FROM PASSION
TO ACTION Celebration 2018 • Year in Review
2 ANNUAL REPORT
ANNUAL REPORT
YEAR IN REVIEW 2018
4 Leadership Letters
llen Hershkin E National President
r. Janice Weinman D CEO/Executive Director
Prof. Zeev Rotstein Hadassah Medical Organization Director General 6 HMO 2018 By the Numbers 7 Celebration 2018 From Passion to Action 8 Hadassah Medical Organization Highlights
10 360 Degrees of Healing The Full Circle Campaign 12 The Open-Hearted Cardiologist Dr. Refat Jabara Director, Cardiology Department, Irma and Paul Milstein Heart Center, Hadassah Ein Kerem 14 It’s All About Timing Dr. Asnat Walfisch Director, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hadassah Mt. Scopus 16 2018 in Review On-the-Ground Impact
18 Hadassah in Her DNA Dr. Sigal Sviri Director, Medical Intensive Care Unit, Hadassah Ein Kerem 20 The Power of Collaboration 22 Standing Up for What’s Right Paula Mann Hadassah Greater Philadelphia, Domestic Advocacy Co-chair 23 Steering Hadassah Forward Dana Kapustin Young Women's Cabinet Leader, Hadassah Charlotte Past President
24 The Power of Philanthropy Bob and Michelle Diener 26 Impact 2018: Hadassah in Action 28 2018 Cash Grants and Program Expenses 29 Hadassah National Board/Assembly 30 consolidated balance sheet information and consolidated statement of activites information 32 Executive/ Management Team
FROM PASSION TO ACTION YEAR IN REVIEW 2018 3
ELLEN HERSHKIN
Hadassah National President
During 2018 at Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc., we found inspiration for the future in our past, as we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO), as well as the centennials of the HMO Ophthalmology Department and the Henrietta Szold Hadassah-Hebrew University School of Nursing. We also marked Hadassah’s impact as a force in Israel, celebrating Israel’s 70th anniversary with pride in the role we’ve played. Since its beginning, we have supported a strong, secure, democratic Israel and advanced the well-being of all of its citizens. It was for this vision that I proudly accepted, on behalf of Hadassah, two awards —one for Hadassah and one for Hadassah founder Henrietta Szold —“Honoring Americans Who Have Strengthened Israel and Its Alliance with the United States,” presented by Ambassador Ron Dermer at the Israeli Embassy’s 70th Independence Day Celebration. Looking to Israel’s future, HMO is playing a vital role in taking Jerusalem to the forefront of the world’s high-tech cities by attracting new talent and 4 ANNUAL REPORT
revolutionizing modern health care. We’re thrilled to have HMO be a cornerstone of the Jerusalem Gateway Project, working with the mayor to modernize the city. In a yellow hard hat, I saw the work crew break ground on the extensive renovation and expansion of our iconic Round Building on Hadassah Hospital’s Ein Kerem campus. We’ll be better able to meet the needs of more patients with cutting-edge care and keep HMO ahead of the curve in the capital of the Startup Nation. Another way we support a strong Israel is through our focus on youth—forging ties between Israel and American youth through Young Judaea and scholarships, and by setting at-risk children in Israel on the path to a successful future through our Youth Aliyah villages. This year saw the opening of the Marlene Post Health Center at Meir Shfeyah Youth Village, named for a Hadassah past national president who continues to advance our mission. Yet the realities of daily Israeli life continue, even as we proudly serve as a model for coexistence in the Middle East. I was honored to have a chance to thank Israel Defense Forces soldier Emmanuel Zerah for his service. While removing a Palestinian flag at the Gaza border, it blew up in his hand. When we spoke at his bedside at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem, he asked me to share a message with everyone who helped make his recovery possible: “Thank you, Hadassah, for everything you’ve done for me.” As a national organization, we’re grateful, too, to the supporters and members in more than 700 units —across the country, and across the generations—who advance
our work at the grassroots level in every state of the nation. We are speaking out for women’s health, fighting anti-Semitism, and educating and building engagement on other timely issues. This included more than 80 visits to congressional offices on Capitol Hill. In 2018, we refined our focus on the future by creating a Young Women’s Department to help us lead the way forward. As a national organization, we take seriously our seat at some of the Jewish community’s most powerful tables, shaping policies at: the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the American Zionist Movement, the Jewish Agency for Israel and the World Zionist Organization, to name a few. As we look ahead and set our course for a strong Hadassah in the next 100 years, with your help we’ll continue to build on our successes and adapt to the ever-changing world around us. Let us go from strength to strength, together.
DR. JANICE WEINMAN
Hadassah CEO/Executive Director
In 2018, Hadassah volunteer and staff leaders together worked tirelessly to take Hadassah from strength to strength. At Hadassah, as you’ll see throughout this report, we empower women to effect change and make an impact. As many other women of all ages were energized by a national wave of mobilization, so our members made their voices heard on some of the most pressing issues of our day. In 2018, for example, we faced a horrific spike in acts of antiSemitism. Yet an early 2018 survey by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany found that 66 percent of American millennials do not know what Auschwitz was. Later in 2018, the nation reeled in the aftermath of the Tree of Life Synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh. Hadassah redoubled its efforts to fight anti-Semitism, identifying a strategic place where we could have a real impact by working closely with Rep. Carolyn Maloney (NY) to garner support for the Never Again Education Act. This bipartisan legislation would give teachers resources to develop and improve Holocaust education and anti-hate programs. We were front and center at her press conference announcing the legislation. As the primary organization mobilizing support for the act, we have launched thought leadership, digital campaigns and more than 100 Hadassah meetings with US legislators, both on Capitol Hill and in local district meetings. In late 2018, we re-opened a new Government Relations Office to deepen critical relationships in Washington, DC, and lead Hadassah’s legislative and grassroots strategies, including working side-by-side with
congressional offices, while giving us a physical base from which to educate and activate our membership. The BBB Wise Giving Alliance recognized Hadassah’s excellence in financial reporting, transparency, and governance, granting us full accreditation. Hadassah is one of the first not-for-profits to consciously direct some of our investments to companies that support environmental, health and proIsrael causes, through the impact investing firm JLens. JLens uses its platform to influence corporations about the issues of gender equity, pay equity, anti-BDS, or any form of discrimination. For Hadassah, it helps ensure that our Jewish values have a greater impact.
new members and donors. With the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project (now Momentum), for example, we are exposing younger Hadassah women to Jewish values and spirituality, and an appreciation for Israel, HMO and Hadassah.
To address new and emerging challenges and ensure a strong future, we created a data-driven strategic framework. We identified priorities that the organization needs to address in order to be financially stable, to be relevant to the next generation, and to establish a viable structure for change. The followup implementation plan contains the practical steps we have already begun taking to infuse philanthropy into all of our efforts and to re-calibrate volunteer and professional roles to evolve with women’s changing roles.
We also began building up our professional councils—physicians, nurses and attorneys—with their own tailored pathways to contribute to the larger mission of Hadassah and Israel.
As part of this effort, we added top-tier leadership professionals to our national staff—including a new Chief Financial and Operations Officer and a new Chief Development Officer, as well as a Government Relations Director.
Yasher koach—and thank you—to everyone who has and continues to breathe life into the Hadassah story as it passes from generation to generation. Together, we have the power to heal the world.
In 2018, we held 176 health and wellness events in the United States that reached over 17,000 in-person attendees, a number boosted by our partnership with the JCC Association, which brought Hadassah programs to 25 JCC communities. These are just some of the ways we are establishing our impact and sustainability as we look ahead.
We began invigorating our young women’s outreach, strengthening our capacity to attract and engage FROM PASSION TO ACTION YEAR IN REVIEW 2018 5
PROF. ZEEV ROTSTEIN
Hadassah Medical Organizaton Director General 2018 will be remembered as a year of new beginnings, as we fulfilled our dream of completing the Sarah Wetsman Davidson (SWD) Hospital Tower, with the move of the Heart Institute into the Irma and Paul Milstein Heart Center. Our first patient, a Tel Aviv resident and fan of the Jerusalem soccer team, had a heart attack while jogging to a game. After catheterization he was transferred to the incredibly modern Silagi Intensive Care Unit. As promised, just as soon as we finished the SWD Hospital Tower we began renovating our historic Round Building. With 120% occupancy at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem, construction began on an earthquakesafe contemporary hospital building with 360 degrees of healing. Beginnings are not only at Ein Kerem. Tens of thousands of babies have been born in the 42-year-old Hadassah Mount Scopus Delivery Rooms. 2018 marked the completion of our renovation and expansion of the Rady Labor and Delivery Suites. The physical space of the Rehabilitation Center that treats civilians and soldiers, stroke and accident victims is also too small and dates back four decades. We broke ground on a new facility that will have more capacity for the hundreds of patients we have turned away every year for lack of space. We find ourselves in the final stages of our Recovery Agreement. Only 1.5 years remain before we set out on a new path without the need for a new Recovery Agreement. Many obstacles stood in our way in the past and many challenges are yet to come. We continue to operate as a public hospital and have succeeded in meeting all of our financial liabilities. Despite the fact that macro-economic regulations have had a negative impact on HMO performance and in contradiction to the assumptions in the Recovery Agreement, nevertheless, HMO materially strengthened and significantly improved its financial position, including decreasing the accumulated deficit, high liquidity, 6 ANNUAL REPORT
HMO 2018
By the Numbers
and executing material investment in infrastructure (CAPEX), including from internal sources. Numerous significant projects have been completed during this period: • Opening of 13 state-of-the-art Operating Rooms at Ein Kerem • Replacement and upgrade of 4 CT units • Installation of world’s most advanced Digital PET-CT • Installation of 4 New MRIs (one at MS) and upgrade of an additional MRI • Opening of a Women’s Health Center at Mount Scopus • Purchase of one of the most advanced neurosurgery microscopes (Kinevo) • Renovation of the Oncology Department and expansion of the Hematology Department • Opening of a new Stroke Unit (10 beds) • New Pediatric Intensive Care Unit , Neonatology Department & MS Day Hospitalization • Replacement of critical infrastructure • New automated HMO laboratories • Opening of Hadassah satellite in Central Israel • Digital Hadassah, a new HMO Digital Health program • And much more….. Hadassah returned to its rightful position as the nation’s leading medical center in quality of treatment, service, research and teaching. All of this was accomplished within complex and difficult streamlining. Henrietta Szold asked the artist creating her sculpture to make her eyes look to the future. As 2018 drew to a close, here in Israel we are looking forward to new beginnings, to working together with our partners and supporters, as we feel the end of the recovery period and new beginnings for HMO. The sky’s the limit, and with your ongoing support, we will be able to propel Hadassah forward and create another new and exciting chapter in the remarkable history of HMO.
