Chef Avi Shemtov helps spread the word about BRCA gene mutations with a free dinner

SHARON — Eliza Danielson and Jordana Phillips sat at a table for two, excitedly discussing the night's events. But instead of speculating about the chef's tasting menu they were about to be served, Phillips, a radiologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, was stressing the importance of BRCA mutation testing to Danielson.

“I understand that, sometimes, testing for gene mutations can cause anxieties, but this is not one of those times,” Phillips said. Danielson agreed to get tested, admitting that she hadn’t known about the breast cancer mutation or how dangerous it could be.

Chef Avi Shemtov said this type of conversation is exactly why he held a free dinner last week at Simcha, a Sharon restaurant where Shemtov serves Israeli and Turkish cuisine with New England influences. On Thursday he hosted Nadine Tung, an oncologist specializing in breast cancer, to talk about an ongoing study, called Bfor, that includes free genetic testing that helps men and women who are Ashkanazi Jews find out whether they have the mutation, which could significantly increase their chances of getting cancer.

Simcha was filled with predominantly women on Thursday night, with just one man accompanying his wife to the lecture in the packed restaurant. Tung said that she had expected as much because BRCA gene is an abbreviation for breast cancer gene, but that didn't mean that men couldn't be affected by it. A mutation in BRCA 1 raises a woman's chance of getting breast cancer to 87 percent and a mutation in BRCA 2 can cause an extremely aggressive and life-threatening type of prostate cancer in men.


Thursday's free meal at Simcha targeted the area's Jewish population because the mutation Tung is studying is most common among Ashkanazi Jews. Tung said Ashkanazi Jews have a one in 40 chance of having a mutation to the BRCA genes, which is 10 times higher than the general population. Sephardic Jews do not have a higher risk for mutation.

“We all inherited some bad genes that put us at risk,” said Tung, an Ashkanazi Jew herself. She said that she firmly believed in testing for genetic mutations, even if it can be scary. “The information is something you can learn from and take preventative measures.”

As part of her study, Tung is offering free BRCA testing for women and men of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry age 25 or older. For more information, go to bforstudy.com.

While Tung spoke, servers brought out plates of wood-oven baked pita and hummus, beets roasted in cast-iron skillets and topped with an Israeli blend of nuts and seeds, and confit chicken wings tossed in sweet and spicy paprika. The food is a reflection of Shemtov’s culture, Sephardic food that has an emphasis on Israeli and Turkish cuisine. Shemtov’s father’s family moved to Israel from Turkey to escape oppression. There, they met neighbors who had come from all over the world. This influenced Shemtov’s grandparent’s cooking, and ultimately his father and his own cooking for their restaurants.

The major difference between Sephardic and Ashkanazi Jews is their cultural ancestry, Tung said. Sephardic Jews come initially from Spain and traveled to the Middle East and Israel from the Mediterranean Sea. Ashkanazi Jews are from Eastern Europe, Poland and Russia and make up approximately 95 percent of the Jewish population in America.

Shemtov said that even though he is a Sephardic Jew, he felt it was important to help spread information that could help the majority of the American Jewish population. To him, cancer screening is personal, though it is his mother, who converted to Judaism when she married his father, whose family has a greater history a history of cancer.

Shemtov said his mother's father died when she was 12, leaving behind several children. Since becoming a father, Shemtov said he felt he owed it to his children to be tested as frequently as possible for cancer, and he felt others owed it to their families to be tested, as well. When he was approached to host this event, he said he felt compelled to help. Shemtov said that, to him, this event and educating people about BRCA mutations is a way to help others.

“If we can identify the gene (mutations) and we can detect cancer, why wouldn’t I help spread the word?” Shemtov said. He said it was important to him to not just use his restaurant and status as a chef to talk about food.

At one point in the night, Tung announced to the full restaurant that she hoped everyone would spread the word about the BRCA gene mutations to their friends, and also spread the word about how amazing Simcha’s food was. Shemtov laughed and told people to focus on the gene more, and less about the food.

“Burgers, pita, pizza and falafel won’t change the world, but it can give me a platform to help others,” Shemtov said.

As Tung took questions from the audience, Shemtov leaned against the bar. He was smiling as he looked out at everyone talking. When asked what was on his mind, Shemtov took a second to look over at his mother and sister sitting at the bar before answering.

“What’s one free dinner going to cost me if it ends up saving someone’s life?” he said. "If one person out of everyone in this room finds out they have the mutation, then it's completely worth it."