A new woman on top
AFTER four years at the helm, Rysia Rozen is stepping down as president of the National Council of Jewish Women of Australia (NCJWA), but she is not bowing out.
AFTER four years at the helm, Rysia Rozen is stepping down as president of the National Council of Jewish Women of Australia (NCJWA), but she is not bowing out.
Rozen, who was succeeded by fellow Melburnian Di Hirsh, at last week’s conference, said she had no intention of retiring from the women’s group.
“There are many areas I have worked on, but nothing is ever completed,” she said, adding that the group needed to focus on encouraging younger women to join as members and on revamping its website.
She said she received the “best accolades” at the conference’s closing dinner at Melbourne’s Crown Casino last Wedneday. One of those was from Barbara Stewart-Kann, president of NCJWA Gold Coast, who told guests of Rozen’s work ethic and friendly personality.
“You throw yourself wholeheartedly into council work, visiting sections, offering help and ideas, representing NCJWA on an international and national level and in fact, council became your full-time occupation,” Stewart-Kann said.
Hirsh’s husband and three adult children were there to see her elected NCJWA’s next president.
In terms of a to-do list for her four years in the top job at the women’s group, Hirsh said she is keen to continue promoting interfaith and intercultural activities.
She also hopes to lead the group to become more of an advocate both within the Jewish community and outside. “I want to see NCJWA up there as a major voice for women,” she said.
Hirsh said a woman’s role was not just to “look after the catering”.
“Women show a very good way of leading,” she said. “Men are not as good as rolling up their sleeves and getting it done.
“We need to get more women at the top, there is a lack of female input at that level.”
She reiterated Rozen’s drive to sign up new NCJWA members.
“Membership is a vital area,” she said. “We need to be looking at the younger Jewish women. We need to encourage them to be part of us, but listen to how they want to be part of us.”
Asked why the national organisation had two Melbourne-based presidents in succession, she said Sydney was the only other city with the resources to support a national president and “there was no one ready to take on the position”.
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