Hadassah reaffirms its mission and announces restructuring plan

Hadassah has had a busy run the past couple of weeks.

After instituting significant layoffs as part of a restructuring that was pushed forward by the difficualt economy, the organization held its national board meetings in Atlanta.

The organization used the board meetings to expalin explicitly that it is in the midst of a restructuring to better carry out its Zionist mission.

Here’s the release:

HADASSAH REAFFIRMS ITS ZIONIST MISSION AND UNDERTAKES ORGANIZATIONAL RESTRUCTURING

Atlanta, GA – In a packed National Board meeting, Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, reaffirmed its core Zionist mission and approved a $318 million proposal for the continuation of the construction of a new tower at its signature Ein Kerem hospital in Jerusalem. The Hadassah National Board also passed a $145 million reduced budget and embraced a restructuring plan two years in the making.

Remaining true to it core mission while acknowledging the new economic realities, Hadassah leaders said they were being fiscally responsible and focusing their energies on Zionism, education and healthcare, as the organization has for nearly a century.

“Hadassah officially and energetically embarked this week on another chapter in our storied history,” says Hadassah President Nancy Falchuk. “We started in 1912 with the funding and sending of two nurses to pre-state Palestine and continued a pioneering Zionist commitment that has shaped healthcare in Israel. Hadassah will soon add an additional one million square feet of hospital space to an already extraordinary medical facility.”

The Sarah Wetsman Davidson Tower at Hadassah Medical Center, to be dedicated in 2012, Hadassah’s centennial year, represents the true passion of our Zionism. It is the largest building project of its kind in Israel today. The Davidson Tower, a 14-story structure with 500 beds, 20 operating rooms, a 50-bed ICU and an ultra-modern Heart Institute, will be a unique healing environment.

Hadassah International–a network of dedicated volunteers, men and women of all faiths and nationalities and founded by Hadassah on the principle that medicine can be a bridge to peace– supports the work of the Hadassah Medical Organization and  is committed to join in Tower fundraising efforts.

“The action we took this week,” Falchuk says, “makes an important statement about the future of Hadassah, both in the United States and in Israel.” Hadassah took the necessary steps to ensure that resources will be available for all its important work in Israel and America. The plans included staff reduction in Hadassah offices across the US and internationally as part of an overall restructuring to decrease expenses and protect the organization’s core Zionist mission.  Due to recent dramatic changes in the global economy, the timing of this reorganization was accelerated. “The 80 members of Hadassah’s valued professional staff will be sorely missed, yet we are confident of the continued success of our critical programs and projects,” says Falchuk.

Substantial administrative cuts have also been made at the hospital and college in Jerusalem. Young Judaea, the Zionist Youth Movement of Hadassah, which celebrates its centennial this year, also undertook restructuring plans.

“We’ve embraced a responsible way to move forward with energized spirit and a stronger, even more efficient organization,” says Falchuk. “These were hard choices, but we are focused and our mission is unchanged. Together with our members, Associates, supporters, donors, leaders and employees, we will adjust where needed, change what we must and create a future to make each of us proud.”