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Friday, October 05, 2007

The trouble with Hadassah

Hadassah is a (mostly) women's Zionist organization to which I belong. I even give them money. They built and continue to support a wonderful hospital in Israel where care is given to everyone, regardless of ethnicity.

Remember I said Zionist? As in Israel?

Then why is Hadassah advocating for "women's reproductive rights?" Aren't there other organizations devoted to that cause?

In the past few years, Hadassah has joined a number of amicus briefs concerning many important topics, including reproductive rights, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and government aid to religious schools.


The organization also publishes a very nice periodical for its members, concentrating very broadly on topics of interest to Zionists and Jews. One feature is called "The Jewish Traveler," and focuses on places of interest all over the world where Jews have lived. That, in case you're wondering, is just about everywhere. The article goes into the history of the Jewish community--in the latest issue it is Saravajo--the synagogues, libraries, community centers, museums, etc. which the local Jewish community built and patronized.

In almost every instance, there is a sentence in the article which says, and I'm paraphrasing: "There used to be a vital Jewish community of 20,000, but Hitler killed most of them and there are only 35 left." This sentence applies to almost every tourist destination, with exceptions for countries of the former British Commonwealth and Latin America. In Arab countries, they were driven out by Arabs, not Nazis, but you get the idea. The figures are different, but the gist is the same. Used to be Jews here, all gone now. The synagogues, etc, they built are wonderful museums, well worth visiting. If the remaining Jews want to celebrate a Jewish occasion, it takes place in someone's living room. A rabbi can be summoned from another country by request, if needed.

Does a people whom the world is determined to exterminate need to champion the cause of abortion? Is this what Hadassah was designed to do? Does this bring glory to the membership? Why don't we stick to Hadassah Hospital?

11 comments:

airforcewife said...

Very good points. I personally HATE beauracratic creep - which this sounds like.

miriam sawyer said...

I'm glad you commented, because I don't know if my point is clear. This clarifies it somewhat: If the members want to promote abortion, that's fine for them as individuals, but the organization has no business promoting it as one of their main concerns.

Abortion and Zionism just don't go together.

Anonymous said...

Miriam: I couldn't agree with you more. I think there are a few individuals who see abortion for what it is: an attack on the future of a people. The rest seem blind to the fact that it is at least murder, and quite probably genocide.

I am not Jewish, rather Roman Catholic, but the thought of the extinction of Jews as a people makes my blood run cold. I see so many parallels between Pharaoh's command to the midwives to slaughter the baby Hebrew boys at birth, and the present "gift" of "reproductive rights" to Jewish (and indeed, all) women. Remember what the midwives did? And how there would have been no Moses if they hadn't denied the Hebrew women their "reproductive rights"?

I think the abortion mongers need to think about Moses and what eventually happened to Pharaoh. God is not going to sit by and watch all the Jews exterminated. Any back pressure to this, any resistance to this diabolical murder is going to be honored by Him. Sooner or later He is going to act, though in what manner? Pharaoh would never, in his wildest dreams, have imagined what Moses would bring down on his head.

Tat said...

Wait, how "reproductive rights" became its opposite? I.e. - right to no reproduction? Orwellian language in its natural best.

However, I have to make this point: the fact that everywhere in the world there are only empty shells of exterminated Jewish life of the past doesn't mean that Israel, there and now, have demographic crisis on their hands. Otherwise, I agree with you - Hadassah should have followed their stated purpose that the members support with their donations. If they wanted to get behind any new cause they might deemed important, they should have ask the paying benefactors first.

Anonymous said...

As a fellow Hadassah member, this issue of "reproductive rights" has made me question my support of the organization everytime they put it in my face. How schizophrenic! The initial focus was/is a noble cause: a hospital dedicated to saving lives in Israel. Now, in the back door creeps an agenda usurping decades of hard-earned credibility and respect that reeks of death. How can they forget the many who suffered under Mengele and other madmen to perfect the medical techniques of this "right?"

Anonymous said...

Bravo for you, Miriam.
I've started the Jewish Pro-Life Foundation, whose mission is to save Jewish lives by educating the jewish community about the negative consequences of abortion and alternatives to abortion. I recently sent 4,100 brochures to US Jewish destinations. The brochure mentions Hadassah's pro-abortion activities.
I hope that contributors to Hadassah will earmark their donations to specific causes, excluding the reproductive rights work. Please visit our website.
Thank you.

Justin Krendler said...

This comment is a couple of years late but I think that the reason why Hadassah advocates for a woman's right to make whatever healthcare related choices she deems fit is because of the deep religious commitment to always prioritize the health of the woman/mother. The health of the mother is of primary importance in Judaism and in the cases where a pregnancy jeopardizes a woman's health Judaism says that the woman's life must take priority over the health of the fetus. There is no schizophrenia here, this organizational action makes complete sense.

Alice L. said...

I am pro life - we need more Jewish children - not fewer. Hadassah has lost its mind. Why is it promoting anti-life garbage?

Anonymous said...

What is wrong with people? we need more Jewish children not fewer to survive.

Alice L. said...

feel free to reproduce - nothing is stopping you. People regret not having children.

Anonymous said...

That any Jew would promote the deaths of Jewish babies is nauseating given our dwindling numbers. Shame on Hadassah!