4 | OCTOBER 6 • 2022
H
adassah is The Women’s
Zionist Organization
of America, founded
in 1912 by Henrietta Szold,
of which I am proudly a Life
Member.
As stated on the
Hadassah website:
“Hadassah, The
Women’s Zionist
Organization of
America, was
founded before
Israel was a state
and before women could vote.
“We didn’t sit on the side-
lines then. And we certainly
don’t now. Today, we’re 300,000
strong, across the country and
across the generations, proof
of just how big an impact
we can have when we bring
philanthropy and women’s
leadership together. For 100+
years, Hadassah has worked
proactively to find and imple-
ment solutions to some of the
most pressing challenges facing
each generation. Together, we’re
advancing women’s health,
supporting a strong Israel
and instilling Jewish values in
future generations. We’re help-
ing women find their voices
to advance health equity, and
fighting hate and antisemitism
in the U.S., and modeling shared
in Israel. Thanks to the medical
system in Israel we helped cre-
ate, new treatments and scientif-
ic breakthroughs are saving lives
around the world.
”
At Hadassah, we have the
power to heal our world. For
us, that means bringing healing
— in every sense of the word
— where it’s needed most, in
the U.S., Israel and around the
world. Every day. As volunteers.
As philanthropists. As agents
for change. As Zionism is in our
name and in our hearts and we
will never stand by when our
unwavering support for Israel is
challenged.
Hadassah is one of the largest
international Jewish organi-
zations in the United States.
Hadassah fundraises for com-
munity programs and health
initiatives in Israel, including the
Hadassah Medical Organization,
two world-class research hos-
pitals in Jerusalem. In the U.S.,
the organization advocates on
behalf of women’s rights, reli-
gious autonomy and U.S.-Israel
diplomacy. In Israel, Hadassah
supports health education and
research, women’s initiatives,
schools and programs for under-
privileged youth.
I belong to the Roosevelt
chapter in the Hadassah Greater
Detroit Region. Detroit has a
rich history and strong com-
mitment to Hadassah. We are
proud to be home to one of the
first chapters of Hadassah in the
U.S. In 1916, Henrietta Szold
came to Detroit to promote
Hadassah and recruit women
to form a local Hadassah group.
She was hosted for 10 days in
the home of Joseph and Bessie
Wetsman. Their daughter, Sarah
(Wetsman) Davidson started
Hadassah’s Detroit chapter. This
family has supported Hadassah
ever since.
The Wetsman Family
financed the buildings used
as Hadassah House over the
years. Our current home, Sarah
& Ralph Davidson Hadassah
House at 5030 Orchard Lake
for openers
Toward Flavorful
Language
S
ugar and spice and
everything nice; that
is what little girls are
made of.”
Well, who am I to debate
the wisdom
of favored
nursery rhymes?
However, I will
offer, “Sugar and
spices make for
flavorful speech.”
If you are a
public speaker,
I should like to offer some
words of advice. Pepper
your remarks with anecdotes
or some humor whenever
possible. Keep in mind,
however, that your audience
may react negatively to salty
language. Use of it will not
curry their favor.
If discussing events of the
day, you may often need to
sugarcoat your descriptions,
depending on the harshness
of the circumstances; but any
happening worth its salt is
worth mention. You may then
gain the reputation of being
honey-tongued.
For an adventure, locate
an old salt (an experienced
seaman, fisherman, etc.). He
could regale you with tales of
his exploits which you may
have to take with a grain of
salt. In his life, as you will
learn, he managed to take the
bitter with the sweet.
If a man is sweet on
someone he may be tricked
into becoming a sugar daddy,
peppering his honey with
all sorts of valuable baubles.
Being a smart lass, she will salt
away the trinkets because he
may be the salt of the earth
now; but fickleness is likely in
his nature.
Facing a difficulty?
Remember, as Mary Poppins
was wont to remind us, “
A
spoonful of sugar helps the
medicine go down.”
As a final observation,
let me recall for you the old
saying that you can catch
more flies with honey than
with vinegar. Why you would
want to catch flies, though, is
beyond me, unless you are a
seasoned (and hunchbacked)
apprentice t2o a weird doctor
who knows Mary Shelley.
PURELY COMMENTARY
essay
Hadassah and You
continued on page 6
Beverly Kent
Goldenberg
Sy Manello
Editorial
Assistant