Social justice

Remembering Stonewall to Protest Racial Injustice

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51 years feels like an eternity.

In 1969, astronauts landed on the moon and the earliest version of the Internet popped up. For queer folks and allies during June, we also remember the Stonewall Riots, the linchpin of the modern-day LGBTQ Rights movement arguably began.

Before the Stonewall Riots, actions coded as queer were criminal offenses; if your clothes or demeanor were seen as too different from the typical Christian heterosexual person, you would be arrested. Being outed as queer could get you fired. By the end of the 1960s, several covert gay/lesbian clubs popped up around the country. The police routinely raided and arrested patrons of underground gay bars, and LGBTQ people had had enough.

On the night of June 28th, 1969, undercover cops tried to raid the Stonewall Inn, but those in the bar – especially trans people of color – refused to go. More police came, and a riot broke out. Some say bricks were thrown, others say drink glasses and rocks, but this was the breaking point. A mob of queer people shouted “gay power” and sang, causing the world to wake up and look towards this small bar in the middle of New York’s Greenwich Village.

That was an extremely shortened version of the full story (I’m reading Stonewall Riots: Coming Out in the Streets by Gayle E. Pitman). It was a time of unrest, where the public wasn’t on the side of queer people, and things had to get loud and uncomfortable for change to come.

As a gay man, I’m in awe of what previous generations had to go through to be accepted and heard. And 51 years later, the world is waking up again, this time to police brutality and racial injustice.

No one has the luxury to remain silent anymore. It is our responsibility to stand up and support these protests calling for fair treatment and institutional change.

In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality as a mental disorder. Just this week, Merriam-Webster is amending their definition of racism to better reflect the systemic issues faced by people of color. The tides are turning, and Jews/LGBTQ people know the feeling of the world against them and the need to speak up.

In the 1960s, Rabbi Abraham Heschel stood with MLK and other Civil Rights leaders. He famously said, “When I marched in Selma, my feet were praying.” Jews remember our past, so it’s troubling to see history repeating.

To the queer folks reading this, happy Pride Month. Let us remember the riot 51 years ago that changed the world forever, and support the ones going on now.

History will remember.

Written by yours truly,

Ross Weisman, Engagement Associate at Tribe 12 

Interested in have virtual coffee with Ross? Set up a time like right now! 

Tribe 12 Fellow Spotlight: Pivot to Create Life-Saving Ventilators

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For one of our Tribe 12 Fellows, her work may be the difference between life and death.

Noga entered the Tribe 12 Fellowship with the goal of solving the problem of social isolation. She was raised on a Kibbutz (collective farming community) overlooking the Dead Sea in Israel. The Kibbutz upbringing establishes community as a high priority in life, which Noga saw was lacking in the States.

Though her passion for curing loneliness is still strong, the current pandemic necessitated a shift in her focus. In March, the public was notified to start social distancing to flatten the curve of the Covid-19 pandemic. While watching the news one night, Noga learned of the low numbers of ventilators and how doctors would have to make hard choices about resource distribution. In other words, if a patient had a lower chance of survival, they might not receive a ventilator.

Noga, the chief of staff to the CEO of a data analytics and healthcare company in the Philadelphia area, contacted her two partners at VeriTX, a startup that specializes in digital supply chain for air space and planes. VeriTX’s focus would be the best and quickest solution to the problem of how to get more ventilators into hospitals.

Collectively, Noga and her partners figured out that by leveraging existing CPAP and BiPap technology with several key innovations, they could turn a common bedside helper into a life-saving tool for those in critical condition. VeriTX quickly pivoted to form Rapid Medical Parts.

Embodying the spirit of rapid prototyping, the team sent the specifications to an engineering team in Los Angeles, who produced a working model a week later. Noga and her partners are now trying to secure investment partners so they can establish a commitment of funding to create and rapidly scale the design. At the same time, these changemakers will be bringing their prototype to the FDA for approval, a necessary first step before being able to manufacture and distribute the technology to health systems, governments, and non-profit organizations. Noga’s work is a great example of the global effort to flatten the curve and protect the lives of those most vulnerable with the tools we have at our disposal.

