Hadassah Great Plains E-Bulletin December 2015

No. 4

A Word from the Region President

Dear Hadassah Friends,

We always have choices. Some choices are unavoidable, some may be postponed and some will never present themselves to us in the same way again.

Voting is a choice we do have. Raising our voices about the issues that con-cern us is a choice we do have. Hadassah counts Advocacy as a core issue and myHadassah has information to help you make your voice heard, by making it easy to write your representatives about the issues we care so deeply about. While Hadassah members cannot endorse any particular candidate as an official “Hadassah” candidate, we do endorse legislation to prevent domestic violence, to add women to medical research studies, and to support the peace and security of the State of Israel.

Hadassah - Choices! How will I connect with my Hadassah sisters? Which of my chapter events will I attend this

year? How much of my valuable time and talents can I give to Hadassah this year? Is this the year I can become a

Keeper of the Gate or a member of Chai Society? Is this the year I honor a friend or loved one with a donation to

Hadassah instead of shopping for a gift?

If you’re going to choose a Hadassah event, consider asking someone to go with you. If you’re going to choose an

annual giving level, please call your Chapter or Region Fundraising Chair, President or Treasurer. If you want to ex-

pand your mind and get to know your Hadassah sisters, contact your Chapter or Region PRAZE Chair or President. If

you are a life member of Hadassah and choose to give the special gift of a one-year annual membership to a non-

member, the Chapter or Region Membership Chairs will be glad to help you, but you must act by December 31,

2015. Why make these choices? Please read the story below.

*Inbar Azrak and her husband Ori, a young sabra couple with three small children, made a fateful choice to take a

two-day holiday. Unable to afford a hotel, they decided to stay with Inbar’s savta (grandmother) in Jerusalem. They

could take long walks in the city, do some back-to school shopping and go out to dinner. With Inbar’s parents taking

charge of the grandkids, she and Ori had a wonderful two-day vacation. But, on their way home, they passed

through Pisgat Zeev, a neighborhood in northern Jerusalem. With a deafening boom and a flash of red hot fire, a

Molotov cocktail exploded in their car. The glass on Inbar’s side shattered. Ori’s IDF training kicked in and he exited

the car in seconds, but Inbar’s seatbelt was stuck. Although the metal buckle was scorching and her skirt was on

fire, Inbar managed to press the button and jump out. Rolling on the ground to extinguish the flames, Inbar

thought, "I'm alive, I'm alive. I can take the pain." Incredibly, their driverless car began rolling towards her, but a

passerby rushed to pull her out of the path of the burning car. She thought of her children safe and sound at her

parents’ house as she was loaded into the ambulance bound for Hadassah Hospital.

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In this Issue

Hadassah Quick Links 2

Every Step Counts 3

Young Judaea 3

Save the Date: Spring Meeting 4

News from Israel and HMO 5,6

Million Dollar Match 7

Annual Giving 8

Chapter Chai Lights 9,10

Hadassah Quick Links

Make a Donation

Give the Gift of Life

Membership

Hadassah Medical

Organization

Inbar was familiar with Hadassah. Her grandmother worked in the hearing clinic. Her great grandfather was a clerk in

Hadassah. She had given birth to two of her three children there. First, she was treated at the Swartz Center for

Emergency Medicine. Then, she was moved to the seventh floor plastic surgery department in the Sarah Wetsman

Davidson Hospital Tower, where her lower body burns were treated. She needed the Tower isolation room to pre-

vent infection. She needed the couch for a family member to sleep on to provide the emotional support. Hadassah

Hospital staff has long experience with the treatment of burns from war and terror. "We need to control infection

and to minimize the area that will need skin grafts," said Dr. Tomer Tzur, a senior plastic surgeon. Inbar was sedated

to change the bandages, which otherwise would have been extremely painful. ”From the moment we arrived at

Hadassah Ein Kerem, we had the most compassionate and most professional care. What a gift to have this beautiful

and comfortable room where my family and guests can feel comfortable. It’s as if I got a hotel in Jerusalem after all. I

don't know whom to thank first among the angels at Hadassah," said Inbar.*

I know she has you to thank, my Hadassah colleagues, for choosing to support the life saving work of Hadassah.

Choose life, choose Hadassah,

Teree Farbstein President Hadassah Great Plains

*Thank you to Barbara Sofer of Hadassah in Jerusalem for Inbar’s story.

