Dinner and Dialogue - How Does It Work?

Find out more about the event, and how it works, and get any of your questions answered

Watch the video.

Learn a bit more about the importance of the Dinner and Dialogue program, and what makes it a unique approach to thinking about health and personal decision making.

Dinner and Dialogue: The What, Why, and Who

Why Pair Food with Conversation?

  • Eating together while conversing is a fundamental part of human life

  • Meals bring individuals or groups together in the spirit of sharing and exchanging both food and conversation

  • Humans have been sharing meals, stories, and struggles as a way to bond and overcome adversities since the dawn of time

“Personal elements make conversations more meaningful.” 

Why Discuss Hereditary Cancer in the Jewish Community?

  • Cancer can be difficult to think and talk about

  • BRCA 1 and 2 (which stands for BR – “breast” and CA – “cancer”) gene mutations are hereditary (passed down from your parents)

  • They increase your risk of several preventable cancers, including breast, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic cancer

  • People of Jewish descent are at higher risk of inheriting the BRCA gene mutations

    • For Ashkenazi people, this risk is 1 in 40

    • For Sephardi people, this risk is 1 in 140

  • Up to half (50%) of people with Jewish ancestry who carry BRCA genes do not have a significant family history of cancer

  • Considering BRCA testing is critical for Jewish young adults, regardless of gender

Why Should Young Adults Think about BRCA testing?

  • We often think about cancer and hereditary diseases as being a problem for ‘later’

  • But, the best time to get tested for cancer and hereditary diseases is before they develop

  • People who are BRCA carriers have many options that when taken earlier, can reduce their lifetime risk of cancer and often prevent these cancers from occuring altogether

“The best time to get tested for BRCA is when you are old enough to sign the consent form.” -Dr. Rona Cheifetz, BC Cancer Hereditary Cancer Program

Why a Dinner & Dialogue about Hereditary Cancer?

  • Dinner and Dialogue supports young adults in thinking about their personal values and how they want to approach their health and cancer prevention

  • It also empowers them to overcome the anxiety that often accompanies discussing the idea of hereditary cancer

  • Conversations that offer an opportunity to listen and learn from one another are part of a Dinner and Dialogue

  • This may or may not prompt somebody to take action regarding their health, which is okay

  • Understanding your personal hereditary cancer risk is of fundamental importance, regardless of whatever future actions you may choose to take

Who Can Host a Dinner & Dialogue about Hereditary Cancer?

  • You do not have to be a medical expert to host a Dinner and Dialogue

  • A great host is interested in supporting conversations about important issues in their community

  • We can be present at events to answer any questions you feel unable to answer

“Knowledge is power. Ignorance is bliss. But I would still prefer to have knowledge.”

Food brings people together!

Participant Ratings of Dinner and Dialogue

Participants Ratings of the Quality of Conversations

Participants Ratings of the Topic

% of Participants Who Increased their Knowledge of BRCA

The ‘Art of Dialogue’

  • Dinners and Dialogue is based on empathy and understanding

  • Rather than debate, which encourages divisive dichotomies of ‘right and wrong,’ they encourage participants to self-discover and think through nuance

  • We urge organizers to rely on the ‘spirit of motivation’ (distilled from Motivational Interviewing)

  • This encourages active listening and the understanding of other’s points of view

“Dialogue is largely about listening for the purpose of deepening our understanding.”

Dinner and Dialogue Relies On:

  • Open-ended questions: To open up dialogue

  • Reflective listening: Paraphrasing what participants have said while moving the conversation forward

  • Affirmation: Being positive about what has been said and acknowledging participation

  • Summary: Helps the group solidify what has been said and establishes if there is consensus on a topic

  • Self-motivating statements: This is a way to help group members find their own motivation for change

  • Optimism: Optimism can be used carefully to keep the group from being entrenched in the negativity of a problem

“The most important parts were the different views about why or why not to get tested. It was interesting to hear what others had to say.” 

How might a Dinner and Dialogue look like in your community?

