Every year in America, nearly 35,000 people commit suicide. Many Jews are among those who take their own lives, and in an effort to respond to the absence of Jewish resources for suicide prevention, Efrem Epstein has founded an organization called Elijah’s Journey: A Jewish Response to Suicide Prevention.
Tomorrow night (February 8th) Elijah’s Journey will be joining with Uri L’Tzedek and The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, NYC Chapter to offer a special inspirational Beit Midrash on the issue. The event will be held at Drisha, 37 W. 65th Street from 7:15-9:00 PM. Thanks to the generosity of AFSP NYC and Drisha, the event will be free.
The evening will include:
* Text study led by members of Elijah’s Journey and Uri L’Tzedek
* A discussion moderated by Chaim Nissel, Psy.D., Director of the Yeshiva University Counseling Center and Assistant Professor at Wurzwieler School of Social Work and Master Trainer, American Association of Suicidology
* Personal stories from members of the community who have been affected directly by the suicide epidemic
* Information on how to get more involved in both general and Jewish communal suicide prevention efforts
If you’re in New York I encourage you to attend what is sure to be an important and inspiring event.
Midrash
Pronounced: MIDD-rash, Origin: Hebrew, the process of interpretation by which the rabbis filled in “gaps” found in the Torah.
