JEWISHcolorado HOSTS COMMUNITY-WIDE PINK SHABBAT OCTOBER 24 AND 25 FOR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH 

DENVER, Colorado – (October 20, 2014) — As part of breast cancer awareness month, JEWISHcolorado is organizing the first-ever Community-wide Pink Shabbat for Colorado on October 24th and 25^th.  More than 25 organizations and synagogues are currently participating. Events will be different for each location, including speakers, information materials, special Oneg Shabbat festivities, and more.  This Pink Shabbat is the first one of its size ever held throughout the country.

Pink Shabbat is a program of Sharsheret Supports™ JEWISHcolorado, a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Sharsheret and JEWISHcolorado (formerly The Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado) to raise awareness and provide resources to local community members about the impact of breast and ovarian cancer in the Jewish community. The purpose of Pink Shabbat is to make the Colorado Jewish community aware of the critical resources and support available to them, locally through Sharsheret Supports™ JEWISHcolorado, and through the national Sharsheret organization.

Community-wide Pink Shabbat is a time to spread awareness, share resources, and most importantly, generate hope. One in 40 Ashkenazi Jews carries a BRCA gene mutation that increases their risk of developing breast, ovarian and other cancers; this is nearly ten times the rate of the general population. Both men and women can carry a BRCA gene mutation, and they have a 50% chance of passing it along to their children. This is not a Jewish women’s issue; this is a Jewish community issue.

Sharsheret is a national not-for-profit organization that focuses on providing resources and support for Jewish women and their families who are facing a breast or ovarian cancer diagnosis, or are at increased genetic risk. Their mission is to offer a community of support by fostering culturally-relevant individualized connections with networks of peers, health professionals and related resources. Sharsheret’s programs and services are open to all men and women.

For more information about Community-wide Pink Shabbat events, please go to www.JEWISHcolorado.org/pinkshabbat.  To learn more about Sharsheret Supports™ JEWISHcolorado, go to www.JEWISHcolorado.org/sharsheretsupports.  For more information or to help support this important program for our community, contact JEWISHcolorado at sharsheretsupports@JEWISHcolorado.org.

About JEWISHcolorado

Founded in 1946, JEWISHcolorado, formerly known as Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado, is the umbrella community organization inspired by the collective responsibility to build and sustain Jewish life in Colorado, Israel, and around the world.  Its mission is to secure, steward, and share philanthropic and human resources in support of vibrant Jewish life and to mobilize the community in times of need. JEWISHcolorado is a proud member of the Jewish Federations of North America, which is among the top ten charities on the continent working together to protect and enhance the well-being of Jews worldwide. JEWISHcolorado raises and distributes funds in support of a wide variety of programs and partner organizations both locally and globally.  Last year, JEWISHcolorado’s Annual Campaign raised $10.7 million and the Endowment and Planned Giving arm houses more than $50 million in long term assets for individuals, agencies and synagogues in the community.  For more information, visit www.JEWISHcolorado.org.