Miriam Millingen

Miriam Millingen (nee Zimmet) was born in Whyalla, South Australia, is married with 2 children and 4 grandchildren. Miriam grew up in Adelaide and was always very involved in the small Jewish community there.

In 2015, she moved to Melbourne to be close to her family which included 3 siblings. Miriam had not lived in the same city as her sister for 56 years.

In her youth, Miriam was a member and Madricha of Habonim Dror, and on the committee of BBYA in Adelaide.

In 1969, Roszi Sulan z’l persuaded Miriam (then Miriam Zimmet) that there was need for a WIZO group for younger women in Adelaide. Miriam became the inaugural President of WIZO Ilana, the position she held for more years than she can remember.

Miriam was President of WIZO State Council of South Australia for a total of 13 years between 1987 and 2014.

Miriam attended her first World WIZO Aviv conference in 1987 and in 1988, Nelly Weiss z’l, gave Miriam the honour of being the first Australian WIZO Aviv representative to the World WIZO Executive. A position she held for 2 years, during which she visited Israel 5 times. The highlight of this time was leading the Australian delegation on the trip to “From Holocaust to Survival”, to Paris, Poland and Israel in 1989.

Miriam is an Honorary Life member of WIZO Australia and also recipient of the Rebecca Sieff Award.

Miriam also sat on the Executive of WIZO Australia, during Jo Gostin’s OAM z’l term of office as Membership Chairperson and since her move to Melbourne she has held a position again on the WIZO Australia executive.

Miriam was the first Director of the Victor Ades Memorial Kindergarten in Adelaide, she served on the Board of Masada College, the Board of the Adelaide Hebrew Congregation, State Zionist Council of SA, Bnai Brith Ora and the Jewish Community Council of SA.