By: Executive Director, Barry Stein MSW, ACSW, MPA
On the evening of Thursday, May 11, 2017, Jewish Family Service of Greater Harrisburg will host a lecture by Stephen Fried, native Harrisburgian and co-author of the award-winning book “A Common Struggle” with Patrick J. Kennedy. Fried will return to Harrisburg to share his compelling message about the role of the faith community in addressing the scourge of mental illness. As Fried points out in a recent article that he wrote (9/20/16) for a weekly Jewish publication, the Forward, the consequence of mental illness “is nowhere more troubling – nor more potentially and profoundly reversible – than in our houses of worship and our faith communities.”
Ever since Stephen Fried was a boy growing up in Harrisburg, PA, he has been nagged by the memory of a Jewish teenager, who hanged himself on the morning of the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. In the Forward article, Fried describes how on that day, as the suicide became known, it was “all anyone talked about.” And yet in the very next sentence, Fried laments “then nobody ever talked about it again.”
In a nut shell, Stephen Fried will be discussing what he refers to as a “code of silence” in our faith communities when it comes to recognizing and addressing people living with mental illness. Mr. Fried will not only challenge us to stop simply “… talking about this problem,” he will issue a call for collective action to make our congregations more welcoming, supportive and inclusive to people with mental illness and their families.
In the Ethics of Our Fathers (Pirke Avot; 2:21) Rabbi Tarforn tells us “It is not your responsibility to finish the work of perfecting the world, but you are not free to desist from it either.” The challenge of reversing the ramifications of mental illness in our communities is too daunting for anyone of us to take on alone. However, by joining arms across faith communities, our ability to transform our congregations is within our reach. Attending Stephen Fried’s lecture on May 11 is the first step in making this a reality!
“Breaking the Code of Silence: Mental Illness and the Role of the Faith Community” is being held at 7:00pm on Thursday, May 11 at the Jewish Community Center, Mary Sachs Auditorium and is FREE to the entire community. Stephen Fried’s appearance in Harrisburg is being presented by Jewish Family Service with generous underwriting from the following organizations:
Sponsors – Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute, Highmark Blue Shield, Community Services Group and Geisinger Holy Spirit; Contributor – Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association
