Welcome to our desert

Editorial

The Jewish community of Greater Phoenix is delighted to welcome Hadassah for the organization's 90th national convention. The convention theme, aptly, is "Go to the desert - nourish the hope." July in Arizona's Sonora Desert evokes the experience of summer in Israel's Negev Desert, nearly 8,000 miles away, delivering hot days and warm hospitality.

Hope - hatikvah - inspired New Yorker Henrietta Szold to found Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America, in 1912 to provide "practical support" to pioneers laboring with scarce resources to re-establish the Jewish presence in the ancestral land that in 1948 was recognized by the United Nations as the modern State of Israel.

Today, when Hadassah talks, the world listens. It is recognized by the U.N. Economic Social Council as a non-governmental organization, enabling it to lend its medical and social expertise to the international community. In 2001, it was the only Jewish organization on the U.S. steering committee for the United Nations International Year of Volunteers.

Hadassah's presence in Phoenix this week acknowledges the strength of the organization in our desert community, where 2,600 members provide awareness of Hadassah's important work in Israel and raise significant funds to support that work.

The convention program reflects the vision, energy and optimism of this singular women's organization in addressing current issues while holding fast to core values. Hadassah builds from within, drawing members from a wide age and interest spectrum and educating them in areas that improve their lives as American Jewish women and in turn enable them to effectively support the Hadassah Medical Organization and other programs in Israel.

The Jewish News is delivering a copy of this week's issue to every Hadassah delegate. Our lead feature, "Not your grandma's Hadassah," tells the story of Hadassah in Phoenix, where the organization has been a force for 64 years. (Also in this issue, the Fall Program Guide of the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center gives information about the broad range of programs and services of a dynamic community agency. Enjoy.)

"Those who go and do - these are truly holy," the Pirkei Avot teaches. For more than 90 years, Hadassah has been going and doing, learning and teaching, and leading the way in making a difference. We congratulate you, women of Hadassah, we thank you for your good works, and we invite you to return to our beautiful Southwest desert in 2012, to celebrate your 100th anniversary.

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