Dear ,

The 16th Annual Maj-a-Thon

The 16th Annual Maj-a-thon tournament is scheduled for Sunday, January 27 at Adath Jeshurun Congregation, 12:15 –4:30 p.m. The cost is $40 per person and $50 for walk-ins if space is available. This event is a fundraiser benefiting Hadassah Medical Center research. New this year, along with our traditional Maj-a-thon, is “Taste of Maj,” a non-tournament Maj experience. Play Mah Jongg without the time restraints and point scoring while getting acquainted with how the tournament runs! Those who play in the Taste of Maj will be eligible for door prizes but not for the tournament’s hand or top-score prizes. Note:  No instruction will be provided at this event.  To register on-line, click here.  To view the flyer and RSVP via snail mail, click here.

For information or if you have questions, contact Sarene Silver at sarenesilver@comcast.net.

Make your 2019 Fundraising Donation Now!

Although our 2018 fundraising campaign is officially over, it's not too early to donate for 2019! Make this the year you join Hadassah's Chai Society (minimum $180 annually) or become a Keeper (minimum $1,000 annually). Once you've made this commitment, you can pay in one lump sum, twice a year or once a month. National Hadassah will know they can depend on your annual commitment, and you'll know you're helping in Hadassah Hospital's life-saving work.

Remember that all contributions are fully tax deductible, and Hadassah needs your help! Contact Stacey Bush at staceyrbush@gmail.com or Linda Ward at ward4858@yahoo.com with any questions.

Region News:  A Day with Hadassah Upper Midwest

Spend the day with Hadassah Upper Midwest at Hadassah, You & Beyond:  A Day with Hadassah Upper Midwest! Help plan the Region's 2019 Calendar of Events! Our very own Sarene Silver will be leading the Planning Session as part of the Region's Open Board Meeting. Come share your program ideas and interests for our Region! Stay for a delicious lunch and then learn about being Jewish on the University of Minnesota Campus and within the greater community from Minnesota Hillel’s Benjie Kaplan and JCRC’s Ethan Roberts. Have you read the current issue of Hadassah Magazine? Did you notice the article on page 56 about the opening of the new National Comedy Center museum that celebrates the comedic arts? End the day learning and experiencing how laughter can add to staying healthy from Sarah Routman..

Click here for specific information and a registration form, and here to see the Board Meeting announcement. This day is open to all Hadassah members. You can choose to attend all or part of the day. The cost of $18 includes all programming and lunch. For more information, please contact Leslie Strohm, Hadassah Upper Midwest President, at 651-592-0056 or at lstrohm@hadassah.org. Please spread the word to friends who are not online -- no snail mail will be going out.

Cultural Clique

The Cultural Clique encourages people to see the play The Father, which is playing at the Gremlin Theater in St. Paul, January 4-27. The story is of how a child-parent relationship becomes inverted as old age creeps up. The play stars Miriam Schwartz, whom we have seen in many other excellent performances. We can get discount tickets through Goldstar at www.goldstar.com, but supplies are limited. If you would like to go as a group on January 13 at 3 p.m., please contact Merry Forstein at krisfor@gmail.com. We will discuss the play in February at a time and place to be decided.

We are also encouraging people to see the exhibit Egypt’s Sunken Cities at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The exhibit has items from two ancient cities lost to natural disasters for over 1,200 years. It runs through April 14, and tickets are $20 for MIA nonmembers. We are not planning to go as a group to this event.

If you have any questions on either event, contact Sarene Silver at ssilver125@aol.com or 763-544-4012.

Book Chavurot

The Night Club Bookclub meets at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month. Our next gathering will be Thursday, January 3 in the Conference Room at the far right side when you walk in of the Plymouth Library, 15700 36th Avenue N. We will be discussing the book The Address by Fiona Davis. We welcome new members. If you are interested or have questions, please contact Shelly Levine at 612-597-3349 or shellyilevine@msn.com.

The January gathering of the Afternoon Book Group is at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 16, at the Plymouth Library, 15700 36th Avenue N. This month’s book is Waking Lions by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen. We ask everyone to lead the discussion on at least one book a year; please let Sue know your 2019 choice.  We welcome new members.  Questions? Contact Sue Garnett, 952-545-1435 or at  nettgar1@gmail.com.

The Henrietta Szold book group is a lively bunch of men and women who meet at 1 p.m. on the 4th Wednesday of every month in the Knollwood Place Apartments boardroom. Our book list is varied, and all the book titles chosen are available in regular and large print, audio, and downloadable formats with many copies in the Library system. Many of our participants use the volunteer delivery system offered by the Hennepin County Libraries. While not everyone finishes reading each of our titles, we have great discussions based on the themes in each book. The book for Wednesday, January 23 will be House of Spies, a mystery by Daniel Silva. Please feel free to join us.If you are not on our contact list, call Debby Wolk at 612-925-7932 or e-mail her at tzvibo@aol.com for more information.

