2025-09-26 11:50 PM <br/> Tags: #AmericanJewry #organization #EarlyZionism #KeyOrganizations #Yishuv #Israel ![[image-130.png|498x241]] - Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America (HWZOA) is the largest women's Jewish organization. - Hadassah's activities within organized Jewry initially supported traditional women's roles. - Hadassah runs hospitals, children's programs, schools, etc., while working to promote Israel. #### Early History and Hadassah in Israel - Hadassah was founded in 1912 by a group of Zionist Jewish women led by [[Henrietta Szold]]. - Religiously the group consisted of some Reform, some Orthodox and some secular Jews. - Hadassah was founded in New York City. - In 1914 Hadassah became an auxiliary arm of the [[Zionist Organization of America (ZOA)]]. - In 1913 Hadassah sent two nurses to Palestine to establish a children's clinic in Jerusalem. - The trip was funded by [[Nathan Straus]], the owner of Macy's. - Hadassah's medical operation in Jerusalem expanded greatly through the 1920s and 30s resulting in the construction of a large modern medical campus on Jerusalem's Mount Scopus. - The Mount Scopus Rothschild-Hadassah Medical University Hospital opened in 1939. - The Mount Scopus Facility was the flagship of the *Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO)*. - The Mount Scopus facility was all but abandoned during the [[1948 Arab Israeli War]]. - After the [[1967 Six Day War]] Hadassah returned to the Mount Scopus facility and rebuilt the site with help from the Israeli government. - In 1961 the staff from the Mount Scopus facility built a new facility on the western outskirts of Jerusalem in a small village called Ein Karem. - Both the Ein Karem and Mount Scopus facilities are in operation today under the auspices of the Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO). - The Ein Karem facility today is quite impressive. *Photo below.* ![[image-131.png|761x400]] *Hadassah Ein Karem Medical Center established in 1961.* --- - Hadassah was an early proponent of the [[Youth Aliyah]] organization. - Youth Aliyah was formed in Germany in 1933 by [[Recha Freier]] with the support of the [[World Zionist Organization]]. - Youth Aliyah's initial purpose was emigration of German Jewish children and their resettlement in Mandatory Palestine. - [[Recha Freier]] ran the organization's Germany side and [[Henrietta Szold]] ran the Jerusalem side. - To this day Hadassah is involved with Youth Aliyah, which now primarily focuses on integrating Russian and African Jews to Israel. - Hadassah worked with the [[Haganah]] during the [[1948 Arab Israeli War]] to defend and eventually evacuate its Mount Scopus facility (mentioned above). - The Haganah used Hadassah's facility on Mount Scopus as a military outpost during the 1948 conflict. Hadassah's hospital was used to treat many wounded Jewish soldiers. - Prior to 1948 Hadassah had always been crucial to the medical backbone of the Jewish forces in Palestine. - Hadassah hospitals have been aiding the Israeli war effort after [[October 7th]] and the ensuing [[Gaza War]]. - In its government coordination, Hadassah works with the IDF and [[Shin Bet]], among many Israeli government emergency response organizations. - In February of 2024 Hadassah launched its "End The Silence" campaign. - ETS claims to be "ending the silence" regarding Hamas's alleged use of rape as a "legitimate weapon of war." - ETS fails to condemn proven IDF use of rape against Palestinians. *The Israelis do not condemn IDF soldiers guilty of rape. Instead they condemn the people who leaked the videos. This sounds absurd but it genuinely happened in the ongoing Gaza War.* #### Hadassah and Organized Jewry - Hadassah has held seats on the [[World Zionist Organization]] Executive body. - Hadassah has special status at the World Zionist Congress with 32 permanent delegates and six seats on the WZO General Council. - Hadassah has similarly held seats on the [[Jewish Agency]]. - The WZO and JA are very closely intertwined. - Through the JA Hadassah continues to support [[Youth Aliyah]]. - Hadassah works with the [[Jewish National Fund]] on public land development projects. - Hadassah also works with the: - [[United Israel Appeal]] - [[United Jewish Appeal (UJA)]] - [[Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)]] - Took over for United Jewish Appeal in the late 90s. - [[American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)]] - Early funding of Hadassah medical projects in Palestine. - [[ADL]] - works with Hadassah to combat antisemitism. They worked together to push the [[Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism]] in 2021. - [[American Jewish Committee (AJC)]] - Works with Hadassah on general joint statements and combatting antisemitism. - [[Na'amat]] - [[Women's International Zionist Organization (WIZO)]] - [[Young Judaea]] - Hadassah was the sole sponsor of YJ beginning in 1967. - Hadassah is a member of the [[Conference of Presidents]]. #### Hadassah Activity in the United States - Hadassah began receiving USAID grants in 1953 for development of its medical services in Israel. - Hadassah lobbied congress for these grants. *Hadassah is, in everything but name, an official Israeli government institution, working in constant coordination with the Israeli government.. However, it is still somehow technically an American nonprofit organization free from obligation to register as a foreign agent. Hadassah freely lobbies the US government for the betterment of Israel.* - Obama's Ambassador to Israel [[Dan Shapiro]] said in 2012, "USAID has contributed $54 million to Hadassah Medical Organization since 1976." - Shapiro also explained that many of the women in his family were life long Hadassah members. - In 1963 Hadassah passed a resolution backing what would become the Civil Rights Act in 1964. - Hadassah organized lobbying efforts in support of the black civil rights movement and racial reform. - In the 1970s and 80s Hadassah began to deviate from its traditional social views in support of the feminist wave of the era. - Hadassah began to support abortion, women in political leadership roles, family planning, etc. - Since 1998 Hadassah operates the Hadassah Foundation which provides social welfare to Jewish women in Israel and the US in the name of gender equality and feminism. --- - In line with its gender views, Hadassah holds generally left wing views on many subjects. - Support for banning "assault weapons." - Opposition to Christian prayer in schools. - Support for universal health care. - Support for unlimited immigration. - Support for non-white advancement and racial integration *(in the United States not Israel of course)*. - This is contrasted with Hadassah's Jewish and Israeli views. - Support for US weapons shipments to Israel. - Opposition to US arms sales to Arab countries. - Opposition to BDS boycotts of Israeli groups and companies. - Support for Jewish nationalism. --- - In 1973 Hadassah Associates was founded, which allowed men to be a part of Hadassah. - Hadassah Associates today has ~33,000 members. *In total Hadassah has ~300,000 members.* - Hadassah's website reads "Hadassah welcomes everyone who identifies as a man, too!" - Hadassah was the leading lobbyist behind the 2020 [[2020 Never Again Education Act]]. - The bill's purpose is to expand "holocaust and antisemitism education" through the [[United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM)]]. - The USHMM was awarded $10 million for purposes of teacher training, a holocaust education web page, expansion of holocaust teaching in schools, control over holocaust definitions in education, etc. - The USHMM is directed to prepare an annual report on its activities as stated in the bill. - The text of the legislation is laden with Jewish [[Hasbara]]. *Examples on the Never Again Education Act's page.* #### Notable Leaders - [[Henrietta Szold]] - Founder and president from 1912-1921 and 1923-26, involved with Hadassah until her death in 1945. - Alice Seligsberg - President from 1921-23. - [[Irma Lindheim]] - President from 1926-28. - [[Zip Szold]] - President from 1928-30, sister in law of Henrietta Szold. - [[Rose Halprin]] - President from 1932-34 and 1947-52. - Miriam Freund-Rosenthal - President from 1956-60. - [[Faye Schenk]] - President from 1968-72. - [[Ruth Popkin]] - President from 1984-88. - [[June Walker]] - President from 2003-07. - Carol Ann Schwartz - 28th Hadassah national president, serving since January 1, 2024. #### Funding and Donors - Hadassah began investing with [[Bernie Madoff]] in 1988. - Hadassah invested a total of $40 million with Madoff. - Hadassah withdrew $137 million from their investments before April 2007. - Hadassah was forced to pay $45 million back in a settlement. That $45 million was about half of Hadassah's profit. - Hadassah's chief financial officer, Sheryl Weinstein had been having an affair with Madoff at the time of the organizations investments with Madoff. - Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America recorded $143 million in revenue in 2023. *Contributions amount to 98.9% of the total revenue for 2023.