Media Contact:
Helen Chernikoff
hchernikoff@hadassah.org
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NEW YORK, NY – Carol Ann Schwartz of Cincinnati, OH, was installed yesterday as the 28th national president of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, the largest Jewish women’s organization in the country, with nearly 300,000 members and supporters representing every congressional district. The installation took place at Hadassah’s midwinter meetings in West Palm Beach, FL. Schwartz, who was elected at Hadassah’s annual business meeting in July, succeeds Rhoda Smolow of Great Neck, NY.
Additionally, Viviane Kovacs of Searingtown, NY, was installed as Hadassah’s national treasurer, succeeding Michelle Hubertus of Short Hills, NJ, who was installed as the newest of six national vice presidents on Hadassah’s national board.
Marcie Natan, co-chair of Hadassah’s Youth Aliyah program and a past national president, officiated at the installation ceremony, which took place at the West Palm Beach Marriott.
“More than 30 years ago, I became involved with Hadassah in my hometown of Cincinnati,” said Schwartz, whose first official act as national president was to lead Hadassah’s recent solidarity mission to Israel amid the ongoing war with Hamas. “When I was nominated last July, I understood the weight of the responsibility as well as the honor. It is through our members’ and donors’ strength and determination over the generations that Hadassah has become a pillar of Israel, Jewish life and women’s empowerment, committed to healing in every sense of the word.”
Schwartz, who, as of January 1, serves on the board of governors of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, The Jewish Agency for Israel and the Jewish National Fund, and on the board of the World Zionist Organization, has held many national positions at Hadassah over the last three decades. She was an officer for six years – first as one of six national vice presidents and then as the organization’s national secretary. Most recently, she was a member of the board of the Hadassah Medical Organization, the Jerusalem-based hospital system founded and owned by Hadassah; chairperson of the Hadassah Speakers Bureau and both a board member of and a Hadassah representative to the American Zionist Movement.
In her hometown, Schwartz has served as a board member of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, Adath Israel Congregation and several other Jewish organizations. She is a third-generation co-owner of The Morris Investment Company, her family’s Cincinnati real estate concern.
Said Rhoda Smolow, Schwartz’s immediate predecessor, "Carol Ann Schwartz's devotion to Hadassah, the Jewish community and Israel combined with her fierce intelligence and talent as a manager and leader make her the ideal person to be Hadassah's 28th national president."
New national treasurer Viviane Kovacs is also the volunteer liaison for Hadassah’s Finance Division and chairperson of the Hadassah Medical Organization’s recognition committee. She has served as Hadassah’s national annual plan product manager, volunteer liaison for the Philanthropy Division and president of the Hadassah Nassau chapter. Kovacs is a former finance and real estate development executive.
New vice president and immediate past national treasurer Michelle Hubertus is a former director of Hadassah International, Hadassah’s global fundraising arm. She has also served as the Henrietta Szold Member of the National Board, the membership coordinator for the Northern New Jersey Region and the president of Hadassah’s Millburn-Short Hills Chapter. Hubertus is a managing director at Deutsche Bank’s investment bank, where she has global responsibility for anti-financial crime (AFC).
Said National President Schwartz, "Volunteers like Viviane Kovacs and Michelle Hubertus have always been the source of Hadassah’s spirit and strength. They bring decades of experience to their positions, and their consummate skill as leaders is critical to our ability to advance Hadassah’s mission to support the land and people of Israel, to fight antisemitism and to empower women."