Hadassah Charlotte Metro Thanks Your for Celebrating the TaTas Success

December 2023

By Aileen Greenberg-Kriner

“Going once. Going twice. SOLD to the woman in the pink dress!” called Steve Turner, auctioneer from J.O.C. Auctions. It was through the enormous efforts of Steve, TaTas event chairwoman, Cindy Bolokofsky, volunteer artists and photographers, generous donors and guests, and a host of Hadassah women and associates, that Hadassah Charlotte Metro exceeded our $20,000 fundraising goal for 2023 Celebrate the TaTas by more than $5,000.

Celebrate the TaTas is a twopart fundraiser that began on Aug. 28 and 29 with Painting Days and was followed by The Reveal on Oct. 26. All funds raised were donated to Hadassah Medical Organization in Israel to be used for cancer research. Hadassah doctors and researchers have achieved incredible breakthroughs, and the money raised at Celebrate the TaTas will further support their efforts to eradicate cancer.

Cindy welcomed almost 150 guests to The Reveal, introduced our generous event sponsor, Dr.Goutham Gosu of Hearing Solution Center, and led the singing of Hatikvah. She then “revealed” the collage of TaTa photographs, which were created during Painting Days. Andrea Testa of ART Productions created a video of the Painting Days artists and models, and Wayne St. John donated the printed portraits and collages.

Sharon Goretsky, president of Hadassah’s Southern Seaboard Region addressed the group, and other regional officers also attended. Guests were treated to lunch at Maggiano’s SouthPark while they bid on both live and silent auction items and tried their luck at the wine cork pull.

Our keynote speaker was Rabbi Judith Schindler — activist, author, professor, rabbi, mother, wife, and breast cancer survivor.

Rabbi Judy captivated the room as she intertwined her personal story with the trauma we are experiencing, along with Israel and Jews everywhere in the aftermath of Oct. 7. She spoke of resistance, resilience, survival, and healing, and that, “we all face moments when our lives are shattered. And that is when the healing process starts.” Rabbi Judy mentioned a doctor and friend’s prescription that, “even when the prognosis is alarming or the outcome is overwhelming, we need to remember that we do not control everything in life. We thus need to maximize life one day at a time – celebrating wins and all good days.” You can read Rabbi Judy’s inspirational speech on her website, www.judyschindler.com.

Thank you to the Hadassah members who worked so hard to make Painting Days and The Reveal so successful.

This Month’s Events

Chanukah begins at sundown Dec. 7. We have the perfect Chanukah gift for the Mah Jongg player in your life! Order the official 2024 National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) card from Hadassah.

NMJL donates proceeds from the sale of their official cards to charitable organizations, including Hadassah. It is a big fundraiser for our chapter. Last year, we received more than $2,000 which

we sent to Hadassah Medical Center in Israel. You can order cards for multiple people, and you do not have to be a Hadassah member to order your card through Hadassah. Please see the order form on page 19. Order by Jan. 5, 2024.

Join us on Sunday, Jan. 14 for Hadassah Charlotte Metro’s second annual Game Day at Crews Recreation Center in Matthews. Bring your own Mah Jongg set, Rummikub, cards, or any other games you would like to play. Sign up on our website.

Come to our monthly Hadassah Wine & Schmooze at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at Vintner Wine Market in Arboretum. It’s fun!

Short Story Discussion Group meets at 11:45 a.m. on Dec. 8 on Zoom to discuss Sylvia’s Spoon by Michelle Brafman in the book “Frankly Feminist: Short Stories by Jewish Women.” Together, the stories create a powerful portrait of Jewish women’s experience.

Beverly’s Book Nook will not meet in December.

Our December Hadassah

BookTalk has been moved to Jan. 2, 2024. Our book selection is “Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl” by Renée Rosen.

Helpful Info

Our website, www.hadassahcltevents.org, has details and registration links for our events. If you have questions or need information, email HadassahCLT@ gmail.com or call our general phone number, (980) 553-1880.

To learn about membership, contact Lori Trapani or Merril Schenkel at the phone number or email above, or come to one of our events.

The next Hadassah Charlotte Metro Board meeting is Monday, Dec. 18 at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. Follow us on Facebook (Hadassah CLT Metro) and Instagram (Hadassah Charlotte Metro).