58 | SEPTEMBER 26 • 2019 THEJEWISHNEWS.COM “W hen my mother was ill and died last year, our congregation dropped off more kugels than we knew what to do with. But when Laura died from the overdose, not one per- son came over after the shivah to see how I was doing. No one asked if I wanted to talk about it … my congregation, my friends, even my rabbi did what needed to be done, but treated my daughter’ s death as if it were deliberate … as if I was to blame. But we did everything we could — counseling, three different trips to rehab, clearing every pill out of the house — and Laura tried so hard, too. But nobody wanted to hear about it — then or now.” — Leah G., after her daughter’ s death by a drug overdose Many families and friends suffer when they discover that a loved one is using drugs (including alcohol). They are unsure where to go or what to do as they watch their loved one’ s life, and their own, begin to spin out of control. Unfortunately, Leah G.’ s story and her struggle to find any support within her Jewish com- munity is becoming less unique throughout our country. In 2016, Marla Kaufman gathered a few friends in her Orange County, Calif., back- yard to share her concerns about the paucity of services, resources and supports she dis- covered when her own family realized 10 years earlier that their son was suffering from addiction. They knew they couldn’ t be the only Jewish family in their area facing the problem. Yet the “Jews aren’ t addicts” belief was there, caus- ing families to feel stigma and shame. With their local Jewish Federation and Family Services, Marla and her family formed the Jewish Substance Abuse Task Force, collaborating across Jewish denominations to spread awareness, knowledge and resources throughout their area. She had the vision that addiction would become what she termed “a kugel illness” — something for which a family could expect the support of their Jewish community. In October 2018, finan- cial support from the Jewish Federation allowed Jewish Family Service of Metro Detroit to partner with the T ri-Community Coalition of Berkley, Huntington Woods, and Oak Park in bringing Kaufman to the commu- nity. Her Jewish Addiction Awareness Network (JAAN) workshop titled “It Happens Here: Addiction and Mental Health Issues in the Jewish Community” is designed to help Jewish clergy, lay and community leaders grow in understanding the experience of families who love someone going through addiction, treat- ment and the process of recov- Addiction in a Family — Is it Kugel-Worthy? MAUREEN LYN BERNARD SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS Jews in the D ISTOCK continued on page 60 27th Annual Celebration Jewish Senior Life’s Eight Over Eighty recognizes eight distinguished leaders in our community, all over the age of 80, who have demonstrated a lifetime of dedication to the Jewish value of Tikkun Olam - Repairing the World. CALL FOR NOMINATIONS SAVE THE DATE 27th Annual Eight Over Eighty Fundraiser Sunday, May 17, 2020 11:30am at Adat Shalom Synagogue Without your generous support, Jewish Senior Life could not continue to provide quality services and programs that are so vital to the lives of the older adults and their families we serve. FOR NOMINATION FORMS jslmi.org/eight-over-eighty-event or contact Beth Tryon at 248-592-5026 TTY #711 Btryon@jslmi.org Nominations will be accepted through December 2, 2019 over