The AGM last Thursday evening was attended by approximately 100 people. The meeting paid tribute to outgoing President Shirley Glance who stepped down due to ill health but will continue on the Board as Immediate Past President. We wish Shirley רפואה שלמה.

The meeting elected a new President and welcomed a number of new members to the Board. The Board now comprises:

• President: Miriam Bass
• Vice president: Debbie Strauch
• Treasurer: Hannah Greenberg
• Secretary: Helen Lewin
• Immediate Past President: Shirley Glance
• Board Members: Linda Grant, Sandra Levinson, Anna Serry, Karen Stock and Ann Wollner

Vivien Brass stepped down from the Board at the AGM and was elected an Honourary Life Member for her outstanding service to NCJWA (Vic) over many years. In her acceptance speech, Vivien announced that she and her husband Philip Brass are donating $100,000 to the building fund over the next 5 years. We are delighted by Vivien and Philip’s very generous gift. Vivien told the meeting that she may have stepped down from the board but she ‘is not leaving the building’! She will continue her work for NCJWA (Vic) as a member of the Development Committee and a key member of our Circle of Women.

A number of other awards were conferred at the AGM. The President’s Award was conferred on Board members Karen Stock and Ann Wollner for service to the Board and the building project. David Southwick MP presented the Caulfield Community Volunteer Award to Kathy Rozendorn and Simone Whiteman. This year two outstanding women Jewish educators were awarded the Sylvia Gelman Award: Helen Greenberg, principal of Shalom Aleichem College and Sima Paltiel, Florence Melton School lecturer and former teacher at Beth Rivka Ladies College. Mia Ifergan was the recipient of the Fanny Reading Scholarship.

The meeting heard of an exciting new youth mentoring program – the Jam Project- which will be launched at a special event, JamFest in early December and be rolled out at the start of the 2017 school year.