Anything Is Possible: Midwest Evolve Hadassah Leaders’ Conference Experience

Editor’s Note: The authors of this article are from Hadassah Midwest Evolve Hadassah, whose mission is to attract and engage new Hadassah volunteers and donors, shepherding Hadassah into the future. The authors were part of an Evolve Committee for the spring “Anything Is Possible” Hadassah Midwest Regional Conference.

We were so excited to attend the Hadassah Midwest conference and share what Evolve is, how the Evolve leadership development program enhances Hadassah and why it’s so important for the future of the organization. What we imparted at the conference and – perhaps even more so – what we, ourselves, took away are important enough that we wanted to tell the wider Jewish community about it. We are all so excited about the impact Evolve is having on the future of Hadassah and we hope that you share our enthusiasm and pride in what we’re building across the US.

Beginning this past February, our committee started having regular meetings to plan for the “Anything Is Possible” conference. As we planned, we shared ideas and success stories from our respective Hadassah Evolve communities.

We realized that we had all found Evolve through different channels and at different stages of our lives. For example, one of us is a toddler mom and one is a newly empty nester; two of us are brand new to Hadassah, while one of our committee members is a third-generation Hadassah member.

We hail from Metro Detroit, Chicago, Kansas City and Green Bay and Springfield, Ill., representing all three Midwest regions: Hadassah Greater Detroit, Chicago-North Shore and Great Plains. As we shared our stories with each other and, ultimately, with the conference attendees, we drilled down to the essence of what Evolve truly is: a way to meet the next generation of Hadassah leaders where they are, right now, wherever that place may be.

Although we each got involved in different ways, we all had common threads in our stories: a desire to be engaged with like-minded Jewish women, a need for social connection and community and looking for a means to get involved that was flexible enough for our endlessly busy work and family schedules. Evolve offered all these things and more.

Some of us might not have found our way to Hadassah without Evolve – but now that we have, we’re excited about what our futures with the organization hold!

For most of our committee members, “Anything Is Possible” represented only a first or second Hadassah conference. As we prepared to share our stories about what Evolve means to us, we  looked forward to learning more about Hadassah in turn. No one knew exactly what to expect when we all sat down at our tables for dinner that first evening. Most of us knew at least one or two friendly faces sitting across from us, but we were all so excited to chat with people that we hadn’t yet met.

Following dinner, BINGO cards and colorful tokens appeared. At first glance, we noticed that about half the words on the cards clearly related to Hadassah, while others required much more creative associations. During the game, we felt truly welcomed and were able to learn about various aspects of the organization in a fun and interactive setting – winning great prizes along the way! We all kept talking about the game throughout the conference and noted that it was an exciting idea to bring back to our home communities for future Evolve events.

On Shabbat afternoon, it was time for our Evolve panel. We kicked off the session by sharing our personal journeys to Evolve. Each heartfelt story connected with conference participants of all ages and painted a vivid picture of the need for Evolve to bring women into the fold at a younger age.

To give you a taste of our presentations, here are some excerpts:

Melanie: “Post-October 7, I was looking for a way to lean in, to volunteer for an amazing organization where I could really make an impact doing the programmatic work that I love, to advocate for Israel and women and do more to fight antisemitism. Helping to bring young women into Hadassah’s fold was the perfect way to do that!”

Rebecca Garrett: “Helping to kickstart an Evolve community with Hadassah Chicago-North Shore has been a wonderful experience. I met many incredible women and learned so much about Hadassah’s critical work. I am looking forward to seeing how this community continues to grow.”

Samantha Star-Roth: “In learning about Evolve, I’ve come to know about an amazing network of strong, influential women, striving to make a difference in their individual communities across the country. Evolve has allowed me to create connections and have opportunities to become a better leader personally, as well as professionally.”

Adryan Steinberg: “What began as a legacy through my mother and grandmothers’ Hadassah involvement has grown into a lifelong commitment to leadership, engagement and empowering the next generation through Evolve.”

