By Barbara Beckert
Special to The Chronicle
On Sunday, March 26, our community came together at “Let There Be Light: A Jewish Community Conference on Mental Health and Healing.” Together we heard a message of hope and healing — that mental illness is common and treatable, and that recovery is possible.
We are grateful to all who attended and contributed to this meaningful gathering, to the 36 Jewish organizations, schools and synagogues who co-sponsored the conference, and to the Helen Bader Foundation and our other funders.
The Jewish Community Mental Health Education Project and our coalition members are committed to continuing our mission of increasing awareness of mental health concerns and decreasing stigma in the Jewish community.
How can the Jewish community move forward with creating a caring community that welcomes and provides support for families and individuals dealing with mental health concerns? How can we increase awareness of mental health and decrease stigma? May is Mental Health Month and a fitting time to reflect on these questions.
The Jewish Community Mental Health Education Project — and our recent conference — were built in response to needs expressed by members of the Jewish community.
As we talked with Jewish community professionals, as well with individuals and families dealing with mental illness, we heard a common theme — concern about stigma.
Stigma refers to the negative attitudes about mental illnesses that pervade public thinking. Although mental illnesses are treatable and many people with mental illness lead active, fulfilling professional and family lives, stigma tells us otherwise.
We heard from Jewish communal professionals that they often interact with people who are struggling with mental health concerns but are unwilling to get help because of a sense of shame and embarrassment — stigma.
We heard from community members who suffer from mental illness, or who have family members with mental illness, about their sense of isolation — because of stigma.
Creating an action plan
Mental illness is a “no-casserole” disease. When a physical illness occurs, we can count on friends, co-workers, teachers, and congregations to rally round with cards, visits, support — and casseroles. With a mental illness, this support and visible show of concern is often lacking.
Stigma leads to discrimination. As Jews, our people have been the victims of discrimination. That is why the Jewish community has played a leadership role in opposing discrimination because of race, religion, or gender. We now have a unique opportunity as a Jewish community to make a commitment to oppose discrimination because of mental illness – and to fight against stigma.
We welcome your ideas and support as we move forward with these efforts to increase awareness of mental health and decrease stigma in the Jewish community.
This month, three of our coalition members will be hosting community-wide discussion sessions, themed “Creating a Caring Community: A Jewish Community Conversation,” to develop an action plan.
At each session, we will share the suggestions made by conference participants for programming, support, and outreach, and invite your feedback and involvement.
Community members may also receive a copy of the new “Mental Health Resources Guide for the Greater Milwaukee Jewish Community,” which was made possible with the support of the Jewish Community Foundation, the endowment development program of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation; the Helen Bader Foundation; and healthcare providers.
The guide includes resource listings for Milwaukee, Waukesha, and Ozaukee counties, including helplines and hotlines, advocacy programs, hospital and clinic services, and some counseling services, as well as information about mental health resources in the Jewish community.
Copies are being distributed to area synagogues and may also be requested from Jewish Family Services at 414-390-5800. The guide will soon be available online at jfsmilw.org.
Jewish tradition teaches that we must ensure the health of both the body and the mind. When we say the Mi SheBerakh prayer for the sick, we pray for a complete recovery — and further specify a healing of the soul and the body. Our tradition recognizes a distinction between mental and physical health, but views them equally, recognizing that both are necessary for us to be complete.
It is time to explore how we can increase awareness and acceptance in our community for those with mental health concerns. With education, awareness and sensitivity, we can strive to create a welcoming community that embraces all people.
Neither medicine nor spirituality alone can provide all of the healing that we need. But research indicates that, together, they can be very powerful in combating illness, both mental and physical.
Barbara Beckert is director of the Jewish Community Mental Health Education Project, a collaborative project of the Greater Milwaukee Jewish Community, coordinated by Jewish Family Services.
