what s news New Faces of the Jewish Family Today: Intermarriage in a Context of Change Guest Speaker Dr. Sylvia Barack Fishman

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1 Hadassah s Second Century Choose Your Impact what s news INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Merrimack Valley Chapter of Hadassah Fall 2014 MV Autumn Brunch Fundraiser...1 Contact information..2 Speaker Bio /RSVP..3 President s Message..4 Hadassah Rosh Hashanah Cards..5 Hadassah All Occasion Cards. 5 Upcoming Events...6 Hadassah Book Groups and Chai Groups... 7 Save the Dates...8 JNF Trees....8 Event Recap....9 Chai Society...10 Keeper of the Gate/ Annual Giving.11 Open Your Heart Necklace..12 Hadassah Advocacy News From Israel.14 Hadassah Membership...15 Calendar.16 New Faces of the Jewish Family Today: Intermarriage in a Context of Change Guest Speaker Dr. Sylvia Barack Fishman Sunday September 14, :00 AM- 2:00 PM Wyndham Andover 123 Old River Road, Andover, Massachusetts Please join us at our Autumn Brunch Fundraiser for Hadassah for this timely and important presentation by an international expert on Jewish families Open to Hadassah members, associates, spouses and friends We will also present the 2014 Merrimack Valley Chapter of Hadassah Woman of the Year Award to Sondra Finegold RSVP by September 8, 2014 Your check is your reservation for this special event Donations to Hadassah are needed now more than ever given Hadassah s important role in Israel and the world. We thank you for mailing your donation checks along with your RSVP card even if you are unable to attend this event. Kosher option available upon request by to lkdavidson@comcast.net RSVP card and Dr. Sylvia Barack Fishman s bio may be found on Page 3 Mail today to reserve your seat at this important event and to support the life-saving work of Hadassah.

2 Merrimack Valley Chapter of Hadassah Board list and contact information Position Name Phone President Debbie Ginsberg Organizational Vice President Fundraising VP & Donor Coordinator Fundraising VP & Donor Coordinator Sharon Cores Linda Davidson Iris Newman Hadassah Cards Louise Borke Keeper of the Gate Chair Chai Society Chair Amy Sebell OPEN JNF Trees Linda Davidson Membership VP Programming & Sustaining Members Membership VP Programming & Sustaining Members Sondra Finegold Judy Sciabarrasi Associate Chairs Michael Finegold Jeff Saunders Book Groups Chairs Chai Groups Chairs Israel Study Group Chairs Sharon Cores Ruth Rosensweig Sandra Dorros Debbie Ginsberg Tana Goldberg Sally Gordon Treasurer Jodi Slomsky Recording Sect. Amy Goldman Corresponding Secretary & Publicity Cindy Bernstein Newsletter & Records Administrator Rhonda Saunders

3 New Faces of the Jewish Family Today: Intermarriage in a Context of Change Guest Speaker Dr. Sylvia Barack Fishman Sylvia Barack Fishman is the Joseph and Esther Foster Professor of Contemporary Jewish Life and also co-director of the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute. Professor Fishman is the author of seven books and numerous articles on the interplay of American and Jewish values, the impact of Jewish education, gender transformations, Jewish families and intermarriage, contemporary Jewish literature and film, and young American Jewish leaders, artists, and entrepreneurs and their attitudes toward Israel and Jewish peoplehood. She is currently working on a book entitled Love, Marriage, and Jewish Families: Paradoxes of the Gender Revolution. Fishman received her B.A. from Stern College at Yeshiva University, which awarded her the Samuel Belkin Prize for Distinguished Professional Achievement, and her Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis, which awarded her a Danforth Graduate Fellowship. Mail RSVP card with your check for the brunch and Hadassah donation to: Jodi Slomsky 20 Londonderry Lane Georgetown, MA RSVP REPLY DATE IS SETPEMBER 8TH!! DON T MISS OUT!!! 3

