Deborah J. Wiskind of Ardsley, NY, is the Leadership Department chair. She previously served as the Metro resource chair, working with Hadassah Northern New Jersey, Hadassah Connecticut and all the New York regions.
In the past, Deborah served as president of Hadassah Westchester, organization vice president of the Westchester region, where she also held various portfolios such as membership vice president, NYLAC (National Young Leaders Advisory Council) representative and the regional representative for the Metropolitan Young Women’s Institute. Deborah received Hadassah’s National Leadership Award in 2001 and NYLAC’s Judith Epstein Memorial Award in 2007. Deborah was also selected to participate in the 12th Young Leaders Mission to Israel in 2005. She joined Hadassah as a life member in 1994 in the Rayim Chapter, where she served as bulletin editor, recording secretary, public affairs chair, vice president of membership and president before moving on to Westchester region positions.
In addition to her work with Hadassah, Deborah has served in a number of volunteer positions for her children’s schools, such as coordinator of a support group for parents of children with learning differences and parent advocate for the special education department.
Deborah, who grew up in Scarsdale, NY, earned her undergraduate degree in art and art history, magna cum laude/Phi Beta Kappa, from Connecticut College and her MFA in painting from Bard College’s Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts. She also received her teaching certificate in art from New York City’s School of Visual Arts. Deborah is an artist/graphic designer and the owner of DeeJ Design, a distributor of promotional products, advertising specialties and imprinted apparel to individuals, businesses and nonprofit organizations.
Deborah, a proud Hadassah donor, is the fourth generation of a five-generation Hadassah family. She and her husband, Michael (a Hadassah Associate), have been married for 25 years and are members of Woodlands Community Temple in White Plains, NY. They have two adult children: Rachel, a fifth-generation Hadassah life member, and David, also a Hadassah Associate.