2019/20 issue 14
Life and love after cancer Newlyweds Alex and Laura and their plans for the future
HEADLINES VS. HARD FACTS The truth about cannabis oil An end to cervical cancer?
LATEST RELEASE The power of letting go through music Sporting passions The men giving back to Chai
Chai Cancer Care
A Welcome Message Recent advances in cancer knowledge are cause for great optimism. The success of the new cervical cancer vaccine trial is one example and we hear about it on p14. Another reason to celebrate: our cover couple, Laura and Alex, who recently married, were both supported by Chai – we’re sure you’ll be inspired by their story on p6. So much of what a person goes through as a result of cancer can remain hidden. On p4 Lisa Steele, our Chief Executive, reports on the lesser-known ways our services reach those affected by a diagnosis. Like every one of our 59 services, they were developed in response to clients’ needs. On p16 read how this prompted us to spearhead a new community education campaign this year. We take a closer look at what happens in couples counselling on p9, and on p17, learn about the transformative effects of our music workshops. Meanwhile, amid the media bombardment of health-related headlines, on p10 we scrutinise the evidence on cannabis oil and cancer. Thankfully, many more people are living beyond their cancer treatment. Some bounce back after the all clear but for others this post-cancer stage can prove more difficult. On p24 we untangle some of the perplexing and unanticipated emotions that can surface.
President The Rt. Hon. Lord Young of Graffham CH DL Founder Presidents Susan Shipman Frances Winegarten z’l Chairman Louise Hager Chief Executive Lisa Steele
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Trustees Louise Hager Jonathan Hodes Lady Kalms MBE Richard Segal Susan Shipman Dr Adrian Tookman Philip Weinstein Lord Young CH DL Honorary Patrons Maureen Lipman CBE Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis
Medical Patrons Prof Michael Baum Prof Michael Brada Dr Rachel Craig Dr Niki Davies Prof Michael Douek Prof Andrew Eder Prof Rosalind Eeles Dr Ian Ellis Mr Daren Francis Miss Joanna Franks Prof Anthony Goldstone CBE Prof Daniel Hochhauser
As the community’s dedicated cancer support organisation, we see daily how Chai touches every generation and every part of the community. This is very much a two-way relationship and it is both humbling and encouraging to see people recognise the value of Chai and give back in so many ways. With no statutory funding, every donation enables us to meet this year’s budget of £3.3m. Read about our long-term supporters Gillian and Irving Carter, on p18, the men using sport to benefit Chai, p26, and the adventures of the Chai Challenges You! team, p29. From p30 we salute all those who organised events and fundraised for us. We also highlight on p12, the initiative of our ‘ambassadors’ who are learning life skills and communal responsibility on our Chai Mitzvah programme. And on p28, meet George, our youthful fundraising ‘recruit’, who’s giving you an innovative way to donate to us 24/7. As we head towards our 30th year, our heartfelt thanks goes to all those who stand so loyally by our side. With your wonderful support, we can continue to meet our commitment of providing the highest standard of expertise and care to all those who turn to us.
Louise Hager Chairman
Prof Gordon Jayson Mr Amir Kaisary Dr Daniel Krell Dr Jonathan Krell Dr David Landau Prof Jonathan Ledermann Dr Jane Neerkin Prof Gordon Rustin Prof Karol Sikora Prof Albert Singer Dr Adrian Tookman Dr Larua Tookman
Advisory Board Brian Brick Jo Coleman Alan Fell Jonathan Freedman Michael Glass Diane Kenwood Alexandra Maurice Robert Prevezer Marc Samuels Dr Adrian Tookman
Together Magazine 2019/20
CONTE NT S 4
Beyond the frontline Chief Executive Lisa Steele on the less obvious ways in which Chai services support the community
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14
An injection of optimism The evidence on vaccinations against cervical cancer is in – and it’s good news
ome kind of S wonderful
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Our cover couple Laura and Alex are creating a life together after cancer
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Cancer and fertility Vital information and support for both men and women
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Service spotlight: Couples counselling
A joint approach for getting through the tough times
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Cannabis – a game changer? old claims are made B about its medicinal qualities. Dr Jane Neerkin investigates
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Bringing education and awareness of a cancer patient’s needs
Service spotlight: Music workshop
Youngsters are making their mark through our Chai Mitzvah programme
Two men, two passions, one aim – supporting Chai
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Go on – Chai five me! Have you spotted George? Introducing Chai’s 21st century tzedakah box
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36 kilometres of hard graft ycle, climb and C kayak – Chai Challenges You! does the triple in Snowdonia
How clients can tune in to their feelings
In their element Gillian and Irving Carter are Chai supporters on a mission to transform lives
Navigation Dinner
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Chai achievers
Good sports
Calming the waters
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Our supporters keep Chai moving in the right direction
I’m cancer-free so why don’t I feel happier? Because life after cancer isn’t always straightforward
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The Chai Calendar High points from a busy year of events
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You’re amazing!
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Ways to give
Applause please, for these feats and achievements
Every amount counts – thank you
2019/20 issue 14
CHAI CANCER CARE Requests the pleasure of your company at
The 2019 Natalie Shipman Memorial Lecture
EXERCISE AND CANCER SURVIVORSHIP Keynote Speaker: Dr Vicky Coyle, Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in Medical Oncology, Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen’s University Belfast
Date: Tuesday 5 November 2019 Doors open: 7pm Lecture begins: 7.30pm Chai Cancer Care 142 – 146 Great North Way London NW4 1EH
Admission free. Please call 020 8202 2211 to reserve a place
Life and love after cancer Newlyweds Alex and Laura and their plans for the future
HEADLINES VS. HARD FACTS The truth about cannabis oil An end to cervical cancer?
LATEST RELEASE The power of letting go through music Sporting passions The men giving back to Chai
emmes
F O U N D AT I O N
This edition of together is generously sponsored by The Emmes Foundation Editor: Deborah Wald Design: Creative & Commercial © Chai Cancer Care 2019 Cover photography: Adam Lawrence
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Chai Cancer Care
The support Chai provides is not always obvious, though its impact is no less significant Chief Executive Lisa Steele takes you behind the scenes It’s just one word, six letters – cancer. But every patient, every partner, every child, parent, sibling, friend or colleague experiences their own particular impact. Since 1990, Chai has been at the forefront of developing services that understand those individual responses, listening to our clients’ concerns and recognising what kind of support really makes a difference, whether the need is physical, emotional or practical. Counselling and complementary therapies are services that one expects to see in a supportive cancer charity. However, Chai’s reach and capabilities go far beyond these, in ways that are not always so obvious.
Timetabling support Our Chai in Schools programme is one such example. However much parents try to maintain a positive front, when cancer is diagnosed, it can be an unsettling time for the child: 04
after-school activities are put on hold; the usual parent may not pick up from school; Mummy isn’t there when they get home or isn’t well enough to get out of bed; Daddy may be around less. In contrast to this disruption, school is a routine that doesn’t change, where boundaries still apply and where children can feel safe. Providing play, art and music therapy to support them in a familiar setting during school hours, is one less thing for parents to worry about when hospital appointments and treatment dominate. The shared bond of care we develop with schools means we can address issues that arise for a child, and go in at short notice with practical support. During school holidays our work continues at Chai centres, to fit in with parents’ schedules as much as possible. Currently Macmillan estimates 100,000 mums and 70,000 dads with cancer have young or teenage children. Those figures are reflected in the extraordinary
rise in the number of children we support through Chai in Schools: from 13 in 2009 to 240 in 2018 and 253 so far this year.
‘With our insights, teachers can give a child the sense of security and support they need’ Teaching the teachers A lesser-known aspect of Chai in Schools is the guidance we give head teachers and staff when there is serious illness or bereavement in a pupil’s family. With an experienced Chai counsellor, we meet with staff and help them understand what a child may be going through. Their questions have included: Should I tell a child off if they are not doing their homework? Give them time out if they are being unruly? Mention their loss or leave well alone if they seem happy enough? What if the child isn’t playing with their friends? How to handle things
Together Magazine 2019/20
if they are being bullied? There are no generic answers but with our insights, teachers can give the child the sense of security they need. Sometimes it’s the child’s classmates who need our support. Could their mum or dad die? How should they act and what should they say when their friend returns to school after the Shiva? Our therapists and counsellors meet the children and give them a safe place to explore their own anxieties. Occasionally we support teachers, too, who may not have experienced serious illness or bereavement around them. One-to-one and group counselling is of great benefit to them. This important work now informs how we support communal organisations when a colleague is diagnosed and the guidance we give employed carers. Very often we are the linking agency in multi-disciplinary meetings with other professionals involved in a client’s care.
Unforeseen consequences More people are living with or beyond cancer, but that very often brings unimaginable physical and emotional complexities requiring long-term management to stabilise or improve them. The symptoms
may not be life threatening but they can be life changing: for instance, neuropathy, nerve damage to the hands and feet caused by chemotherapy; lymphoedema, swelling that occurs after lymph glands are removed; post-treatment incontinence as a result of surgery; sleeplessness caused by steroids; extreme weight loss, or weight gain as a result of medication. Where the symptoms of cancer or its side effects become extreme or uncontrollable, clients may need the additional support and management of our Medical Outpatient Rehabilitation and Palliative Care Service, which works in collaboration with the Royal Free NHS Trust and Marie Curie Cancer Care.
‘Many people don’t realise they do not have to go to a Chai centre to access our services’ Where the value lies To judge whether a service we are providing is effective, where appropriate we use an evaluation tool, the Measure Your Concerns and Wellbeing (MYCAW) questionnaire. Designed specifically for clients to identify and quantify the severity of their ‘concerns’
and ‘wellbeing’, it allows them and us to see where tangible changes have occurred. In this way, services can be adjusted accordingly. Of the 3500 clients we are supporting, 20% rely on our Home Support Service. But outside of Chai, we are aware of many more people who don’t realise they do not have to go to a centre to access our services. When a person wants to keep their condition private, is too unwell to travel or is in the terminal stages of life, our therapists and counsellors can visit them (within reasonable reach of a hub). Certain services are also available nationally and internationally by phone and Skype – so Chai is always close by, wherever you may be. The passion that everybody brings to their role at Chai runs throughout. The dedication of our client services teams, fundraising, marketing and administrative departments, volunteers, trustees and medical advisors, underpins all that we stand for. We continue to push boundaries for the benefit of our clients who know there is a safe, reassuring place for them when they are at their most vulnerable. It is a privilege to work in such a professional and compassionate organisation that has such a profound effect on people’s lives. ■
New ser vices in the North West From three rooms to an entire floor, Chai in the North West continues to expand its services for clients in the Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester areas. We are now pleased to be able to provide the following: Art workshop; Men’s support group; Image Resource service; Mindfulness group; Breast cancer support group; Hypnotherapy. For more information, please call Gerry Singer on 0161 772 4064. 05
Cancer threw them both a curveball in their 20s, but Laura Moses and Alex Samuels are shaping their ‘unconventional and exciting’ future together
Some kind of s topics for a first date go, it wasn’t one of the most cheerful. ‘About 98% of our conversation was cancerrelated. Still, we kept it going for nearly three hours,’ Alex recalls. Laura wasn’t even sure whether it was a date or not, when they met for tea at a local hotel in June 2017. They had close friends in common and knew each other through Facebook. Alex got in touch to congratulate Laura for going into remission from cancer so perhaps she could be forgiven for not seeing the signs. In the next few months, they continued chatting, and seeing each other. ‘By December, when he took me to see the show Dreamgirls, of course we knew we had much more in common than cancer!’ laughs Laura.
Alex, 30, a charity fundraiser was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2012 after six months of blood tests, scans, steroid infusions, pills, creams,
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appointments and misdiagnoses (auto-immune disease, lupus and dermatomyositis were other possibilities). It took ten specialists to pinpoint what the strange red marks on his fingers and face were and the reason for his leg pain. ‘It was the lump in my neck and under my arm screaming “Help me!” that finally led to my diagnosis.’ Laura, also 30, learned she had stage-3 ovarian cancer, in June 2016, a year after discovering she carried the mutated BRCA gene. For weeks, her bloatedness and abdominal pain were thought to be constipation. But a second trip to hospital in one week led to an emergency admission at the Royal Marsden. ‘That day I was meant to be at another hospital having a lumpectomy. I thought my breasts would be the focus for anything bad that might happen, not my ovaries, not at 27 years old.’ Three days later Laura
began chemotherapy treatment in advance of surgery that removed her cervix, fallopian tubes, ovaries, womb, two thirds of her diaphragm, most of her peritoneum, and some parts of her liver and bowel. Though Laura’s family is from Baghdad and Mumbai, recent research indicates the BRCA gene mutation can also affect the Sephardi, not just the Ashkenazi, community. It would explain why, across generations, so many of Laura’s female relatives died of cancer.
