36 | FEBRUARY 16 • 2023
OUR COMMUNITY
F
riendship Circle, Friendship
House and the Andrew Kukes
Foundation for Social Anxiety are
inviting all members of the community
to join them in their highly anticipated
One Thing I Wish You Knew event,
which takes place on March 5.
Four speakers plan to share their
personal stories of strength and hope,
showcasing their resilience in the face
of their mental health struggles.
According to the UMatter website, the
event “will highlight the vulnerability and
honesty of telling the people in our lives
what we wish they knew about our jour-
neys … and the difficulty of sharing what
occurs beneath the surface.”
One of the speakers is Emeri Charlip,
11, of West Bloomfield, a
Hillel Day School student
and member of The Shul in
West Bloomfield. She will
be sharing her experiences
from when her sister battled
a drug addiction.
“My sister went through
something horrible; it affected her in
so many ways, and it also impacted her
family. It’s scary,” Emeri said. “I hope to
inspire kids to not keep their feelings
inside and to get help for themselves,
too.”
Emeri began attending UMatter
events in 2022 and said it had been a
beacon of support during a turbulent
time.
Another speaker is Nate Soverinsky,
16, of Farmington Hills,
a junior at Frankel Jewish
Academy and member
of B’nai Israel in West
Bloomfield. Nate will be
talking about his battle with
anorexia.
“The point I’ll be making is that
asking for and accepting help is the
bravest thing you can do. It doesn’t
make you weak; it makes you stronger,”
said Nate, who is on the UMatter
Board.
“UMatter has given me a place to
speak and given me a voice when I
didn’t think I had one. It’s a place for
everyone to be heard … If my speech
helps even one person, then my job is
done,” Nate said.
Other presenters are Neda Ebrahimi,
a counselor at Cranbrook Schools, and
Jonas Annear, a student at Seaholm
High School.
The program will also host a
community resource fair, featuring both
well-known and lesser-known supports,
and, just for fun, a photo booth.
This is the fifth yearly One Thing I
Wish You Knew event. Last year, 250
people attended in person and another
800 attended virtually.
UMatter, started locally, has branched
into several states and Friendship
Circles internationally, but the One
Thing I Wish You Knew event is unique
to Michigan. The event is open to all
members of the community, including
those without mental health struggles.
Other UMatter programs include
TeenTalks, an informal teen support
group facilitated by teens, on
Wednesday nights and informal Teen
Shabbat dinners, where one speaker
shares their mental health story.
Previously, shame and isolation
were part of the painful parcel of
mental health issues. UMatter exists to
diminish this stigma, as well as to create
community, friendship and support.
According to Madeline Kahl, assistant
to UMatter director Rabbi
Yarden Blumstein, “There
are plenty of people who
come to UMatter just
looking for community. It’s
a good starting point when
their family and friends
might not even know that
they struggle. We’re talking about
mental health more now. We’ve bought
it more definition; we’re more aware of
the challenges.”
One Thing I Wish You Knew takes
place March 5 at Seaholm Auditorium,
2436 W. Lincoln, Birmingham, from
5-6:30 p.m. Doors open at 4 p.m. for
the resource fair. Admission is free.
Register at https://onethingevent.org. For the
Zoom link or for more information, email yarden@
friendshipcircle.org.
UMatter’s annual event hopes to abolish the stigma
associated with mental health challenges.
One Thing I Wish You Knew
Emeri
Charlip
Nate
Soverinsky
Madeline
Kahl
ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER