LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring the members of Hadassah Capital District
upon the occasion of its 100th Anniversary of Hadassah

WHEREAS, The State of New York takes great pride in recognizing signif-
icant milestones in the distinguished histories of its esteemed enti-
ties; and
WHEREAS, Hadassah Capital District will celebrate the 100th Anniver-
sary of Hadassah during a Centennial Donor Celebration to be held at the
Shaker Ridge Country Club on April 29, 2012; and
WHEREAS, Hadassah is the Women's Zionist Organization of America, a
women's volunteer organization founded by Henrietta Szold in 1912; and
WHEREAS, As its first mission, Hadassah sent nurses to pre-state Isra-
el to provide milk to infants and new mothers to eradicate trachoma; by
1918, Hadassah women sent an entire medical unit, developing the begin-
ning of the Israeli health care system; and
WHEREAS, In 1934, Hadassah helped to create Youth Aliyah, a child
rescue program that saved tens of thousands of children from war-torn
Eastern Europe; today, Youth Aliyah is helping resettle children of the
Ethiopian and Russian migrations; and
WHEREAS, The Hadassah Medical Organization is the most advanced
medical facility in the Middle East and is renowned for its cutting edge
medical research and biomedical technology; doctors and nurses from this
organization were among the Israeli personnel who were first responders
when a devastating earthquake struck Haiti; and
WHEREAS, Since its inception in 1960, Hadassah College Jerusalem has
awarded over 800 Masters of Public Health degrees, helping more than one
million Africans fight eye disease and bringing critical care expertise
to earthquake-torn Armenia, Turkey, and Greece, and to tsunami victims
in Sri Lanka; and
WHEREAS, Hadassah has over 300,000 members, making it the largest
Jewish volunteer organization in America and one of the largest women's
organizations in the world; and
WHEREAS, Hadassah women have inspired countless other women through
their work in medicine, research, education, and Jewish continuity and
connection to Israel; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor the members of Hadassah Capital District upon the occasion of its
100th Anniversary of Hadassah; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Hadassah Capital District.