Hadassah: Season of Awe, Action

We are entering the Days of Awe — awesome and awe-inspiring. We are aroused from our lazy days of summer, inspired by the magnificence of the approaching holy days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and called to action.

During these last days of Elul, we are preparing to be our very best selves. We fill our hearts with possibilities of good wishes and good deeds.

We clean our homes and fill our kitchens with all our holiday comfort foods, with the yummy smells of freshly baked challah, and bring on the honey for a sweet new year. We prepare ourselves by listening to special liturgical music, reading or writing heartfelt poetry, and doing just one more mitzvah — just for good measure.

My family — and I am sure yours, too — follows and passes along these traditions of preparing to be our very best.

Hadassah Greater Atlanta is a family with our traditions and awesome role models. Hadassah Greater Atlanta shares and loves like family.

Over 100 years ago, our founder, Henrietta Szold, inspired us to be our very best selves. She challenged us, “Dare to dream, and when you dream, dream big.”

Her actions complemented her words. Henrietta sent two nurses into occupied Jerusalem to treat the suffering of mothers and babies. From these humble beginnings, the Hadassah Medical Organization grew to provide a Nobel Prize-nominated, state-of-the-art medical research and service organization to benefit humanity.

We are global first responders in times of catastrophe and medical providers of last resort when international medical practices have failed patients with multiple sclerosis, ALS, Parkinson’s and other auto-immune diseases at home.

Here in Atlanta, we have awesome local programs, such as the 25-year-old program Check It Out, promoting high school girls’ body awareness, the first Hadassah’s IncrEDIBLE Cooking Competition on Jan. 21, 2018, and the groundbreaking Breast Strokes A.R.T. (Awareness, Research and Treatment) gala on March 18, 2018.

Hadassah Greater Atlanta embraces and nurtures the national EVOLVE initiative to engage younger women. The inaugural event is Oct. 26. Come and see what is planned.

What we do as individuals is awesome. What we do as a community, Hadassah Greater Atlanta, is awe-inspiring. Hadassah’s tagline is “the power of women who DO.” We are a sisterhood of action. We support health and wellness, advocacy, and Israel.

We welcome everyone — members, associates (men) and guests — to join us this 5778 in a year of health, education, advocacy, happiness and peace.

Sheila Dalmat is the president of Hadassah Greater Atlanta (www.hadassah.org/atlanta).