Jewish Alcoholics, Chemically Dependent Persons and Significant Others

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Jewish Alcoholics, Chemical Dependents and Significant Others [1] (JACS) was "founded in 1979 by the New York Federation of Jewish Philanthropies."

Contents

Part of their work includes "a speakers' bureau and publishing a directory of resources for families in crisis." [1]

History

One of the founders of the JACS Long Island branch explained why Jewish Alcoholics, Chemical Dependents and Significant Others was formed, rather than direct people to Alcoholics Anonymous: "to an observant Jew who has to meet in a church basement ... not always going to work." Another co-founder added that even to "help save one life ... one of the highest commandments." [1]

One Jewish doctor was anonymously quoted by The New York Times as saying that:

Most 12-step programs have a religious overtone, and it's difficult for people who were raised Jewish to feel initially comfortable with mainstream ideology that is Christian-oriented.

[1] [2]

JACS also has a unit called Teen Network, [1] and, like the parent organization, it focuses across various degrees of regligiousity. [3] and several JACS members formed a group "for alcoholics who are children of Holocaust survivors." [4]

A 2001 study by JACS of residents at a Jewish treatment center reported self-identification of 10% Orthodox, 28% Conservative, 32% Reform and 30% non-affiliated. [5]

Blend

The Orthodox Union, which runs some of the Birthright Israel trips, was approached by a JACS program director with 15 years of experience to allow her to "run a trip for young Jewish addicts in recovery" and, later on she became "North American director of the OU's ... Israel Birthright" trips. [6]

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Twelve-step programs are mutual aid organizations for the purpose of recovery from substance addictions, behavioral addictions and compulsions. Developed in the 1930s, the first twelve-step program, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), aided its membership to overcome alcoholism. Since that time dozens of other organizations have been derived from AA's approach to address problems as varied as drug addiction, compulsive gambling and overeating. All twelve-step programs utilize a version of AA's suggested twelve steps first published in the 1939 book Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered from Alcoholism.

Haredi Judaism Strict or traditionalist Orthodox Judaism

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Birthright Israel Organization

Taglit-Birthright Israel, also known as Birthright Israel or simply Birthright, is a not-for-profit educational organization that sponsors free ten-day heritage trips to Israel, Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights for young adults of Jewish heritage, aged 18–32.

Orthodox Union Orthodox Jewish organization in the USA

The Orthodox Union is one of the largest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. Founded in 1898, the OU supports a network of synagogues, youth programs, Jewish and Religious Zionist advocacy programs, programs for the disabled, localized religious study programs, and international units with locations in Israel and formerly in Ukraine. The OU maintains a kosher certification service, whose circled-U hechsher symbol, Ⓤ, is found on the labels of many kosher commercial and consumer food products.

NCSY is a Jewish youth group under the auspices of the Orthodox Union. Its operations include Jewish-inspired after-school programs; summer programs in Israel, Europe, and the United States; weekend programming, shabbatons, retreats, and regionals; Israel advocacy training; and disaster relief missions known as chesed (kindness) trips. NCSY also has an alumni organization on campuses across North America. Over the past several decades, NCSY has been the subject of two child sexual abuse scandals involving chapter advisors and directors. NCSY, and its parent organization, the Orthodox Union, say that they have taken significant steps to address such abuse from an organizational standpoint.

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Lawrence Hajioff is a British-American rabbi, educator, and writer. He is on the Judaic studies faculty of the Stern College for Women at Yeshiva University and is also the Assistant Director of Admissions. Hajioff served as the official rabbi for Birthright Israel in Manhattan, New York. Hajioff is also the author of three books: Jew Got Questions? (2014), Will Jew Marry Me?: A Guide to Dating, Relationships, Love and Marriage (2016), and The Future: A Guide to the Jewish Messiah, Israel, and The End of Days (2018).

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Naomi Serviss (June 13, 1999). "Helping Jews to Tackle Substance Abuse". The New York Times .
  2. The Serenity Prayer, attributed to the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr and recited at the end of A.A. meetings ... God is mentioned directly or indirectly in five of the Twelve Steps: Nan Robertson (February 21, 1988). "The Changing World of Alcoholics Anonymous". The New York Times .
  3. Naomi Schaefer Riley (April 2, 2005). "A Push to Curb Drug Abuse Among Orthodox Youths". The New York Times .
  4. Abby Goodnough (December 8, 1994). "The neediest cases: Recovering From Divorce and Alcohol". The New York Times .
  5. R. C. Berman (November 15, 2007). "Chabad to Bring Chanukah Light to Recovering Substance Abusers".
  6. in 2018 their 64 trips to Israel sent "thousands." Sharon Darack (Spring 2019). "Overcoming Addiction: The Courage to Succeed". Jewish Action (OU). pp. 53–61.