Sharsheret Appoints New Executive Director
Teaneck, New Jersey (March 28, 2007) —Sharsheret, a national not-for-profit organization supporting young Jewish women facing breast cancer, announced the appointment of Eillene Leistner as its new Executive Director. “It is an exciting time for all of us at Sharsheret,” said President of the Board of Directors Amy Mines Tadelis. “Firmly rooted in the Jewish community, Sharsheret is poised for meaningful growth under new leadership. Ms. Leistner comes to the organization with 26 years of not-for-profit management, governance, and development experience and succeeds Rochelle Shoretz, Founder and first Executive Director, as the principal officer of Sharsheret.”
Most recently, Ms. Leistner was the Associate Executive Director of Development for DOROT, a social services organization supporting the elderly. Prior to that, she was Vice President of Development and Executive Director of the Youth Consultation Service Foundation in Newark, New Jersey. She has also served as Executive Vice President of the Friends of Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem in New York, Director of Development for the American Friends of the Israel Museum in New York, Director of Development of the Northeast Region for the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, and Director of Corporate Development for Affiliate Artists.
“Sharsheret is fortunate to have a devoted corps of volunteer Links, dedicated professionals, and committed supporters who guarantee its position as the premier national organization focused exclusively on supporting young Jewish woman battling breast cancer,” Ms. Leistner said. “I met Rochelle Shoretz when Sharsheret was just getting started and volunteered to help with its set up. As a recent breast cancer survivor, it is exciting and deeply moving to return to Sharsheret and build on the strong foundation Rochelle and the staff have established.”
Ms. Leistner has earned a bachelor of arts in English Literature from Lehman College (Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude), a masters degree in English Literature from Northwestern University, and completed her doctorate coursework in English Literature from the City University of New York Graduate Center. She has completed the Executive Management Institute program for not-for-profit executives of the Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University. Co-Chair of the Teaneck Holocaust Commemoration Committee, Ms. Leistner lives in Teaneck, New Jersey with her husband and two children.
About Sharsheret
Since the organization’s founding in 2001, Sharsheret has received more than 10,000 phone calls from those affected by breast cancer, health care professionals, women’s organizations, Jewish organizations, and others interested in learning more about the important services Sharsheret provides nationwide.
Sharsheret has developed three core programs in response to the needs of young Jewish women facing breast cancer: The Link Program, a peer support network connecting young women newly diagnosed or at high risk of developing breast cancer with others who share similar diagnoses and experiences, Education and Outreach Programs, including health care symposia addressing the concerns of young women facing breast cancer, and Quality of Life Programs, including the Busy Box for young parents facing breast cancer, Best Face Forward to address the cosmetic side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and Embrace, a support program for women living with advanced breast cancer.
For more information about Sharsheret, please call Director of Operations Elana Silber at (866) 474-2774.