4 President s message Hello to our Merrimack Valley Hadassah members! I hope you have had an enjoyable summer. I certainly have with the highlight being attending my first Hadassah National Convention. It was so stimulating, informative and inspiring. Authors Daniel Silva and Ari Shavit both spoke. (Our Hadassah book group has read a book by each of them.) Silva was interviewed by his wife, journalist Jamie Gangel, and Shavit debated the fascinating Wall Street Journal writer Bret Louis Stephens. They captured the attention of the audience. Social action, health issues, national efforts, and, of course, the status of Hadassah Hospital (especially the recent HMO negotiations with the Israeli government to ensure proper funding) plus the concurrent situation in Israel were main concerns. Generous fundraising occurred and continues. I was so moved that I, too, donated a large amount to Hadassah. Returning to local affairs, September 14th is our annual fundraising event. Dr. Sylvia Barack Fishman will present on the always relevant topic of Intermarriage. We will also be celebrating our own Sondra Finegold always fun-loving, extremely generous and amazingly energetic as the Merrimack Valley Chapter s Woman Of The Year. Finally, I ask for your assistance. I would love to see a major increase in donations. Hadassah needs our help for local, national and international programs, and especially for Hadassah Hospital s assistance during and following this latest Israeli crisis. Our Autumn Brunch is our main fundraiser please consider a donation at this time. If you have not already done so, please mail in your RSVP card and check today! Also, check out the information on Chai Society and Keeper of the Gate our annual giving programs. For as little as $15 per month you can help Hadassah keep going in its Second Century. I hope to see many of you on September 14 th! On behalf of Hadassah, I wish a Happy New Year 5775 to all of you! Sincerely, Debbie Ginsberg President, Merrimack Valley Chapter of Hadassah You can donate $100 online at Hadassah.org and you will receive a beautiful Open Heart Necklace. Send Heart Necklaces to friends and family.a wonderful gift for them and a tax-deduction for you. Donations go to the finishing and furnishing of the Sarah Wetsman Davidson Tower at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem. See page 12 in this newsletter for more details. 4

5 HAPPY NEW YEAR 5775 ROSH HASHANAH BEGINS AT SUNDOW N ON W EDNE SDAY 9/24 Jewish New Year General Occasion Sympathy Cards Support Hadassah Contact Louise Borke Merrimack Valley Hadassah Card Chairperson at or at louiseborke@gmail.com to conveniently make your purchase. Birthday Get Well New Baby Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Sympathy Thank You Mazel Tov.. We have cards for ALL occasions! Support Hadassah with your card purchases! 5

6 UPCOMING EVENTS A VISIT TO THE HISTORIC VILNA SHUL On Sunday October 26, 2014 at 2 PM the Merrimack Valley Chapter and Nashoba Valley Chapter of Hadassah will join together in a look-back into Boston Jewish history with a free tour of the historic Vilna Shul. Located at 18 Phillips Street in Boston since 1919, the congregation itself dates back to 1893 when Jewish immigrants from Vilna Guberniya came to Boston s West End. The tour is free with $5 validated parking available at the Charles River Parking Garage on Cambridge Street. Please RSVP by to Debbie Ginsberg at debbieginsberg@comcast.net or to hadassahmv@gmail.com to reserve your spot! In the works..jewish Culture Group The Merrimack Valley Chapter of Hadassah s outstanding Israeli Culture Group is broadening it s scope. Please consider joining our new Jewish Culture Group. Dates, topics and locations are in the works! Have ideas for this group that you would like to share?? Please send an to hadassahmv@gmail.com. Your ideas are valued and your participation is welcomed! Save the date. Thursday December 11th Merrimack Valley Chapter Installation and Dinner Interested in being a part of the board? Friendly faces, great ideas and helpful hands are greatly desired. Be a part of something where we learn and give together to make Hadassah great in its Second Century! Send an with your interest to: HadassahMV@gmail.com 6

