What drugs and alcoholism can do...

"Whoever saves a single soul, it is as if he saves an entire universe." (Sanhedrin, 19b)

There are few things as soul destroying as living with chemical dependency. The many, many thousands of Jews in recovery can testify to the emotional, spiritual and physical bankruptcy the disease causes for individuals and families.

What Recovery can do...

This does not have to be the case. Recovery is possible and life can not only go on, but can be celebrated with warmth and wisdom and richness and meaning. That is the experience of those associated with JACS and the message JACS gives out to Jews around the world.

JACS was formed 18 years ago by a small group of Jews in AA and Alanon to explore the richness of the Jewish tradition in relation to their own recoveries. It has not grown to an organization that affects the lives of thousands on a daily basis through the sharing of information, an active membership organization and network of Jews in recovery, spiritual retreats and workshops, conferences, lectures, newsletters and publications, havurot, professional training and outreach to every facet of the Jewish community.

There are two big misconceptions about chemical dependency: that Jews do not drink (and/or abuse drugs or pills) and that the 12 Step recovery process is not compatible with Jewish tradition and belief. Not only is this incorrect but the perpetuation of those myths prevents many from reaching out for the help they and their families need.

How do we breach the wall of denial that still continues to plague the Jewish community about substance abuse? We can start by becoming aware about the disease of chemical dependency and how it affects individuals, families and communities. Alcoholism is a disease with progressive patterns like diabetes or cancer. And as with any disease, there are strong physical, emotional, mental and spiritual effects that have a large impact on every aspect of a person's public and private life.

The path to recovery begins with awareness and acceptance of the problem. Recovery and renewal are implicit in our Jewish heritage. So is compassion. The path to ending denial starts with us, how we incorporate knowledge and what Jewish values we transmit to those who need our help. Only then can we take action to provide access to the age-old Jewish tradition of healing and care.

What the Jewish community can do ...

Recognize that there is a false stigma about chemical dependency. It is a disease, not a matter of control or willpower, with an organic base, often of genetic origin.

Examine your own familial and communal attitudes about chemical dependency and then look at how they affect your relations with those who may or may not have admitted that they have a problem.

Educate yourself, your family and your community about chemical dependency and its effects on individuals, families and communities. There are many resources available for both individual and communal education. JACS and other resources can provide publications, programs for schools and synagogues, videos and professional training to help you see the patterns and effects of the disease in its many forms.

Understand the effect denial has on people and communities and the roles people develop to survive.

Provide information about confidential resources for help. Print resource numbers in synagogue bulletins and bulletin boards for hotlines, local offices of Alcoholics Anonymous and AL-Anon (for families) and for volunteer programs like JACS whose members will make their experience strength and hope available for initial contacts on the phone.

Open the synagogue doors to 12 Step meetings. By doing so you not only provide a safe haven for recovery but send a strong message to Jews in the community that you recognize the disease and support recovery.

Develop an ongoing community-wide strategy about chemical dependency and make sure your message is consistent.

Get together to discuss common problems. Denial thrives in secrecy (and problems with chemical dependency never resolve themselves by pretending they will go away).

Support the work of the task forces, JACS and other expert organizations that provide the resources to break down denial and to provide opportunities for meaningful, lasting and continued recovery.

What JACS and 12 Step Programs do....

JACS helps people find the resources within our community and tradition to recover and go forward in their lives. The first of these resources is in all our communities, regardless of religious orientation: AA, AL-ANON, NA and the other 12 Step programs. AA works; and the foundations of the 12 Step programs are totally consistent with the foundations of Judaism.