jews d The care of your varicose veins and other vascular conditions should not be left to chance. FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE in the Yarden with the 2017-2018 UMatter board continued from page 12 Trust the only Board Certified Vascular Surgeon in the Birmingham/Bloomfield area to guide you through all your options. We offer the most advanced treatment in our expansive, state-of-the-art office. Come see the difference that 18 years of experience makes and the personalized attention that we can deliver. Diego A. Hernandez, MD, FACS Natalie Marcus, NP 43700 Woodward Avenue – Suite 208 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302 248-481-2100 Glassman Genesis Valet Service Jeff Stewart Assistant New Car Sales Manager Serving the Community Since 1969 248-636-2736 MAINTAINING CONTACT Complimentary Maintenance Serving Our Community For Over 45 Years! 5FMFHSBQI3Et4PVUIýFMEt XXXHMBTTNBOHFOFTJTDPN REMODELING INC. COMPLETE INTERIOR CUSTOM REMODELING/REPAIRS AND DESIGN YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE WHAT WE DO! 10% DISCOUNT 248-476-0816 Cell: 248-508-1975 Email: kandkremodelinginc@yahoo.com www.kandkremodelinginc.com Family Owned, Licensed & Insured Since 1992 14 August 2 • 2018 opens his home to them. He doesn’t have a boundary between his per- sonal and professional life. Everyone feels they are part of his family,” Shemtov said, “and he’s always look- ing to grow and advance his knowl- edge so he can become better at what he does.” When a spate of local teen sui- cides brought the growing crisis to the forefront, Yarden attended a suicide intervention workshop sponsored by a Canadian-based pro- gram called ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training). He then brought the program home, facilitating workshops for local teens and adults interested in learn- ing practical intervention skills and developing a community-wide sup- port network. Several teens report having used the techniques they learned to help friends contemplat- ing suicide get help, and Yarden is often the first call from a parent or friend of a teen in crisis. jn 2168010 In his efforts to make spirituality accessible to teens, Yarden leads a senior prayer discussion class at FJA. “We take a concept from prayer, and my daily challenge is to get teens to leave the room feel- ing the concept is applicable to their lives today,” he said. Jodi Backalar, an alumna of FJA now in college, recalls Yarden’s minyan as a seminal part Jodi Backalar of her high school experience. “He wanted to grow with us rather than just teach us a lesson,” she said. “When his class ended, he was interested in continuing a relationship with his students, in seeing their prog- ress throughout high school and beyond.” Yarden has a unique ability to con- nect with and maintain close rela- tionships with many different teens. “I really don’t know what it is that allows me to connect well with teens. People say it’s because I’m present with them. Maybe it’s just because I spend so much time with teens,” he said. “I look at it as a gift I have, and the question is how can I use that gift to help people on their journeys.” Later this year, Yarden plans to launch a series of support groups where teens can share their chal- lenges in a safe and supportive envi- ronment. The topics will include any issues the participants are strug- gling with, including such weighty topics as suicide, depression and anxiety. Sammy Schwartz, a recent gradu- ate of Farber Hebrew Day School in Southfield, says Yarden helped her on her journey. She met him at The Shul, adjacent to Friendship Circle, where her family belongs. Having spent part of the summer in a psychiatric hospital, Sammy said, “I couldn’t help but tell the truth when he asked me what I did over the summer.” So began a close friendship that included meeting weekly to talk. “He’s taught me a lot about how to live a life worth living,” Schwartz said. She was especially touched when Yarden visited her when she was again in a psychiatric hospi- tal. “Visiting hours had ended for the day, but he was able to get in because he was a clergy member. We talked, and he helped me a lot. The fact that he visited me after hours is a testament to the person that he is.” • Rabbi Yarden Blumstein also is a member of the Youth Mental Health Workgroup at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, which launched a youth mental health initia- tive called “We Need To Talk” (jhelpdetroit.org/ weneedtotalk). To learn more about UMatter or to reach Yarden, email yarden@ friendshipcircle.org or call Friendship Circle at (248) 788-7878 ext. 208.