By Editorial Staff
December 01, 2025
Ten years after the passing of Rochelle Shoretz, her sons, Shlomo and Dovid Mirsky, are issuing a poignant call to action. Their message is clear: while the woman who founded the breast cancer support organization Sharsheret is gone, the mission she ignited has become a global lifeline for hundreds of thousands. As the 2025 year-end giving season commences, the Mirsky brothers are inviting the public to ensure that the organization’s work—a vital blend of emotional, practical, and medical support—continues to thrive for the next generation.
The Genesis of a Movement: From a Dining Room Table to Global Impact
In the early 2000s, cancer was often spoken of in hushed tones. For many, a diagnosis was an isolating experience, stripped of the communal support networks that define so much of Jewish life. In 2001, when Rochelle Shoretz was diagnosed with breast cancer, she faced the same silence.
The turning point occurred when Shoretz connected with Lauryn Weiser, another young Jewish mother navigating the complexities of breast cancer. The connection was transformative. It provided a roadmap for how to discuss parenting, career pressures, and faith while undergoing grueling medical treatments. Recognizing that no one should have to face such a journey alone, Shoretz founded Sharsheret—a Hebrew word meaning "chain"—to link women facing breast cancer and ovarian cancer to others who had walked the path before them.
What began as five women gathered around a dining room table has since evolved into a multifaceted, international organization. Today, Sharsheret serves as a critical resource for more than 275,000 individuals annually, providing a continuum of care that bridges the gap between medical treatment and the human experience of living with cancer.
Chronology: A Decade of Resilience and Growth
To understand the scope of the Sharsheret mission, one must look at the timeline of its development:
- 2001: Rochelle Shoretz is diagnosed with breast cancer. Following her connection with a peer mentor, she establishes Sharsheret to fill the void in culturally sensitive cancer support.
- 2001–2015: Shoretz leads the organization through a period of rapid expansion, establishing national programs that include mental health counseling, genetic counseling, and the "Busy Box" program—an initiative designed to help young children of cancer patients cope with the realities of their parents’ treatment.
- 2015: Rochelle Shoretz passes away. The organization enters a period of transition, moving from a founder-led nonprofit to a robust, institutionalized movement.
- 2015–2025: Over the last ten years, Sharsheret has scaled its operations. It has expanded its clinical offerings, deepened its research partnerships, and solidified its status as a leading provider of psycho-social support in the Jewish community and beyond.
- December 2025: Shlomo and Dovid Mirsky mark the 10th anniversary of their mother’s passing by launching a year-end fundraising campaign, aiming to secure the financial future of the organization that once helped them navigate their own childhood trauma.
Supporting Data: The Clinical and Emotional Necessity
Sharsheret’s success is rooted in its ability to address the unique intersection of medical necessity and cultural identity. The data surrounding their impact is staggering:
- Scale: The organization now supports over 275,000 people each year, a testament to the growing need for specialized, peer-led support.
- The "Busy Box" Effect: For children like Shlomo and Dovid, programs like the Busy Box were more than mere distractions; they were essential tools for psychological grounding during a period of familial instability.
- Peer Mentorship: The core of the organization remains the "chain" of support. Research consistently shows that breast cancer patients who have access to peer mentorship report lower levels of anxiety and a higher quality of life during and after treatment.
- Community Integration: Sharsheret serves as a critical bridge, helping patients navigate the healthcare system while respecting their religious and personal values, an aspect of care often overlooked by larger, non-sectarian institutions.
Official Perspectives: A Family’s Reflection
For Shlomo and Dovid Mirsky, the year-end campaign is deeply personal. In a statement released to the public, the brothers recalled their experience as young boys—aged 3 and 5—during their mother’s initial fight.
"We were personally served by Sharsheret," the brothers wrote. "As young children, receiving Sharsheret’s Busy Box helped distract us from the difficult realities of Mom’s cancer treatments."
The brothers reflect on the milestones their mother missed—graduations, the birth of grandchildren—with a sense of profound grace. Their goal is not merely to honor the past, but to ensure that the current generation of families facing similar battles has a support system that is even more robust than the one their mother created.
"What started as five women around our dining room table has turned into an international movement," they noted. "We know that thanks to your generosity, Mom is looking down with pride as we build a healthier and brighter future."
Implications: The Future of Cancer Support
The legacy of Rochelle Shoretz serves as a blueprint for modern non-profit health advocacy. The implications of her work extend beyond the breast cancer community:
- The Power of Specialized Networks: Sharsheret proves that "niche" support networks are often more effective than generic ones. By focusing on the intersection of faith, parenting, and illness, the organization provides a level of comfort that broad-based groups cannot replicate.
- Sustainability in Non-Profit Leadership: The successful transition of Sharsheret from a founder-led organization to a stable, long-term institution highlights the importance of institutionalizing a mission. By professionalizing their operations while maintaining their core values, the organization has ensured that it is not reliant on a single individual, but on a sustainable model of community engagement.
- Holistic Patient Care: The medical community is increasingly recognizing that the patient is not just a body to be treated, but a person with a family, a job, and a spiritual life. Sharsheret’s model of addressing these "whole-person" needs is a lesson for hospital systems and cancer centers worldwide.
How to Support the Mission
As the year draws to a close, the financial sustainability of Sharsheret is paramount. The organization relies heavily on individual donations to provide its services at no cost to the patients and families it serves.
"Please join us in making a year-end donation to Sharsheret," the Mirsky brothers urged. "Ensure that thousands of families just like ours have Sharsheret to lean on in their time of need."
Contributions can be made through the organization’s secure portal at link.Sharsheret.org/EOY. These funds directly support the clinical staff, the peer mentorship programs, and the resources—like the Busy Boxes—that provide comfort to families in their darkest hours.
As the Chanukah season approaches—a time traditionally associated with bringing light into the world—the Mirsky brothers hope that the public will see their contribution to Sharsheret as a way to honor the light Rochelle Shoretz brought to thousands of others. The chain she started at her dining table continues to grow, and with continued community support, it will remain unbroken for years to come.
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