A YEAR OF C HALLENGES & ACHIEVEMENTS
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ANNUAL REPORT
OUR MISSION Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, is a volunteer organization that inspires a passion for and commitment to its partnership with the land and people of Israel. It enhances the health of people worldwide through its support of medical care and research at the Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem. Hadassah empowers its members and supporters, as well as youth in Israel and America, through opportunities for personal growth, education, advocacy and Jewish continuity.
CONTENTS 1 Message from Marcie Natan, National President adassah Medical 2 H Organization: A Year of Challenges 3 Hadassah Medical Organization: A Year of Continued Excellence
ON THE COVER: ACTRESS SHARON STONE VISITING A CHILD NEXT TO PROFESSOR DAN ENGELHARD, HEAD OF HADASSAH’S PEDIATRIC AIDS UNIT, JUNE 18, 2013. (AVI HAYON)
4 Meet Beverly & Barry Goldsmith
11 Meet Leslie & Michael Gaffin
5 Message from Janice Weinman, Executive Director/CEO
11 Hadassah Associates Hadassah International Hadassah Travel
6 A Year for Activism
12 Meet Barbara MillerFox Abramoff
8 A Year for Community 10 A Year for Youth
12 Looking Ahead
MESSAGE FROM THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT History remembers great people, institutions and civilizations by their accomplishments. But the road to success is usually paved with struggle, sacrifice and, quite often, failure. Hadassah has changed the world and has had a profound impact on Israel and the Jewish people. But not a single one of the 101 years this organization has completed has passed without hard work, setbacks and disappointment. 2013, the year covered by this annual report, was no exception. Hadassah remains a magnet for women who want to connect with the Jewish community and play a role in making the world a better place. We are the largest Jewish membership organization in America. Our heart health initiative and the new Hadassah Leadership Fellows program are designed to promote healing and to plant the seeds of future success. Our medical and educational projects in Israel are not only pacesetters but also cultural touchstones that are part of the national fabric. No other Diaspora organization has as large a profile on the Israeli landscape. Throughout the past year, our medical center in Jerusalem continued to set the nation’s standards for treatment and research. We saved and extended lives every day. But our successes were accompanied by great financial challenges. Hospitals and health systems around the globe are struggling under the weight of modern medical economics. The Hadassah Medical Organization is subject to the same universal problems and some unique to Israel. Just as we have in the past, we are working on two tracks—on the one hand to heal Israel and strengthen the Jewish people in the U.S. and around the world, on the other hand to address obstacles and solve problems in ways that sustain our capacity for success in the future. I am sure that Hadassah will face many challenges in its second century, as it did in the first. And I am confident that we will accomplish even more.
HADASSAH NATIONAL PRESIDENT MARCIE NATAN AND HMO DIRECTOR GENERAL AVIGDOR KAPLAN GREET HOSPITAL NURSES
HADASSAH MEDICAL ORGANIZATION:
A YEAR OF CHALLENGES Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) comprises two privately owned hospitals and five medical schools in a country where the majority of medical facilities are state-run and state-owned. The women of Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America (HWZOA) built HMO, own it, and have made it the finest patient care and research center in the Middle East. Hadassah members have contributed over $1 billion in the last ten years alone to HMO. In recent years, it became increasingly clear to HWZOA that HMO’s state-mandated financial relationship with Israel’s health insurers— the Health Funds—was untenable. Despite HMO’s petitions to the Government to amend the funding policies that affected HMO’s ability to receive adequte reimbursement for procedures, no action was taken. As a result, HMO was not on sound footing financially.
Fund, Israel’s largest health fund, from deficit to financial solvency and building CLAL Insurance Enterprises into the nation’s largest insurance company.
Late in 2011, new management was put in place at HMO to streamline operations, and make the organization leaner and more efficient. Throughout 2012, despite additional funding from HWZOA, the deficit continued to grow as the gap between operating expenditures and reimbursement from the Health Funds widened.
• Administrative and medical organization structures were changed to drive efficiency, including economics, finance, IT, marketing, business development, and supply chain.
Early in 2013, HWZOA urged HMO to engage PricewaterhouseCoopers to conduct a complete audit and recommend a comprehensive rehabilitation plan that would bring the hospital to economic stability and efficiency while maintaining the high level of care given to patients, and the superior research and teaching performed at the institution.
• A new IT OR system and new IT platforms improved efficiencies at every level.
In June, Avigdor Kaplan, Ph.D., became the Director General of HMO. He is well-known to the Israeli public for steering Clalit Health
Dr. Kaplan immediately began the recovery process, based on PricewaterhouseCoopers recommendations.
• Head count was reduced across the organization, and intensive negotiations with the professional and workers’ unions began.
• All purchasing was centralized. Despite aggressive measures to streamline operations, the reimbursement shortfall compounded, and by December the cash deficit had increased to $371 million.
In February 2014, HMO filed for court protection from creditors under Section 350, similar to the U.S. Chapter 11. At press time: National President Marcie Natan announced that on May 22, 2014, the Israeli Court approved a recovery plan for Hadassah Medical Organization. The plan will put HMO on the path to financial stability, while preserving HWZOA’s ownership and control of HMO. For current information visit hadassah.org/HMOupdate.
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HADASSAH ANNUAL REPORT 2013
HADASSAH MEDICAL ORGANIZATION:
A YEAR OF CONTINUED EXCELLENCE In the fall of 2012, for Hadassah’s Centennial, the 19-story Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower was dedicated. Critically needed to update the 50-yearold hospital, the Tower is home to the most advanced medical care in the region. HWZOA continues to raise funds to equip and furnish the Tower. Despite fiscal challenges, Hadassah Medical Organization continued to deliver on its promise to provide patients of every race and nationality with the finest medical care in the Middle East.
