THE FOLLOWING IS MOST OF THE INFORMATION AND ARTICLES FROM THE YEDIDYON, PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 2001

COPING WITH TRAUMA

An Interview with Dr. Danny Brom

By: Debbie Weissman

One of the most common professions among Yedidya members is mental health. In a year of terrorist incidents, traffic fatalities and the Versailles wedding hall disaster, Dr. Danny Brom has been especially busy. He is the founder and director of the Israel Center for the Treatment of Psycho-Trauma. Although officially part of the Herzog Hospital, the center is located in downtown Jerusalem. This is actually the second time Danny has set up such a program: before making Aliyah in 1988, he was one of the founders of the Dutch Institute for Trauma. In Holland, Brom trained as a psychologist, writing his dissertation on “Brief Psychotherapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.” He later co-authored a book entitled, “Coping with Trauma: Theory, Prevention and Treatment.”

We sat in his book-lined office in which he sees patients and discussed the nature of trauma. The word itself comes from the Greek word for “wound,” which Brom says is “a fitting metaphor” for psychological trauma. All of us experience trauma from time to time, but we may have our own coping mechanisms which enable us to get through it without professional help. The patients who need help are those who suffer terribly and can no longer cope with everyday life. They are overwhelmed and the normal coping mechanisms are insufficient for them.

When the Brom family came to Israel some thirteen years ago, the country was going through the first Intifada. Danny was already known professionally as a “trauma freak” but his colleagues were unable to find even one patient suffering from this disorder! He realized that better diagnostic and information-gathering techniques had to be developed. Danny notes that in a trauma victim, there are even physiological processes that can show up, for example, in a CAT scan. He has been instrumental in designing a trauma history questionnaire, for use in Israel.

"Is Israel different?” I asked. Unfortunately, we have more sources of trauma than “the average country.” All Western societies are plagued by the trauma of accidental and other deaths, crime, sexual abuse, and so on, but in Israel we have, in addition to the aforementioned, the heritage of the Holocaust, wars, terror, and building disasters. The work of a specialist in treating trauma is more complicated here. Now that Brom has developed the field, he is in high demand. After the Versailles wedding hall disaster, three out of four psychiatric outpatient clinics called to ask him to organize a course for their staff members. In the wake of Versailles and the Dophinarium (the Tel Aviv terror bombing), he was interviewed on radio and television as an expert in trauma.

This year, with all of the many and varied terror attacks, Danny and his colleagues have begun to go into the schools and do workshops for teachers as to how they can help themselves and their students to cope better. Brom has also begun to cooperate with Palestinian psychologists in Bethlehem and Beit Sachur, whose communities are experiencing trauma on a daily basis. When I asked what society can do to help people build up coping mechanisms, Danny responded that "one of the most important is a sense of community and social solidarity." He gave as an example several cases in which Yedidya as a community has responded to traumas experienced by individual families. Trauma, he said, tends to push people into corners and shut them off. Coping well means enabling people to stay together, to talk but also to be silent.

Danny’s wife, Beatrice, has been a biology instructor and a pregnancy and birth coach. She is now working as a guidance counselor in a technological high school. They have four children: Tzippi, who is studying special education at David Yellin Teachers College and about to marry Elad Shaul; Shira, after the Army, working and making plans for the future; and twins Jotam and Ezra, aged 16, students at the Hartman High School. We can only hope and pray that the volume of Danny Brom’s work will be reduced in the coming year.

Another Yedidya member who deals with traumas — but not their treatment, rather their prevention — is Peter Magnes, chief inspector for the Labor and Social Affairs Ministry. Peter served on the second Dotan Commission into the Maccabiah bridge collapse a few years ago and was quoted in the media in the wake of the Versailles disaster. Incidentally, the Versailles wedding hall was located in Talpiot, a few blocks away from Yedidya.

Yedidya Home Building Reaches Critical Stage

By: Tzvi Ariel

Through all of the difficulties of the past year, it has been a comfort to look toward the future. And for us at Kehillat Yedidya, the focus of our future is in our new synagogue building. For me, it has been very exhilarating to follow the different stages in the construction of Kehillat Yedidya’s new home. From preliminary discussions to conceptual sketches to full architectural plans, the project has been very exciting. Now, on the ground, we can see the fruits of our labors growing from the basement upwards.

The “skeleton” of our building has just been completed. Our contractor, David Cohen, and his trustworthy and well-named foreman, ‘Amin, (“credible” in Hebrew) are carrying out the plans carefully and accurately. One can see that the interior spaces have been well designed and are large enough to suit the needs of the Kehilla.

On the morning of May 24, 2001 the concrete for the floor of our main sanctuary (top floor of the building) was expertly poured by the crew, with B-500 concrete, the strongest gradation available. It was very reassuring for me to see the high quality of the work being performed, especially when the Versailles wedding-hall disaster occurred later that same evening only a few blocks away!