Finding a way through Born communicators with effusive personalities, Laura and Alex both turned to blogging to chart what was unfolding. ‘I wanted to let people know what was happening without having to articulate it each time,’ says Alex. ‘It also gave people ways in to talk to me because sometimes they didn’t know what to say.’ Alex’s dad, Neil, also
Photography: Adam Lawrence
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wonderful
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contributed a post to the blog, about the parent’s perspective.
‘I’ve sobbed with terror and cried with happiness at Chai’ Laura’s ‘Finding Cyril’ blog pulls no punches on the raw physical impact of her cancer. It’s also full of precise, often wry insights into the emotional impact and the bewildering psychological maze. ‘Blogging helped me learn about myself and calm some of my fears,’ Laura says. Her surgeon found it so informative, he insisted his team read it. ‘There were things I couldn’t say that I could write.’ We hear her conversations with Cyril (the name her dad Jake, gave the cancer) and about Jaws, the sharptoothed incarnation of Laura’s anxieties. We follow her thoughts as she grapples with the effects of a sudden surgical menopause and the implications for having a family. ‘The first time I thought about children was the point at which the chance to have them being was taken away.’
Laura loved the thoughtfulness of friends’ texts, the silly Snapchat photos, the colouring book of swear words from her boss, and the hospital kit bag her sister assembled, with slipper socks, earphones, comb, journal and hair products for use with a cold cap during chemotherapy to help prevent hair loss. Just before her surgery, encouraged by her dad, Laura came to Chai. She was having severe panic issues. ‘I was petrified of the anaesthetic and of waking up mid-operation. Seeing a counsellor, I talked about my fears and we discussed strategies to help with my anxiety.’ Physiotherapy after surgery at home, and then in Chai’s gym, had the most profound effect on Laura’s wellbeing. ‘Graham (the physio) gave me back my confidence and my independence,’ she says. ‘I’ve sobbed with terror and cried with happiness at Chai. I still get anxious, but here I always feel safe. This building, these people and the Chai family have helped me rebuild myself.’
Friends and family were precious anchors for both of them. During his three-week stint in hospital for a stem cell transplant, Alex’s Looking for ward parents were by ! d e h g a a ppy times to to g n e e his side and home'r gether We cooked food was a godsend. ‘My sister and a friend decorated my hospital Alex and his family also benefitted room to make it less clinical. A friend from Chai with counselling. ‘It’s not who visited to play Rummikub, made the natural order of things to tell your me pick up all the pieces I dropped on grandparents you may be going to die. the floor, despite me being hooked up I needed to speak to someone outside to a chemo drip and being completely the family about my fears.’ He also used bald. She annihilated me in the game the gym and had reflexology for pain and I remember thinking, “Thank you for relief and to improve his sleep. treating me normally”.’
The happy ever after Last October in Israel, Alex proposed. Like the first date, Laura misread the cue. She banked on it happening at a special restaurant in Jerusalem. Instead it was on a wet, windy night on the beach in Tel Aviv. ‘I was wearing my crooked glasses because sand got into my contact lenses. I hadn’t bothered with much make-up and my hair was a mess. Alex wrote, “Will you marry me?” in the sand. He had to shine a torch on it because it was too dark for me to read. Of course, I said yes.’
‘Alex wrote,“Will you marry me?” in the sand. Of course I said yes’ The engagement party was at Chai. ‘This place resonates for us,’ says Alex. ‘It was so meaningful to mark the journey that we’re going on together and start it at Chai.’ Laura adds, ‘It was great, too, for people celebrating with us to see what Chai does.’ Health issues still define their lives to a degree. Laura will need a double mastectomy in the near future. Alex was advised to have his sperm preserved before chemotherapy but they are agreed that adoption is for them. ‘I wouldn’t want a child that was 50% biologically mine but not 50% biologically Laura’s.’ To which she adds, ‘There’s more uncertainty for us but there’s also overriding relief that I won’t pass on the BRCA mutation. It stops with me. Something wonderful has come out of our experiences and adoption is amazing. You’re giving a home to a child who doesn’t have one. Our stories are already pretty unusual. It’s going to be exciting creating our unconventional family.’ ■
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Chai Cancer Care
Cancer and Fertility Cancer and its treatment affects fertility in different ways. Chai is there for the emotional aspects and when there is a need for fertility treatment advice, we work with specialist charity Chana Being diagnosed with cancer doesn’t automatically make you think about fertility. ‘For clients ready to start or expand a family, as well as those not even considering children yet, it presents many questions and important decisions to have to make on top of the shock of the diagnosis,’ says Lisa Steele. ‘At Chai we provide ongoing counselling and we refer clients needing specialist fertility knowledge to Chana who can advise on ways to preserve fertility, and alternatives if that is not possible. It’s a two-way relationship that ensures we give people the best all-round support.’
Dr Veronique Berman Scientific Advisor at Chana, says...
When you get the diagnosis Time is often of the essence, as cancer treatment may have to begin immediately. Raise the issue of fertility with your medical team before treatment starts. It’s important because later on, your choices are more limited. Chemotherapy drugs, radiation, hormone or immunotherapies plus the age of a patient can make it hard to predict a person’s fertility after treatment. A woman’s eggs may be damaged or parts of the reproductive system may no longer function. In men, the production of healthy sperm or any sperm at all may be affected.
Preserving and protecting fertility For women: Doctors will collect and freeze eggs or pieces of ovary, which contain thousands of immature eggs that can later be fertilised. The success rate of using
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frozen eggs largely depends on the age of the patient. In some cases of ovarian cancer, it’s possible the non-infected ovary may be retained, allowing a natural pregnancy. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) estimate costs for collection, storage, thawing and transfer to the womb are from £7000 – £8000. Egg freezing usually costs slightly less than embryo freezing. For men: The preservation process involves collecting, freezing and later thawing sperm, and it is as successful as using fresh sperm for fertilisation. The sample is usually divided between a number of containers so multiple attempts at fertilisation can be made. The standard storage period is 10 years, which can be extended. The HFEA estimates storage costs of between £175 and £450 per year. Patients do not have to be in a relationship or even know if they want to be a parent to have fertility preservation.
The embryo option Sometimes, collected eggs can be fertilised with their partner’s sperm. If suitable embryos develop, these may be frozen so a couple can have a baby in the future.
When to try for a baby It is essential all cancer drugs are out of the system before trying to get pregnant. It may take up to two years for a man’s natural sperm production to recover, while for women at least six months is recommended to ensure any harmful drugs have dissipated.
Alternative routes Every fertility situation is individual, and each couple will navigate their own way through and Chana will be there to offer support to couples every step of the journey. Scientific developments in this field are moving fast and we are fortunate to have many options open to us today. For more information, call Lisa Steele on 020 8202 2211 or the Chana helpline on 020 8201 5774.■
Couples counselling
SERVICE SPOTLIGHT
The impact of cancer presents a couple with numerous physical and emotional challenges. Chai counsellor Joy Behrmann explains how this service can give them support
What happens in couples counselling?
Is it important that both of you attend?
We explore how the relationship has been affected by the impact of cancer and its treatment, and the coping mechanisms each person has used throughout their life. It helps to understand the way you function, and how each person handles illness and difficult life events. Though the past may come into it, I start the process from what’s happening now.
The benefit of couples work is that you’re equipping two people with the skills to listen to each other more, ask more questions, understand each other’s perspective and sometimes, to live with dilemmas that are not so easily resolved. It’s ideal to have both people at a counselling session but occasionally, if one can’t attend, it can still go ahead and be of tremendous value.
What issues do couples bring to a session? Often it’s about coping with the switch in domestic roles as the partner takes over managing the household, the finances, looking after the children, caring for elderly relatives and becoming the caregiver. There’s a demand to adjust to a new sense of self, individually and within the couple. Cancer drugs can cause mood swings, driving a once placid personality to anger and unpredictability, so causing unintentional hurt. Both partners may feel highly anxious, frustrated, depressed and fatigued because of worry and additional stresses. Difficult feelings may be triggered by surgery: the patient becoming more self-conscious of their body and either partner unconsciously withdrawing emotionally and physically as a result. Painful feelings around fertility and mortality may also have to be addressed. I help each person voice the many, sometimes conflicting, emotions and responses they are experiencing.
How does this type of counselling make a difference? The counselling process contains and slows things down so people have the opportunity to look at the bigger picture and understand more deeply what’s happening and why. The counsellor provides a safe space in which couples can discuss their issues and bring things to the surface, even minor ones, that may never have been mentioned before, despite being together for years. The uptake of the service shows the immense immediate and long-term benefit it brings to our clients. ■
Additional expertise… psychosexual counselling This approach is for people experiencing intimacy-related issues as a result of cancer treatment and surgery. The focus is on helping them deal with physical changes to the body, for instance, wearing a stoma bag or having a mastectomy. Any kind of cancer, not just prostate, testicular, breast or ovarian, can have an enormous psychological effect on sexual function. Abigail Wolff, an experienced psychosexual counsellor, says: ‘Intimacy can be an early
casualty when cancer is diagnosed. Partners may hold back emotionally and physically to protect their own vulnerabilities, not realising how valuable it is to maintain it. They may fear causing pain even from a simple hug. Yet connecting like that or just by holding hands is extremely important and enriching, even at the end of life.’ For more information, please call Jo Awad on 020 8457 3396 or Gerry Singer on 0161 772 4064.
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Chai Cancer Care
Cannabis – a game changer? Rarely a day goes by at work when a patient does not ask me whether or not they can and should take cannabis. In recent years, there have been some studies and reports of it being helpful in all sorts of illnesses from multiple sclerosis to epilepsy, and in cancer, for reducing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. The top false news story, however, which claimed cannabis as a cure for cancer, generated 4.26 million engagements. Studies show that the more educated you are the more likely you are to use alternative therapies and the likelihood increases the more advanced a patient’s cancer is*. So are any of the beneficial claims valid? Does better educated equal better informed?
The ABC of cannabis Natural cannabis/marijuana is made up of over 100 compounds, divided into two types – cannabinoids (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
CBD are the non-psychoactive compounds that have been proposed as having therapeutic benefits. THCs are the main compounds responsible for the psychoactivity of cannabis – the stuff that makes you high. The CBD/THC compounds appear to work together – and both are required to have a medicinal therapeutic effect, although the mechanism behind this is still not fully understood. Cannabis plants have been genetically modified recently in order to have higher levels of THC, giving people a bigger high, and garnering a better street value. Extracted cannabis oil containing THC is illegal in the UK while CBD oil that you can buy from health food stores is sold as a food supplement. It’s not meant to contain THC, so is not classed as a cannabis-based medicinal product. The risk is that as these products don’t fall under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 definition of a medicinal product, they are not
required to follow good manufacturing practice, including safety, quality and efficacy standards. The content of these products may not be guaranteed and the amount of different cannabinoids within each one will vary greatly. This is one problem faced by patients wanting to deal with the side effects of cancer treatment. There are CBD oils, creams and capsules available from health food shops and on the Internet, which contain only CBD and no THC. It’s also possible to buy THC/ CBD oil illegally in this country. However, as neither are regulated, you don’t know precisely what you are buying. A word of caution: using cannabis in certain forms can negatively interact with other medications such as painkillers, antibiotics and anti-sickness drugs, so you should check whether it is safe for you to try it as your other prescriptions might need a dose adjustment.
*Source: Use of Alternative Therapy in Patients with Lung Cancer, Kristina Krpina
‘ A word of caution: cannabis can negatively interact with other medications such as painkillers’ 10
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Last year, 23.5% of alternative cancer treatment searches on social media were about the use of cannabis as a cancer cure. Dr Jane Neerkin goes behind the headlines to explain the truth about the controversial drug The bigger question As far as cannabis for pain relief in cancer is concerned, Sativex (medical cannabis) is available on prescription as a nasal spray and is a tincture made from cannabis plants, which contains both THC and CBD. There have been five trials of Sativex, which show very mixed results and little benefit for chemotherapy-related nerve pain. In fact Sativex was no better than a placebo. Also, one in six patients have adverse side effects from taking it. (It is occasionally used in cases of multiple sclerosis but, even here, it shows very limited benefits.)
