Welcome to our third edition of Schmooze, the Association of Jewish Psychologists newsletter. As our new association continues to grow (around 700 members so far), there are many initiatives that are taking place. In this issue we announce our new journal- Kesher – and the Editor-in-Chief – Dr. Daniel Burston. As you’ll see below the journal plans to cover a wide range of topic areas. The call for papers has begun, so if you have something you’d like to contribute, the information is there.
As well, we’re still open for contributions to the newsletter from our members. As you will see this edition includes several member contributions, including one from a student member. We welcome articles, opinion pieces, letters, jokes, and whatever else you feel might interest our members.
While many of us are still in shock over the tragic massacre of October 7 and the lives lost since, the resurgence of antisemitism on the campuses and streets of North America is still incomprehensible. Even more difficult to understand is the lack of responsiveness of authorities to call out and act on behaviors that would never be allowed were they directed at any other minority group. The reluctance of so many women’s groups to speak out against the use of rape as a weapon of war is appalling.
While there have been a number of reports (ADL and Hillel) documenting the increased number and nature of antisemitic attacks on campuses across North America, few have looked at the effect of these attacks on the students. As psychologists we have a unique perspective on helping document the mental health consequences of the current level of Jew-hatred being experienced.
A small team of us at AJP have been working on a large-scale survey across North American campuses documenting not just incidents, but symptoms of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder experienced by students and resulting from the antisemitic events on campuses.
We collaborated with Hillel, Chabad, and other Jewish campus support groups. This information can be important for administrators, lawmakers, public safety officials, lawyers, advocacy groups, litigators, and public education. Stay tuned for more information on our findings.
As usual, we end this newsletter with some Jewish (therapy) humor.
Steven Stein