John Sarbanes: “this month, Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America, will celebrate its 90th Anniversary. Hadassah is a…”

“this month, Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America, will celebrate its 90th Anniversary. Hadassah is a unique organization, which has distinguished itself in many arenas over nearly a century. With priorities that range from women's advocacy to developmental health care, Hadassah has consistently made significant contributions around the globe. I take great pride in the Baltimorean, Henrietta Szold, who founded Hadassah in 1912. Henrietta Szold was a remarkable woman, a person not only of high principles, great intelligence and inexhaustible energy, but someone with the rare and precious ability to translate principles into reality. It was she who set out for Jerusalem in 1918 with staff and supplies for a 50-bed hospital. Today that hospital is known as the Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem; it cares annually for more than 600,000 patients, sets standards for excellence in health care, teaching and research both in Israel and around the world, and opens its doors to everyone in need. Henrietta Szold's greatest contribution may not have been her own devotion to her community, but the framework she instituted for Hadassah members under which they could carry on the principles that inspired her--service, generosity of spirit, human kindness, and commitment.”