Introduction
Hadassah International NZ Inc. is part of an international organization of volunteers who work to support the work of Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, Israel. Hadassah Hospital is internationally acclaimed as one of the outstanding hospitals in the world. It is at the leading edge of excellence in healing, caring, teaching and research and is at the forefront of research in many fields.
Hadassah hospital has been widely praised for its policy of practicing medicine without borders. The hospital has been a Nobel Peace Prize Nominee for its compassionate care of all patients regardless of ethnicity or religion. Both staff and patients are totally representative of all the ethnic and religious communities of the region and in that sense, the hospital is a significant organization in the search for peace through medicine.
The scholarship will provide recipients with a rich opportunity for professional development, personal growth and a chance to engage in their own comparative studies and projects.
Recipients of the travel grant will have an opportunity to visit Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem and spend a little time there while also pursuing other interests and opportunities in Israel.
The Scholarship
1. Pre-amble
1.1 The Valda Knight Memorial Scholarship has been established in Memory of Valda Knight who was President of Hadassah International in New Zealand from 1996 until her untimely death in 2007. In those 11 years, Valda lead a small and enthusiastic Hadassah Committee in New Zealand.
Their work placed this country strongly in the world network of Hadassah.
Valda Knight earned the huge respect of Hadassah workers in the United States of America and many other countries. She also became very highly regarded by staff at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. She made a difference. A nursing station in the magnificent new building completed in 2011 at Hadassah in Jerusalem was named after her. This scholarship has also been established in her memory.
1.2 The underlying purpose of the scholarship is to provide a New Zealand Health sector worker or student with a special opportunity for professional development and growth and personal enrichment. The scholarship provides for a visit to Israel where awardees will be expected to arrange a program and/or conference to suit their own interests. The successful applicant will be responsible for organizing a minimum 2-3 day visit to Hadassah and liaising with appropriate people there. Some assistance with this part of the program will be provided. The program will also provide an opportunity for the recipient to see something of the life, the history, the scenery and the institutions of Israel.
2. The Award.
2.1 The award is bi-annual as funds permit. It provides an opportunity for a New Zealander to spend a period of up to 3 weeks or longer in Israel. The length of the stay is negotiable and will vary according to the interests of the successful applicant. A student awardee will need to stay longer if doing an elective in Israel.
The award provides for a return economy class airfare from New Zealand to Israel and a maximum grant of $NZ1500 towards living expenses in Israel.
2.2 While key people at Hadassah Hospital will be made aware of the successful applicant’s visit, the applicant will be solely responsible for arranging their own time and program at Hadassah as well as all other conferences and visits in Israel.
2.3 The Scholarship will be administered by a special subcommittee of Hadassah International in New Zealand. This Committee will be known as the Hadassah Scholarship Grants Committee (HSGC)
3. Who is eligible to apply?
3.1 Any New Zealander who is currently either employed in the Health Sector or who is a student studying at Medical School or allied health sector institution. The Grants Committee takes a wide interpretation of this employment or study. It includes all those involved in dispensing health care and includes those who write or report about it.
4. Awardees obligations.
4.1 The award is primarily designed to enrich the health/medical experience of the successful applicant.
4.2 On returning to New Zealand applicants will be required to furnish a short report on their experiences to the Grants Committee.
• The awardee will be expected to write an article for medical publication, (print or online) in New Zealand and provide an article for publication by Hadassah NZ in appropriate channels.
• The awardee should also write an article for their own organization’s/university’s journal or paper.
• The awardee will be asked to speak about his/her experiences at a local meeting of Hadassah International in New Zealand and may also be invited to speak to other groups both within and outside the Jewish Community.
• The Grants Committee hopes that scholarship awardees will address a meeting of their own association or organization on their return to New Zealand.
5. The application process.
Applications should be completed on the official application form which can be downloaded from the New Zealand webpage on the Hadassah International Website www.hadassahinternational.org (Where we are)
Applications close on 31 March 2020. Interviewing of shortlisted applicants may be necessary. Any such interviews will be conducted by members of the Grants Committee
The successful applicant will be advised within six weeks of this and will be expected to take up the scholarship within 12 months of that advice.
A hard copy of your application should be emailed to:
The Chair
Scholarship Grants Committee
president_newzealand@hadassah.org
Notes for all applicants:
1. New Zealander: means any person with citizenship or residency in this country. Evidence of either must be provided. (photocopies not originals)
2. Employed in the health sector means anyone who is currently employed in a health-related job. Evidence of this employment must be appended to each application.
3. Student means anyone currently studying at a University Medical School or other health sector degree or diploma-granting tertiary institution.
4. Applicants must include one character reference and the name of a referee in support of their application.
Notes for the successful applicant:
1. The successful applicant will be expected to liaise with the Grants committee regarding their program in Israel including their time at Hadassah.
2. Some assistance may be available in making other visits while in Israel but the bulk of the program of study remains the responsibility of the applicant.
A final reminder:
The closing date for this annual award is: March 31, 2020
You can download the application form by clicking on The Valda Knight Memorial Scholarship Application Form 2020.
