Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

The Orlando Chapter of Hadassah presents "A Visit with Barbara Sofer" on Monday, April 25, 2016 at 10 a.m. in the multi-purpose room at Congregation Ohev Shalom. The event is open to the public and admission is free of charge. Beverages and Passover pastries will be served.

Barbara Sofer is a prize-winning journalist, author and inspirational speaker who also serves as the Israel director of Public Relations for Hadassah where she reports the stories of Hadassah's achievements in print and movies.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with an MA from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, her byline has appeared in the New York Times, Woman's Day, Reader's Digest, Parents, the Boston Globe as well as many other publications. She has written six books and contributed to others. She writes a popular weekend column for the Jerusalem Post that deals with the challenges and miracles of everyday life in Israel, where she moved from the United States 40 years ago.

As the Israel director of Public Relations for Hadassah, she has witnessed and documented the daily effort to create an island of peace and sanity within Jerusalem's biggest medical center. Because of the prominence of Hadassah Hospital in the news, she has worked with top-tier media, including Sixty Minutes and Nightline in formulating programs that show Israel in a positive light. She contributed to the Emmy winning CNBC program "Jerusalem ER."

Sofer appeared on Good Morning America's new Seven Wonders of the World series as an expert on the spiritual uniqueness of Jerusalem and likes to think of herself as a "magida," an itinerant teller of the stories of Israel, past and present. She has served as a scholar-in-residence and visiting lecture in a variety of venues, including synagogues, churches, regional conferences of Hadassah, national conventions, for communities and at schools.

She is the author of six books, the most recent of which is "A Daughter of Many Mothers," the story of Holocaust survivor Rena Quint.

Her prizes include many Rockower awards for Jewish journalism, the Sidney Taylor Award for the best Jewish children's book, and the 2008 Eliav-Sartawi Award for creating understanding through Middle Eastern journalism. Sofer is married to scientist/writer Gerald Schroeder. They have five children and a changing number of grandchildren.

To make reservations or for further information contact Nancy Greenfield at Nancyg357@yahoo.com or 407-333-0204.