Life, Faith, and Cancer

When the diagnosis of illness shatters the veneer of our normal, comfortable, predictable course of life, we are embittered and confused. Why me?; is a question that reverberates uncontrollably in our heads. Cancer, especially, provokes such a response. With time, Why me is replaced by, What now?; Today, more and more people are surviving cancer. How do we keep going afterward? How do we maintain the connection to Judaism and God that we once had? Do we need to rethink everything we once unwaveringly believed in? This moving volume of essays written by rabbis, cantors, and other Jewish professionals who have all experienced cancer deal with these questions and many more. Their personal stories are interwoven with Jewish texts and teachings. Part I. Diagnosos: So, You ve Got Cancer 1. Discovering Vulnerability Rabbi Sue Elwell 2. Not Knowing Could Be Your Biggest Heath Risk Joy Wasserman 3. Why Me Rabbi Doug Kohn 4. Facing Mortality Rabbi Michael Balinky 5. Leaening and Discovering Systems of Support Rabbi Hirshel Jaffe, Rabbi James Rudin, and Marcia Rudin 6. Developing a New Reality Rabbi Elaine Zecher Part II Treatment 7. How to Pursue : The Obligation to Heal Rabbi William Cutter 8. Facing Treatment Rabbi Stacia Deutsch 9. Leaving it Behind Harriet Levine 10. A Spiritual Dimension Cantorial Soloist Diane Becker Kransnick 11. Convention and Experimental Options Rabbi Andrew Sklarz 12. Beginning Recovery, Finding Blessings Cantor Vicki Axe Part III Recovery 13. A New Routine, A New Me - Rebecca Meyer Carr 14. The Lump, The Bump, or the Swallow: Is it Cancer? Rabbi Randi Musnitsky 15. Cancer Time: A Month, Six Months, Twelve Months Rabbi Jonathan M. Brown 16. We, The Licky Ones Rabbi Myra Soifer 17. Surviving the Valley: A Journey without a Beginning Rabbi Stanley Davids 18. Our Sacramental Personality Rabbi Gary Phillip Zola 19. The New Can Become Holy Rabbi Yael Ridberg