Our Voices: A Blog by Links, Callers and Volunteers

Come visit us at www.Sharsheret.org

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

AEPi Israel Goes Pink!

By: Tal Weiss, Philanthropic Chair, AEPi Aleph Colony

I am proud to be a part of the Aleph Colony of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity’s (the first fraternity in Israel) inaugural event in support of Sharsheret. Last night, our chapter presented Pink!, a Cabaret-style benefit concert to promote breast cancer awareness and empowering women. We hosted the event at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in the city of Herzliya. A trio of amazing IDC women, Ilana Gindis, Saphira Tessler, and Naomi Winkler, dazzled the audience with awe-inspiring renditions of contemporary Broadway and Cabaret songs. In a first-ever collaboration between AEPi chapters in Israel and the United States, the show will be broadcasted live to select U.S. universities and will also be available via live stream following the event. Thanks to everyone who helped make this incredible event possible. We are excited to work with Sharsheret, in what we know will be the start of a very long collaboration.

Watch the Pink! concert now! http://www.ustream.tv/channel/pink-a-benefit-concert 

Friday, March 18, 2011

Starting For You, Finishing For Us

By: Rochelle Shoretz, Sharsheret Founder and Executive Director

Dear Heather, Janine, Tami, Natalie, Alyse, Aviva, Penina, Alexa, Melanie, and Amy,

You must be excited. I’ve heard about your training, the months of stretching and practice runs that you’ve plowed through to finish the NYC Half-Marathon on Sunday. You’ve been comparing athletic gear, finish times, running techniques. Many of you are competing for the first time, proving to yourselves that you can take on this challenge. Others have competed before, proving to yourselves that you are stronger and faster than in years past. On Sunday, you’ll stand at the start line with a rush of adrenaline about the personal challenge ahead.

But at the end of your run – when you cross that finish line – you will have raced for us, the women and families of Sharsheret. We will be there – patients and survivors – to say thank you for all you have done to support our journey through breast cancer and ovarian cancer. We will be there – mothers, fathers, sons and daughters – to say thank you for the funds you have raised for the programs that make life so much better for those we love facing cancer. We will be there – friends, community leaders, doctors and nurses – to say thank you for raising awareness about the impact of breast cancer on our Jewish community.

So run your best race for you. We’ll be there at the finish line to say, “Thanks. We know you did it for us.”

Best,
Rochelle

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Queen Esther’s New Normal

By: Shera Dubitsky, Sharsheret Clinical Supervisor

On Purim, we read the story of Esther. After the King of Shushan banishes his queen for disobedience, a beauty contest is held to find a new queen. A lovely young Jewish woman named Esther is selected as queen, reluctantly. Esther has no choice but to accept her new circumstances. Upon entering the kingdom, she finds herself in very unfamiliar territory. She chooses not to disclose her Jewish identity. In order to survive, Esther struggles between holding on to her sense of self and her values and needing to make choices that are outside of her comfort zone. She needs to embrace the new normal. Esther realizes that she does not have to face these challenges alone – she turns to the Jewish community for strength and support and ultimately, together they find reward and victory.

When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer or ovarian cancer, she finds herself in very unfamiliar territory, reluctantly. She learns a new language of tumors and treatment. Her body changes due to surgery or medical side effects. She may choose not to disclose her diagnosis publicly. She may not know what her life as a survivor looks like.

Living with cancer and surviving cancer means living outside of your comfort zone, at times. Your challenge is to embrace the new normal. Like Esther, you don’t need to experience this in isolation. We learn from Esther that collectively we can be stronger than any one of us is individually. By turning to Sharsheret, you find a Jewish community of women and their families, health care providers, and spiritual leaders and the experience is rewarding. Drawing from the story of Esther, we celebrate the strength of women and the incredible support of the Jewish community. Wishing you a very happy Purim from all of us at Sharsheret!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Only A Few NYC Triathlon Slots Left!

"Race Day was truly amazing! Training and racing with Team Sharsheret took me on a life changing journey. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
- 2010 Team Sharsheret Athlete

Looking to compete in an elite Triathlon event this Summer? Team Sharsheret only has a few slots left for the 2011 Nautica NYC Triathlon on August 7! APPLY NOW by sending an e-mail to athletes@sharsheret.org with your name, your phone number, and a brief description of who you are and why you want to join Team Sharsheret.

We:
· Provide a coveted slot in the now sold-out Triathlon, race registration, and related fees
· Dress you in official Triathlon gear
· Offer bike training in New York's Central Park and Northern New Jersey, as available
· Can arm you with online running, swim, and bike training routines
· Surround you with athletes who will motivate and inspire you to reach the finish line in support of this important cause

You:
· Agree to raise a minimum of $5,000 for Team Sharsheret to support our national programs (We make it easy, with personalized pledge pages on Sharsheret's website!)
· Notify friends and family of your participation in this year's Triathlon
· Have the competitive experience of a lifetime

For more information and to apply now, please e-mail athletes@sharsheret.org with your name, your phone number, and a brief description of who you are and why you want to join Team Sharsheret.

Please feel free to share this with a friend.

See you at the finish line!