Inclusion Holidays Serve as a Support System
Devastation
Breathe a sigh of relief, spring is upon us! Sometime in April and May, we will again see trees with leaves, flowers in bloom, and the warm sunshine. We’ll again shed our winter coats and spend time with others outside, although still with masks and staying socially distanced. April is filled with many Jewish holidays: Passover (the Exodus from Egypt) goes from March 27-April 4t, Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) is April 8, Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) is April 14 and it rolls into Yom HaAtzma’ut (Israel’s Independence Day) on April 15. Shavuot (Commemoration of the Giving of the Torah) arrives May 17–18. During seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot, we count the Omer every evening, starting the second night of Passover until the night before Shavuot. We have been facing the pandemic since last March. These holidays support us so we don’t get lost in the days, weeks, and months that roll into each other. Our daily minyanim, Wednesday morning breakfasts with learning, Shabbat, and h.agim serve as an anchor. The Omer serves this purpose as well. Many people find ways to creatively draw or write each night, reminding them another day has gone by and a new day has begun. Each of these holidays serve as an example of Inclusion. All Jews leave Egypt together without allowing anyone to be left behind, ensuring the elderly and those with disabilities were included. Remembrance of the lives that were cut short in the Holocaust, included all who had disabilities and were killed in hiding, in ghettos and in concentration camps. Israel’s Memorial Day is a day for remembering the many people lost through wars and terrorist killings. Israeli soldiers, including those soldiers with special needs, stand to honor those who are no longer among them. Independence Day is historic, when Israel became a country, May 14, 1948, just 73 years ago. I have been in Israel on Independence Day and have always been heartened by the many ways individuals with special needs are included by families and friends to participate in this holiday together. As we breathe in the spring air, consider how resilient we have been. We acknowledge the resilience of Emunah families that include those with special needs. We are especially thankful to CJP and the Ruderman Synagogue Inclusion Project for their support of our programs, offered over the years, enabling Temple Emunah to be an inclusive community. Sandy Miller-Jacobs Chair, Inclusion Committee sandymj@gmail.com
I recently read two obituaries that made me very sad: the first was for Thomas Raskin, 25, son of Rep. Jamie Raskin and his wife Sarah Bloom Raskin, and the second was for “Jane Doe,” 26, child of a physician and a judge. They died within days of each other. Each was born into a wonderful and loving family but each of them suffered from mental illness. Thomas wrote on New Years’ Eve that he was hurting so much that the only way out was to take his own life. Jane died on January 9 of an overdose after more than a year of sobriety. I didn’t know Thomas or his family. Neither did I know Jane but I did know her family. Her paternal great-grandparents were friends of my parents. Her great-grandfather was a judge. His wife was a community leader who throughout her adult life helped those in need and worked for a more just society. She and my mother worked together as leaders of several Jewish organizations. I know Jane’s grandparents and at one time reconnected with one of the sisters of Jane’s grandfather. Jane was an extremely creative and talented young woman. She was an artist as well as a musician who had a beautiful voice and could play multiple instruments. She was adventurous, hitchhiking and train hopping across the country several times and opting at times to live on the streets. She had great compassion for the homeless and encouraged others to demonstrate similar compassion. I only knew of Rep. Jamie Raskin. We all know him much better now. He too works for a more just society, as did his son. According to his Dad, Thomas had a “…perfect soul and a dazzling mind.” I assume that both of these young adults had access to the best therapy available. And yet, neither was able to overcome this illness. What about those who live in circumstances where good care is not available to them? In addition to issues of racial justice, calls to police from families in distress often lead to a response by officers without the assistance of mental health professionals. It is too often the case that the member of the family acting out is injured or even killed rather than treated in a way to diminish her or his anguish. We have a long way to go for mental health parity and accepting the very great need for a stronger mental health system. Yes, we have better pharmaceutical treatments now, but that is clearly not enough. My family also includes young people who suffer from depression. There have been times when the parents of one could not leave her/him alone in the house. That person seems to be coping better now, but who really knows. Another young adult has had serious addiction issues and has been in various rehab programs and I’m told they are okay, but I’m not sure whether or not that is true. My heart goes out to the Raskin and “Doe” families. I often think about members of my family who live every day with concern about the young people they love so much. If either one suffered the ultimate harm, their immediate families would be devastated and so would I. Elizabeth Pressman
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