Addiction in our society has reached epidemic proportions. It has become a major public health problem that impacts society on multiple levels. Directly or indirectly, every community and family are affected by drug abuse and addiction. Yet, drug abuse and addiction is something that people don’t talk about…especially in the Jewish community…until it is almost too late.
Why is it that the Jewish tradition teaches that we are expected to repair the world, yet we are too afraid, ashamed and humiliated to ask for help for ourselves or for our families?
Most treatment for addiction encompasses an element of spirituality. In the United States, there are more than 800 religious-based treatment programs. Unfortunately, out of the 800 programs, there are only a handful of programs that discuss or address Jewish content in their programming.
Through her professional and community activities, Alyza Berman, LCSW, the Founder and Director of The Berman Center, recognized the need for a model that included community, acceptance, recovery, psychotherapy, and experiential therapies and spiritual programming. And, the spiritual programming would be inclusive of Jewish values and traditions.
