Hadassah reopens advocacy office

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WASHINGTON (JTA) – Hadassah is reopening its Washington office nearly a decade after the women’s Zionist group closed its operations there in the wake of its unwitting involvement in Bernard Madoff’s investment fraud.

Ellen Hershkin, the president of the group, on Oct. 22 named Karen Paikin Barall as the director of Hadassah’s new government relations office in the capital.

Its focus will be on educating lawmakers about the record of Hadassah’s namesake hospitals in Israel, as well as Israel, anti-Semitism and women’s health, Hershkin and Barall said in a release.

“By educating policymakers on both sides of the aisle about the work of the Hadassah Medical Organization and Hadassah’s policy priorities, the DC office will magnify our voice in Congress, as well as with federal agencies and partner organizations,” Hershkin said.

Barall was most recently director of mid-Atlantic advocacy for the Orthodox Union. 

“Health equity,” or closing the gaps between men and women in research, funding and quality of care, will be a priority of the new office, the statement said. 

“I am proud to be representing Hadassah as we make the case for Israel, fight increasing anti-Semitism around the world, and promote women’s health equity at home,” Barall said in the statement.