JEWISH WORLD

JEWISH WORLD • FEBRUARY 11 - 17, 2022 31 “When you’re born into a life that offers so many opportunities, it’s a privilege and also a responsibility to help others.” Hadassah continued from page 21 Still, accusations of ethnic cleansing and apartheid state need to be addressed and explained, she said. Though at the end of the day, “whether they express it or not, ev- ery Jew in the back of their mind feels better that there is a Jewish state with a Jewish military.” What gave these young women the courage to face what is often rancorous feedback, both on and off-line? “I think you don’t go into this work if you don’t have reason to see it as your North Star,” says Fish, who grew up in the Bible Belt, far from any Jewish commu- nity. “For me, it was always clear … wherever (hate) comes from — left, right — it’s on me and my community to stand up to it.” T hird up was the subject of “Women’s Health: How to Raise the Visibility of Women’s Health and Women’s Health Eq- uity Issues,” moderated by lawyer and New York State Civil Court judge Rachel Freier, founder of Ezras Nashim, New York City’s first all-female volunteer ambu- lance service, and featuring Erin Zaikis, founder of RISE by Sund- ara, which empowers female entre- preneurs working in water, sanita- tion and hygiene to get clean water to the world’s poorest communi- ties; Dr. Asnat Walfisch, director of the High-Risk Pregnancy Unit at Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem and Joy Bauer, reg- istered dietician and the TODAY show’s nutrition and healthy-life- style expert. Walfisch spoke of the impor- tance of empowering her patients — across religious and socioeco- nomic lines — with her vision of healthcare: “for the woman to feel a bond between the caregiver and herself.” Zaikis has a vision of her own: not only for the women around the world, especially in Africa, to have their most basic needs met, includ- ing the countless ones who have no access to even sanitary napkins, but also to have the confidence needed to “really see themselves as agents of change.” One example of this investment in women’s health, she mentioned: the woman able to open a laundromat in Armenia where they typically wash cloth- ing in a polluted and often freez- ing river. As does Bauer. “So many people fall through the cracks,” she said. “And sometimes, God gives us issues so we can help someone else going through the same thing; we all need to identify people who need us to advocate for them.” By the end of the day, organiz- ers had already received dozens of emails and texts bearing positive feedback. “They were telling us how truly motivational and em- powering the day was,” said Ha- dassah president Rhoda Smolow, “inspiring the women to not only participate more fully in their own lives but in the activities Hadassah feels so strongly about.” And, adds conference chair Jan- ice Weinman Shorenstein, “it’s not just purpose but responsibility; at Hadassah, we don’t just talk, we take action.” It’s no coincidence that near- ly every one of the 13 panelists is under 50. “Yes, we are looking to reach younger women,” added Weinman Shorenstein. “And it’s also good for our older members to see there’s a new generation step- ping up.” Hadassah CEO Naomi Adler wrapped up the conference this way: “The women we heard from and the messages they shared were not only moving but also power- ful and inspirational. These young leaders are not waiting for others to tell them how to make change; they are doing it themselves, in the pro- cess of achieving what they all seek: tikkun olam, repair of the world.” Deborah Fineblum is a free- lance journalist at JNS. The sun was shining after the previous night’s heavy rain. During the drought in the 1990s, Israeli farmers turned to wastewa- ter treatment out of desperation. “We’ve been using it for about 20, 30 years,” Wolf said. W hen it was time for a break- fast break, I walked toward the work shed with Majdoub. At “62 and five months,” he said, he has worked in the avocado groves for most of his adult life. “When I was younger, I per- formed as a singer at weddings,” Majdoub said. “But when I became religious, I had to choose — either this or that.” Each morning, he prays at home in Sheik Danoun, a nearby village, before driving to work. “Morning prayers are the most important thing in the world,” he said. When Majdoub arrives, the groves are still dark because there is no electricity. The only light comes from Kuritsky’s headlamp. He’s in the work shed, boiling wa- ter for tea on a small gas stove. Wolf said they are waiting to in- stall solar panels to supply energy. “We are trying to make the avo- cado groves as sustainable as pos- sible,” he said. Until the panels arrive, howev- er, Dov Ben-Ami, 46, who manag- es irrigation and fertilization in the groves, said, “It’s very challeng- ing. We have the mud, wind, heat and cold and no electricity.” Ben-Ami grew up on a family farm in the JordanValley where they grew vegetables and flowers. In the early 2000s, his family switched to growing Medjoul dates. His two brothers still manage their farm. On the day that I visited the groves, the workers were picking Gem avocados for export to En- gland and France. About 80% of Shavei Zion avocados are export- ed. It takes up to two weeks for the fruit to reach Europe. K uritsky works from five until 10 in the morning, five days a week. He said he loves taking care “of a sapling from when it’s first planted and then getting to eat its fruit for years to come. Sometimes when there is too much wind during the day, he sprays at night. He remembers one night working a long, dark shift on an open tractor. “I looked to the east and all of a sudden I saw the tip of the sun coming up over the hills,” he said. “I remember standing up on my tractor and saying, ‘Yes!’” In the winter, Kuritsky wears “at least seven layers on top” but he always wears shorts. Then he comes home full of mud; in the summer, he’s full of sweat. He sometimes grumbles but he has no intention of retiring. “It’s like taking someone’s life away from them,” he said. “It’s like cutting out the biggest part of them. I love to work. And I still have time to drive you and every- one else crazy.” Perhaps it is because he lost his parents at a young age, he said. His mother died when he was 16 and his father died three years later. “Maybe when you’re forced to work to put food on the table you get used to it,” he said. “I love to work with younger people, it makes me feel good. I’m part of a group. We have a lot of laughs.” He said he’s grown close to the other workers; they share fami- ly celebrations and birthdays. He said they’re all looking forward to Khalaf Alla’s wedding in July. “I feel like I’ve been blessed with good health so far, great co- workers, a great boss and the thing I like most in life, being outdoors,” Kuritsky said. “I get to do all this and I even get a salary!” Diana Bletter is a freelance journalist and a writer. Farming continued from page 17 On retirement: “It’s like taking someone’s life away from them. It’s like cutting out the biggest part of them. I love to work.” Rachel Freier in her law office in Brook- lyn. She is the first female Orthodox judge in the U.S. Jonny Kuritsky supervising the hitching of crates to the tractor. Manager Nimrod Wolf, left, with Ali Madjoub in the avocado groves in Shavei Zion. For your FREE digital issue send an email to: lijewworld@aol.com FREE