NEW YORK, NY — Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, is pleased to announce that Rachel Charnick has been named Managing Director of Hadassah West, responsible for the operation of 145 Hadassah chapters comprising more than 40,000 Hadassah members in 15 states (see below for a complete list). The appointment is effective immediately.
Charnick, a proud Hadassah lifetime member from a multigenerational Hadassah family, was promoted from Associate Managing Director of Hadassah West. She succeeds Lauren Rothman, who has been named Managing Director of Hadassah Super South.
The area Charnick will oversee stretches from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico, encompassing Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
In her new role, Charnick will work with the staff and local volunteer leaders in the Hadassah West states to advance Hadassah’s mission – to stand up for Israel, fight antisemitism, advocate for women’s health and support the Hadassah Medical Organization, Hadassah’s academic medical center in Jerusalem.
“Rachel has shown outstanding leadership during her two-plus decades with Hadassah and it gives me great pride to promote her to this new position,” said Ellen Finkelstein, CEO, Hadassah. “Her deep understanding of Hadassah’s mission along with her expertise in strategic planning, staff management and membership engagement will serve Hadassah West well.”
Said Rochelle Edelman, National Resource Chair, Hadassah West, “Rachel is a joy to work with. We look forward to many more years of collaborating on behalf of an organization that does such important work.”
“Hadassah's mission has been personal to me since I went on a life-changing trip to Israel as a high-school student and learned about the organization,” said Charnick. “That experience continues to inspire my commitment to Hadassah’s vital work.”
Charnick joined Hadassah’s staff in 2004 as a membership specialist. She progressed through roles that included northern area director for Hadassah Southern California and, most recently, associate managing director of Hadassah West. Before joining Hadassah, Charnick was a staff writer at Los Angeles’s Jewish Journal. She holds an MBA from American Jewish University and a BA in journalism from Indiana University.