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July 23, 2004/Av 5 5764, Vol. 56, No. 44
Men of Hadassah volunteer at convention
HANK NEYER
Contributing Editor
Last week, as the women of Hadassah flocked to JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Phoenix for the group's annual convention, the local men of Hadassah also played an integral part in the success of the event.
The Hadassah Associates are the male adjunct to the Zionist women's group, and they spent the convention involved in a variety of pursuits.
Howard Treshansky directed a staff of 29 male volunteers who worked in shifts at the Hadassah boutique, a marketplace of Judaica whose proceeds benefited the Hadassah Valley of the Sun Chapter. Six men at a time typically worked in the boutique, according to Treshansky, who added that the men worked alongside two Hadassah members whose responsibility was the sale of raffle tickets for a drawing that was held on the final day of the convention.
Allen Silberman, whose wife Judy served as one of three co-chairwomen of the convention, explained that the "women got their husbands to work all week, helping out at the boutique."
Treshansky said the Hadassah Associates of the Valley of the Sun are an active group and have worked at similar boutiques at regional conventions, and will continue to do so when called upon by Hadassah.
A retired attorney and accountant who moved to Arizona about eight years ago, Treshansky said he's been active in the Associates for seven years. "It keeps me busy," he said.
However, the convention was not all about service for the men. There were programs especially designed for them; one such session was "Men's Health Issues: Keeping Mind and Body Healthy," led by Dr. Robert Shapiro, a Phoenix urologist who helped to launch the Men's Health Awareness Initiative.
The immediate past president of the Associates, Jerry Schildkraut, said there are between 80 and 100 members in Arizona and they "augment what the ladies do with regard to fund raising." Nationwide, Schildkraut estimated there are 27,000 Associates.
Any male can become a member and oftentimes a grandparent will purchase a Hadassah Associates membership for a newborn or bar mitzvah.
Just as Hadassah is striving to attract younger women, the Associates see recruitment of younger men as an important goal.
"The future of any organization is in their youth," said Schildkraut. "We've got to enlist the younger associates to take over."
Seymour Salit, the immediate past vice president of the Associates, said there must be an "infusion of new blood." Schildkraut said the group is striving to attract men in their 50s because at that stage of life, they are generally more financially secure and have the time to get involved.
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