“ THE AIM IS A RECOVERY PLAN TO [MAKE] THE HOSPITALS STABLE AND BALANCED FROM A FINANCIAL POINT OF VIEW…. ALL OF US WANT TO KEEP THE SPECIAL DNA OF HADASSAH— THE COMBINATION OF RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND MEDICAL SERVICES…..” AVIGDOR KAPLAN, DIRECTOR GENERAL, HADASSAH MEDICAL ORGANIZATION
IN 2013 AT HMO THERE WERE:
1M
40K 4.3M 231
PATIENTS
SURGICAL OPERATIONS
AB TESTS L PERFORMED
150K 13K 487 EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS
BABIES BORN
PIONEERING MEDICAL RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE PATIENT CARE CONTINUED APACE. HMO DOCTORS AND RESEARCHERS: Won FDA approval for Phase 2 clinical trials for an insulin pill based on 30 years of HMO research. sed deep sequencing analysis to identify U gene mutations that cause severe metabolic diseases. In the last three years 30 genes responsible for disabling, often deadly, children’s diseases have been identified, such as a rare form of infant paralysis affecting Jews who originally came from North Africa. Developed a blood test that reveals the presence of harmful BRCA 1 & BRCA 2 mutations in otherwise healthy women. The test is faster, simpler, and less expensive than the standard protocol.
CIENTIFIC S GRANTS RECEIVED
R ESEARCH ARTICLES PUBLISHED
Opened Israel’s first facility to treat pediatric vascular defects. Identified a genetic protein that is directly implicated in the development of the most prevalent brain cancer, glioblastoma. Demonstrated that injecting stem cells to treat severe fractures speeds up recovery dramatically, saving patients months of pain and discomfort. Enabled toothless children, five and six years of age, to chew, speak and smile by fitting them with dental implants. The children suffer from ectodermal dysplasia, a rare genetic disease. Used a catheterization method of valve replacement to save a 15-year-old girl’s life without the need for open heart surgery.
The Linda Joy Pollin Cardiovascular Wellness Institute, part of HMO’s Heart Observed the action of stem cell treatments, Health Institute, reached out to at-risk and blood-flow in the brain, in real time, communities of women—especially ultraas they happened, using state-of-the-art Orthodox Jews and Arabs, whose diet and Tesla MRI machines. This helps physicians lifestyles lead to elevated rates of heart determine immediately if a treatment is disease—and gathered data that will assist hitting its target. HMO researchers in the future. As an expansion of this program, the U.S. initiative Conducted clinical trials of a new stem cell Every Beat Counts: Hadassah’s Heart Health therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Program™, includes a Smart for the Heart (ALS), with “impressively positive” results in the management of ALS and other online assessment tool from Sister to Sister: neurodegenerative diseases. The Women’s Heart Health Foundation.
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MEET
BEVERLY & BARRY GOLDSMITH Beverly Goldsmith came to Hadassah through an unusual and sometimes painful route, finding in Hadassah a lifelong connection that feels like home. Adam Goldsmith, Beverly and Barry’s first child, was a normal, wonderful baby. However, when he turned two, Adam’s development began to slow down. He had an undiagnosed neuro-degenerative disorder. By the time he was five, Adam began losing the ability to do the things that most children are capable of doing. Despite heroic efforts by his family, doctors and therapists, Adam passed away when he was eighteen—without a diagnosis to explain his terminal and lengthy medical issues. Enter Hadassah. After Adam died, Beverly joined Hadassah so her younger son Jacob could go on a Young Judaea trip to Israel. She was not very active, but as an Advanced Practice Nurse, she went on a couple of Nurses Missions to Israel and was impressed with what she saw at Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO). On one of the Missions, Beverly met Judith Steiner-Freud. Judith had visited the University of Illinois when Beverly was teaching Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing. While they did not meet at that time, the University of Illinois School of Nursing was one of the models used by Judith Steiner-Freud to establish the accreditation of the Henrietta Szold Hadassah School of Nursing as an academic institution. Beverly saw how, as a nurse, she could put her Zionist beliefs into action. Beverly was still looking for an explanation of what disease resulted in Adam’s death. She decided to take all of his medical records to HMO to see if they could determine exactly what neuro-degenerative disorder he had. Although the doctors still could not give a name to Adam’s disorder, Beverly was very impressed by their clinical expertise and medical research, and by the compassion of the doctors she met. And, she met Prof. Eitan Kerem. Prof. Kerem, at that time, was doing outreach to children with chronic disorders who could not participate in “life.” The entire concept of treating the psychosocial needs of these children, and their families, was new to Israel, and one that resonated with Beverly. Because difficulty with eating was one of Adam’s serious issues, Beverly and Barry made their first substantial gift to Hadassah to fund the work of addressing the psychosocial aspects of the feeding disorder clinic. They have continued to support the Center for Children with Chronic Diseases at Mt. Scopus which Prof. Kerem established. Prof. Kerem invited Beverly to speak at the first International Conference for People with Chronic Disorders, and several times after that. For one of the conferences at which Beverly spoke, Prof. Kerem invited 100 doctors from Gaza and the West Bank. The presentation was taped and sent to the Peres Center for Peace in Gaza. Beverly says, “Adam is in the Gaza. His life is in a place that gives it meaning. Adam made his own legacy—Prof. Kerem helped develop it.”