We are incredibly proud to see our Fellows use their skills for the betterment of the community. At the end of the day, we are nothing without each other. Contact Noga at noga@veritx.com if you can help with this life-saving work.

Volunteer Opportunities During COVID-19

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Looking for a way to make a tangible impact during this wild and unpredictable time in history? There are plenty of volunteering opportunities, some for those who feel comfortable safely volunteering in person and some that are entirely virtual or via phone. We’ll update this as we go!

Repair the World Philadelphia mobilizes people to take action grounded in Jewish values to pursue a more just world, igniting a lifelong commitment to service. They have an extensive resource for virtual volunteering opportunities here. 

SNJ Jewish Family & Children’s Service: Jewish Family & Children’s Service will be accepting “drop & go” food donations outside of the Route 70 Family Assistance Program office next Friday, April 3, between 10:00 am– 12:00 pm. The address is 1309 West Route 70, Cherry Hill. JFCS is also managing a “Shop and Drop” food shopping and delivery program staffed by volunteers. The form to enroll can be found on the JFCS website here.

Philabundance: Host or participate in a fun and interactive virtual food drive. Could be a good alternative to a birthday party!

Mitzvah Food Program: Deliver pre-packed bags of food and emergency supplies. Drivers are needed from the Mitzvah Food Pantry sites in Center City, Main Line and Northeast Philadelphia. Deliveries generally take less than two hours. If you have questions and are interested in helping out in April and/or in the future, especially during this time when lifesaving food packages are at risk of not being delivered, please contact Phil Holtje at pholtje@jewishphilly.org, 215-832-0815 or sign up to volunteer here.

KleinLife: KleinLife Home Delivered Meals program is an essential need for 700 homebound seniors. To help deliver these pre-cooked meals, contact John Eskate, jeskate@kleinlife.org, to coordinate a specific time each Tuesday to pick up and deliver. In the loading dock, you will be given gloves, meals packed in freezer bags, and a delivery route. After delivery, emptied freezer bags should be returned to Kleinlife. To volunteer, please contact John Eskate at jeskate@kleinlife.org.

Jewish Relief Agency: Deliver pre-packed boxes of food and emergency supplies to individuals across the region. Visit the JRA website to RSVP for a specific time and sign up for a route or email volunteering@jewishrelief.org.

Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia: JFGP is seeking volunteers to make regular friendly phone calls to check in with a local senior citizen in our Jewish community. Fill out this form to be matched with an isolated community member.

South Philly Shtiebel WhatsApp: Support fellow South Philly residents with logistical or errand support by joining the Shtiebel Support WhatsApp Group.

Keneseth Israel: Fundraiser for families in Cheltenham here! 

Broad Street Ministry(BSM) is a community dedicated to alleviating the pains of hunger and homelessness in Philadelphia. Their Breaking Bread program gives nutritious meals to anyone who needs it while also providing a mailing address, clothing, personal care items, and other services for individuals who are underserved. In response to COVID-19, BSM has stopped its volunteer shifts, though they are in need of additional items to provide life-sustaining services to vulnerable populations. You can donate to BSM through their Amazon Wishlist or fundraiser. 

Bethesda Project: is a local organization addressing homelessness in Center City. They have 14 different locations ranging from emergency shelter to permanent supportive housing, serving over 1,500 men and women every year. While we have suspended on-site volunteering, there are still ways to help out! This includes: Making a meal at home following USDA Guidelines at www.foodsafety.gov/keep-food-safe/4-steps-to-food-safety. Contact Jeffrey Isaacson at jisaacson@bethesdaproject.org, or call 513-280-2236
Project Home: We know that you care as much as we do about how the pandemic is impacting our collective work to end homelessness and alleviate poverty in Philadelphia. We also know that you want to help now more than ever before. Click here for ways you can help immediately while keeping yourself safe.

BRCA Testing – What you Should Know

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Guest blog by Penn Medicine

Originally published at https://www.pennmedicine.org/cancer/about/focus-on-cancer/2018/october/basser-founder-outreach-study.