A Word from the Region President (Continued)

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Remember Every Step Counts?

Hadassah’s Heart Health Program to resume.

We walked to Jerusalem in 2015 – in 2016 we are walking back – to Atlanta. Starting on April 11, 2016 we will leave HMO and arrive at Hadassah’s 98th National Convention in Atlanta on July 21, 2016. It was fun, it was healthy, it was a way to build comradery and a great way to outreach – if you didn’t join in last year, promise yourself right now you will sign up when enroll-ment starts in February – Heart Health month.

Hadassah and Young Judaea

Leaders of Tomorrow Award for Young Women

Know a high school sophomore or junior who has strong leadership experience, excellent communication skills and solid academics? Recipients of this merit based award will receive full tuition to a life-changing, four week Young Judaea summer Israel program. Learn more at www.hadassah.org/LeadersOfTomorrow Important Dates: Program begins July 2016 Application Deadline is January 21, 2016 Final Award Notification will be end of March 2016

Have you heard of A GAP YEAR? Live, learn, grow, succeed! Learn more about Young Judaea’s Year Course at: www.youngjudaea.org

Support Young Judaea Scholarships: Provide a U.S. camp experience to grade school aged children or help a teen participate in a Young Judaea Israel Program. Your donation will ensure Jewish continuity and future leadership. Designate your donation to Young Judaea Scholarships and your chapter gets credit toward their cash goal AND if you like jewelry buy and wear the fabulous bracelets available now. Click here to view the Young Judaea Bracelet Flyer

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Spring Meeting Thought Provoking Education

Always Relevant, Always Engaging

When: March 5th- 6th, 2016 Where: DoubleTree by Hilton, Skokie, IL

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News from Israel and HMO Appreciative Parents Thank

“Dear Prof. Zangen, To he who took on himself when all others refused; To go to war against all odds, who didn't sleep nights, who gave us hope, and the spirit and strength to fight; To the one who continued to fight when everyone around had long ago given up, to he who in the end was victorious. We will be thankful for the rest of our lives for the greatest gift we received in our lives. We'll never forget the day we met you for the first time. From our point of view you were our last hope. Everyone unanimously around us told us that this was the end, that it was over, that we should prepare ourselves to say goodbye to our son, Raphi. Click here to read more

Hadassah Saves Life with Artificial Heart Implant

"When I got to Ziv Medical Center in Safed,” recalls Prof. Oz Shapira, head of Hadassah University Hospital’s Cardiothoracic Unit, "I found a man at the cusp of death.”

Prof. Shapira had been called in as a consult-ant for 58-year-old Zion Farjan, who had just had a heart attack and was experiencing an extremely irregular heart rhythm. As his situa-tion deteriorated, his bodily systems began

failing. The patient’s family and Prof. Shapira, in consultation with his colleagues at Hadassah, decided it was best to fly Zion to Jerusalem and bring him to Hadassah’s Intensive Care Unit, while he remained on life support.

The left chamber of Zion’s heart was the weakest, having

been damaged by scarring from previous heart attacks. At Hadassah, Prof. Shapira and his team managed to halt the deterioration and bring the patient back to consciousness, no longer in need of a breathing machine.

As Prof. Shapira explains: “We decided to implant an artificial heart. So far, the surgery has been a success and the patient is walking around the unit. He's waiting for a donation of a human heart, but the artificial heart will bridge the waiting gap.”

Prof. Shapira adds: “Hadassah can perform the most compli-cated procedures, thanks to a range of distinguished staff, who provide high-level medical and nursing care. We can give hope to the sickest patients--both from Israel and around the world.”

Three-Year-Old Saved by Hadassah After Scorpion Bite

Ariel, age three, was in the outdoor play area of his nurse-ry school when a yellow scorpion--the most dangerous of Israel’s scorpions-- stung him. When Ariel arrived at the Pediatric Emergency Room at Hadassah Hospital-Mount Scopus, he was breathing with great difficulty. The scorpion venom, as with a snake bite, impacts the nervous system, heart, and blood vessels. Hadassah’s medical team started immediate anti-poisoning treatment and stabilized him before transfer-ring him to the Intensive Care unit. "We felt safe as soon as we entered Hadassah’s doors,”

Ariel’s parents noted. “We were updated at every stage and felt Hadassah’s compassion and professionalism."

