From Seed to Harvest Become an Ambassador for Hadassah

By Naomi Adler Hadassah CEO

One of my favorite moments during my family’s Pesach seders is when we all sing Nurit Hirsch and Ehud Manor’s famous rendition of “Bashana Haba’ah” after we finish retelling the story of Exodus. It is a joy ous moment, shared by many Jews throughout the world, acknowledg ing that the forming of the modern, Jewish and democratic State of Israel is to be celebrated at the same time as we remember our ancestors’ jour ney. In my family, this often leads to recounting our many travels and interactions with Israel before and after it became a new nation.

This year, Hadassah will be cel ebrating Israel’s 75th anniversary throughout every state in America and in many countries around the world. As an unabashed Zionist, I am extremely proud of Hadassah’s long and unique history in advancing Zionism, Jewish values and the infra structure of our beloved Israel. Yet I am deeply respectful of those who struggle with how to support Israel and who find Zionism itself to be a difficult topic.

At Hadassah, we’re striving to be both a bold and a safe place, one that is inclusive and fosters open con versations—even when they aren’t

GENESIS PRIZE 2023: HADASSAH AMONG THE HONOREES

Hadassah finds itself in esteemed company among the Jewish activists and nongovernmental organizations who were collectively awarded the 2023 Genesis Prize—sometimes referred to as the “Jewish Nobel”—for their humanitarian relief work in Ukraine after the Russian invasion began in February 2022. In partnership with Hadassah and Hadassah International, the Hadassah Medical Organization sent 15 medical delegations to Poland, set up and ran medical clinics on the Ukrainian-Polish border and, with the World Health Organization and other partners, treated over 31,000 Ukrainian refugees. In Israel, more than 50 Ukrainian teens were given a new home at Meir Shfeyah Youth Aliyah Village and Hadassah Neurim.

easy—across generations, political outlooks and idealism about what Israel can and should be today. This makes Hadassah truly unique and relevant in 2023.

Hadassah’s organizational design of inclusivity and respect for every person’s opinion traces back to what we learned from our founder, Henri etta Szold. Decades before Israel’s independence, she defined Zionism as “Jewish hope, aspiration, dream, prayer made practical.”

Today’s scientific breakthroughs at the Hadassah Medical Organi‑ zation are directly connected to hundreds of successful events held in support of its work. The long list of advocacy successes to com bat antisemitism, promote women’s health equity and support Israel could not have occurred without members, associates and donors throughout our country. In addition, thousands of young Israelis have been given a new lease on life in Hadas sah’s youth villages. And 2023 marks the 100th anniversary of the Hadas sah supported Meir Shfeyah Youth Aliyah Village.

This year, as you welcome rel atives, friends and, perhaps, the stranger to your seder table, I am asking you to be an ambassador for Hadas sah. Invite your guests to become members and to join us in signi fying Israel’s 75th anniversary by placing an additional piece of matzah on your table, a “Matzah of Cele bration.” As you explain its presence, take a moment to share your per sonal Hadassah story, the inspiring impact of supporting this work and the importance of others adding their time, talent and treasure to make sure it continues.

Here is the Hadassah membership QR Code.

Please take a picture of it with your phone and invite others to join us in the next chapter of our collective story.

Wishing you a joyous Passover season.

ZIONISM…DID YOU KNOW?

The Yishuv, or prestate Israel, began exporting Jaffa oranges in the 1920s. How has Israeli farming changed since then?

How did Israel reclaim the desert to allow farming?

Israel developed drip-irrigation technology; increased supply of underground well water; diverted and utilized scarce water resources; and planted shrubs, trees and crops that improve the soil.

What main ingredients appear in the typical “Israeli salad”?

Also called Jerusalem salad or Arab salad, the primary ingredients are tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, fresh parsley, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.

What is the country’s newest farming frontier?

Space! Twenty-eight chickpeas were sent to the International Space Station in 2022 as part of an Israeli-led experiment into the viability of growing the legume in space.

What are some of the nation’s top exports, derived from Israeli-grown crops?

Olive oil, date syrup (silan), za’atar spice blend, tahini and halva.

What are some of the flowers most commonly grown for commercial export? Roses, carnations, irises, gladiolas and lilies.

What is the state of the dairy industry? Israel’s 135,000 Holstein cows produce more milk per cow than in any other country.

What non-food crop thrives in the Negev? Jojoba shrubs, whose oil is used in cosmetics. Israel claims to produce 50 percent of the jojoba sold on the global market.

What is Israel’s national fruit?

The prickly pear, aka the sabra.

NOW YOU’VE HAD… A TASTE OF ISRAELI FARMING

Miracle Workers Bring Ancient Seed To Fruition

The rebirth of the Judean date palm tree is among the most inspirational, feel-good stories out of Israel in the last 20 years, and it is almost entirely thanks to the ingenuity of two Hadassah-affiliated scientists—Dr. Sarah Sallon, director of the Louis L. Borick Natural Medicine Research Center at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem, and Elaine Solowey, researcher emerita at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies at Kibbutz Ketura.

Now, illustrator and writer Martin Lemelman recounts the tree’s extinction after the fall of Masada almost 2,000 years ago and its incredible 20th century reawakening in a new graphic novel, The Miracle Seed . Lemelman’s richly detailed and vivid drawings, coupled with his streamlined text that moves from Roman destruction to Dr. Sallon and Solowey sampling dates harvested from a tree they named “Hannah,” make for a rewarding read for children ages 8 to 14.