Celebrate Women’s History Month and Empower Women’s Health with Sharsheret
Posted with permission from Repair The World, www.werepair.org.
March is Women’s History Month – a month dedicated to the amazing women – from Sojourner Truth and Amelia Earhart to J.K. Rowling and Gabrielle Giffords – who have changed the shape of history in ways both large and small. We at Repair the World think Rochelle Shoretz is a great candidate to add to that list.
Rochelle is the founder of Sharsheret, an organization dedicated to serving the unique concerns of Jewish women with breast cancer. This year’s Women’s History Month theme is empowerment and education – and we couldn’t think of a better way to honor that than by highlighting Rochelle and Sharsheret’s profound work.
As the largest and most influential organization supporting young Jewish women who are facing breast cancer and their families, Sharsheret is already worthy of a mention. (On that note, check out Repair the World’s interview with staff member, Elana Silber.) But Sharsheret’s work around education, and empowering people to spread the word that breast cancer is an issue touches virtually everyone’s life, is truly amazing.
We particularly admire how they’ve rallied teens and college students in awareness raising. Here are just some of the ways:
- Bar and Bat Mitzvah program: Sharsheret offers tons of creative ideas for incorporating breast cancer awareness and fundraising into a bar or bat mitzvah.
- Sharsheret on Campus: Students bring Sharsheret to their campuses, organizing health and athletic events, helping to raise money, and distributing brochures to spread the word.
- Pink Shabbat: Young people host a special “Pink Shabbat,” which brings people together on Friday night and Saturday to talk about breast cancer awareness. (They even have a recipe for pink challah!)
Honoring Women’s history means celebrating women’s individual and collective achievements and triumphs. But it also means remembering life’s tougher times, when women (and their families and friends) band together in witness, comfort and support of one another. Find out more ways you can get involved with making history by joining Sharsheret’s work here.
About the Author
Leah Koenig is a freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Saveur, Every Day with Rachael Ray, Hadassah Magazine, Lilith, Edible Brooklyn and Beliefnet. She contributes a monthly column on food to The Forward and a bi-weekly column to Saveur.com. She is also the former editor of Hazon’s award-winning blog, The Jew & The Carrot. Leah joined Repair the World as a contributing editor in late 2009.