BIRTHS
THE HIGHEST # EVER AT HMO IN ONE YEAR
13,037
+2%
FROM 2017
HOSPITALIZATIONS
97,649
+4% FROM 2017
EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS
160,498 +7%
FROM 2017
OPERATIONS
40,124 LABORATORY TESTS
+10%
FROM 2017
4,975,096 OUTPATIENT MRIs
+30%
FROM 2017
20,910 OUTPATIENT VISITS
+16%
872,367
FROM 2017
FROM PASSION TO ACTION
CELEBRATION 2018 FULFILLING A VISIONARY’S DREAM
2018 was a year of milestones—the centennial celebrations of the Hadassah Medical Organization, the Department of Ophthalmology and the Henrietta Szold Hadassah-Hebrew University School of Nursing, as well as the 70th anniversary of the State of Israel. When Hadassah founder Henrietta Szold stepped onshore in what was then Palestine, she had a vision for bringing modern medicine, health and hygiene to an underdeveloped region of the world where disease and unsanitary conditions were rampant. She worked to find the funding necessary to send two nurses to treat 5,000 children suffering from trachoma. They set up the first public health and welfare station, and in 1918, Hadassah sent 45 doctors, nurses, dentists and sanitary workers. In the century since, that vision for a modern nation with cutting-edge medicine has been woven into the foundation and fabric of Israel, and HMO now provides the most advanced health care in the Middle East—in times of war and terror, and in times of peace. Around the world, HMO is known for its humanitarian efforts. A CENTER OF HOPE, AN OASIS OF HEALING
HMO is “proof that medical treatment creates a bridge
between people and a center of hope.” —World Health Organization Director General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus
HMO’s centennial year built on its track record of first-in-Israel medical breakthroughs, with the opening of the Irma and Paul Milstein Heart Center at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem, the most advanced in Israel. In March, an eight-member HMO medical team traveled to Ethiopia to perform life-saving spinal surgeries on children. In another humanitarian effort, HMO saved the lives of Syrian children with life-threatening heart problems as part of an Israel Defense Forces’ Good Neighbor initiative. HENRIETTA SZOLD HADASSAHHEBREW UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NURSING From its earliest days, Henrietta Szold’s founding philosophy for Hadassah was, “The healing of the daughter of my people.” A hundred years later, over 2,500 graduates of Hadassah’s innovative School of Nursing are leaders in the field of nursing, and half of the undergraduate nursing body are of Arab descent. Students come from all over the world to study nursing at Hadassah. The Achoteynu Scholarship Program, supported by a generous gift from Patricia Lapan, z’l, a former nurse and businesswoman from California, provides financial assistance for Ethiopian nursing students. HMO’s incoming Director of Nursing, Rely Alon, hit the ground running, ready to give students from all over Israel the tools they need to be tomorrow’s modern nursing leaders. HMO DEPARTMENT OF OPHTHALMOLOGY Led by Dr. Itay Chowers, HM0’s Department of Ophthalmology is a powerhouse—an acknowledged leader in both clinical and academic ophthalmology—the first department
in Israel to include research laboratories, and the first in which physicians were required to participate in both clinical and basic research in addition to clinical practice. Today, HMO doctors have established ophthalmology departments in Africa and trained ophthalmologists from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe. Retiring Director Dr. Yaacov Pe’er was honored by the American Academy of Ophthalmology for his contributions to the field and for the prevention of blindness around the world. WOMEN’S HEALTH & ADVOCACY CONFERENCE Over 300 women joined together to turn their passion to action in Washington, DC. PBS News Hour Anchor Judy Woodruff moderated a thought-provoking panel titled “Privacy & Information: Women’s Health & Technology.” Hadassah’s Coalition for Women’s Health Equity presented the 2nd Annual Women’s Health Empowerment Summit with keynote speaker Fatima Goss Graves, CEO and President of the National Women’s Law Center. Rep. Raul Ruiz (CA-36), formerly a practicing physician, spoke of the importance of coming together to combat the severe inequities women face in the health care system. FROM DREAM TO INNOVATION: HADASSAH MILESTONE MISSION In October, Hadassah members, supporters, and Associates participated in the Hadassah Milestone Mission to Israel and witnessed the significance of Hadassah’s work. Highlights included visits to the Ein Kerem and Mount Scopus hospital campuses; the presentation of the Henrietta Szold Award to Dalia Itzik, first female Speaker of the Knesset; and the dedication of the Marlene Post Health Center at the Meir Shfeyah Youth Aliyah Village. FROM PASSION TO ACTION YEAR IN REVIEW 2018 7
HADASSAH MEDICAL ORGANIZATION SECRET LINKS: GENETIC RESEARCH BREAKTHROUGHS Ovary Mystery Solved: Through full gene sequencing, Dr. David Zangen, HMO Director of Pediatric Endocrinology, and his team discovered that the BRCA2 gene is linked to healthy ovarian development, based on twins who shared a mutation. Their findings appeared in The New England Journal of Medicine.
ISRAEL’S MOST ADVANCED CARDIAC CARE For patients and their families, the new Irma and Paul Milstein Heart Center at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem represents hope for the future. It provides world-class care embodying the pioneering spirit that is Hadassah’s hallmark, the generosity of our supporters, and the scientific advances of our world-respected cardiologists, including Prof. Chaim Lotan, Director of Hadassah's Heart Institute. The Irma and Paul Milstein Heart Center, which “catapults us 50 years into the future and is the most advanced cardiac intensive care unit in Israel, includes four of the most advanced catheterization labs in the world,” says Lotan, including the center’s 2019 dual-camera system— one of the world’s first—and intra-aortic cameras. These kinds of advances, he says, “were considered science fiction not long ago.”
Surviving Sepsis, A New Test: Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) researchers developed a new blood test that detects the death of cardiac muscle (myocardium) cells after an acute heart attack or when a patient is septic. The presence of cardiac DNA fragments in the plasma of patients with sepsis predicts a four times higher chance of death within 90 days of hospitalization, they found. “The strong correlation between cardiac cfDNA fragments and mortality,” the researchers note in Nature Communications, “underscores the importance of cardiac health in facilitating survival from sepsis.”
“My father, Paul, of blessed memory, and my mother, Irma, saw Hadassah's mission statement as the highest expression of the founding ideals of the State of Israel. [It forged] ‘links between patients of all nationalities, races and religion who come to its doors for healing,’” New York real estate developer Howard Milstein said at the October 2018 dedication ceremony, honoring the Milstein family and Irma and Paul’s $10 million gift. “Irma Milstein, a dedicated member of Hadassah, personally chose to support and advance cardiology care. Her deep dedication to the people of Israel has been a beacon for all of us. …Her son Howard and his wife, Abby [Sniderman Milstein], have made possible a facility that will bring to Israel unprecedented research and treatment in cardiology,” said Hadassah CEO/Executive Director Janice Weinman. The year 2018 saw the advance of a new catheterization lab at Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus, with help from the American government through its United States Agency for International Development-American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (USAIDASHA) program. New equipment from USAID will play a key role in saving the lives of Northern Jerusalem's local residents, primarily Palestinian and ultra-Orthodox women. 8 ANNUAL REPORT
BUILDING BRIDGES TO PEACE A Top-Notch Arab-Jewish Transplant Team: An NBC News video segment raised the profile of how each day the doctors at HMO build bridges to peace, working to save lives—regardless of race or religion. A special video feature follows the team of Hadassah Hospital’s Dr. Hadar Merhav, Chief of Transplantation, and Dr. Abed Khalaileh, Director of Kidney Transplantation, as they perform a successful liver transplant from a Jewish Israeli donor to an Arab-Israeli patient.
HIGHLIGHTS his team, performed surgeries on 25 girls and boys with cleft lip and palate during a weeklong mission at Hospital General Fresnillo.