‘ There is little direct evidence of success in treating cancer patients with cannabis’ But what hope is there that cannabis holds a cure for cancer? There is little
direct clinical evidence of success in treating cancer patients with cannabis. Only two cases have been published documenting the potential anti-tumour impact of cannabis (one in leukemia and one in a slow-growing brain tumour). There have been two very small trials, both in glioblastoma multiforme (an aggressive type of brain tumour): one in which THC was injected directly into the tumour and another where a CBD/THC compound was taken by mouth. Both of these studies showed a marginal improvement in survival rates. However, most of the data that suggests an anti-tumour effect comes from animal and test tube studies. Donald Abrams, MD (an oncologist and expert on cannabis research at the University of California San Francisco), summarised the situation accurately in his 2015 review by stating, ‘There have not been any robust human studies investigating cannabis as an anticancer agent that would warrant advising patients to
Dr Jane Neerkin is a consultant physician in Palliative Medicine at University College Hospital London. She studied medicine at Guys and St Thomas’s hospitals and trained in Palliative Medicine across London at several hospices, UCLH and the Royal Marsden. Her specific interest is in early palliative care for young patients with cancer –
forego conventional therapy in favour of using a high-potency cannabis extract,’ but added the caveat that, ‘The addition of cannabinoid-based preparations to standard cancer therapy should not be discouraged by the treating oncologist.’ It’s a question of knowing its limits. But be aware that there is no quality evidence in the medical literature to support taking it to aid survival and no other drug in recent medical history would be allowed to be prescribed with so little evidence. Cannabis-based drugs are not cheap, costing up to £25,000 per year with a potential huge impact on an individual’s welfare and of course the NHS bill. There is a lot of profit to be made from these drugs so we need to be wary of conflicts of interest. It is too easy to sell hope to those who feel they have none – but the evidence is not yet there to say whether it is going to have the impact on cancer treatment that is hoped for. ■
optimising quality of life for patients with good symptom control – and she recently won the National Cancer Initiative of the Year award for this work. Jane is involved in education and is the Training Programme Director for specialty registrars in palliative medicine in London.
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Chai Achievers Preparing for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah is a rite of passage: a step towards adulthood and finding one’s place in the world. Inspired by the huge amount of enthusiasm from youngsters who choose to mark this milestone, Chai has launched the Chai Mitzvah programme, a national initiative that educates, encourages enterprise and raises funds for Chai in Schools. This vital service provides art and play therapy and counselling for children, alongside training for teachers to be able to support pupils. Kicking off the programme, Chai ambassadors tour the Hendon flagship or the Northern hub in Manchester to see Chai in action and learn how our 59 services support cancer patients and their families. Feedback is overwhelmingly positive and so often it’s the warmth of the ‘Chai family’ they mention as a huge motivation.
They’re learning new life skills, talking about cancer support and raising funds for vital services – how the Chai Mitzvah programme is getting young supporters involved
The programme mirrors Chai’s individual support for every client in that each ambassador creates his or her own Chai Mitzvah plan. Want to climb a mountain? Bake for Chai? Ask guests to donate instead of buy gifts? Chai can help everyone maximise their fundraising goal and there are additional opportunities to help out ‘Team Chai’ at events throughout the year. As a thank you, Chai ambassadors are invited to a Chanukah party and to meet some of our younger clients. ‘With their big day to prepare for, it’s an intense year,’ says Chairman Louise Hager, ‘but reaching out to children to show them what Chai does at this age is so important as, sadly, most will know someone affected by cancer. They can help reduce any fears on the subject as they share their knowledge and raise awareness of the different services Chai provides to children as young as three. It’s also such a positive way to nurture and encourage communal involvement for the future.’
Here’s a snapshot of what our
Chai Ambassadors get up to... Benji Albert
What I learned Hiking at altitude for four days is tough! But the memory of Saba and everyone sponsoring me spurred me on. When you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything.
Twins Brianna and Ellie Baum Why Chai When our mum was ill, Chai was there for all of us. Why Chai It supported my family and comforted my Saba (grandpa) through his cancer. Fundraiser Sponsored climb of Machu Picchu in Peru, with my dad. My campaign Talking passionately about Chai on social media and press interviews. We made a video, which was shown at my Bar Mitzvah party. 12
Fundraiser Missy’s Kitchen bake sales. We sold homemade cupcakes, cookies and dog biscuits in parks and at markets. Each sale was themed: beach, Rosh Hashanah, flowers, rainbow and Halloween.
Our campaign We set up Missys._Kitchen Instagram feed and used word of mouth. We talked about Chai, gave out leaflets and had collection boxes. There was a big collage of photos of our project at our Bat Mitzvahs. What I learned Brianna – How to voice my opinion and let people know Chai is there for them. It got me through hard times and helped make me who I am. Ellie – When you talk about your personal stories, people share theirs. They can be very kind – one man donated £20 without buying anything.
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Daniel Friend
Josh Rabin ‘Chai got me through hard times and helped make me who I am’ Brianna Baum
Why Chai In 2010 Chai supported my mum, and helped her talk to my sister and me about her cancer. I wanted to thank Chai for helping us. Fundraiser Donations to Chai for a Megajump trampoline event. My campaign Instead of Bar Mitzvah presents, I asked people to donate to Chai and hosted a trampoline party for friends. There was a big Chai banner to remind people why they were there. I also spoke about Chai in a school speech competition. What I learned After the speech, people spontaneously donated to Chai. I know I’m very lucky and that it’s important to share that luck by giving back.
Why Chai Three years ago, Mum was diagnosed with stomach cancer and Chai looked after us. Fundraiser A cookbook with proceeds going to Chai. After her treatment, Mum found it difficult to eat. Soup was easy and nourishing so I created a recipe book of soups to help others. My campaign It’s on sale at Chai centres and available by post. There have been articles about it in the magazine as well. What I learned A simple idea can really take off. The book has already been reprinted!
Why Chai We wanted to honour our late auntie Amanda who used Chai’s services during her illness.
Jack Harris
Fundraiser Mum suggested a charitable element to our Bat Mitzvahs and Chai was the obvious one to give to.
Rachel Taylor
Why Chai It’s an incredible charity that’s cared for people I know, including the children of parents with cancer. The tour of the flagship and learning about Chai’s services was amazing. Fundraiser The Junior Warrior Adrenaline Race, a hard-core obstacle course. It took three hours and I certainly bit off more than I could chew! My campaign I told family and friends about the challenge and they spread the word.
Sisters Pearl and Sadie Maurice
Our campaigns Guests were fully supportive of why they were being asked to donate. Like us, they felt it was a fitting way to remember Amanda and at the same time, support others.
Why Chai Chai is supporting my auntie who has cancer.
What we learned We visited Chai in Hendon and were struck by the services for children and adolescents, as we know the impact of a cancer diagnosis on children. It cemented for us the importance of giving to others. ■
Fundraiser Climbing two mountains in Snowdonia with 30 other Bnei Mitzvot. My campaign I set up a Just Giving page and an Instagram feed. During the weekend of the climb, we talked about our chosen charity and spread awareness. What I learned The value of charity and the importance of balance – it’s not all about me! It was my first time in that kind of landscape and it was beautiful.
ation about the Fo r more infor m se og ramme, plea Chai M itz vah pr t at bl en m emai l Danni Blu cancerca re.o rg danielleb@chai
What I learned I love teamwork. My friend Ellie Fishman (above, right) did it with me: our different strengths and weaknesses complemented each other. I’d like to do more volunteering now.
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Chai Cancer Care
An injection of optimism The vaccination developed to protect women from cervical cancer is a success story that has the potential to save millions of lives, says Professor Albert Singer
Recent headline splashes have heralded the eradication of cervical cancer. In the UK there are 3200 cases of cervix cancer every year, making it the 14th most common cancer. A dip in the number of cases during the 1990s has since reversed and it is on the rise again, with women aged between 25 and 29 and those living in deprived areas at highest risk.
with impaired immunity – often related to cigarette smoking and excess alcohol – the virus may persist. Higher numbers of sexual partners can also raise the risk, leading eventually to precancerous changes in the cervix, which then have a 30% chance of progressing to cancer over 10 to 15 years. Early stage cancer can be removed without interfering with fertility but once it has spread outside of the cervix, a radical hysterectomy is needed.
Cervical cancer is caused by a sexually transmitted virus called the human papillomavirus (HPV). It is extremely common in the general female population with 80% of sexually active women at some time in their life coming across this virus. In 90% of cases the virus disappears from the body but in women
HPV is indicated in nearly all cervical cancers and in about 60-70% of cancers of the vagina, vulva and anus in women and about 60% of the head and neck cancers in both men and women.
Big leaps forward We can detect precancerous changes in women through a smear test and by looking for HPV infections. Both tests can indicate the need for further investigations. Smear tests are about 60% accurate while the new HPV viral test is approximately 90% accurate and is being introduced into the English screening programme later this year. This new test is simple and involves taking a small sample of cells from the cervix during a smear test. The precancerous stage is easily treatable, so preventing the development of cancer.
‘The new HPV viral test is 90% accurate and is being introduced later this year’
Professor Albert Singer was Chai’s first medical adviser and still advises today. He graduated from Sydney University in 1960 and became a specialist Obstetrician Gynaecologist, receiving his Ph.D for the study of the cervix and its relationship to cancer. At Oxford he was awarded an Oxford DPhil after a study of the cervix of women prisoners. Both showed a connection between the wart virus and cervix precancer. He was appointed as Consultant Gynaecologist at the Whittington Hospital in 1980 and Professor of Gynaecological Research and Molecular Pathology at UCL. He has published many textbooks and papers including ‘The Cervix’, a classic textbook on the subject, and co-authored six volumes of ‘A Color Atlas of Gynecological Surgery’. Now retired, he runs teaching courses worldwide and produces e-learning online courses.
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Together Magazine 2019/20
‘The rate of HPV infections was reduced by about 80% in girls vaccinated between the ages 13 and 19’
Vaccination revolution The most dramatic development in the fight against cervical cancer has been the development of a vaccine initially preventing four of the most common HPV types. That has now extended to nine and it was developed by producing a particle that imitates the structure of the HPV virus. When injected into the muscle, it produces antibodies that destroy the invading HPV virus. First available to girls of around 12 before they become sexually active, from this September, boys of the same age in England will also be offered the HPV vaccine to prevent head, neck and anal cancer. Evidence of the vaccine’s success in preventing cancer is staggering. The report, which hit the headlines in July, detailed the results of 60 million individuals up to eight years postvaccination. It showed the rate of HPV infections was reduced by about 80% in girls who were vaccinated between the ages 13 and 19 while a 50% reduction in genital warts for boys was reported. Most exciting was data that showed a 50% reduction in precancerous cervical changes in girls aged between 15 and 19. A similar study
in Scotland showed a reduction of 86% in these changes in girls. These young women will still need screening but at reduced intervals. Women up to the age of 45 can be vaccinated but the protection is not as high as if given earlier. The safety of this vaccine has been highly scrutinised. Of the 60 million doses administered, 94% of adverse side effects were non-serious, such as irritation and local pain at the injection site. Serious side effects were headaches, fatigue and nausea. But
there is no evidence that life-altering or threatening diseases are increased. The developed world is fortunate to have screening and vaccination programmes. But worldwide, cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in women with an estimated 570,000 new cases last year. Around 8590% of these, and 90% of deaths, occur in the developing world where it is more difficult to reach the rising numbers of young women who could benefit from vaccination. I hope that will change. ■
The long road of research The initial stages of developing the vaccine took place at Cambridge University in the late 1990s. A Chinese émigré post-graduate student Jian Zhou developed a technique in which he produced large amounts of particles that resembled the HPV virus without the DNA. While the particles were inert and could not cause disease, they stimulated the body to produce antibodies against the virus. Zhou published his discovery but died soon after. A colleague, Ian Fraser continued the research and development of the vaccine. My own interest in HPV started when I had a letter published in the British
Medical Journal in 1969 suggesting that viral DNA could be linked to the cause of cervix cancer. I examined groups of young girls and women at high risk and saw an association between genital warts and cervical disease. I then hypothesised that certain men were more likely than others to put their female partners at risk. There was much scepticism about HPV as a cause but eventually recognition came in 2008 when Professor Harald zur Hausen won the Nobel Prize for his work on HPV. It is a great personal thrill to see the development of this vaccine and its enormous potential for reducing the risk of such a lethal disease.
