Support group: No child should face cancer alone

In 2008, just weeks after losing her husband, Jeremy Coleman, to Stage 4 stomach cancer, Pamela Becker helped transform grief into a force for good.

Together with his sisters and close friends, she launched Jeremy’s Circle, a grassroots initiative born from a simple but powerful idea: no child should face cancer in their family alone.

Seventeen years later, that circle has expanded into a lifeline for over 1,100 families across Israel. What began as weekend outings for Jeremy’s young children and their peers has evolved into a robust nonprofit offering respite, connection and healing through joy.

With Pamela continuing as CEO from her Tel Aviv home base, the organization now runs high-impact programs year-round for children and teens coping with the trauma of cancer in their immediate family.

“Jeremy was focused on helping our kids feel normal. He wanted them to have fun, to connect with other kids who understood what they were going through,” she says. “That vision still drives everything we do.”

Jeremy’s Circle is intentionally inclusive, serving Israeli families from all backgrounds — Jewish, Muslim, Druze, Christian and others. Its multilingual approach (including Hebrew, English, Arabic and Russian) and programming across the country, from the Galilee to Eilat, ensure that geography and language are not barriers for the children to finding care and friendship.

The organization supports children and teens with a parent or sibling battling cancer or grieving their loss. While these families were already navigating hardship, the events of October 7, 2023, and the ongoing war have compounded stress and isolation.

“Our families are facing dual fronts — cancer and conflict,” explains Pamela. “It’s made our mission more urgent than ever.”

Despite the challenges, the 2024 Impact Report reveals notable growth: a 10% increase in participating families and 17 well-attended events, including family fun days, teen gatherings, and virtual meetups. The organization’s signature blend of peer support and play has proven to be a healing formula.

Jeremy’s Circle recently appointed Dr. Stephanie Becker, based in the United States, as incoming chairperson to expand its reach beyond Israel. While the nonprofit remains firmly rooted in Israel, Stephanie’s role signals a strategic pivot toward US philanthropy.

After learning about Lev Echad’s community resilience programs at a Bloomberg Philanthropies event, Stephanie championed a powerful collaboration between the organizations. She recognized that today’s Israeli youth, having endured COVID isolation, personal challenges and the trauma of Oct. 7, 2023, need tools to manage overwhelming stress and understand the power of community support.

The partnership leverages Jeremy’s Circle’s expertise in creating meaningful teen events to develop community-building activities for teens affected by the Oct. 7 attacks and those displaced from northern Israel. 

Lev Echad is a grassroots group that is a recipient of the Israeli Presidential Award for Volunteerism. The two organizations created joint initiatives for teens affected by war, loss, and displacement, and have collaborated on trauma-informed youth programs

“She’s helping us connect with North American funders and partner organizations that share our values,” Pamela notes. “This expansion allows us to scale, while staying true to our original vision.”

One recent US-Israeli collaboration culminated in the Dead Sea Marathon, bringing together 95 teens from diverse backgrounds. From Connecticut’s Bicultural Hebrew Academy, 36 teens joined 59 Israeli teens from Jeremy’s Circle and communities near the northern border who were displaced or living under fire.

The teens trained and ran side by side. It wasn’t just about running. It was about building resilience and forming friendships that cross borders and backgrounds.

The coming months are to be packed with meaningful experiences.

On June 1, families will gather at the Children’s Museum in Holon for a Shavuot celebration, exploring sensory-rich exhibits like “Dialogue in the Dark” and “Invitation to Silence.” As always, transportation, meals, and activities are covered financially and fully arranged, removing barriers for families in crisis.

In July, 80 to 100 children entering grades 4-11 are expected to attend Jeremy’s Circle’s overnight summer camp near Zichron Ya’akov. The five-day retreat promises sports, arts, bonfires and a chance to laugh without fear or worry.

Then, in August, an extraordinary expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro is to unite nine Jeremy’s Circle teens with seven youth from northern Israel who have been displaced by war.

Partnering with Accessibility Accelerator, the trek isn’t just a physical challenge, it’s a symbolic shift from being helped to helping others. The 50-person group plans for a nine-day journey that includes seven days of climbing Africa’s highest peak and a two-day safari.