Hadassah Southern California

February 2023

Message from the President

Friends,

I am honored to serve as your new Hadassah Southern California Region President and am humbled to walk in the footsteps of so many past presidents, many of whom have served (and continue to serve) as role models to me over the years. I am excited to work with our fabulous HSC Region Board, our area leadership, and very capable staff to further the important work that we do in Hadassah. (Be sure to check out the section “Meet YOUR Southern California leaders” just below this message). When I joined Hadassah 25 years ago, I never imagined that one day I would serve in this role. I am grateful for the opportunities I have been afforded as a Hadassah volunteer that have prepared me to serve in this exciting, challenging position.

In January, I traveled to Florida for Hadassah’s National Assembly meetings. The four days were filled with new information, Israel updates, trainings, brainstorming, networking – all with a sisterhood of Hadassah leaders committed to keeping Hadassah on the forefront of health and research, advocacy and education, Israel and Zionism. What a fantastic way to begin my term.

February is known as American Heart Health month, a time when we can focus on our cardiovascular health. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, where one person dies every 34 seconds from cardiovascular disease. In Israel, heart disease has now replaced cancer as the leading cause of death. Cardiovascular disease is often under-diagnosed and under-treated in women. Female patients are less likely than men to undergo cardiovascular screening tests, receive interventional treatment or be given cardiac rehabilitation referrals.

Hadassah Medical Organization’s Linda Joy Pollin Cardiovascular Wellness Center for Women, located at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem, works to prevent heart disease and to promote women’s heart health, health equity and well-being. The Pollin Center, an outpatient clinic for women with heart disease or at risk of contracting it, is a source of numerous community outreach programs that teach women how to maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle. In addition, it’s a female-focused research center that examines the distinctive and often unique ways women experience heart disease and the factors that put them at risk.

In honor of International Women’s Day, Dr. Donna Zfat-Zwas, cardiologist and Director of the Pollin Center, and four other leading female cardiologists were interviewed by Onlife, a well-known online Hebrew-language magazine that promotes women and their social impact in Israel. The online article featured a heart-to-heart conversation with cardiologists who run women's heart clinics in Israel. You can read about the interview here: https://www.lev-isha.org/inspirational-advice-for-women-about-heart-disease-in-honor-of-international-womens-day/.

Wishing you a happy and heart-healthy month!

Audrey Levine

Region President, Hadassah Southern California
ABLevine@hadassah.org

Check out our social media!

Hadassah Southern California:
facebook.com/HadassahSC

Hadassah West:
facebook.com/HadassahWestGeo
instagram.com/HadassahWestGeo

Check out the Video of the Month: State of the Heart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgLKYQIHj-g

Meet YOUR Southern California Leaders

Meet The Women Who Do – HSC '23
By Ronnie Katz Gerber, Marketing and Communication Chair

This month I'm going to introduce three busy members of our Hadassah Southern California Board. Every month, in no particular order, I hope to share the profiles of the amazing women on this year's board so that we can get to know each other better.

Elise Feldscher (Vice President of Finance, Area Resource Advisor: Metro and Long Beach/Orange County) is our Southern Belle, born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. She attended UT Austin, in Texas. She met her husband Steve at a bar -a good bar, the kind that’s sponsored as a Jewish Singles meet. She sat down at his table. Bashert. They now live in Calabasas, and she attends meetings almost everywhere. She has traveled across the country from Philadelphia to Houston, to Dallas, to the next Hadassah meeting. That’s because she loves spending time with her Hadassah sisters when she’s not spending time with her fabulous grandson. The joy she gets from doing Hadassah work often comes from the laughter while we learn. The atmosphere is so positive that it grows each time and has developed into friendships that include lunch and dinner get-togethers. On the professional side, Elise has gone from selling kid’s and men’s clothes to being a receptionist in a brokerage firm then becoming a stockbroker herself. She has also done bookkeeping for a client who does dog voice overs for commercials and movies. Diverse, no?

Terry Whitten (Vice President of Membership, Area Resource Advisor: Sabra of the Desert, Kaleidoscope Chair) is a New Yorker, born in the Bronx (Yay Yankees) and grew up in Yonkers. For the past thirty-six years she has resided in San Diego. Interestingly, Hadassah is high on Terry’s joy list for what it does for her. It nourishes her Zionism, her Judaism, her feminism, her professionalism, and a warm need for simpatico friends. Now, that’s a full course of JOY. On the personal side, Terry derives deep joy from her children and grandchildren. They fill her with love. Her friendships and extended family relationships sustain her with love, laughter, and caring-especially since her husband passed away. Terry has been active in Hadassah Southern California since our inception. These are deep roots, committed in the soil of growth and productivity that is Hadassah. She enjoys the challenges, the accomplishments, and the opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others. More so, it manages to keep her from depending on her children for happiness. Hadassah does that.