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Chai Cancer Care
Chai strives to remove or reduce the different challenges a person faces following their cancer diagnosis. Recently, a client raised the topic of visiting the mikvah…
One of the many hurdles Chai’s client Michal Mocton faced when she had breast cancer six years ago, was attending the mikvah, the ritual bath used by married women seven days after their period has finished. Michal, 42, was fitted with a Hickman line, a plastic tube that allowed chemotherapy drugs to be delivered into the bloodstream, and blood samples to be taken easily. ‘I have a phobia of needles, so it was a practical solution to reduce the number of intrusions into my body,’ she explains.
When Michal brought the idea of providing education and awareness in this area to Chai, Louise Hager was immediately on board. ‘It resonates with our ethos, to minimise negative experiences people may encounter as a result of a cancer diagnosis.’
Under halachic (Jewish) law, bandages, stitches, plasters, drainage tubes or other interventions might prevent a woman from using the mikvah as the body has to be free from any ‘impurity or barrier’.
The result is a highly informative guide – A Breast Cancer Awareness & Sensitivity Guide For Mikvah Attendants – which highlights the halachic, medical, practical and psychological issues surrounding women and cancer. The project, spearheaded by Michal and Chai, brings together the expertise of Naomi Marmon Grumet from The Eden Centre in Jerusalem, an organisation devoted to making the mikvah a positive experience, and Sharsheret in New York, which focuses on women with cancer. Contributions from doctors, halachic experts and patients cover surgery, treatment, emotional responses, reconstructive and preventative procedures, side effects, menopause and privacy.
Before entering the water, a mikvah attendant is available to ensure this is the case. Given that she may be dealing with physical changes only she and her medical team have seen, it is a highly sensitive time for the woman. Michal sought medical and rabbinical advice and was told her Hickman line arrangement was acceptable. The visit itself however, left her feeling vulnerable and unsettled. ‘While the attendant was sympathetic, there was a gap in the understanding and support I needed. What was always a spiritual experience and a pivotal part of my Jewish identity was now distressing. I wondered if others in my situation felt the same.’ 16
‘It’s a wonderful resource, raising awareness of the impact of cancer’
Rebbetzin Rachie Binstock from the United Synagogue’s Marriage Enhancement Programme endorses the guide. ‘It’s a wonderful resource, raising
awareness of the impact of cancer, such as fatigue and changes in body image, and gives the mikvah attendants information to help them read the cues and respond appropriately.’ While it’s not for attendants to intrude, Louise says, ‘Women are more open to talking about cancer today and the mikvah is an obvious place to offer information about breast cancer, the checks women should make once a month, and signpost where they can go next, such as their GP, if they have concerns. Since the launch in February, we’ve already seen the tangible benefits of preparing mikvah attendants to deal knowledgeably and sensitively on this subject.’■
A BREAST CANCER AWARENESS & SENSITIVITY GUIDE FOR MIKVAH ATTENDANTS
To receive a free copy of the guide, please email jamieherz@chaicancercare.org or call 020 8457 3398 STOP PRESS: Breast Cancer & the Mikvah – A Guide for Women With Breast Cancer or a BRCA Diagnosis, will be published shortly.
Together Magazine 2019/20
When I did, she answered, “Lie on the bed with me, Mummy. I’m frightened.” So we lay there the whole day.’ Shoshana came through cancer and Chai still supports her. ‘The art workshop is her saviour,’ says Gillian. Through it she discovered a new talent and one of her paintings was chosen for Chai’s Rosh Hashanah card last year. Gillian and Irving met in the early 1980s when holidaying at The Grand Hotel in Rimini. Both were already divorced and both had children in tow. Irving’s daughter Susie befriended Gillian’s children Shoshana and Deborah. ‘I took them all shopping to buy tchotchkes. When we got back, Irving asked what he owed me for Susie’s purchases. I decided, “He’s halfway decent, perhaps I’ll talk to him.”’ Gillian’s humour is easily a match for her husband’s. Her early ambition to be a nurse was vetoed by her father, so she did ‘the next best thing’ teaching in a nursery. Always drawn to the children with special needs, Gillian eventually retrained with Ravenswood [now Norwood] and took on a role at their children’s respite care home. She regularly serves lunch to the elderly in shul and chats with the homeless in a Finchley soup kitchen. ‘All this,’ she says, gesturing around her elegant Hampstead Garden Suburb home, ‘isn’t important. I can let it go. It’s people that matter.’
in the property world and it’s rewarded him with a fine house, several holidays a year and the occasional Bentley. It’s also allowed him to transform a dormant charitable trust into a major philanthropic asset for the community. ‘The agreement was that if I could grow the trust, Gillian would find the ways to spend it.’ Gillian’s daughter Shoshana painted Chai’s 2018 Rosh Hashanah card in the art workshop
Both are grafters, in their element when making a difference to people’s lives. Beneficiaries of the Foundation are all life-saving or life-supporting causes. Among them in the UK are Jewish Care, Norwood, the CST, Emunah, Kisharon and Chai. NonJewish charities are also supported, including the North London Hospice. In Israel, Irving is the only non-Israeli trustee of Magen David Adom, in recognition of the 50 ambulances, two transfusion units, medi-cycles and mobile intensive care unit the Foundation has funded. The couple also supports Wizo, Bet Halochem, Shalva and Ezer Mizion. In the Ukraine, in Odessa, their focus is Tikva, a charity looking after at-risk Jewish children, of which Gillian is Life President. Recently the couple ‘schlepped’ a rucksack of gifts there, bought by their grandson Jack who
twinned his Bar Mitzvah to a boy with no family. ‘When we arrived, I saw there wasn’t enough for these youngsters to do,’ says Irving. By the time they left, arrangements were in place to install a gym, billiards and a tennis table. ‘He makes decisions very quickly,’ confirms daughter Susie who, with brother Malcolm, is a co-trustee of the Foundation.
‘I wish we didn't need Chai but the community is going to need it more and more’ ‘We used to put up plaques, which read: “To honour our parents and inspire our children.” If you don’t show them, they won’t know. So that’s what we do,’ says Gillian, who can’t help but wear her heart on her sleeve. Irving prefers brevity and a swift quip: ‘If you’re making the money, you’ve got to do good with it.’ Out of earshot, Gillian whispers, ‘He can’t see people suffer; it hurts him too much. I wish we didn’t need Chai but I know the community is going to need it more and more.’ Thankfully there are people like Gillian and Irving Carter around, a more than ‘halfway decent’ couple, for sure. ■
Teaching future generations: Gillian and Irving with their grandson Jack at his Bar Mitzvah
Irving Carter grew up in Highgate and was sent to Whittingham, a Jewish boarding school in Brighton, where the innovative curriculum included ballroom dancing and bridge. He gets his straight-talking manner, he says, from his East End born-and-bred parents and grandparents. Like his father, he found success OPEN
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Chai Cancer Care
At the Chai dinner in 2016, l to r: Gillian's daughter Shoshana Celia, Gillian and Irving Carter, Susie Segal, Irving's daughter
IN THEIR ELEMENT
Down to earth they may be, but what Gillian and Irving Carter do for Chai, and the wider community, is out of this world When Irving Carter was diagnosed with cancer of the nose 14 years ago, the first thing he did was take his family out for tea. ‘I’ll live,’ he thought, ‘I’m not ready for Bushey [cemetery] yet. I’ve got things to do.’ The 75-year-old’s assertion proved correct. ‘That attitude keeps him young,’ remarks Gillian of her husband’s robust humour. ‘His mother died last year at nearly 104 and they’re very alike!’ Irving’s cancer came along shortly after he appeared at the 2005 Chai dinner. He addressed supporters about
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being a donor fortunate never to have needed its services. Which was true, because it was Gillian who used them. ‘When Irving was diagnosed, I knew Chai was what I needed. Talking to a counsellor, somebody a step away from it all, was so valuable.’ Since 2002 the couple have supported Chai through a charitable trust that Irving inherited many years ago. The Locker Foundation has done much to help Chai realise its goals. ‘From the first moment, we felt it was a positive place, we understood the vision,’
says Gillian. Donations to the flagship centre have fitted out the gym and Image Resource room, revamped the kitchen, funded counselling and therapy rooms, a healthy eating programme and ensured IT keeps pace with expansion. In Manchester the Foundation recently funded the fitness suite in the new wing. From personal experience, the family knows more about Chai’s services than they would have wished. A cousin of the family recently passed away from cancer leaving two young children without a father. Eight years ago, Gillian’s daughter Shoshana (from her first marriage) was diagnosed with cancer behind the eye. ‘She was sent home from Moorfields Eye Hospital and was told to put her things in order. It was devastating. The children were 15, 11 and nine.’ Gillian busied herself ferrying children, organising everything but when Shoshana came home after surgery and started snapping at her, she turned to Chai again. ‘A counsellor helped me understand what Shoshana was going through: possibly losing her sight, her kids’ future... She told me to ask my daughter, “What would you like me to do to help today?” PLEASE
Alicia Ani, Joy & Danny Cohen, Michael Ani
Adrienne & Mark Ehrnreich
Edward & Mel Rom, Jo & Da
Anthony & Hannah Loftus
David & Deborah Blackston
Lizzie, David & Evelyn Green Michal & Jeremy Herman, Emma Weider, Louise Hager, Karen & Jonathan Hodes, Karen Bodenstein, Matt & Emma Simon
Richie & Jackie Loebenberg
Yossi & Abby Goldberg
Phillip & Michelle Hertz
Susan & Stephen James
Andrew & Na
Fabiana & Miguel Abadi Frances & Arnold Berman
Juliette & Jonathan Green
Diane Kenwood, Roger & Susan Walters
Stephen & Michelle Benson, Jeremy & Karen Hertzog, Nicola Garcia, Sharon & Dan Adler
Adam Feigin, Gideon Cowen, Dan Sinclair, Yoel Deal
Ben & Chayelle Shipman
Loretta & Ronnie Harris
C H A I
avid Fogel
Antoinette Jackson, Lady Estelle Wolfson
D I N
Brian & Helena Green
aomi Fisch
T H C A N
Joan Lipkin-Edwards, Graham Edwards
Vicki & Elli Morris, Suzi Rose, Danny & Tanya Dahan
Brian, Gaby, Simone & James Brick
Niki & Rafi Mimoni, Debra Lever, Philip Sethill, Stephen Lever, Susan & Ellis Green, Laura & Ian Langdon
The guest list topped 700 at London’s Roundhouse last December for Chai’s Navigation Dinner. The evening, which raised £1.2m for essential services across the UK, explored the sense of bewilderment that engulfs a person when faced with a cancer diagnosis. In her speech, Louise Hager described it as finding yourself ‘in an unfamiliar place with no signposts, no landmarks, no means of navigation, and where everything looks the same but is completely different.’ Her words were illustrated in a dramatic film featuring clients whose honesty about their cancer experiences pulled no punches. Chai was there to support them and their families and it’s now their mission to raise awareness about cancer and Chai, amongst young people. ‘The cancer journey never ends,’ said one, ‘but Chai gave me back my independence and my mobility. It helped me more than
H E C E R
C A R E Janice & Michael Feldman
The Hon Andrew Wolfson & Orly Wolfson
N E R I can ever describe in words.’ Guests also heard from Jo Franks, consultant breast and oncoplastic surgeon at UCLH and a member of Chai’s Medical Advisory Panel. She explained its role in keeping Chai at the forefront of cancer support. ‘More than ever people are living with, and beyond, cancer. Chai is second to none in adapting to these changing needs.’ The evening’s entertainment came from vocal harmony trio J.U.K.E.B.O.X and their band, which delivered dazzling quick-fire hits and show tune medleys from decades past. Amid the musical euphoria, lead singer, Steven Serlin brought proceedings to a halt to pay his own tribute to Chai for the support he and his family received during his own mother’s cancer. It was a heart-stopping moment, which reiterated so well, that when life changes beyond all recognition, Chai is there to help you find your way. ■
Mark & Lizzie Morris
Miss Joanna Franks
Sir Michael & Lady Heller Paul & Juliette Sonabend
Robby & Claudia Salem
Steven, Benita & David Fogel
Andrea Dennis, Geoffrey & Lynn
Rosina & Andrew Eeder
Shoshana Celia, Irving & Gillian Carter, Malcolm Carter
Lord & Lady Grabiner
Lord & Lady Young
Anthony & Marion Diner
Josephine & Richard Segal
David & Ann Marks, Susan Zuckerbrod (Shipman)
Judi & Michael Lerner, Lisa Steele, Stephen Lerner, Gillian & Michael Davis
David & Tracey Kyte
Mym & Lawrence Harding
Michael Beagelman, Susan & Stewart Caplan
Benjamin & Rebecca Livingstone, Miriam & Jason Roomer
Paul & Sara Phillips
Ian Carno, Neville Khan
Seated – Simon & Melanie Ross, Neil & Julie Russell, Colette & Edwin Marlow Standing – Mark & Linda Reuben, Robert & Susan Beck
Photography: Blake Ezra
n Gluckman
Peter & Karen Goodkind
SERVICE SPOTLIGHT
WOR K S HOP Expressing your feelings about cancer isn’t always easy. When words don’t come, music can be the answer You don’t have to read any notes, there are no set pieces, and occasionally, there isn’t even any music in Chai’s weekly music workshop – convention and predictability are thrown out of the window. ‘It’s the total freedom that makes it so valuable,’ says Phil Evans, Chai’s music therapist. ‘It’s an opportunity for positive spontaneity, which is hugely empowering. Anything is possible.’ The premise of the weekly workshop at the Hendon centre is to give clients an outlet to articulate their feelings in a musical setting. The group dynamic and experience can unlock self-expression and emotions in a meaningful way. ‘I am led entirely by the clients,’ Phil explains. ‘Someone can share a piece of music they’ve been listening to and we’ll talk about what makes it interesting and appealing. Then I’ll get the group improvising in that style and organically we’ll begin making music.’
