Hello Pacific Northwest Hadassah women! 

We are very excited to present our first Region Newsletter of the year.  Take a look and see what’s happening in PNW!

Evolve Hadassah in Portland

• The new Evolve community in Portland is beginning to flourish. Earlier in the year, they had an inspirational gathering with special guest Atorney General Ellen Rosenblum who spoke about women’s rights, women’s health and other issues affecting Oregon women. Stephanie Malka-Gordon, an Evolve Fellow from Las Vegas, flew in as a special speaker.
• On April 14, over 20 women gathered at The Canopy for the Fill Your Vessel event to hear an inspirational speaker discussing women in the Talmud and the Torah. Then they were given a lesson in floral design and made gorgeous flower arrangements.
• Summer BBQ at a local park for families and multi-generational Hadassah members, details coming soon!

Seattle Chapter

• Open Chapter Meetings for Members Monthly on Zoom - click here to register. 
• Wednesday, May 8:  7:00 pm – 8:15 pm
• Sunday, June 9: 10:00 am – 11:15 am
• New Special Interest Group: Seattle Hadassah Walks, starting May 19 - click here to register.
• Planning Summer event for Supporters in the Annual Giving program. Tentative date: sometime in July.
• To get involved in the Seattle Book group, which meets in person on the third Saturday of each month at 11:00 am, contact SeattleHadassahReads@gmail.com. They will be reading The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker before their May 19 meeting. They are reading The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride before their June 16 meeting. 

Shalom Chapter in Vancouver

• Talmud Study Group: members bring a page of Talmud from the previous month that was meaningful to them and we study and discuss together, relating ancient wisdom to modern times. 
• Ladies Who Lunch: we get together at a different local restaurant each month to sample the local offerings and schmooze.
• Jewish Women Study Group: on the third Wednesday of the month, we meet to study two great Jewish women – from Israeli athletes to American athletes to the Matriarchs. 
• Handicrafters: our group is headed up by Co-President Marcialee Gans. We meet to knit, crochet, and sew items to donate to a local women’s shelter. 
• Shalom Chapter Book Club: we meet once a month virtually to discuss a book written by a Jewish author or with significant Jewish themes. For more information and to get on the mailing list for books to read and the Zoom link, please contact ShalomChapterHadassah@gmail.com.

Hadassah's Next Generation

Are you or do you know a young woman in the Pacific Northwest? You may have heard of the Hadassah movement happening nationwide to engage our next generation of empowered women to lead us into the future. The program is called Evolve Hadassah. These vivacious, passionate women are in their 20's-40's, working together to make a difference, support Israel, advocate for women's health, combating antisemitism and foster transformational change, while cultivating lifelong connections and community.

We are excited to bring younger, like-minded women together in cities in Oregon, Washington and others in the region. We are asking for your help to identify women in this age group who are interested in partnering with us to plan some Evolve events this year. Please share names of women who would be interested in creating this new community or participating in fun and meaningful events. pnwinfo@hadassah.org.

PNW Leaders Are On the Move!

Kate Badenoch (right) – Co-President of the Vancouver Chapter

Julie Chivo (left) – President of the Seattle Chapter

Tami Rabin (back left) - Past Region President with her fellow region presidents

One Book, One Hadassah

Did you know Hadassah also has a national book club led by the editors of Hadassah Magazine? They invite prominent Jewish authors to speak about their books. The conversation is both interesting and lively and there’s usually time to ask the author questions.

The next event is on Wednesday, May 29 at 10:30 am PT when Hadassah Magazine Executive Editor Lisa Hostein leads a panel of top English-language journalists in Israel who, since October 7, have been reporting on the aftermath of the Hamas terror attacks, from the plight of the hostages and their families to the war in Gaza and the North and the repercussions for Israeli civilians and soldiers. Ruth Marks Eglash (Jewish Insider), Uriel Heilman (JTA) and Jessica Steinberg (The Times of Israel), all regular contributors to Hadassah Magazine, will share their experiences living in and covering Israel post-October 7.

This event is free and open to all. Zoom captioning will be provided. Register at events.hadassah.org/behindtheheadlines.

