This issue of our regional newsletter is full of information and invitations to several interesting events across the Greater Southwest Region, the Mountain Southwest Geographical Area, and National’s Drink Pink event for younger Hadassah women. 

The invitation for “Drink Pink,” a Breast Cancer Awareness event developed by Evolve Hadassah, the Next Generation, will take place on the evening of October 7.  Did you know that breast cancer is the second most deadly cancer for women in the US, causing 40,000 deaths each year?  Hadassah researchers confirmed that Ashkenazi Jews have at least a 10 times greater prevalence of BRCA1 gene mutations which can cause breast and ovarian cancer.  At Hadassah, we’re fighting back with three proven strategies: education and awareness, US advocacy, and support for groundbreaking research at the Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO).  Did you know that Hadassah Medical Center’s Dr. Albert Grinshpun was chosen to receive a $200,000 grant for his research on breast cancer that will be co-funded by The Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) and the Conquer Cancer Foundation of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)?  “This grant will allow the Hadassah Breast Cancer research group and me to develop an early diagnosis blood test for the detection of early-stage breast cancer,” said Dr. Grinshpun.  “We aim to change…medical practice by developing an accurate minimally invasive alternative for standard breast biopsy.”

Next, you can make plans to join our Mountain Southwest Geographical Area event, “Ethical Wills: Preserving Your Legacy,” on October 14.  Dr. Dale Marcus will help us define the values we hold dear and what legacy we wish to leave. She suggested we bring a photograph or a piece of memorabilia from a person who taught us something important about life to share.  There are several options for me to bring but one is a necklace that I had made from a ring my mother always wore. It still looks very much like her ring, so when I wore it to my niece’s wedding, my brother commented on it.  I answered that I always like to wear something of hers at family events, like a touchstone, to feel connected to her. My brother responded by pulling out a chain around his neck that had my father’s wedding ring on it.  Love and support of family will definitely be #1 on my list of values, but defining the other important values is proving harder than I thought.  Join us on the 14^th for an inspiring conversation.

Recently Texas and other Southern states have increased their attacks on women’s reproductive rights.  In July 2019, Hadassah addressed reproductive choice in a policy statement that reaffirms our organization’s “unwavering support for full and complete access to reproductive health services and a woman’s right to make health decisions according to her own religious, moral, and ethical values.” To read this comprehensive statement, please go to www.hadassah.org, look under Advocacy, American Affairs Policy Statements, Reproductive Rights. I urge you to contact your elected officials at the state and national level to let you voice be heard. 

Abraham Lincoln said, “Commitment is what turns a promise into reality.” Please read the article by Linda Block about the commitment a generous anonymous donor in our region made by establishing a challenge grant.  I cannot thank her enough for this generous gift of $50,000 which will be used to match new and increased annual giving to support Hadassah research, medical treatment, youth programs, and advocacy. Read Linda’s article to find out more.

And, as always, I thank each of you for your membership and the commitment you have made to Hadassah by gifting us with your time, your talents, and your donations.

Sandra Binder Smith
President,
Hadassah Greater Southwest

by Linda Freedman Block, GSW Annual Giving Chair and
National Keepers of the Gate Chair

I am thrilled to announce a new “Challenge Grant” for any Annual Donor* from a very generous anonymous donor in the Greater Southwest Region!

For every new annual gift or increase to an annual gift that is pledged and paid by an Annual Donor (one who makes an annual commitment as long as he or she is able), our special Donor will match the amount of the increase two to one ($2 to $1), up to a total of $50,000! Our challenge is to raise $25,000 in new and increased annual gifts to receive the $50,000 grant.

The Challenge begins October 1^st. The Annual Giving levels are:
   Chai Society - $180 to $359 annually
   Silver Chai Society - $360 to $999 annually
   Keeper of the Gate - $1,000 to $1,799 annually
   Chai Keeper of the Gate - $1,800 to $2,499 annually
   Silver Keeper of the Gate - $2,500 to $4,999 annually
   Golden Keeper of the Gate - $5,000 and above annually

Not ready to step up to the next level of giving? No problem! You can still participate in the Challenge by increasing your gift in any amount and that increase will also be matched two to one. No amount is too small.

You may designate your Annual Gift to the following places:

Greatest Need
   HMO (Hadassah Medical Organization) for research and operating our hospitals
   Youth Aliyah
   Young Judaea Scholarship

*This special challenge is being offered to members in the Greater Southwest Region, Desert Mountain Region, Central Pacific Coast Region, and the Kansas City Chapter in the Great Plains Region.

Contact me – Greater Southwest Region Annual Giving Chair Linda Freedman Block - at 713-858-5531 orLblock@hadassah.org or our Annual Giving Officer Ian Merles at619.884.1475 or imerles@hadassah.org to let us know the amount you’d like to add to your annual gift.

Nancy Chumin, noted author of children's books and winner of many significant awards, has a new book about to be published, which is of high interest to Hadassah members.  The book, "A Queen to the Rescue, The Story of Henrietta Szold," with compelling illustrations by Yevhenia Nayberg and published by Creston Books, will be released on October 5th, 2021.