The instruments available include a piano, several guitars and ukuleles, snare drums and African hand drums, shakers, cymbals and numerous hand percussion instruments, ‘all great for emotional release,’ says Phil. Participants’ musicality emerges in different ways. ‘Some love to pick up a harmonica and blow it to kingdom come. Others might gently pick out notes on a piano. Vocals add another layer.’
‘I help reawaken dormant musicality in everybody’ Phil stresses there’s no need to know anything about music. ‘I’m not about making you a musician! But as adults, we forget simply how to play. I help re-awaken that dormant musicality in everybody. We walk in rhythm, it brings order to ourselves. It’s just that our natural musicality has been “learned” out of us.’ And that’s the point: clients often say they lose their sense of self because of cancer; the workshop gives them back their voice and their confidence in a completely nonjudgmental setting. Phil tunes in to each participant’s needs, giving them a framework for their own contribution. The workshop has produced songs using rap, rock and Jewish themes. One client,
who was told as a child that she had no voice, went on to sing operatic arias. ‘There’s no pretence here, what comes out is totally authentic and honest,’ says Phil. ‘Doing something like this gives a person a sense of purpose and momentum outside of their illness. It shows life is still moving.’■ For more information please contact Jodi Lazarus on 020 8457 3230.
‘Cancer made me voiceless, isolated and choked. The workshop is a cocoon of safety and joy in my world’ Ilana Mocatta’s workshop experience ‘When I got cancer I decided to do something I’d never done before. The workshop takes me out of myself as I concentrate on the sounds and rhythms we’re making. Cancer made me voiceless, isolated and choked. The workshop gave me the confidence to be creative and express things that are hard to put into words. It’s inclusive and enriching, a cocoon of safety and joy in my world.’
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Chai Cancer Care
I’m cancer-free so why don’t I feel happier? Life after treatment can be more complicated than anticipated for many. Chair of our medical advisor y panel Dr Adrian Tookman describes the most common responses he hears from survivors and Chief Executive Lisa Steele explains the Chai perspective It should be the best news in the world: that your cancer has gone. It signals the end of invasive treatment, endless hospital appointments and the worry that has dominated life for so long. The focus of the team treating the cancer has been, understandably, to ensure the person is safe and receives the optimal therapy. But what happens when treatment ends? Although the rhetoric is that ‘cancer survivorship is everybody’s business’, there is a real risk that, unless organisations such as Chai take ownership, it ends up being ‘nobody’s business’. From the uncertainty of whether treatment will be successful, another uncertainty emerges as the cancer survivor often has to come to terms with physical and emotional readjustments: feelings of isolation, fear of disease recurrence, problems with memory and concentration, issues with functioning in a relationship, loss of income and ability to return to work. These are some of the many areas where Chai helps people, providing support as they come to terms with their new situation. As writer and breast cancer survivor Chloe Fox articulated in a recent article in Vogue: ‘cancer doesn’t end with recovery, it only just begins.’ The post-cancer period can trigger confusing and conflicting reactions, as hard to deal with as the cancer itself: to be grateful to be alive yet not always feel you are always ‘living’. The reality is that people are living longer and that cancer treatments are clearly more successful. Many people bounce back but evidence shows that 40% of cancer survivors experience moderate to high anxiety and 20% have feelings of depression. The aftermath affects family and friends, too. Sixtyseven per cent of carers experience 24
anxiety and 42%, depression in this post-cancer period. Healthcare has to adapt to address the needs of this population. In shedding light on the survivor experience, I hope more people will understand why it can’t always be back to ‘business as usual’. Below are some of the most frequent survivor responses I hear, all of which are entirely reasonable. Chai is committed to helping them and their families adjust and find their way, bringing quality, meaning and fulfilment into their world. Dr Adrian Tookman, Medical Director, Marie Curie Hospice, Hampstead
‘I feel pressure to be upbeat and positive’ Adrian Tookman: Having gone through the most traumatic physical and emotional experience imaginable, cancer survivors can feel a pressure to display their joy at being alive. It seems like sour grapes not to. The fact is they may be struggling with exhaustion, cramps, brain fog and other physical and psychological changes. They may also feel guilt at causing distress to loved ones who by now have their own cancer fatigue. Lisa Steele: During treatment, allowances are made, compassion is given, and friends, family and colleagues step forward with logistical and emotional support. They are so pleased you have got through the cancer, they’re eager for you – and for themselves to get back to ‘normal’ – it’s a natural thing to want. It can be hard for them to understand the emotional and physical side effects
‘For many, the post-cancer period triggers confusing reactions’
Together Magazine 2019/20
that complicate the process and how separated a person can feel from their pre-cancer self.
‘I feel abandoned without my regular appointments and doctors all around me AT: For months or possibly years, a medical team has dictated your life. When that ceases, the constancy of being managed and monitored comes to a halt. You didn’t want the cancer in the first place, and now it’s gone, you’ve landed in an appointment-free noman’s land.
‘Feelings of loss are understandable. It’s important to allow time to grieve’
LS: During treatment there’s a safety net around you with specialists and nurses looking after you. It seems paradoxical to feel a sense of loss when that disappears. Yet it is often at this point – after treatment finishes – that many people begin to process the impact of the cancer.
‘I’m grieving for the body I’ve lost’ AT: Cancer treatment leaves physical and emotional scars. Surgery may alter the look and texture of the skin and body and cause knock-on effects in how the organs function. Despite being given the all clear, a person may feel their body is now unreliable, having already let them down. LS: It can be a seismic shift rebuilding a positive relationship with a body that doesn’t behave or feel like it did before. It takes time. Feelings of anger and loss are understandable, which is why it’s so important to allow time to grieve.
Lisa Steele worked in private practice as a counsellor before joining Chai in 2001. She was appointed as a client services manager in 2008, then Head of Operations in 2010 and became Chief Executive in 2012.
You can’t go backwards and learning to accept and value the new you is not straightforward. The pace and route of recovery is different for everyone so be kind to yourself.
‘Every twinge fills me with fear’ AT: Once signed off from treatment, the fear of it returning often takes the place of the cancer itself. Survivors talk of ‘scanxiety’ as a check-up approaches and every twinge is treated with suspicion. There may be daily reminders of the cancer: a stoma bag, an aching body, hair that behaves differently, swollen arms or legs. It’s important to understand it can take up to two years to recover from effects of chemotherapy. There is also pressure (internal and external) to make the ‘correct’ lifestyle choices about food, alcohol and exercise. LS: An impending check up is a significant moment, often producing panic and flashbacks to the diagnosis and treatment. Clients may no longer be coming regularly to Chai, but we quite frequently see them when they need additional support to help talk through and allay their anxieties. With 59 specialised services providing physical, emotional, practical and creative support, there are many ways Chai helps cancer survivors and their loved ones move forward. Our client service managers help find the right balance for each individual. For more information, please call Jo Awad on 020 8457 3396 or email joawad@chaicancercare.org
Dr Adrian Tookman is a Specialist in Palliative Medicine. He is currently Medical Director of the Marie Curie Hospice and Clinical Director for Marie Curie. He is a Trustee of Chai and Chair of its Medical Advisory Panel. 25
Chai Cancer Care
good sports
Football and athletics gave Gideon Josephs and Neil Rosen the chance to say ‘thank you’ to Chai, when both their lives were touched by cancer Gideon Josephs, 40, is married to Nicole and they have three children: Nathan 10 and twins Ben and Gaby, 8. In 2018 Gideon, a personal trainer, was diagnosed with bowel cancer. Last June he organised the L’Chaim Cup football match between the Arsenal Legends and Celebrities and the Chai Kickers. First half In 2017, on a trip to Israel – I experienced severe stomach discomfort and ended up in Ashkelon Hospital A&E, diagnosed with appendicitis. Scans back in London however revealed there was a tumour pressing on the appendix. Being a personal trainer and with no cancer history in the family, I was in shock. Surgery removed the appendix and tumour and I was told I’d make a full recovery. So I tried to look at the positives: my appendix actually saved my life. A month into my recovery I was rushed back into hospital with excruciating pain – and emergency surgery for stomach lesions left me with a temporary colostomy bag. That really hit me and I became very low. I didn’t want to leave the house because I worried about the bag leaking and work went on hold. It was very tough on Nicole.
My oncologist recommended calling Chai. I could never have imagined the support it could give my entire family. When our son Ben retreated into his shell the Chai in Schools service helped his happy nature to return. When Nicole and I had counselling we felt reassured and reflexology calmed us. Gym sessions helped me feel normal again. My parents discovered new ways to think in the mindfulness group and my sister found understanding in the jewellery workshop. Everyone at Chai did so much for us. Sadly my father has now been diagnosed with cancer, but we are so grateful we can turn to Chai. Second half My love of Arsenal in particular proved the ideal way for me to say ‘thank you’ to Chai. Through the Arsenal Foundation, their charity arm, I lined up the Arsenal Legends and Celebrities team with The Royle
Family actor, Ralf Little, former EastEnders actor, Sam Attwater and ex-professional footballers Omer Riza and Joe Baker. The Chai Kickers were made up of old footballing chums, parents from the kids’ school and my consultants Colin Elton and Daren Francis! Players on both teams put in a good shift to make it close-run and entertaining but inevitably it was going only one way and the final score was 15-2. During the cup presentation, Nicole movingly described what Chai means to our family. I think about who I was before this and who I am now. Men are perceived as tough and strong but we bottle things up. Through football we sent out the message about Chai and that it’s there whenever they need it. The L’Chaim Cup raised £9500 for the Chai in Schools service.
Gideon dis his Arsenal plays Cha rity penan t
Teams, family and friends
Match p
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Orl i (Gideon’s sister) wit h his sons Na than (lef t) and Ben
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Neil Rosen, 41, and wife Natalie have two girls, Anabella 10 and Evie 7. In memory of their dad Colin, who passed away from a brain tumour last year, Neil and his brother Michael hosted the Colin Rosen Inter-School Sports Day in July. Hurdles and high jumps
Winning streak
Dad wasn’t new to cancer, having survived prostate cancer at the age of 60. Ten years on, after a series of seizures, a brain tumour was diagnosed. The impact on Mum and Dad was immediate and life-changing. Dad had been an athlete, a serious competitor, participating in the Maccabiah Games. Fitness was a core part of his life. Suddenly he couldn’t go to the gym or play tennis. Mum didn’t drive; Dad took her everywhere for 50 years so when he had to stop using the car, even going to the shops became difficult.
During the 1980s, Dad ran the Inter-Hebrew Classes Sports Day, managing the Belmont shul team. It was his passion and my brother Michael and I loved being a part of it. Reviving the event as the Colin Rosen Inter-School Sports Day raises money for Chai and honours Dad with a sporting legacy for children, which would make him so happy. With the generous sponsorship we managed to secure from the Pears Foundation and others, Michael and I hope to make this a regular fundraiser.
Chai stepped in with unbelievable support and guidance during Dad’s last months. Most important for him was the gym, where under physiotherapists Graham and Johnny’s supervision he was able to maintain some physical activity. It was an incalculable psychological boost; every session re-energised him and made him want to live. Mum and Dad both had reflexology, and thanks to the amazing volunteers, there was always transport to get them to and from Chai and hospital appointments.
