Cancer Doesn’t Stop—Even In A War

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On March 18th of this year, I'd been back in America for a few days after getting stuck in Israel during the war with Iran. I still felt scattered, jet-lagged and wrung out. So I decided to treat myself to the ultimate comfort food: an authentic bagel.

I ran into a friend at (the kosher and delicious) Emma's Bagels in Skokie. She was sitting with a table of women I didn't know. After I explained why I looked so bedraggled, I learned they all worked for Sharsheret, an organization supporting Jewish women facing breast and ovarian cancer. One of them, Elana Silber, turned out to be the CEO — and that night, it happened, was Sharsheret's annual gala.

She invited me on the spot.

I decided to push past that not-quite-myself feeling and attend. I saw an art installation by a breast cancer survivor, heard several incredible speakers, and got a chance to hear about Sharsheret's work, which is now reaching Israel also.

Elana and I decided to meet a few months later in New York for an interview. As you'll hear, she's learned a lot about building in the aftermath of a crisis.

I hope you enjoy this episode.

Credits:

Host and Creator: Manya Marcus

Editor and Producer: Ben Wallick

Associate Editor and Producer: Keren Glicksman

Content Editors: Keren Glicksman and Alexandra Yelderman