UJF Women is coordinating an extraordinary community-wide breast cancer awareness and solidarity effort between Pittsburgh and Israel through participation in the 2002 Komen Pittsburgh Race for the Cure®. Agencies, organizations and synagogues from throughout the Jewish community will join forces on Sunday, May 12, 2002, under a single banner, Team Hilla Bagalil, as a demonstration of community solidarity.

This effort follows the two-time highly successful Hilla Bagalil: Walking Together for Women's Health in the Galilee, a race/walk designed to build awareness about women's health issues in Israel. Proceeds from the Pittsburgh event went directly to address women's health needs in Pittsburgh's Partnership 2000 communities of Karmiel and the Misgav region, in Israel's Galilee. The program is part of the UJF Voices 2000 effort, a component of Partnership 2000.

The 2002 Team Hilla Bagalil, which will include 11 leaders from our partnership region in Israel, is being chaired by Bunny Morris and co-chaired by Jane Moravitz. They are working closely with Race for the Cure® Director Laurie Moser and coordinator Linda Charapp. UJF Women's chair is Nancy Ostrow. Voices 2000 is chaired by Barb Booken and co-chaired by Tova Weinberg.

To be part of this Jewish community effort, Hilla Bagalil Team members must register by April 17 using special Hilla Bagalil Race for the Cure® registration forms. Their donation above and beyond the registration fee will go directly to support women's health programs in Israel. For more information, contact UJF Women's Director Francine Myers Darling at fdarling@ujf.net.

The Baltimore Connection

Women from the region will also participate in the Komen Race (dates permitting) to be held in Baltimore, usually in the with a direct connection/fund-raising to the Hilla BaGalil. A virtual walk in Baltimore is organized through the direct connections with women in the region and Baltimore. Hilla Baltimore will again take place this year in conjunction with HADASSAH'S Race for Research in August.

Adar 5762 - February 2002