Posted January 24 2008
Heath Ledger, Dead at 28: Driving Home the Point of Addressing At-Risk Youth
With all of the entertainment news buzzing about the tragic and untimely death of 28 year old actor Heath Ledger, it got me thinking of a recent Shabbos lunch conversation I had with a group of adults regarding our own Jewish communities and how they deal with at-risk youth. It was reported that Ledger was found dead in his New York City apartment surrounded by prescription pills. It was also reported that he had suffered from substance abuse the previous year. Substance abuse, alcohol abuse - these things do not come as a shock to us “common folk” when we hear how many celebrities suffer from these corruptions. But what do we do when we hear that this is happening in our own backyard to our own brothers and sisters? How do we respond when we hear that a Jewish teenage boy is found dead for the same reason that Ledger was found dead? How do we react when we see the “off the derech” girls or group of “druggies” traipsing through our communities? In a way, we must give these groups credit: despite the fact that they are turned off and seeking an escape from the religious path, these at-risk teens still stick to their own kind. There is a sub-culture of these teenagers that stay together in their own tight-knit Jewish pack.
Unfortunately, many people think it best to sweep these issues under the rug and pretend that these problems don’t exist. Parents may not want to admit that their child has a problem, friends may not want to broach the topic lest the dirty laundry be aired in public. To these people who feel ashamed about these at-risk youth among us I say, let’s air the dirty laundry as much as we can. This is something that needs to be addressed. As someone who is a bit naive, I was told recently about a number of teenagers that are suffering from drug abuse in a neighboring city, yet nobody knows about it - that it is very “hush-hush.” Is anything being done for these poor children? Yes, they may be teenagers, but they are still our children. I understand that in major cities there are programs being started, and that yes, people do want to do something about this. Therefore it is up to us, as a community, to band together and brainstorm on ways that we can help our own people. While working in the high school this afternoon, I overheard one of the high school girls exclaim dramatically, “Oh I am so sad about Heath Ledger, I could cry, right now!” Before we shed a tear for an actor that we don’t even know on a personal level, let us first shed a tear- and TAKE ACTION - for the ones that we do know, that are still part of our culture, still part of our religion, still in our family, even if they have one too many piercings on their body or their hair falls far longer than it should.
Add This Blog to Your Technorati Favorites
Jewish Blog, Jewish, Jewish Leadership, Jewish News, Jewish Values, Jewish Events
3 Comments currently posted. 
Benji Rosenzweig says:
Dave Weinberg says:
Digg this story:
http://digg.com/celebrity/Heath_Ledger_dead_at_28_Driving_Home_the_Point_of_Addressi
Nili Shrage says:
Yasher Koach Talya! I think that there are MANY issues which the Jewish community is refusing to look at, although some issues are being discussed at least a bit more then before (for example, remember the days when domestic violence was not talked about? At least there is a start, although we still have a long way to go with this issue).
When I was graduating social work school, I was asked on a regular basis what my thesis was on. When I told them my topic was Self-Harm in the Orthodox Community, the most common response was, WHAT? WHY? That doesn’t happen within our community! (Which just showed me how important it was to write it, and publish it). Drugs, unprotected sex, rape, are just a few examples of things going on, which people are turning their heads away from. If we continue to make certain topics taboo, how can we even think that our children will want to come to us with questions, or if they are already in trouble? How can they go for help once the damage is done if all we are worried about is protecting our other children from fear they will never find a shiddach if it is out in the open?
I believe we need to educate Rabbis, schools and parents on signs to look for, and make a safe environment for children to ask questions without getting reprimanded for it. If we believe that drinking is not an issue, and never have that talk with them, how are they to know what could happen if they get behind a wheel drunk? Or worse yet, what if they are at a party, drink and feel it is better to get behind a wheel then call their parents for fear of getting in trouble?
I believe we must make these topics open to talk about, or it will only get worse.
I hate to turn into the guy who shoots down every post with “I know more about the real world attitude” so I hope I don’t come off that way. But Talya is right that Drug and Alcohol abuse is a real problem in the Jewish community. As are all the other problems that “normal” communities face (like physical and sexual abuse, divorce, crime, and racism). When I was in High School it felt like people constantly said “you can’t be a drug addict, Jews don’t do that”. The fact of the matter is that Jews DO that. There is a high school in Baltimore specifically for “at risk teen boys” that is a safe environment from drugs, and alcohol. In the last few years one started in Israel for young girls for the same purpose.
Chabad in Michigan and California both have programs for Recovering Jews, and they are planning on expanding their efforts. Bottom Line is, Talya; Keep spreading the word that there needs to be awareness on these issues. So good programs can get the proper funding needed to help the community.
If you or anyone you know needs help with a drug or alcohol problem please feel free to email me and I will try to point you in the right direction to get help.