Hadassah is about caring

Joyce Toub, Collier/Lee Hadassah President

Lynn Wilner, twice Collier/Lee Hadassah President and one of the most caring, sensitive people I have ever met, is no longer with us. After fighting breast cancer for many years, she passed away on Sept. 18, 2021, just two days after Yom Kippur.

Lynn was one of the first women I met when I moved to Naples in 2016. She was a dedicated, knowledgeable, inspiring woman, who was always ready to serve and help out.

When you’re surrounded by wonderful people, such as Lynn and a string of other wonderful role models, you see boundless possibilities of the good you can do in this world. For me, the vehicle is Hadassah — Lynn would want it this way. A Hadassah Perpetual Yahrzeit for Lynn was donated by many Hadassah members.

A passage from High Holiday services gives us both a glimpse of the past as well as the future that I share with you:

If we must face disappointment, help us to learn patience.

If we must face sorrow, help us to learn sympathy.

If we must face pain, help us to learn strength.

If we must face danger, help us to learn courage.

If we must face failure, help us to learn endurance.

If we achieve success, help us to learn gratitude.

If we attain prosperity, help us to learn generosity. If we win praise, help us to learn humility. If we are blessed with joy, help us to learn sharing. If we are blessed with health, help us to learn caring. Caring is what Hadassah is all about! Please join us for our upcoming programs that will educate, enlighten and engage you.

On Nov. 16, our program will feature Patricia Levinson, Hadassah International Communications Chair, who will give us an overview of Hadassah’s interventions globally and how they have handled the most recent COVID-19 pandemic. Levinson was born in South Africa and has a degree in biochemistry as well as an MBA. She has served on the National Board/National Assembly for Hadassah for 31 years. I met Levinson about 40 years ago, and each year, her Hadassah involvement has increased.

On Dec. 1, we’ll offer our symposium, “Body, Mind and Spirit,” a webinar on women’s health and wellness from 10 a.m. to noon. The interactive program will feature a panel discussion with three experts who will examine self-care for mental health, care for the caregivers and nutrition on women’s heart health.

Our keynote speaker will discuss living a longer, more purposeful life. Interludes ranging from music to body movements and humor will be interspersed throughout. It is an event not to be missed.

Please check our e-blasts and Hadassah Happenings for additional information.