Tell Us Why You’re Thankful

This Thanksgiving Sharsheret is thankful for YOU - our incredible volunteers and supporters and the inspiring women, families, and communities we are privileged to serve.

Help us spread the spirit of gratitude this week. Post your message of thanks by adding your comments below or on our Facebook page and inspire women and families facing breast and ovarian cancer nationwide. We can't wait to hear from you!

Best wishes for a happy Thanksgiving to you and your family from Sharsheret's Staff and Board of Directors.

Watch an Exclusive NY-1 Interview with Rochelle Shoretz About Her Appointment to the CDC Committee on Breast Cancer in Young Women

From an Ordinary School Day to a Life-Changing Experience

By: Jamie Rashty, Sharsheret Student Volunteer

As a fifteen year-old teenage girl I never really thought about breast cancer as a disease that affects thousands of women all over the world every day. I never considered breast cancer at all until October 28th, 2010. That day, Akiva Hebrew Day School initiated “Pink Day”, a day dedicated to raising breast cancer awareness. I don’t think I have ever seen so much pink in my entire life! From the school itself covered in pink streamers, balloons, and posters, to the entire Akiva administration, high school, and middle school student bodies dressed head to toe in pink clothing, we were impossible to miss! The day started off with a special prayer for women who are currently living with breast cancer. Following prayer that morning, we attended a fun breakfast of pink bagels, pink cupcakes, pink candies, pink tableware, everywhere I turned all I saw was pink!

Later that day we watched a Sharsheret video presentation, which helped us to fully understand the incredible programming and assistance Sharsheret offers to women and families facing breast cancer across the country. Everyone was truly touched by the amount of work put into Sharsheret and every good deed they do for women and their families. Following the video, the entire Akiva high school, middle school, faculty members, and even parents took a mile-long walk for the cause. As both the Israeli and American flags blew in the wind amidst the group of young, pink-covered teenagers taking a stand, feelings of pride and importance were vibrant throughout the community. The walk brought the Akiva community together in fighting for a cause that would forever be close to our hearts since that day.

After returning from the walk, the boys and girls were divided into two special programs. While the boys learned about cancer and its effect on men, the girls participated in an exhilarating “Jazzercise” program, promoting the idea of remaining healthy through exercise. We all felt strong and self-motivated after completing such a hearty workout run by two-time breast cancer survivor, Jane McNamara. As I loaded up my backpack to go home, I felt empowered by the entire program. I was inspired not only by Sharsheret, but by what I now know I can do as a young teenager in order to take a stand on the issue and make a difference in the fight against breast cancer.

Good Luck on Sunday!

Dear Aharon, Brad, David, Ilana, Mark, Oliver, Scott, Shari, Tobi and Tyler,

You are helping us make Sharsheret history. Our first ever marathon team – all of you – will take to the streets as Team Sharsheret on Sunday. We have been cheering you on as you have raised more than $50,000 in support of Sharsheret’s 10 national programs. And our cheers have been joined by the chorus of hundreds of new friends that you have introduced to our important work.

As you prepare for race day, let us say thank you, again. Thank you for the months you have spent training on Sharsheret’s behalf. Thank you for the funds that will help us save and better thousands of lives affected by breast and ovarian cancer nationwide. And thank you for helping us grow our Sharsheret, our chain, of families engaged in Sharsheret’s work.

On Sunday, as you race to the finish line, please know that you are racing for all of us fighting breast and ovarian cancer. We are so thankful for your energy, your passion, and your dedication to Sharsheret.

With deep gratitude on behalf of the Board of Directors and Staff of Sharsheret,

Rochelle

Aharon Novack

Brad Somer

David Cooper

Ilana Picker

Mark Segall

Oliver Davies

Rabbi Scott Hoffman

Shari Slepian

Tobi Jasper Rousso

Tyler Wilson

A Growing Voice for Jews Facing Serious Illness

By: Rochelle Shoretz, Sharsheret Founder and Executive Director

I was saddened to read in The Jewish Week a first person account of one anonymous woman's struggle to live with serious illness and date in the Orthodox community. As the Founder and Executive Director of Sharsheret, a national organization supporting women and families of all Jewish backgrounds facing breast cancer, I have heard too often the concerns of mothers and daughters that knowledge of disease in their family may affect the ability of family members to marry.

Unfortunately, stereotypes of those living with illness and related concerns about dating and relationships affect persons of all religious affiliations. Whether Reform, Conservative or Chasidic, young men and women facing serious illness struggle with how much to tell a prospective partner, and when. The fear of being defined by one's disease is not an Orthodox-only issue.

We are making progress. In the ten years since Sharsheret's founding, I have witnessed a noteworthy change in the community's willingness to discuss disease openly. We have engaged thousands of men and women in candid conversations about breast and ovarian cancer, topics that, in years past, had been shrouded in secrecy. Words like "breast cancer", once taboo and merely whispered, have become the public subject of Rabbi's sermons, Jewish community center events, and synagogue study groups. Organizations like Sharsheret have generated life-saving conversations by giving a voice to those facing serious illness.

As a single woman living with a chronic illness, I signed my name to a letter to the editor with the hope for continued progress - a growing voice for those who believe that love and companionship can follow even the most frightening diagnosis.