Sharsheret: Serving Jewish Women with Breast Cancer

It has been a great pleasure and distinct honor to be involved with Sharsheret for the past decade. I care for a large number of young orthodox Jewish women with breast cancer. In the pre-Sharsharet era, many of my patients felt very isolated and frightened without being able to connect with “experienced” patients who had already walked in their shoes. It seemed a paradox for me that is spite of their deep faith and dedication to Judaism, many women were unable to receive support from their community due to issues of stigmatization and concerns about confidentiality. There was a great deal of misinformation and lack of understanding, particularly relating to the Askenazi “Jewish” breast cancer gene.

With the birth of Sharsharet, I was able to witness first-hand the enormous culturally sensitive support that my new patients could receive. They now can be fully supported by peers and receive medically correct information in a caring way. I have been pleased to be a member of the Sharsharet Medical Advisory Board since 2003. I am firmly committed to helping expand the work and scope of this wonderful organization so as many patients as possible can be helped.