Judith Diana Winston made a gift to Hadassah that provides regular, fixed payments to her during her lifetime.
When Judith Diana Winston was a little girl, she loved to help her grandmother get ready to go out. She’d help pick out a special outfit, then watch her grandmother fix her hair with little hairpins.
Judith’s grandmother was often getting ready for Hadassah luncheons—she was a friend of Henrietta Szold, and little was more important to her than supporting this powerful, female-run organization. “She was a life member and very active,” Judith explains. “It was her gift to the larger world.”
Even at a young age, Judith was inspired by Hadassah. “I loved the idea of women coming together to do positive things in the world,” she says. In that sense, Judith feels her grandmother’s influence deep in her bones—and her work. Judith’s latest novel, The Keeper of the Diary, focuses on a half Jewish, half Arab- American woman and an Israeli man—with many pivotal scenes taking place in Israel. “This is my gift to the world—making peace by having this main character be half Jewish and half Arab,” Judith says.
If her character could embody peace in herself, Judith reasoned, that was something her story could represent to the world—much as Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) treats everyone, regardless of background, and its medical advances benefit not only Israel, but the entire world.
A "Link in the Chain of Women"
Judith, who lives in Santa Monica, California, finds HMO—as well as Israel itself—inspiring. “Israel has gone through so much and is still in a place of leadership, instead of just being in a place of survival,” Judith points out. “They’re thriving despite all the challenges.”
She credits this to the power of positivity. “Israel certainly wouldn’t be creating the level of life that’s happening there if it focused on fear and worry,” she says.
That’s a big part of why Judith chose to create a charitable gift annuity with Hadassah that also provides benefits to her. She receives regular, fixed payments during her lifetime, and Hadassah receives what remains after her lifetime. “It offers me a great way to help support Hadassah, Israel and myself—all at once,” Judith says.
Judith’s gift provides a link in the chain of women who have helped make the dream of Israel a reality. “I made my gift because I feel very positive about what Hadassah has accomplished,” she says. “The Jewish people have such a rich history, and we bring so much to the planet.”
Contact us at Planned Giving & Estates at (800) 428-8884 or giving@hadassah.org to learn how you, too, can help Hadassah support lifesaving work and receive regular payments today.