‘What a relief to be guided by Chai’s overwhelming care’
One of many emotional highs on the day was the ‘walking in’ ceremony. What a sight when each school team marched into the Allianz Park stadium, flags held high!
Competition in progre
Nearly 100 children competed in 60m, 100m, 200m and 400m and relay races, long jump and cricket ball throwing. Some very highquality athletics saw Hertsmere Jewish Primary School take the trophy honours plus £500 to spend on sports equipment. We were lucky to have Zoe de Toledo, Team GB rowing cox who won silver in Rio 2016, to present the awards. With her medal round her neck, she was proof to the children that high aspirations bring rewards. The Colin Rose Inter-School Sports Day raised £20,000 for the Chai in Schools service.
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Neil with daught and 2016 Olym er Evie, brother Michael pian Zoe de Tole do
The team from Rosh Pinah (sho Clore Shalom, Etz Chaim, Sac wn) competed against ks Morasha, NWLJDS, HJPS, Independent Jewish Day School and Beit Shvidler
Two years earlier, Natalie underwent successful treatment for thyroid cancer. We decided telling the kids what was happening was the right thing to do but Evie really struggled, acting out her distress. Family counselling gave us the tools to support her. What a relief to be understood and guided by Chai’s overwhelming professionalism and care. It matters to me that it’s a Jewish organisation – there’s an essence that makes it feel like home.
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Chai Cancer Care
Go on – Chai five me! Meet George – he’s literally got the 21st century tzedakah box in the palm of his hand Innovation runs through the whole of the Chai organisation and its services. Now we’re leading the way in the community in how you can donate to us. In a gamechanging update to the traditional collection box, our new ‘tap and give’ technology lets you make an on-the-go donation to Chai through a contactless payment device. Popping up in the windows of kosher outlets across London suburbs and in Manchester is the life-size image of George Rosenfeld, co-founder of The 4 Sons and Kol Tov singing groups who have supported Chai since 2012. With a winning smile George invites passers by to ‘Chai Five Me!’ and tap their credit or debit card on the contactless device in the palm of his hand to make a donation. The sum is fixed at £3 so there’s no need to type in or check the amount. People are clearly enjoying interacting with George when they’re out shopping but it seems any time is the right time to give: one donation was clocked at 5.10am. Whether it’s on the spur of the moment or for a personal reason, George is ever ready and reminds people, too, that Chai is there for whoever needs it.
Location, location, donation – find your nearest George to tap and give Greater London: Kosher Kingdom, Tapuach, Hadar, Daniels, The Kelman Deli, La Boucherie Manchester: Brackman’s Bakery, Haydn’s Kosher Meats
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Polly Gilbert, marketing director of GoodBox, the company that developed the ‘tap and give’ technology says, ‘Chai’s use of the contactless device, with a life-size person in a shop front, is one of the most innovative and engaging we’ve ever seen and a great way to connect with supporters.’ The transaction has secure end-to-end encryption, no data is taken and the donation shows up on statements as GBX*CHAILIFELINE. With the campaign fully sponsored, it means 100% of donations go directly on services to support clients. Look out, too, for ‘stand-alone George’ who takes £3 donations and a countertop version, which lets you choose any amount up to £30. ■
George is all yours! Why not invite George to your event or simcha – a fun and different way to raise money for Chai. For more information, please email david.nielsen@chaicancercare.org
Together Magazine 2019/20
Kayaking for Chai, on the last leg of this year’s triple challenge (l to r): Danni Blumenblatt, Graham Silas, Milly Swerling, Eliana Blankstone, Alex Maurice, Lisa Berg, Rebecca Barnett, Lisa Barnett, Ken Ornstein, Marion Bloch, Ruth Bray, Debbie Hatchwell
36kMs of hard graft They’ve climbed mountains in Tanzania and crossed glaciers in Iceland. A UK triple challenge for Chai sounds like a walk in the park… unless it’s Snowdonia National Park Bikes, kayaks, hiking boots, freezing water, demanding terrain, wind, rain and hail: just a regular day out raising money for Chai. So it was in May, when Alex Maurice, the catalyst behind Chai Challenges You!, led 11 energised fundraisers to northwest Wales for a gruelling 36-kilometer, all-day adventure. ‘We hadn’t done a triple challenge before – asking our participants to cycle, climb and kayak. This was a three-for-one deal!’ says Alex, who began the intrepid fundraising initiative after her sister-in-law Amanda was supported by Chai before she passed away.
The day started with a thrilling 10.5-mile cycle along the shore of Llanberis Lake but things got tougher as the group navigated nine miles of craggy contours to climb to the top of Snowdon: ‘The summit never seemed to get any nearer,’ said participant Ken Ornstein, ‘and coming down we were hit with rain, wind and hail. It got harder to have positive thoughts. But we all kept in mind the wonderful and courageous people we have met at Chai, their cancer experiences and how our efforts are helping them.’ On every trip there’s always a member of staff who can give more insight into the work Chai does. This year, the group included community fundraiser (and challenge novice) Danni Blumenblatt, who re-instated her gym membership to get herself fit and was ‘so nervous before the start I wanted the coach to turn round’. There was also threetime participant Debbie Hatchwell who ‘…would follow Alex off a cliff to
take part in her challenges.’ In fact, she fell out of a kayak along with her partner Ruth Bray, as they embarked on the 2.5-mile crossing of Llanberis Lake to complete the challenge. ‘The water was freezing and we were, too, but we carried on. The challenges are always uncomfortable but the feeling of achievement is so worth it. I raised £4000 for Chai, which I couldn’t have given on my own.’ In total, the team’s grit and teamwork raised a phenomenal £40,000 for the Chai in Schools service. Louise Hager saluted Alex Maurice for putting together the Snowdon Triple Challenge. ‘Once again she inspires us with Chai Challenges You! She’s always pushing herself and encouraging others to do more for Chai – her enthusiasm is boundless!’ ■
If you’d like to take part in one of our Chai Challenges You! events, please email alexandramaurice@chaicancercare.org
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Chai Cancer Care
The Chai Calendar A roundup of inspirational and informative events and fundraisers from a busy year SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
A proper Rosh Hashanah
Legacy of knowledge The 28th Natalie Shipman Memorial Lecture, delivered by Professor Iain McNeish, Professor of Oncology, Imperial College, was on treating ovarian cancer. Using the analogy of Team GB’s high-achieving Olympic cyclists, he explained how marginal gains in all areas are improving survival. The talk was followed by a wide-ranging Q&A session. Louise Hager spoke movingly about Natalie Shipman z”l, daughter of Chai co-founder Susan, the inspiration for the lecture series and how she maximised every day before passing away from cancer, just before her eighth birthday, 30 years ago. Chairing the lecture was Dr Adrian Tookman, Clinical Director, Marie Curie Cancer Care and Chair of Chai’s Medical Advisory Panel.
Chai Society Co-Chairs Debra Zender and Julia Abrams with Vanessa Feltz
No New Year countdown is complete without the Chai Society Gift Sale. The choice of original items and bang-on favourites didn’t disappoint as nearly 1000 visitors bought up exciting homeware, jewellery, flowers, hats, personalised gifts and ceramics. As always a stall was dedicated to the work of the Chai jewellery workshop. Business was brisk and supplies of fresh ‘Chaibucks’ coffee and snacks maintained shoppers’ energy levels. The sale raised £46,500, ‘an overwhelming sum’ said co-chair Debra Zender who, with her team, pulled off another creative feat. Special mentions to sponsors Roundtree Real Estate, Michael Stein for donating Maxwell & Williams designer homeware and Tony Page for 500 honey cakes. 30
Dr Adrian Tookman, Lisa Steele, Susan Shipman, Louise Hager, Iain McNeish
Chai-lloween spirit
Spooky goings on in support of Chai
Mrs Fogg’s Dockside Drinkery & Distillery was the atmospheric venue for Young Chai’s dress-to-spook party. Fun photo booths, cocktails and DJs Aryell Moussaioff, Sarah Wolman and Ollie Ezra fired up the 200 guests’ party spirit. Organisers Adam Scott Murad and David Arblaster together with the Young Chai Committee raised more than £5000 and got the message out about Chai’s services to a new, younger audience. House music Zahavit Shalev and David Boyd staged a concert at home in memory of Zahavit’s mother, Esther. Favourite musicians, Michele Stodart from The Magic Numbers and Andy Bruce performed. Zahavit and David’s eight-year-old son
Together Magazine 2019/20
Knead to know
I T ’ S C H A I A R T YO U K N O W !
Healing challah Zahavit Shalev and Michele Stodart
Lonnie opened the second half with Hevenu Shalom while Zahavit joined in on some Leonard Cohen songs with Michele. More than £800 was raised.
NOVEMBER Face time with the PM
The Jewish Leadership Council delegation to 10 Downing Street
Louise Hager joined a Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) delegation to Downing Street to meet with (then PM) Theresa May. Despite current concerns in the community, Chai represented a good news story to the PM, of pioneering cancer support. Its contribution to the national debate on services so impressed, that Number 10 requested a ministerial visit to Chai to learn more. Attending for JLC were (l to r): Sarah Anticoni, Hannah Rose, Mark Morris, Claudia Mendoza, Marie Van Der Zyl, Jonathan Goldstein, Gerald Ronson CBE and Louise Hager. Casting a culinary spell The creative Chai Five Committee wove their magic with a Harry Potter themed Friday night dinner. Committee chair Liza Taitz invited six hosts to conjure dishes inspired by JK Rowling’s books. The dinner raised £820.
Mitzvah Day 2018 saw more than 40 teenagers from BBYO and Project ImpACT make challah for Chai clients. The 14- and 15-year olds also toured the Hendon flagship to learn more about the Children’s Play Therapy room and the Teenage Resource Service. A swell a-fair! The second Chai Girls Extravaganza Chanukah fair in Manchester attracted 200 shoppers who scooped up accessories, makeup, toys and clothes. Sales of bagels and Chaibucks coffee brought the grand total to £2763.
Linda Sharpe
Gorgeous Jewe llery k eatpac The H any Comp
KATE HILL HEADDRESSES
Fantastic Raffle Prizes
Clothes by Adiva
Cute Childrenswear
Chic ery in Mill DEEMAND GIFTS
LOUS FABU WARE HOME
Queen visits Borehamwood OK, we mean the film Bohemian Rhapsody, not the actual Queen. A charity showing for 120 people at the Reel Cinema raised £2545. Client Neil Rosen organised the event after his family were supported when both his wife and father were diagnosed with cancer.
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More than 60 pieces of art went on show at the Hendon flagship to showcase the impressive work of clients who attend the Chai art workshops. There was plenty of sparkle at the sushi and drinks reception sponsored by Lord and Lady Kalms, as visitors viewed the works, met the artists and agreed sales. Organised by Linda Sharpe, the Head of the Chai Art Department and assisted by Lynne Benarroch and Jane Jacobs, the groups provide a valuable way to create and relax. Linda Sharpe said, ‘We wanted to highlight the talent in the workshops. The dedication and excitement have been unbelievable. Everyone who contributed is as proud as I am.’ The £4135 raised will fund the workshops.
Playing their cards right
B is for… All hands on… decks of cards
Adria Leigh, Stephanie Jacobs, Marcelle Kuhillow, Reba Tury, Francine Goldman, Val Samberg, Jakki Pinsley, Ann Audin
Bagel ‘n’ brunch – a classic combination. Manchester’s Chai Lights committee have all been affected by cancer and supported by Chai. Chairman Jakki Pinsley said, ‘We wanted to give back as Chai has given us so much help in getting our lives back together.’ The event at the northern hub raised £2710.
The Outlook Committee always draws the crowds with their events and over the years has raised more than £400,000 for Chai. No exception was the annual bridge lunch when 100 people enjoyed a competitive afternoon’s play raising £5500. Lawrence Gaunt guided activities, which saw Carol Setyon and Suzanne Godfrey carry off the crown. Committee chair Marilyn Myers expressed the appreciation so many have for Chai ‘for the services that enable our bodies to heal and the group activities that let us meet and relate to one another. I know, I’m one of those people.’
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Chai Cancer Care
Whiskeys-a-go-go A food and whiskey pairing evening hosted by Adam Savitz and Ben Teacher drew 40 men to One Ashbourne in north-west London. Stefanie Holt, Head of Brand Education at Speciality Brands was their guide as they enjoyed a fourcourse meal and six whiskies. The event raised £1350.
women in braiding techniques. The cherry on the cake was a fascinating food and wellbeing presentation by nutritionist Jenna Hope. Hosted by the Young Chai Committee, the event raised more than £500.
