A rejuvenation of Hadassah

MICHELLE DODEK

Some things change, and others always stay the same. So it seems with life in general, and Hadassah-WIZO in Vancouver is no different. This year, while Hadassah has decided to end the era of the Hadassah Bazaar, it will continue the 27-year tradition of hosting a pro-am golf tournament, with the hope of drawing both older and younger participants.

Council president Sandy Chernoff revealed that she and the other presidents are currently working on a number of ideas to appeal to the younger members of Hadassah. It is crucial to draw these members into their fundraising efforts if Hadassah is to continue supporting the philanthropic projects it sponsors in Israel and the local community.

Locally, Hadassah focuses on sharing the proceeds of its successful golf tournament with the Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital. Chernoff explained that, unlike most charity golf tournaments, Hadassah's includes one professional player in every foursome, which the amateur participants love. Last year, the pro-am made it onto the Vancouver professional golf roster, which means that, instead of having to seek out pros, golfers on the circuit lined up for a chance to participate and win the purse. Chernoff said that after the tournament last year, the golf association wrote a very positive letter, praising the way the event was run. "It was a real feather in our cap," she said.

The past few years have been ones of upheaval for Hadassah, from restructuring at the national level to the decline and demise of the previously popular Hadassah Bazaar. "We are looking for new ways that the younger members will think are fun to raise money for our projects in Israel," said Chernoff. "These days, all of the women are working outside of the home so they don't want to take on huge projects. Running the bazaar was a commitment, like running a small corporation for a year. Women just don't want to volunteer for such long-term commitments. We have to come up with new ways of fundraising."

The money Hadassah has raised in the past, and hopes to continue to raise in the future, goes primarily to support many social programs geared primarily toward improving the lives of needy women and children in Israel; programs relating to health, like clinics and hospitals, including the Asaf Harofeh Hospital in Tel Aviv and the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. Other important services are the various day-care centres all over the country, education programs aimed at helping children at risk and evening vocational courses for adults.

Chernoff described one of the schools Hadassah funds in Hadassim, a community in northern Israel. "Students from homes with difficulties come to the school – some live in the area and others live at the school. There is a psychologist on staff and the teachers really care about the students." She mentioned that the school has wonderful art, dance and music programs to help build the self-esteem of students who might otherwise have ended up on the streets. "These students thrive at the school," said Chernoff.

The work Hadassah-WIZO contributes builds the social fibre of Israel by helping some of the most vulnerable citizens, be they Jewish, Arab or Druze. The women of the Vancouver Hadassah council have ideas like an expanded fashion show, online merchandising and possibly a Chocolate and Coffee Sunday event to delight the senses and raise funds.

This year, the pro-am golf tournament will take place at the Richmond Country Club on July 13, and there are still spots available for people to play for charity. For more information, call 604-257-5161.

Michelle Dodek is a freelance writer and the mother of two young children.

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