Tidewater’s Sharon Goretsky, past president of Hadassah Southern Seaboard Region, was among the group of 200 leaders of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, who arrived on Capitol Hill from across the country for the organization’s Day of Impact in March. Their mission was to urge lawmakers to maintain a strong US-Israel relationship, to confront antisemitism, and to protect women’s health.
The advocates held more than 100 meetings with staff for members of the House and Senate.
Among the meetings, Goretsky says that the one with a staff member of Senator Mark Warner’s was particularly productive. “He has Israeli family,” she says.
She also had a good meeting with staff from Congresswoman Jen Kiggan’s office.
One of the most impactful portions of the day, according to Goretsky was a lunch where four U.S. Senators – Elissa Slotkin, Marsha Blackburn, Jacky Rosen, and James Lankford – spoke to the group. “It was excellent,” she says.
Hadassah’s coordinated advocacy effort took place amid record numbers of antisemitic incidents in the US and continuing discussions in Congress about America’s support for Israel.
“Hadassah has never sat on the sidelines, and we are not going to do so at this pivotal moment,” says Carol Ann Schwartz, National president. “We brought the combined strength of our nearly 300,000 members, donors, and supporters directly to Congress to stand firm against antisemitism, to uphold the strategic US-Israel alliance, and to safeguard the health and well-being of women everywhere.”
Hadassah’s Day of Impact reflects the organization’s broader national advocacy network, which mobilizes members across all 50 states to engage policymakers at the federal, state, and local level.
Hadassah’s priority issues include increased funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which will protect American communities at risk of terrorist attack; support for medical innovation and US-Israel medical partnerships, including the MIRACLE Act; and expanded federal investment in women’s health research, particularly for conditions that disproportionally affect women.
Hadassah also reaffirms its commitment to advancing women’s health priorities through expanded research, inclusive clinical trials and stronger protections for personal health data.
Goretsky is a national board member for Hadassah and serves as chair of both the Zionist Affairs Department and Nurse and Allied Health Professionals Council.