family focus 0 What's Jewish About Cancer? / I 0, ADAT SHALOM - BETH ACHIM LEARNING COMMUNITY I Making Judaism relevant meaningful & accessible for children in pre-K through 7th grade Classes begin September 7th at Adat Shalom Synagogue. Register Now! Contact: Dr. Melissa 5er Director of Congregational Learning 248-626-2153 or mser@adatshalom.org 1111111 ADAT SHALOM www.adatshalom.org ol5w rrtv vilut ■ '' Warr (.1 ... Celebrate Life - Com , e With Lis! ......... IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY Meer Apartments Independent Living in a Luxurious Senior Community -Personal Care Services Available- a residence of Jewish Senior Life 6760 West Maple Road, West Bloomfield, Michigan 48322 Eugene and Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus Ask about our MOVING FEE SPECIAL Complimentary JCC General Membership $500 OFF First Month's Rent TOURS / After Walk of Ages - August 24th from 11:30am-2pm on One and Two Bedroom Apartments A )11111- JEWISH SENIOR LIFE k . Be6-i Voted Best For information or to visit, call Marcia Mittelman at 248-661-1836 or visit Detroit Jewish News www.jsimi.org for an application! 1;1 in Senior Housing 110 1938490 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?"