor at Camp Hatikvah. Although she moved to Edmonton to earn her bachelor of education from the University of Alberta and subsequently moved to California and Seattle with her husband and young family, they found their way back to Vancouver, where Belzberg’s participation in CHW began in earnest.
She has used her organizational skills, sense of humor and people skills in the leadership roles she has taken on since her early years in her chapter, chairing the Hadassah Bazaar and as a president of the Vancouver council. Recognized as a natural leader, Belzberg ultimately rose to become a national vice-president of CHW, where she proudly and ably represented Vancouver and British Columbia.
Belzberg remains an involved, integral part of the organization in Vancouver. She continues to contribute in many ways to support the many projects Canadian donors make possible, helping women, children and funding health care in Israel.
In her remarks, Belzberg expressed gratitude to CHW for giving her an outlet for her great interest in problem solving. She mentioned the friendships that she enjoyed with the women in the organization and, of course, thanked her family for their support.
The event concluded with an eclectic group of “Hadassah Ladies” from a range of age groups acting as models for 18 different ensembles. From shoes to hats and everything in between, the women of CHW showcased fashions that included Canadian-made clothing and shoes made in Israel. Fashion show coordinator Toby Rubin described the clothing, adding interesting details about the composition of fabric, where the clothing was designed and manufactured, as well as pointing out fashion trends for this fall. Three pointers: hearts are a big motif in jewelry, grey is the go-to color this season and boots with bling on the heel match everything.
Keep an eye out for future CHW Vancouver activities, including a Chanukah party. Although CHW has traditionally been organized into chapters, locally the organization is offering events that are open to all women. Visit chw.ca/vancouver for more information.