Helping Us Help You

By: Ruthie Arbit, Sema Heller Netivot Shalom Summer Intern

After 10 weeks of interning at Sharsheret, I can safely say that I went from a state of bewilderment from when I initially heard about Sharsheret in April to a state of admiration. Then, I was struck by the cause; I didn’t know that breast cancer and ovarian cancer were Jewish issues and I wondered what Sharsheret was doing to help Jewish women facing these illnesses. Now, I am in awe as I think about the callers, the peer supporters, and the volunteers who help us at Sharsheret do what we do.

The Sharsheret office is an incredible place. On any given day there is a string of devoted volunteers popping in and out, Team Sharsheret athletes coming in to meet with the staff, and the daily visit by the postman who picks up packages filled with hundreds of breast cancer and ovarian cancer brochures to be delivered to women and families, health care professionals, conferences, and Jewish organizations nationwide. Add all of this to the hard work that the dedicated staff at Sharsheret puts in – providing emotional support to women living with cancer and their families, answering countless questions from health care professionals about the unique needs of their Jewish patients, planning outreach events to spread the word about Sharsheret’s programs and services, coordinating medical symposia, and processing generous contributions from donors. It’s no surprise then that after only 10 years since its inception, Sharsheret has become an esteemed national organization with 11 programs, more than 1,200 peer supporters, and thousands of volunteers and supporters.

However, what impresses me most about Sharsheret are the women. The women who call Sharsheret for support as they ponder the potentially life-changing decision of whether or not to undergo genetic testing, the women who have just finished their final round of chemo and are already volunteering to be peer supporters, and those who are living with metastatic cancer and finding value in every day moments.

All of these women amaze me.

So, as I near the end of my internship, I want to say thank you to the women whose strength fuels the energy of Sharsheret. I am sure that this won’t be the last time I will be surprised by the amazing work of Sharsheret, its staff, and its women. Although my internship is ending, my connection to Sharsheret will remain strong. I look forward to joining Sharsheret’s volunteer force and contributing my time and skills to this wonderful organization.

Sharsheret Voted AEPi National Philanthropy!

By: Ellen Kleinhaus, Project Manager and Campus Liaison

I had the privilege of spending this past weekend with Sharsheret’s Founder and Executive Director Rochelle Shoretz at the Alpha Epsilon Pi International Convention in New Orleans.

“As a young woman, I likely fantasized about talking about breasts in a room of 450 men, but I never imagined it would be in this context,” were Rochelle’s opening words as she presented "Sharsheret On Your Campus" to an audience of more than 400 AEPi brothers. She began the presentation surrounded by laughter and finished with a roaring standing ovation. At that moment we knew that together, AEPi and Sharsheret would “Change the Face of Breast Cancer”.

Thank you to AEPi for choosing Sharsheret as one of your national philanthropies and to all the AEPi brothers from across the country who introduced themselves to us and made us feel so welcome. We truly value the knowledge you shared with us over the weekend - your insight into life on campus, the multitude of funny stories, detailed advice about our presentation, and innovative suggestions for campus events. We were most overwhelmed by YOUR gratitude to us for bringing Sharsheret into your lives. We were touched by how many of you thanked us for letting you know that you have a place to send your sisters, mothers, and grandmothers diagnosed with breast cancer for support.

Special thanks to Andy Borans, Adam Teitlebaum, Michael Waitz, Sam Zitin, and the AEPi Philanthropy Task Force for making this partnership possible. Your encouragement and support is so meaningful and we are grateful for our new partnership and our many new friends. We look forward to growing our Sharsheret on Campus program and working with all of our campus partners - AEPhi Sorority, AEPi Fraternity, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, and Chabad on Campus International Foundation - in the years ahead.

Take It From Me: Recording My Experiences in My Own Way

By: Ellen Kleinhaus, Ed.M., M.A
Project Manager, Sharsheret

Tomorrow night Sharsheret is presenting a Free National Teleconference, “Take It From Me: Recording My Experiences in My Own Way” from 8:00 – 9:30 P.M. (EST). We are excited to have three guest speakers:

Linda Blachman, MPH, MA, Founder and Executive Director, Mothers, Living Stories Project speaking about writing and recording your life stories.

Janet Ruth Falon, MLA, Creative Writing Teacher, University of Pennsylvania, discussing the process of journaling through breast cancer as a means of self-awareness and self-expression.

Jill Cohen, Blogger of Dancing With Cancer: Living With Mets and a “New Normal” sharing with us the reasons why she blogs.

A transcript of the teleconference will be available on Sharsheret’s website, http://www.sharsheret.org/, in the upcoming weeks.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this teleconference and please feel free to share your own experiences by commenting below.