Providing specialized services to JF&CS clients with particular religious or cultural orientations are, from left, Sheri Bald, Liat Haim, and Judy Nasar.
Photo by Jill Huber
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February 17, 2009
Counseling services provided by the Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Monmouth County have been refined to better respond to a diverse Jewish community.
In recent months, JF&CS has received an increasing number of client requests for therapists with special understanding of the Hebrew language and of the lifestyles and circumstances unique to the Orthodox and Syrian-Jewish communities.
As a result, three of the agency’s 15 social workers are providing services to clients who request therapists with specialized religious or cultural orientations.
The three — Sheri Bald of Long Branch, a member of the Orthodox community; Judy Nasar of Long Branch, a Syrian community member; and Liat Haim of Monroe, an Israeli native who moved to the United States 10 years ago — are using their respective backgrounds to assist these clients.
Bald and Nasar are licensed clinical social workers; Haim is a postgraduate student in psychological counseling at Monmouth University in West Long Branch and is part of an internship program at JF&CS.
“Their cultural knowledge and personal experiences make it easier for our clients to participate in the therapy process,” said JF&CS executive director Paul Freedman. “This shared understanding and backgrounds enable them to provide the best possible treatment.”
Among Israelis living in the area, many have been unable to fully engage with non-agency therapists because of the language barrier.
“The language barrier is only one of the problems Israelis face when they come here,” said Haim. “In Israel, children’s activities are more casual and relaxed, but in the U.S., there are specialized sports and activity classes, and the kids’ schedules can be very structured. And in Israel, so much is within walking distance. But cars or buses are needed here. There are a lot of these changing rituals.”
And the stigma of undergoing therapy has not completely disappeared in Israel, although it has become more acceptable in the large cities, Haim said.
“The concept is still kind of taboo in Israel,” she said. “Israelis living in the U.S. don’t think of therapy as a solution. I tell them they can come for support on all levels and that it can be a positive choice with a positive outcome.”
‘Lifestyle understanding’
Similar challenges exist in the local Orthodox and Syrian communities, where many still believe there is a stigma attached to seeking mental health services and are reluctant to seek therapy, Nasar said.
“But there is less reluctance if a therapist understands where they’re coming from,” she said. “Religion and the family make up the framework of Syrian life. But some of their practices and interpretations of the Bible are different from other parts of the Jewish community. I can bring a lifestyle understanding to the table.”
The changing roles of women in the Orthodox and Syrian communities also have caused stress and confusion; the traditional role of the woman as homemaker has shifted, as more women have become heads of families and wage-earners, Nasar said.
“Both personal and financial concerns account for these changes,” added Bald. “The skills these women developed as homemakers can’t support them financially — they need new, marketable skills and the support, encouragement, and resources to obtain them.”
And even though Judaism teaches the value of introspection, many Orthodox Jews still need encouragement to accept outside help to cope with life issues, said Bald.
“As an Orthodox woman, I understand their lifestyles and the choices they make,” she said. “I’m an objective professional, but I can bring my individuality and background to the therapeutic approach. Some traditionally seek counseling help from their rabbi, and choose to speak with him first. Those talks can continue, even if outside therapy begins.”
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