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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 The eastern road to Hebron, called Mar Saba, circa 1920. Courtesy of the G. Eric and Edith Matson Photograph Collection/Library of Congress JUST BETWEEN US

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.

Mrs. 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 Dating with a 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 Mental Disorder he suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), for which he receives both regular psychotherapy and A PSYCHOLOGIST medication. As Mrs. Reiss spoke with my patient care coordinator, her fears SPEAKS OPENLY ABOUT started to settle, but she had a number of serious questions, such as: Is Adina THE CHALLENGES signing up for a life of turmoil by getting married to Simcha? Will he By David H. Rosmarin 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

A New Stage, A New Chapter, A New Life: AFTER RE 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 Nowadays, retirement is not an end but a new beginning, an opportunity for seniors to reinvent themselves base rates of mental health concerns. According to the National Institute INSPIRATION five American adults suffers from a full-blown anxiety disorder in “D ecades ago, many seniors would move to South Florida to passively live out their twilight years,” says Rabbi Efrem Goldberg, whose shul, the Boca Raton Synagogue, boasts for many seniors, retirement has become an opportunity to grow and develop in new and exciting ways. In the Orthodox community, this transition stage often means devoting oneself to intense Torah study. 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, Remembering the 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 a significant senior population along with a growing membership spanning all ages. “Nowadays, we find seniors moving here to write the next active chapter of their lives.” Indeed, as the senior population grows—due to longer life expectancy and the Baby Boomer generation aging— fact, in communities throughout the country, a veritable explosion of Torah learning has developed around retirees. “Many seniors are realizing that playing mahjong or golf is not enough,” says Rabbi Goldberg. “They’re looking for something more to fill their days with meaning.” Retiree 1929 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, Hebron Massacre 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.

26 JEWISH ACTION Fall 5780/2019 Spring 5779/2019 JEWISH ACTION 73

Rockower-Award

of Mental Health, nearly one in

20 JEWISH ACTION Summer 5779/2019

winning Jewish Action articles.

PRINT AND DIGITAL PUBLICATIONS

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.

And the Winner Goes To...

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."

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The World’s Favorite Bencher The NCSY Bencher is a staple in Jewish homes around the world and across the Jewish spectrum. It is common to see Jews of various backgrounds seated together, NCSY Bencher in hand, joining their unique voices in harmony. For those unfamiliar with the liturgy, the NCSY Bencher app offers the opportunity to study and become more familiar with the songs and text. Pre-Shabbat Inspiration With a fresh new design, we continue offering content curated from guest columnists, published authors, and well-known speakers. The Shabbat Shalom Weekly email newsletter inspires thousands of Jews each week before Shabbat with informative, interesting, and inspirational content delivered straight to their inboxes. Winter 5780/2019

Summer 5780/2020 Vol. 80, No. 2

Vol. 80, No. 4

THEDAF IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Fall 5781/2020 Vol. 81, No. 1 Jewish Action covers: Memoriesof aMaster Winter 2019, Spring 2020, Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm Summer 2020, Fall 2020