Ohel is the Jewish communities hub for mental health services. Read about their phenomenal work in the recent bereavement space, below.
Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services is the umbrella organization providing mental health services and supports to the Jewish community. Read more about what Ohel does in our previous review, here.
‘We try to look at our community and see which unmet needs we can fulfill.’ explains Tzivy Reiter, Director of Clinical and National Trauma Center at Ohel.
‘And we found that while there are some wonderful organizations that do incredible work in supporting grievers in the Jewish community, there were still so many people grieving losses that felt invisible…especially groups that have historically been overlooked, such as parents who lost an adult child, grandparents, and people who lost a sibling. We found many people who were grieving alone, and an even larger number of family and friends that meant well but didn’t know how to support their loved one.
Through the Zachter Family National Trauma Center, we started a series of webinars called ‘Reimagining Grief.’
Ohel’s Reimagining Grief Webinar series is a treasure-trove of content:
loss survivors finally felt understood, and felt that there was space made for their grief. And family and friends learned to be more comfortable around grief. ‘The best way to support your loved one isn’t by cheering them up.’ explains Tzivy. ‘Rather, just be there with them in their pain, and follow their lead in the way they want to grieve. Grief is personal and each person grieves differently: support your grieving loved one in the way they want to be supported.’ Learn more and watch Ohel’s Reimagining Grief Webinars here.
‘The feedback from the webinars was tremendous!
We started running bereavement retreats for parents who lost an adult child, and we ran the first ever bereavement retreat solely dedicated for adults who lost a sibling. Feige Steinmetz, mother of Dovi Steinmetz A”H, one of the 45 Meron Kedoshim, said, ‘The Ohel bereaved parents retreat is literally a safe haven for us, giving us fuel and chizuk to go on until the next retreat.’ The reaction was so intense that it led to the development of our bereavement groups, our current offering of 9 groups for grievers, including parents, siblings and spouses.
Our groups are a safe space for your grief:
- to feel supported and validated
- to tell your story
- to hear from others who understand your pain.
‘Instead of being told to move on (and leave your loved one behind), in our groups we help you move forward while taking your loved ones with you,’ explains Tzivy.
Ohel’s groups support
- Parents who lost a young child
- Parents who lost an adult child
- Young adults who lost a sibling
- Grandparents who lost a grandchild
- Women who have school-aged children who lost a spouse
They’re working to create space and improve the conversation around grief, and want to help you move forward. Learn more about their groups and sign up here.
‘Until Mashiach comes, death is a part of life.’ finishes Tzivy. ‘We can’t take your pain away, but we can help lighten your load.’ Visit www.ohelfamily.org to see all of Ohel’s services, check out their ‘Reimagining Grief’ webinars here, and sign up for a recent bereavement group here.
For more information about Ohel, email access@ohelfamily.org
