In greater Philadelphia, there are 20 Hadassah chapters spanning most of Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware. These chapters are devoted to health education, social action and advocacy.
The organization holds a number of events in and outside of greater Philadelphia including an annual springtime givers tea to thank the organization’s donors on April 12. The event is reminiscent of another event Hadassah held April 13, 1943.
In the April 9, 1943 Philadelphia Jewish Exponent issue, a front-page article notes, “Hadassah Victory Donor Day is practically around the corner!”
“From a handful of Women who met 31 years ago under the leadership of Henrietta Szold, Hadassah has grown by leaps and bounds until now, in Philadelphia alone, there are almost 4,000 members,” the article states.
Today, the Hadassah Philadelphia region has more than 11,000 members, according to its website, more than double that of 1943.
As opposed to today’s 20 area chapters, the 1943 article notes Philadelphia having 16. “These women have pledged themselves to fulfill their self-imposed quota of $535,000.”
The article informs Philadelphia Jewish Exponent readers to join Hadassah’s Victory Donor Day at the Academy of Music, the 1850s opera house that is still in existence today.
“It has been towards fulfilling the terrif strain on the treasury, which these projects are making, that Mrs. Jacob Sklaroff and Mrs. Louis B. Orlowitz heading a large committee consisting of representative from the 16 chapters in Philadelphia, have been working constantly since November,” Philadelphia Jewish Exponent wrote.
The article added, “The program will be headed by Miss Otis Skinner, who will present, in her own inimitable way, eight new dramatic sketches, Judge Louis E. Levinthal, president of the Zionist Organization of America, as a guest speaker.”