360 Degrees of Healing

National Hadassah has a new capital campaign, “360 Degrees of Healing.” The three-year Full Circle of Healing will revitalize Hadassah Hospital’s original Round Building. Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) will be able to add 200 new beds, renovate 17 operating rooms, expand treatment offerings, create larger rooms to give patients more privacy and reduce the risk of infection, help better protect the hospital from earthquakes or attack, and more.

Donations, which are separate from other giving, are vital to this effort. If you’d like to be part of the opportunity, go to www.hadassah.org, click on the “Health & Medicine” button, and scroll down to the “360 Degrees of Healing” information.

First-Ever Craft Co-op Double Feature!

Remember the old Doublemint Gum commercial? Well, “Double your pleasure, double your fun,” at the Craft Co-op double feature in January! Our first show will be Sunday, January 20 at the Hadassah Upper Midwest Region Day at the St. Paul JCC. The Craft Co-op will be open from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. for a lunch-and-shop break! Our second show will be Sunday, January 27 at the annual Maj-A-thon, at Adath Jeshurun Congregation, 12:15–4:30 p.m. We will be there for the whole program, so in between rounds of Maj, come on over!

Our inventory includes (but is not limited to) aprons and housewares, baby and children items, bags and totes, jewelry and Judaica, scarves and hats, home décor, and all-natural soap! There is something beautiful for everyone, created by our fabulous Hadassah crafters. If you can’t make it to either event, you can arrange private appointments by contacting Sara Bernstein, 612-825-2568 or at hadassahcraftcoop@gmail.com.

Order 2019 Mah Jongg Cards to Benefit Hadassah

The National Mah Jongg League will make a charitable donation in the form of a rebate for Mah Jongg cards ordered by individuals submitted in one order.  Hadassah does not benefit if membership is done online or through the mail by individuals. Hadassah Minneapolis receives $2 for each membership plus a $15 bonus.  For many years, Hadassah Minneapolis has been receiving a rebate through this program. Last year’s was $521!

2019 Mah Jongg cards are now available for purchase and may be ordered in two sizes. A standard card/membership is $8 and a large card/membership is $9. Cards are mailed directly to your address.  To order, send a check made out to Ronna Locketz (not Hadassah), 4740 Walnut Grove Lane N, Plymouth, MN 55446. The deadline is January 27.

Ronald McDonald House Is Looking for Your Help

Hadassah has been serving meals every Thursday at the Ronald McDonald House on the University of Minnesota campus (East Bank) for over 30 years. We’ve had captains and teams preparing, warming and serving up to 100 people--patients and their families, all this time quietly fulfilling a Hadassah mission of helping to heal and support the sick here at “home.” We have lost several teams for various reasons and need more teams, so we are reaching out and asking you to step up, pitch in, and have fun at the same time. Tasks include cooking on site or providing cooked food that is purchased from a professional resource such as Costco, Sam’s Club, Cub, etc., delivering the meal to the House and providing servers to dish up, clean up, and smile with good cheer and well wishes to family, staff, and most of all the patients undergoing treatment in nearby University hospitals. Talk to one of our captains, Terry Hallfin at 763-588-5597 or e-mail her at terrybmn@visi.com to find out how you can be a part of this worthwhile endeavor. Ronald is waiting to hear from you. Don’t think about it -- just give it a try!

Membership

Hadassah believes that when we empower women, they can heal the world.  Each of us, as Hadassah members, can play a role in Tikun Olam, healing the world.  Just go to www.hadassah.org, find the red menu across the top of the home page, and then click on Take Action.  Pick an issue that you feel strongly about and are willing to advocate for.  Help heal the world!

Hadassah, the power of women who do!

For more information about membership, please contact Terry Hallfin at terrybmn@visi.com.

Walking Group

You know your New Year’s Resolution, the one about getting more exercise? Well, Hadassah can help! We have an active walking group that meets Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 10:30 to 11:30. We are very flexible; come when you can. We welcome new walkers and are always glad to see you whether you come every time or only once in a while. If you can’t walk for the whole hour, leave when you want. During the winter, we walk inside -- even though we are hardy Minnesotans, we want our walks to be a little more aerobic than the “Minnesota shuffle." For more information, contact Terry Hallfin at terrybmn@visi.com.

Education News:  Cybersecurity Awareness

As a follow up to our November 11 education program on cybersecurity, panelist Darel Gustafson, Deputy Chief Information Security Officer at HealthPartners, has given us some disturbing facts and useful tips about creating secure passwords.  Click here to get this information, and then keep it handy.  Stay safe online in 2019!

Community Events

Knollwood Place Apartments is looking for “new” used books to update its library areas on the first floor and in the various reading areas on the residential floors. The libraries need popular fiction, nonfiction, and biographies. Works of Jewish and Israeli interest are most welcome. They cannot use textbooks.  If you have used books you are willing to donate, please contact Ellen Etzkin at 952-250-3104 or Etzkin44@gmail.com.