HUMANITARIAN INITIATIVES Medical Mission to Ethiopia: Eight doctors, two nurses and one physical therapist from HMO participated in a week-long medical mission to Ethiopia. Led by Dr. Josh Schroeder, HMO senior surgeon and spine specialist, and Dr. Allon Moses, chairman of the Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, the team performed surgeries on youth with lifethreatening spine deformities. Good Neighbors Save Syrian Babies: HMO and the Baruch Padeh Medical Center in Poriya-Tiberias launched a unique collaboration to help Syrian children with life-threatening heart abnormalities, part of the Israel Defense Forces’ Operation Good Neighbor program with support from the Peres Center for Peace. Hadassah pediatric cardiologist Dr. Julius Golender identified 14 children who could benefit from heart surgery at HMO. One was a baby born into war-torn Syria with a hole between his heart chambers. After the surgery at Hadassah Hospital, tears ran down the mother's face when reunited with her baby in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Five Days, 25 Smiles: During a humanitarian mission to Mexico, Dr. Noam Armon, chief plastic surgeon at Hadassah Hospital and
Exporting Expertise to Mexico: HMO health professionals provide specialized training around the world. Dr. Fortunato Benarroch, Director of the Center for Pediatric Traumatic Stress at HMO’s Herman Dana Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, traveled to Mexico City —after the country's devastating earthquake—to train Mexico’s top psychologists and psychiatrists in the treatment of pediatric and adolescent victims of traumatic events.
GLOBAL COLLABORATION SAVES LIVES Global Data in Real Time: HMO became the first Israeli medical institution to join a global research network of healthcare organizations and biopharmaceutical companies that aims to increase research efficiency and enable medical discoveries through data sharing. Prof. Eyal Mishani, head of the HMO Research & Development Division, reports that patients and medical staff will benefit from this new platform, TriNetX. Software Without Borders: When it comes to treating patients in the intensive care unit, predicting hemorrhagic shock can make the difference between life and death. A new software does just that, thanks to HMO researchers and partners at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Ben-Gurion University. Major Advances for Pediatric Kidney Care: The US–Israel Binational Science Foundation awarded Hadassah’s Pediatric Nephrology Unit a grant to explore ways to manipulate the protein that controls kidney development and the mechanism
causing kidney problems in children born to malnourished mothers. Dr. Oded Volovelsky, head of the unit, spent three years as a fellow at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; the team's findings were published in the May 2018 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Growing New Knee Cartilage: In an Israeli first, Hadassah Hospital surgeons implanted a coral-based implant, Agili-C, into a woman’s knee, to regenerate cartilage and bone. The procedure, performed by Dr. Adi Friedman, director of the Hadassah Center for Arthroscopic Surgery and Sports Injuries, was part of a global trial in Israel, the United States and Europe to test the implant, developed by Israeli startup CartiHeal Ltd. The new procedure, if successful, could bring relief to millions of knee pain sufferers.
ISRAEL LEADING THE WAY A Teenager Walks Again:
“With my whole heart, I want to thank the doctors and the entire medical team that saved my son,” says the father of Yusef Rabaya. Born with cerebral palsy, the teenage Yusef Rabaya was bedridden in Jenin, suffering from a neuromuscular kyphosis, a debilitating curvature that presents like a hump. “No one in Israel or abroad wanted to treat Yusef until we got to Dr. Josh Schroeder at Hadassah.” In an underground operating suite at Hadassah’s Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower, Yusef underwent the surgery that would change his life. FROM PASSION TO ACTION YEAR IN REVIEW 2018 9
THE FULL CIRCLE CAMPAIGN
360 DEGREES OF HEALING In January of 2018, Hadassah launched its new capital campaign, 360 Degrees of Healing, the focus of which is to renovate, expand, and update the Round Building at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem. The rehabilitation of this iconic space will significantly advance HMO's capacity, cutting-edge treatments, and services, with state-of-the-art outpatient surgery, oncology, ophthalmology, internal medicine, dermatology, IVF departments and more. By year's end, we had closed nearly 8,000 gifts, raising some $15 million.
EXPANDED CAPACITY & STATEOF-THE-ART CARE
A 360 DEGREE VISION: OPHTHALMOLOGY
• The new design will add approximately 200 beds, significantly enhancing capacity and revenue.
Each year, doctors at the HMO Ophthalmology Department see 45,000 patients, treating everything from infections to immature retinas in preterm babies.
• The addition of two floors will provide flexibility, creating new spaces that may be used for an inpatient department, a day care unit, or clinics with examination rooms. • With the renovation of 17 operating rooms, state-of-the-art equipment will improve efficiency and reduce waiting time for surgery, generating additional income for HMO. • The infrastructure will be upgraded to withstand natural disasters, as well as biological and chemical attacks. • A patient-centric design will provide more space and privacy to those receiving treatment, and their families. 10 ANNUAL REPORT
Among them is Dr. Eyal Banin, director of Hadassah’s Center for Retinal and Macular Degeneration. Dr. Banin has been leading a 15-year research effort to restore sight in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), focusing on dry AMD. With his team, he has created retinal cells from human embryonic stem cells that, when transplanted into the eyes of nine study participants, have led to improvement, a major milestone for AMD, for which there is currently no treatment. Known globally for its cuttingedge care, groundbreaking research and exceptional teaching, the Ophthalmology Department will soon serve patients at its new home in the renovated Round Building.
DIABETES SPOTLIGHT At 47, Ephraim Kedar was a career Israel Defense Forces officer when he was overcome by thirst and too weak to drive. A day later he could no longer see. His diagnosis: diabetes. Ephraim began treatment, but even with five shots a day was doing poorly. That’s when he made an appointment at Hadassah’s Internal Medicine Department. "At Hadassah, they look at you as a whole person with diabetes, which impacts your entire body, from your head to the tips of your toes," he said. “I can tell you how to repair a tank in the field, but when it comes to diabetes, there's no place better to protect you than Hadassah." The 360 Degrees of Healing campaign will enable more internal medicine patients like Ephraim to benefit from world-class care, whether they’re seeing worldclass Hadassah endocrinologists or gastroenterologists, top infectious disease specialists or rheumatologists.
It's about compassion. It’s about healing. It’s about life. But that’s not all. It’s also about a 360-degree vision in a changing world.
“I still love doing cardiac catheterization more than anything else. Maybe it's because I meet the patients in terrible distress after a heart attack, and then see them leave the hospital with a smile.�
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DR. REFAT JABARA
Director, Cardiology Department, Irma and Paul Milstein Heart Center, Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem
THE OPEN-HEARTED CARDIOLOGIST On the third floor of the Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower at Hadassah Ein Kerem, Dr. Refat Jabara’s office door is always open. “It’s my message to staff and patients,” says the Director of the Cardiology Department, who is now head of the new, 33-bed in-patient department at the lrma and Paul Milstein Heart Center. Each morning at 11, he does a walk through to check in with patients and staff. He also regularly hosts a kosher dinner for the entire staff. Dr. Jabara followed in the footsteps of a storied relative, the first Arab in Israel to be accepted to the Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Medicine. “My number two choice would have been physics if I hadn’t been accepted.” Not only was he accepted to medical school, where he quickly caught up in Hebrew and English, but he earned prestigious scholarships and awards. By his fourth year, he knew he wanted to be a cardiologist. “It’s hard to say what drew me,” he says. Even as “a department head in charge of teaching cardiology in the medical school, I still love doing cardiac catheterization more than anything else. Maybe it's because I meet the patients in terrible distress after a heart attack, and then see them leave the hospital with a smile.” The dramatic advances in interventional cardiology fascinate him. “We can fix almost everything without surgery,” he says. “When I started, open heart surgery was the standard, but now we can open blocked arteries, fix heart defects and replace valves without surgery.” To Dr. Jabara, technology needs to be followed up by compassionate patient care. “All patients and their families are worried after a heart attack,” he says. “They need to have guidance about how to minimize risks. The attitude of the staff to patients in post-procedural care is critical.” On a research fellowship in Atlanta, at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital, he focused on a bio-absorbable stent made of aspirin that disintegrates after accomplishing its purpose. “The concept was right, but cost was prohibitive,” he says.
Another of Dr. Jabara’s passions is teaching, and he has a 99 percent approval rate from his students. “The days of the four-hour lecture with students taking notes about subjects taught above their heads are over,” he says. “Sometimes I interrupt class and say, ‘Let’s head for the bedside and learn how we care for a patient with this problem.’ The students love it.” Dr. Jabara grew up in Tayibe, near Netanya, now a modern city but more like a village when he was growing up. One of eight siblings, he took the early shift in the family’s olive trees and gathered figs, selling them before going to school, where he was the top student. “My parents never went beyond eighth grade,” says Dr. Jabara, “but somehow there was a strong ethic of education at home. All eight of us graduated from universities.” He says that today, he and his wife, Manal, who teaches English and Hebrew in the American School in Beit Hanina, are less observant Muslims than his mother’s generation. They live in the primarily Jewish neighborhood of Pisgat Zeev. Two of their daughters are studying law in England, and their son is in the American High School in the Goldstein Youth Village in Jerusalem. Despite his triple responsibility at work— department head, professor and interventional cardiologist—he never misses his weekly visit to his mother, 87, since his father died four years ago. “One of the eight of us is there every day,” he says. As a cardiologist, he’s concerned to see that “women are still coming to the hospital later than men,” but is glad to see the positive effect of the Linda Joy Pollin Cardiovascular Wellness Center, bringing heart health education to previously unreachable sectors of the population. “That’s the next frontier—going back to Hadassah’s roots—reaching people in the community, working with community physicians and families to prevent heart disease,” says Dr. Jabara. “We do our best to repair damage, but there’s no substitute for a heart-healthy life.”