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HADASSAH ANNUAL REPORT 2013
“ THE WOMEN OF HADASSAH HAVE BECOME MY CLOSEST FRIENDS. THEY HAVE SUPPORTED ME THROUGH TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS, AS WELL AS CELEBRATED WITH ME THE GOOD TIMES.” BEVERLY GOLDSMITH
MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
AT THE CELEBRATE ISRAEL PARADE WITH YOUNG JUDAEA NATIONAL PRESIDENT NAOMI SOLKOWITZ
As we move from year to year and from one beginning to another, Hadassah transitions from its history to its future. In 2013, the organization laid the groundwork for many new developments that will drive its visibility, vitality and realize its vision. Paramount to a thriving organization is the image it projects to the public, its own constituency and to the individuals it hopes to attract and involve in its mission. Working closely with the marketing firm Glover Park Group, Hadassah developed a branding platform that captures its vision, brand promise, the action pillars upon which it delivers on that promise and the programs, initiatives, partnerships and coalitions that will activate the organization’s aspirations. The new branding platform and visual identity will serve as the expression of our hopes and intentions and will help organize the activities that realize the value added contribution of the organization. Intended to launch in late 2014, the branding will lead the organization into its future through recognition, understanding and attraction to the mission.
2013 also served as the launch of national programs that will enhance the well-being of Hadassah’s members, and prepare the future leaders of both the organization and Jewish life in America. • Every Beat Counts: Hadassah’s Heart Health Program™ has become a source and resource for women throughout the country to identify their heart risks, to learn about the preventative activities to forestall heart disease, and to be exposed to on-going information and medical breakthroughs. Over 2013, the number of units in which the program has been offered burgeoned, only to lay the impetus for further adoption in other communities throughout the country. •H adassah’s Leadership Fellows Program provides a two year opportunity for selected women to be prepared in the practices of leadership through informational sessions, a mission to Israel, an Education Day with experts in the four areas around
which the program is organized (e.g., Women’s Health and Medical Research, Public Policy, Social Investment, and Social Justice,) and an Advocacy Mission in Washington, D.C., with legislators and policy makers. During the second year of the program, Fellows will join Impact Boards, creating Hadassah vehicles of change. Each Impact Board will be given seed money to pilot a program of its choice around one of the four organizing topics.
better information retrieval and reporting, for more accessible usage of data and for better customer service. Underlying all of our efforts toward a viable and vibrant future was the institutionalization in 2013 of a strategic planning process that involved every division and department of Hadassah, working to define goals, tactics and outcomes, and regular evaluation to gauge results. No organization can transition to its next phase without a clear delineation of where it wants to go and how it wants to get there. The implementation of an organization-wide strategic planning process—with discussions across areas and with participation of units throughout the country—has begun the movement toward a unified future that will be captured in the brand promise to be completely unveiled in 2014.
In order for an organization to transition effectively it requires a strong infrastructure to ensure that it operates efficiently and responsively. During 2013 Hadassah invested in, and began the transformation of, its information systems, its processing activities and its recognition programs. With hundreds of thousands of members and donors, Hadassah initiated in 2013 the procedures necessary to service those whose commitment to the organization makes it what it is. Working with outside consultants, the organization laid the foundation for
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A YEAR FOR ACTIVISM As our second century got underway, it was time to renew our commitment to educating and developing American Jewish women, and to cultivate the next generation of leaders. It was time to rededicate ourselves to hands-on activism, based on the principle of “practical Zionism” that marked the exhilarating early decades of Hadassah. With a strategic plan in place, programs were set in motion that would have real and valuable impact—on our current and potential members, and on women in the wider community. The programs were begun in 2013, and are experiencing explosive growth in 2014.
JEWISH & ZIONIST EDUCATION Plans were finalized for the 2014 launch of the annual Hadassah Shabbat Zachor celebration. Hadassah was founded in the Purim season and named for Queen Esther, whose Hebrew name was Hadassah. Shabbat Zachor, the Shabbat preceding Purim, will now link Purim and Hadassah in perpetuity. MEMBERS OF HADASSAH’S ATTORNEYS COUNCIL IN WASHINGTON, D.C., TO BE SWORN IN AS MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT BAR
ADVOCACY Hadassah advocates at the local, state and national levels on issues of importance to American women and the Jewish community. We advocate for Israel’s sovereignty and security, reproductive rights, funding for women’s health research and more. In 2013, Hadassah • Passed a Women’s Economic Equity and Security Policy Statement, supporting pay equity, pregnant workers’ rights, paid family leave, paid sick leave, and raising the minimum wage. • Was an advocate for religious pluralism in Israel and a supporter of the proposals to expand egalitarian and women’s prayer at the Western Wall. • Co-signed amicus briefs in support of civil rights, reproductive rights, and separation of church and state through Hadassah’s Attorneys Council Amicus Brief Program.
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Monthly Go Forth and Study packets provide Hadassah leaders nationwide with indepth lessons and insight into Jewish texts, traditions, liturgy, literature and the Hebrew language. The information is utilized in meetings, discussion groups, and in printed and online materials. Our education programs for women grew in 2013. Moving forward, many of our programs will be joined together under the umbrella EdConnections. Programs—online and in chapters around the country—are being developed to engage current members and bring in new ones to the Hadassah family.
As a non-governmental organization in special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Hadassah representatives attended UN meetings and briefings, participated in coalitions, advocated for women’s health and equality, promoted the work of the Hadassah Medical Organization and supported the State of Israel. In March of 2013 our representatives took part in the 57th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW.) In the fall, planning commenced for our own CSW parallel event about women’s health, held in 2014.
Virtual Conversations book and author live broadcast events, co-sponsored with Hadassah-Brandeis Institute, offer participants the opportunity to interact with a noted author from any computer. Participants are encouraged to purchase and read the book prior to the online event. In October 2013, author Jennifer Rosner discussed her novel, If a Tree Falls: A Family’s Quest to Hear and Be Heard.
