THE ORT IN SWITZERLAND
THE HISTORY OF THE SWISS ORT
ORT Switzerland is an independent member of ORT Worldwide and supports its initiatives and projects in all countries where ORT is active.
Four local committees are operating in Switzerland, in Basel, Bern, Geneva and Zurich.
Their common function is to publicize ORT and its work and to raise funds to support its actions. Each committee organizes its activities taking into account local sensitivities and chooses the projects it supports among those proposed by ORT Mondiale.
For this purpose, each committee uses the means of its choice, for example: organization of a dinner show, concert-brunch, bridge tournament, sports event, etc.
ORT Switzerland wants to have a real relationship and contact between the beneficiaries of the projects and those who make them possible…
ORT Switzerland is proud of its President, Mr. Marc de Gunzburg, its vice-presidents Mr. Leopold Metzger and Philippe Nordmann who had held the position of President for six very busy years, he left the place to Mr. Robert Equey, who has held this role with great success for 14 years.
Mrs. Jacqueline Maus
Jacqueline Maus (Egger) was born in Paris on March 7, 1910.
She died on September 12, 1995, at her home in Cologny (Geneva).
At the age of 18, during a vacation in Switzerland, she met André Maus who was to become her husband. They will have three sons, Jacques, Bertrand and Olivier. From a young age, we can see that she has a very strong personality.
His voluntary character will become more pronounced with time and will become famous.
Very athletic, she was captain of the women’s team of the Geneva Golf Club. She also participates in numerous regattas on Lake Geneva, at the helm of her sailboat.
Initiated to bridge at the age of 16, she became a champion in the field. She was a member of the National Bridge Team when, in 1956, Madeleine Bigar, president of the ORT Féminin, asked her to organize the annual ORT tournament. Jacqueline Maus accepts and will soon make it an international tournament.
This is her first time at ORT. In 1960, Max Braude, then Director General of ORT Mondiale, asked her to take over the presidency of ORT Féminin Suisse, which she accepted. In 1973, she became President of ORT Switzerland. Four years later, in 1977, she was elected Vice-President of ORT Mondiale and member of the Administrative Committee.
Very attached to the State of Israel, she is active in several Jewish organizations but it is to ORT that she devotes most of her time, energy, creativity and practical sense.
She is developing ORT Switzerland into one of the most successful ORT organizations in terms of fundraising. After 39 years of work, she leaves a considerable mark on ORT and a memory tinged with emotion and gratitude.