NEXT and Sharsheret Team up for Pink Shabbat
Contact: Elana Silber, Director of Operations
Telephone: (866) 474-2774
Email: [email protected]
NEXT and Sharsheret Team up for Pink Shabbat
Birthright Israel alumni can register for “Shabbox” & breast cancer awareness materials
NEW YORK, NY — To raise awareness during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, NEXT: A Division of Birthright Israel Foundation is partnering with Sharsheret for its second annual NEXT/ Sharsheret Pink Shabbat®, October 25-26. Birthright Israel alumni can register to receive NEXT’s “Shabbox” and resources to create a meaningful Shabbat experience with peers, along with breast cancer education materials and giveaways provided by Sharsheret.
“This partnership helps young Jewish adults join together to create a special Shabbat for Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” says Morlie Levin, CEO of NEXT. “We know that Birthrighters crave opportunities to blend Jewish experiences with other aspects of their lives in personal and authentic ways. Pink Shabbat is a perfect example of this, and as with all of our initiatives, we make sure that Birthrighters have everything they need to create a meaningful experience for their friends.”
Upon registering, Pink Shabbat hosts will receive resources to create a meaningful Shabbat experience, including NEXT’s Shabbox that includes a kiddish cup, blessings, a selection of music, and more. For Pink Shabbat, NEXT and Sharsheret have compiled a selection of special resources, including:
• Sharsheret’s booklet, Our Voices: Inspiring Words From The Women of Sharsheret so that Shabbat hosts can share first-hand stories with their friends;
• Sharsheret’s exclusive pink challah recipe and other “pink” giveaways; and
• Information about Sharsheret’s Have The Talk® campaign, empowering young adults to learn about their family cancer history.
“Through Pink Shabbat meals, Sharsheret and NEXT are creating an open and comfortable environment for the Birthright Israel generation to get involved in more meaningful Jewish experiences.” says Ellen Kleinhaus, Program Manager and Campus Liaison at Sharsheret. “We encourage young adults, who have their own unique perspective towards breast cancer, to learn about their family cancer history and the measures they can take to help safeguard their health.”
Sharsheret notes that one in 40 Jewish men and women of Ashkenazi descent are at 10 times greater risk for carrying a breast cancer gene mutation that can lead to breast and ovarian cancer, and possibly skin, colon, pancreatic, and prostate cancers, too. Pink Shabbat is a time to spread awareness, share resources, and most importantly, generate hope.
NEXT, as part of the Birthright Israel Foundation, is charged with engaging US-based Birthright Israel alumni once they return from their trips. Its initiatives are designed to connect Birthrighters to each other and to communities, and to empower these young Jewish adults to create meaningful Jewish experiences. Already, more than 7,000 Birthrighters across the country have hosted more than 15,800 Shabbat experiences for their friends.
Levin adds, “We always look for opportunities to partner with organizations to offer unique experiences to Birthrighters. Pink Shabbat empowers young Jewish adults to continue building their communities and to connect around a common cause.”
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About Sharsheret
Sharsheret is the only national not-for-profit organization supporting young women and their families, of all Jewish backgrounds, facing breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Jewish men and women of Ashkenazi descent are at 10x greater risk for carrying a breast cancer (BRCA) gene mutation that can lead to breast cancer and ovarian cancer, and possibly skin, colon, pancreatic, and prostate cancers, too.
About NEXT
NEXT: A Division of Birthright Israel Foundation connects Birthright Israel trip alumni and their peers with meaningful Jewish living and learning opportunities nationally, locally and in Israel. We also work to create a Jewish community that is ready to receive alumni, who possess diverse needs, interests and inclinations. By investing in and convening those who work with young Jewish adults, as well as offering resources and thought-leadership, we catalyze growth and stimulate opportunities for engagement.