Advocacy Alerts kept members advised about national issues of importance; members had direct access to contact their legislators through Hadassah’s National Action Center.
Plans for 2014 include an interactive online speaker series, Defining Zionism in the 21st Century.
HADASSAH ANNUAL REPORT 2013
HEALTH EDUCATION EVERY BEAT COUNTS: HADASSAH’S HEARTH HEALTH PROGRAM™ is a face-to-face, grassroots, peer-to-peer outreach program—produced in partnership with cardiologists and heart specialists—that teaches American women about the risks, symptoms and prevention of heart disease, the leading cause of death among women worldwide. • Over 35 Every Beat Counts events took place in the last quarter of 2013, when the program began. From coast to coast there were lectures and teachings with local doctors and renowned Hadassah Medical Organization physicians, community-wide health fairs and family healthy food shopping sprees. In 2014, events are continuing at the rate of ten or more a month throughout the country.
OVER 35 EVERY BEAT COUNTS EVENTS TOOK PLACE IN THE LAST QUARTER OF 2013, WHEN THE PROGRAM BEGAN. IN 2014, EVENTS ARE CONTINUING AT THE RATE OF TEN OR MORE A MONTH THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
• Ongoing social media campaign—including Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest—educates people about unique symptoms of women’s heart disease and the importance of exercise and proper diet for a healthy heart. • Television interviews and print media in markets across the country reported on local heart health events. • Sister to Sister’s Smart for the Heart online assessment tool was used extensively in 2013, and will be upgraded in 2014. CHECK IT OUT® BREAST CANCER AWARENESS continues its outreach to high schools across America, sensitizing and educating teens about symptoms, the importance of early detection, and living a healthy lifestyle. CHECK IT OUT® FOR ADULTS hosted a national program that included Dr. Tamar Sella, Director of HMO’s Diagnostic Breast Imaging Center. The audience watched Dr. Sella broadcast live direct from Jerusalem in real time. Thousands of women each year visit our Check It Out® web page, which features a video demonstrating how to do a breast selfexamination. Local units are provided with educational and “how to” materials for planning their own events. MEN’S HEALTH INITIATIVE, launched in the fall of 2013 by Hadassah’s Associates, is an ambitious educational program to build awareness of prostate cancer, heart disease and lung cancer, and to raise funds for HMO research into these diseases.
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HADASSAH LEADERSHIP FELLOWS WITH DEBORAH MINKOFF, CHAIR (FAR LEFT)
A YEAR FOR COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Hadassah Leadership Fellows (HLF) Hadassah’s inaugural class of 24 Fellows met in New York for orientation in December. HLF is a leadership engagement program designed to inspire and cultivate future leaders by offering candidates opportunities to grow and lead over the course of two years. Fellows are professional women who will acquire life-enhancing skills that will have a positive impact on every facet of their lives and on communities around the country. These 24 Fellows, plus the next “class,” will form a core pipeline of 50-60 committed Hadassah volunteers to provide vision for the organization in years to come. In conjunction with the Hadassah Leadership Fellows program, a Women’s Leadership Board was convened in the fall of 2013. This group will advise Hadassah by identifying and discussing current trends, ideas, and issues of importance for contemporary Jewish women. The 15-member Board includes Anne Neuberger, Special Assistant to the Director, NSA; Rebecca Minkoff, Designer; Dr. Susannah Heschel, Eli Black Professor of Jewish Studies, Dartmouth College; and Jamie Gangel, former NBC news correspondent. In early 2014 the Fellows participated in a mission to Israel, where they visited Hadassah projects and walked in the footsteps of early Zionists.
HADASSAH LEADERSHIP FELLOWS will participate in Impact Boards, creating Hadassah vehicles of change. The Impact Boards will focus on four areas of concentration: • Women’s Health and Medical Research • Venture Capitalism and Investments • Women in Public Policy • Social Justice/Global Humanitarianism They will create pilot programs in one of these areas, in collaboration with Hadassah leaders and experts from their given fields.
ASKED WHAT THEY HOPED TO GAIN IN THE HLF PROGRAM, FELLOWS ANSWERED:
“THE ABILITY TO MAKE A TANGIBLE IMPACT THROUGH HADASSAH.” “ NEW LEADERSHIP SKILLS & A NETWORK OF DYNAMIC WOMEN FROM ACROSS THE US.” 8
HADASSAH ANNUAL REPORT 2013
MEET HADASSAH LEADERSHIP FELLOWS Members of the first class of Hadassah Leadership Fellows hail from 13 states. They include a hate crimes prosecutor, immigration and health services attorneys, religious school teachers, a talent recruiter for Amazon, the editor of the nation’s oldest Jewish newspaper, a certified hand therapist, an assistant state attorney general for social services, an opera singer/volunteer cantor, an interior designer (and former dessert café owner), a brand licensing consultant, and a member of her state’s economic development international investment team. Many are mothers. Most are impressively active in their local Jewish communities. They like to bowl, dance, ski and run marathons. They are dynamic, smart, spirited and enthusiastic. They are the leaders of tomorrow’s Hadassah, and tomorrow’s Jewish community.
MEMBERS IN ACTION It is Hadassah’s 330,000 members, Associates and supporters, living in every congressional district in the nation, who make all of our programs work—from advocacy to health fairs, from community education to fundraising. The wildly successful Celebrating the Ta Tas event at the end of 2012 in Charlotte, NC was reprised in Florida in 2013. The events combined record-breaking fundraising for breast cancer research at Hadassah Medical Organization, education for women in the community, and unselfconscious celebration of female beauty. Participants each had a personal connection to breast cancer: some were survivors; others were touched by the disease through a friend or family member. Artists painted the bare chests of women young and old, including a few with mastectomies. The results were spectacular. Photos were displayed, gallery-style, and one chapter created a photo calendar.
