Women with Cancer and Survivors

Facilitated by Beth Broodo, MS, LPC, RYT, Binah Cancer Support Services integrates psychology and Jewish perspective.

In Hebrew, Binah means connecting women to their inner wisdom.

Call

972-437-9950

For information and timing, ask for the Director of Binah Cancer Support Services.

Email

bbroodo@jfsdallas.org

For general information and timing, email Beth Broodo. For a full intake and assessment, please first download intake form and email intake@jfsdallas.org.

Download intake Form

Groups for Women with Cancer and Survivors

Not all groups are currently meeting, so please be sure to inquire with Beth Broodo at bbroodo@jfsdallas.org about the current schedule.

Breast and Ovarian Cancer Support

Zoom

2nd Wednesday of the month at 8:00pm

Integrating different therapeutic modalities to reduce stress and anxiety as well as increase overall well-being.

Cancer Survivors Support

Zoom

4th Monday of the month at 4:00pm

Open to any woman who has experienced cancer, this group is an opportunity to discuss ways to cope and to find ways to live each day as fully as possible.

Sept 19^th Topic: Self -Care

Oct. 24^th Topic: Dealing with Stress

Nov. 21 Topic: How Cancer Effects Your Perspective

Dec. 19^th Topic: Hopes, Dreams, Bucket list – Meaning Makers

Jan. 23^rd Topic: Emotional & Physical Scars

Feb. 27^th Topic: Side Effects from Medicine

March 27^th Topic: 6 Words that Tell Your Cancer Life Story -Past, Present, Future

April 24^th Topic: Feelings of Attractiveness/Femininity vs. Feeling Unattractive

May 22^nd Topic: What Gives You Quality of Life

June 26^th Topic: Coping with Anxiety

July 24^thTopic: Recipe For Healing

Aug 28^thTopic: Stories We Tell Ourselves

Couples Workshop

Zoom

Email Beth for updates.

This workshop is offered to help couples increase communication, friendship, and love in their marriage. Based on John Gottman‘s research on building the friendship in marriage.

Journaling Workshop

Zoom

This workshop serves as a place where members can free-write, discuss personal concerns and feel safe to express their feelings. Each workshop offers new topics to journal about and share insights.

Modified Yoga with Meditation

Returning to regular schedule January 2022

Specifically designed for cancer survivors, this yoga class utilizes pain-free techniques, guided imagery, decompression, breathing, and stretching to promote health and well-being.

Soul Group

Zoom

This women’s group offers spiritual growth through Torah concepts for breast and ovarian cancer survivors.

Individual Counseling for Women

Our professional staff provides one-on-one counseling for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, helping them understand their feelings and develop skills to best cope with their concerns. We provide in-home one-on-one counseling for those women whose illness limits their mobility.

JFS partners with Sharsheret, national not-for-profit organization supporting young women and their families, of all Jewish backgrounds, facing breast cancer as part of these programs. However, the services offered at JFS are not limited to those of a Jewish background. For more information on Sharsheret, please visit their website here.

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Testimonial

When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, I was scared, lonely and filled with questions about this disease living in my breast. How was I going to get through this?

Three days before my breast surgery, I attended the breast support group at JFS led by Beth Broodo. I was surrounded by caring survivors who listened to my questions and shared their knowledge, experiences and optimism. Also, I received phone numbers of survivors to call and gave my number to those who asked for it. Women did call me to check on how I was doing. I called them when I was feeling sad and anxious. I had lunch with a group participant. I was not alone anymore. I looked forward to the meetings.

A speaker series provided valuable information on nutrition, healthy living and more survivor stories. This was not only informative but socially engaging as well. We had “fun” eating and communicating about our shared disease.

If you are looking for answers and want to be cradled by caring women, this is the group to turn to. I will always be grateful for their support in getting through this. –SMW

More on Binah

Binah is ‘intuitive understanding’, or ‘contemplation’. It is likened to a ‘palace of mirrors’ that reflects the pure point of light of Chokhmah, wisdom, increasing and multiplying it in an infinite variety of ways. In this sense, it is the ‘quarry’, which is carved out by the light of wisdom. It is the womb, which gives shape to the Spirit of God. On a psychological level, Binah is “processed wisdom,” also known as deductive reasoning. It is davar mitoch davar—understanding one idea from another idea. While Chokhmah is intellect that does not emanate from the rational process (it is either inspired or taught), Binah is the rational process that is innate in the person which works to develop an idea fully.

Binah is associated with the feminine. The Bahir states: “For you shall call Understanding a Mother.” Classical Jewish texts state Binah yeterah natun l’nashim, “an extra measure of Binah was given to women.”

The Matriarchs—Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah—build the Jewish Nation from within. Each woman possesses the ability to see what is not obvious on the surface, and that is why there is a Jewish Nation today.

The trait of binah—the ability to analyze, distinguish and thereby know the spiritual validity of something—is, without exception, predicated on knowledge of Torah. The Torah explains to us God’s view of good and bad, pure and impure, finite and eternal, true and false—in other words, the value of all things we encounter. Then and now, Jewish women with a deep understanding of the spirit of Torah apply binah within these parameters to define and categorize a new experience or situation. The cultivation of Binah requires tremendous effort and involvement in Torah. Ultimately, female binah, guided by Torah is meant to function as a searchlight of truth and clarity. This aptitude is an inheritance of Jewish women and a gift to their families, community and society.