FROM PASSION TO ACTION YEAR IN REVIEW 2018 13
DR. ASNAT WALFISCH
Director, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus
IT’S ALL ABOUT TIMING What do you do when your father, uncle, and older brothers are doctors? “You become one, too,” laughs Dr. Asnat Walfisch, the 46-year-old new head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus. She’s the only obstetrician in the family. A specialist in high-risk pregnancies, Dr. Walfisch remembers the exact moment she chose her medical profession. “I took part in a C-section,” she says. “My teacher said, ‘Go for it. Operate!’ I was so excited, I knew this was the profession for me—to help women have healthy babies.” Dr. Walfisch is married to cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Salis Tager. They have three children ages 10, 16 and 18. Their daughter, the oldest, is now a pilot cadet. When it comes to juggling family and career, she’s always seeking balance. “I think I’ve reached equilibrium,” she says. “I work on not feeling guilty. The time I spend with my children is meaningful, and they know that the time I’m not with them I’m doing something that’s meaningful, too.” In all three of her pregnancies she had to undergo C-sections. She describes how frightened she was until one of the doctors touched her face and told her everything was going to be okay; he would take care of her. His touch soothed her so much she adopted that practice and uses it with all of her patients, and tells her medical students at the Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Medicine about it, too. Her signature research focuses on the best time to give birth. She and her team have evaluated roughly a quarter of a million records of births occurring between 1991 and 2014, including perinatal data and later hospitalizations of the children. They found that “early term” (37 to 39 weeks’ gestation) is not the optimal time to deliver. Babies born “early” exhibit similar health issues to those born prematurely (before 37 weeks). Babies scheduled for C-sections shouldn’t be delivered early for non-medical reasons. “When we are scheduling a date for a C-section or labor induction,” says Dr. Walfisch, “some women ask for a certain date for non-medical reasons such as the holidays, convenience, or just because they are tired from the pregnancy.”
14 ANNUAL REPORT
Her research also shows that babies born via C-section are more likely to experience health issues compared to babies born vaginally. She’s researching risk factors of women who have had one C-section vaginally delivering future babies. This is particularly important in Jerusalem, where women often have many children. She suggests further research using a combined database of several regions within Israel or even the entire country, to find an even more comprehensive picture of the health of offspring in the long run and the association with different pregnancy and delivery characteristics. She’s already collaborating with Dr. Simcha Yagel, head of the Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology at HMO, and Dr. Yishai Sompolinsky on a big data project to create an algorithm, using birth records, to help women have safe and successful births. “The beauty is that the information changes in the algorithm as a birth progresses and more data is entered,” she says. “It’s not a replacement for a doctor’s experience and intuition, but provides an additional tool.” Each year the number of babies delivered at Hadassah's Hospitals increases. More than 13,000 babies were delivered at Hadassah Mount Scopus and Ein Kerem hospitals in 2018. Dr. Walfisch describes the newly opened Rady Labor and Delivery Suites at Hadassah Mount Scopus as “a combination of great design and cutting-edge technology so that women can feel at home while the team has everything needed to provide a safe and healthy delivery.” She says, “Since we opened the new delivery room earlier this year the number of deliveries has risen.” Her biggest surprise in taking over the role of head of the department is how much she misses doing more clinical work. “I’ve been at Hadassah Hospital for six months, so it’s still the early stages. As soon as I get a handle on management, I want to focus on clinical work, which is my passion.” Her goal at Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus is to provide every woman with the delivery that is custom-tailored for her.
“I was so excited, I decided that was the profession for me—to help women have healthy babies.” FROM PASSION TO ACTION YEAR IN REVIEW 2018 15
2018 IN REVIEW ON-THE-GROUND IMPAC EMPOWERING YOUNG WOMEN
NEW MEMBERSHIP
7,000
450
NEW, RENEWED, UPGRADED LIFE & ANNUAL MEMBERS
YOUNG WOMEN ENGAGED IN TARGETED ACTIVITIES
ASSOCIATES
$178,500
RAISED FOR HMO AND ALZHEIMER’S RESEARCH +15% OVER 2017
ADVOCACY
70%
US HEALTH & WELLNESS PROGRAMS
INCREASE OF DAYS IN THE DISTRICT OVER 2017
250+
HADASSAH ADVOCATES AT DAY ON THE HILL 25 STATES, AT 80+ MEETINGS
48%
GROWTH IN NEW ADVOCATES WRITING LETTERS TO ELECTED OFFICIALS VIA THE NATIONAL ACTION CENTER
7
NEW AMICUS BRIEFS 125 SINCE THE PROGRAM STARTED 40 YEARS AGO 16 ANNUAL REPORT
ISRAEL & ZIONISM
220
EDUCATION EVENTSNEARLY 2X 2017
17,000 ATTENDEES
176
HEALTH & WELLNESS EVENTS
25
HADASSAH-JCC COMMUNITY HEALTH EVENTS
MISS
340
PARTICI TRIPS T 213% GR
CT
FUNDRAISING BY THE NUMBERS
ENGAGING OUR YOUTH
527
US YOUTH IN YOUNG JUDAEA SUMMER CAMPS AND ISRAEL PROGRAMS YOUTH VIA HADASSAH
SIONS
0
IPANTS ON TO ISRAEL— ROWTH
974+
ALIYAH
STUDENTS RECEIVING SHELTER AND MEALS, COUNSELING, EDUCATION, AND OTHER SUPPORTIVE SERVICES IN HADASSAH YOUTH ALIYAH VILLAGES.
95%
ENTERED THE IDF
SOCIAL MEDIA
3,146,240 FACEBOOK REACH
161,513
FACEBOOK LIKES, COMMENTS, SHARES—35% GROWTH
280,000
VIDEO VIEWS—23% GROWTH
+4,423%
NEW INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS
63%
GROWTH IN LINKEDIN FOLLOWERS
GUARDIANS OF THE FUTURE: 11 ($10,000,000+) GUARDIANS OF HOPE: 13 ($5,000,000-$9,999,999) GUARDIANS OF ZION: 25 ($2,500,000-$4,999,999) GUARDIANS OF TOMORROW: 109 ($1,000,000-$2,499,999) GUARDIANS OF LIFE: 125 ($500,000-$999,000) GUARDIANS OF THE DREAM: 278 ($250,000-$499,999) SOCIETY OF MAJOR DONORS: 891 ($120,000-$249,999) CIRCLE OF FOUNDERS: 972 ($72,000-$119,999) FOUNDERS: 1,124 ($36,000-$71,999) BENEFACTORS OF PEACE: 11 ($18,000 TO $35,999) YOUNG FOUNDERS (UNDER AGE 46): 412 ($15,000 TO $17,999) CHAVERIM: 3,144 ($5,000 TO $17,999) KEEPERS OF THE GATE: 3,584 ($1,000+ ANNUAL DONORS) CHAI SOCIETY: 3,501 ($180+ ANNUAL DONORS) FROM PASSION TO ACTION YEAR IN REVIEW 2018 17
“I was drawn to internal medicine and intensive care because they are so holistic and complicated, and every day you are fighting to save lives,� she said. 18 ANNUAL REPORT
DR. SIGAL SVIRI
Director, Medical Intensive Care Unit, Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem
HADASSAH IN HER DNA She must have been born with Hadassah in her DNA. Dr. Sigal Sviri speaks of her first memories, running over the green lawns of Hadassah’s Meir Shfeyah Youth Village. As a child, she treated her sick dolls, and she asked her parents for a medical textbook for her eighth birthday. When she was accepted to medical school, her first choice was the Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Medicine. She became part of the team of Israel’s first Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU), at Hadassah Medical Organization, of course. She’s the first woman physician to direct that pioneering unit. “I’ve been part of Hadassah for even longer than I’ve been married,” says Dr. Sviri, 53. “But then, I did meet my husband at Hadassah Hospital, too.” Dr. Sviri was born in 1965 while her parents were working as youth counselors at Meir Shfeyah, after falling in love while serving on the same IDF intelligence base. After serving in the IDF at the base where her parents met, she was accepted to all the medical schools to which she applied. Her first choice was the Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Medicine, “because it’s the best.” “I was drawn to internal medicine and intensive care because they are so holistic and complicated, and every day you are fighting to save lives,” she said. In those days, complex internal medicine patients were treated mostly in the internal medicine wards, while surgical patients were treated in the intensive care units. “There was growing realization that patients with many compromised organs and complex conditions needed the attention of a specialized Medical Intensive Care Unit, and Hadassah pioneered this concept in Israel,” she says. One of her patients was Israel’s President Ezer Weizman. His security unit accompanied him, and Rafi Saroussi, the head officer was smitten by “Dr. Sigal,” as everyone called her. His fellow officers were astounded that he had the audacity to court such an obviously brilliant doctor, but he was undeterred. Dr. Sviri liked his style and they were soon married in the Ein Yael gardens in Jerusalem. A few years later, their two sons, Ori and Ron, were born, 13 months apart. “This is where being a mom and an intensive care doctor—with calls 24/7—is a challenge,” she said. “Both my mother and mother-
in-law were very helpful, and my husband was willing to take on weekends and nights by himself. My sons’ reality has always been that their mother is making life and death decisions and may be called away.” In addition to Dr. Sviri, who has added a summa cum laude master’s degree in health administration to her CV, the MICU features three other board-certified experts in pulmonology, nephrology and infectious diseases. “We have our built-in experts with three board certifications each. This raises the level of the unit substantially, allowing it to provide superspecialized care to our complicated patients,” says Dr. Sviri. Dr. Sviri works hard at team building. “There is no distance among the doctors and nurses; we support and teach each other in our unit. We have staff from all religious backgrounds, including Israeli Jews, Arabs, and Palestinians with diverse political opinions. Our patients also come from a mix of backgrounds in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. We don’t allow any politics in our unit or in our hospital.” Her hardest day ever on the job was also a breakthrough for her. Caring for a young man from the hematology department, the team tried unsuccessfully to bring him back to life after his heart gave out in the unit. “We all wept together with his father. At first, I was overwhelmed, both by the loss and also by the emotional burden. Then I realized that we’d done everything we could, and yes, it was okay to show our grief.” With Dr. Sviri at the helm, the Medical Intensive Care Unit is known for solving difficult and challenging cases, thanks to the broad knowledge base of the doctors and nurses and advanced, sophisticated technology. “We always investigate and aim to improve, but as the unit head, I can tell you we’ve always done our best. Even though the cases you can’t help haunt you, the ones who leave the unit alive and come back to visit us give us enormous strength.” With increased longevity of the population, advances in cancer treatment and technology, the demands on the MICU have vastly increased. Demand exceeds the nine beds in the current unit. “We are so pleased to hear that our unit will be greatly expanded in the renovated Round Building. The more beds, the more lives will be saved. That’s the Hadassah way.” FROM PASSION TO ACTION YEAR IN REVIEW 2018 19
HADASSAH MEDICAL ORGANIZATION
THE POWER OF COLLABORATION HMO collaborates with many of the world's most prestigious hospitals, universities, and research centers. This global cooperation includes research efforts on a broad range of diseases, as well as on treatments and the development of new therapies.