Based on the success of Celebrating the Ta Tas, a new membership program for 2014, in which bras will be decorated by amateurs, celebrities and designers alike—will engage members and raise awareness about breast cancer. In an attempt to reach a new, younger constituency, for the first time Hadassah will invite women to become eMembers. Many women who are working full time and raising families do not have the time, or the inclination, to attend local meetings, but they are passionate about Israel and the Jewish community, and want to be part of Hadassah’s Zionist sisterhood. The eMember program will go live in 2014.
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A YEAR FOR YOUTH YOUTH ALIYAH & THE JOY OF JUDAISM
YOUNG JUDAEA & THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW
Three Hadassah-supported Youth Aliyah villages—Meir Shfeyah, Hadassah Neurim, and Ramat Hadassah Szold—shelter, feed, educate and nurture 1,000+ teens and children-at-risk each year. Some students are immigrants learning a new culture and language. Others are Israeli youngsters who may be neglected, abused, or living in households unable to sustain the family because of illness or poverty.
Young Judaeans develop lifelong connections with Judaism, modern-day Israel and each other. Young Judaea programs for young people ages seven to 35 include U.S. summer camps; free ten-day Taglit-Birthright trips to Israel; Year Course, an Israel program for students between high school and college; and myriad travel and volunteer programs for teens and young adults.
Youth Aliyah’s Joy of Judaism program, created and funded by Hadassah, provides students with the Jewish background that many of them are missing. In a framework of Jewish thought, tradition and practice, children develop self-esteem as individuals, Jews, and Israelis. The Eshet Chayil or “Woman of Valor” program segment is geared for girls, who comprise 24 percent of the student population. Many of them have suffered sexual abuse or domestic violence.
JEWISH NATIONAL FUND In November 2013, KKL-JNF awarded its Samuel and Paula Elkeles Outstanding Scientist in Medicine Prize to Dr. Orly Elpeleg, Head of the Department of Genetic and Metabolic Diseases at HMO. Over the past decade, Dr. Elpeleg has focused on a number of rare disorders, and has published reports on 30 newly discovered disease-related genes. Since its establishment in 1901, KKL-JNF has been developing the land of Israel, strengthening the bond between the Jewish people and its homeland. Hadassah has partnered with JNF since 1926.
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HADASSAH ANNUAL REPORT 2013
After 70+ years as part of Hadassah, in 2012 Young Judaea became an independent organization. Hadassah continues to provide transition funding, scholarships and leadership guidance. In 2013, we allocated over $300,000 in scholarships to almost 300 youngsters, enabling them to participate in these life-changing programs. Outreach to a new generation is a priority at Hadassah. One way we groom future Zionist leaders is the new Hadassah & Young Judaea Leaders of Tomorrow Award. Hadassah and Young Judaea set out in 2013 to find two extraordinary young women in their sophomore or junior year of high school to be the recipients of this inaugural recognition. The winners of the highly selective, merit-based award receive full tuition to a life-changing four-week Young Judaea summer Israel program in 2014, as well as local and national exposure and recognition. In return, they will be asked to write and speak about their experiences at various forums and through various forms of media. Winners are Naomi Farahan from Carmel, IN and Jamie Smith from Lexington, KY.
HADASSAH ASSOCIATES
MEET
LESLIE & MICHAEL GAFFIN “Hadassah empowers its members to make a difference in the lives of women and children in the US and in Israel,” says Leslie Gaffin, long-time Hadassah supporter, past Region President and current Board Member. “It’s an organization whose mission and projects bring together many generations of women, from teenagers to great-grandmothers.” When Leslie, her husband Michael, and their two-year old daughter moved from Worcester to Wayland, MA, in the early 1970s, Leslie was looking for community. Hadassah immediately filled that need. Beyond the close friendships she made through Hadassah, Leslie felt that she was doing important work and, over the years, was inspired to accept numerous leadership roles in the organization. Leslie’s involvement with Hadassah has shaped her family’s dedication to the Jewish community. “My children grew up with an understanding that it is both important and personally rewarding to take an active role in the community.” Leslie’s husband, Michael explains, “Both my mother and Leslie’s mother were Life Members of Hadassah. Hadassah has given us an opportunity to be a part of the larger community and to be role models for our kids.” In 2002, the Gaffins established the Leslie and Michael Gaffin Center for Neuro-Oncology at HMO-Ein Kerem in memory of their nephew Henry, who died from a brain tumor when he was 15. “The Gaffin Center gift was a family decision,” says Leslie. “We sat down with our three children and talked it through. My daughter was with the Hadassah Leadership Academy in Israel when we dedicated the Center and during the ceremony she spoke about her cousin and what our gift meant to her and to her brothers. It was a very special moment for our family.” Michael adds, “The Gaffin Center is a unique place where doctors and professionals from several disciplines come together to conduct important, lifesaving research and to care for patients with brain tumors.”