Save the Dates

Sunday, March 31 — Hadassah Minneapolis challah-baking program at Beth El Synagogue, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Rabbi Davis will teach us how to make his famous challah and how to dazzle your family with a 4-braid or 6-braid challah! Watch for more information or call Phyllis Harris at 763-545-8369.

2019 Israel Missions -- fabulous discounts!   Hadassah is proud to announce that generous discounts for most of our 2019 Missions are now available! With one of our most exciting selections in recent years, participants may choose from a Youth Aliyah-focused Mission, a Purim Mission, a Yom Ha’Atzmaut Mission, a first-time joint Hadassah/JNF Family Tour, and more. Most missions have discounted rates, and further reductions are available for early registrants. Don’t forget to invite your family and friends!  For more information, click here.

Office Depot Discount for Hadassah Minneapolis Members

Office Depot has offered our members a non-profit discount on over 2,000 items. The flyer with the discount card can be viewed and printed by clicking here.  Take it to Office Depot. They will laminate the card for free, too. You still will have to pay taxes on your purchases. This card entitles you to a discount if available.  Contact Judy Edwards, Office Manager, Hadassah Upper Midwest, 612-759-5357, if you have questions.

Perpetual Yahrzeits at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem

When a loved one dies, please consider directing memorial gifts to Hadassah. The spirit of your family member or friend will live on in the lives that you help to enrich and to save! All donations will be promptly acknowledged to the donor and provided to the family of the deceased. A “Perpetual Yahrzeit” can be purchased with a one-time contribution of $1000. Kaddish will be said annually in the Abbell Synagogue at the Hadassah Hospital in Ein Kerem. Advance yahrzeits can be purchased at any time for yourself or a loved one.  We Americans are culturally deprived when it comes to death and dying. For information on Hadassah's Perpetual Yahrzeit program call the Hadassah Minneapolis office at 952-924-4999 or click here. Memorial contributions of any amount may also be mailed to Hadassah Minneapolis, 5905 Golden Valley Rd. 

It's a Win-Win for You and Hadassah!

Become a taste-tester for Tasteocracy, formerly Food Perspectives, Inc. Every time you qualify for and participate in a survey, you will be paid an incentive of approximately $35 to $85, based upon the time the survey session takes. In addition to that amount, Hadassah Minneapolis will be paid $10. Men and women who sign up to be testers must be between the ages of 18 and 84. If you are interested in participating -- or know someone (friend, relative, son, daughter, grandchild, etc.) who would like to participate -- registration can be done on-line at www.tasteocracy.com. To sign up, click on Join button at the top. After you enter your personal information, choose Plymouth, MN as the “Closest testing location," select Yes in the "Make Donation" space, “Religion HADASSAH-MINNEAPOLIS CHAPTER” in the “I am fundraising for” space, and "Partial payment of $10" in the following space. If you prefer to register by phone, please call Tasteocracy at 763-354-2776.  Remember, this is a fundraiser that is a “win” for Hadassah and for the participant.

Cards, Certificates, and JNF Trees and Blue Boxes

Have you noticed greeting card prices going higher and higher? Do you know you can send cards through our chapter that will support Hadassah and Israel instead of a business? Support our Hadassah Chapter by buying your birthday, sympathy, get well, mazel tov and other greeting cards through your Hadassah card contacts listed below. Our prices are the most reasonable around and all the money goes to Hadassah!! Prices are $5 each or 3 for $12. JNF certificates are $18. Cards are available at board meetings and Hadassah events. If you wish you can call or email card contacts below who will sign and mail the card out upon receiving your check. Malinsky cards for cancer research are available for $10 each. We have a large selection of attractive certificates ranging from $10-$500 and up that are customized to the message you wish to send. There is $1.00 charge for postage. Please contact the Certificate person below to honor/remember someone with a beautiful Hadassah Certificate.  You can also order certificates online through Hadassah website at www.hadassah.org, click on Donate, then Other Ways to Give, then Personalized Certificates. Be sure to designate Hadassah Minneapolis when prompted. There you can choose to send certificates to be sent via email or through the mail.

Malinsky Cards: Ronna Locketz ronnalocketz@gmail.com or at 612-730-6418

Cards (Knollwood Place): Maurine Ziv maurineziv@gmail.com or 952-938-2550

Cards or Certificates: Ronna Locketz ronnalocketz@gmail.com or 763-544-5439

JNF Trees: Sheryl Cohen stelladoob@gmail.com or 612-298-5597

Contribution envelopes or Bea Rossen Youth Aliyah Fund: Sheryl Cohen stelladoob@gmail.com or 612-298-5597

If you have a full JNF Blue Box that needs to be emptied, contact Ellen Etzkin at etzkin44@gmail.com or 952-935-7767.

E-mail Addresses

If you have Hadassah member friends not receiving the monthly Hadassah Minneapolis emails, please forward this newsletter to them and encourage them to sign up by contacting the office at 952-924-4999 or at umregion@hadassah.org.

View our Hadassah Minneapolis website at www.hadassah.org/minneapolis.

Like Hadassah on Facebook.