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Each month, in addition to information on opportunities offered by the Sinai Temple Mental Health Center and by local community agencies, we will highlight mental health issues currently part of the broader social conversation or those that need to be acknowledged. Our goal is to normalize the importance of mental health in everyday life and to remove the stigma that still burdens individuals and families living with mental health challenges. I hope you will find this newsletter a compelling resource for information and engagement. |
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What's Happening in the News? |
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Apparently, not all pain was created equal. In a recent article in Psychology Today, the author explains that the 18th century discovery that chloroform could be used effectively as anesthesia initiated a serious cultural debate over the “should” of pain management. Would relieving the suffering of physical pain interfere with the natural healing process? Was there a moral imperative NOT to alleviate suffering if that suffering was considered by some to be religiously mandated (as in childbirth) or if the treatment risked possible addiction (as in the use of narcotics)? Later, these questions were also applied to the relief of psychological pain, including severe mental disorders, grief and bereavement, family conflict, or fluctuations in daily experience.
That debate still fuels the conversation among some healthcare providers about the efficacy of treatment options and underlies our cultural hesitation to access emotional support when we, or a loved one, are suffering distress. Will professional attention to emotional pain impede a “natural” process of “working through normal reactions” to stressors? Is mental pain a manifestation of ill-conceived choices and personal, moral failing? Our immediate answer must be “no.”
It is time for us as a Jewish community to acknowledge that emotional suffering is equally real and treatment as important, as when we suffer a headache, a broken bone, or a cancer. Just as physical pain affects our functioning, mental health challenges, made worse unnecessarily by judgement and scrutiny, can be similarly difficult. Healing is enhanced when pain can be controlled, whether with medication, therapy, communal engagement, or other coping strategies. We have a moral imperative to remove the cruel stigma associated with mental health issues that too often keep us from the help we need to live a meaningful, purposeful life.
If you are experiencing emotional distress for any reason, The Sinai Temple Mental Health Center can be accessed easily by calling (310) 481-3209 or sending an email to choffman@sinaitemple.org. We are here with confidential, compassionate support and resources for all Sinai Temple members.
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What's Happening at the
Sinai Temple Mental Health Center?
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For information and to register for all programs, please contact Carolyn Hoffman, LCSW, directly at choffman@sinaitemple.org or (310) 481-3209.
Please note: Proof of vaccination and a valid ID are required to enter the Sinai Temple building. Masks must be worn at all times while attending programs.
Daytime & Evening
Bereavement Support Groups
Sinai Temple: Monday mornings, 10:00-11:30 a.m.
Sinai Temple: Monday evenings, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
If you are suffering the profound grief associated with the death of a loved one, you need not suffer alone. Groups are ongoing and open to everyone experiencing the loss of a significant person in their lives. Contact Carolyn Hoffman, LCSW, at choffman@sinaitemple.org.
Finding Your New Normal During COVID, Part II
Sinai Temple 4th Floor Lounge
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
6:30-7:30 p.m.
Offered for young Jewish professionals ages 21-39 through the ATID program. A follow-up discussion to last month's meeting on re-entering life at this moment in the ongoing pandemic. Registration required; click HERE to sign up. Contact Briana at bbenaron@sinaitemple.org.
Staying Warm When It's Cold Outside: Continuing the Conversation About Self-Care in Uncertain Times
Sinai Temple 4th Floor Rickles' Gym
Sunday, January 9, 2022
9:30-10:30 a.m.
A Parent Education program for Religious School/STARS parents offers an opportunity to engage in supportive conversation around stress associated with the ongoing pandemic. Parents are invited to submit concerns confidentially in advance to Carolyn Hoffman, LCSW, at choffman@sinaitemple.org.
Dor Chadash: Talking with your Kids about Food
Online
Thursday, January 27, 2022
7:30-8:30 p.m.
Join Lauren Naaman, registered dietician and Carolyn Hoffman, LCSW, for a presentation on the importance of early education about food choices to encourage a lifetime of healthy habits and positive body image. Please contact Rebekah Small at rsmall@sinaitemple.org with questions and register HERE.
Coming Soon
An Evening with Sharsharet, the Jewish Breast and Ovarian Cancer Community
Online
TBD
7:30-9:00 p.m.
All are welcome to join this informational evening with Sharsharet Los Angeles Regional Director, Jenna Fields, MA, MSW. Sharsharet services improve the lives of Jewish women and families living with or at increased genetic risk for breast or ovarian cancer. To help assess the need for support in the Sinai Temple community, please take a moment to fill out this brief, confidential survey.
Autism, Communication, Resiliency, and Hope
Sinai Temple, Barad Hall
Tuesday, February 15, 2022
6:30-7:30 p.m.
Join authors, mother and daughter team, Valerie Gilpeer and Emily Grodin as they discuss their book, I Have Been buried Under Years of Dust: A Memoir of Autism and Hope, in conversation with Carolyn Hoffman, LCSW. This evening will address the authors’ personal journey with non-verbal autism and how life changed when Emily found her voice with the help of facilitated communication. Please contact Carolyn Hoffman, LCSW at choffman@sinaitemple.org to register.
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What's Happening in the Community? |
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The Friends of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA
Free, live Zoom event
Thursday, January 6, 2022
5:00-6:00 p.m.
Dr. Wendy Suzuki, world-renowned neuroscientist and author, will discuss her new book, Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion. She offers a guide to using anxiety as a benefit to forward life goals. Please register by clicking HERE.
Eradicating the Stigma of Addiction in the Jewish World
Free, live Zoom event
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
12:00-12:45 p.m.
Carl Erik Fisher will discuss his new book, The Urge: Our History of Addiction, which strives to illuminate and remove obstacles to treatment created by Jewish stigma around addiction and substance abuse. Please register HERE.
Jewish Family Service LA
ONLINE Special Needs Parents Support Groups Currently Forming, January 2022
Parents & Caregivers of School-Aged Children 5-15: Thursday mornings, 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Parents & Caregivers of Teens and Adults 16+: Wednesday evenings, 7:30-8:30 p.m.
The groups offer a safe space to meet, share, and learn from each other. Facilitated by JFSLA social workers. For more information, please contact
SEIZE THE AWKWARD
This is a website dedicated to suicide prevention. If you are concerned about a friend or family member, this website provides important conversational tools towards connection.
Marriage for Life:
Empty Nesters Weekend Workshop
In Person
January 28 – 30
Familian Campus of AJU
$450 per couple
A 3-day workshop to strengthen your relationship and reconnect with your partner in the next chapter of your lives. Click HERE to register. For more information, contact Rabbi Myra Meskin at myra.meskin@aju.edu.
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Thank you to the many congregants who have already responded to the online questionnaire. Your answers will help focus the programming efforts of the Sinai Center Mental Health Center. If you have not yet responded, you can access the questionnaire here.
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The Sinai Temple Mental Health Center is generously underwritten by the Fredric D. Rosen and Nadine Schiff-Rosen Family Foundation. |
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