Fifty years after our founding, we began to welcome men as part of Hadassah. The Associates, 30,000 strong, have donated tens of millions of dollars to Hadassah Medical Organization and Young Judaea. The 2013 Men’s Health Initiative educates men about the three leading causes of death in men— prostate and lung cancer, and heart disease— and raises funds for HMO research into these diseases. In 2013 the Associates also reached their $2 million goal to fund stem cell research at HMO through the Howard Kaplan Memorial Stem Cell Research Initiative. Stem cell research holds great promise for the treatment of macular degeneration, ALS, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
HADASSAH INTERNATIONAL The Chagall Project partnership between Hadassah International and Christie’s Fine Auction House is raising money around the world for the Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower in Jerusalem. Chagall’s 12 iconic stained glass windows, donated by the artist 51 years ago, frame the Abbell Synagogue at Hadassah Medical Organization. The windows are being offered for sponsorship and Christie’s is auctioning donated works of art on several continents to support the Tower. Hadassah International, joined by Christie’s, Forbes and the Israeli Embassy in Russia, held a first-ever fundraising event at Moscow’s Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center in June. Proceeds benefited the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at HMO in Ein Kerem. Prof. Eitan Kerem, Head of Pediatrics at HMO, noted in his remarks the large number of Russian children being cared for at Hadassah’s hospitals.
HADASSAH TRAVEL
Leslie and Michael attended Hadassah’s Centennial Celebration in Jerusalem last October. “It was immensely gratifying to see the Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower and to know that Hadassah women across the world worked to create this wonderful world-class facility.” The Gaffins donated a neurological operating room to the Tower. Michael described the Tower as a nontraditional, cohesive hospital space designed to serve the needs of the whole family, not only to treat the patient.
The only way to profoundly understand the story of Israel and her people is to visit there. In 2013, Hadassah Travel was revived and reinvigorated. In conjunction with Da’at Travel Services, Ltd., one of Israel’s most respected travel and educational agencies, Hadassah Travel offers a wide variety of group trips for individuals and families. Customized trips can “I hope young women will find in Hadassah, as I did, an organization that allows them to also be arranged. No one knows the length ‘pay it forward,’ to become leaders in their local communities, and to support medical and breadth, and the off-the-beaten-path research and social programs that will benefit generations to come,” Leslie says. corners, of Israel better than Hadassah.
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MEET
BARBARA MILLER-FOX ABRAMOFF Barbara’s affiliation with Hadassah began six decades ago in 1954 when she, as a newlywed, moved to California and was eager to meet people. “Hadassah in California had lots of interest groups that enticed me,” she recalls. How soon did she become active? “Immediately,” she says. “I’m that kind of person.” A past president of Hadassah Southern California, Barbara believes in giving her money, but also herself. “If I can make a little dent in making the world a better place, then it’s worth it,” she says. Barbara’s first major gift to Hadassah was a very personal one. When she lost her first husband to brain cancer, she donated funds for brain cancer research, with the hope that her gift would enable Hadassah to help others who suffer with this devastating disease.
One of the most meaningful emotional experiences that impacted the nature of Barbara’s philanthropy came during a Hadassah Convention in the early 1970s. She was taken by Hadassah to meet the new Russian immigrants, who were just arriving in Israel. These brilliant people, with so much experience in their fields of expertise, coming to Israel with a small package of their belongings—all they were allowed to take out of Russia—filled her with emotion. As she watched them kiss the ground of their Jewish homeland, she remembers thinking: “We take all this for granted. How blessed are we!” This experience, she says, “turned me on to being a Jew.” It led her to realize that being a Jew was different from simply being Jewish and that it was very important to help take care of her fellow Jews. Barbara was on hand for Hadassah’s Centennial Celebration in Jerusalem. When
she saw the Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower, she was so proud. Recalling how she saw the various patients of different religions being treated at our hospital, all getting along, she says, it made her think: “This is the way life should be.” Barbara has given two major gifts to the Tower. Her first was for an angiography operating room; her most recent, for The Children’s Bridge that links the Tower with the Charlotte R. Bloomberg Mother and Child Center. Barbara, who grew up in Chicago, is the mother of four children, and the proud grandmother of 32! All of her children, she relates, are charitable. Barbara says, “Hadassah is an emotional experience because it fulfills all my needs for making the world a better place. Hadassah is home!”
LOOKING AHEAD BRANDING
ON THE MOVE
Extensive research for an organizational rebranding got underway in 2013. The new branding identity is planned to launch in late 2014.
AFTER 38 YEARS IN
THE INITIATIVE WILL REINVIGORATE THE BRAND BY FULFILLING THREE ESSENTIAL GOALS • Provide a strategic focus for all Hadassah platforms and activities • Make our identity more relevant to a broader demographic • Deliver consistent messaging, look and feel through all Hadassah communications RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS • Hadassah Medical Organization is the most-recognized example of Hadassah’s work • Priorities expressed by young women are: connecting to other Jews in a meaningful way, and positively, personally impacting their communities • Hadassah’s advocacy work and healthcare programs are connecting with women who consider these inititatives important
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HADASSAH ANNUAL REPORT 2013
MIDTOWN, HADASSAH HEADQUARTERS IN NEW YORK CITY WILL MOVE TO 40 WALL STREET IN THE FALL OF 2014.
hadassah net assets and distribution of funds
2 13 0
Net Assets
$486.7
Distribution of Funds 2013 ($98M) Unaudited
2 12 0 2 11 0
2 10 0
($ in millions) 2010-2012 Audited; 2013 Unaudited
$441.4
$493.2
$569.6
$ 40M
Hadassah Medical Organization
23M
The Sarah Wetson Davidson Hospital Tower
12M
Program Expenses
2M Young Judaea 2M Hadassah College Jerusalem 1M Youth Aliyah 10M
Overhead
8M Development
IRS Form 990 and Audited Consolidated Reports are available at www.hadassah.org.
