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A Rabbi's World
In the Beginning
Culture View
First Person
A Rabbi's World
First Person
Tim Boxer
A Rabbi's World
Culture View
A Rabbi's World
Breaking The Taboo
by Debra Nussbaum Cohen
Staff Writer
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On a cold April night two years ago, Alan Dutka stood on the roof of his Teaneck, N.J., apartment building and jumped. The suicide of this bright, devout former Yeshiva University student who for eight years had suffered from schizophrenia belied the belief that religious Jews don't suffer from psychiatric illness, that it is a scourge of "the outside world." In testimony given by Orthodox Jews at a first-of-its kind conference in Manhattan Sunday, it was clear that psychiatric illness including depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depression) are part of the human condition and life in the observant community. Yet psychiatric illness has been a topic so taboo that it has not been openly discussed in the Orthodox communityóeven in the last several years, as subjects including teenage addiction and spousal abuse have been the subjects of major gatherings of rabbis and laypeople. "Mental Health & The Orthodox Community: A Day of Education and Empathy" was held at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, which is housed at Congregation Ramath Orah on the Upper West Side. The conference was co-sponsored by the Orthodox Union and several neighborhood synagogues. It was organized by Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot, who detailed his own struggles with major depression in an article in the fall issue of the Orthodox Union's magazine Jewish Action. He confronted his first depression at about the same time that his friend Maidi Katz was battling her own. The rising young star in the world of elite female Torah scholars lost her fight, and took her own life in 1996. His goal now, Rabbi Helfgot said in an interview, is to help people learn about mental illness and talk about it as they might other kinds of illness: openly. "It's almost like we're 20 or 25 years behind the general community," he said. "Thank God there's been greater openness in the last decade in talking about problems in the frum community. But mental illness has just not been talked about openly." The issue is certainly not new to the observant. Chasidic texts address despair in a way that resonates strongly with those who have experienced depression. But there has been little guidance from within the Orthodox community, beyond getting more fervent in prayer to God. And medical advances of the past two decades in the treatment of psychiatric dysfunction have made few inroads into the more fervent sectors of the Orthodox community, where there is often reluctance to take medication for such problems. A few unique factors are at work in the Orthodox community that can affect those with psychiatric illness, according to conference participants. First is denial, which leads to a sense of shame and secrecy among those facing psychiatric disorders, leaving them in dangerous isolation. When Rabbi Ron Yitzchok Eisenman, spiritual leader of an Orthodox synagogue in Passaic, N.J., first confronted the paralyzing anxiety that made him feel like he was suffocating and needing to flee, he turned to one of the rabbis who had mentored him in yeshiva. "He said: 'Don't tell anyone,' " Rabbi Eisenman related at the conference. "He said it wasn't mental illness, it sounded like a thyroid condition." The focus on religious fervency as a solution to all problems is another hurdle. It can lead to "masking" obsessive-compulsive behavior, for example, that is regarded as acceptable because it takes the form of observance, said Rabbi Shmuel Goldin of Congregation Ahavath Torah in Englewood, N.J. "When I was in college, I put on tefillin five times a day," he said, rather than the once that is required of Orthodox men. "I was obsessive. Sometimes you'll see a young man standing in front of a mirror adjusting his tefillin just so, for 15 or 20 minutes or more. That should tell us that something is wrong." "For too long there was an assumption that if we were good Jews, we'd live shielded from life's struggles," said Elana Katz, who is on staff at the Manhattan-based Ackerman Institute for the Family, which trains therapists. "This made it hard for people to get help." The "shidduch factor" remains another serious obstacle to the treatment of psychiatric illness. The lives of single adults and their families' lives are scrutinized by the families of potential suitors. A psychiatric illness is thought to stain the reputation of an extended family. "The kinds of questions now being asked before two people even meet" are ridiculous," said Rabbi Goldin. "As a community, we have become obsessive-compulsive," he said, to spontaneous applause. "In that environment, how can someone be expected to come forward and deal with their issues?" When mental illness is severe and the patient requires residential housing, there are virtually no places where an Orthodox Jew can feel comfortable, said Rabbi Helfgot. He spoke with one woman who may place her teenage daughter in a supervised community run by Christians, because there aren't any Jewish options. "Mental illness left untreated can lead to crime, addiction and even suicide," said Dr. Zipporah Tokayer, director of the mobile crisis team for adult mental health services at Ohel, the Brooklyn-based family-services organization. When there is acceptance, however, the tight-knit nature of Orthodox families and communities can provide support for someone grappling with mental illness, participants said. And for some, prayer is a powerful force for healing. "One of the things that helped me through the fear and depression was tefillah," said Rabbi Eisenman. "My loneliness was made easier by the recognition of God in my life." The conference attracted roughly 450 people, including mental health professionals, rabbis and laypeople. Many were eager for a forum where they could ask the questions that others in their communities are too uncomfortable to hear. The gathering was such a success that Rabbi Helfgot says he hopes to spark similar conferences in other Orthodox communities. As for Alan Dutka, a 5K walk to raise money for mental health research will be held in his memory Sunday, May 19, on the grounds of the Kushner Hebrew Academy in Livingston, N.J. For more information, or to donate, contact: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Last Update:
11/16/2009 - 11:39
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subset: commoncrawl


