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There was Zumba and Zoom. There was a catwalk and cardio walk. There were facts and fun.
Most of all, there was a whole lot of heart poured into every event hosted by Hadassah units across the country during American Heart Month in February.
Educating their communities, advocating for women’s health and supporting groundbreaking heart research at the Hadassah Medical Organization, Hadassah members and supporters are helping women live healthier lives.
We can’t stress this enough: Heart disease is the #1 killer of women, yet women often prioritize the health of others over their own. Symptoms in women present differently from heart attack symptoms in men. Understanding the differences is critical.
Here’s a small sampling of Hadassah heart events took place:
- About 30 members of the New Orleans, Birmingham and Dothan chapters of Hadassah Super South were all ears when renowned Argentinian cardiologist Dr. Mario Boskis joined them on Zoom to present on the keys to lifelong cardiovascular health. Dr. Boskis stressed prioritizing such lifesaving habits as getting seven to nine hours of sleep and engaging in 150 minutes of physical activity a week. Opening the program was Fundraising Vice President Lara DiCristina, who remarked on the ability of Hadassah to heal the world.
- Heart health was in fashion in Hadassah Florida, when 130 people from the Simcha Chapter hit the runway for the 12th annual Fashion Show With a Heart. Several members strutted their stuff, modeling outfits from a local boutique, which were available for purchase. The event raised $9,500 (and counting) and featured vendors, a silent auction and speaker Judy Mann, chair of the Hadassah Medical Organization, who talked about the lifesaving heart initiatives at Hadassah hospitals.
- Getting their hearts pumping, Valley of the Sun Chapter members walked with purpose beneath the Arizona sun (listening to a Hadassah On Call podcast episode, to boot) following a chair yoga session that promoted improved mental and physical health.
- The energy was flowing in Chicago as more than 30 women, members of the Aviva/Lilah Chapter (and several nonmembers), shuffled and stepped to the beat at a Zumba session. Guests also heard from Marla Kalish of the nonprofit WomenHeart and a heart disease survivor. Francine Ephraim, vice coordinator of Hadassah’s Philanthropy Division and member of Hadassah Chicago-North Shore, spoke about Hadassah hospitals being at the forefront of research and treatments around heart health.
- Hadassah supporters everywhere are encouraging lawmakers to support legislation and fund research that prioritizes women’s heart health.
In Israel, Hadassah hospitals make huge strides in heart health every day, including by performing Israel’s first total artificial heart transplant, using the Flow-Triever system that captures and removes blood clots for the first time in Israel and piloting a program to reduce stress for Israeli grandmothers taking on more responsibility during wartime. And once again, Hadassah hospitals earned a spot on Newsweek’s “World’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2026” for cardiology this year (sixth year).