The construction of our synagogue has reached a critical financial stage. The pace and scale of new pledges, as well as cash-flow issues, may hamper completion of the interior. But, with redoubled efforts we hope to overcome this. If we can raise the last $300,000, we could fully move into our new building this coming winter.

Just in time too. The Efrata School, our home for the past fifteen years, no longer teaches upper grades (including children past their Bar/Bat Mitzvah.) In the younger grades, the children pray in their classrooms, where they have no need of a Sefer Torah. Therefore, the School has given up its synagogue and converted what used to be Yedidya’s sanctuary into a sports room. Consequently, we are faced with the distinct possibility that we will have to leave the Efrata School and enter our unfinished building before it can provide for our special needs including a separate space for women's Torah readings. We therefore would greatly appreciate any additional contributions to enable us to move into our permanent home more quickly.

YEDIDYA IN THE NEWS

In June, the organization called “Forum of Religious Women” ("Kolech" in Hebrew), held its biennial conference in Jerusalem. Yedidya was very well represented among the participants and especially among the presenters. Speakers included our own Debbie Weissman, Debbie Greniman, Tova Hartman Halbertal, Tova Avichai-Kremer, Rina Reiner-Rotlinger, Avital Hochstein, Daniella Glatzer Salomon, Chana Cromer, and Haviva Ner-David.

Daniella was also on the organizing committee. The topics they presented included: “Educating Feminist Children: Ambiguities in Continuity,” “The Attitude of the Rabbis to Women and Theater,” “Women’s Torah Reading,” and more.

At the conference, there was an exhibition of photos from synagogues around the world, organized by Rivka Lubitz, of Moshav Nir Etzion. The theme of the photos was the synagogue from the perspective of women, who generally must sit upstairs or in the back. In the accompanying information sheet, Rivka wrote the following: “There are today Orthodox synagogues, like Yedidya in Jerusalem, in which the needs of women are treated sensitively."

One of our members, Dr. Elchanan Reiner, is editing a series of monographs in Hebrew called “Yeriot.” The second volume in the series is by another Yedidya member, Professor Moshe Halbertal, and deals with the esoteric in medieval Jewish culture.

Attorney Dovi Rabinowitz appeared on television as the head of an organization called “Struggle against Tobacco.” The results of their struggle went into effect on August 1, with more stringent laws against smoking in public places.

Shaya Rothberg was interviewed for the local Jerusalem weekly, “Kol Ha'Ir”, on behalf of the Netivot Shalom religious peace movement.

Mordechai Beck's piece:

Two illustrations from the new limited-edition art book of the “Song of Songs”, by
Mordechai Beck and calligrapher Izzy Pludwinski, who designed a fascinating new font “Shir” for the volume. The book, in its presentation box and accompanied by a translation, comes in two versions, offset and hand-printed. An additional seven prints are also available. They may be purchased directly from Mordechai Beck at (02) 672-3264 or (02) 671-4580 or e-mail marduk@bezeqint.net

LETTER FROM ABROAD

Kehillat Yedidya received this letter in the last few months:

Dear Kehillat Yedidya,

We had wonderful Shabbat home hospitality with Yedidya families, which was a good opportunity for the students to hear Israeli points of view on the peace process. To this day, the students talk about that evening as one of the finest moments of the two-week trip. You have a wonderful community there at Yedidya.

The world has certainly changed since our visit (last fall), and I imagine my writing finds you terribly dispirited by the events. Let us all pray that light comes at the end of this tunnel.

As an act of faith and hope, we are currently planning the upcoming trip. In the event, please God, that we are able to go, we certainly would love the opportunity to visit the Yedidya community again.

B'shalom,

Rabbi Mark Robbins
Jewish Chaplain, Georgetown University

MAZEL TOVs

BIRTHS

Amotz and Nurit Asael on birth of their son

Eitan Yannai Beckerman Berman has joined Joel Berman, Chaia Beckerman and Dina

BNEI MITZVAH

Hillel Silberklang, son of David and Roberta

Livia Nullman, daughter of Debbie and Mark

Rebecca Goldberg, daughter of Sylvie Goldberg and Alex Shalit

WEDDINGS

Ariel Cromer and Yael Ariel

Tsipi Brom and Elad Shaul

Daniella Glatzer and Yisrael Salomon

SPECIAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Professor Moshe Halbertal, on the publication of "Between Torah and Wisdom," (in Hebrew), published by Magnes Press, co-winner of Goldstein-Goren Prize awarded by Ben-Gurion University for the most significant book in Jewish thought 1997-2000.

WELCOME BACK to our members Chaim Goldgraber and Cherie Fox, Naomi and Miriam.