• Azrieli College of Engineering, Jerusalem, Israel • Men-Tsee-Khang Institute of Traditional Tibetan Medicine, Dharamsala, India • Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel • National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD • Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX • Biodiversity & Environmental Research Center • New York University, New York, NY (BERC), Nablus, West Bank • Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel • The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, • Rockefeller University, New York, NY Cambridge, MA • Rotman Research Institute, Toronto, Canada • Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic • Simmons University, Boston, MA • Cornell University, Ithaca, NY • Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Australia • Friedrich–Alexander University Erlangen–Nürnberg, Nuremberg, Germany • Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan • George Mason University, Fairfax, VA • Tel Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel • Hackensack University Medical Center, • Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel Hackensack, NJ Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand • Hebrew University-Hadassah Faculty of • • University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel • University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany • Haifa University, Haifa, Israel • University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, • The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel Dresden, Germany • Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany • University of California, San Diego, CA • The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, • University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England New York, NY • University of Manchester, Manchester, England • Imagine Institute, Necker Branch, Paris, France • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI • Infectious Diseases Working Party (IDWP) of the European Society for Blood and • University of Münster, Münster, Germany Marrow Transplantation • University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA • Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw, Poland • University of Southampton, • Institute of Research and Development Southampton, England of Montpellier, Montpellier, France • University of Southern California, San Francisco • IRCM (Montréal Clinical Research Institute), and San Diego, CA Montréal, Canada • University of Southern Queensland, • Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel Springfield, Australia • Israeli Institute for Occupational Safety and • University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia Hygiene, Tel Aviv, Israel • University of the Witwatersrand, • Jerusalem Botanical Gardens (JBG), Johannesburg, South Africa Jerusalem, Israel • University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland • Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands • Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel • Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 20 ANNUAL REPORT
FROM PASSION TO ACTION YEAR IN REVIEW 2018 21
PAULA MANN
Hadassah Greater Philadelphia Domestic Advocacy Co-chair
STANDING UP FOR WHAT’S RIGHT The minute you speak with Paula Mann, you’ll know her fiery passion for advocacy. Mann planned a Date With the State, organizing 60 participants to travel to Pennsylvania's State Capitol for a press conference and meetings with five state representatives. In line with Hadassah’s priorities, they advocated for legislation to combat the soaring rate of anti-Semitism and all hate crimes. In 2018, Paula Mann received the Hannah L. Goldberg Award on behalf of Greater Philadelphia for the region's “Anti-Semitism in Your Backyard” joint event with Gratz College. Paula is committed to fighting for women's control of their own bodies. She advocates at the state and national level on this issue, and attends events around the country, like Hadassah's Women's Health & Advocacy Conference in Washington, DC. Mann has championed women’s health at walk-a-thons for breast cancer awareness and stands with Hadassah on protecting women’s reproductive rights and empowering women with the knowledge to make critical health decisions for themselves and their families. Paula has had a dual focus: advocating for women’s health and teaching about anti-Semitism and anti-hate. Mann describes herself as a special education teacher, dyslexia therapist, and a reading specialist. She’s been teaching for 30 years. Although she lives in Pennsylvania’s Bucks County, she works in New Jersey—one of five states that mandates teaching about the Holocaust. 22 ANNUAL REPORT
In 2013, Mann and 21 fellow educators went on a trip visiting seven concentration camps in Eastern and Central Europe. “As we toured, many thoughts arose,” said Mann. “How could people follow what they knew was wrong?” She commented on our current societal stressors, pointing out that the way people respond to government restrictions and social pressure is either with compliance or advocacy—standing up for what’s right. Growing up, her neighborhood was not religiously diverse. “I was a minority,” she said, “besides being Jewish and a girl, I had a brother with special needs. I learned early on that I had to speak up. Mann's parents recognized and supported her passion and excitement by helping her find a way to channel it. They signed her up to join Habonim, a Labor Zionist Youth movement, where she received a crash course on how to advocate for herself and others. “My brother and his needs were a big influence on my interest in advocacy,” she said. “It gave me my voice.” Mann lived in Israel for a year when she was 17. She returned 13 years later in 1996. That’s when Mann was “awestruck by the beauty” of Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem and its magnificent Chagall windows. She took a tour and described feeling a “wonderful aura” as doctors, patients, and families from all walks of life traversed the halls. “It really stood out,” she said, “when an Israeli doctor and Arab doctor stood side-by-side. I knew right then that I had to learn more about this hospital that held its arms open for all.”
DANA KAPUSTIN
Young Women's Cabinet Leader, Hadassah Charlotte Past President
STEERING HADASSAH FORWARD Born-to-lead Dana Kapustin, 46, has been on the Hadassah board of the local chapter in Charlotte, North Carolina, for 13 years. First, as vice president of Young Women's Programming and Camp Judaea Liaison, then treasurer for six years, followed by three years as chapter president. Now, as immediate past president, she’s busier than ever. Her passion for Israel began in childhood. “My three sisters and I grew up in Temple, Texas, a town without a synagogue. My parents took us to Waco, Texas for the High Holy Days, but it was a big schlep,” she said. Kapustin’s Hebrew school classmate invited her to Camp Young Judaea (CYJ). That’s where she learned about Zionism and developed her strong love for Israel.
members of the newly created National Young Women’s Cabinet, committed to developing strategies to attract and meaningfully engage younger members. “Some of us in the cabinet represent five generations of Hadassah members, and some are new to this organization,” she said. “We are married, single, with children and without. We hope to capture the essence of what young leadership in Hadassah will look like as we continue the values, mission and passion of ‘Women Who DO.’”
“Raised in YJ, I participated in Israel programs and Year Course. That’s also where I met my husband, Andrew. He’d spent summers at Camp Judaea in Hendersonville, North Carolina. We’ve raised Judaean children! Danielle is 20, and our twins, Jacob and Charlie, 18. All three are involved in Camp Judaea.”
“At the [most recent] cabinet meeting, we set goals, asked questions, searched for answers and now we will help lead Hadassah,” she said. “What drives us is our passion for Judaism and Zionism, and our determination to find cures for diseases, ways to educate, and paths to advocate. … We are also determined to share positive values and goals with the next generation of Hadassah.”
Kapustin’s current work is driven by a passion to promote advocacy and support the Never Again Education Act. Her advocacy for this part of Hadassah's mission is informed by her extensive work in Holocaust education. She works with Jewish Family Services to engage local Holocaust survivors and second-generation survivors to interact within their Charlotte community. She’s also a facilitator of workshops providing education about refugees, the Holocaust, and Elie Wiesel's book Night.
Now, let’s talk “TaTas.” Kapustin lights up about “Celebrate the TaTas,” a program that began in Charlotte eight years ago. It’s a fundraising day to celebrate and promote outreach on breast cancer. Female artists paint women’s torsos, and everyone gets food, massages, makeup, and bra-fittings. The money is raised during annual “reveals” and from selling photos of each woman’s painted TaTas. Luncheons raise $40,000, and dinners, $120,000. Most women buy their own photos.
