Hadassah raised over $30 million this year, it was announced at the 64th annual convention held recently in Jerusalem. Bess Katz, national treasurer, reported that even though the members responsible for fundraising achieved a remarkable feat, in light of the inflation, Hadassah will be forced to achieve higher collections for 1978-79.
“The inflation and, ipso facto, devaluation of the U.S. dollar, has put a tremendous burden on the Israel budgets,” she said. “Much of the equipment at the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center and considerable supplies must be purchased outside of Israel–in Europe, where the dollar has declined in value. Also, farm equipment, essential to the economy of Israel, is purchased in Europe, resulting in a tremendous rise in the cost of agricultural equipment. This in turn affects all food supplies and so many of the commodities that must be purchased by the hospital. Thus, Hadassah’s banner collections are eaten up by the rise in costs.”
The convention, attended by 3000 delegates and guests, representing over 1570 chapters and groups from every state in the union and Puerto Rico, voted the following quotas (1978-79) for Hadassah’s health, education and rehabilitation, and land reclamation services:
In Israel: Hadassah Medical Organization maintenance — $9,000,000; HMO Building and Development — $3,333,333; Youth Aliyah — $2,300,000; Hadassah Israel Education Services (Community College, Selisberg/Brandeis Comprehensive High School, and the Vocational Guidance Institute) — $1,500,000; Jewish National Fund — $700,000. There will be an increase of $500,000 for H.I.E.S. over last year for 1978-79.
In the United States, the budget is close to $4 million. This includes Hadassah’s adult and youth education programs, and leadership development — an increase of $500,000. “The additional funds come from endowments, annuities, bequests and grants,” Mrs. Katz explained.
PLAN PILOT PROJECTS
Edith Zamost, national membership chairman, reported that this year, despite deaths and great mobility, Hadassah gained 25,000 new members. The membership is now over 360,000 of whom one-third are Life Members.
“Looking forward to even greater growth — in the face of changing life-styles — a pilot project for three major American cities — Los Angeles, Cleveland and Baltimore — has been developed by the National Membership Department,” she announced. “We are planning an intensive population analysis as a prelude to this year’s mammoth membership drive. The result of this pilot project will be fully studied in order to mount similar projects in other areas of the country,” Mrs. Zamost said.
In conjunction with the convention, Fannie Cohen, national Jewish National Fund chairman, presided at the dedication of Hadassah’s latest development project, Tefen. “Here in the Galilee, where there are only 37 percent Jews, we have made possible the establishment of seven new settlements and five industrial complexes, which will house and give employment to thousands of Jews,” she said. “This is the result of our fund-raising efforts and the work of the Keren Kayemeth Lelsrael (JNF). Where today you see arable flat land, electricity and water, only two years ago there were boulders and wilderness, making the land impossible for use. It took foresight and expert planning, the sweat of thousands of men, the technical skills of hundreds operating the most modern machines, to move mountains and make this land habitable.” Bernice S. Tannenbaum was reelected president of Hadassah.
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