It’s trite to say that Purim confusion morphed into Pesaḥ disappointment; my world fell apart and then I became resilient. It would be truer to add: and then anxious, and then resilient, and then anxious once more. Of course, my family and friends provided care, support, empathy, and love. We endured challenges, including long-distance care
COVID, Creativity, Compassion, and Community Read More »
As president of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, I speak nearly every day to students on campus confronting antisemitism. In my nearly seven years running a legal advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the civil and human rights of the Jewish people, I have observed and learned the following: 1. What
Lessons Learned from the Legal Battle Against Campus Antisemitism Read More »
Previously published by ejewishphilanthropy.com, May 7, 2024. In the days, weeks, and months after October 7th, I was inspired to see how the Jewish people rallied together to support our siblings in Israel. I was added to new group chats every day, coordinating thousands of donations to Israeli soldiers and families. It was beautiful and
After October 7th, Jewish Unity Must Include Queer Jews Read More »
Adapted from an article originally published in the Times of Israel blog, December 6, 2023. https://blogs. timesofisrael.com/lets-not-demonize-college-students/. In the weeks after October 7th, the text messages came in droves, from friends and family alike: “Oh my goodness! Are you okay? There is so much antisemitism on college campuses!” I responded that I was fine, and
Let’s Not Demonize College Students Read More »
Adapted from the written testimony of Amanda Silberstein before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary Hearing on Free Speech on College Campuses, November 8, 2023. “I was alone in a world gone mad.” These are the words my grandfather wrote the day in October 1942 after his father had been shot dead
Report from Cornell: A Campus Gone Mad Read More »
Adapted from an article published in The Jewish Link, January 18, 2024 I am one of many people who have gone to Israel on a mission. In January, Jofa and Maharat brought over 30 people to give hizuk and support. In fact, we got so much more than we gave, and the images that I
On Bearing Witness: Reflections on the Maharat and Jofa Mission to Israel Read More »
The words that follow carry pain—and also seeds of hope. It is about depression and other mental illnesses. It is about the isolation and anguish felt not only by the person with the illness, but by their families as well. And…it is about taking steps to lift these stories out of darkness and shame. It
Opening the Dark Closet of Depression: From Silence to Support Read More »
Benjamin’s Story: “When my teachers asked in Hebrew school what I planned to be when I grew up, I never imagined I’d be struggling with a heroin addiction, stealing from my parents’ peace of mind and pocketbooks, or trading a bunk bed at Camp Young Judea for a bunk bed in a jail cell. I
Spirituality and Community: A Jewish Response to Addiction Read More »
Mental health has gone through unbelievable changes in the last 150 years. It would be beyond the scope of this article to enumerate those changes, but suffice it to say that the field has gone from being vague and mysterious to being fairly well-defined and quantitatively assessed. Where before there was no clarity on how
The Emerging Role of the Rabbi in Mental Health Issues Read More »
As two women whose professional and spiritual lives are rooted in public health, medicine, and Torah, we are honored to introduce this powerful issue of the JOFA Journal, dedicated to the many dimensions of women’s health in Jewish life. One of us, Mindy, approaches this work as a public health researcher, committed to understanding the
Toward a Community of Healing Read More »
