One day in Jerusalem, I walked by a woman and stopped to ask about her extraordinary hat. The magnificence of the style and the colors in juxtaposition to the country’s constantly changing emotional landscape caught my imagination.

Originally created in the 16th century for nobility and royalty, the fascinator is a formal, elegant headpiece often combining lace, jewels, and feathers. It is usually fastened with a clip onto a hair band.

The woman I spoke to, Sandy Leigh, is as vibrant and fascinating as the hats she wears.

“I wear a different hat every day,” Leigh told me. “It began years ago when I moved to Washington, DC, to live near my son, Jeff, and my daughter-in-law, Lea, and to watch my grandchildren grow up. I had worked for years at TV stations in San Antonio, selling advertising time.

“When I moved to Washington, I continued in this profession. I was responsible for creating my own list of clients. I made cold calls in which I called people or businesses that had never advertised with us before, and arranged to give a presentation. A few days later, I would make a follow-up call,” she recounted.

Since Leigh was then in her 50s, much older than her co-workers, she identified herself as the older woman who made the presentation. However, being a young spirit, she soon discarded the adjective “older” and decided to wear one of her many handmade fascinators to work. Thus, she became the lady in the hat, and she has been wearing a hat ever since. In fact, there were 75 fascinators in her aliyah luggage.

In Washington, Leigh had exciting experiences living in America’s capital city. She attended president Bill Clinton’s inauguration, parade, and ball, and once attended a gathering at the home of the Clintons. A lobbyist friend would often invite her to special events, and she enjoyed the White House Correspondents’ Dinner for George W. Bush. She was no stranger to meeting politicians, and she personally met six US presidents.

In San Antonio and DC, she was passionate about helping her community, promoting Jewish causes and organizations, and advocating good government through politics.

“However,” she said with emphasis, “the two honors of my life, the two most rewarding things I have done in my life, are raising my two children and taking care of my mother. I am proud of my son and daughter because they are such good souls, kind and honorable. Joy means being with my wonderful children and beyond-wonderful grandchildren.”

When her mother needed her, Leigh moved back to San Antonio. “It was my privilege to help my mother for the last 10 years of her life. On the last day of her life, I sat with her and held her hand for hours. I played her favorite music from the ‘30s and ‘40s, and I sang to her. My mother said, ‘Sandy, you know you can’t sing, right?’ We laughed a lot together.”

Leigh's affinity to Israel was inspired by her parents.

“My parents were Zionists and supporters of Israel in their community. For years, my mother was active in Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America. She was president of the San Antonio chapter and a member of the national board of Hadassah. My parents never made it to Israel, but I remember when my grandsons were born in Hadassah-University Medical Center, in Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem, my mother said to me, ‘Now I know what my life’s work was for.’”

This devotion and dedication to Israel are deep-rooted values Leigh instilled in her children.

“My son, Jeff Mendelsohn, has been a committed advocate for US-Israel relations since he was a kid,” she said.

“When he was a young boy, he wrote a poem honoring Israeli soldiers during the Yom Kippur War.”

Jeff was the national outreach director at AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, where he launched and led a program to encourage pro-Israel advocacy in non-Jewish constituencies. He also co-founded Pro-Israel America to help elect pro-Israel candidates to Congress on both sides of the aisle. He now works for the Jewish Federations of North America as associate vice president and devotes his professional life to strengthening Israel and serving the Jewish people.

Leigh’s daughter, Robyn Yakin, deepened this family connection to Israel. On her first visit here, she fell in love with the spirit of the country and with Eden, her now-husband. She knew it was her destiny to live in Israel, and she made aliyah 29 years ago. Robyn and Eden are happily raising their three sons, and Robyn works as an English teacher in elementary school, specializing in teaching remedial readers.

After caring for her mother, Leigh’s life journey led her to Israel to live close to Robyn, Eden, and her grandsons. In 2019, she made aliyah from San Antonio, Texas, and lives in Jerusalem.

Going for coffee, exploring the beautiful, winding Jerusalem streets, shopping, and Shabbat dinners with her family have become traditions.

After falling down several times, Leigh took the geriatric evaluation test at the Maccabi Healthcare Services clinic.

Afterward, the staff asked her, “Why are you so happy?”

She answered, “We have the ability to decide to be happy. I am tuned in to good things around me. Every morning when I wake up, I tell myself, ‘Something wonderful can happen to you today.’”

The staff quickly asked her to volunteer: “You look like you are waiting for someone to take you dancing. Can you help these people feel like they want to go dancing?”

I imagine, yes, she can. One of her favorite activities every week is volunteering with geriatric patients at Maccabi.

“The doctors, the staff, and the patients are wonderful,” she asserted.

In October 2024, when Iran struck Israel with drones and missiles, her daughter called her to ask to meet the next morning.

“But is it safe?” Sandy asked.

“Mom, this is Israel,” Robyn answered.

They met in the heart of Jerusalem. The streets were alive and crowded. This is a country of people being together and relying on one another. To choose aliyah is to choose a new beginning and a spiritual ascent. For Leigh, it encompasses optimism and wonderment.

“I am entranced by this country and by this city,” she said. “I am 84 years old, but I’m not letting the old lady in. I feel young again and rejuvenated. I began a new life here. I am always experiencing new things and learning everything all over again. The people around me make me feel happy. I like the vibe of Jerusalem, and I am inspired by the miracle of Israel.”

The world is uncertain and complicated, but Leigh looks for the good and finds good. She looks for the wonderful and finds wonderful.
Sandy Leigh
From San Antonio, Texas
to Jerusalem, 2019