Conference on Eating Disorders in the Jewish Community for Mental Health Professionals
Date:
07 Jun, 2009
Description:
Orthodox Union and Renfrew Center Eating Disorders Conference
For: Mental Health Professionals, Rabbis, and Students
Sunday, June 7th 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
5.5 CEU Credits available
CONFERENCE GOALS
The goals of this conference are to:
• Explore hunger & shame, body hatred & ED in the Jewish community
• Examine the place of food in Jewish culture, history & community
• Address the rise in ED & related issues in the Jewish community
• Build a bridge between modern therapeutic techniques & traditional values
• Develop strategies for using Jewish tradition, culture, spirituality, text & ritual as resources for health
ONLINE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
The Orthodox Union is the acknowledged pioneer in bringing to the forefront Positive Jewish Parenting and Positive Jewish Marriage programs for strengthening the Jewish Family. We now continue our efforts together with the Renfrew Center Foundation in presenting a full-day conference in New York City for mental health practitioners and Rabbis about body image issues and eating disorders within the Jewish Community. There will be workshops throughout the day exploring the role of hunger, shame, and body-hatred in the development of eating disorders.
Leading practitioners in the field of eating disorders will be conducting workshops throughout the day such as Samuel Menaged, J.D., Marjorie Feinson, Ph.D., David Hahn, M.D., Esther Altmann, Ph.D., Emily Kurlioff, Ph.D. There will be three keynote speakers including Rabbi Abraham Twerski, M.D. Mental health professionals from thoughout the country are welcome to attend and CEU credits are available. More details shortly.
ABOUT THE RENFREW CENTERS
The Renfrew Center was established in 1985 in Philadelphia as the first free-standing, residential treatment facility in the United States exclusively dedicated to the treatment of women with eating disorders. Today, The Renfrew Center has facilities in Philadelphia and Radnor, PA; Greater Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Ridgewood, NJ; New York, NY; Wilton, CT; Charlotte, NC; Nashville, TN and Dallas, TX. The Renfrew Center now offers an Extended Care Program designed specifically for individuals stepping down from intensive treatment for an eating disorder. “Renfrew House,” a new 16-bed, home-like facility located on the Philadelphia campus, provides program participants with the support and life skills necessary to transition back into everyday life.
The Renfrew Center has helped more than 50,000 women with eating disorders and other behavioral health issues. The treatment philosophy emphasizes a respect for the unique psychology of women, the importance of a collaborative therapeutic relationship, and the belief that every woman needs to actively participate in her own recovery. If you or a loved one has an eating disorder, The Renfrew Center is the only treatment facility in the country with programming specifically geared toward observant Jewish women.
The Renfrew Center emphasizes the importance of working within clients’ cultural-religious frameworks. Renfrew therapists are sensitive to the customs and practices of Orthodox Judaism.
For more information about The Renfrew Center or our programs, please call 1-800-RENFREW or visit our website at www.renfrewcenter.com
ABOUT THE RENFREW CENTER FOUNDATION
The Renfrew Center Foundation, founded in 1990, is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to advancing the education, prevention, research and treatment of eating disorders. Through its programs, the Foundation aims to increase awareness of eating disorders as a public health issue and research the pathology and recovery patterns of people with eating disorders. The Foundation also seeks to educate professionals in the assessment, treatment and prevention of behavioral and emotional disorders by sponsoring an Annual Conference, as well as numerous seminars throughout the country.
The Renfrew Center Foundation is committed to helping women and girls on the road to recovery by providing financial assistance to those who might otherwise not be able to afford treatment. The Foundation is supported financially by private donations, as well as by funding from The Renfrew Center.
