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Read a message from National President Nancy Falchuk.

Message from Sharone's President

Farewell . . . and Thank You
to Sharone Volunteers

As you know, our program year ended on May 31, 2010. My term as president ended at that time as well. I would like to thank the 2009-2010 board members as well as all of you who have chaired events and worked on committees.

Hadassah is an organization that survives on volunteer effort. Without volunteers, we would not have been able to achieve anything this year.

Next year we will not have a president. We will be instituting a collective leadership group instead. I urge all of you to volunteer for committees and other jobs so that we can continue to support this great organization that does so much good in the world.

Finally, I would like to thank all of the Sharone membership for allowing me the honor of being your President for the last 2 years. I will remain on the board as treasurer, and I hope to see all of you at Sharone events in the coming year.

B'Shalom,

Rebecca King
Immediate Past President
Sharone Hadassah

Message from Hadassah's National President

Maintaining Support in a Climate of Criticism

Dear Sharone Members and Friends:

As President of Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America - an organization that has never wavered in its support of Israel - I find the current climate painful.

For millennia the Jewish people have lived, and often thrived, amid prejudice. But even if we can get along without the respect of others, that doesn't prevent us from desiring it. That is why the mood right now for Israel's supporters in America is so gloomy.

To begin with, Hadassah's representatives in most countries in Europe and South America report growing efforts to delegitimize Israel. Through Hadassah International, an organization of men and women of all faiths, established by HWZOA specifically to build bridges through medicine, Hadassah International leaders stand up to debunk myths about unethical behavior, many of them related to medical care. We have successfully fought European calls for boycotting Israeli doctors and scientists, and practice "health care diplomacy," and in doing so bring to the world's attention Israel as a moral and ethical society. Despite inevitable debates over specific policy questions, that backing at the grassroots level extends to the corridors of power in Washington, where bedrock support for Israel remains the rule rather than the exception.

There are many reasons for this support. Though the media doesn't like to recycle the same vocabulary every day, most Americans know deep down that Israel is the only stable democracy in the Middle East. Americans admire the Jewish state for its self-reliance and its success against great odds. They recognize that it shares America's values.

American support also rests on the efforts of a Jewish community and organizational structure that is spread throughout the US, from Florida to Alaska. Hadassah, for example, is made up of 300,000 households, located in every congressional district, involved in both local affairs and talking to our friends and representatives about Israel.

As the largest nongovernmental employer in Jerusalem, Hadassah is as dedicated today to the building of Israel as our grandmothers and great grandmothers were when the organization began in 1912. We are not Pollyannas who believe Israel is perfect, but we refuse to make every action or decision taken by an Israeli government a test of our love.

Over 1,500 Hadassah convention delegates recently gathered in Florida at our National Convention, where we reaffirmed our support for Israel in spirit and in practice. We explored what actions we can take to protect its image in the world. We discussed our health and education programs, including construction of the Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower, the new medical facility we will dedicate in Jerusalem in 2012. And we talked about our youth movement, Young Judaea, a pillar of Taglit-Birthright, and how to strengthen the ties between American Jewish youth and the Jewish state.

Neither Hadassah nor the other dedicated Jewish organizations in America can convince everyone in an indifferent or hostile world that Israel's security concerns are legitimate. But we firmly believe that a world in which Israel and the Jewish people are respected is a world that is better for everyone.

To see my most recent podcast, as well as those from the archives, go to our site and choose "Message from the President" from the Read About It section of our new website. Just log on to stay in touch.

B'Shalom!

Nancy Falchuk
Hadassah National President

Our Leaders

Treasurer:
Rebecca King

Mail Receivers:
Penina Stern and Miriam Marr

Communications:
Marilyn Goodman (e-letter) and
Corinne Sherman (Postcards for events)

Recording Secretary:
Rena Whiteson

Financial Secretary:
Sarah Joelson

Membership:
Rita Sauvage and Helen Baer

Printing & Mailing:
Barb Green

Records Administrator:
Sheryl Rattner

Table for Twelve:
Kay Fireman

Cards & Certificates:
Marlene Burak

Fundraising:
Jane Jacobson

Website, Publicity, and End of Year Solicitation Letter:
Eleanor Weber Dickman

Chanukah Party:
Diane Rauchwerger

Volunteers to Share Board Meetings in 2010:

Beginning with August, we decided to have Board Meetings on the second Wednesday of the month.