Jewish Community Programs

by Nina Henry, JCFS Chicago Addiction Specialist

With much of the world shut down, loneliness has become a familiar facet of everyday life, especially for older Americans living alone, in nursing homes, or retirement communities.

by: Ann Luban, Senior Director, Jewish Community Services

NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) reported that 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 6 youth struggle with mental health challenges each year. While there are no magic wands we can wave, there are some strategies we can employ to help ourselves and that we can share with our family and friends.

As we reshape our lives and navigate a new normal, we feel the impact of this current pandemic on our emotional well-being.

Throughout history, as humans spread across the world, infectious diseases have been a constant companion.  Even in this modern era, outbreaks are nearly constant. The Jewish community has lived through those times.  We can learn from the past. 

Imagine a situation in which thousands of Jews all over the world are sitting in churches every week.  Many of them are wishing they could be sitting in a synagogue instead, but they can’t. So who are these Jews?  These are Jews in recovery from addiction of every sort. These are all Jews attending 12-Step meetings.  

Although it’s a snowy winter Friday afternoon in Chicago, inside Bella Terra, a senior living community in Morton Grove, warm Shabbat melodies envelop Jewish residents. Twice a month they come together to welcome Shabbat with services led by conservative Cantor Fortunee Belilos and volunteer Rabbi Milt Wakschlag. 

When concerns about substance use or other possible addictions arise: what help is available? Who can I call?

JCFS Chicago is honored to partner with MISSD and No Shame on U to expand the suicide prevention work of the Chicago Jewish community and offer support and comfort to those who have lost someone to suicide, with support from JUF’s Breakthrough Fund.

As January 1, 2020 approaches, JCFS Chicago’s addiction services has been receiving  requests to provide information about marijuana in anticipation of the legalization of recreational use in Illinois.  As with all substance use issues, marijuana legalization is expected to impact the Jewish community along with the general population.

Over 70 million people are displaced around the world because of violence, war and persecution – the greatest displacement in history^₁. As Jews, we live by the value of Tikkun Olam – the repair of the world – and talk frequently of the importance of welcoming the stranger. We have a unique responsibility to support refugees and asylum seekers and raise our voices in opposition to the negative rhetoric and policy changes that we are bearing witness to today.