Kadima is a women empowerment program in Kiryat Bialik, supported by a generous designated gift from South Palm Beach County, its partner community within the Jewish Agency's Partnership 2000. At the heart of the program is a vocational guidance course, operated by the BeAtzmi Association, to be followed by professional training of participants' choice. Its main goal is to help unemployed women - new immigrants or Israeli-born women, mostly single mothers - to enter the employment circle or, alternatively, to achieve an upgraded position. However, the participants and moderators of the program would briefly define this main goal as Fulfilling a Dream.

Last week, the women of Kadima (Hebrew for "forward") indeed took a step forward when they carried a mini-presentation for potential employers and professional trainers. The audience included representatives of well-known factories and professional schools in the area, as well as Kiryat Bialik's Mayor, Dr. Rafi Wertheim, and other municipality officers. Each participant gave a little pre-prepared speech in which she unfolded her dream, to become a hair stylist, a secretary or an electronic professional, in order to be able to provide for her children dignifiedly and become a better role model for them. "Standing in front of an audience like that is in itself an amazing achievement," said Shosh Sukenik, Head of the Welfare Department; "one that is not to be taken for granted. These women come from low socioeconomic levels and problematic backgrounds and their standing here like that demonstrates the tremendous progress they have made since the beginning of the program."

Impressed by the presentation, two owners of cosmetics/hair styling schools right then and there guaranteed a significant discount for any participant of the program who will choose to take their course. A representative of Rafael - Armament Development Authority - promised he would do everything in his power to help those women who seek positions in the factory.

The generous contribution that enables the operation of the Kadima project is one of several designated gifts given to Kiryat Bialik by members of the Jewish Community of South Palm Beach. Among those are Aharai ("Follow Me"), a military preparation program, and a new project of computerizing all school bomb shelters, carried on these very days.