On Sunday, April 19, Hadassah of Greater Baltimore will host a night of fundraising and praise for some of the chapter’s most formative members.
Barbara Black and Barbara Fink will be present and honored for their work with Hadassah, a preeminent Jewish women’s charity organization, while the late Susan Grilli will be honored as well, with her husband Richard accepting on her behalf.
Richard Grilli said that his wife, who passed away from cancer, loved Hadassah more than any other charitable organization, and gave lots of her time to the Baltimore chapter. One of the reasons that it meant so much to her is that Hadassah donates so much to medical research, particularly in the field of stem cell research.
Stem cell treatments meant a lot to Susan Grilli prior to her own diagnosis, as both of her parents died from cancer, too.
“She felt that the Hadassah research, one day, could come with a cure for cancer. Maybe not in her lifetime, but certainly in her children’s lifetime,” Grilli said.
While she did not know Susan Grilli especially well, Black said she managed to stay afloat even when circumstances around her were tough.
“She was always upbeat. It just seemed to me that she was always a positive person and a very nice person,” Black said.
For Fink, what started out as “coercion” to join from a friend turned into a great passion.
“I had never even heard of Hadassah,” Fink said. “It provides a level of camaraderie from all the people that are involved while we’re doing something helpful for Israel and the hospitals there and the world, because of the medical research that is going on.”
Black said that the organization has helped her become reconnected to the community she is from. Born in Baltimore, Black lived in New York for nearly two decades with her now-ex husband.
“When I moved back, I wanted to meet new people, and I thought this would be a good way to meet people. Then I found out about all the good work the hospital was doing, and it’s amazing — the stem cell work and the neurological diseases that we’re helping. I just thought it was a great idea to work for that,” Black said.
Hadassah hospitals always need funding, hence the fundraising event. The cause is a serious one, but the night will be fun, too. The theme is “Roaring ’20s,” complete with a silent auction, magician and more.
For Grilli, attending is about more than just supporting an organization that mattered to his wife — it’s about continuing what she started.
“[What mattered to her] was helping youth in Israel, injured soldiers, medical research — all those things,” he said. “Plus, she worked for many years in hospital administration, so I think that also helped to some degree. That was a tie-in. Also, our family were Holocaust survivors, and Israel is special to us for that purpose.”
Fink said that the night will be a special one for her, Black, Grilli and the rest of the organization, as well.
“It’s going to be surreal for me. It’s coming full-circle. The first thing I ever did with Hadassah was celebrate, and now I’m being honored and celebrated,” she said.
Hadassah of Greater Baltimore operates the organization’s only resale shop, which is also a key contributor to the chapter’s fundraising efforts.
Black and Fink served as presidents of the Hadassah region, which they said typically leads to a national position. Black said that she has turned her full attention to the store, which allows her to be on the ground and also interact with those who may not know about Hadassah.
“It’s like we’re ambassadors for Hadassah in the community,” she said.
Grilli is happy to see his wife memorialized and celebrated along with Fink and Black, but he certainly wishes she was attending with him.
“We went to all the major events, the major fundraisers, each year. A lot of our friends were met through Hadassah. That was part of our social interaction,” he said. “That was her thing.”
