By Emily K. Alhadeff, Associate Editor, JTNews
As Hadassah members continue to celebrate the women’s Zionist organization’s centennial year around the world, local members are looking forward to hosting two powerful women this month, Dr. Osnat Levtzion-Korach, the first female director of Hadassah University Hospital, and Audrey Alhadeff Shimron, Hadassah’s executive director.
Levtzion-Korach will meet with the Bellingham Hadassah chapter, doctors and researchers from Seattle Children’s Hospital and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and other research organizations and individuals. On Thurs., Nov. 8, she will meet with Seattle chapter members at a dessert reception on Mercer Island.
“We have been looking for a doctor to come and do a speaking tour of the Pacific Northwest for a long time,” said Jacquie Bayley, president of the Pacific Northwest Hadassah chapter. “They’re the front line. They tell us what’s going on.”
Levtzion-Korach is a pediatrician who specializes in chronic diseases. Bayley hopes Levtzion-Korach will talk about the research going on at the Hadassah hospitals, located in Jerusalem on Mount Scopus and in Ein Kerem.
“We would like to have the Seattle community see the close ties we have between the Pacific Northwest and Hadassah hospital,” Bayley said.
Shimron, who organized Israel’s first-ever Susan G. Komen walk for the cure, which raised nearly $200,000 and had 8,000 participants, will present about Hadassah success stories at several events, including a brunch on Sun., Nov. 11 at Glendale Country Club in Bellevue that will honor Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg of Temple B’nai Torah and Rob Jacobs of StandWithUs Northwest.
Bayley cites groundbreaking work the hospital is doing with stem cells and computer technology as inspiration for her involvement. Additionally, Hadassah’s campaign to build the Sarah Wetsman Davidson Tower started in 2007 and has already raised over $300 million.
“Only Hadassah women would raise money and build a hospital in the middle of a depression,” she said.
Hadassah was started in 1912 by Henrietta Szold as a women’s volunteer organization to bring relief to Jewish immigrants in pre-state Israel.
Hadassah hospitals “will do whatever it takes to save a life,” Bayley said. “It doesn’t matter if the person is Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Arab…The bridge of peace is definitely in existence at Hadassah hospital. So what do we want? We want people to know this.”