“Thin Threads: Real Stories of Hadassah Life Changing Moments” edited and compiled by Stacey K. Battat and Ellin Yassky (Kiwi Publishing, August 2012)
In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Hadassah, the organization solicited “Hadassah life changing moments” — true, inspirational stories from its members on how the organization touched their lives — and chose 100 to include in a centennial book.
Each story, according to editor Stacey K. Battat, was chosen because it “wove an original and colorful thread into the tapestry of Hadassah women.”
The foreword is by journalist and long-time friend of Hadassah Ruth Gruber. She writes that she, too, is celebrating her centennial year and she recalls writing about Hadassah nurse Raquela Prywes for an article that later became her book, “Raquela, Woman of Israel.”
All of the stories reflect “a powerful life change.” Stories were included from a wide crosssection of women from across the country. The book is illustrated with archival and contemporary photographs that portray Hadassah’s positive impact on the lives of the Jewish people and the organization’s important role in Israel, including through the Hadassah Medical Organization, which includes two university hospital campuses in Jerusalem.
Among the contributors is Marian Kaplan from Overland Park, the current president of the Greater Kansas City Chapter of Hadassah who will attend the Centennial National convention with others from the chapter in October. She writes about how her life changed at the age of 57 after reading an article in Hadassah magazine about a St. Louis nurse and how Hadassah subsequently entered and impacted her life in many ways.
In addition to the book, a special web edition of a Centennial Storybook of quick videos of additional stories not in the book, is available live by accessing http://www.hadassah.org/site/c.keJNIWOvEIH/b.7914503/ and scrolling horizontally to Storybook.
(Editor’s note: This reviewer has an entry that will be included on the online version.)
The book showcases the many ways women have connected to Hadassah through the years. Those include hospital or medical stories; Israel, Zionism and aliyah stories; philanthropy stories; and Young Judaea stories.
And what stories they are! Of special interest are personal stories related to Youth Aliyah — the Jewish organiztion founded in Berlin in 1933 initially to rescue Jewish youth by sending them to Palestine. Henrietta Szold supervised the activities in Palestine and it subsequently became a project of Hadassah. There are also memories of Holocaust survivors; many young women relating how they were taken to Hadassah meetings as youngsters by their mothers; a woman who met Henrietta Szold; the role of Young Judaea in their lives; women who became nurses; first trips to Israel; personal connections to the hospital; Jews by choice and their connections to Hadassah and reflections of a number of “senior” senior citizens.
Whether or not you are a member of Hadassah or are acquainted with any of the contributors, this inspirational book should be a must read before or during the High Holy Day season.
Sybil Kaplan, who now lives and works in Jerusalem, has been an active member of Hadassah for 25 years. She has served as president of the Greater Kansas City Chapter of Hadassah, president of the Great Plains Region and was a member of the National Board of Hadassah for six years. She is now active in Hadassah-Israel.
