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Askanim Discuss Challenge of Alcohol Abuse

Last week, some 25 educators, community activists and residents of Crown Heights convened at the Besht center to discuss the challenges and dangers of substance abuse in our community. The event, arranged by The Addiction Awareness Committee, is hoped to be a springboard for future discussion– and action.

Though various initiatives have addressed various aspects of substance abuse, last week’s gathering is the most comprehensive to date. The panel, led by Rabbi Shea Hecht, Mr. Michael Behrman, David Schwartz and Steve Friedman addressed the gamut of issues facing today’s youth and adults. Topics included drug and alcohol abuse and Internet addiction as well as the tools available for providing support for both addicts and their families.

According to Rabbi Levke Kaplan, an event of this nature has been “long overdue.”

Kaplan feels that it is important to address issues of substance abuse “holistically” – addressing both the reasons behind addictive behavior as well as creating a learning environment that “engages students and focuses their energy into positive forms of expression.”

One important discussion during the evening focused on the permissive nature prevalent in the community towards reckless alcohol abuse. Attendees noted that, despite the Rebbe’s own stance towards limiting alcohol consumption, some continue to believe that reckless use of ‘mashke’ is mistakenly deemed ‘chasidish’ behavior. Special focus was also given to the safe and responsible use of alcohol on Purim.

Th evening ended with the hachlata that all educators and leaders in our community be trained in the basics of diagnosing and helping those struggling with addiction.

Rabbi Yehoshua Werde sees this increased knowledge and training in our community to be critical.

“We all know how the Gemara praises someone who saves even a single life.” Werde says. “By recognizing the dangers of addiction, we are able to not only help those who are addicted, but their parents, siblings, spouses and friends who suffer with them.”

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6 Comments

  • CR

    “One important discussion during the evening focused on the permissive nature prevalent in the community towards reckless alcohol abuse. Attendees noted that, despite the Rebbe’s own stance towards limiting alcohol consumption, some continue to believe that reckless use of ‘mashke’ is mistakenly deemed ‘chasidish’ behavior. ”

    Thank you for making note of this prevailing, mistaken attitude. This message needs to be repeated as often as possible, and not just at Purim and Simchas Torah times.

  • did anyonce see my wild turkey

    this is a nice preventive measure. There is alot of good stuff in the Black Book. I hope everyone is safe.

  • Yehuda

    One way would be to stop giving out mashka to the boys in mesivtas & yeshivos during farbrengens, The bochurim are encouraged to drink during these farbrengens. They would be just as receptive to an interesting farbrenger without the mashka. Parents would be upset & in an uproar if these bochurim would be encouraged to smoke yet with mashka they seem to be very passive.

  • CR

    “One way would be to stop giving out mashka to the boys in mesivtas & yeshivos during farbrengens”

    Funny you mention this. When I was in yeshiva gedola we invited R. Zalman Posner to come talk to us about “amolledige tzeiten”. When someone tried to raise a lechayim he rebuffed it very strongly, saying that alcohol was highly destructive and should never be consumed by bachurim in yeshivah. That came as a major surprise to all of us as this was from a shaliach of the RaYYaTz! I learned from this episode that the current permissivity of mashkeh originated only in the past several decades and has nothing to do with the “alte heim”.