Everyone—both men and women—is born with BRCA1 and BRCA2genes, which normally repair DNA and help suppress tumors. However, when someone is born with an error (mutation) in a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, the genes fail to do their tumor-suppressing work.

The risk of breast cancer for women with BRCA1/2 mutations is so heightened that the gene is named after the disease: BReast CAncer. Mutations in the genes also increase the lifetime risk of ovarian cancer, prostate cancer and melanoma.

BRCA1/2 mutations are hereditary, which means if you or a family member carry a mutation, other members of your family may also carry it.

Factors that may indicate a family history of BRCA1/2 mutations include:

  • A breast cancer diagnosis before age 50
  • Instances of breast and ovarian cancers in the same woman or side of family
  • Male breast cancer
  • Cancer in both breasts

However, if you have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, there are steps you can take to reduce and manage your cancer risk.

BRCA Research, Treatment and Prevention Center at Penn

The first of its kind, Penn Medicine’s Basser Center for BRCA is a comprehensive program devoted to eradicating the devastating effects of BRCA-related cancers. With support from the Abramson Cancer Center, the Basser Center for BRCA sits at the very forefront of research, treatment and prevention of hereditary cancers.

Home to many of the most experienced leaders in the field, the Basser Center is led by Executive Director Susan Domchek, MD, who, along with Director of Genetics Kate Nathanson, MD, has made Basser the nucleus of BRCA gene research and testing in the country.

But the work being done at Basser isn’t just investigative and clinical. The Basser team develops relationships with their patients that can last years. Being hereditary, BRCA gene mutations are often shared by family members, which means the Basser team may end up working with generations of mutation carriers—mothers, fathers, daughters, sons and grandchildren.

“We’re in it for the long term with families,” said Dr. Domchek. “We’re with these women through dating, marriage and children. It’s a true privilege that happens so rarely in medicine.”

A global nexus of BRCA-related research and treatment, the Basser Center fosters innovation both at Penn and worldwide. Various Basser Grants are available to scientists, clinicians and investigators whose visionary BRCA1/2 work deserves support. The annual Basser Global Prize provides $100,000 to one chosen luminary in the field.

The Basser Scientific Symposium, held every May, offers a comprehensive “Update on Hereditary Cancer.” Experts from around the world are invited to present on the many advances in the research of heritable cancers as well as the medical management of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers.

Among those many new and cutting-edge advancements is the Basser Center’s BFOR study.

Genetic Testing Through the BRCA Founder Outreach Study

A new research initiative being pioneered at Penn’s Basser Center and other cancer centers across the country the BRCA Founder Outreach Study—or just the BFOR study—is dedicated to developing and integrating new methods of genetic testing into medical care.

In the past, BRCA-related genetic testing was reserved for men and women with a known personal or family history of breast cancer, ovarian cancer or prostate cancer. But this approach misses many people who have BRCA1/2 mutations. In addition, many of those with a family and personal history of cancer do not get genetic testing. It is estimated that as many as 80% of BRCA mutation carriers in the US do not know their BRCA1 or BRCA2 status.

The BFOR study seeks to improve these numbers.

Now open in Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Los Angeles, the BFOR study is offering men and women of Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jewish ancestry genetic testing for BRCA mutations at no cost. These mutations increase risk for breast, ovarian, prostate and other cancer. The testing is provided with medical support from experts in cancer genetics. Individuals with Ashkenazi ancestry have been selected for the study, as one in 40 have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation.

After testing, results will be shared with each participant by either the participant’s PCP or a BFOR cancer genetics specialist.

The results of a BRCA test do not predict whether or not a study participant will develop cancer—but results can indicate the likelihood. Understanding if you or someone you love tests positive for a BRCA1/2 gene mutation opens the door to various approaches to cancer prevention, including early screenings, preventive surgery or medication.

Experts also believe that as much as 40% of all cases of ovarian cancer among women of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry could be prevented through a combination of early BRCA genetic testing and risk-reducing surgery.

More people who know they’re BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers means more people who can get started on fighting cancer before they have it.

Register for the BFOR study, or visit our FAQ page for more information. Learn more about the Basser Center for BRCA and Penn’s Cancer Risk Evaluation Center.