The first year of my presidency is quickly coming to an end, and I feel that Newtown Hadassah has had a very successful year. My goal was to socialize, educate and have programs to meet the needs of as many women as possible, while raising money for Hadassah.
Our first event occurred in July, when 50 people went to the Trenton Thunder ballgame, cheered for our winning team, and saw fireworks after the game. In August, 50 people saw the movie "Boynton Beach Club" and looked for one of our members, Fran Smith, and her husband Len, who were extras in the movie.
The paid up membership dinner was wonderful, with 90 women attending and listening to Patsy Gruenberg talk about Hadassah. Karin Surkin, our membership chair, and her committee coordinated the event. I thank them for all the time they spent making this evening a success.
November was also a busy month. There was a cooking class led by Betty Cichy, food editor of the Bucks County Courier Times. She cooked and offered recipes for the 40 women who not only enjoyed the food, but also got some helpful cooking hints. Thanks go to Lynn Liesner, Debbie Paikoff and Cheryl Wilpon for hosting this event. The afternoon group had a card party in November, where 60 women and one man played mah jongg, bridge, and Scrabble. We enjoyed the delicious food and raised $1,000 for Hadassah. Thank you Elinor Pressel and Charlene Schneier for your hard work.
In December, we wrapped gifts at Oxford Valley Mall on two Sundays before Christmas. The total money raised for both days was $1,500. Harriet Schaeffer did a great job in chairing this event.
On February, 4th, Super Bowl Sunday, 50 women gathered at Joan Weiss's house to eat (of course), bid on goods and services and, most importantly, to hear Dr. Beth DuPree. She was a charming speaker who talked about her book, and her new women's center. Our February afternoon meeting welcomed Rabbi Jeff Pivo who presented information about the Israeli-Lebanese War and its aftermath. Even though the weather was threatening, that didn't keep 40 women from hearing the Rabbi!
The annual contribution campaign, chaired by Janna Walsh and Enid Waldman, was our most successful to date. As of March, over $26,000 was raised for Hadassah, and almost 30 % of our members have contributed this year. Way to go! Thank you so much, Janna and Enid, for the hours you spent on this project.
Thanks also go to Alice Farber and Barb Kaner, who did a great job in sending out our Hadassah cards. Alice also sent out certificates, and Arlene Frimark did the calligraphy. Eileen Wolfe - who organized, proofread and wrote the Hadassah bulletin, that is published five times a year - did an outstanding job. Eileen was also responsible for developing and leading our interesting book club meetings and last, but not least, for coordinating the tutoring program at three schools in Bucks County. Thank you very much for all you do and have done. I want to thank Jill Schwartz for all the time she spent e-mailing the news to all of our members.
Harriet Schaeffer, our special projects chair, was busy all year organizing our Bucks County Community College trips and our special fund-raising luncheons. She is coordinating the trip to the King Tut exhibit in May. Finally, Harriet is helping Hadassah by coordinating an important piece of the "20 Years and Proud" celebration - the raffle baskets. I can't thank you enough for your support.
Bea Langman was terrific with publicity and getting the information to the papers in a timely fashion. Every time I opened the Exponent, I smiled when I saw the Newtown Hadassah events.
I'm writing this article in March, before the "20 Years and Proud" gala and the Hadassah Walk, but I'm confident that both events will be very successful. Thanks go to Lorraine Blumenfield and Beverly Levy for chairing the "20 Years and Proud" gala, and also to Judy Nussbaum for organizing the Hadassah Walk.
Many thanks go to my executive board and chairs for a job well done. Without your guidance and support, I would have had a much more difficult year.
Lastly, thanks to my husband, Mark, for his patience and understanding. He was my supporter and helper throughout this year. I appreciate you very much.
Shalom,
Margie