Maya Lee
Maya and her sister were born in Jirikov, a small town in Czechoslovakia. Her parents were Holocaust survivors and when the Communist party took over Czechoslovakia, in 1948, life started to change for them.
As the new state of Israel had just been established, they applied for visas to emigrate. By July 1949 their new life started again in Israel. Maya had a very happy life near Holon. She went to school and enjoyed the many friends in the small community of mainly Holocaust survivors who took to their new lives with enthusiasm. In 1956 her parents again decided to emigrate - this time to Australia.
Maya went to Brighton Road State School then Caulfield North Central school, then for high school she was lucky to be accepted to Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School.
At the age of 16, Maya joined the B’nai Brith AZA youth club. Very soon she became vice captain of the newly formed Sir Isaac Isaac’s group.
Maya married Des Lee (Levi Dezso) in Melbourne in 1965. They have two children Jenni and Michael, and two grandchildren Arianne and Alexi, with one great grandchild, Seneka living in Germany with her parents.
Maya has just completed a truly mammoth task of conducting research into her mother’s time in Auschwitz-Birkenau, carefully expanding and editing the book “The Nazis Knew My Name “, her mother’s memoir which is an extraordinary and amazing story of courage and ingenuity. The book is published by Simon & Schuster and will be in the book shops and the media on 1st September, 2021.
Maya first joined WIZO Ziona and soon after moved to WIZO Masada. She has been a WIZO woman for a long time and has been involved with Masada women on countless fundraising functions and special events. Maya has participated in luncheons and paraded in fashion shows. She enjoys the camaraderie and having fun while raising money for WIZO projects in Israel.
Maya was a candidate for WIZO Masada in the “Woman of the year” competition on two occasions. Firstly in 1996, together with the members of the group, and with the help of her family and friends, they worked hard for WIZO Masada to come third in the competition.
Again Maya was candidate in 2013, and after much hard work with members of Masada and her family and friends, Masada came first in the competition, with great jubilation to beat the then reigning queens of fundraising.
Maya’s granddaughter Arianne was a candidate for Child of the Year competition and her other granddaughter Alexi, asked for donations to WIZO in lieu of gifts for her Bat Mitzvah.
All the Lee’s special events and celebrations were with donations to WIZO.
For her late husband Des’s 80th birthday they raised $10,000 in lieu of gifts, buying a Gold brick in the Road of Hope at WIZO Ahuzat Yeladim in Haifa.
In 2019, in the 100th year of WIZO, Maya was very honoured and proud to receive the Rebecca Sieff Award, the most prestigious WIZO recognition.
Maya is still a member of WIZO Masada, Vice president of WIZO Victoria and on the executive of WIZO Australia.
Maya’s hope is that we all continue to raise the much needed funds for all of our special projects helping women, youth and children in our care in Israel.