(RNS) The recession has forced Hadassah, the national Jewish women’s organization, to cancel its 2009 convention in New Orleans, a local Hadassah officer said.
The organization’s national convention, once scheduled for mid-July
2009 typically would have attracted 1,500 to 1,800 women, said national Vice President Roselle Ungar.
But the group has canceled the meeting. “We’ve been going through a process very aggressively to adjust domestic spending,” Ungar said. “It was felt that during these times holding a big convention was not an appropriate use of our funds.”
Instead, the group hopes to bring to New Orleans its smaller national business meeting, which likely will bring at least 250 women, and perhaps several hundred more, she said.
However, a final decision to hold the smaller meeting here hasn’t been made yet, she said.
The group supports various health and educational projects in Israel, among other goals.
Hadassah announced the belt-tightening move around Dec. 1, about two weeks before the group came to fear it may have lost $90 million it invested with Wall Street investor Bernard Madoff, who allegedly has confessed to running a giant Ponzi scheme.
By Bruce Nolan
Copyright 2008 Religion News Service. All rights reserved. No part of this transmission may be distributed or reproduced without written permission.
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posted December 19, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Whenever I read about people giving to charities in support of Israel, I’m reminded of the Muslim group (in TX, was it?) that got in serious trouble for giving to charities that alledgedly committed acts of terror.
posted December 19, 2008 at 8:26 pm
“It was felt that during these times holding a big convention was not an appropriate use of our funds.”
Perhaps a homeless shelter for other Madoff affiliates would be more appropriate. Very sad.
posted December 20, 2008 at 12:12 am
Gender specific groups that have long been key parts of church organizations are having a hard time these days. Many of the groups relied solely on outmoded family styles – dad works, mom stays home & volunteers. Only those groups that can adapt and change have survived. I expect Hadassah is going through the same problems as their Christian counterparts.
posted December 20, 2008 at 10:02 am
What everyone should have known anyway but if they didn’t they should have learned from Madoff:
If it’s too good to be true it’s too good to be true.