* - Hadassah Medical Relief Association recorded $32 million in 2023 revenue. - The Hadassah Foundation recorded $2.7 million in revenue in 2023. - Notable public donors include: - [[Nathan Straus]] - First large Hadassah financier. - [[Harry Fischel]] - Large donor to Hadassah medical projects in Palestine in the 1930s. - [[Bill Davidson]] - $75 million in 2007 - [[John Gandel]] - Major donations after Oct. 7th. #### References - Jewish Women’s Archive. “Hadassah in the United States.” _Jewish Women’s Archive_. [https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/hadassah-in-united-states](https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/hadassah-in-united-states) - Jewish Virtual Library. “Hadassah.” _Jewish Virtual Library_. [https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/hadassah](https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/hadassah) - Szold, Henrietta, et al. _Statement to Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry by Hadassah (January, 1946)_. New York: Hadassah, 1946. PDF. https://www.bjpa.org/content/upload/bjpa/stat/STATEMENT%20TO%20ANGLO-AMERICAN%20COMMITTEE%20OF%20INQUIRY%20BY%20HADASSAH%20JANUARY,%201946.pdf - “Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America.” _Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia_. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadassah,_the_Women%27s_Zionist_Organization_of_America - The Hadassah Foundation. 2025. _“Home – The Hadassah Foundation.”_. [https://hadassahfoundation.org](https://hadassahfoundation.org) - Schwartz, Carol. “Busy and Blessed: The Elements of Jewish Resilience.” _Hadassah Magazine_, September 3, 2024. [https://www.hadassahmagazine.org/2024/09/03/busy-and-blessed-the-elements-of-jewish-resilience/](https://www.hadassahmagazine.org/2024/09/03/busy-and-blessed-the-elements-of-jewish-resilience/) - McLeary, Paul. “Hospital to Get $75M Pledge.” _Forward_, August 22, 2007. https://forward.com/news/11449/hospital-to-get-75m-pledge-00177/ - Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “Hadassah to Pay Back $45 Million of Madoff Gains.” _JTA_, March 20, 2009. https://www.jta.org/2009/03/20/archive/hadassah-to-pay-back-45-million-of-madoff-gains - Georgetown University. “The Fischel Family Foundation-About.” _Fischel Foundation (Georgetown)_. https://fischelfoundation.georgetown.domains/about/ - Hadassah. _Unwavering: 2024 Impact Report_ (PDF). _Hadassah_. [https://go.hadassah.org/impact24-stories-download](https://go.hadassah.org/impact24-stories-download) - Freemyer, Lilly. “Hadassah Launches ‘End The Silence’ – Global Campaign to Raise Awareness of Hamas’ Weaponization of Sexual Violence and to Demand Accountability.” _Press Release_, February 21, 2024. [https://www.hadassah.org/press-release/hadassah-launches-end-the-silence-global-campaign-to-raise-awareness-of-hamas-weaponization-of-sexual-violence-and-to-demand-accountability](https://www.hadassah.org/press-release/hadassah-launches-end-the-silence-global-campaign-to-raise-awareness-of-hamas-weaponization-of-sexual-violence-and-to-demand-accountability) - CharityWatch. “Hadassah | Charity Ratings.” _CharityWatch_. [https://www.charitywatch.org/charities/hadassah](https://www.charitywatch.org/charities/hadassah) - Hadassah. “Marking a Milestone: The World Zionist Congress at 125.” _Hadassah_, August 22, 2022. [https://www.hadassah.org/story/world-zionist-congress-at-125](https://www.hadassah.org/story/world-zionist-congress-at-125) - Jewish Federations of North America. _Background: United Israel Appeal (UIA)_. PDF. [https://cdn.fedweb.org/fed-42/2/UIA_background.pdf](https://cdn.fedweb.org/fed-42/2/UIA_background.pdf) - “United Israel Appeal.” _Wikipedia_. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Israel_Appeal - “Youth Villages.” _Hadassah_. https://www.hadassah.org/how-we-help/youth-at-risk/youth-villages - Center for Jewish History. “Jewish National Fund Records in the Hadassah Archives.” _CJH DigiFinding Aids_. [https://digifindingaids.cjh.org/?pID=3496773](https://digifindingaids.cjh.org/?pID=3496773&) - American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Archives. “History of JDC: 1920s.” _JDC Archives_. [https://archives.jdc.org/our-stories/history-of-jdc/1920s/](https://archives.jdc.org/our-stories/history-of-jdc/1920s/) - “Hadassah Joins ADL and Allies in Urging Congress to Act Now on Global Anti-Semitism.” _Hadassah_, November 27, 2018. [https://www.hadassah.org/story/hadassah-joins-adl-and-allies-in-urging-congress-to-act-now-on-global-anti-semitism](https://www.hadassah.org/story/hadassah-joins-adl-and-allies-in-urging-congress-to-act-now-on-global-anti-semitism)