AJP PArtnerships 2024
For those of us who have formed the Association of Jewish Psychologists, in response to our current tidal wave of antisemitism, we find a strong sense of community in working with each other and in creating alliances with other professionals, as well as forums for discussion, advocacy, and the arts.
1. We have created a Directory of Clinicians who have made themselves available to treat community members, requesting a Jewish therapist.
2. We have recruited psychologists to facilitate our support groups. These groups include:
a. University students, parents, and faculty
b. High school students and their parents
c. Practicing psychologists
d. Professionals in other academic disciplines, including economics, animal ecology, anthropology
e. Retired professionals
f. Older adults
g. Israeli community members in the United States
h. And we have partnered with the Israeli Psychological Association to work with Israeli citizens in Israel.
3. We have created partnerships with other groups, including:
a. APA
b. APF
c. American Jewish Committee (AJC)
d. The Antidefamation League (ADL):
e. Blue Star Families: an online community for military and Veteran families
f. TAPS: the Tragedy Assistance Program for (Military Family) Survivors
g. International Hillel: We are working with International Hillel to collect hard data on the stress symptoms of Jewish college students, as they are confronted with antisemitism.
h. Jewish alumni, students, and parents of Brown University
i. Princeton University Center for Jewish Life
j. Sharaka: meaning “partnership” in Arabic. It is an organization that includes Israelis and Arabs, Jews, Muslims, Christians and Druze from around the Middle East, working together in partnership to implement the Abraham Accords.
k. The Shalom Hartman Institute: a leading center of Jewish thought and education, serving Israel and North America
l. The Institute for Peace (CEO, Izzeldin Abuelaish, MD): an aspirational Institute, to be built in Israel, dedicated to eradicating hate
m. Zaka: a UN-recognized humanitarian volunteer organization that provides a rapid response to mass casualty disasters across the world. To date, Zaka has saved thousands of lives – and honored those who couldn’t be saved with dignity in death.
n. The Common Bond Institute (Executive Director, Steve Olweean): has operated humanitarian programs to facilitate local capacity building for psychosocial healing and conflict transformation in regions of war and turmoil, and has engaged compassionate dialogue across divides.
o. IBSI: The Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel. IBSI is dedicated to strengthening the relationships between African Americans and the nation of Israel.
p. The Women’s Collective: Muslim and Jewish Women United: working together to combat hate and form solidarity in the United States
q. Chai Village: the first synagogue-based Village in the country that provides community for older adults
4. AJP is publishing a newsletter, called “Schmooze,” that reports on AJP research and the work of all of our other Committees. It also publishes personal stories. Dr. Steve Stein is our Editor.
5. AJP is putting together a Journal, Kesher, meaning “Connection.” Dr Daniel Burston is the Editor-in-Chief and looks forward to publishing scientific articles, profiles of erudite psychologists, articles about Jewish culture, arts, drama, dance, music, poetry.
6. AJP will be sponsoring a series of webinars. Three have already been scheduled and a third will be scheduled soon:
a. March 26th at 8:00 pm: Professor Susannah Heschel, an American scholar, professor of Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College, daughter of Joshua Heschel, and Tarek El-Assiss, the James Wright Professor and Chair of Middle Eastern Studies at Dartmouth College, will chair a webinar discussion on the crisis in the Middle East, mirroring what they have done, for nearly a decade at Dartmouth College. Dr.s Heschel and El-Assis have received world-wide attention for their scholarly and even-handed approach to discussing the history, conflicts, and politics of the Middle East. The lectre will be conducted as a webinar.
b. May 8th at 8:00 pm: Professor David Raskin, the Mohn Family Professor of Contemporary Art History at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago will be giving a lecture on the art and Jewish symbolism of Chagall, reflecting on the similarities and differences between the antisemitism of Chagall’s era of the 1930’s and 40’s and our own. The lecture will be live streamed from my home.
c. May 19th at 1:00 pm: Professor Shlomit Weiss-Dagan, Bar Illan University. Dr. Weiss-Dagan will discuss the concept of personal and community resilience and post-traumatic growth in the context of war. The lecture will be conducted as a webinar.
d. Summer 2024: a staged reading of an original play by AJP psychologist and playwright, Henry Greenspan: “Death/Play or the Mad Jester of the Warsaw Ghetto.” We are talking about live streaming it from my home.
