Helen Granek z'l

Helen Granek was born in Warsaw in 1934 to a family from Bialystok.

When Germany invaded Poland they moved back to Bialystok which brought them some time. Eventually they were taken to the Bialystoker ghetto where Helen was able to stay with her parents for two years until the ghetto was liquidated on 16th August 1943. Unfortunately, that was the last she saw of them. She was the youngest child survivor. Her uncle, who was a doctor, and her aunt, a nurse took her under their wing and togethe they spent the rest of the war in two work camps from where they were liberated in January 1945.

Helen, together with her aunt and uncle, was sponsored by relatives to come to Australia and arrived in 1946. She went to school and then University, where she graduated with a B.A.

In 1956 she wed her beloved Johnnie who passed away after 57 years of marriage. She worked together with him in their business. After retiring from work, Helen took up bowling and bridge. She is still very active with her bridge and still plays regularly.

62 years ago she helped found WIZO Nirim, a very young, fun and innovative group which still functions today, and of which she eventually became the Group President. In 1996 she became Vice President of the WIZO State Council of Victoria, and served as President of WIZO Victoria 1997 - 2002. By virtue of this office she was Vice President of WIZO Australia. Helen was the Honorary Secretary of the Federation 2004 - 2010.

She received the ultimate WIZO Award, the Rebecca Sieff Award, and is an Honorary Life Member of WIZO Australia as well as a valuable member of the Executive. To recognise Helen for her dedication to WIZO, a room at Ahuzat Yeladim has been named in honour of her WIZO Victoria Presidency. In January 2020, Helen joined WIZO Australia's Israel Mission trip which included the celebration of WIZO's 100 years at the Enlarged General Meeting. She derived so much pleasure from this and added such a wonderful dimension to the group.

Helen has always valued her friends, both in and out of WIZO, and, as such, is greatly liked and admired. She derives a lot of joy from her 2 sons, 4 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.