7 HADASSAH BOOKGROUPS The newest Hadassah Book Group, led by Sharon Cores, will have the next meeting on Wednesday October 29, The book to be discussed that evening will be The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer. All meetings are held at 7:30 PM at the homes of book group members, and there is space in the group for...you! New members are being accepted into this book group! Would you like to be a part of this new Hadassah Book Group? If so, please Sharon Cores at: fourfam18@verizon.net or call her at: Membership in Hadassah and an $18 Chai book group donation to Hadassah is requested to participate for a full-programming year. The Hadassah book group organized by Ruth Rosensweig, with engaging discussions led by Iris Newman, continues to flourish with 18 members. Most recently, My Promised Land by Ari Shavit and The Sisters Weiss by Naomi Ragen were read. A delicious potluck dinner was enjoyed at a member s home, where a book swap was done with participant s well-loved books. Regardless of whether the majority of the group liked a particular book or not, thoughtful and lively discussions are the result. All participants enjoy this opportunity to read, discuss and learn from each other! Friendships formed are an added bonus! The next book to be read is The Golem and The Jinni by Helene Wecker. The Chai Groups are continuing their tasty and fun gatherings! The Hadassah Chai Lunch Group gathers at local restaurants where members take a lunch-hour break from their busy schedule to socialize and enjoy lunch and conversations. The couples Chai Dinner Group meets for occasional Saturday night dinners. Dinner is often at a restaurant followed by dessert at the home of one of the participants. Take-out enjoyed in a member s home is also an option. HadassaH Chai Groups A Chai Theatre Group is a new opportunity for you to have a fun evening with other Hadassah members. Does this sound like something that YOU would like to do?? Simply send an to Sandra Dorros, Chai Group Coordinator, at hadassahmv@gmail.com. Let her know if you would like to join a Chai Group! Membership in Hadassah and an $18 Chai group donation to Hadassah is requested to participate for a full-programming year. 7

8 Save The dates Northern new England region of hadassah Co-sponsored events Everyone is welcome and invited to attend! Sunday November 1, 2014 An Evening of Jewish Music and More With Hankus Netsky Rosalie Gerut Eden MacAdam-Somer Andy Blickenderfer Henry Goldberg Congregation Kerem Shalom 659 Elm Street Concord, MA Details to come! JNF Trees Keep Israel and Hadassah Growing! JNF Tree Certificates are available for $20 for gifts and recognitions of all types. This price includes postage, and you may conveniently order from Linda Davidson at or by at 8

9 Event recap Merrimack Valley Chapter at Hadassah National Convention An amazing experience for all who attended! YOU should plan on attending the next convention! Dr. Avi Rivkind, Hadassah Hospital Trauma Surgeon -Recipient of Hadassah s Henrietta Szold Award Merrimack Valley representatives at Hadassah National Convention: Sherry Comerchero, Harry Comerchero, NNER President Carole Greenfield, Sondra Finegold, Rhonda Saunders, Ruth Rosensweig and MV President Back Row: Debbie Ginsberg, Sherry Comerchero, Sondra Finegold Front Row: Ruth Rosensweig, Rhonda Saunders Marcie Natan, Hadassah National President, & Randi Zuckerberg, CEO Zuckerberg Media Find even more convention photos when you click here! On Saturday evening May 10 th, members and associates gathered at the home of Sondra and Michael Finegold to enjoy an evening of appetizers and desserts. Over good food and a glass of wine, an enjoyable evening with old and new Hadassah friends was enjoyed by all. On Sunday May 18 th, a small group of members gathered at HOME Yoga in Andover for a restorative relaxation session. As part of Hadassah s Every Beat Counts heart health initiative, participants had a chance to take some time to enhance their own sense of well- being. The Israeli Culture Study Group met on June 5 th to listen to and discuss Israeli music. Artists of many different styles and types of music were presented, including popular, rap and classical. A potluck dinner was enjoyed by all who attended. 9

10 Join Chai Society today! CHOOSE YOUR IMPACT FOR AS LITTLE AS $15 PER MONTH OR DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT TO SILVER CHAI AT $30 PER MONTH- only $1/ day! Receive a beautiful and unique Israeli Chai pin when you sign up. Designed by contemporary Israeli artist Yossi Steinberg. A beautiful and original work of art for you to proudly wear as a Hadassah Chai Society member Questions? Send an to hadassahmv@gmail.com 10

