The IWA Philanthropy and Community Service committee invites you to take part in our Swift School Classroom Helpers volunteer program for the new school year, beginning Thursday, November 7th. 

Volunteers are needed to assist teachers in kindergarten through 8th grade in a variety of tasks, whether with small groups of students or in other supportive activities in the classroom. No special skills are required! 

A Chicago Public School with many immigrant and refugee students, George B. Swift Specialty School has a close and long-running relationship with IWA and is a major benefactor of our Philanthropy and Community Service efforts.

Sessions are available the first two Thursdays of each month throughout the school year from 8:45 - 10:45 a.m. Sign up for dates that work for your schedule. The kids will be happy to see you!

Please register by April 28th.

Swift School is in the Edgewater neighborhood and easily accessible by public transportation. Street parking is also available.

Contact Dell Harmsen at Dellzee4@gmail.com or 312-515-0317 for more information. 

We hope you will join us for this important and meaningful volunteer opportunity!

Date: Tuesday, May 6th, 2025

Time: 10:30 am social; 11 am program in French

Location: Tenant Lounge "State Room" #925, 17 N State Street

Come and join us to share your thoughts about a book, read in any language of your choice, which you enjoyed reading; come prepared to give a short summary in French of the story/plot and what aspect appealed to you.

RSVP by May 4th to Nadej Mercier, nadej@letien.net, 312-399-8836 or register on the IWA website.

Refreshments are welcome.

The IWA Philanthropy and Community Service committee invites you to take part in our Swift School Classroom Helpers volunteer program for the new school year, beginning Thursday, November 7th. 

Volunteers are needed to assist teachers in kindergarten through 8th grade in a variety of tasks, whether with small groups of students or in other supportive activities in the classroom. No special skills are required! 

A Chicago Public School with many immigrant and refugee students, George B. Swift Specialty School has a close and long-running relationship with IWA and is a major benefactor of our Philanthropy and Community Service efforts.

Sessions are available the first two Thursdays of each month throughout the school year from 8:45 - 10:45 a.m. Sign up for dates that work for your schedule. The kids will be happy to see you!

Please register by May 5th.

Swift School is in the Edgewater neighborhood and easily accessible by public transportation. Street parking is also available.

Contact Dell Harmsen at Dellzee4@gmail.com or 312-515-0317 for more information. 

We hope you will join us for this important and meaningful volunteer opportunity!

Purchase your tickets today, or preview the fabulous prizes below and purchase your tickets at the event!

Choose which prize(s) to put your tickets toward!

Winner Need Not Be Present To Win!

Your tickets will be entered to the Raffle Bowl on your behalf

prior to the event.

You and your guests are cordially invited to join the 2025 IWA Annual Fundraising Gala to celebrate the United Kingdom! 

This Exciting Evening Includes:

Cocktail Reception

Raffle Ticket Sales

Bagpipe Performance

UK-Inspired Dinner

Live Auction

DJ and Dancing

Register today to purchase tickets or sponsorships!

If you are unable to join us for the gala, please consider: 

• Making a donation (Click here to donate)
• Donating an item to the raffle or live auction (Click here for Digital Form and Printable Form)
• Purchasing a full or half page ad in the Program Book (Click here for Digital Form and Printable Form)

Thank you for your support

Questions?

Please email iwa@iwachicago.org or call 312-263-1421 or 

contact Gala Co-Chairs, Nicola Crowe and Carolyn LeBlanc-Blatt.

Book: Eastbound
Author: Maylis de Kerangal

Discussion Leader: Barbara Herzog

Literature Discussion Chairs: Barbara Herzog and Teresa Kennedy

Book Description: Two fugitives on the Trans Siberian Railway where a desperate Russian conscript hopes a chance encounter with a French woman will help him escape. 

The Literature Group offers members an international perspective in literary fiction by introducing acclaimed, if sometimes lesser known, writers and books. Members are invited to attend by Zoom, although we request that only those who have read the book participate in discussion.

Date: Thursday, May 15th, 2025

Time: 4:00pm-6:00pm

Location: 600 S Michigan, Chicago, IL 60605

Program: Shore | Lines is a photo exhibition by Chicago-based artist Regina Agu, who presents a large-scale panoramic installation at the Museum of Contemporary Photography (MOCP). The exhibit traces sites and legacies of historical Black North American migration. Agu’s work focuses on connecting the landscapes, materiality, and human histories of the Gulf South region to the Great Lakes.

The tour will be led by Asha Iman Veal, Associate Curator at the MOCP.

Cost: Admission is free

Maximum Attendance: 30

Parking: Pay-to-park is available on Harrison St. at the north entrance of the museum, on Wabash Ave., and surrounding streets.

Public Transportation: The Harrison Red Line, LaSalle Blue Line, or Harold Washington & Van Buren Brown/Green/Pink/Orange/Purple Line are all walking distance from MoCP.

In case of questions contact: Pat Naparsteck (pnaparsteck@sbcglobal.net) or Emilie Chandler (eachand47@gmail.com)

This monthly event is for all interested Bridge players, and includes members who play Basic Social Bridge as well

as Intermediate/Advanced Bridge players.