HADASSAH NATIONAL BOARD MEMBERS AND EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT TEAM NATIONAL OFFICERS president
Marcie Natan treasurer
Ellyn Lyons secretary
Judy Shereck vice-presidents
Mindy Bloom Lisa Davidson Kathy Hershfield Susan Moye Frieda Rosenberg Carol Rosenthal Shelley Sherman Laurie Werner honorary vice-presidents
Nancy Falchuk Carmela E. Kalmanson Deborah B. Kaplan Bonnie Lipton Ruth W. Popkin Marlene E. Post Bernice S. Tannenbaum All officers are Members of the National Board and the Executive Committee NATIONAL BOARD MEMBERS Renee Albert Sandra Alfonsi Liz Alpert Sherry Altura Haidi Appel Miriam Aron Sara Aronson Wendy Backelman Phyllis Berlow Esther Yelen Berman Rhoda Bernstein Elaine Binder Pennie Sessler Branden Sharon Cadoff Ruth G. Cole Sheila Derman Rochelle Edelman Katie Edelstein Sandy Einberg Marsha Eisenberg Karen Everett Barbara Extein Karen Ezrine Sherri Ades Falchuk Carol Fein Frances Feldman Judith Fellner-Weiss Beverly Fine Barbara Fleischer Elizabeth L. Fox Debbie Friedman Leslie Gaffin Clara Gillman Norma S. Gindes Lynn Gold-Benjamin Michelle Goldberg Beverly Goldsmith Jill Goldstone Dianne Gottlieb Adele Greenblatt Janice Greenwald Ruth Grossberg
Haren Haber Gail Hammerman Jill Hershbein Ellen Hershkin Barbara Horwitz Diane Issenberg Roz Kantor Marlene Kaplan Michelle Kaplan Eddyse Kessler Sandra King Josie Kivort Barbara Kraft Marcia Gabrilove Ladin Linda Lander Sheila Lebowitz Barbara Levin Patricia Levinson Anita Levy Valerie Lowenstein Karen Lustig Sheila Macks Dale Marcus Susan Mark Ellen Masters Dovie Melnick Deborah Minkoff Julie Morris Miffie Nagorsky Melanie Nasberg Jane Nyce Helaine Ohayon Tobey R. Olken, Esq. Barbara Pailet Judith L. Palkovitz Hanna Pollack Joy E. Pollock, Esq. Jill Prosky Joyce Rabin Lonye Rasch Renee Resnik Ronnie Rosen Rosalind Rosen Barbara Sabin Judith Saxe Sharon Schneider Rachael Schonberger Maureen Schulman Sima Schuster Carol Ann Schwartz Betty Shapiro Deborah Shendelman Nancy Shuman Barbara Shurberg Diane Sigel Natalie Silverman Sharon Sisselsky Rhoda Smolow Annette Sondock Kacy Spivack Jane Strom Diane Taub Roselle Ungar Dana Waxler Carol Weiss Jean Weitz Laurie Weitz Nancy Wiadro Elaine Winograd Theda Zuckerman PRESIDENTS OF REGIONS brooklyn
Janet Young
central pacific coast
greater detroit
central states
greater washington area
connecticut
hadassah greater pittsburgh
desert-mountain
hadassah of greater baltimore
florida atlantic
hadassah of greater philadelphia
florida broward
hadassah southern california
florida central
NATIONAL SERVICE Beth Aaronson Ginny Baird Jacquie Bayley Sue Beller Aileen Bormel Fredi Brown Caren Caplan Madelyn Donoff Ann Eisenberg Joan Chernoff Epstein Karen Feit Connie Cirillo Freeman Zandra Goldberg Karen Goldman Rita Gottlieb Ruth Gursky Phyllis Hartstein Ruth Hendelman Lynda Heyman Carol Goodman Kaufman Rebecca Krasnegor Sharon Krischer Debbie Levine Dina Lipschultz Sheila Magerman Debra Mazon Sheree Mirochnik Barbara Newman Carolyn Plessner Stacie Podos Lorraine Richter Benita Ross Alecia Sachs Robin Shuman Andrea Silagi Leslie Zide
Jane Jacobson Teri Junker
Sally Kleinman
Cathy Olswing Joan Baron
Merna Shapiro Terri Tankel
great plains
Rita Shapiro greater miami
Mindy Tucker
greater southwest
Amy Applebaum
lower new york state
Amy Solomon nassau
Viviane Kovacs new york
Rae Gurewitsch northern new england
Carole Greenfield
northern new jersey
Loren Roth
northern seaboard
Rhoda Dombchik
pacific northwest
Peg Elefant
southeastern
Ruthanne Warnick southern
Lee Kansas
southern new england
Susan Shikora
southern new jersey
Sherryl Kaufman southern seaboard
Janice Bernstein
suffolk
Phyllis Abramson
upper mid-atlantic
Janet Deixler upper midwest
Beatrice Johnson
westchester
Deborah Wiskind
western new england
Sue Polansky
PRESIDENTS OF BIG CHAPTERS boston
Ellen Zarrow-Nissenbaum chicago-north shore chapter
Michele Rubin
Nancy Bechek Bluth Iris Tishkoff
Barbara Scheinberg Jill Sapperstein Roz Holberg
Sandra Sadikoff
SPECIAL STATUS Bettye Berlin Leona Cohen Ruth Ann Freedman Dorothy Ganz Elissa Grebber Judy Greer Marlene Rosenthal Roni Schwartz Tema Sternberg Fern Tannenbaum HONORARY COUNCIL Chris Adler Gerry Sue Arnold Claire Baer Elaine Baker Naomi R. Barsky Phyllis Berlas Eleanor Bernstein Shirley Blumberg
Rhoda Breverman Freda Brode Dorothy R. Bucksbaum Judith R. Clements Gail Cohen Roberta M. Ebert Elaine H. Ellish Bobbie Feinstein Dr. Francine Fettman Linda Elfmon Fleishman Arlene Freedman Rae G. Gelfand Rae M. Ginsburg Frances Sorin Goldberg Carol Goldsmith Sandra Goldstein Anna E. Greenberg Doris Greenberg Linda Hakerem Betty Rapoport Hamburger Sylvia A. Herman Marjorie G. Housen Ruth B Hurwitz Sharon Jacobson Paula Jarnicki Leah-Dee Kahn Helene Karpa Joyce C. Kitey Bea Klein Bobbee Slotsky Kramer Rickie Leiter Norma Lenore Marilyn Levine Gail Lieb Bobbie Limor Seema Liston Lee Lobel-Zwang Barbara G. Melamed Annette Meskin Linda Minkes Sue Mizrahi Linda Glesser Morris Soraya Nazarian Ada Sutker Rabinowitz Sonia Raizes Leah Stern Reicin Corinne Ravel Retchin Joan Walder Sacarob Lisl Schick Elaine M. Senter Claire Shapiro Rhesa E. Shapiro Eva Silberman Jacqueline Silverberg Leah Silverstein Belle H. Simon Lois Slott Barbara Spack Cecile Stern Karen Dannin Stoller Judith Swartz Yvette Tekel Barbara Tirschwell Barbara Topol Karen Venezky Susan Weinberg Helen Weisberg Charlotte Wolpe Mona Wood Susan Yorke Edith Zamost Ruth Zimbler Susan Zimmerman Jane Zolot
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT TEAM