Professionals can become more involved with The Foundation’s efforts through individual donations and planned giving opportunities. Together, with your help, we can build a future where women, girls, and their families have the hope for a healthy life, free from eating disorders. For information about The Renfrew Center Foundation, please call toll-free 1-877-367-3383 or visit www.renfrew.org
“Hungry To Be Heard” - View excerpt from the documentary
Schedule:
ONLINE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
8:15 - 9:00 REGISTRATION & MORNING REFRESHMENTS
9:00 - 9:15 WELCOME
Samuel E. Menaged, JD
President of The Renfrew Center Foundation and The Renfrew Centers
9:15 - 10:45 KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
Eating Disorders: The Healing Power of the Jewish Community
Esther Altmann, PhD
So many Jewish girls live on the edge of an eating disorder – hovering, but not crossing over the line to a full blown syndrome. Their preoccupation and angst about food and body drain precious emotional and intellectual resources that could be directed toward more productive endeavors. Eating disorders can be life-threatening, debilitating, chronic conditions. Early detection and treatment can help prevent the anguish and suffering of young Jewish women and their families. Over the years there have been repeated efforts in the Jewish community to address the problem of eating disorders, yet the illness
persists. Are there cultural stressors that may contribute to the problem? How might Jewish values mitigate eating disorders and their consequences? Dr. Altmann will address these issues and share clips from the documentary film “Hungry To Be Heard.”
Esther Altmann, PhD is an eating disorders specialist and Senior Consultant to the Orthodox Jewish Eating Disorders Program at The Renfrew Center in New York. Dr. Altmann is currently on the teaching faculty at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School and the Drisha Institute. Dr. Altmann is a psychologist in private practice in Manhattan.
10:45 - 11:00 BREAK
MORNING SESSIONS
11:00 - 12:30
A1 - Strengthening a Jewish Woman’s Sense of Self and Purpose in Life
Jennifer Daniel, MS, DTR & Susan Kleinman, MA, ADTR, NCC
Recent reports suggest an alarming increase in eating disorders among young orthodox women, prompting concern that this is associated with a lack of feminine identity and spiritual connectedness. This presentation introduces embodied methods to strengthen a sense of wholeness and purpose as a female and member of the Jewish community.
A2 - “Hungry To Be Heard,” A Documentary and Resource Guide - Exploring Eating Disorders in the Orthodox Jewish Community
Elisheva Diamond, MA & Sarah Weinberger-Litman, PhD
“Hungry To Be Heard” is a documentary designed to enable teachers and Orthodox Jewish leaders to educate members of the community about the treatment and prevention of eating disorders. The film features prominent clinicians and researchers, rabbis, and individuals who have struggled with eating disorders. Watch the Trailer and view more information.
A3 - Orthodoxy and Eating Disorders: Cultural Norm or Pathology?
Jonathan Kirschner, MA
During psychotherapy with an Orthodox Jew, it is paramount to distinguish which aspects of the client’s religious observance meets cultural norms and which aspects are more influenced by underlying psychopathology. This presentation focuses on these distinctions as they manifest in the treatment of an Orthodox Jew with an eating disorder.
A4 - A Glimpse into the World of Eating Disorders from the Inside
Lenny Kramer & Aliza Starshefsky
In this workshop, a former eating disorders patient and the father of a patient, both active in the Orthodox Jewish community, emphasize the fact that eating disorders are tangible illnesses which need to be dealt with in the same manner as one would deal with any debilitating, life-threatening disease.
A5 - Feeding the Soul: Food, Hunger, Judaism and the Development of Eating Disorders
Sondra Kronberg, MS, RD, CDN
Food and eating are deeply woven into Jewish law and culture. Blessings and rituals give meaning and structure which enhance and support Jewish life. This workshop will explore the relationship between rituals of Kashrut, Jewish identity, body image, and the increasing development of disordered eating within the orthodox community.
A6 - Eat, My Child: The Uses and Misuses of Food and Body Image between Jewish Mothers and Daughters
Emily Kuriloff, PsyD
This presentation explores how the misuse of food can represent disavowed shame and fear about persecution, poverty, violence and loss in multiple generations of Jewish families. Psychological treatment that fosters greater tolerance for the direct expression of hidden feelings, leads to a dialogue that can resolve food abuse.