(Please be aware that you need a basic knowledge of

Bridge in order to participate).

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

4:30 - 6:30 PM

Kirei Atrium Room in the historic Whitehall Hotel, 105 E Delaware Place

Join us for this private happy hour with IWA friends! Learn about celebrity stays in this historic, luxury boutique hotel including Katharine Hepburn, The Beatles, Mick Jagger, and many more. 

Happy hour specials, Asian dishes, brick oven pizza, and bar menu items will be available for purchase. Click here to see the whole food menu.

Maximum: 20 IWA Members and guests.

IWA Contacts: 

Lucia Lee, 262-349-0532, lucialee168@yahoo.com

Dell Harmsen, 312-515-0317, dellzee@gmail.com

The IWA office will be closed in observance of Memorial Day. 

We hope you have a safe and happy holiday!

Join your IWA friends in a fun and friendly game of Mah Jongg! There is nothing more exciting than when, with your heart racing, your adrenaline pumping, your palms sweating, and you call "Mah Jongg"!

ALL LEVELS ARE WELCOME! A refresher lesson will be given at the beginning of each meeting.

Save The Date!

Japanese Tea Ceremony at the Japanese Cultural Center

May 28th

Contact: Yoko Mosher

More details to follow!

Save The Date!

New Member Celebration & Open House

Thursday, May 29

3:00 - 5:00 PM

IWA Office, 17 N State St, Suite 1760

More details to come!

Enjoy a morning of coffee and conversation with IWA members.

Stop by for as little or as long as you'd like between 10:30am and 12pm. 

All IWA members and potential new members are welcome!

Director for Membership: Ria Rörich

This Board Meeting will be held in person. If you are going to be out of town but plan to attend, please contact Celia for registration.

Friday, June 13, 2025

7:30 pm

The Joffrey Ballet Performance at the Lyric Opera House,

20 North Wacker Drive

Registration Deadline: Thursday, May 1, 2025, 12:00pm

Support the 2025 UK Fundraising Gala by registering to attend a performance of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland at

The Joffrey Ballet!

"Plunge down the rabbit hole into the fantastical world of Wonderland as two-time Tony Award®-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon brings Lewis Carroll’s whimsical adventure to the stage with a modern twist. Immersed within Joby Talbot’s hallucinatory soundworld of sweeping melodies and ticking clocks, with Tony Award®-winning designer Bob Crowley’s vibrant stagecraft and puppetry, Wheeldon makes Wonderland wonderfully real in this audience-favorite dance adventure.

Things get curiouser and curiouser as Alice traverses a mysterious realm of instantly recognizable characters: the high-strung Queen of Hearts, the entrancing Caterpillar, and the tap-dancing Mad Hatter at his bizarre tea party. Lose your head in a seamless fusion of humor, eccentricity, and fantasy as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland© takes you on a magical trip through the extraordinary."

Ticket Price: $30 (50% savings!)

Limited Space: 25 registrants maximum

The Joffrey Ballet will send your tickets directly to your email, please make sure to provide your email address when registering.

Book: The Cursed Friend
Author: Beatrice Salvioni

Discussion Leader: D. Clancy

Literature Discussion Chairs: Barbara Herzog and Teresa Kennedy

The Literature Group offers members an international perspective in literary fiction by introducing acclaimed, if sometimes lesser known, writers and books. Members are invited to attend by Zoom, although we request that only those who have read the book participate in discussion.

This monthly event is for all interested Bridge players, and includes members who play Basic Social Bridge as well

as Intermediate/Advanced Bridge players.

(Please be aware that you need a basic knowledge of

Bridge in order to participate).

In 2007, Mayor Richard M. Daley proclaimed that June 20th is 

Doe Thornburg Day in Chicago!

Friday, June 20, 2025

Arrive at 2:45pm, tour starts promptly at 3:00pm

International Museum of Surgical Science, 1524 N. Lake Shore Dr.

Join us for an unforgettable journey through the evolution of surgical science at the International Museum of Surgical Science in Chicago! Explore unique exhibits, interactive displays, and educational programs that captivate visitors of all ages.

We are thrilled to have Dr. Edward Traisman as our docent for this special tour. Dr. Traisman is a board-certified pediatrician, a medical education lecturer at the Feinberg School of Medicine, and the beloved husband of IWA member, Adrienne Traisman.

Immediately following the 90-minute tour, we invite you to a reception featuring light refreshments at the Traisman residence.

Don't miss this one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience the past, present, and future of surgical innovation!

Spots are limited to 20 attendees.

Parking garage stickers can be purchased from Dr. Traisman for $10.

Contact: Ying Hirsh, yinghirsh@gmail.com

Book: Fracture
Author: Andres Neuman

Discussion Leader: Usha Raj

Literature Discussion Chairs: Barbara Herzog and Teresa Kennedy

The Literature Group offers members an international perspective in literary fiction by introducing acclaimed, if sometimes lesser known, writers and books. Members are invited to attend by Zoom, although we request that only those who have read the book participate in discussion.

This monthly event is for all interested Bridge players, and includes members who play Basic Social Bridge as well

as Intermediate/Advanced Bridge players.

(Please be aware that you need a basic knowledge of

Bridge in order to participate).