What Came After

Cancer Doesn’t Stop—Even In A War

August 3, 2026·53 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

On March 18th of this year, I'd been back in America for a few days after getting stuck in Israel during the war with Iran. I still felt scattered, jet-lagged and wrung out. So I decided to treat myself to the ultimate comfort food: an authentic bagel.  I ran into a friend at (the kosher and delicious) Emma's Bagels in Skokie. She was sitting with a table of women I didn't know. After I explained why I looked so bedraggled, I learned they all worked for Sharsheret, an organization supporting Jewish women facing breast and ovarian cancer. One of them, Elana Silber, turned out to be the CEO — and that night, it happened, was Sharsheret's annual gala. She invited me on the spot. I decided to push past that not-quite-myself feeling and attend. I saw an art installation by a breast cancer survivor, heard several incredible speakers, and got a chance to hear about Sharsheret's work, which is now reaching Israel also.  Elana and I decided to meet a few months later in New York for an interview. As you'll hear, she's learned a lot about building in the aftermath of a crisis.  I hope you enjoy this episode.      Credits: Host and Creator: Manya Marcus Editor and Producer: Ben Wallick Associate Editor and Producer: Keren Glicksman Content Editors: Keren Glicksman and Alexandra Yelderman Logo Design: Samuel Vilemar Outro Music: "נקייה" | Anat Malamud Listen on Spotify  or Apple Music

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