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

