Karen Kallmann
Chairperson
Acknowledging our interdependence is critical to the well being of all of us. I can only thrive if you are thriving too.
ABOUT Karen
Karen Kallmann grew up in Johannesburg and has been committed to social outreach since she was conscientised about the inequalities in South Africa by her incredible teachers at government schools. She was the president of her school Interact club, served on the first non-racial SRC at the university previously known as Rhodes and studied for a Masters in Development Studies at the University of KZN.
Her working life has enabled her to further her passion for social justice. She worked as the coordinator of the South African Freeze Alliance on Genetic Engineering (SAFeAGE), the Advocacy coordinator for the Black Sash (one of her projects being the coordination of the Basic Income Grant Campaign) and as a freelance researcher in the area of food security.
Karen is now the Chairperson of the Cape Town Branch of the Union of Jewish Women. This position enables her to take forward her values of community support and empowerment, feminism and Jewish learning.
www.ujw.co.za
karenkallmann@gmail.com
AREAS WE WORK IN:
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Children and Infants
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Education
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Volunteering
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Women
Founded in 1931 with the objective of serving both the Jewish and broader communities, the UJWSA provided welfare projects to diverse communities during the depression years and later during apartheid and beyond.
The organisation offered skills training, funded educational programmes, established crèches and nursery schools and empowered disadvantaged sections of society to find employment and to become self-sufficient. Many projects are self-sustaining and are still operational today.
By the late 1940’s and early 1950’s the Union of Jewish Women had established branches in all major cities and also in many smaller towns. Today there are active branches in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth and Pretoria – all serving the Jewish community through UJW’s Jewish Community Fund, as well as raising funds and goods to assist other communities in need.
The UJWSA maintains contact and networks with both diverse and like-minded organisations and provides a platform for interaction and understanding.
The Union of Jewish Women of South Africa is committed to investing in all the people of South Africa, and will continue in its endeavours to create a better quality of life for all.
