On Thursday, August 20th, there was a festive retirement party held for Hanna Zohar, the founder of Kav LaOved. Employees, volunteers, and friends alike all congregated to commemorate Hanna’s career of activism and human rights. After 25 years of a rich and fruitful career, Hanna will continue to volunteer and make a difference at Kav LaOved.
The General Director of Kav LaOved, Ala Khatib, gave a speech:
“I met Hanna in the late 80s. Back then, I was working at HaMoked and Hanna was helping Palestinian workers achieve their labor rights, but it was called ‘the center’ then. We had some joint work together and she changed the name to Kav LaOved after some jokes back and forth that no one would know what she did and she would have to explain it all the time.
Even then, Hanna had a sparkle in her eye. The issue of worker’s rights was at the core of Hanna’s being. She did every activity of the organization and was always the first to do the grunt work. She was never content with minor victories and always strived for major change. She was always able to identify new and changing violations in the labor market and react accordingly.
Hanna knows how to push and promote the protection of workers’ rights. She was the spokesperson, lobbyist, and legal adviser. She was always the first person in the front of protests. She changed how workers address violations of their rights, and especially for migrant workers. She has easily contributed towards the struggle for protecting human rights In Israel.”
