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During Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, Hadassah regions and chapters across the country hosted events to advance Hadassah’s year-round critical work to fight the disease through groundbreaking research, education and advocacy. Hundreds of Hadassah supporters walked, dressed up, donated and volunteered for the cause, bolstering support everywhere.
“The work of Hadassah leaders and supporters across the country to raise awareness and educate women during Breast Cancer Awareness Month is just as vital as the groundbreaking breast health research taking place at Hadassah hospitals in Israel all year-round,” said Hadassah National President Carol Ann Schwartz. “I am deeply grateful for their role in helping women live longer, healthier lives.”
Here’s a glimpse of what took place.
Hadassah Northeast
The Hadassah Northeast Annual Walk for Women's Health brought the entire community together — members, volunteers, Associates, friends, families and even dogs — to do their part in improving women’s health, including through breast cancer research. Taking in the natural scenery of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, 175 people of all ages walked the 1.4-mile perimeter of the local reservoir, along the way encountering signs displaying facts and figures from Hadassah’s groundbreaking research. The event raised over $80,000 for Hadassah, over $15,000 more than last year, with a portion of the funds also going to support the Gandel Rehabilitation Center at Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus and trauma-related medicine in Israel. The annual event of over 20 years began as a Hadassah Boston walk and has expanded over the last five years to include Northern New England and Southern New England.
Hadassah Chicago-North Shore
Twenty members of Hadassah Chicago-North Shore celebrated both Sukkot and Breast Cancer Awareness Month during the region’s Hadassah Social event. Inside a backyard sukkah at a Highland Park, Illinois, private home, attendees assembled care packages for women undergoing treatment for breast and ovarian cancers as part of a social action project with Sharsheret, a nonprofit dedicated to providing personalized support, education and community for Jewish women suffering from those diseases. They also heard the moving story of a breast cancer survivor.
Hadassah Southern California’s B'Yachad Chapter
Barbie, the Pink Power Ranger, a Pink Lady, Elle Woods — the gang was all there at Hadassah Southern California’s B'Yachad Chapter Bash for the "Boo"bies. Over 150 women ranging in age from their 40s to 90s dressed in costume or in pink for a lively event in a private home in Calabasas, California, where fashion designer Betsey Johnson shared her breast cancer journey. This is the chapter’s 12th annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month event, with each bringing awareness to early detection and prevention. The chapter, comprising several women who are breast cancer survivors, raised over $30,000, surpassing last year’s $25,000.
Hadassah Florida
Throughout the Sunshine State, women and men walked their way to better health, taking part in the many walk events across the geographic area, including one from Hadassah Jacksonville (part of Florida Central), which saw 50 walkers, ranging in age from 40 to 83, strolling nearly two miles through Oaklawn Cemetery. A week prior to the walk, the chapter hosted a Lunch and Learn with Jeannie Blaylock, a local news anchor who created the Buddy Check 12, which encourages women to remind a buddy to check their breasts on the 12th of each month.
Hadassah researchers have confirmed that Ashkenazi Jews have at least a 10 times greater prevalence of BRCA1 gene mutations that can cause breast and ovarian cancer. This has led to more screenings and/or genetic consultations. Researchers have since discovered founder mutations in Sephardic and Kurdish Jews, increasing the risk of breast cancer in these populations. In Israel, Hadassah oncologists have treated the largest number of high-risk carriers of the BRCA genetic mutations tied to breast and ovarian cancer. Overall, breast cancer is the second most deadly cancer for women; it causes 43,600 deaths each year, with one out of eight women diagnosed in their lifetime.
Learn about the new Breast Health Center of Excellence at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem and
Dr. Shani Paluch-Shimon, director of the Breast Cancer Center at the Hadassah Medical Organization’s Sharett Institute of Oncology.