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righty tighty, lefty loosey
righty tighty, lefty loosey
Don't think I could have put it better myself...
If there's a con to placing it on the right, it's that a left-sided menu is considered the "standard" way to go. The con for putting on the left is...exactly the same reason. :)
btw, there are 3-column tepmlates, too :) - so you can have menus on both sides (LOL)
The eyes naturally gravitate towards the left of the screen, so I prefer a right menu. I doubt most people care one way or another. Just choose your personal preference.
Thanks for the replies, they are helpful. The right menu just seems a bit handier so I guess I'll try that for a while anyway. Being so new into blogging, I guess time will automatically decide the best way to go.
This topic has been closed to new replies.


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Prospective students and their families are invited to spend part of the day on campus getting to know the college better through an information session, tour and panel discussion.
The schedule of events for either day is as follows:
8:45 a.m. - Registration
Alvarez College Union
9 a.m. - Navigating Selective College Admission and Financial Aid
Learn more about the admission process.
10 a.m. - Campus Tours
Tours last approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
11:15 a.m. - Refreshments
11:30 a.m. - Why Davidson? The Davidson Experience
Get to know Davidson through a panel discussion with members of the Davidson community.
Registration for A Day @ Davidson is now open. We look forward to welcoming you to campus soon!


text: On Wed, Dec 09, 2009 at 12:23:50 -0600, Bruno Wolff III <bruno wolff to> wrote: > On Wed, Dec 09, 2009 at 11:20:02 -0700, > "Nathanael D. Noblet" <nathanael gnat ca> wrote: > > > > This a rawhide only issue or F12 as well? > > It affects F12. You want the -166 kernel. However right now it is still > building. (I didn't check to see if some arches are done already.) The > updated kernel for rawhide has completed building. The 686 step is not quite done yet, but eveything else is. You can grab the rpms that are done by walking down into the tasks. The build will probably be done in a few minutes though.


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Good news for storekeepers: Wayne Jordan evaluates the evidence of buyers shopping online, but buying in bricks-and-mortar stores, where they can touch, feel and try before they make their purchases.
Antiques News
Antique Trader launching 7th Annual Favorite Finds contest
Antique Trader is once again teaming up with Heritage Auctions to host the 7th Annual Favorite Finds contest. The contest calls on people to share stories of discovering treasured antiques and collectibles, for a chance to win a $500 auction credit at Heritage Auctions.
Pearl discovered in policeman's seafood soup sells for $16,500
A Boston policeman's recent discovery of a Quahog pearl in his bowl of soup resulted in the sale of the uncommon saltwater find for $16,500 at auction.
Museum displaying rare American flags June 14
For one day only, June 14, in celebration of Flag Day, Winterthur is placing on display the rare Commander-in-Chief Flag, which reportedly "accompanied General Washington everywhere he went."
Albert Einstein's letters open for bidding June 3
Albert Einstein will be represented during Profiles in History's June 3 auction, as 25 lots of documents and memorabilia associated with Einstein, including letters to family, are set for sale.
Behind the Gavel: When does a hobby become a business?
In the latest Behind the Gavel column, Wayne Jordan points out the troubles that can arise from lax record keeping when purchasing items for your collections. Should you ever sell, Uncle Sam will be expecting his share of the profit.
Printer clearing out warehouse of circus posters
The circus is coming town, in a matter of speaking. During The World Wide Circus Summit 2015, in Springfield, Mass. July 14-18, Enquirer Printing Company of Newtown, Ohio, will be offering a large collection of circus memorabilia for sale.
Antique Trader producing consignment guide
Antique Trader is producing a special consignment guide and directory, and invites auction houses to participate by submitting contact information for their consignment directors for inclusion in the directory.
Toy museum announces special events for balance of 2015
The schedule of events at the Spencer Doll and Toy Museum, in Spencer, N.C., for the rest of 2015 include a magic performance, a beauty pageant, an appraisal fair and a birthday bash, just to name a few special activities.
Czech collectors gathering June 4-7
Come June 4, collectors of Czechoslovakian glass, pottery and art will gather in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for the three-day Czechoslovakian Collectors Association annual meeting.


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Three Topeka-area residents were honored Wednesday with Champion of Character awards.
The Safe Streets Coalition and Topeka City of Character program recognized the recipients at a news conference. The awards are given to people who improve the health safety and quality of life in the community.
Brittney Hiegert was one of the recipients. She called 911 when she saw flames coming from the construction site of the Farley Elementary School building. Fire crews say, without Brittney's help, the fire could have been much worse.
Connie and Steve Cchoenfeld were also recognized. They took more than $2000 cash to police that they had found along the curb in their neighborhood. They were unable to attend the news conference.


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The secret to Friedman's success after 100 years has to do with translating the civic pride of the communities it serves into good food retailing
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