12:30 - 1:30 LUNCH
1:30 - 1:45 BREAK
1:45 - 3:00 INTRODUCTION OF RABBI TWERSKI
Frank Buchweitz, MS, National Director of Community Services and Special Projects for the Orthodox Union
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
Spirituality, Self-Esteem and Recovery
Rabbi Abraham Twerski, MD
Eating becomes disordered when food serves some purpose other than nutrition. Food can be used as a tranquilizer, temporarily relieving the distress of anxiety, or as a means for demonstrating control. It is necessary to address the sources of anxiety and the circumstances that cause unmanageable feelings. Failure to do so leaves a void, which may be experienced as anxiety. Self-fulfillment requires using all the traits that distinguish a person from other living things. The totality of these traits can be described as the human spirit. Exercising the traits that comprise the spirit constitutes spirituality. A person can attain optimum self-esteem only by becoming or striving to become everything one can be. Hence, self-esteem requires the self-fulfillment of spirituality.
Abraham J. Twerski, MD is the Founder/Medical Director Emeritus of the nationally acclaimed Gateway Rehabilitation Center. An ordained Rabbi, practicing psychiatrist, and prolific author of more than 50 books, Dr. Twerski is recognized as an international authority in the field of chemical dependency. He has been Clinical Director, Department of Psychiatry at St. Francis Hospital in Pittsburgh, Founder of the first Pennsylvania program for nurses with addiction problems, and Chairman of the Pennsylvania Medical Society Committee on the Impaired Physician. The recipient of honorary degrees from St. Vincent’s College, Duquesne University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Twerski has received numerous awards including the Nelson J. Bradley Life Time Achievement Award from the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers.
3:00 - 3:15 Reflections on the Day
Susan Kleinman, MA, ADTR, NCC
Please join us for self-reflection and the opportunity to strengthen our connection to others.
3:15 - 3:30 MINCHA SERVICE
Led by: Rabbi Saul Zucker
3:15 - 3:30 BREAK
AFTERNOON SESSIONS
3:30 - 5:00
P1 - Eating Disorders 101
Doug Bunnell, PhD
This workshop provides an overview of eating disorders and will answer questions such as: Who is at risk? What are the medical complications? How do they develop? Are there other psychological problems? What are the warning signs? How to intervene? Where to go for help? What are the treatments? Can you get better? Answers will be offered and additional questions will be welcome.
P2 - Zaftig Women in a Barbie Doll Culture
Harin Feibush, LCSW & Jane Shure, PhD, LCSW
Jewish women in today’s culture must either accept fuller-figured bodies or struggle with self-hatred and shame. This presentation describes factors that promote body dissatisfaction, obsessions with thinness and disordered eating which lead to low self-esteem and body-hatred, and explores how embracing Jewish traditions can support emotional health.
P3 - Disordered Eating and Domestic Abuse: Data for New Directions
Marjorie Feinson, PhD
This workshop examines the relationship between childhood abuse and disordered eating using unpublished data from Israel. Participants will work in small groups to transform research findings into treatment practices and prevention strategies that meet the needs of Orthodox, Ultra-Orthodox, Traditional and Secular women and families within the Jewish community.
P4 - The Jewish Factor in Eating Disorders: A Behind the Scenes Look
Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser
This presentation explores unique factors within the Jewish community, inparticular , aspects of the world of “shidduchim,” that can trigger disordered eating. This will include a first-person account from an eating disorders patient, several other interesting case histories and remarks about successful intervention strategies.
P5 - Eating Disorders in Our Schools: Nurturing Cultures of Healthy Decision Making
Ira Miller, MA, Dean, Ramaz Upper School
Educators and support staff must view themselves as vital participants in a family’s experience with an eating disorder. This presentation addresses the need to coordinate an informed and compassionate response to the individual child and family in distress, as well as to develop facility-based curricula and programming designed to prevent eating disorders.
P6 - Honoring Your Body
LaurieAnn Scher, MS, RD
In Judaism, the body is viewed as a gift from G-d. This workshop explores eating disordered behavior, treatment and prevention through peer education. It also addresses how to empower young women and provide them with the proper tools to carry out this mitzvah, even in the face of current cultural pressures.
ONLINE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
Location:
RAMAZ Middle School
114 East 85th Street
New York, NY
10028
Contact:
Frank Buchweitz
212-613-8188
ONLINE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!