Seattle HadassahSpring has sprung and the ladies of Seattle Hadassah and Hadassah Pacific Northwest have been hard at work, pursuing advocacy efforts at both the state and federal levels. As a result of these efforts, we are happy to share news of TWO BIG ADVOCACY WINS.
Multi-Chapter Participation in Lobby Day
As in years prior, members of Hadassah joined with the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle to participate in Jewish Community Lobby Day. This year, however, members of Seattle Hadassah were joined in Olympia by Tacoma Hadassah President Barbara Aqua – making Lobby Day a multi-chapter endeavor! Barbara, along with Seattle Hadassah President Ettie Davis, Immediate Past President Susan Adler and Fundraising Chair Deni Hirsh, joined representatives from the Federation and members of the broader Jewish community in asking our state legislators to support quality Holocaust education, protect immigrants and refugees, prevent gun violence and support vulnerable families. We are over-the-moon elated to see Hadassah’s participation in Lobby Day grow to a multi-chapter activity and we look forward to building on this success in years to come.
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Representative Jayapal to Co-Sponsor Hadassah Legislation:
Seattle Hadassah has also been busy with advocacy efforts directed at the other Washington. Building on last year’s Day in the District meeting between members of Seattle Hadassah and Representative Pramila Jayapal, leadership from the Hadassah National PRAZE Division and Pacific Northwest Advocacy Chair Kindra Cooper worked together over the last month to enlist the support of the Congresswoman for The Never Again Education Act. The Act, which was authored by Hadassah, is intended to fund quality, impactful Holocaust education resources for public schools. The 2019 Never Again Education Act was introduced into the 116th U.S. Congress by Representatives Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) and Elise Stefanik (R-NY) – and we are thrilled to announce that Representative Jayapal has agreed to join them as a co-sponsor!
In response to this fantastic news, Kindra stressed, “This win would not have been possible without the Day in the District meeting that Hadassah National helped the Seattle Chapter set up with the Congresswoman last year. That meeting allowed us to forge the first-name-basis relationship that we have with Jayapal’s staff – and that access made this an easy ask. I see this as a perfect example of how well National’s Day in the District program works. Hadassah National works hard to make advocacy accessible at the local level. From the provision of talking points to the beautiful leave-behind materials, to the help with appointment setting, local chapters have incredible support from our team in New York and D.C.”
There is still much work to be done to get this important legislation passed in both houses of Congress, but we are off to a good start. Members of Seattle Hadassah who wish to support this effort are encouraged to contact their Congressional representative and stress the critical need for this bill to become law.