More than 250 Hadassah women came together to raise a glass this October, raise funds for lifesaving medical research at Hadassah's hospitals and raise awareness about breast cancer. From Boston to San Antonio, passionate members of Hadassah’s young women’s group, Evolve Hadassah: The Next Generation, joined virtual watch parties to attend Evolve’s Drink Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness event.
To toast raising awareness for breast cancer, Pamela Wiznitzer, a mixologist based in New York City and proud granddaughter of two Hadassah members, guided the attendees in a live demo to make the perfect pink cocktail (recipe below).
“Research is what gives a lot of hope both for us as physicians and for our patients and their families,” said Dr. Shani Paluch-Shimon, director of Breast Oncology at Hadassah's hospitals, who updated attendees about advances in breast cancer research. One recent study shows a higher survival rate among women who know they have the BRCA gene mutation, building on earlier Hadassah research that found Ashkenazi Jews have a 10 times greater prevalence of the BRCA1 mutation.
Hadassah members Erica Wisner and Pam Abromowitz shared their own inspiring personal stories about having preventative surgery after testing positive for the BRCA mutation.
"Get tested, be screened, talk to your doctor," said Erica Wisner, who had an oophorectomy and mastectomy. "Information gives you the power, gives you options, gives you choice. Ultimately, it can give you freedom, which it did for me."
Evolve Hadassah’s Drink Pink event was such a success, Hadassah chapters around the country are hosting their own Drink Pink events.
Drink Pink Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients:
2 oz spirit of your choice
Pomegranate or cranberry syrup
Lemon or lime juice
Splash of soda or seltzer water
Ice
Tools:
A shaker (can be a cocktail shaker, mason jar, pasta jar, water bottle, etc.)
1 tbsp (to measure ingredients)
Garnishes (optional):
Pomegranate arils (the edible seed sac)
Lemon or lime slices
Frozen cranberries
Fresh mint or rosemary
Make your own pomegranate/cranberry simple syrup:
Combine 1/2 cup sugar with 1/2 cup of either pomegranate or cranberry juice in a cup or bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves. Keep stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Instructions:
Add 3/4 ounces of the pomegranate/cranberry syrup into a shaker. Then squeeze juice from half of a lemon into the shaker. Add 2 ounces (or 4 tablespoons) of your spirit of choice. Add ice into your shaker, close the shaker and shake vigorously for eight seconds. In the shaker add a drizzle of soda water, and then strain the liquid into a glass with ice cubes. You can add a garnish if you choose. Enjoy!
Learn more:
Find out more about Evolve Hadassah: The Next Generation and follow Evolve on Facebook and Instagram.
Listen to this Hadassah On Call podcast episode, "Breast Cancer: Early Detection, Higher Risks and the Effect of COVID-19 — New Updates!"