CONDOLENCES

Miriam Fine, on loss of her father

Hanna Levine, on loss of her mother

Judy Hollander, on the loss of her mother

Tzippora Mannheim on the loss of her father

Maureen Richardson on loss of her

Yehuda Manor on loss of father

Adina Feldstern on loss of mother

Joop Meijers and Sasha Lazar on loss of mother

YEDIDYA MEMBER DIRECTS MENTAL HEALTH PROJECT

Another Yedidya member who works in the mental health field (and we know of at least nine others!) is Naomi Ban. Naomi is the director of REUT - the Israel Fellowship for Community Mental Health. REUT initiates, develops and maintains high quality residential therapeutic services for adults suffering from psychiatric disorders. As Naomi says, “It is our aim to enable people to move out of psychiatric hospitalization towards more independent living of the highest professional standards.”

The organization runs hostels as well as a rapidly growing transitional sheltered housing program in apartments throughout Jerusalem. A new program will enable students with psychiatric disabilities to study towards an academic degree. “For me,” adds Naomi, “working at REUT has been learning and humbling experience. I am impressed by the extreme and sensitive devotion of every member of the staff. I am impressed by seeing how people who have serious difficulties struggle and strive towards making better lives for themselves. I have learned that just because something was always done in a certain way is no reason to continue blindly along that path. People can be challenged, experience new opportunities and perhaps even recover to the extent where they can have control over their own lives.”

This seems a fitting wish for all of us for the New Year. For more information about REUT, including ways in which we can all help them continue their important work, contact Naomi via their email: rfireut@netvision.net.il

דבר תורה – שבת פרשת בהעלותך

התקיימה תפילה מיוחדת בה בני הנוער קיבלו על עצמם למלא את כל התפקידים, כולל העברת הדרשה בפני הקהילה. תוכנה:

בפרשת "בהעלותך," פרק י"א, פסוקים כ"ד – כ"ט, מצוה ה’ על משה לאסוף שבעים איש מזקני העם, כדי שיעזרו לו להנהיג. יש למשה בעייה בבחירת הזקנים. הוא צריך לבחור את הזקנים בדרך שלא יהיה אי שוויון בין השבטים. אם הוא בוחר חמישה זקנים מכל שבט, אז יהיו שישים ואם היא בוחר שישה מכל שבט, יהיו שבעים ושנים. לכן הוא מחליט לעשות הגרלה. בשבעים מן הפתקים כתובה המילה "זקן" והשניים הנותרים היו חלקים. וכך כל זקן הוציא פתק, אם היה כתוב עליו "זקן", אז הוא נבחר ואם הוציא פתק חלק, אז לא .

היו שני זקנים שנבחרו אך החליטו להשאר במחנה כדי לא לבייש את השניים שלא נבחרו. הם החליטו לתת לשניים שלא נבחרו לצאת עם משה. "שם האחד אלדד ושם השני מידד ותנח עליהם הרוח והמה בכתובים ולא יצאו האוהלה ויתנבאו במחנה." מדרש תנחומא אומר שהיו חמישה דברים שבה אלדד ומידד היו שונים משאר הזקנים:

הראשון – הזקנים שנבחרו קיבלו נבואה רק פעם אחת בעוד שאלדד ומידד קיבלו את הנבואה במשך כל חייהם.

השני – הזקנים האחרים יכלו לנבא רק את מה שיקרה ביום למחרת ואילו אלדד ומידד יכלו לנבא משהו שיקרה לאחר ארבעים שנה.

השלישי – שאר הזקנים מתו במדבר. לעומתם, אלדד ומידד עדיין היו בחיים כשבני ישראל נכנסו לארץ.

הרביעי – אלדד ומידד היו היחידים מכל הזקנים שנזכרו בתורה בשמם.

והחמישי – הוא ששאר הזקנים קיבלו את הנבואה ממשה, ואלדד ומידד קיבלו את נבואתם ישירות מה’.

"וירץ הנער ויגש למשה." רש"י אומר שהנער היה גרשום בן משה. תגובת יהושוע בן נון הייתה להכניס אותם לכלא. ומשה אמר, "ומי ייתן כל עם ה’ נביאים." כתוב במסכת סנהדרין שאדם מקנא בכולם, חוץ מבניו ומתלמידיו. בעניין הזה היה משה שונה מכולם. הוא רצה שכולם יקבלו את רוח הקודש כדי שכולם יהיו שווים עם יכולות כמו יכולתו. הוא לא רצה להיות מעל העם .

גם כתוב ביואל, פרק ג’ פסוק א’: "והיה אחרי כן אשפוך את רוחי על כל בשר וניבאו בניכם ובנותיכם זקניכם חלומות יחלמון בחוריכם חזיונות יראו."

בנישי זרווסקי

ולדרשה היפה הזאת נוסיף: מנהיגים עם חזון—הלוואי!