Who loves a quiz? The Pennies from Heaven fundraisers do! Their supper quiz at Edgware Hendon Reform Synagogue was one of several events this year – including a talk by historian and guide Rachel Kolsky on International Women’s Day – taking their total donation to £4100.
compositions, all chosen for their personal meaning to her. Violinist friends Debbie Diamond and Miriam Kramer also performed. The event raised over £5500 for Chai and Pancreatic Cancer UK.
DECEMBER
JANUARY
Holding a candle
A New Year classic
Jacqueline Curzon at the piano
Ensuring baby grows A Toddler and Baby First Aid talk was hosted by brothers Michael and Richard Feingold in memory of their parents Brenda and Norman, which was delivered at Whitefield shul, raising £80.
FEBRUARY Teachers’ treat Hasmonean Nursery teachers hosted a Rosh Chodesh breakfast for their pupils and raised £103. Tiny tots up! Hasmonean Pre-Nursery class collected months of tzedakah contributions and raised £121.53 for Chai. Time to know
Serenading the New Year Volunteers and clients in rhythm
The special camaraderie of the Wednesday afternoon club, which presents musical entertainment, quizzes and talks for clients, was in full swing at their regular Chanukah party. Organised by volunteers Lynne Silver, Barbara Freedman and Andee Roback, everyone enjoyed sing-along songs, dancing to the music of Johnny Moses and a fantastic tea.
More than 30 people enjoyed a New Year classical concert organised by Chai client Vivien Spevock, which took place at the home of musician Stefan Byron. ‘A Musical Celebration’ raised over £800. She’s got plait-itude
To mark World Cancer Day, Chai was invited to talk to KS2 pupils at Sinai Jewish Primary School during their assembly about Chai’s support for children and teachers through the Chai in Schools service. The day’s theme was #IAmAndIWill and pupils were encouraged to write down their commitment to charity for the year ahead.
I should Koko Loyal supporters at the Raging Bull’s annual Christmas Eve Party held at Koko in Camden Town, raised £3199. The power of music When musician and composer Jacqueline Curzon was diagnosed with stage-4 pancreatic cancer, she set about organising a fundraiser for the cancer charities supporting her. A concert at Henrietta Barnett School, Hampstead Garden Suburb, featured songs from the musicals, classical pieces and Jacqueline’s 32
Sinai pupils making their commitment
Allegra Benitah and Jenna Hope
Challah braiding has really taken off as a community activity. At the Art of Wellbeing event in Hendon, Challah Mummy, Allegra Benitah coached 35
Bring and buy for Chai Year Six at Broughton Jewish Primary School, raised £734 with a sale of toys and books. That fuzzy feeling Lynne Stein’s Fun with Felt workshop raised £410. Participants included Lucy
Together Magazine 2019/20
It’s always cake time! Whatever the month, bake sales are a win-win way to raise money: the buyer gets a delicious treat and Chai gets more funds. Young bakers have been busy in their kitchens this year. £325 Anna Firestone’s put her favourite hobby to work with a delectable array of goodies. ‘Several people I’m close to use Chai’s services. I wanted to use my skills to raise money for an incredible charity.’ £730 Thalia, Zack and Jayden Squires set up a stall outside their house and found Borehamwood is a hot spot for cake lovers!
Rubin, Trudie Mesrie, Jo Bernstein, Kerry Levene and Tammy Shneck.
£120 Ariella Josephs and Kiri Green hosted a Summer Fête with fun activities for everyone, including a mini-petting zoo, balloon shaving and cake eating competitions. £480 Beth Anthony, Amy Prager, Arielle Shahar, Yaara Haddi, Ella Frankfurt, Liat Ezekiel, Ora Hayes and Elianna Atkins headed to Hendon Park with their trays of cupcakes and cookies. The girls chose Chai in memory of one of their friends’ mothers, who passed away.
60 women at a ‘Brunch with Jo’. As part of Chai’s BFF campaign, Jo presented “Transformation in breast cancer care – what you should expect”. Informative, reassuring and empowering, Jo gave guidance on self-examination, diagnosis and treatment, and took part in a Q&A. Drink to that!
£250 JCOS pupil Sadie Lessman, who has been supported by Chai, hosted a Bnei Mitzvot bake sale and invited ‘gold coin’ (£1 or £2) donations, which mounted up very nicely!
about Jewish values, has generously gifted a collection to the Hendon flagship – a charming way for our younger clients to engage with their heritage and culture. Maturing nicely Pinner shul Maturians hosted a Charity Supper and cabaret with award-winning tribute act The Temple Brothers who honour the Everly Brothers. The event raised £2000. Esther pays a visit
Hard at work having fun
MARCH The BFF in Glasgow
Denise Atcheson, Anita Berkeley, Laura Purcell, Louise Hager, Jo Franks, Lisa Steele, Mandy Strang, Alison Barr
Joanna Franks, Consultant Breast and Oncoplastic Surgeon at UCLH, spoke to
Bar maids (l to r) Tasha Winburn, Rachel Harris, Vicki Hershcovitz, Jilly Berens, Tamara Zatman, Jo Roskin
Teams Oyga Vodka, The Yiddishur Arms, Palwin No 10 and the Schvitzing Sambucas went head to head at Forever Chai’s ‘L’Chai Inn’ pub quiz at Sedgley Park Rugby Club, Whitefield, North Manchester. More than 150 people enjoyed a night of mental jousting, including a round about Yiddish phrases. The night raised £3200. Reaching for knowledge The wonderful PJ Library, which produces delightful books for children
Chai’s Caroline Tunkel and kids in their Purim finery
Clients, supporters and staff enjoyed a Purim megillah reading, ably delivered by Sholem Gordon from Yeshiva Gedola Lubavitch. Hamantaschen and a l’chaim were provided. 33
Chai Cancer Care
APRIL
Big hitters for young clients
Pitching it just right
Black (cab) magic!
North: Jonny Carr, Daniel Cohen and Andrew Saipe Carolyn Joels, Lisa Steele, Jo Fogel, Louise Hager, Mel Rom and Meryl Rosenberg
The cast of SDM’s The Knowledge
Theatre group SDM’s third production was Jack Rosenthal’s memorable drama The Knowledge, about a group of men learning London’s taxi routes as their personal stories unfold. Performed at Jacksons Lane Community Centre in north London, the evening raised £1500 for Chai and the North London Hospice. Collective good The Immanuel School is nurturing purpose and personal enrichment through its charity committee, Shevet Achim. Chai was fortunate to be one of its nominated charities this year and was presented with a cheque for £3000 at their bi-annual whole-school assembly.
MAY Healing arts
The Golf Fore Chai committee struck gold this year, raising their biggest sum – £60,000 – from their sixth biennial golfing event at Hartsbourne Country Club. Hosted by Jo Fogel, Mel Rom, Carolyn Joels and Meryl Rosenberg, more than 100 golfers participated. Chair Jo Fogel said: ‘I’m completely overwhelmed and want to say a massive thank you to my incredible committee who have worked tirelessly with me since 2008.’ Golf Fore Chai has donated an incredible £260,000 in 10 years. EFR Travel and Luxury Worldwide Collection sponsored the event and the proceeds of the day went towards the Children, Teenage and Family service. Superlative plates The Ladies Committee of the Holy Law Synagogue in Broughton presented a spectacular food tasting evening in memory of community member Marion Santhouse. Chef and caterer extraordinaire Ed Shaerf of Kosher Feast who has worked with Ottolenghi, amongst others, treated 150 guests to his modern, globally inspired cuisine, raising £2560, half of which went to Chai.
JUNE Prepped for their refuah shlemah party
Tsofia Cowan and Sara Bayla Solomon, both aged 11, hosted a Refuah Shlemah party for several people, raising £50 for Chai. The girls designed Get Well cards for all those they were praying for. 34
Voices of approval Time to hail the fabulous Chai volunteers at their annual brunch. Thanking those who use their own experience to help others, Louise acknowledged their enormous contribution. ‘It’s a true act of giving back,’ she said. The 50 volunteers were entertained with a lively game of Singo – bingo with a musical twist, which prompted some rather impressive vocals.
NORTH The inaugural Tee Up for Chai
Golf Day at Whitefield Golf Club, attracted 14 teams. Superbly organised by Lisa Cohen Binder, Clare Spieler, Amanda Adshead and Alex Caplan, the amazing day was followed by dinner, a raffle and auction, raising £3300.
South: Trevor Berkowitz, Brian Kobrin, Michael Stein and Sean Melnick SOUTH One hundred participants turned out for the 14th annual Club 18 Chai Golf Tournament at Dyrham Park Country Club. Joint Chairmen, Ronnie Gottlieb OBE and Michael Lubliner hosted the day which was rounded off with cocktails, dinner, and a raffle with a Kia Picanto as the top prize. The day raised £40,000.
A winning hand
Organisers Carol Ellman and Angela White with Lisa Steele (left)
Carol Ellman’s Bridge Lunch in Hendon offered participants Kalooki
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and Chicago as well, this year. The 110 guests enjoyed a buffet lunch and heard Chai client Wendy Hoffman speak about the privilege of having had Chai’s tailored support during her treatment. With £7000 raised for the Children, Teenage and Family Service, Carol Ellman announced that, thanks to a record number of guests, the lunch is now an annual event. Hunniford for tea?
Fran Goldin, Sue Freedman, Michelle LeesSmith, Gloria Hunniford, Rikki Sher, Jackie Sharpstone, Lisa Steele Marilyn Myers
From her days as a TV production assistant in Ulster to fighting for consumer rights to appearing on Strictly, Gloria Hunniford’s career made for compelling entertainment when she was guest of honour at Chai Outlook’s Tea ‘n’ Talk. The event raised £4000.
JULY You rock!
Dancing with Louise
This year’s dance spectacular from the ever-creative and incredibly loyal Dancing with Louise troupe was The Greatest School of Rock. The show at the Watford Palace Theatre combined the talents of 350 adults and children, raising more than £5000. Home and away Chai’s annual Away Day for (almost) its entire team of 120 was held at the Hendon flagship. Dr Adrian Tookman, Consultant Physician Palliative Medicine at the Marie Curie Hospice, Hampstead and head of Chai’s Medical Advisory Panel gave a presentation on advances
in cancer survival and palliative care. The day’s activities continued with team-building exercises, and included a mouth-watering buffet lunch. You’ll never walk alone Liverpool’s Jewish community came out in numbers to hear Louise Hager talk about Chai and the 59 services that support people affected by a cancer diagnosis. She explained 40% are family members, ‘so it makes sense that if they are supported, it helps the person who is not well.’ Held at the King David School, Louise was joined by Professor Michael Brada, Professor of Radiation Oncology at Liverpool University and member of Chai’s Medical Advisory Panel, and Joyce Lewis who outlined the crucial support she receives from Chai. A campaign film, The Wonder of Chai, which highlights the impact of cancer on the whole family was also screened.
AUGUST 2019 Shabbat tipples Back with more culinary appeal, the Chai Five Committee’s summer-themed event was held on a perfect rain-free Shabbat. Their ‘Chai and Pimms’ Shabbat Seudah was hosted by committee chair Liza Taitz, and saw glasses clinked to the tune of £365. ■ Read our supporters’ full stories and find out about our forthcoming events at chaicancercare.org Inspired to organise an event for Chai? Get in touch! For London call Danielle Blumenblatt on 020 857 3394 or email danielleb@chaicancercare.org. In the North West call Jilly Berens 0161 772 4066 or email jillyberens@chaicancercare.org.
A WEEK FOR CHAI The third annual fundraising and awareness drive brought communities in North Manchester, South Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds together for an event-filled week from 19th-26th May. By close of play more than £10,000 was raised to support services in the North West. A big shout out goes to… • Daniella Berkeley’s Shabbat lunch, which raised £40 • The King David School Dance for Life – each school year had a disco in place of a lesson. Pupils paid £1 to take part with optional extras such as a ‘floss off’ with a teacher. The A* idea raised £325. • Lorraine Burns, Debra Kay and Benjy Silver undertook a week of running challenges. Debra ran the Manchester 10K in 59 minutes, raising £1889. Benjy walked 10K and raised £355 and Lorraine completed the Manchester Half Marathon in three hours, raising £1393.
Lorrai ne
Debra
Benjy
• Children from Jewish schools across the North West raised £400 during the sponsored Chore Challenge, helping parents with household tasks.
