By GIL HOFFMAN

Breast cancer was once a taboo topic for discussion in Israel, especially in the country’s periphery areas like Pittsburgh’s Partnership 2000 sister communities of Karmiel and Misgav.

Women in northern Israel were not aware of the dangers of breast cancer or of how it could be prevented, especially the more conservative Jewish, Arab, Druse and Bedouin women of the area.

But thanks to the intervention of concerned women and men in Pittsburgh, Karmiel and Misgav, efforts to prevent breast cancer and help women suffering from the disease in the region have made tremendous progress in recent years.

“Women’s health and education isn’t a big focus in Israel because of all the other problems the country is facing but we as a community have established and supported programs that have made a difference,”  said Brian Eglash, Campaign and Resource Development Director at the United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh.

That's what makes the more than 2,000 people who attended the annual 5-kilometer Hilla Bagalil Walk For Women’s Health in the Galilee on Friday very unique.  The annual walk united different sectors of Jews and non-Jewish populations who normally demonstrate against each other instead of together for a common cause. The walkers included 60 individuals who came to Israel on the largest United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh community mission's in more than a decade.

Mission Aviv, in Israel through May 10, began with a two-day visit to Karmiel and Misgav before traveling to other parts of the country.

“There used to be a gap in women’s health care in Israel because breast cancer was something Israelis didn’t talk about,” said Judy Wein, who co-chaired the mission along with her husband Rocky and Milton and Sarita Eisner. “People weren’t meeting the needs of Israeli women. But things have changed dramatically, because large groups of women have volunteered. People started coming out of the woodwork to become involved because it was so meaningful.”

The walk was especially emotional for Jane Moravitz of Harmer Township, who overcame breast cancer after she was diagnosed with it a decade ago and has been active in helping other women fight the disease in Pittsburgh and in Israel.

An exhibit at the walk displayed photos of Moravitz and 19 other Pittsburgh breast cancer survivors taken by Pittsburgh photographer Karen Myers. Called “Faces of Hope,” the goal of the exhibit was to give hope to Israeli women so they would know that there is life after breast cancer.

“The display tells everyone that life goes on,” Moravitz said at the march. “We are alive and healthy. We fought hard to be here, so we appreciate every breath. I am so grateful to be here and I am so sad for the people who are not here.”

Moravitz spoke to women currently suffering from the disease at the event, including Karmiel teacher Ahuva Alfasi, whose pupils insisted on walking with her. Moravitz dedicated her walk to two prominent Pittsburgh women who suffered from the disease, the late Federation chair Karen Shapira and the late community leader Tina Rieger. The exhibit featured photos of the two women alongside memorial candles.

“I will be walking with a smile on my face and a tear in my eye because I will be walking in memory of Karen Shapira and Tina Rieger,”  Moravitz said.

Ronna Harris of Squirrel Hill arranged to meet a friend on the walk who she hadn’t seen in 40 years since their graduation from Peabody High School. Harris and her friend Nina Landes Berger reconnected through the Internet

“It’s a ridiculously small Jewish world,” Harris said.

The walk was organized around the timing of the mission to allow the Pittsburghers to attend, in appreciation of Pittsburgh’s role in inspiring the first walk seven years ago and in helping found and fund the women’s health centers supported by the walk.

Hilla Bagalil was modeled after Pittsburgh’s annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, which raises money to fight breast cancer. Women involved in Voices, Partnership 2000’s women’s forum, recommended the idea and women from Karmiel and Misgav came to Pittsburgh to learn about Race for the Cure.

The first walk in 2000 attracted 1,000 people including Shapira and several other Pittsburgh Federation officials. Its organizers described this year’s walk with twice as many participants as a breakthrough.

“The big boost of people attending the walk this year is a celebration of the partnership between Jews of Pittsburgh, Karmiel and Misgav,”  Karmiel mayor Adi Eldar said at the walk. “The partnership is expressed in everything it contributes to the three partners.”

Besides raising awareness for breast cancer prevention, the walk raises money for the Hilla Center, a recovery center for women suffering from breast cancer, and the Weiner Na’amat Pittsburgh Center for Women’s Health Education, a project that organizes and supports educational workshops, seminars, social gatherings and community screening related to the health and lifestyle needs of women.

The latter center, which received its seed money from the Weiner Na’amat Pittsburgh Endowment Fund of the United Jewish Federation Foundation in 2001, offers socially and culturally sensitive programming at little to no cost in six languages, reaching out to weaker populations, such as single mothers, ultra-Orthodox, new immigrants and Bedouin. Some 10,000 women a year benefit from its unique programs.

“I don’t want to preach to the convinced,” the Center’s director Tammy Kenton said. “I want to get to women who wouldn’t normally leave their homes and engage them, so I find sneaky ways to get them to come to evenings with something they like.”

Recent events have included a fashion show with breast cancer examinations and an evening on makeup where women could also get their blood pressure checked.

“We aren’t so clever – the ideas are out there,” Kenton said, adding that the Pittsburgh Jewish community is a partner in everything her center does.

Kenton’s program has been adopted by Magee Women's Hospital of UPMC. Last week she visited Pittsburgh as a guest of Magee and the Jewish Women’s Foundation. Moravitz set up a foundation at UJF with the hopes of raising $2 million as an endowment fund to ensure that the center will go on forever.

“I fell in love with Tammy Kenton and the work she does for the women in our partnership area,” Moravitz said.

One event started by the center is a Full Moon Circle, where 20-30 women of all ages meet monthly when the moon is full. They come together to say thanks about the gifts in their lives and make wishes for the coming month.

“It fills the women with optimism and good feelings,” Effi, a volunteer at the center, told the mission. “They come out hugging and laughing and with the strength to go on for another month.”

The walk and the women’s center inspired the visitors from Pittsburgh, who included 23 people visiting Israel for the first time. Wein said she comes to Israel every two months to visit her daughter who lives in Jerusalem, but she said a mission is the best way to see the country.

“Community missions are invigorating,” Wein said. “I wanted to renew my feelings about how special Israel is. I like the spirit of coming here with newcomers, because it’s important to see Israel through fresh eyes. There is nothing like bringing someone to Israel for the first time. Missions are an effective way of building connections to Israel, Federation and the Jewish people.”

Mission organizers made an effort to attract participants from Mount Lebanon and Fox Chapel and not just the most active Jewish leaders from Squirrel Hill. The mission featured four different tracks for seeing Israel’s sites and interfaith options for four non-Jews on the trip.

“There’s been something for everyone on this mission,” Federation president Jeffrey Finkelstein said. “Everyone is getting involved with the relationship to Israel in a way that is meaningful to them.”