Rabbi goes bald to support pediatric cancer research

Glenwood — Rabbi Elizabeth Dunsker of Congregation Kol Ami was in Chicago recently to attend the Central Conference of American Rabbis and to get a haircut on behalf of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which sponsors pediatric cancer research. The group wanted to recruit 36 rabbis because of the Jewish teaching that the whole world is sustained by 36 unknown but righteous people. In the end, more than 70 rabbis raised $570,000 for St. Baldrick. The effort was in memory of the late Sam “Superman” Sommer, the son of rabbis, who died of cancer last year at age 8. Dunsker herself raised $7,000 with the help of Bat Mitzvah student Anna Amundson. “When we feel helpless the thing to do is act,” Dunsker said. Anyone can continue contributing to her total at http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/660841/2014.