Ending The Silence
Temple Beth El starts a program aimed
at ending youth suicide.
JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER
ver 20 years ago, Michael
Syme confided something
terrible to his brother: he
wanted to end his own life.
But to his brother, Rabbi Daniel
Syme ofTemple Beth El, this was
a statement not to be believed,
much less acted upon. After all,
Michael was under the care of a
psychiatrist who said everything
was going well. Rabbi Syme lis-
tened to his brother but, in the
end, did nothing.
But Michael did commit sui-
cide. And, for Daniel, knowing
what he knew and not acting on
that knowledge will follow him
like a shadow for the rest of his
days.
"It is a silence for which I will
never forgive myself," Rabbi Syme
said.
The day his brother died, Rab-
bi Syme swore he would do what
he could to change that scenario
for other people. He promised to
someday help people to break the
silence and go for help.
Although he achieved his goal
0
of establishing a task force
and clearinghouse for in-
formation at the national
level in the Reform move-
ment, Rabbi Syme is
about to begin a local pro-
gram to prevent youth
suicide that will be more
hands on.
"I am officially declar-
ing war on youth suicide Peter Yarrow: Reach For Hope.
in Detroit," he said.
Targeting teens and
going for help when someone ex-
adults, the "Reach For Hope" pro- presses suicidal thoughts.
gram will begin this Saturday
More high school students as
night with a concert featuring Pe- well as a group of adults have
ter Yarrow of the folk group Pe- started the next session of the
ter, Paul & Mary. It is free and class. For the high schoolers, the
open to the public.
class has become popular.
In February, an all-day session
"I would have required it, but
on teen suicide and its prevention they have all elected to take it,"
will be offered at no charge to the said Joyce Seglin, congregational
public.
educator for Temple Beth El. "I
A group of 30 teen-agers in the had to turn some kids away and
temple's high school have com- put them into the next scheduled
pleted a six-week course on "When class."
Living Hurts." The course, an elec-
Those who have finished the
tive, highlighted the signs of sui- first class will receive a certificate
cide and gave practical tips on at the community kick-off this
weekend; others who
complete the program
in the future will re-
ceive certification as
well. Those who save a
life through interven-
tion will receive fur-
ther recognition.
Although the teen
portion of the program
is open only to those
who attend Temple
Beth El's religious
school, the adult pro-
gram is open to the
community at a nomi-
nal cost.
In addition, the tem-
ple is looking to health
professionals from its
membership to be part
of a crisis intervention
team. The team of doctors, psy-
chologists and social workers
would be available to a family or
an individual in a time of need.
"We are attempting to set up
a corps of people who can help
wipe out teen suicide," Ms. Seglin
said.
While other congregations have
held symposiums for youth and
adults on the subject, this will be
a continuing program that will
eventually find its way from the
high school level to middle school
and the primary grades. In an ef-
fort to prevent suicide, Beth El's
religious school teachers will in-
dude in their curriculum lessons
on life's trials and coping tech-
niques, thus reinforcing the les-
son each year as the child grows.
Also, it will differ from the na-
tional program, distributed
through the Union of American
Hebrew Congregations, which
Rabbi Syme helped to start. On
that level, UAHC acted as a clear-
inghouse of informational videos
and teaching kits for Reform tem-
ples to use on the subject ofyouth
suicide.
Already, word is spreading
about Beth El's developing pro-
gram.
Rabbi Syme hopes that one day
the youth suicide prevention pro-
gram will serve as a model for oth-
er synagogues and organizations
in the Jewish community and in
the rest of the community.
"First, we'll do it at Temple
Beth El. Then, if anyone wants
the program, we would be happy
to share," he said. "There is no
ownership interest in something
like this." 0
Peter Yarmw will perform
at Temple Beth El to kick off
the "Reach For Hope" rogram
7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 1 1.
In addition, lie will perform
with the youth choirs for the
community's children and their
fatnilies at 12:45 p.m. Sunday,
Jan. 12.
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