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News from Israel and HMO Aftermath of a Terrorist Wave: Reaching Out to Traumatized Children

Hadassah Goes to Open-Air Market to Screen Smokers for COPD

As Israeli children and their parents cope with the latest wave of terror, the Hadassah Medical Center’s trauma spe-cialists are providing expertise and comfort in the Emer-gency Room, the outpatient Jerusalem Crisis Intervention Center (JCIC), inpatient wards, and local community centers. Dr. Fortunato Ben-Arroch, Director of Pediatric and Adoles-cent Post Trauma Treatment, explains: “When there is a terror attack, everyone who is exposed to the attack is brought to the Emergency Room.” He or his colleagues meet with both the children and their parents in the ER to help them deal with their anxiety and to advise parents as to how to help their children in the aftermath of the terror incident. Once the parents and children leave the ER, Hadassah’s psychiatrists often follow up with the family, knowing that anxious parents don’t always pick up the phone to reach out for further help, although they could use more help. Those that are admitted to the hospital with physical

injuries also need continued psychological support, Prof. Esti Galili, Director of the Division of Child Psychiatry and the JCIC, emphasizes. Following waves of terror, Dr. Ben-Arroch relates, their regular patients frequently come to the outpatient clinic with an exacerbation of their symptoms. By the same to-ken, Prof. Esti Galili notes that parents bring their children in to the clinic a few days after the terror incident because they notice that their children are experiencing increased levels of anxiety. Dr. Ben-Arroch recalls one family that was traumatized at a shopping center when a terrorist approached the children with a knife. At the last minute, the terrorist turned and stabbed someone else. Nevertheless, these children were traumatized, even though they were not physically harmed. At the same time, close relatives of the terror vic-tim also suffer from distress, even though they were not on the scene. Click here to read more

Amidst the tomato, cheese, and halva stands in Jerusalem's open-air market, Machaneh Yehuda, more than 150 shop-pers and vendors were screened by Hadassah Medical Cen-ter lung specialists to see if they had Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

The sign, which was used to attract shoppers, read: “Are you a smoker? Come and be tested by Hadassah lung experts to see if you are in danger of COPD.” It turned out that 25 indi-viduals showed signs of the disease. This was the first time Hadassah physicians went out into the community to test smokers for this serious condition, rather than inviting them to come to the hospital for screening. The initiative was part of Hadassah’s way of marking World COPD Awareness Day. The screening aims to diagnosis the disease early and assess the person’s future risk of contracting it. COPD, character-ized by poor airflow and respiratory difficulties in the lungs, occurs almost exclusively in smokers. Early diagnosis of COPD can prevent the disease and its many complications, explains Prof. Neville Berkman, Director of Hadassah’s Insti-tute of Pulmonology and head of its Adult and Invasive Pul-monology Unit. And, he says, the test and assessment to-gether take only a few minutes!

Handing out kits about Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

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Click here to join Hadassah’s one million dollar matching gift challenge

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Can YOU Give $180 or more annually to a Cause you care about? Will YOU?

During this time of year we reflect on the past year and look forward to the New Year in anticipation of good health and prosperity. Tzedakah is often in the forefront of our mind as we think about donating to those who are in need. As 2015 draws to a close, please consider an Annual Gift and become a Keeper of the Gate or a member of Chai Society in January 2016. During these challenging times for our families and friends in Israel it is more important than ever that Hadassah knows we can count on our members who take the pledge.

Picture yourself among those who have chosen to "keep" Hadassah going. Become, renew, or step up now.

Traditional Keeper: $1,000 - $1,799. Chai Keeper: $1,800 - $4,999 and Golden Keeper: $5,000+ After 5 years, your name will be inscribed on the prestigious Keeper of the Gate Pillars at Hadassah Hospital-Ein Kerem.

Got an Associate in the family? He can become a Keeper too!

Chai Society: $180 - $359 and Silver Chai Society: $360 - $999

Choose where to make your impact: Hadassah, Medicine & Healthcare, Youth Aliyah, Young Judaea, U.S. Initiative. Pay annually, semi-annually, quarterly or monthly.

Questions? Barbara Hecht - the Region Keeper/Chai Chair or go to www.hadassah.org to make your donation today.

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Chapter Chai Lights

Northwest Chapter

BINGO ANYONE? I love the creativity of our Northwest Chapter women!! Here are the directions for their Hadassah Bingo game they debuted at their September program. It was a great success with about 25 women in attendance including a few new members. Equipment needed:

One regular bingo game – be sure to have enough markers for all the players. Wrapped mystery prizes – one for each game winner. The games were H for Hadassah, T for Tower, Z for Zionism, S for Szold and F for Fundraising.

