Every January, Hadassah leaders gather for our National Assembly meetings, where we review the year just ended, plan for the future and inspire one another with the work that we do. And as we convened last month in West Palm Beach, Fla., we all had a sense of challenges met, the weight we carry and—paradoxically—the lift our work gives us.

Last year marked the first one since Israel’s independence that the country was at war for the entire 12 months, not only putting the nation in grave danger but also testing Hadassah’s medical and educational institutions to the limit. It was also a year of soaring antisemitism in America and in many corners of the world. But amid anxiety and deep concern, it was a year of healing, building, educating, advocating, growing and always going beyond.

I cannot sum up in a single column every edifying Hadassah story I heard or shared at our conference, let alone do justice to the 113-year foundation on which we labor. But I can tell you that I have never believed more profoundly in Hadassah than I do now.

We raised our voices in 2024 like never before, in American and international centers of power. The policy statements we adopted in January address key issues of our times. Building on a year of defending Israel’s right and responsibility of self-defense and, indeed, its right to exist, we issued a new statement calling on policymakers in the United States to continue their steadfast support for the Jewish state and to rally other nations and allies to stand with America against antisemitism and anti-Israel United Nations resolutions. The statement also called on American officials and foreign governments to follow the lead of the United States Department of Justice to take action to hold Hamas accountable for acts of terrorism on October 7, 2023, and the weaponization of sexual violence.

Building on our longstanding advocacy for women’s health, reproductive freedom and gender equity in health research, we passed a new statement in support of science and evidence-based policymaking, urging federal, state and local officials to rely only on accredited experts and resources and to oppose efforts to vilify scientists.

Our meetings featured first-hand reports of the Hadassah Medical Organization’s response to Israel’s urgent needs. As the war began, we had two major projects under construction: The Gandel Rehabilitation Center at Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus and the renovation of our iconic Round Building on the Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem campus. Thanks to generous gifts from our supporters, we were able to accelerate the phased opening of both projects, inaugurating floors in each building even as construction continues. Among those who addressed us during our deliberations—focusing on both the physical and mental aspects of treating combat injuries—were Shiri Ben-David, HMO’s chief psychologist; and Dr. Elior Moreh, head of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

We were all moved by the appearance of a lieutenant colonel—a tank commander to 400 soldiers—who described in detail how his arm was shattered in battle and how he was treated first at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem and then at the Gandel Center. Even though he still has seven screws in his arm, he returned to military service.

Dr. Yoram Weiss, director-general of HMO, also briefed conference delegates; this was by no means the first National Assembly meeting he has attended but on this particular trip he did more than provide insights and updates. Shortly after his flight took off from Tel Aviv en route to Miami, a fellow passenger had a medical emergency that turned out to be a heart attack. Our director-general administered oxygen, provided medication and requested an emergency landing in Athens, where the patient was transferred to a local hospital. What better example could we have to show that Hadassah is always on duty?

Our January conference took place just as optimism was rising in Israel—when a cease-fire took hold and Hamas began to release some of the hostages. We pray that peace will prevail and that the coming year will not make the same demands on our institutions. But I am confident that we, Hadassah, will rise to any occasion. Together we will heal.