In addition to her advocacy work, Kapustin has played an instrumental part in one of the first initiatives from EVOLVE Hadassah: The Young Women’s Network. She is one of 18
Kapustin has visited Israel a dozen times since her teens. Every trip includes a visit to Hadassah's hospitals. She is driven to keep the hospitals thriving. FROM PASSION TO ACTION YEAR IN REVIEW 2018 23
24 ANNUAL REPORT
BOB AND MICHELLE DIENER
THE POWER OF PHILANTHROPY Innovation, inspiration, and compassion are the foundation for Bob and Michelle Diener’s philanthropy philosophy. The Miami-based couple are active supporters of philanthropies that are making a significant difference and solving issues, primarily within the Jewish community and Israel. What attracted the Dieners to Hadassah was the Hadassah Medical Organization’s (HMO) innovative bench-to-bedside approach to medical research and their compassionate “bridges to healing” treatment philosophy, providing world-class medical care to everyone, regardless of race, religion or nationality. The Dieners are currently playing a critical role in Hadassah’s $91.2 million, 360 Degrees of Healing Full Circle Campaign. The fundraising plan reimagines and repositions HMO‘s historic Round Building at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem as a world-class medical research and treatment facility for a revitalized Jerusalem in the 21st century. The Dieners’ initial connection to Hadassah came through Bob's business partner of nearly three decades, David Litman, whose wife, Malia, has multiple sclerosis. Bob recalls, “David and Malia looked all over the world for an effective treatment and HMO was the only place that offered a viable treatment program. Once I witnessed the remarkable change in Malia’s symptoms, I looked deeper into HMO and discovered all of their ‘First in World’ breakthroughs, saw how dedicated their medical research teams were, witnessed how generously they treated everyone regardless of race, religion, or nationality and I was immediately on board.” The couple also share a strong emotional bond with Israel, where they spent their honeymoon, with Bob noting, “Israel is my homeland. I spent most summers there, visiting my grandparents who lived in Haifa. I feel an incredible emotional connection every time I set foot off the plane. It’s where my heart is. My children also have a
strong love for Israel and have studied and volunteered in various institutions in Israel.” The Dieners' generous donation will support an operating room in the Round Building at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem and is being made in memory of Bob's sister, Brenda Diener Karasik, who died of lung cancer eight years ago. “I made the donation in memory of my sister Brenda, who was a successful entrepreneur, a loving mother to two boys, and had a great love for Israel. There’s not a day that I don’t feel this loss. I hope her memory inspires HMO to continue its tireless medical research and that this gift enables Hadassah's Hospitals to find treatments for the world’s most devastating diseases.” For Michelle, it’s the connection between Hadassah and the State of Israel. She enthuses, “Hadassah brought modern health care to Israel over 100 years ago. Today, Hadassah's Hospitals care for almost a million people in Israel and around the world and finds the treatments to major diseases that help people worldwide. Together, Israel and Hadassah hold up the torch in medicine to make people’s lives better around the globe.” Since 2009, Bob has been co-founder and president of getaroom.com, which Frommer’s recently hailed as “Best Hotel Booking Site.” He and David Litman are pioneers in the online travel industry. In 1991, the two entrepreneurs founded Hotel Reservations Network, the original merchant model for booking hotel rooms online, which became hotels.com. Bob sits on the national boards of AIPAC, Israel Bonds, and the Hasbara Fellowships. The Dieners are active with Aish HaTorah, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, the JCS Kosher Food Bank, the Miami Children’s Museum and many other organizations. They and their five children reside in Miami, FL. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Their children are active with AIPAC on campus and their daughter Noa is president of AIPAC on campus at Posnack Jewish Day School in Davie, FL. FROM PASSION TO ACTION YEAR IN REVIEW 2018 25
IMPACT 2018 HADASSAH IN ACTION “ Advocacy and activism have always been core components of the work we do at Hadassah. Our strength comes from the passion of our members.… There has always been a need and a reason for Hadassah to have a voice in Washington, DC.” —Hadassah National President Ellen Hershkin
FIGHTING ANTI-SEMITISM Hadassah has taken an active role in combating the national spike in antiSemitism. Hadassah CEO/Executive Director Janice Weinman and other Hadassah leaders stood by Rep. Carolyn Maloney’s side as she introduced the bipartisan Never Again Education Act, which aims to expand and improve critical Holocaust and anti-hate education in the schools. As the lead organization mobilizing organizational and legislative support for the Act, Hadassah helped secure over a quarter of the bill’s bipartisan cosponsors in 2018. Our grassroots advocacy efforts in 42 states garnered over 1,400 letters to Congress, laying the groundwork to more than triple the number of bill cosponsors in 2019.
BOOSTING OUR DC PRESENCE Hadassah’s new Government Relations Office in Washington, DC, opened in December 2018, once again giving Hadassah a physical base from which to educate, activate and mobilize our membership and maximize advocacy impact, deepen critical relationships in Washington, and work on policy priorities side-by-side with congressional offices.
ADVANCING WOMEN’S HEALTH As part of the Hadassah Women’s Health & Advocacy Conference, the Women’s Health Empowerment Summit, hosted by Hadassah’s Coalition for Women’s Health Equity, brought together hundreds of policymakers, thought leaders, and women’s health champions during National Women’s Health Week to further women’s health equity. The Summit’s bipartisan Honorary Host Committee included 40 members of Congress. Throughout the year, our thought leadership raised awareness beyond our membership, including our op-ed “Women’s Health Is an Election Issue” by Hadassah National President Ellen Hershkin.
EDUCATION SAVES LIVES Hadassah is well known for engaging and educating communities around the country, and in 2018 provided 17,000 event attendees with the tools they need to live healthier lives. This year’s 176 health and wellness events focused on heart disease, nutrition, macular degeneration, breast cancer, melanoma, diabetes, and more, as well as 25 Hadassah-JCC health events.
ADVOCATES IN ACTION During Day on the Hill, 250 Hadassah advocates from 25 states and every Hadassah Region participated in over 80 meetings with congressional representatives. Hadassah members held 34 Day in the District meetings to discuss Hadassah’s legislative priorities with federal legislators when they were home from Washington, DC. On social media, Hadassah reached over 125,000 people on our advocacy issues. AT THE SUPREME COURT Each year, an intimate group from the Hadassah National Attorneys Council gathers at the Supreme Court for what is, for most, a professional highlight: being sworn in as Members of the US Supreme Court Bar and meeting Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a Hadassah life member. The Attorneys Council is one of several Hadassah professional councils, including physicians and nurses. With the help of the council’s Amicus Brief Review Committee, Hadassah signed 7 amicus briefs in 2018 including on sexual discrimination and harassment, reproductive health, and church-state separation. 26 ANNUAL REPORT
FIGHTING BREAST CANCER IN THE FIELD Two seemingly disparate universes— soccer and Hadassah—came together in North Carolina for the fifth year to raise awareness about breast cancer and raise funds for Hadassah Hospitals. Hundreds cheered on the players from four states at the 2018 Celebrate the TaTas Annual Soccer Tournament for Women. Over the past five years, the North Carolina Adult Soccer Association and Hadassah Charlotte have raised more than $30,000, and Celebrate the Tatas events are replicated around the country.
A FOODIE’S FUNDRAISER: CULINARY COMPETITION Hadassah’s “Almost Chopped” event in Atlanta drew 250 spectators, four judges, and four teams of aspiring chefs, raising awareness about Lou Gehrig’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases. “The community has come together to help Hadassah combat these debilitating neurological diseases,” said event co-chair Barbara Lang. IMPACT ON THE WEST COAST What do a Washington State congresswoman and a former HMO patient have in common? At a Seattle fundraiser that raised more than $165,000 for HMO, they talked about the transformative effect Hadassah has had on their lives. Ilana Weismark told the harrowing story of her daughter’s birth, when she developed an amniotic fluid embolism and was clinically dead for over 4 minutes. An HMO team saved her and her newborn daughter’s life. And Rep. Tana Senn, a fourth-generation Hadassah member, spoke of how her work today is rooted in Hadassah values. ENGAGING YOUNG WOMEN Hadassah’s first National Young Women’s Cabinet was created to bring leaders from around the country together to develop strategies to attract and meaningfully engage younger members. During its first in-person meeting, the 18-member cabinet created four subcommittees—Outreach, InPerson Convenings, Leadership, and Philanthropy—each of which will explore new engagement initiatives specifically for younger women. Additionally, 40 young members participated in three trips to Israel with the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project (now Momentum), acting as ambassadors
to over 100 women touring Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem. AT THE UN: ISRAEL’S EFFORTS TO EMPOWER WOMEN & GIRLS As part of the 62nd Annual Forum of the United Nations Committee on the Status of Women, Hadassah hosted “Empowering Rural Women and Girls Through Education, Training and Health Care,” featuring Israel’s Deputy Ambassador to the UN Noa Furman, World ORT International Cooperation Director Celeste Angus, HMO Vice Chair Dr. Karen Ezrine, and Hadassah UN Team Chair Ruth Cole. A NEW PODCAST, A NEW KIND OF ISRAEL EDUCATION
“ This podcast—both heartbreaking and hopeful —is a reassuring testament that peaceful collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian communities does in fact exist. Thank you, Hadassah, for changing perceptions!” —a listener of The Branch
Launched in August 2018, The Branch—Hadassah’s newest podcast series—showcases complex relationships between Arabs and Jews that mirror HMO’s model of shared society in Israel. In 2018, Branch podcast episodes—recorded at a Jaffa theater, Jerusalem school, Galilee ice cream shop, and HMO’s dialysis unit— were downloaded 7,200 times. AT-RISK YOUTH IN ISRAEL Hadassah’s three Youth Aliyah villages set at-risk children on the path to success. Originally resettling children escaping Nazi Europe, today Hadassah’s villages serve both immigrants and at-risk children in Israel: Jews, Arabs, Druze, Bedouin, and more, many of whom are refugees.