The book is designed to help young children draw the connection between the Purim story of Queen Esther to Henrietta Szold, in that Henrietta was inspired by Queen Esther.  Both women took action to help their people and to make life better for the Jews. Children can then be led to understand that taking action, standing up for others, speaking up and doing the right thing, to be upstanders as Queen Esther was - is something that they can do as well.

To this end, Ms. Churnin reports that she is producing a free teacher's guide as well as providing a project called Heal the World with the goal of displaying photos of children doing good deeds.  This project will be displayed on a dedicated page on her website, nancychurnin.com. Nancy states that she would like to get a new generation excited about Henrietta Szold and her legacy.

Nancy Churnin is a life member of Hadassah and a Texas resident.  Please go to her website if you wish to contact her as she is beginning to speak to Hadassah groups around the country.  The book will be available through independent book sellers and online through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  Nancy can also direct inquires to a wholesale distributor for nonprofits.

Ruth Sherman and Sheila Train
Education Co-chairs
GSW Region of Hadassah

This month’s member in the spotlight is Robin Littman from Houston.  When asked to answer some questions about herself and her interest in Hadassah, these are her answers.

I am a retired labor law attorney, past PTA President and Girl Scout Leader, and a Houston native married to a wonderful Wharton native, John Littman. We have twin 28-year-old daughters, one of whom works in Austin in the marketing field and the other who is a volunteer teacher’s aide.  I love travel, music, and reading, and am currently working on a family history project involving my father in law’s recently discovered secret military service. 

My initial interest in Hadassah was to meet other Jewish women for friendship and mentoring. The first event I attended, a fundraiser in September 2001 featuring Henry Winkler, didn’t disappoint.  The room was packed with every age group represented, and the enthusiasm for the organization was clearly evident; I joined that night. My first group was Ma Arav, a night-time west Houston group which best suited my schedule since my twin daughters were elementary school age. I then began attending region conferences where the Hadassah bug bit me hard.  I met incredibly passionate, well-spoken women whose leadership skills I greatly admired.  It was at these conferences that I came to fully understand the good works of Hadassah.  I quickly became a life member, made my daughters life members and my husband John became an associate.

For me the crossroads of Hadassah was Nada Chandler’s weekly leadership chavurah. Nada thoughtfully guided us through Torah study and encouraged us to become leaders. She allowed the participants, who represented a wide spectrum of beliefs, to feel comfortable in expressing their thoughts, particularly their insecurities about their knowledge of Judaism. It is to her credit that all chavurah participants assumed leadership responsibilities at various levels. I cherish the time I spent and the friends I made on all those Sunday mornings.

Because of my new-found relationship to Israel that was fostered by Hadassah, it made sense that our daughters and I hold our B’Nai Mitzvah on Masada; I had spiritually come home.  During that trip, we proudly toured Hadassah Medical Center.  It is the research and treatment being performed there that I am most passionate about because it fulfills tikkun olam, our duty to repair the world.

My path toward leadership began in Ma Arav as I moved from volunteer coordinator to secretary to newsletter editor, and ultimately, to President.  During my presidency, I was co-chair of the Chapter’s Woman of Courage auction. Upon reaching the chapter level, I was a co-Vice President of membership and administrative fundraising, and when I was Vice President of programming, rather than hold a one-time training course, I created a monthly newsletter filled with programming ideas.

The notion of leadership was ingrained in me from my father who believed that joining an organization was never enough; you must grow, you must lead. The noticeable lack of future leaders led me to create and teach a leadership workshop which focused on the why’s and how’s of leadership:  it not only personally connected attendees to the purpose of leadership, but they were also given concrete skills in how to lead.  Almost all participants went on to become group presidents or assume positions of increased responsibility.

My proudest achievement occurred while I was co-chair of Major Gifts:  chairing the multi Region 2012 conference which combined the Greater Southwest Region with the Desert Mountain Region.  I had never worked harder in my life. Nine months of creating and planning every program element and coordinating locally and with region and national personnel. It was worth every drop of sweat as I saw each session greeted with enthusiasm and our fundraising efforts met with great fervor.  It took a village of Hadassah members to pull that off.  I will always be grateful for their contribution to making this such a successful event.

When I moved to the day-time west Houston group, Anne Frank, I headed their annual Fundraiser for two years. And when I reached the region level, I was twice an Area Vice-President, and am currently the region Publicity Chair.

I joined for friendship, but I came away with so much more. Whether it was the mentoring I received, the organizational, leadership, fundraising and speaking skills I gained, the wonderful friendships I made and good times I experienced through group and chapter meetings, the chavurah, and the region and national conferences and conventions or the connection to my faith and Israel I uncovered, Hadassah gave me something that nothing else in my life even came close to:  a belief in myself and what I bring to the table. And Hadassah didn’t just affect my generation. Our daughter Eva’s exposure to my work in Hadassah strengthened her Jewish identity, leading her to the presidency of her college Jewish Student Association. For these gifts I received over the last twenty years, I give thanks by giving back to Hadassah as a Keeper of the Gate, a Chai Society Member, a Founder, and a Legacy Society member.