Guest post by Roberta Witkow, director of Women’s Philanthropy, JEWISHcolorado

Create awareness. Get educated. Take action.

For the last several years, JEWISHcolorado has partnered with Sharsheret, a national nonprofit that supports Jewish women diagnosed with breast cancer and ovarian cancer, for Teal and Pink Shabbat®, a series of events focused on educating women and men about the increased risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer among Jewish families.

This year’s signature event, hosted by JEWISHcolorado, is Women’s Health & Empowerment: Know Your Family History, a virtual event featuring a panel of medical experts, on Thursday, October 14, at 7:00 pm. On tap is an in-depth discussion of how and why breast and ovarian cancer affects the Jewish community in particular, screening and treatment protocols and resources, and support services for patients and their families.

According to the Sharsheret website, 1 in 40 Ashkenazi Jewish women and men carry a BRCA gene mutation—that’s nearly 10 times the rate of the general population—making Jewish families significantly more susceptible to hereditary breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Recent studies show that Sephardic Jews may also be genetically predisposed to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.

Said Teal and Pink Committee member Julie Eber, “I’ve known numerous women who have been impacted by breast and ovarian cancer, so this program is especially important to me—the health and wellness of the people I love is especially important. I believe in being proactive with my own health, and I want to help others to gain the knowledge they need to take care of themselves and those they love.”