Each of us also led a breakout session. One, for example, was an Evolve Quiz that helped to educate the group further about the importance of Evolve’s mission and to answer lingering questions about Evolve. Another was designed to bond women of all ages by having them  their commonalities.

The final session was an example of the kind of interactive program that Evolve typically presents. It focused on learning and practicing keys to happiness, such as socializing, giving of yourself, smiling, an attitude of gratitude and more.

As we gave our presentations and led our breakout sessions, we were able to see that the participants connected to our stories, understood the need for Evolve and realized how much we all have in common.

We were delighted by the participation of conference attendees and the positive feedback we received. It was wonderful to have an opportunity to educate more Hadassah women about Evolve and how important it is to us.

Equally important was the opportunity to take a “deep dive” into Hadassah’s mission and projects. Some noteworthy examples were sessions on Hadassah’s Youth Aliyah programs, reproductive rights advocacy and frontline work at Hadassah’s hospitals.

Michele Rubin, who is also Youth Aliyah chair, shared an inspiring update on Hadassah’s Youth Aliyah programs, emphasizing the life-changing impact of Hadassah youth villages such as Meir Shfeyah. These villages offer at-risk youth safety, education and a sense of belonging—providing real opportunities for growth and success.

What we found most touching was the way these programs don’t just provide care—they build futures. Hearing how these young people overcome incredible challenges with the support of Hadassah was a reminder of why this mission matters so deeply. Michele’s efforts, along with those of leaders across the country, including Midwest’s own Natalie Silverman, continue to spread awareness and strengthen support for Youth Aliyah’s vital mission.

During the reproductive rights advocacy session, the expert panelists provided a clear and detailed overview of the “state of play” nationally concerning various aspects of reproductive healthcare post-Roe, including ongoing legal actions and emerging concerns. Although we are facing many threats in this arena, we left feeling more empowered because now we have a better understanding of specific and strategic opportunities for advocacy and action.

Finally, we felt very lucky to hear directly from Dr. Tamar Elram, the Director of Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus. She shared incredible stories from the front lines of Hadassah’s critical work, providing innovative and compassionate care in the immediate aftermath of the October 7 attacks and during the long months of conflict that have followed. While many of us in attendance know a fair amount about Hadassah’s hospitals, hearing the human stories behind the work made the impact real and personal.

We are looking forward to taking this wealth of information back to our local Evolve communities and incorporating it as we plan our next activities and events.

Meeting (or seeing again) other Hadassah members at conferences is one of the most exciting parts of being involved. Some of us live in areas with few Jews to connect to and, even if there are other Jewish women, being with like-minded Hadassah women is special! At the Midwest conference, being able to connect or reconnect and discuss past, current and upcoming events in our individual regions or Evolve communities was key and helped us problem-solve and brainstorm new ideas.

We hope that Hadassah continues to engage in robust “cross pollination” between the traditional chapters and Evolve communities. Our Midwest Evolve committee will continue to look for opportunities to work together and across our respective Evolve communities. We all hope that Hadassah chapters will seek out chances to engage with their local Evolve communities as well. And if you see an Evolve leader at your next Hadassah conference, we encourage you to connect!

Contributing writers:
Rebecca B. Garrett – Evolve Hadassah in Chicago, Illinois
Melanie Gorman – Evolve Hadassah in Detroit, Michigan
Lizzie Levine – Evolve Hadassah in Great Plains, Wisconsin
Samantha Star-Roth – Evolve Hadassah in Great Plains, Illinois
Adryan Steinberg – Evolve Hadassah in Kansas City, Kansas

Melanie is a member of the Hadassah Writers’ Circle, a dynamic and diverse writing group for leaders and members to express their thoughts and feelings about all the things Hadassah does to make the world a better place. It’s where they celebrate their personal Hadassah journeys and share their Jewish values, family traditions and interpretations of Jewish texts. Since 2019, the Hadassah Writers’ Circle has published nearly 650 columns in The Times of Israel Blogs and other Jewish media outlets. Interested? Please contact hwc@hadassah.org.