Rabbi's Musings

A continuing and often underreported concern these days, made more acute due to the pandemic, is suicide prevention and mental health. It is important that the resources available to us are easy to access, such a 1-800-273-8255, the nation suicide prevention lifeline. There is also a crisis text line at 741741 and a chat service at imalive.org. In addition, in the Woodlands there are a number of resources, including access to Jewish Family Services.

There was a time in Judaism when suicide was seen as a way of being disrespectful to God. That time has passed. We now understand suicide and mental illness as reflective of diseases no different than cancer or Covid-19. What is required is not judgment but compassion and care.

In addition to other resources please feel free to reach out to me for help. Like many of you, I have been personally devastated by a family/friend’s decision to end their lives and I know how important it is to do all we can to prevent such tragedies in the future.