Beit Kulanu and Shaare Torah host discussions on fertility journeys and mental health
'Any opportunity we have to be open about these topics is one we need to grab with both hands'
The universality of infertility and infant loss is uniting denominationally divergent congregations for a weekend of conversation. Between May 30-31, Beit Kulanu and Shaare Torah Congregation will host multiple panels and presentations dedicated to “Understanding Fertility Journeys and Mental Health in Our Community.” During both days, community members are encouraged to meet, listen and discuss fertility, faith and social pressures.
Infertility affects approximately 17.5% of adults worldwide. Within the United States, rates are lower; still, nearly 11% of women and 9% of men experience infertility, according to the World Health Organization.
Regarding infant mortality, the WHO reports global rates at 25 per 1,000 live births. In the U.S., the number is 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births.
These challenges are experienced regardless of ideology, and it behooves the community to approach the issue collectively, Beit Kulanu’s Rabbi Dan Fellman said.
“Part of building a strong Jewish community is making sure people feel seen, supported and cared for during difficult periods of life. This program reflects our commitment to strengthening Jewish families with compassion and dignity,” Rabbi Yitzi Genack, of Shaare Torah, said.
Both rabbis credited communal partners, including the Jewish Fertility Foundation, with supporting the weekend and said they were looking forward to welcoming guest speaker Dr. Aimee Baron.
Founder and executive director of I Was Supposed to Have a Baby, Baron oversees a New York-based nonprofit that provides various resources, including digital platforms, communal programs and support networks aimed at transforming “how the Jewish community cares for people struggling with fertility and loss.”
A panel dedicated to “mental health, community pressures and showing up for each other” will include Baron, psychologist Sharon Saul, and Stefanie Small, director of clinical services at JFCS Pittsburgh.
“Any opportunity we have to be open about these topics is one we need to grab with both hands,” Small told the Chronicle. Programs like these “bring things out of the shadows” and destigmatize topics people are reluctant to discuss.
Throughout the weekend, programs are slated to occur within local synagogues. Small is pleased by the venue choice.
Attacks in recent years have led many people to deem worship places dangerous; this program should remind Pittsburghers that synagogues are “safe places to have discussions about what’s bothering them, about personal issues, about worldwide situations, about local problems. The synagogue is the hub of Jewish life, and this is part of Jewish life,” she said.
Fellman is encouraging community members to show up, listen and learn. Doing so, he said, reflects the best of Jewish values.
“This is what community does: We put our arms around each other in times of challenge and sorrow, and also in times of celebration,” he said. “In many ways, one of the essences of being a Jew is that we are in community with each other, and we share, and we learn, and we encourage each other to share and learn.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
comments