This space contributed as a public service.

"YES THERE IS
LIFE AFTER
BREAST CANCER.
AND THAT'S THE
WHOLE POINT:"

—Ann Jillian

left rolling green, rocky hills for
Leaving the kibbutz, we could
the stark sandy mounds called hear the chop-chop of helicopter
Judea. What a varied terrain Is- blades cutting through the air
rael has.
above. Then, on the way back
We toured Safed last
here, jeep after jeep
night after a short work The Is raeli flag passed us. The madrichot
day, then six of us had
think it's a response in
flies on the
kosher Chinese. Yum.
Golan Heights. Lebanon to a terrorist at-
I am at such a disad-
tack on a tank today,
vantage by not speaking Hebrew. which killed one soldier. The sky
I feel so helpless, although in was ink black and still — per-
most places someone knows Eng- fectly quiet, perhaps foreboding?
lish.
I think about how these soldiers
Bibi [Netanyahu] said this are boys — like my brother —
week he will build new dwellings nice Jewish boys, defending the
for Jews in east Jerusalem and tiny piece of land they can call
a lesser amount for Arabs there. home.
Arafat et. al. are up in arms,
In bed, we heard air force
threatening the end of the peace planes taking off for the north,
process because of it. Our madri- apparently to bomb Lebanon. We
chot warned us to be careful on just listened, quietly.
buses in the cities — I think I will
take cabs.
I especially like
Why do all the countries in the
world, throughout history, have
the Mrs philosophy
such a problem with Jews? We
are a small people, we don't harm
of "follow me."
anyone, nor do we proselytize.
And for all time, we have been
MARCH 3, DAY NINE:
the enemy. It makes no sense.
Arafat is threatening to de-
These Judean hills are high,
tan with sand and rocks, engulf- clare Palestine an independent
state if Bibi builds in Har Homa.
ing.
We are waiting for war.

A lot of women are so afraid of
breast cancer they don't want to hear
about it.
And that's what frightens me.
Because those women won't prac-
tice breast self-examination regularly.
Those women, particularly those
over 35, won't ask their doctor about a
mammogram.
Yet that's what's required for breast
cancer to be detected early. When the
cure rate is 90%. And when there's a

MARCH 2, DAY EIGHT:

Today we drove to the Golani
Brigade Memorial at Golani
Junction — a very moving and
sobering site. Israel has so many
memorials, each different, sym-
bolic, moving. Israel really
reveres its people.
I especially like the EDFs phi-
losophy of "follow me": the com-
mander tells his soldiers, "Follow
me," and leads by example,
whereas in other countries, the
commander says, "Forward!" and
follows behind his unit. The Is-
raeli way is like a father-son re-
lationship.
Went Israeli dancing tonight
at a kibbutz. A blast! Israelis
came from all over— Kiryat She-
mona, Katzrien — to dance. They
were dressed for a night out and
danced each step knowingly,
with a streak of self-confidence.
We laughed and laughed.

VANIERICAN CANCER SOCIETY®

MARCH 4, DAY TEN:

We stopped by a terrorist
cemetery on Ramat HaGolan.
The graves are numbered, no
names. This is where Israel
buries terrorists. Sometimes, af-
ter peace negotiations, they dig
up the bodies and return them to
the appropriate country.
This has been a great experi-
ence — humbling, good for build-
ing character, different. I've met
some interesting people.
I feel good. I can do any-
thing. The world is open for dis-
covery. 0

aw The program ended for vol-
unteers on Thursday, March
6. Most Sar-El programs last
for three weeks, with each
Shabbat free, off the army
base.

good chance it won't involve the loss of
a breast.
But no matter what it involves, take
it from someone who's been through
it all.
Life is just too wonderful to give up
on. And, as I found out, you don't have
to give up on any of it. Not work, not
play, not even romance.
Oh, there is one thing, though.
You do have to give up being afraid
to take care of yourself.

6

Get a checkup. Life is worth it.

You're never too old
to quit blowing smoke.

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co
N

American Heart Association

WE'RE FIGHTING FOR 'OUR LIFE

11