Confusion about marijuana is no surprise.  The medical use of cannabis is legal (with a doctor's recommendation) in 31 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories of Guam and Puerto Rico.  Eight states have legalized recreational marijuana use in the United States.  With the advent of legalization, attitudes about marijuana have changed dramatically in the U.S.

Addiction and addiction recovery are realities in our community; they always have been and likely will be into the near future.  Until recently many people in the Jewish community denied that addiction was a Jewish issue.  Now there is a much greater recognition of how addiction challenges our own.  However, many Jewish families still express deep feelings of isolation when confronting addiction in themselves or their loved ones.

There are so many ways, large and small, that each of us can support Jewish families struggling with active addiction or in recovery, to bring them out of isolation and into the loving support our community offers.  Here are some ideas:

Not a day goes by when we are not inundated with stories of shootings, accidents, senseless acts of violence or natural disasters. When these events happen, we might feel shock or sadness, yet we strive to protect ourselves by keeping the tragedies at arm’s length. But how do we handle an unexpected or sudden loss in our own lives? 

No one realizes before they have kids, how many “what do I do now?” moments are involved in being a parent.  There are so many parenting books that it’s impossible to know what to read (if you have the time and energy to read) and too many people are eager to tell you what your family should be doing. 

Elana Boiskin, Jewish Chaplaincy Program Coordinator of JCFS was presented the distinguished Master of Arts in Jewish Professional Studies (MAJPS) at Spertus Institute’s commencement ceremony on December 9, 2018. Elana was among 17 Jewish communal professionals and scholars from across North America who were also awarded this prestigious degree.

What is spirituality?  It is broad with room for many views.  It is a term with many definitions: Love, light, culture, hope, soul, harmony, meaning, theology, and religion.  It often refers to a connection to something greater than us.  These are just a few of the concepts that come to mind when we talk about spirituality. 

Each fall, my husband and I turn our thoughts to adoption. While adoption is on our minds all year long, we think about it even more at this time of year. In addition to National Adoption Month taking place every November and raising awareness of adoption, each September, our family also celebrates “Gotcha Day” – the unforgettable day our son, Jake, joined our family.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, the ideal time to talk with kids about the issues they may have with peers at school, along with identifying the signs of bullying, and what we can do to prevent it.   

In the excitement surrounding the beginning of a new school year, it’s easy to forget about the basics of keeping kids safe while they are there. To help prevent abuse in schools and in the community, it is important for everyone to be informed about what is appropriate and not appropriate behavior among teachers, staff, parents and students.

I was recently introduced to two extraordinary groups of young people. One came in the form of a community meeting of the Between Friends Learning Collaborative which brings together providers who work toward ending intimate partner violence. The other is a group of young researchers, exploring social issues important to them as part of JUF's Research Training Internship (RTI).