Cindy Hailpern (Advocacy Chair) is a native Californian, born up north in Los Altos. Now she resides down south in Sun City, Shadow Hills, Indio. Her Hadassah joy is knowing that her work is helping so many people in Israel and that her work helps pass important legislation here for there. She works and gives locally to make a difference globally. Of course, her six grandchildren, her family and friends bring personal joy to her; the twenty-one years with Hadassah have given her inner joy. As an advocate, her love for Israel shines through to make Hadassah even better.

Hadassah Happenings

At Hadassah’s January 2023 National Assembly, two new policy statements were passed: Championing Israel’s Right to Exist and Support for Choice in a Post-Roe Landscape. These are two issues which are of central importance to our organization.

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Hadassah has a program for young women (entering 11th or 12th grade) to become Hadassah’s Leaders of Tomorrow. This Award is a highly selective merit-based program, recognized locally and nationally, that gives its winners the opportunity to experience the rich culture and history of Israel and the Jewish people. They receive opportunities to hone their leadership skills, meet with VIPs and give back to their communities in meaningful ways. Our awardees share their impressions and observations as they experience Israel through writing, blogging, and speaking about their personal journeys.

Please share with your family, friends, and local community members who might have a daughter or granddaughter who would benefit from this amazing opportunity. Questions about the 2023 Hadassah Leaders of Tomorrow Award can be directed to youngjudaea@hadassah.org. Application can be found at https://www.hadassah.org/how-we-help/young-judaea/leaders-of-tomorrow-application.

Deadline to apply is February 28, 2023.

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One Book One Hadassah

Join us on Thursday, February 16, 2023 at 4:00 PM Pacific as Hadassah Magazine Executive Editor Lisa Hostein interviews Gabrielle Zevin about her New York Times bestseller Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. Named Amazon’s top book of 2022, the novel centers around the 30-year relationship between Sadie Green, a Jewish woman from Los Angeles, and Sam Masur, her Jewish Korean childhood friend, as they develop a successful video game company. Set against the backdrop of gaming culture, the intricate and imaginative book is a rich character study of an enduring friendship, interspersed with fascinating ideas around contemporary identities, living with disabilities and the need to love and be loved. Zoom captioning provided. This event is free and open to all. Register here!

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What you can do for heart health: Join us on Tuesday, February 28 at 5:00 PM Pacific for "Hadassah ❤️ YOU: Building Healthy Habits Together," a program for American Heart Month. Come together with the Hadassah community nationwide to share ideas, inspirations, secrets, and successes to living a heart-smart lifestyle. You will hear from experts and friends and leave with new heart-centered tools for 2023. Register at https://secure2.convio.net/wzoa/site/Ticketing?view=Tickets&id=110250

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2023 Hadassah Israel Trips

No one knows Israel like Hadassah knows Israel. Hadassah tours offer unforgettable journeys through Israel, whether you’re a first-timer or an experienced Israel traveler.
Click the links below to learn more!

Hadassah Yom Ha’Atzmaut
Celebrating Israel’s 75th Anniversary: From Dream to Reality

Led by Marcie Natan
Joined by Rhoda Smolow & Ellen Hershkin

April 18–28, 2023

Hadassah’s Israel Through BG’s Eyes

Led by Aileen Bormel and accompanied by Barbara “BG” Goldstein

May 8–18, 2023

Hadassah Summer Family Tour to Israel

Led by Carol Rosenthal

June 21 – July 1, 2023

Hadassah Israel Tour Through a Legal Lens with Attorneys and Judges

Led by Randa Maher

July 5–16, 2023

Hadassah Tour of Israel for First Timers

October 11–22, 2023

Hadassah Mothers, Daughters, & Friends

Led by Ellen Hershkin & Lisa Hershkin Roth

October 24 - November 3, 2023

Hadassah Israeli Cultural Curiosity: Music, Art & Cuisine

Led by Peg Elefant & Valerie Lowenstein

November 5–15, 2023

Hadassah Keepers of the Gate Tour to Israel

Led by Linda Freedman Block & Roz Kantor

December 10–19, 2023

Hadassah Winter Family Tour to Israel

December 21–31, 2023

Hadassah Chicago-North Shore & Congregation B'Nai Tikvah Presents

"The Fight for Israel on the Military and Media Battlefields" with Gil Hoffman

Wednesday, February 15, 2023 at 5:00 PM Pacific
Register by February 13th - Event Fee: $18
www.hadassahmidwest.org/CNSIsrael

Join Hadassah Chicago-North Shore and Congregation B'Nai Tikvah for an informative evening with Gil Hoffman, Executive Director of HonestReporting. Gil will educate us on what goes on behind the scenes of Israel's challenges with security, politics, and the international mainstream and social media, how there is hope in spite of it all. Questions? Contact cns@hadassah.org or 847-205-1900.

Order a Certificate Today!

Contact Hadassah West Certificates Chair, Nanci Patchen
Phone: 714-552-6435 Email: nanci.patchen@gmail.com