WOMAN OF
Distinction
Carole Zucker When my sister Wendy Eisen and I were growing up, Hadassah (now CHW,) was a household name. Each fall, Wendy and I eagerly looked forward to the Hadassah Bazaar. Our mother, Allie Herman, an active Member of Ruth Chapter, held positions of leadership in the 1950’s as Chairman of Hadassim and Chairman of Bazaar. Our grandmother, Rose Herman was a member of the Western Chapter and every summer, grandma would collect $5 from her friends and neighbors in Jackson’s Point for her chapter tea in the fall. In the early 1960s, my sister Wendy was Chair of the Eleanor Roosevelt Chapter in Montreal, which she had helped form with her newly married friends. In 1957, my mother assisted me to found CHW Toronto Noar Chapter with a group of young brides. I held the office of President for two years. Mom, Lil Gold, and Bobby Wilson became our mentors. Noar quickly became a chapter to be reckoned with. We girls were enthusiastic and fun. We planned avant garde fundraising events and there was many a time that ‘our mentors’ were brought before the Executive Board to plead our case on our behalf. Our Noar girls loved my mother, and it was only many years later that I learned from many of them that they would frequently call her for advice, knowing they could trust her. In the fall of 1964, I went on my first trip to Israel with my parents.
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ORAH Magazine Summer 2020
My mother and I experienced a wonderful visit to the CHW Hadassim Children and Youth Village, which had been established in 1947 to provide a home for orphaned children following World War II. This emphasized to us how lucky we were to be living safely in Canada with our children during the war. It inspired us to do everything we could to help these children grow up to be solid Israeli citizens Working for Hadassah was the beginning of my career in philanthropy. Hadassah gave me the confidence to enter my family business in 1970, and take on future leadership roles in other organizations in the community.
