Throughout May, our Hadassah family across the country observed Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) by celebrating the historic contributions of Hadassah women to American Jewish life. This year, our national leaders also chose to highlight the role they play today in shaping our unfolding history — including their efforts to support Israel during this time of war.
Each JAHM, Miriam Aron, national chair of Hadassah’s Jewish Education Department, invites Hadassah National Assembly members to share a story that focuses on an aspect of their personal Jewish heritage. This year’s modified question was: "What have you personally done since October 7, 2023, to show your support for Israel and/or the hostages?"
Here’s what they had to say:
“One of the most important things I think we did after the October 7 massacre was to visit [our family in Israel] — just to say, ‘We love you and want to be with you at this difficult time.’ It was a wonderful visit, walking on the beach, eating meals together — just being in each other’s company.” —Lonye Rasch, editor, Hadassah Writers’ Circle
“Since October 7, in addition to making significant donations to support Hadassah's emergency crisis fund … I've painted one nail yellow on each hand to #EndTheSilence about the sexual violence committed by Hamas. I do this to show my solidarity with my sisters and brothers in Israel....” —Ruth Gursky, team member, Jewish Education Department
“Shortly after 10/7, we hung hostage posters in our front window to show our support for the hostages being held in Gaza. This past Hanukkah, I lit special candles, thinking they might help to ‘Bring the Hostages Home.’ I used our regular hanukkiyot when I lit the candles, as a reminder of the suffering of the hostages.” —Ruth Ann Freedman, chair, Institutional Giving Department
“Leading a Hadassah trip to Israel gave me an opportunity to really support our Israeli families. Being at the site of the Nova Music Festival was very moving and important to me — to be able to be an eternal witness to this tragic time in our history and to share it with my friends and neighbors. It also gave me the opportunity to see and feel firsthand the resilience and strength of the Israeli people.” —Dale Marcus, national vice president
“In response to what occurred on October 7 to show my support for Israel, I grabbed my daughter and represented Hadassah at a rally in front of the United Nations.” —Michelle Hubertus, national vice president
“From January through April 2024, I participated in Run4TheirLives Las Vegas on a weekly basis. This enabled me to physically show my support for the hostages.” —Karen Lustig, team member, Hadassah Israel Travel
“Every day, I make sure to put on a yellow ribbon pin and I wear both a dog tag saying, ‘Bring Them Home Now’ and my Star of David necklace. I work diligently in the Education & Advocacy Division, bringing awareness and advocacy tools to our members.” —Joyce Laiter, co-coordinator, Education & Advocacy Division
“Although I am not usually one for Facebook postings, since October 7, I feel compelled to share posts about the hostages — hoping that my FB friends ‘see’ the information they might not otherwise read. Though I’m not normally a rally person, I felt compelled to attend the rally in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza in support of Israel and the hostages while wearing my yellow ribbon pin; it was a place I needed to be.” —Frieda Rosenberg, chair, Zionist Affairs Department
“Our Hebrew school students wrote notes to the hostages at Hanukkah time. Every Shabbat, we gather together in Hebrew School and sing “Hatikvah.” These young students now have a loving connection with Israel and its people, along with a strong desire for all the hostages to be brought home. We have kept them in our hearts.” —Ellen K. Masters, member, National Portfolio Council
“I’ve shown up! I went to Washington, DC, for the national rally supporting Israel (and ended up on the cover of Hadassah Magazine!). My husband and I hosted a neighborhood barbecue in Efrat for all the kids whose fathers had been called up to fight in Gaza. Our son did the organizing, shopping and cooking, and several friends helped him cook. We bought meals through a caterer for soldiers who needed gluten-free foods. A month after October 7, I called a friend with a gift shop in Jerusalem and told him I thought I could sell 100 ‘Bring Them Home’ dog tags to help him out. I ended up selling more than 1,300.” —Linda Freedman Block, chair, Keepers of the Gate
“I started volunteering for the IDF and displaced families by cleaning pots and pans to fulfill order requests that had arrived. I’ve cooked schnitzel at the Gaza border crossings of Kerem Shalom and Erez. I participate in the Shabbat Boxes of Love we send to soldiers every week. I go to the north and cook meals for the troops at a Bedouin village.” —Luisa Narins, co-coordinator, Engagement Division
