Nilly Berger

Born in Israel, Nilly’s bond with her homeland even as a young child was fostered by family and her Zionism always strong. She effortlessly chose WIZO as her connection to the Israeli people and now 40 years later it is still an integral part of her life.

Back in the 70’s, WIZO work was a mixture of education, fundraising and social interaction. Nilly joined WIZO Yaffa, a newly formed group of likeminded women and lifelong friendships were quickly formed. In her quiet manner, Nilly soon showcased her sensible, pragmatic approach to the group’s planning and operation.

She caught the eye of President Leila Share (z’l) who brought her into the NSW Executive where she still has a position today. She contributed to many successful events which saw WIZO Yaffa become one of the highest achieving groups for many years and then continued to do the same on a State level.

In the 1980’s Nilly was instrumental in the production of “Fiddler on the Roof” convincing the doubtful executive that this would be a very fruitful event both for PR and fundraising. She was indeed correct! Years later as membership Chair she co-ordinated a very successful membership campaign called “You’re the Voice” which captured the imagination of the community and brought the word of WIZO into thousands of homes.

With her total commitment and passion for the work of WIZO, she infuses those around her and hence has brought in many new members and donors. To help the people of Israel, she is strong, unwavering, committed and dedicated. She has been a calm, practical voice when times have been tough and a constant reassuring presence within our leadership.

Nilly has been honoured with the Denny Govendir award and just recently received WIZO’s highest honour, The Rebecca Sieff Award for her outstanding service to the cause of WIZO.