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56
.ugust 21 • 2014
f you Google "Jewish and cancer:' you
At Jewish Family Service, we know that
find many links to articles about the
being Jewish matters when faced with any
increased risk for specific cancer diag-
type of crisis in our lives. It matters in how
noses for Jewish people. There has been
we view the crisis itself and how we view
much publicity in recent years about two
options for getting through it. For many, a
gene mutations, known as BRCA I and
cancer diagnosis is a crisis. It changes the
BRCA II, that normally pro-
direction of our lives. It pro-
duce tumor-suppressing pro-
vokes feelings of vulnerability,
teins, but when mutated, allow
powerlessness and fear. It is a
for tumor growth.
threat to our sense of safety. So
According to Sharsheret, a
how does being Jewish matter
national organization dedicated
at these times? I asked people
to providing a community
this question and here is what
of support to Jewish women
they said.
with breast or ovarian cancer,
One man, diagnosed with
"one in 40 Ashkenazi (Eastern
cancer during a time in his life
European) Jews carries a BRCA
when he did not have medical
gene mutation, nearly 10 times
insurance due to the economic
Ell en
the rate of the general popula-
downturn, said: "Being Jewish
Yash insky
tion, making Jewish families
mattered to me when I was
Ch ute
significantly more susceptible
diagnosed because it meant
to hereditary breast cancer and
that I was eligible for pro-bono
ovarian cancer"
medical services through Project Chessed
As each year passes, additional research
[a JFS program that previously connected
reveals that the BRCA mutations are
Jewish community members to pro bono
linked to other cancer diagnoses as well,
health care. The program now focuses on
including prostate and pancreatic cancer,
helping clients enroll in Medicaid and sub-
and certain types of chronic leukemia.
sidized health insurance].
What's Jewish about cancer? The vast
"I had all of my cancer treatment at no
majority of cancer diagnoses in the Jewish
cost due to the generosity of our Jewish
community are not related to either the
community. Now I am healthy, and once
BRCA I or BRCA II mutations. Actually,
again am in a position to have health
the mutations account for less than 20 per- insurance:' he said. "Everybody needs
cent of breast cancers in the Jewish com-
somebody sometime, and JFS was my
munity. And yet, for so many people fac-
somebody:'
ing a cancer diagnosis being Jewish mat-
This reflects our Jewish values of tikkun
ters. How does being Jewish matter? Why
olam, repairing the world, and, as it says in
does an organization like Jewish Family
the Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin, "Whoever
Service need its Cancer Connection pro-
preserves a single soul, it is as though he
gram?
had preserved a whole world:'
The answers to these questions are
When I asked Dr. Rik Tkatch, Ph.D.,
complex, hard to articulate, but important. of Karmanos Cancer Institute why being
For years, our JFS clinical and case man-
Jewish matters when diagnosed with
agement clients spoke to us about their
cancer, she said, "The Jewish community
journeys with cancer diagnoses. We heard
always comes together at times of crisis,
repeatedly that clients felt alone or isolated even though we may be divided at other
during the process of diagnosis and treat-
times. We are family! We have a shared
ment. Some clients participated in hospi-
history as a community that has gone
tal-based or secular support programs, but through many difficult experiences; cancer
still felt alone and misunderstood.
is one more difficult experience. I think
One woman told us, "I got a buddy
we feel that other Jews get that — without
from the hospital — someone the same
words, whether in the relationship of a
age as me with the same diagnosis as
doctor-patient or mentor-mentee:'
me, who was going to help me through
She added, "Jews process disease differ-
my treatment. She wasn't Jewish and our
ently. They view cancer treatment as part
lifestyles were so different; so it wasn't
of the health and perpetuation of the com-
helpful:'
munity as a whole:'
Another woman told us that her oncolo-
So, a cancer diagnosis is not only per-
gist told her that she would be too debili-
sonal; it is communal. It connects us to
tated from treatment to "make Passover:'
others who share the value of life and of
that year, not understanding that making
Jewish life. ❑
Passover was non-negotiable for her. The
Ellen Yashinsky Chute is the JFS chief
question could have been, "What supports
community outreach officer.
will you need to make Passover this year?"