[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 17 (Tuesday, February 26, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E210-E211]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      90TH ANNIVERSARY OF HADASSAH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN L. CARDIN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 26, 2002

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Hadassah, the 
Women's Zionist Organization of America on its 90th anniversary and to 
pay special tribute to the largest Jewish women's membership 
organization in America.
  Hadassah was founded in 1912 by educator and visionary Henrietta 
Szold. It was her vision and commitment to the ideal of a Jewish 
homeland and to social justice that led to the creation of Hadassah, an 
organization dedicated to help heal a Palestine rife with poverty, 
filth, and disease.

[[Page E211]]

  Today, with more than 300,000 members across the United States, 
Hadassah supports the Hadassah Medical Organization, the most advanced 
medical center in the Middle East. This medical center is comprised of 
two hospitals, 90 outpatient clinics, and numerous community health 
centers. It provides state-of-the-art health care to 600,000 patients a 
year--regardless of race, religion, or creed. In addition, through the 
congressionally funded American Schools and Hospitals Abroad Program, 
the medical center also stands ready to serve American military troops 
should the need arise.
  Hadassah also funds and maintains four major programs in Israel and 
the United States. They include: Hadassah Israel Education Services, 
Youth Aliya, Young Judaea, and the Jewish National Fund. Hadassah also 
provides relief services during international health crises, including 
in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Rwanda. In the United States, Hadassah 
members are engaged in a multitude of activities. From women's health 
seminars to programs about Jewish traditions and rituals, Hadassah is 
dedicated to improving the lives of those in our community.
  Hadassah's mission is to promote a prosperous and peaceful Israel, 
ensure Jewish continuity, pursue social justice, and provide for the 
health, education and well-being of American Jewish women and their 
families. I hope my colleagues will join me in saluting the spirit of 
volunteerism and service to community that has marked the 90 years of 
Hadassah's existence.

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