In 2018, the Ministry of Education presented Youth Aliyah with an Excellence in Education Award for its agricultural programs. At Meir Shfeyah, 82% of 12th graders passed the national high-school graduation exams, twice the national average. And 95% of our graduates do army service in the IDF. BUILDING US-ISRAEL TIES In 2018, Hadassah units around the country hosted 220 Zionist education events, a significant increase from last year, and our Israel-focused posts on social media reached 206,198 individuals. IMMERSIVE ISRAEL Hadassah’s guided group trips to Israel help hundreds of Diaspora Jews forge connections to Israel, Hadassah’s Youth Aliyah villages and the work of HMO. In 2018, Hadassah trips included one focused on the national celebration for Israel at 70, one with a geopolitical emphasis featuring political and journalist experts, and our biggest mission of 2018, Hadassah Milestone Mission, brought over 250 participants to Israel. THE NEXT GEN CONNECTION
“ I am so excited to share my experiences with others and continue to be a strong advocate for Israel.” —a Hadassah scholarship recipient
In 2018, Hadassah scholarships supported 527 youngsters to attend Young Judaea programs in the US and Israel. A MAGAZINE OF MERIT Hadassah Magazine won four Simon Rockower Awards, the annual prizes for excellence in Jewish journalism handed out by the American Jewish Press Association including two First Place honors. FROM PASSION TO ACTION YEAR IN REVIEW 2018 27
2018 CASH GRANTS AND PROGRAM EXPENSES (UNAUDITED)
$64.7M
$28.9M
HMO: Grants for Operations, Equipment, and Research
$14.6M
HMO: The Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower
$5.2M
HMO: Round Building
$14.6M
Hadassah Program Expenses
$1.0M
Youth Aliyah
$0.1M
Young Judaea
$0.3M
Hadassah Academic College 28 ANNUAL REPORT
2018 NATIONAL BOARD/ASSEMBLY MEMBERS NATIONAL OFFICERS PRESIDENT Ellen Hershkin VICE PRESIDENTS Ruth Ann Freedman Michelle Goldberg Dianne Gottlieb Carol Ann Schwartz Merna Shapiro Rhoda Smolow PORTFOLIO COUNCIL OFFICER Frieda Rosenberg TREASURER Shelley Kaplan SECRETARY Gail Hammerman PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENTS Nancy Falchuk Carmela E. Kalmanson Bonnie Lipton Marcie Natan Marlene E. Post ALL OFFICERS ARE MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL BOARD AND THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
NATIONAL BOARD MEMBERS
Phyllis Abramson Liz Alpert Janet Deixler Sheila Derman Rena Feuerstein Elizabeth Fox Clara Gillman Jill Goldstone Michelle Hubertus Marlene Kaplan Marcia Gabrilove Ladin Anita Levy Valerie Lowenstein Dale Marcus Benita Ross Anastasia Torres-Gil Laurie Werner Elaine Winograd
NATIONAL PORTFOLIO COUNCIL Beth Saltzman Aaronson Renee Albert Lynn Altshuler Sherry Altura Haidi Appel Amy Applebaum Miriam Aron Marion Aronheim Sara Aronson Ravit Barkama Joan Baron Rachel Baum Bettye Berlin Esther Yelen Berman Elaine Binder Nancy Bluth Stephanie Bonder Aileen Bormel Laura Brandspiegel Leona Brauser Sharon Cadoff Caren Caplan Randi Cohen Coblenz
Gail Cohen Ruth G. Cole Michelle Conwisar Lynn Davidson Rhoda Dombchik Madelyn Donoff Tracey Drayer Rochelle Edelman Judith Edwards Sandy Einberg Ann Eisenberg Marsha Eisenberg Peg Elefant Luisa Ellenbogen Joan Epstein Karen Ezrine Sherri Ades Falchuk Teree Farbstein Carol Fein Karen Feit Frances Feldman Nikki Feldman Judith Fellner-Weiss Barbara Fleischer Joan Florsheim Connie Cirillo Freeman Debbie Friedman Lynn Furness Leslie Gaffin Dorothy Ganz Doris Geller Susan Glicksberg Lynn Gold-Benjamin Zandra Goldberg Dawn Goldstein Rita Gottlieb Adele Greenblatt Carole Greenfield Janice Greenwald Ruth Grossberg Rae Gurewitsch Haren Haber Linda Hakerem Phyllis Hartstein Sylvia Herman Jill Hershbein Lynda Heyman Roz Holberg Barbara Horwitz Diane Issenberg Jane Jacobson Beatrice Johnson Deborah Kahn Dorrie Kahn Roz Kantor Carol Goodman Kaufman Sherryl Kaufman Sandra King Josie Kivort Sally Kleinman Janet Klein-Young Viviane Kovacs Rebecca Krasnegor Susan Lafer Joyce Laiter Linda Landow Dorothy Lasensky Barbara Levin Patricia Levinson Judith Levy Dina Lipschultz Malia Litman Karen Lustig Sheila Macks Judith Mann Roslyn Markovitz Fern Marks Ellen Masters Debra Mazon
Deborah Minkoff Barbara Mishkin Sue Mizrahi Julie Morris Susan Moye Miffie Nagorsky Luisa Narins Melanie Nasberg Soraya Nazarian Jane Nyce Tobey R. Olken, Esq. Cathy Olswing Judy Padolf Judith L. Palkovitz Esther Panitch Emily Pinchuk Carolyn Plessner Sue Polansky Hanna Pollack Joy E. Pollock, Esq. Joyce Rabin Ada Rabinowitz Edria Ragosin Sonia Raizes Nancy Rapoport Lonye Rasch Roz Rettman Carol Rosenthal Marlene Rosenthal Carol Rotenberg James Rotenberg N ational Associates President Loren Roth Michele Rubin Joan Walder Sacarob Alecia Sachs Tamar Sadeh Sandi Sadikoff Jill Sapperstein Judith Saxe Barbara Scheinberg Sharon Schneider Rachel Schonberger Maureen Schulman Roni Schwartz Jill Schwartz-Chevlin Gillian Sescoe Betty Shapiro Rita Shapiro Judy Shereck Shelley Sherman Susan Musicant Shikora Nancy Shuman Robin Shuman Diane Sigel Sarene Silver Natalie Silverman Judith Silversmith Belle Simon Sharon Sisselsky Amy Solomon Barbara Spack Kacy Spivack Tema Sternberg Jane Strom Fern Tannenbaum Diane Taub Iris Tishkoff Melanie Topper Mindy Tucker Rosalyn Tuton Roselle Ungar Ruthanne Warnick Dana Waxler Marcia Weller Nancy Wiadro Deborah Wiskind Ruth Zimbler
PRESIDENTS
HONORARY COUNCIL
BOSTON Debbie Knight
Chris Adler Sandra Alfonsi Gerry Sue Arnold Wendy Backelman Claire Baer Elaine Baker Naomi R. Barsky Phyllis Berlas Phyllis Berlow Rhoda Bernstein Shirley Blumberg Rhoda Breverman Freda Brode Dorothy R. Bucksbaum Judith R. Clements Karen Dannin Roberta M. Ebert Elaine H. Ellish Barbara Extein Francine Fettman Linda Elfmon Fleishman Arlene Freedman Rae G. Gelfand Norma Gindes Rae M. Ginsburg Carol Goldsmith Sandra Goldstein Anna E. Greenberg Doris Greenberg Betty Rapoport Hamburger Ruth Hendelman Marjorie G. Housen Ruth B Hurwitz Sharon Jacobson Paula Jarnicki Leah-Dee Kahn Helene Karpa Eddysse Kessler Joyce C. Kitey Bea Klein Bobbee Slotsky Kramer Sheila Lebowitz Rickie Leiter Marilyn Levine Gail Lieb Bobbie Limor Seema Liston Lee Lobel-Zwang Ellyn Lyons Susan Mark Barbara G. Melamed Dovie Melnick Annette Meskin Linda Minkes Linda Glesser Morris Helaine Ohayon Barbara Pailet Leah Reicin Renee Resnik Corinne Ravel Retchin Roz Rosen Barbara Sabin Lisl Schick Sima Schuster Elaine M. Senter Rhesa E. Shapiro Deborah Shendelman Andrea Silagi Eva Silberman Jacqueline Silverberg Lois Slott Annette Sondock Ceil Stern Judith Swartz Barbara Tirschwell Barbara Topol Karen Venezky Susan Weinberg Helen Weisberg Mona Wood Susan Yorke Edith Zamost Susan Zimmerman Jane Zolot Theda Zuckerman
BROOKLYN Barbara Katz CENTRAL PACIFIC COAST Sandy Sidorsky CENTRAL STATES Merry Lynne Lincove CHICAGO-NORTH SHORE Greta Rothschild CONNECTICUT Joyce Backman DESERT-MOUNTAIN Barbara Raben FLORIDA ATLANTIC Sheila Glass FLORIDA BROWARD Karen Rosenson Ulm FLORIDA CENTRAL Lin Pomerantz GREAT PLAINS Evie Roberts Levine GREATER BALTIMORE Barbara Fink GREATER DETROIT Carol Ogusky GREATER MIAMI Linda Goldstein GREATER PHILADELPHIA Michele Foster GREATER PITTSBURGH Rochelle Parker GREATER SOUTHWEST Linda Freedman Block GREATER WASHINGTON Sarah Elpern Nancy Weisberger Marsha Werner LOWER NEW YORK STATE Sharon Kelson NASSAU Cheryl Sperber NEW YORK Rita Lourie-Galena NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND Rhonda Saunders NORTHERN NEW JERSEY Gail Black PACIFIC NORTHWEST Donna Blankinship Brandy Moss SOUTHEASTERN Joanna Rich SOUTHERN Bonnie Boring SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Deborah R. Kessler SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND Joan Astor Paula London SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY Michelle Krasner SOUTHERN SEABOARD Gail Moskowitz SUFFOLK Stacy Berman UPPER MIDWEST Leslie Strohm WESTCHESTER Rachel Freedman
FROM PASSION TO ACTION YEAR IN REVIEW 2018 29
consolidated balance sheet information As of December 31, 2018 HADASSAH MEDICAL HADASSAH ORGANIZATION ELIMINATIONS
TOTAL
ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents
$16,827,669
Accounts receivable for medical services, net
$39,851,498
$
-
$56,679,167
-
135,714,762
-
5,913,565
-
52,970,200
-
135,714,762
551,352
-
-
Due from affiliates and other related parties Accrued interest income and other receivables
5,913,565
Grant Receivable from Hadassah
-
18,107,472
Prepaid expenses and other assets
758,787
52,211,413
(551,352) -
(18,107,472) -
Contributions and bequests receivable, net
26,828,012
-
-
26,828,012
Investments
465,923,017
195,950,021
-
661,873,038
Investments of charitable gift annuities held by Hadassah
-
-
20,558,402
-
-
20,558,402
735,767,119
-
740,453,666
