Breaking the Jewish community’s silence around suicide

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Elijah’s Journey: A Jewish Response to Suicide is a nonprofit organization working to raise awareness in Jewish communities about the connected challenges of suicide and mental illness. Its founder, Efrem Epstein, was inspired to take action both by his own experience of having received help during a challenging period, and by his attendance at a World Suicide Awareness Day event hosted at the United Nations. “I saw a lot of different communities, like people of color and LGBT people, discussing their communities’ responses to suicide and mental illness, but there was no Jewish presence,” explained Epstein. Elijah’s Journey offers educational programming at synagogues and Jewish events, and has created biblical text studies focused on mental health issues. Rella Kaplowitz became active with the group in the wake of her brother’s death by suicide, about which she has spoken publicly at her own synagogue. “After I spoke, several congregants told me, in confidence, about their own struggles,” said Kaplowitz. “I made them feel less alone by speaking out.” She and others are co-authoring a guide with tips and talking points for those who make formal shiva calls to families bereaved by suicide.

Spark Extra! Read The Role of Faith Communities in Preventing Suicide, a report from an interfaith dialogue convened in 2009.