Before each game present a short education piece about each topic. Of course your imagination is the limit for Hadassah topics and prizes. This sounds like a great membership program – fun for new and seasoned members alike! For their October program the President of the Village of Buffalo Grove, Beverly Sussman, spoke about Women in Politics. Beverly is a member of the chapter, but due to her busy schedule, it was quite a special occasion.

Looking at the chapters locations in this quarter’s Chapter Chai Lights is like taking a tour around our Region

Elgin Chapter Monday evening, October 26 at the Elgin Chapter’s Donor Dinner. Judy Farrah, a nurse, was the keynote speaker and as she spoke about her time at Ein Kerem and her subsequent trips over the years as a volunteer nurse, I thought – this wom-an is a hero. Wondering about the bras? The displays were borrowed from Macy’s and the bras had been decorated at a previous Uplift program. A good meal, a delightful evening with old and new friends.

(L to R) Wanda Pitzele, Teree Farbstein, Debbie Sternfeld, Shirley Friedman, Nancy Zimmerman

(L to R) Blossom Wohl, Earl Sternfeld, Teree Farbstein,

Debbie Sternfeld, Ron Burstein, Carole Burstein

Next to the bras is a copy of Elgin's Charter in 1925 signed by Henrietta and Zip Szold.

Mid-Missouri Deborah Chapter

On Sunday, December 6 Mid-Missouri Deborah Chapter held a Coffee, Tea, and Nosh fundraiser at the home of Rebecca

Smith in Columbia, MO. Recipes and traditions were shared and of course our call out for our many wonderful projects

was answered.

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Chapter Chai Lights

Indianapolis Chapter

The Indianapolis Chapter had a Keepers event in the lovely home of Mary Smith, Past President. Good food and company and a new Keeper or two and I would call that an evening to remember.

Combining Hanukkah with Installation is a popular theme in our Region!

Indianapolis Chapter

The Indianapolis Chapter held a Hanukkah/Installation on December 8th at the JCC for a Pitch-In Dinner. Mary Smith, passed Region President conducted the Installation of the 2016 officers. We are excited to have a full slate for the coming year! Naomi Pescovitz, WTHR TV co-anchor, was our guest speaker. Naomi has returned to Indianapolis after working at several other networks across the USA. She addressed the increase of crime in our city, a serious problem and of concern to our Hadassah members. A Q&A session followed.

DuPage/Will Chapter

The DuPage/Will Chapter held their festive evening on December 10, which featured the lighting of the menorah, potluck

dinner, food collection for Loaves and Fishes and installation lead by Paulette Goodman, former and truly missed member

of the Region board.

Wichita Chapter

More than 20 Hadassah members and their guests celebrated the installation of Judy Gordon as the new president of the

Wichita Chapter. Outgoing president Kim Gollin was presented with a custom wooden challah board made by a husband

of a member. The installation was done by Dr. Lorraine Madway, also the education chairperson for the upcoming year.

The combination installation and new member social was held at the home of Dr. Dale Marcus, past Great Plains Region

president. It was a wonderful evening and kicked off the new year with a great start.

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Chapter Chai Lights

St. Louis Chapter

On December 2, the St. Louis Chapter held their 4th Annual Latkes & Vodkas Hanukkah

Celebration and Installation. Linda Gavatin Spitzer will begin her second year as President

while Evie Levine has finished her term of 3 ½ years as Co-President, serving both with

Beth Mayer and Linda. She is looking forward to her role as Past Chapter President and

joins the Region board as the PRAZE Coordinator.

A Message From Teree

Thanks to everyone – looking forward to a new year with less strife and bloodshed – a year filled with happiness and hope.

Hadassah Great Plains E-Bulletin

"Charitable Deductions are allowed to the extent provided by law. While Hadassah intends to respect your wishes regarding gifts, in Accordance with U.S. tax law requirements regarding deductibility of contributions, Hadassah shall have full dominion, control and discretion over gifts."

You may also want to check out…

Hadassah International

Hadassah Magazine

Need to contact Hadassah Great Plains?

Hadassah Great Plains (C) 314-753-5035

tfarbstein@hadassah.org www.hadassah.org/greatplains

Thank you to the many Board Members and Chapter

Presidents who serve on the Region Board.