Assets of trusts and other split-interest agreements held by others Property, plant and equipment, net
46,765,741
4,686,547
TOTAL ASSETS $588,813,092 $1,177,602,285
46,765,741
$(18,658,824) $1,747,756,553
LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS LIABILITIES Accounts payable and accrued expenses
$9,112,225
Grant payable to Hadassah Medical Organization
18,107,472
-
4,703,597
Short-term debt Liabilities under deferred giving and annuity trust arrangements
- 44,394,359
$156,198,853
$
-
(18,107,472) -
$165,311,078 -
4,703,597
-
-
44,394,359
Malpractice insurance
-
108,972,336
-
108,972,336
Accrued employees’ benefits liabilities
-
135,295,072
-
135,295,072
Advance from Government of Israel
-
5,658,208
-
5,658,208
Loan from Government of Israel
-
26,613,086
-
26,613,086
Long-term debt
-
10,610,105
-
10,610,105
Due to affiliates and other related parties
-
551,352
(551,352)
-
TOTAL LIABILITIES Net assets
71,614,056 448,602,609 (18,658,824) 517,199,036
728,999,676
-
501,557,841 1,246,198,712
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS $588,813,092 $1,177,602,285 $(18,658,824) $1,747,756,553 30 ANNUAL REPORT
consolidated statement of activites information For the year ended December 31, 2018 HADASSAH MEDICAL HADASSAH ORGANIZATION ELIMINATIONS
TOTAL
REVENUES Patient service revenue
$
Contributions and bequests
-
$641,911,294
-
$641,911,294
58,909,817
59,799,263
-
118,709,080
agreements
(7,963,602)
-
-
(7,963,602)
Investment return
(24,515,568)
3,143,244
-
(21,372,324)
Net income from recovery agreement
-
26,209,286
-
26,209,286
Income from affiliation agreement
-
10,779,210
-
10,779,210
Government grants
1,009,898
-
-
1,009,898
Grants from affiliates
-
34,870,696 (34,870,696)
-
Other
1,652,678
Change in value of split-interest
TOTAL REVENUES
29,093,223
9,772,785
-
11,425,463
786,485,778 (34,870,696)
780,708,305
EXPENSES Medical services
2,475,646
622,352,497
-
624,828,143
Education and research
3,245,724
61,507,375
-
64,753,099
Youth Programs
1,354,451
-
-
1,354,451
Magazine
1,811,465
-
-
1,811,465
Membership services
7,374,672
-
-
7,374,672
Communications and public affairs
3,097,522
-
-
3,097,522
Fund-raising
11,247,244
-
-
11,247,244
Management and general
12,388,179
81,066,372
-
93,454,551
Grants to affiliates
34,870,696
TOTAL EXPENSES
77,865,599
- (34,870,696)
-
764,926,244 (34,870,696)
807,921,147
(Decrease) increase in net assets before foreign currency translation loss (48,772,376) 21,559,534
-
(27,212,842)
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)
-
(58,301,228)
81,237 (58,382,465)
Decrease in net assets (48,691,139)
(36,822,931)
-
(85,514,070)
Net assets at beginning of year 565,890,175
765,822,607
-
1,331,712,782
NET ASSETS AT END OF YEAR
$517,199,036 $728,999,676
$
- $1,246,198,712
FROM PASSION TO ACTION YEAR IN REVIEW 2018 31
executive /management team EXECUTIVE TEAM Janice Weinman, appointed in June 2012 as the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of Hadassah, has over 40 years of experience in the not-for-profit and government sectors. 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 Corporate 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. Janice also previously served as Executive Director and CEO of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), a nationwide grassroots network of more than 170,000 members and 800 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 as the assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Education in both the Carter and Clinton Administrations. She has held many leadership positions in civic and community organizations, including as an inaugural board member of the Hadassah Foundation, Chair of the Board of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, Chair 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 a bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University and master’s and doctorate degrees from Harvard University. Ron Aloni, Chief Financial and Operations Officer, has more than 17 years of experience in the corporate and not-for-profit sector, first as a senior manager at KPMG and Ernst & Young and most recently as the Chief Financial Officer at the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in both the United States and Israel, Ron earned his bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Psychology from Tel Aviv University in Israel and his MBA in Strategic Management from the Lubin School of Business at Pace University in New York. Ron is also a member of the New York State Society of CPAs Not-for-Profit Committee and was invited to present in various not-for-profit events. Sheryl Zeligson, Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel, has been with Hadassah since 1992. Prior to Hadassah, Sheryl 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 BA in Political Science. Sheryl was awarded a JD 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. In fall 2018, Sheryl was an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. 32 ANNUAL REPORT
MANAGEMENT TEAM Naomi Brunnlehrman is the Director of PRogramming, Advocacy, Zionism and Education (PRAZE). 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 tri-lingual interpreter, a past Assistant Vice President at KeyCorp, a Software Conversion Project Specialist for over 10 years and most recently an Education Director at DOROT. Naomi has a master’s in Jewish Studies from the Graduate School of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and has an advanced certificate in Jewish Philanthropy from Yeshiva University. Sheryl Hoffman is the Director of Marketing and Communications. Sheryl has over 35 years experience in marketing agencies, corporate and non-profit organizations. Prior to joining Hadassah, Sheryl was the Director of External Affairs at Teachers College, Columbia University, and the Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at the Jewish National Fund. Sheryl is a past president of her synagogue and has also served on various boards and committees, including at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Sheryl graduated from Rutgers University with a BA in Communications. Bart R. Minsky is the Chief Human Resources Officer. He has over 30 years of Human Resources experience, including Chief Human Resources Officer and other senior HR leadership roles. Prior to joining Hadassah, Bart served as a Human Resources consultant to the health-care industry and before that was Vice President of Human Resources at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. He graduated from the University at Albany with a BA in Economics and from the New York Institute of Technology
with an MS in Labor and Industrial Relations. Bart holds Senior Human Resources certifications from the HR Certification Institute and the Society for Human Resources Management. Joshua W. Rednik, CFP® is the Chief Development Officer. He has more than 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector, managing organizations and developing and executing multi-million-dollar fundraising campaigns. Prior to joining Hadassah, Josh served as President and CEO of the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation (DRIF), where he and his team raised over $60 million from foundations, corporations and individuals in support of DRIF’s mission to cure type 1 diabetes. Josh is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis with a BA in Psychology and received his MSS in Social Service at Bryn Mawr College. He is a Certified Financial PlannerTM professional, having received an Executive Certificate in Financial Planning from Georgetown University. Rabbi Rebecca W. Sirbu is the Director of Member and Unit Services. Selected as one of the “Most Inspirational Rabbis in America” by The Forward Newspaper, She comes to Hadassah after being the Director of Clal’s Rabbis Without Borders. She is also the founder of RabbiCareers. com and The Gender Equity in Hiring Project. She is an expert voice on social media,and a speaker and writer on a variety of issues related to religion in America today. She is published in several books. Previously, Rebecca was the founding director of the MetroWest Jewish Health and Healing Center and the Director of the Center for Jewish Life at JCC MetroWest in West Orange, New Jersey. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Vassar College, she holds a master’s degree and ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, is a volunteer organization that inspires a passion for and commitment to the land, the people, and the future of Israel. Through education, advocacy, and youth development, and its support of medical care and research at Hadassah Medical Organization, Hadassah enhances the health and lives of people in Israel, the United States and worldwide.
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