A compassionate hairy tale

SUZANNE BELLING

She recalled her older sister, Chayale, who is now studying at a seminary in New York, had cut her hair several years ago and donated it to make wigs for cancer patients who had lost their hair after undergoing chemotherapy.

“If she did it, I thought I could do something like that too,” Sarale said.

Her mother, Rebbetzen Naomi, told SA Jewish Report: “She made the decision entirely on her own. For young girls, hair is a very important part of their looks, and we are very proud that she decided to follow in her sister’s footsteps.”

Sarale’s hair was plaited in a big, thick braid, which will go a long way towards making a wig. Sarale’s father, Rabbi Ari Shishler of Chabad of Strathavon, is very pleased with his daughter’s decision.

Rabbi Shishler was totally unaware of her decision until she presented him with the braid. He immediately posted a picture on Facebook, inquiring whether anyone going to Israel could take the braid to Zichron Menachem, which specialises in cancer patient support, especially for children.

He also set about talking to congregants who were going to Israel and could take the plait with them to wigmakers. One of them took it last week to this organisation, which supplies children afflicted by cancer with new hair.

Zichron Menachem was founded in 1990 by Chaim and Miri Ehrental after their oldest child, Menachem, died of leukaemia at the age of 15. He’d been diagnosed at two years old. The Ehrentals soon realised there were few places they could turn to for support. Zichron Menachem (which means “Menachem’s memorial”) was created to change this.

It has developed into Israel’s leading provider of support services to children with cancer and to their families.

“Sarale felt she want to help a child in Israel,” said her mother.

According to Roni Hecht, spokesperson for the organisation, one of the first questions that kids with cancer ask is: “Will I lose my hair?”

Zichron Menachem collects hair from donors around the world to make much-needed wigs for children who have lost their hair during treatment.

Chaim Ehrental, Zichron Menachem’s founder and chairperson, said hair was an important part of a child’s identity. “A wig can raise a smile on the face of a child, a young woman or a sick woman in her difficult and threatening confrontation with cancer.”

Hecht told SA Jewish Report that hair donations were received from all over the world, particularly from countries with large Jewish communities.

“All donations are sent to the wigmaker. A good wig can consist of up to seven hair donations.”

While Zichron Menachem initially gave wigs only to young cancer patients, over the past five years, any woman suffering from cancer has been able to get a wig of her choice, thanks to a joint campaign with Pantene hair product manufacturers and an increase in the number of donations.

At the time of this interview, Sarale had not yet returned to school, where she is starting Grade 5. “No one has seen me yet with my shorter hair. But I am hoping that when they do, it will encourage more girls to donate their hair.”