By Suzanna Eller, Special to JTNews
Many of my friends wonder why a 30-year-old would choose to attend the Hadassah women’s organization’s national convention, but when I show them my pictures and tell them about the number and caliber of speakers and variety of programming, they begin to understand the draw.
In mid-July, I joined 2,500 Jewish women in New York City for Hadassah’s 93rd National Convention. The events kicked off with a gamut of government officials, both local and national. Engaging influential leaders, both in our communities and beyond, to advocate for the issues that are important to Israel and the Jewish people was a key theme of the speakers. It was impossible to leave that first evening without feeling charged with a mission to speak up and act on these important issues!
Former U.S. Ambassador Dennis Ross spoke first of the need to talk about a new approach to diplomacy.
“Statecraft is knowing how to frame an issue so that others will respond to it,” Ross said as he encouraged us to “[use] our intelligence to implement our objectives.”
He explained that doing so “is the essence of good foreign policy.” He spoke of our country’s struggle with slow-moving diplomacy in the United Nations and quick-moving nuclear development in Iran.
An armed Iran was a common thread for many of the speakers as they focused on the threat of an Iran with nuclear weapons. Ambassador Ross warned that we must use statecraft diplomacy in Europe to help Europe see that they are Iran’s economic lifeline, and that they have the ability to impact that lifeline.
Shimon Peres, Israel’s newly installed president, spoke via video feed about Hadassah’s service to Israel and to the world, while Sallai Meridor, Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S., followed, stating: “The spirit of Hadassah is the spirit of optimism, never giving up hope.”
We also heard from the funny and eloquent David Patterson, New York’s lieutenant governor, who praised Hadassah for its unyielding advocacy of stem-cell research, a cause he has fought for under Governor Eliot Spitzer.
Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D–N.Y.) praised Hadassah’s continual advocacy, applauding the work we did on the Genetic Non-Discrimination Act, which prevents discrimination by insurers and employers based upon an individual’s genetic history.
On the second day, National Vice President Renee Resnik introduced us to Rabbi Daniel Gordis, vice president of the Mandel Foundation in Israel and director of the Mandel Leadership Institute. Rabbi Gordis spoke of the recent articles, books and commentary questioning Israel’s right to exist, noting, “there is a growing culture of negativity.”
“What if these critics picked on the right of Belgium to exist instead of Israel?” he asked. “There would be such an outcry in the U.N. General Assembly that no one would go along with it.”
Rabbi Gordis reminded us that the criticism of Israel reflects a frightening time in history when Nazi Germany presented the idea of a world without Jews.
“Similarly, these critics are preparing people for a world without a Jewish State,” he said. “They are saying the notion of a world without Israel is a notion whose time has come.”
Gordis encouraged us to care about this growing crisis, but not for the reasons most people assume. “We assume we want Israel because it’s ours or because it is a last refuge for Jews around the world. I suggest to you that Israel needs to survive so the Jewish people have a place to heal from the tragedies of the 20th century, because it’s the only place in the world where political decisions are Jewish decisions, and where we can create a society that is like no other.”
Gordis said we must look toward Hadassah for creative solutions to the issues facing Israel today.
“Every time I go to Hadassah hospital and see what your work has made possible, I think, ‘if Hadassah can do this, there’s no way that Israel cannot work out its problems.’”
A panel on our third morning included author and advocate Irshad Manji, who spoke of Islamic youth and the need to offer them other outlets for thought besides radical Jihadism.
Former New York Times journalist and author Judith Miller spoke of the frightening spread of Islamic extremism and British author and commentator Douglas Murray spoke of the need for Europe to stop avoiding the changing climate of the Middle East and acknowledge that radical Islam sits on their doorstep, meaning Europeans must take action.
Most encouraging was Manji’s story of how her book on resisting the Jihadist movement has been banned in most Muslim countries, yet from e-mail suggestions from Islamic youth, she decided to post a free, downloadable edition of her book online so these youth could read the book without fear of being caught.
Since posting her book last year, she has had over 500,000 downloads! These young men and women are looking for an alternative to hatred and an opportunity for forging new paths.
As a young woman attending the convention, I was surrounded by Jewish women, most of whom were the ages of my mother and grandmother. At the same time, I was please to see hundreds of new faces.
Young women like me are discovering the purpose, strength and knowledge of Hadassah, and we are starting to claim the organization as our own. Being inspired to share this fabulous entity with women my age, I have decided to take action.
Along with fellow Hadassah Leadership Academy graduate Kelli Carroll and with the support of JConnect, I have started a young women’s group of the Seattle chapter of Hadassah. We had an amazing response to our first event by the young, Jewish women of the Seattle area! It is no wonder women of all ages find this organization appealing once they learn about the work being done — as well as the work that needs to be done. If you would like to learn more or get involved with Hadassah, contact the Seattle chapter of Hadassah at 425-467-9099.