Partnering with Susan G. Komen Foundation, JLI Raises Cancer Awareness

Recent media reports have highlighted the risks associated with the BRCA genetic mutations, which Ashkenazi Jews are ten times more likely to have than the general population.

The first lesson of JLI’s fall course, Life in the Balance, discusses the discovery of BRCA and its associated risks as a springboard to the Biblical injunction to safeguard one’s health.

To raise awareness about the class, more than 100 JLI branches across the U.S. have partnered with local chapters of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The course begins next week, the last week of October, which is also National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Susan G. Komen Foundation has listed the classes on their website’s events calendar and is sending representatives to many classes.

The lesson discusses practical, ethical, and theological questions that will help participants discuss their options about testing and possible proactive preventive steps with their doctor.

A video introduction to the medical aspects of the class features Dr. Wendy Rubinstein, director of the genetic screening registry and a senior scientist at the National Institute of Health, who has done extensive research on the BRCA gene and its implications for the Jewish community.

Please note: The following video may only be appropriate for women and girls.