Hadassah Israel Trips

Nine trips to Israel are being planned for 2024, including a very special visit focused on music, art and cuisine led by our very own past region president Peg Elefant. The November 10 - 20 trip will include a visit to the Ein Hod artists village, an overnight in Safed, a cooking workshop in a Druze village, and of course wine tasting. Find more information here. There’s a $600 discount for the first 25 people to register!

End the Silence Campaign

Hadassah’s #EndTheSilence campaign succeeded in raising awareness of the facts regarding the horrific use of sexual violence by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Organized action was taken by Hadassah women and supporters on March 8, 2024, International Women’s Day, and our voices were heard around the world. On that day, 189 events held in 23 cities in 17 countries, including the United States, were recorded with one voice shouting to End The Silence on Sexual Violence.

On March 12, 2024, a petition created by Hadassah was delivered to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres demanding action, justice and accountability for the sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas on October 7, 2023. This petition was signed by almost 130,000 Hadassah supporters and 116 organizations in 118 countries. If you have not yet signed the #EndTheSilence petition, please do so at hadassah.org/endthesilence#Petition

Long before the Hamas attack, Hadassah’s Bat Ami Center for Victims of Sexual Abuse has worked to heal sexual abuse victims physically, mentally and emotionally with advanced treatment methods. Since October 7, the Center has advised extensively on treatment of survivors and of returning hostages. Launched in response to the war, Hadassah’s Bridge to Resilience program is a mental health initiative, including an emergency PTSD support center; expanded mental health staff; specialized trauma treatment training for mental health professionals, and emergency mental health hotlines.

In addition, the Gandel Rehabilitation Center has recently began its phased opening by welcoming patients to its War-Wounded Department.There, experts in a wide range of therapies will care for military and civilian casualties using the latest equipment and technologies.

When completed, the 323,000-square-foot, eight-story Gandel center will care for 10,000 patients annually in four in-patient units with a total of 140 beds – a 250% increase for HMO – and an out-patient clinic able to serve 250 patients a day.

The Gandel Center will offer a host of special treatments along with physical and occupational therapy, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy and respiratory and orthopedic rehabilitation. There will be a PTSD center and rehabilitation for neurological problems caused by brain, spinal cord and nervous system injuries, which HMO’s doctors estimate 70% of rehabilitation patients will have.

To financially support Hadassah in our important work, please consider giving to the End The Silence campaign.

Real Stories, Amazing Breakthroughs!

Check out Hadassah Podcasts! Hadassah On Call takes listeners behind the scenes at Hadassah hospitals in Jerusalem. Meet the health care superheroes who save lives every day. Hear how Hadassah innovations are saving lives. And learn tips for staying healthy. From secrets to living better as we age to sleep disorders and women's health, stay ahead of the curve with Hadassah On Call.

Advocate with Hadassah

Advocate and take action for the issues you believe in with Hadassah at hadassah.org/get-involved/advocate-take-action.

Hadassah has members in every Congressional District. If you are interested in having your voice heard, visit Hadassah’s National Action Center providing email messages to elected officials on many issues, including women’s health care, support for Israel, standing up to antisemitism on college campuses and in our communities. Enter your information and the emails will be sent for you. Let your elected officials know where you stand on the issues that are important to you.

Visit the National Action Center regularly and sign your name to the initiatives that have been added since your last visit. It takes only a few minutes of your time to speak your mind and impact outcomes. Together we can bring about change through legislation that matters.

Are you looking to get involved with Hadssah in your community?
Contact us here: pnwinfo@hadassah.org

Support Hadassah's Projects - Become an Annual Giver

Annual Givers embrace the message “Hadassah Annual Giving – where compassion meets commitment.” Consider the impact that a commitment of only $15 per month can make. To become an Annual Giver, enroll online or complete the application and choose the Hadassah project you want to support.

Hadassah’s 2024 National Conference will be in Las Vegas from July 28-30!

Join us for only-in-Vegas experiences, top-tier speakers, and something new – Freestyle Events, with the flexibility of à la carte scheduling.
More details coming soon.

If you are a young woman living in the Pacific Northwest and are looking to connect with like-minded women, build life-long friendships and make an impact in your community and in Israel, we want to hear from YOU! Contact us at pnwinfo@hadassah.org or call 310.276.0036.