Series Examines Opioid Addiction in the Jewish Community

Veteran social worker Howard Reznick remembers a time when it was virtually “unthinkable” that members of the Jewish community would “have access to heroin, go to prison and die” from the highly addictive drug.

“Now, it’s not so foreign,” says Reznick, manager of preventative education at Jewish Community Services. “I don’t think we’re all that different than the general community.”

In response to Maryland’s opioid epidemic, JCS, Sol Levinson & Bros. funeral home, the Edward A. Myerberg Center, the Baltimore Board of Rabbis and Jmore will present a free two-part series in October titled “Understanding Addiction and Recovery.”

During the first seminar — on Oct. 9 from 7-9 p.m. at the Park Heights Jewish Community Center, 5700 Park Heights Ave. — Dr. Richard Haber, medical director of the JCS outpatient mental health center, will deliver the keynote address, “Understanding the Disease of Addiction.”

Dr. Haber will discuss the roots and causes of addiction and why some addicts struggle to recover more than others. The address will be followed by breakout sessions, including “Increasing Resilience in our Children” with Rabbi Lawrence Ziffer and Susan Kurlander; “The Unique Challenges of the Orthodox Family” with Reznick and Dr. Aviva Weisbord; and “How Can We Help the Addict We Love” with James Ryan of Ashley Addiction Treatment in Havre de Grace.

Each of the sessions will conclude with a demonstration of the administration of Narcan, a medication that stops the effects of opioids and reverses overdoses. “Narcan saves lives,” says Reznick.

At the second session — on Oct. 23 from 7-9 p.m. at the Owings Mills JCC, 3506 Gwynnbrook Ave. — Dr. Marc Fishman, a faculty member of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, will present “The Range of Treatment Options and Who Does Best Where.” Dr. Fishman’s talk will be followed by a panel discussion of recovering addicts who will share their recovery experiences.

“There are different paths to recovery,” says Reznick. “Some people receive medication, at least initially or ongoing, some [attend] 12-step [meetings], some have [methadone] maintenance which might help with opioid. … We’ll look at which treatment works best for whom.”

Reznick says the series will be informative and enlightening for anyone who wants to better understand the perils of addiction.

“Addiction is not about them,” he says. “It’s about us.”

To register for one or both sessions, visit jcsbalt.org/addictionprograms or call 410-466-9200.