This summer I had the privilege and honor of working as Sema Heller – Netivot Shalom Summer Intern. As a graduate student at Silberman School of Social Work, I was looking for a meaningful experience for the summer between my years as a social work student. When my mother, who… Continue reading
At the staff retreat that I attended as a summer intern, we were asked to label Sharsheret using one word. The first word that came to my mind was “stories.” What continues to amaze me about the work that Sharsheret does is the intense focus on the importance of every… Continue reading
My mom was my best friend. We never went through the typical mother-daughter struggles. We enjoyed spending time together, whether it was traveling, or just hanging out at home. She celebrated her 50th birthday by taking me and my brother on a trip to Hong Kong, one of her… Continue reading
Who shall live and who shall die You probably recognize this line from the Yom Kippur liturgy. A cancer patient faces this question in a very real and emotional way. Thanks to modern medicine, there are more and more people surviving their diagnoses each year. That leaves us… Continue reading
A diagnosis of cancer often comes unexpectedly, stirring up many challenging emotions. Typically decisions must be made expediently and treatment quickly initiated. One important consideration that should not be overlooked is future fertility. As cancer treatment continues to… Continue reading
My father and I were bound by birth. While my mother did all the work (gladly I believe), I decided to appear on my father’s birthday. Tied together by the stars, my father and I share a friendship that is above most other connections in my life. We are both fiercely… Continue reading
Dr. Ricanati is a women’s health and wellness physician, writer and consultant. To learn more about her practice visit: Instagram: @Housecallsforwellness Website: www.housecallsforwellness.com I make challah every week. Unless I am traveling, I make challah every Friday.… Continue reading
Beginning the second night of Passover until the night before the holiday of Shavuot, many Jews engage in the ritual of the counting of the Omer, the 49 days from Passover to Shavuot. The counting signifies a link between the Exodus from Egypt and slavery to the giving of the… Continue reading
I have a memory from during chemotherapy nearly three years ago of going on a walk to have lunch with a friend. By the time we got to our lunch spot, after thirty minutes, I was out of breath and exhausted. It felt like I had climbed Mt. Everest. Now, three years later, I am… Continue reading
Just a few days after my 12th birthday, my maternal grandmother, Sara Grodnik, passed away. She was 60 years old. Though I didn’t know exactly what her illness was, the last few years of her life were occupied with a series of surgeries and procedures that kept her in the… Continue reading
By Rachel Beller, MS, RDN, Founder and CEO of Beller Nutritional Institute and Creator of PowerPerks I know, “cruciferous vegetables” sounds like something scary from a Harry Potter movie — definitely not appetizing! Well let me tell you why you'll soon love all things… Continue reading
“In my room watching Netflix, I did not expect what was coming. When my mom walked in and said, “Come here pumpkin, let’s talk.” The hurt in her eyes was as loud as a tree falling. She pulled me close and told me the news. She said, “I have breast… Continue reading
Breast density is a buzz word that seems to be all the rage these days. In 2009 it became a hot topic when the state of Connecticut became the first state to enact the breast density laws requiring women undergoing mammography to be informed of the risks posed by breast density.… Continue reading
Excerpted from remarks made during the February 7, 2017 Peer Support Training As I do when I begin a conversation with a woman with whom I have been matched as a peer supporter, I will begin by briefly sharing my story. I do this as a peer supporter to give the person on the… Continue reading
As we approach the Passover holiday, we recall the journey that the Israelites took when they left Egypt, a journey that took them from a place of familiar (albeit enslaved) circumstances to a wilderness of unfamiliar twists, turns, and obstacles. Their guidance system A… Continue reading
In just a few days, Jews all over the world will participate in the Passover Seder. We will read from the same text, engage in many of the same rituals. Yet each Seder is unique. Every family brings its own traditions to the Seder, how they prepare, who hosts, who takes the… Continue reading
Cancer is not a ‘journey’ nor a ‘gift’ nor did it give me a heightened sense of priorities. It is a disease which must be treated. It cannot be ignored. It is dangerous. BUT, it is also something with which people can coexist. It does not always ruin people’s lives,… Continue reading
I’ve known for 10 years, since the age of 23, that I was a BRCA2 carrier. Choices needed to be made at some point, but with my doctor’s advice, I chose surveillance. I’d get married, have my kids and revisit my options at a later date. My doctors said I had until I was 40… Continue reading
“Breast cancer” - you accept the diagnosis! You not only survive but thrive through surgery after surgery. You feel confident you have beaten the Cancer and while that may be true, you have a five-year journey ahead called tamoxifen. Reluctantly, you began the unknown path.… Continue reading
Breast cancer has been in my family since my mother’s diagnosis in 2002. I have three sisters and a brother and this diagnosis really upset, but educated, all of us. A few years later, my youngest sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. Therefore, I knew in the back of my… Continue reading