11 Whether you Choose To Make Your Impact with an Annual Gift to Hadassah as a Keeper of the Gate. Or you Choose To Make Your Impact with an Annual Gift to Hadassah as a Chai Society member. YOU will make a difference for as little as $15 per month!! This may be YOUR year.. To become a Hadassah Annual Giver With Annual Gifts Hadassah can continue ground-breaking medical research and treatment for patients of all races, religions, and nationalities. The ALS challenge has been in the news, but you might not have heard about the life-changing discovery for those with ALS that came from Hadassah Hospital. Success has been found in the use of an ALS patient s own stem cells in stopping the progression of this devastating disease, and Phase-II clinical trials are going to be done right here in Massachusetts hospitals. Just as Hadassah trauma physicians trained their peers in Boston and helped lives be saved after the Boston Marathon bombings, Hadassah Hospital is again bringing life saving treatment to Israelis, to the world, and to those in our own backyards. Click here for more information on these results Would you like more information about becoming a Hadassah Keeper of the Gate? Contact Amy Sebell, Merrimack Valley Keeper of the Gate Chairperson at amy@amysebell.com or at Would you like more information about becoming a member of Chai Society? Contact Amy Garbis, Northern New England Region Chai Society Chairperson at Amy.garbis@gmail.com Or look online at Annual Giving at Hadassah.org 11

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13 HADASSAH'S 330,000 MEMBERS, ASSOCIATES AND SUPPORTERS FOUND IN EVERY CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT ACROSS THE COUNTRY ADVOCATE ON ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE TO WOMEN AND THE JEWISH COMMUNITY. Now- more than ever- is the time to learn how Hadassah advocates for you, and how you can make your voice heard. Click on Hadassah.org/Advocate to learn more. 13

14 HADASSAH MEDICAL ORGANIZATION HEALS OPERATION PROTECTIVE EDGE SOLDIERS AND JERUSALEM TERROR VICTIMS NEWS FROM ISRAEL A soldier standing guard at Hebrew University, near Hadassah Mt. Scopus, was shot by a terrorist on a motor bike. Hadassah nurse El Cohen was nearby, on her way to work. She stayed with the soldier until an ambulance arrived to rush him to Mt. Scopus for life-saving surgery. The wounded victims of a terrorist attack on a city bus by a commandeered bulldozer are being treated at Hadassah. A security guard in Maale Adumim was the victim of third terror attack in the Jerusalem area within 24 hours. He was operated at Hadassah Mount Scopus and is now recovering. HMO Doctors are involved in Operation Protective Edge in the following ways: HMO orthopedists like Dr. Shaul Beyth and anesthesiologists like Dr. Yuval Meroz from Jerusalem volunteered to operate in the field and at border hospitals, where the injuries were greatest. We were seeing a lot of shrapnel injuries from land mines and booby traps even more than bullet wounds, said Dr. Shaul Beyth. We have a lot of experience with these injuries. HMO s Psychological Trauma Team is supporting the psychologists, social workers and counselors coping with children and adults traumatized by constant rocket fire. We in Jerusalem have a lot of experience from the many terror attacks here, and want to share our knowledge of what works best. And we want to support the staff that was under the heaviest fire, said Child and Adolescent Director Dr. Esti Galilee. Oron is a paratrooper who spent two weeks recovering at Hadassah. In a firefight with a group of terrorists in Gaza, Oron felt something hit him, but kept fighting. Only later did he feel weak and notice all the blood. He had a bullet wound in his shoulder. The adrenaline must do it, he says. His father Ziv said, We re leaving with the phone number of Prof. Meir Liebergall [Head of Orthopedic Surgery] in my pocket. He said to 'call me Iri. What could be better than that?" Meanwhile, Palestinian and Gazan patients continue to receive cutting edge treatments at Hadassah. 11-month old Sanad from Deir al Balah (a city of 55,000 in Central Gaza) awaits treatment in the pediatric surgery ward in the Bloomberg Mother and Child Center. Sanad's doctor in Gaza saw a cyst the size of a round challah on a CT scan, compromising his growth, appetite and kidneys. A month ago several days before Operation Protective Age his aunt brought him to Hadassah Hospital. "I see every Palestinian patient as my own bridge for peace, said Dr. Eyal Shteyer, a Pediatric Hepatologist, who serves as a lieutenant in the Israeli reserves and holds a position in the IDF that deals with hospital care in case of a terror attack. "When the rocket fell several miles from Hadassah hospital, my patients called to see if I was okay. I call them in Gaza, too, to see if they are all right. Even in these hard times I believe in the hope for peace." HMO s Emergency Trauma Unit was the first in Israel. It is world-renowned, sharing techniques around the world in mass terror situations such as the Boston Marathon bombing and natural disasters including the Philippines typhoon, earthquake in Haiti, the 2003 tsunami in Sri Lanka, and more. The five underground floors at the Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower in Ein Kerem are fortified against conventional, biological and chemical warfare. Patients can be moved there if Jerusalem comes under attack. Only with your donations will the underground operating rooms be completed and ready to use. See Hadassah National President Marcie Natan s recent visit to Hadassah Hospital here. 14