• £300 Coffee morning hosted by Deborah Levine (left) and Michal Maslin. • Make-up artist Suzanne Showman shared her expert tips at a tutorial hosted by Maureen Lustgarten at the Chai centre in Heathlands Village, raising £500. • Six-year-old Poppy Harris from Liverpool, had her long hair cut off and raised £1353. Her hair went to The Little Princess Trust. More special mentions: • £2000 Bagel brunch at Bury Shul, hosted by Evelyn Yaffe and Helena Rich. • £1400 Bake sale hosted by Michal Mocton and Jane Mecholowitz. • £100 BBQ hosted by Abi Gastwirth. • £150 Ralph Marcus’ 90th Birthday Party. • £220 Vic Rubin breakfast. • Shabbat meals hosted by Cara Basso, Laurie Myers, Mike Stoops, Francine Rose and the Chai Lights Committee.
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Chai Cancer Care
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When Sheldon Davis hit his 40s, he decided it was ‘time to give back,’ and wife Vikki was happy to join in. Their goal was the National Three Peaks Challenge, scaling the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales in 24 hours, covering 23 miles and 10,052 feet. Money raised was split between Chai after Sheldon’s mother was treated for cancer, and Diabetes UK, in memory of Vikki’s father.
£1234 Liverpool-based Chai therapist
Helene Blankstone (below right) headed to the Lake District with friends to navigate hill and dale in the 10 Peak Coledale Challenge. Unfortunately, thick snow and 40mph winds came along, too. ‘I’ve never done anything so hard in all my life!’ said Helene.
Taking on the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge was Samuel Masters and Ben Igielman’s ambition. Despite tough terrain, they were done in just 12 hours. Said Samuel afterwards, ‘We’re tired, but so proud. It was worth it to support Chai.’
£3460 Two years
after her mother passed away, Chloë Grant found herself 19,341 feet up, at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. It was her fundraising ‘thank you’ to Chai for the support it gave – and continues to give – her family. The adventure was ‘indescribable, worth every minute after the months of training and something Mum would never imagine me doing. I want to help those going through what Mum experienced.’
£1048 Completing the gruelling Tough Mudder course in 3h 30m, navigating 25 obstacles and numerous dousings in freezing water, Tracy Benjamin said, ‘Chai will always be in my heart for the way it looked after my beautiful sister Karen.’
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£661 Inspired by her
father, a personal trainer, and her friend Katie, who passed away from cancer, Amelie Geller, 10, completed the Woburn Abbey Triathlon. ‘Katie was such an example, raising money for others who were sick. She taught me so much.’
Snippers and shavers £2765 * When their sister Danielle, 32, was
diagnosed with breast cancer a month after her first child was born, Brandon and Matthew Pieters shaved their heads in solidarity with her after she lost her hair. Proceeds were split between Chai and Chana.
£1465 & £1088 The families of Gemma
Roskin and Abigail Cowan, aged five, were supported by Chai in recent years. To show their appreciation, both had their hair snipped, donating their locks to the Little Princess Trust, which makes wigs for children going through cancer treatment. *Split between charities
The Challengers
£1025
Together Magazine 2019/20
Some climb, some ride, some swim… however you support Chai, you make a difference to thousands of people
£4000 * Heidi Kraines, daughter Beth and niece Amalya (centre) cropped their hair for Chai, donating it to Zichron Menachem, the Israeli charity that makes wigs for cancer patients under 25. Amalya’s mum, Nikki Millan, was supported by Chai.
£18,380 Taking on the 10th Langdon Velo
£347.50 Young fundraiser Amy also donated to Zichron Menachem. ‘I’m excited to help people with cancer,’ she said.
£4500 This year’s Prudential RideLondon
The Bike Riders £1636 Last September Fran and Matthew
Devan and Jonathan Walzer chose an ‘achievable family challenge’ – the London to Brighton bike ride, which takes in Ditchling Beacon – with its taxing mile-long climb before it descends to the coast. They were honouring the memory of a dear friend supported by Chai. ‘It was a truly bonding experience,’ said Fran.
in Catalonia when you’re in the middle of your own cancer treatment takes guts. But that’s what Nigel Henry, Chairman of the Langdon Trust, did despite having prostate cancer, and going through chemo and radiotherapy. To spur him on, a band of fellow non-cyclists joined him. The adventure raised money than £73,000 for the Langdon Trust, of which 25% came to Chai. – Surrey 100 saw ‘Team Chai’ – Ben Forman, Ed Perchick and Mitchell Stanton cycle the 100-mile route from Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, into Surrey and back to The Mall. Chai has been supporting Ben’s wife Louise, during her recent cancer diagnosis. ‘I cannot speak highly enough of the work they do,’ he said.
Ben
Ed
Mitchell
The Walkers £522.50 The Walk for
Rachel was just 2.7 miles long but every step remembered Rachel, the mum of one of Abigail Black’s friends. Joining Abigail on the walk to Hertsmere Jewish Primary School was Dylan, Rachel’s son, and friends Ella and Tamara. Lynda, Abigail’s mum said, ‘The walk was upbeat and the kids chatted. Abigail is so pleased to have her efforts honoured and to have been supported by friends and family who donated.’
£2760 Chai client and keen fundraiser Vivien Spevock, husband, Ed, son Nick, daughter in-law Judith and grandsons, Zach 10, and Levi, five, walked through beautiful countryside for Chai. ‘It was an idyllic day and lovely to raise money by spending quality time with family,’ said Vivien. £2548 With friends to cheer them on, Leo Gluckman and Daniel Tyler walked from their respective schools (JFS and JCOS) to Haderech, their Bar Mitzvah class at New North London Synagogue. Leo walked in memory of his Nana, Priscilla, and Daniel in memory of his aunt, Laurel.
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Chai Cancer Care
The Runners £1615 Most people drive or
Virgin London Marathon
Murray finish the London Vitality 10K in 1 hour 10 minutes, he flew past his fundraising target. ‘I was determined to give something back to Chai for everything they do for families like ours who have been affected by cancer.’
£1800 Done in 58 minutes,
15 seconds, Michal Chody’s London Vitality 10K put her on a high. ‘The run was incredible – I loved every minute and am so happy to help support those going through challenging times.’
£3709 Charlotte Morgan,
Tali Blitz, Amy and Natasha Hertz and Lara Kay ran because of their personal connections to the charity, in particular, Charlotte whose brother, Jack, 22, received support through his cancer journey.
take the train. Eben-Claude Schneider decided to run from London to Brighton – all 100k. The astonishing feat (or should that be feet?) took 13 hours 40 minutes. Eben-Claude said, ‘I enjoy pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. This ultra-challenge is for the amazing support Chai gives patients and their loved ones.’
£2590 Not only did Matt
away in April of this year, aged 45. Chai did so much for her and our family. We want to ensure they can continue to do so for other families.’
‘Team Chai’ (above) generated a staggering £29,000 this year and every runner had personal reasons to be there. Through the rain and the pain of 26.2 miles, their awesome commitment to Chai, is beyond words. Rachel Mindell
£7033
Nathan Djanogly
£4768
Andrew Moss
£4296
Donna Bengio
£3500
Ricki Stone
£3932
Alex Rickman
£4424
£682 & £1100 Sam Frank 13, and friend Coby Goldstein 14, completed the 5K run. Sam said, ‘We are running for Chai as people in my family have been affected by cancer. Chai is an amazing organisation.’ £650 Fun Run veterans Simon and Caroline Tunkel, kiddies Summer 4, and Jack 6, ran the 1K race. Caroline, Chai’s Community and Schools Fundraising Executive topped up her distance by adding the 5K Colour Run, too. The Glasgow Fun Run drew 65 participants this year at Rouken Glen Park including Katie Lewis, Zachary Livingstone and children from Calderwood Lodge, Glasgow’s Jewish primary school who ran for Chai.
£250 Chai Community Fundraiser, Jilly
Berens, took her first steps into running with the 10K MoRun during Movember awareness month. ‘I wanted to do this one because it coincided with my late father’s birthday. He passed away aged 53 after a short battle with cancer.’
£558 That’s the sum raised courtesy of these Chai Race for Life 5K finishers in Manchester: Jo Roskin, Rachel Harris, Jakki Friedman, Tamara Zatman, Jilly Berens, Gemma Berger.
£11,350 Two runners
flew the Chai flag proudly at the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon. Zak Brilliant running in memory of his sister Suzy said, ‘Chai is a terrific organisation that has had a hugely positive impact on my family.’ Joyce Misrahi far exceeded her target of £5555, raising £10,238. ‘I didn’t realise how hard it would be,’ she said afterwards. ‘I have a new respect for anyone doing distance running!’
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The Maccabi GB Fun Run
A record-breaking 250 runners, many supported by Chai, took part in this popular community Fun Run. The event raised £33,000 for Chai with participants aged one to 76, completing 1K, 5K and 10K distances, including a 5K Colour Run. Big hands to…
£11,963 Team Landau (above), a large tight-knit group of friends and family ran on behalf of Lucy Landau who has Hodgkins lymphoma and is supported by Chai. £9533 The Rabin family and friends
took part in memory of Caroline Rabin. Husband Michael said, ‘Caroline passed
The Swimmer £1560 Shaun Hart dived
in with enthusiasm at the London Aquatics Centre at the Olympic Park to complete a 5K swim.
Together Magazine 2019/20
Thanks
to all our wonderful supporters who set up a fundraising page in aid of Chai
Ways to give Visit chaicancercare.org to learn about our services and support, read our fundraising news and see how you can get involved. Quick links make donating online easy, plus there’s information on legacies, gifts in lieu and Gift Aid. Whether your donation is large or small, in celebration or commemoration, your support enables us to be there for whoever needs us. MARK A SPECIAL OCCASION
Josh Bharier
Fleischmann Family
Luke Rind
Charkham Family
Asher Flenner
Darren Russell
Joseph Clifton
Gillis Family
Dovi Scheiner
Oliver Coleman
Ron Kislev
Silver Family
Josh Cooper
Louis Lazarus
Singer Family
Ilan & Lloyd Craig
Scott Lesner
Tapnack Family
Davis Family
Dean Lesser
Barry White
Ellie Dryer
Zac Lightman
Willman Family
Lee Duswick
Jonathan Lipitch
Alister Wolfisz
Vivian Emmanuel
Benjamin & Joseph Mark
Sophie Woolf
Elliot Espinoza
Anthony Moss
Paul & Ben Woolfson
LEAVE A LEGACY Support Chai with a legacy in your Will. Visit Jewish Legacy Giving (jewishlegacygiving.org.uk) to find out more. If you wish to tell us of your intention, we would be honoured to recognise your generosity during your lifetime. Contact David Nielsen: david.nielsen@chaicancercare.org or call 020 8457 3239 DONATE ONLINE Swift, secure and easy, just click on the Make a Donation tab on the top right hand side of our website and follow the instructions. BY PHONE We take donations over the phone. Call Jacki Stanton on 020 8457 3231 or Dana Levene on 020 8457 3232. BY POST Send cheques or charity vouchers to:
Nominate Chai to receive a donation in lieu of gifts.
Chai Cancer Care 142 – 146 Great North Way London NW4 1EH
Contact Jacki Stanton jackistanton@chaicancercare.org or call on 020 8457 3231
GIFT AID YOUR DONATION If you are a UK taxpayer, Gift Aid increases your donations by 25%.
Tell us when you make your donation, or download a Gift Aid Declaration form from our website. SHOP AND DONATE WITH
Did you know you can now support Chai when you shop online with Amazon? Visit smile.amazon.co.uk and select Chai Cancer Care as your chosen charity (it will appear as Chai-Lifeline Cancer Care) and Amazon will donate 0.5% of the net purchase price (excluding VAT, returns and shipping fees). GIFT ONLINE We are delighted to be a partner for GiveitAPP, a new platform for making a charity donation instead of buying a gift. So next time you’re hosting a Shabbat dinner, lunch or a party you can invite your guests to skip the gift… and head online to GiveitAPP instead! Visit www.giveitapp.org for more details.
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How does Chai care? Thanks to the generosity of the Thanks to the generosity of the community, Chai Cancer Care community, Chai Cancer Care provides specialised support to provides specialised support to thousands of people across the thousands of people across the UK who have been affected by UK who have been affected by a cancer diagnosis. a cancer diagnosis. To find out more please call To find out more please call our Freephone Helpline on our Freephone Helpline on 0808 808 4567 or visit 0808 808 4567 or visit www.chaicancercare.org www.chaicancercare.org
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