Hadassah Southern California

May 2023

Message from the President

Hadassah Friends,

I am currently traveling in Israel and feel so fortunate to have been here on Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) to remember Israel’s fallen soldiers, as well as to celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel’s 75th Independence Day. What a wonderful day it was, filled with music, fireworks and celebration throughout the country!

Yesterday I was given a wonderful tour of Hadassah Neurim, one of Hadassah's Youth Aliyah villages (the other is Meir Shfeyah). Hadassah Neurim Village is about 1,400 acres, located near the beach just north of Netanya. There are 400 students living in 11 dorm buildings, some of which have been recently remodeled, and boy do they look great! The students at Neurim are given the opportunity to participate in wonderful programs such as Surf Club, Robotics, Dog Rehabilitation, gardening, and so much more. They even have their own radio station where students provide music, interviews and more.

The curriculum and classrooms at Neurim have been overhauled to provide students with an education that will put them on the path to relevant careers such as engineering, data analysis, computer science and more. I even had the opportunity to experience the brand new immersive classroom that recently opened. Wow! What a great interactive way to learn.

The wide range of opportunities available to students have helped increase the matriculation rate at the village from 28% to 72% over the past 5 years. What a fabulous accomplishment. We, as members, should be very proud of what is provided to these students at Hadassah Neurim. Take a look at some of the photos I took below, and the make sure to view the ‘video of the month’ about the Dog Rehabilitation program.

Wishing you a great month of May.

Audrey Levine
Region President, Hadassah Southern California
ABLevine@hadassah.org

Here are some wonderful photos from my trip!

The outside of one of the newly remodeled dorms

The dining hall that is currently being remodeled

90 Students are part of the Surf Club

Classrooms are being remodeled and redesigned

Veronica (from Ukraine) and Vera (from Moscow) learning together as part of the award-winning Robotics Club

Students created pond for hydroponics

Video of the Month

Click to view Hadassah Neurim Dog Rehab with 
Past Hadassah National President Marcie Natan

Social Media

Hadassah Southern California:
facebook.com/HadassahSC

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

Meet YOUR Southern California Leaders

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

Every month, in no particular order, I will share the profiles of the amazing women on this year's Hadassah Southern California Board so that we can get to know each other better.

Lisa Hoffman (Leadership Vice President) is a Philadelphia girl, born and raised, but after meeting her L.A. husband there, they moved here. They have lived in Calabasas for thirty-one years. During that time, she had volunteered for many organizations, but when she attended her first Hadassah meeting and walked out as the Tribute Card Chair, it was bashert! Lisa knew she was destined to be on a Hadassah board doing good things with good women for good causes. We’re so glad for that first meeting. Through Hadassah, Lisa has found purpose, strength and passion while discovering the privilege of doing so. It’s doing something bigger than herself while continuing her family’s legacy of tzedakah as she models those values for her children. At home, Lisa enjoys spending time with her husband and sons (when they’re home) and her fabulous puppy. She likes baking, reading, connecting with friends, and dreaming of travel. Happy Dreams, Lisa!

Debbie Orgen (Desert Area President) is from the San Fernando Valley but has spent the past thirteen years living in the Palm Desert area. Hadassah fulfills Debbie’s big three passions: medicine, Judaism, and Israel. Her Hadassah joy comes from that fabulous mixture. She can use her skills to create a meaningful life among other women with similar values. She gives and receives like inhaling and exhaling. Outside Hadassah Debbie loves to walk, cook, entertain, as well as share time, space and conversation with the people who make a difference in her life. Her “aha” Hadassah moment came several years ago while sitting at a table with women she did not know only to discover they were also looking for kosher food places in the desert. They shared and became ‘besties.’ She’s the kind of woman who keeps us going.

Kay Gordon (Board Member at large) moved from Chicago over eighty-five years ago and now lives in Chatsworth. Kay has been involved with Hadassah on many levels over the years and still remains active even though her group members have scattered to various other living arrangements now. As a Group President many times, Kay makes sure to keep the interest and donations active. Her Hadassah moments keep coming and inspiring her to continue and to inspire others - new and seasoned. Her pleasures are deep and personal: the kids, grandkids, the great grands, her happy fulfilling life and Hadassah purpose. We’re glad to know Kay.

Hadassah Happenings

Illuminating the Dark and Celebrating our Light:
A Birthday Party for Israel's 75th

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Hadassah Magazine Discussion: Israel at 75: Successes and Challenges. A special conversation on Israel’s towering achievements as well as its ongoing struggles to define itself and its role in the Middle East. Panelists include prominent American Israeli writer Yossi Klein Halevi, author of The New York Times best-selling Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor; Isabel Kershner, New York Times correspondent in Jerusalem and author of The Land of Hope and Fear: Israel's Battle for Its Inner Soul; and activist and influencer Hen Mazzig, author of The Wrong Kind of Jew: A Mizrahi Manifesto. Thursday, May 18, 9:30am Pacific. Click here to register.

Mother’s Day is soon! Celebrate your mother — or daughter, grandmother, sister or aunt — with a personalized Mother's Day eCard. Simply visit our eCard Marketplace, make your donation, select an ecard, add a personal message, and with one click, your greeting is on its way.
Send as many eCards as you wish for a minimum donation of $36 — you can send your unlimited Mother’s Day eCards and come back for a full year to send eCards for all occasions and for all ages. Now is the time to wish the special women in your life a happy Mother’s Day — why not make your donation today, select your cards and make their day! https://hadassah.org/ecards

Gift membership boost: As part of Israel's 75th anniversary celebration, we have a gift membership drive with the messaging "a gift membership to Hadassah is an excellent way to share your love of Israel." Bulletin ads and graphics like the one shown here are posted on myHadassah. If you would like us to email you these graphics, contact us at membership@hadassah.org.

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