JOSE F. MORENO/Courier-Post Rabbi Jerry David and members of his congregation are taking part in the Race for the Cure on Mother's Day.

It's the reason why Cherry Hill's Temple Emanuel is raising money for an armored school bus for Israel children. It's the reason why the synagogue's members make casseroles for soup kitchens.

And it's the reason David and about 50 of his congregants are walking in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Philadelphia Race for the Cure on Mother's Day.

The annual event raises money for breast cancer treatment, research, support and community education. This year, more than 40,000 people are expected to participate. Temple Emanuel is the first synagogue in South Jersey to participate as a group.

David's mother died from cancer, and he has counseled many congregants who have been diagnosed with the disease.

Among them is Dr. Janine Sobel, a psychiatrist who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998, when she was 43. Her two daughters were just 11 and 13 at the time.

Sobel discovered a lump during her monthly self-exam, something she stresses every woman should do. The discovery was frightening, she said.

"Your whole world slows down to almost a stop," the Cherry Hill resident said. "I was focused on survival at that point and taking stock of what's important to your life."

She underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment, and is cancer-free today.

As she has each year since her diagnosis, Sobel will be at the Race for the Cure with her family and friends. This time, she'll be accompanied by her rabbi and members from her congregation.

Her faith was an important part of her recovery, she said. Faced with the possibility of death, she wanted to make sure she helped make the world better, a central Jewish concept called tikkun olam or "repair the world."

Participating in the Race for the Cure is her contribution to making the world a better place. Like hundreds of other breast cancer survivors, she'll be wearing a pink shirt at the walk. It's a message of hope to others who have been diagnosed.

That's also the message David shares with congregants who are facing cancer. He counsels them to turn to God. Praying is one way. Taking action is another.

"That is why this Race for the Cure is so important," he said, "because it's meeting God halfway."