Janice Weinman was appointed in June 2012 as the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of Hadassah. She came directly from her post as President of K.I.D.S., an organization supporting millions of children in need in communities across the United States and overseas. Prior to her position at K.I.D.S., she served as Vice President for External Affairs of The Mount Sinai Hospital/NYU Medical Center and Health System in New York, where she was responsible for government and community relations, marketing, communications and public affairs of the five hospital consortium. Weinman also previously served as Executive Director and CEO of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), a nationwide grassroots network of more than 200,000 members and 600 college and university partners and was Executive Vice President of the College Board, which works to ensure all students in the United States have adequate preparation and the opportunity to enroll in and graduate from college. She also served in both the Carter and Clinton administrations. Among the many leadership positions Weinman has held in civic and community organizations, she was an inaugural board member of the Hadassah Foundation, has served as Chairman of the Board of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, Chairman of the Board of the Women’s Leadership Board of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and member of the Visiting Committee of the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. She holds doctorate and master’s degrees from Harvard University, and a bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University. Rick Annis Prior to his tenure as Chief Financial Officer of Hadassah, Annis served on the Board of Hadassah Medical Organization and has served on non-profit boards and governmental committees in various states. He currently serves as treasurer of an international non-profit. Sheryl Zeligson, Hadassah’s General Counsel, has been with Hadassah since 1992. Prior to Hadassah, Zeligson served as an associate at the law firms of Fulbright and Jaworski, LLP and Kelley Drye & Warren, LLP. She graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University with a B.A. in Political Science. Sheryl was awarded a J.D. degree from Fordham University School of Law. She is a member of the New York and New Jersey State Bars, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the District of New Jersey. She has been a member of the Committee on Non-Profit Organizations, Association of the Bar of the City of New York. She is a member of the New York State Bar Association, the New York County Lawyers Association, the Association of Corporate Counsel and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. Zeligson has been listed in Avenue Magazine in the October 2011 and October 2012 editions of Legal Elite (Top Women Attorneys). MANAGEMENT TEAM
Naomi Brunnlehrman is the Director of the PRogrammaning, Advocacy, Zionism and Education (PRAZE) Division. Naomi has been an advocate for over 30 years and is a co-founder of The Jewish Deaf Resource Center, which builds bridges between individuals who are deaf and hard-of-hearing and the wider Jewish community. She is a trilingual interpreter, a past Assistant Vice President at KeyCorp, a Software Conversion Project Specialist for over 10 years and most recently worked at DOROT as their Education Director. Naomi has her MA in Jewish Studies from the Graduate School of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
Sheryl Hoffman is the Director of Marketing and Communications. Sheryl has over 30 years of experience in her field in marketing agencies, corporate and non-profit organizations. Prior to Hadassah, Sheryl was the Director of External Affairs at Teachers College, Columbia University and the Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at Jewish National Fund. Sheryl is a past president of her synagogue, and has also served on various boards and committees including the NJ regional board of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the Jewish Theological Seminary Cantorial School Focus Group and the JTS Cantorial School Task Force. Sheryl graduated from Rutgers University with a BA in Communications. Sheryl’s two daughters are graduates of Young Judaea Year Course.
Melissa Karachalios is the Director of the Member & Unit Services Division. Before coming to Hadassah in October 2013, Melissa served as the Director of Membership and Communications at the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW). There she launched a new membership campaign nationally and with local chapters, and had responsibility for leadership training, direct marketing activity and media relations. Prior to her tenure at the National Council of Jewish Women, Melissa held several management positions in the for-profit sector and in the non-profit sector at the American Society for Microbiology, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Society for Neuroscience. Melissa has a BS in Communications from SUNY Oneonta.
David Pasternack brings 30 years of experience to his role as Chief Development Officer. Pasternack was born in West Hartford, CT and received a BA from the University of Georgia. Pasternack spent most of his career in various sales and marketing positions including New Business Development at Kimberly-Clark where he won the ‘Employee of the Year’ Award. He later worked at the American Heart Association where he brought in more donations than anyone in the organization’s history at the time. Additionally, he helped develop and fund the award-winning GO RED FOR WOMEN campaign. Most recently, Pasternack was Executive Director at Israel Bonds, where his team sold over $214 million dollars of investments in the State of Israel in 2013 alone.
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