I was asked a few weeks ago to speak at a Hadassah meeting. Hadassah is an organization of Jewish women who volunteer and raise money for community programs and health initiatives in Israel. My grandmother was a lifetime member. My mom is a lifetime member. I am a lifetime member. It was meaningful to be there, given what the organization has meant to my family over the years.
I brought my mom along; she has never heard me speak about the events of 2/14. We arrived at one of the member’s homes, and were greeted by the president. Once inside, I spoke to some of the members before the meeting officially began. The women in attendance were all large donors for a recent fundraiser. The chapter president said that they raised $14,000 for the new children’s wing at Hadassah Medical Center.
After about 30 minutes of appetizers and light conversation, the meeting began. I was the guest of honor, asked to speak about my experiences from the event. I told them about the day, in detail. I told them about working on the yearbook upon our return. I told them about working on “Parkland Speaks.” Once I was done, I opened it up for questions. I was glad to speak about my experience.
The chapter president presented me with this lovely certificate. It was a nice afternoon speaking to women who are working to make change just like I am.