15 Hadassah Membership Thinking of giving Hadassah Life Membership as a gift to a friend or loved one? Hadassah now offers membership options! Gift traditional Life Membership at $212 for the woman who would love to get involved. Or gift Hadassah s new emembership for $100 to the women you know who have so little time Randi Zuckerberg became Hadassah s 1st emember at the Hadassah National Convention in Las Vegas For more information about Hadassah Membership send an to: HadassahMV@gmail.com or call Membership VPs Sondra Finegold at or Judy Sciabarrasi at To join or gift Hadassah Membership online go to: Hadasash Membership 15

16 Merrimack Valley Chapter Debbie Ginsberg, President 163 Woburn Street Andover, MA CHARITABLE SOLICITATION DISCLOSURE STATEMENT Hadassah, the Women s Zionist Organization of America, Inc, 50 W. 58th St., NY, NY 10019, A copy of Hadassah s latest Financial Report is available by writing to the Hadassah Finance Dept., 50 W. 58th St., NY, NY Registration does not constitute or imply endorsement, approval, sanction or recommendation by any state/country. MERRIMACK VALLEY HADASSAH CALENDAR Save the dates.mark your calendars September 14, :00 AM 2:00 PM-Autumn Brunch Fundraiser featuring Sylvia Barack Fishman- New Faces of the Jewish Family Today: Intermarriage in a Context of Change September 17, :00 PM- MV Board Meeting at Linda Davidson s home September 25-26, 2014 Rosh Hashanah October 4, 2014 Yom Kippur October 7, :00 PM- MV Hadassah Book Group at Ruth Rosensweig s home The Golem and the Jinni October 9, Sukkot October 16, 2014 Shimini Atzert October 17, 2014 Simchat Torah October 20, :00 PM- MV Board Meeting at Iris Newman s home October 22, :30 PM The Making of a Jewish Film Festival - Congregation Kerem Shalom, Concord, MA Co-Sponsored by Northern New England Region of Hadassah and Congregation Kerem Shalom October :00 PM- Tour of the Vilna Shul with Nashoba Valley chapter October :30 PM MV Hadassah Book Group with Sharon Cores-The Invisible Bridge for information on location Sharon at fourfam18@verizon.net November 1, 2014 An Evening of Jewish Music - Congregation Kerem Shalom, Concord, MA Co-Sponsored by Northern New England Region of Hadassah and Congregation Kerem Shalom November 27, 2014 Thanksgiving December 11, 2014 Merrimack Valley Chapter Installation Dinner Save the date details to come! December 17-24, 2014 Chanukah March 15, 2015 HNE 2015 Conference Maggie Anton, author of Rashi s Daughters and new book The Enchantress. Call HNE at to help plan this exciting event! *All Jewish holidays begin at sundown on the previous night *MV Chapter board meetings are open to members. Just send an to hadassahmv@gmail.com to RSVP. 16