62
O U P U B L ICATION S
THE HEART OF MODERN JEWISH THOUGHT PRINT AND DIGITAL PUBLICATIONS
Whether it’s the critically acclaimed Jewish Action magazine or the OU Guide to Passover, OU Publications has something for everyone.
Jewish Action As COVID-19 struck, Jewish Action launched a series exploring life in a pandemic, starting with “The Corona Diaries,” emphasizing how innovation and chessed has defined the Jewish community’s response to COVID-19. Reaching some 180,000 readers across North America and Israel, Jewish Action offers thought-provoking, intellectually-sophisticated articles on topics of interest to the Orthodox reader.
Its plethora of publications, enjoyed by millions of Jews worldwide, give voice to a diverse array of opinions and ideas within the Orthodox Jewish community. JUST BETWEEN US
A group of retirees learning together at the Memphis Kollel. “As a group, the retiree members of the kollel tend to be very committed,” says Rabbi Yosef Braha. Courtesy of Rabbi Braha
Jewish Action seeks to provide a forum for a diversity of legitimate opinions within the spectrum of Orthodox Judaism. Therefore, opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the policy or opinion of the Orthodox Union.
M
A New Stage, A New Chapter, A New Life:
AFTER RE Nowadays, retirement is not an end
“D 26
Dating with a Mental Disorder A PSYCHOLOGIST SPEAKS OPENLY ABOUT THE CHALLENGES By David H. Rosmarin
Remembering the 1929 Hebron Massacre
David H. Rosmarin, PhD, ABPP is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is also the founder and director of the Center for Anxiety (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Monsey). Dr. Rosmarin is a board-certified clinical psychologist and a prolific researcher, having authored seventy peer-reviewed manuscripts and over 100 abstracts, predominantly on the topic of spirituality and mental health. The author would like to thank Rabbi Naftoly Bier, Rabbi Leib (Lawrence) Kelemen, Dr. Perella Perlstein and Aliza Shapiro MSW for their review and comments on earlier drafts of this article.
JEWISH ACTION Fall 5780/2019
Spring 5779/2019 JEWISH ACTION
The eastern road to Hebron, called Mar Saba, circa 1920. Courtesy of the G. Eric and Edith Matson Photograph Collection/Library of Congress 20
And the Winner Goes To...
but a new beginning, an opportunity for seniors to reinvent themselves
INSPIRATION
ecades ago, many seniors would move to South for many seniors, retirement has become an opportunity Florida to passively live out their twilight to grow and develop in new and exciting ways. years,” says Rabbi Efrem Goldberg, whose In the Orthodox community, this transition stage shul, the Boca Raton Synagogue, boasts often means devoting oneself to intense Torah study. In a significant senior population along with a growing fact, in communities throughout the country, a veritable membership spanning all ages. “Nowadays, we find seniors explosion of Torah learning has developed around retirees. moving here to write the next active chapter of their lives.” “Many seniors are realizing that playing mahjong or golf Indeed, as the senior population grows—due to longer is not enough,” says Rabbi Goldberg. “They’re looking for something more to fill their days with meaning.” Retiree life expectancy and the Baby Boomer generation aging—
rs. Shoshana Reiss1 called my office in a panic. Her twenty-two-year old daughter Adina had recently begun dating Simcha, a wonderful and kindhearted young man. Things were off to a great start and Adina was already thinking about the next step, but on the fourth date Simcha dropped a bomb: He disclosed that he suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), for which he receives both regular psychotherapy and medication. As Mrs. Reiss spoke with my patient care coordinator, her fears started to settle, but she had a number of serious questions, such as: Is Adina signing up for a life of turmoil by getting married to Simcha? Will he be able to take care of her, despite his OCD? How will Simcha handle the inherent stressors of Orthodox Jewish family life, such as raising children and the financial demands of paying tuition? Will his children inherit a genetic risk for OCD? What should Adina do? Should she call it off? As a mental health professional who works within the Orthodox community, I receive these and other questions very frequently. This is no surprise, considering the high base rates of mental health concerns. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one in five American adults suffers from a full-blown anxiety disorder in every given year, and more than two in five will experience an anxiety disorder at some point over their lifespan. Of these cases, more than one in five can be classified as severe, meaning that the symptoms lead to a substantial impact on functioning and/or suicidality. And that’s just anxiety. If we add mood disorders (e.g., depression), obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, psychotic disorders,
JEWISH ACTION Summer 5779/2019
Rockower-Award winning Jewish Action articles.
73
Jewish Action won three Rockower Awards for Excellence in Jewish Journalism, which were presented virtually by the American Jewish Press Association (AJPA) for articles printed in 2019. Winners were: "Dating With a Mental Disorder," "Remembering the 1929 Hebron Massacre," and "A New Stage, A New Chapter, A New Life: After Retirement."
