By Carol Ann Schwartz
At this moment in history, it can feel like our footing is unstable — in Israel, in the US, in our world, in our personal lives. And so, as strong women like Queen Esther have done across time and space, we take a deep breath and remind ourselves what is important. At Hadassah we are grounded in a shared mission that roots our past to our present, and, of course, to our future.
This Women’s History Month, we look at the firm foundation Henrietta Szold laid for the Hadassah values that have propelled us forward for 113 years (as of February 24), shaping history by lifting up and empowering women.
When the headlines seem particularly disturbing, these deep breaths aren’t always easy — but they are essential — as are women’s voices, now more than ever. On a mid-February mission to Israel with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, I represented Hadassah before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, urging Israel to press the United Nations to hold Hamas accountable for its horrific and “extensive weaponization of sexual violence.”
When it comes to this kind of modern-day evil, we must bear witness. Yet we know that Israel triumphed over Amalek, as did Esther and Vashti over oppression and discrimination. This is one of the themes we highlight during Hadassah Shabbat Zachor 5785, starting this Friday (the Shabbat before Purim), when synagogues around the country celebrate Hadassah history and impact, timed with the Torah reading about Amalek.
And we’ll keep that impact forward-looking. Just before Purim, we’ll begin spreading the word about the importance of American Jews participating in the World Zionist Congress elections, which open on Monday and are an important time for us to Vote Our Values. On Purim, Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, will bring our mission to those committed to women globally as part of our UN Commission on the Status of Women parallel event, “Improving Women’s and Children’s Health Through Innovation and Collaboration.” This virtual panel, moderated by Hadassah CEO Ellen Finkelstein, will feature doctors from Hadassah hospitals, including Dr. Esti Galili, founder of the Binational School of Psychotherapy; Dr. Hadar Rosen, head of the Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit, and Dr. Donna Zfat-Zwas, director of the Linda Joy Pollin Cardiovascular Wellness Center for Women.
On a personal level, I find sustenance and inspiration in women’s voices, across the generations, and in knowing our Hadassah voices provide hope for so many. Especially during weeks like this one, when we mourned, along with the entire global Jewish community, the profound loss of the Bibas family and far too many other families at Hamas’ hands.
We take a deep breath. (Did you know the Hebrew word neshama means breath and soul?) And then we move forward, using innovation, just as we have since Henrietta signed up the first two nurses, Rose Kaplan and Rae Landy, to bring modern healthcare to pre-state Israel.
Today, we’re fighting new diseases and challenges. We’re doing what we can to regain what’s lost, whether it’s helping survivors of Hamas terror learn how to walk again at the new Gandel Rehabilitation Center at Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus, or working to regain ground lost for women’s health, or advancing new cancer treatments, we continue the forward march of history as part of Women’s History Month.
At Hadassah, we are a part of history. And we are making it. Together.