Stepping Up and Giving Back

I want to talk about Hadassah, an organization that has been very meaningful to me and my entire family, for generations which includes my grandmother, mother, sister-in-law, nieces, each inspiring the next. My family has a joke that when I was born, my grandmother called the national office of Hadassah, to make me a member before calling my grandfather to tell him I was born.

Recently I’ve had the honor of being asked to join National Hadassah as the liaison for the Evolve Young Women’s department. This department is tasked to start new young women’s groups in New York and Florida. Before I tell my story, I’d like to tell you what makes Hadassah such a worthy organization.

Making a Difference

Hadassah is a Jewish women’s organization that builds community spirit and gives back locally, but also operates the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem. This center consists of two hospitals that have been at the forefront of medical care and research for decades, providing and discovering cures in specialized medicine.

One of the most inspiring successes of the Hadassah Medical Center is that it’s patients and staff are Christians, Jews, and Muslims all working together to heal the sick. Medicine is the goal that bridges their differences and brings them together.

Hadassah also sponsors foster communities that operate like boarding schools. These communities take in troubled kids and provide a healthy environment, offering education in everything from farming and animal husbandry to computer science and robotics, they’ve even trained Olympians.

300k

Members

50

States

Family and Community

My family has been involved with Hadassah for 4 generations. My mother really inspired me, as a national board member and regional president, she has spent decades working in their philanthropy and major gifts fundraising divisions. Most recently she chairs a $92 million dollar capital campaign for the Medical Center.

As a young girl, I would help my mother stuff envelopes and work events, but I didn’t get involved until I graduated college and was living in NYC. I felt I was missing out on close friendships and deep connections and wanted an outlet where I could meet people and make a positive difference.

Hadassah was a perfect fit. They were involved in lots of local projects, from helping out at nursing homes, to doing blood drives, building awareness for breast cancer and the importance of organ donation, as well as supporting Israel by fundraising for the hospital. I met people who are still my best friends 29 years later.

When I moved to Florida, I joined the local chapter where I continue to meet wonderful people and do good work that includes an awareness program for child trafficking and donating toiletry supplies to the homeless. We do events for the holidays too, run book clubs, and even a yearly challah bake, and fundraise for the hospital.

Now I’ve been asked to step up and join the National Evolve department as a Young Women’s liaison for New York and Florida. My role is to help new groups get started, mentor them, and keep them connected with the National Office. Now I join my mother on the National Board.

Spreading Blessings

Hadassah’s medical work and social programs are part of what makes them so special, and for me it’s not just in the family, but it’s how I found belonging while giving back not just to the Jewish community, but to the community at large.

Being able to work at the national level to pass the torch to future generations is an honor, and I look forward to spreading the blessings I’ve enjoyed, and encouraging more people to get involved.

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