We know that 1 in 40 Ashkenazi Jews carry a BRCA gene mutation that increases the risk of developing breast cancer by approximately 80% and ovarian cancer by approximately 40%. However, approximately 25% of the world Jewish population is not Ashkenazi, and begs the question:… Continue reading →

Last week, the US Supreme Court ruled on a significant gene patenting case.  The issue before the Court was whether or not a company’s patents on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes could be upheld. The landmark ruling states that a gene is a naturally occurring product of nature,… Continue reading →

This morning, the Supreme Court rendered its decision in the gene patenting case, holding that “genes and the information they encode are not patent eligible under §101 [of The Patent Act] simply because they have been isolated from the surrounding genetic material.” … Continue reading →

National Cancer Survivors Day is on Sunday! Survivors in Sharsheret’s National Peer Support Network have shared when they considered themselves survivors.  Read their inspiring words below and join us in honoring all of the incredible women of Sharsheret. We would love to… Continue reading →

The holiday of Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai.  It is recorded that the people heard thunder and lightning, and clouds and smoke filled the air.  The experience was overbearing to the senses.  The children of Israel… Continue reading →

Finding a Mother’s Day gift for my wife Aviva is impossible. Let’s just say for her birthday in March, she got a sponge cake…that she made herself. The one reasonable gift I could get her is flowers, but she says she dislikes them because they’re expensive, die quickly,… Continue reading →

We are going to be running the Baltimore Marathon 5K on October 12th in memory of our grandmother, Ruth Merwitz.  Our "Mom Mom" passed away this past January from Primary Peritoneal Cancer which has symptoms very similar to Ovarian Cancer.  Mom Mom was a very warm and caring… Continue reading →

The New York Times recently ran an article by Susan Gubar, “Living With Cancer: The Good Patient Syndrome”, that questioned the importance of being a model patient. When Susan was first diagnosed, she was agreeable, nodding politely when meeting with her doctors. She worried… Continue reading →

Many important studies were presented last week at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer in Los Angeles, CA.  Among them were two studies that were covered in multiple media outlets, including the New York Times (click here to read the… Continue reading →

Meet our incredible Team Sharsheret athletes who will be running the NYC Half-Marathon and the Germantown, TN Half-Marathon on Sunday, March 17th.  Click on each athlete’s name to read their stories and find out why they joined Team Sharsheret! TEAM SHARSHERETNYC… Continue reading →

The holiday of Purim celebrates the overcoming of Haman’s plot to exterminate the Jews - a pretty serious and scary scenario.  And yet, there is an inherent silliness in the celebration of Purim.  We dress up in costumes, we intentionally shout out and interrupt the… Continue reading →

I recently completed a fundraiser at my school in Israel, in which we raised nearly $600. I sold candy baskets to my friends as gifts for our hosts over Rosh Hashanah and Succot as well as every Shabbat over the past two months. I never expected it to be so successful. Both my… Continue reading →

A family Chanukah party: Latkes have been eaten, candles are lit, and it’s time to gather for a game of dreidel. Everyone finds a position at the table, the chocolate coins are distributed, and the dreidel is placed in the center.Everyone antes up. A minute has passed, two… Continue reading →

In celebration of Thanksgiving, we wanted to share some thoughts from our staff on what Thanksgiving means to us and what we are thankful for this year.  We tried to keep it to 6 words more or less.  Feel free to share your own thoughts in the comments section. … Continue reading →

I had always told myself when I was deciding to run a marathon that I want it to be something more than a race, more than just training to run 26.2 miles.  I wanted to use this opportunity to help others.  By doing this it would give my running more meaning. … Continue reading →

I was sitting shiva after the passing of my father a few months ago when a friend and fellow attorney, Jennifer, stopped by to give her condolences.  While we were catching up, Jennifer mentioned that she volunteers at Sharsheret and was helping to coordinate the… Continue reading →

Cancer has been a cloud over my family for a long time.  I lost my mother to breast cancer when I was 30, and years later, I lost my sister to the same disease.  My aunt and another sister were also diagnosed with breast cancer and one of my brothers was diagnosed with… Continue reading →

I remember sitting in the synagogue on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as a child, watching the clock and counting how many pages of prayer were left in the service. I wanted to run out when the Rabbi began speaking. And the silent prayer – well, that just went on forever. “Oh… Continue reading →

Cancer is huge (enormous, actually). It’s an adventure I wish I never had to take, but I’m living it in real time. Slowly, slowly, reality has set in. I have a chronic illness - ovarian cancer - that began in my fallopian tubes. I’ll be on and off chemo for the rest of my… Continue reading →

 Erica Berthou13:37:01Deborah Greenstein14:29:14Joel Matalon15:15:01Congratulations to Team Sharsheret's first Ironman athletes, who took on an enormous challenge last weekend at the U.S. Ironman Championship NY/NJ. Our amazing athletes completed a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile… Continue reading →