Here's to the Blue-Haired Ladies

Several of my grandchildren were born in the modern and beautiful facilities of Hadassah Hospital. Two of my children learn in Hadassah College. My neighbor works in Hadassah Hospital's Research Center. My friend teaches in Hadassah College's Optometry Department.


Now, you think about it. I bet you've got plenty of connections to Hadassah. I'm sure it is more a part of your life than you realized.

For 100 years Hadassah has educated our children, trained our professionals, cure our sick, and birthed our babies. B"H, they have helped build our country and helped make us strong.
And who are they?

Blue Haired Grannies??
At first, perhaps, they really were blue-haired grannies (as the Hadassah jokes go), playing canasta for pennies, hosting bake sales for half dollars, selling used clothes for dollars, and later running art auctions and game nights and bowling and theater events, all to make money to send to Israel to help enrich lives here in every way they could. 
Blue haired and white haired and bouffant-haired mothers and grandmothers. More than anything, they were caring wonderful creative tireless and living women who were dedicated to Israel's future.

They crossed the oceans and the deserts to reach the Land of Israel. They administered to the ill under the most primitive and difficult conditions. And then they worked to make them better.
Through the years they have changed, but their vision and dedication have only expanded, never changing.  They have grown younger and older, become professionals and executives and stay-at-home Moms. They've even got men working for their cause. They׳ve run raffles and missions and luncheons for the sake of the Jewish People, first in British Mandate Palestine and then the State of Israel. Their pennies and dollars have grown to multi-multi-million fundraising campaigns.
Their little old Rothschild Hospital has grown to several buildings of Hadassah College. Their hospital dreams have become reality in different mammoth locations in Israel.

They began with a dream (by the legendary Henrietta Szjold [left] - read the fascinating story here - really...read it!) and they continue with a dream. 

They are B"H unstoppable, because everything they do is for "their brothers and their children".
They are the heroines of Hadassah. One hundred years young and still going strong.
Thank you, Mom, Grandma, Aunt Marge. Our lives are better because of you.

Historical photos from Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem.

You might like this post as well: http://voices-magazine.blogspot.co.il/2011/11/hadassah-empire-our-grandmothers-built.html