  • This event can happen either on its own or in combination with other community events (i.e., group meetings or dinners)

  • We recommend combining or integrating the event into your existing programming

  • The Dinner and Dialogue event should take around 60 minutes and consist of two main sections: a group discussion/dialogue period and a Q and A period

  • It is preferably led by a person (the facilitator) who is familiar with the group (e.g., a Rabbi or community leader)

“Conversation is always easier over a good meal.” 

Part 1: Discussion

  • We often start by dividing people into groups of 8 to 10 people, depending on the number of attendees

  • Then, guests are provided with a suggested dialogue structure to discuss questions about health, cancer risk and genetic testing

  • In the past, we have found value in using an 'active listener' who summarizes the group's discussion points and reflects them back to the group for consensus building and moving forward the collective understanding of the issue

Part 2: Q&A Period

  • The facilitator can share some pre-prepared informational brochures from BRCAinBC

  • The crowd can ask the program coordinator questions about hereditary cancers, testing procedures, and BRCAinBC’s efforts

  • Participants can learn more about accessible genetic testing resources

  • After finishing the event, participants may be asked to complete a survey about their experiences and what they learned

“We hope this program brings your community together, fostering engagement and understanding on a topic that impacts us all.”

How we can help

  • We can provide some sponsorship for the costs of the dinner supplies, like food or drinks

  • We can help support the coordination and planning of your Dinner and Dialogue event

  • We can assist in facilitating the event itself, if needed

  • We can offer medical expertise for the event’s audience, depending on the needs

Suggestions for a great Dinner and Dialogue

  • We recommend merging the event into a guest slot in an upcoming recurring event, like a Shabbat dinner or program for young adults

  • Example events include:

    • A Challah Bake

    • A Community Shabbat Dinner

    • A Pub Night

    • Indoor and Outdoor gatherings

    • Sisterhood events

    • A Young Professionals program

    • Or anything you believe is appropriate!

A Suggested Conversation on Hereditary Cancers

Questions that could be discussed at a Dinner and Dialogue event.

  • At this stage of your life, how much do you think about your health or making efforts to prevent disease in the future?

  • Do you think there is any value in knowing you have a gene that could put you at higher risk for cancer or ‘is ignorance bliss’?

  • What would factor into a decision for you to get genetic testing for a cancer gene or not? For example, the opinions of friends or family members, the cost or ease of getting tested, and what is involved in the testing process.

  • What do you think would prevent a friend or family member from getting genetic testing if they wanted it and how would you support them through the process? How would you want a friend or family member to support you through the process?

  • What have you heard about the BRCA genes, their importance for Jewish people and hereditary cancers, if anything?

  • What other questions do you have as a group about these topics, if anything? 

  The Role of the “Listener”

  1. Summarises the key themes that came up for you during the conversation

  2. Describes highlights, quotes or ‘golden nuggets’ that they heard or observed during the discussion

  3. Notes the most important thing they heard during the dialogue

  4. Reports what were the top 3 barriers to testing identified by the group

  5. Details if there was anything missing from the conversation

  6. Provides feedback on what else they would wish to hear being explored in the conversation

  7. Tells the group about anything else they would like to add

FAQ for Organizers

  • The program is structured for young adults. However, the audience does not have to be only young adults, but we recommend that it be held in a majority young adult one.

  • The goal of the event is to collect ideas through an informal 'chatting with friends' format. As a result, technology and writing are not required. 'Active listeners' can be assigned from the crowd to remember any ideas explored in the discussion. Likewise, surveys can be completed after the event or during a more appropriate to accommodate for technological constraints.

  • We aim to use a 'cost-sharing' model when it comes to certain items needed for the event, especially food. To actually evaluate the amount of money needed, we must first discuss the event, audience, and numbers.

  • Considering that the event is usually coupled with a recurring program, marketing materials can be easily adapted to include the Dinner and Dialogue event. If needed, BRCAinBC has an in-house marketing team. As a result, we recommend that any marketing material you produce be sent our way to finalize it.

Helpful Resources

Return to the main Dinner and Dialogue page.