Featuring notes from Rabbi Nahum Simon, Ph.D., CAP, ICADC
The Jewish community has institutionalized the concept of denial with regard to alcoholism and addiction. “As I have worked in the field for nearly 30 years, it has been an uphill battle to convince both the leaders and the members of the community that Jewish alcoholism is a very real problem that needs to be addressed,” says Rabbi Nahum Simon. Problem drinking was already identified in early scripture. The Book of Genesis tells of two serious drinkers and the consequences that befell them, starting with Noah. Along with Rabbi Simon, our luxury drug and alcohol rehab in South Florida is sharing more on Jewish drinking and how serious of an issue it’s become in the community.
Do Jewish People Drink Alcohol?
Yes, Jewish people drink alcohol, but drinking is not meant to be social. Jewish alcohol rules, particularly when it comes to wine, are complex. Wine is viewed as a substance of import, and it’s incorporated into religious ceremonies. For instance, Purim is considered a Jewish drinking holiday. So, while the general consumption of alcohol is permitted in the Jewish community, inebriation (drunkenness) is discouraged and considered sinful.
The overconsumption of alcohol is mentioned several times in the Bible, starting with Noah. After being saved from destruction in the flood, Noah proceeds to plant a vineyard, cultivating the grapes and producing wine. He then consumes so much wine that he passes out. Jewish tradition is replete with an explanation of the serious consequences that Noah suffered.
Several chapters later, we are introduced to the story of Lot, who, after being rescued by the angels from the destruction of the wicked city of Sodom, was enticed into incestuous relationships with his daughters. Many who come from the Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jewish tradition recall a song in Yiddish that proclaimed, “Shikkor iz a Goy,” meaning that if one were a drunkard, he must be a gentile.
The Effects of Jewish Drinking on the Community
Below, Rabbi Simon discusses his experiences with alcoholism in the Jewish community:
In my years in the field of addiction treatment, I have encountered many Jewish families who were more comfortable with believing that their loved one was mentally ill rather than dealing with the possibility that their loved ones were addicts. I recall hearing a tape several years ago where the speaker said that there were four categories of people who had a risk of becoming alcoholics. Children of alcoholics. Intergenerational skip, where the alcoholic was the grandchild or great-grandchild of an alcoholic. A child who grows up in a family with a mentally ill parent. And spontaneous alcoholism in communities that seem immune to the disease. In illustrating the fourth group, the tape that I listened to cited Jews as an example of a community that, until recent times, seemed immune.
This compelled me to conduct my own research, as I believe there have always been Jewish alcoholics. One must study the flow of Jewish history to comprehend the full story. The Jews’ position in society was very precarious. Many Jews were small minorities within countries and populations that were hostile to them. This reality necessitated strong cohesiveness within the community.
Alcoholism represented a loss of personal control that could threaten the security of the entire community. Therefore, the alcoholic would not find support or acceptance within the community. One of two things would occur. Either the alcoholic would stop the behavior, in which case communal support would be provided. Alternatively, the alcoholic would leave the community. This second choice often led to the alcoholic’s ultimate assimilation into the non-Jewish population.
We know that one of the obstacles that a person seeking recovery must deal with is to avoid transferring addictions by stopping one addiction only to find solace in another form of the disease. I believe, historically, the Jewish addict was able to transfer the addiction into a form that was less threatening and more acceptable to the community.
I further believe that the fact that both Gamblers Anonymous and Overeaters Anonymous were founded by a disproportionate number of Jews is not a coincidence. Gambling and food were acceptable addictions within the community, to the extent that obesity was equated with prosperity and wealth.
Another interesting phenomenon is that while Jewish alcoholism is unacceptable to the community, no such prohibition existed concerning the use of other drugs. As drug experimentation became the thing to do in the 1960s and 1970s, and young Jews, who would never think of public intoxication, had no taboo against drug use. The normal progression of the disease that we see in alcohol addiction treatment when taking a drug history is to find that the individual first began to drink alcohol, progressed to marijuana, and then on to other chemicals. In Jewish addicts, very often, the history begins with other drugs, and then, in later stages, may turn to alcohol.
In the early 1960s, I had the opportunity to work with recent immigrants to the State of Israel. In immigrant communities, alcoholism was a major issue. Coming from my sociological training, I understood that the primary factors contributing to this were the feelings that developed among the mature population. The male immigrant was faced with feelings of displacement in a new country. This applied mainly to the male head of household, struggling to speak a new language, dealing with a foreign culture, and, frequently, the inability to find employment. The feelings became unbearable, and solace was sought in alcohol. The proud man now had to rely on his children for assistance. In those years, it never occurred to us to consider that the problem was one of alcoholism rather than a societal issue.
Is Alcoholism More Common Among Jewish People?
The fact is that there is no reason to believe that Jews differ from the general population in the occurrence of alcoholism and addiction. The percentage of Jews participating in recovery programs or seeking treatment will generally parallel the percentage of Jews living among the general population. What may be unique within the Jewish community is that, due to denial and shame, more Jewish individuals may seek treatment in distant cities rather than closer to home. This may be a factor to consider in discharge planning and continuing treatment when the patient returns to home, family, and his or her environment.
When dealing with Jewish clients in treatment, some very basic problems may be presented. Most, if not all, of these are extensions of the denial phenomenon. Many recovery meetings are held in churches, and many Jews find this uncomfortable. The 12-step program grew out of a fundamentalist Christian philosophy, the Oxford Group, and the phraseology of the steps “sounds” un-Jewish. Holding hands at the end of the meeting and reciting the Lord’s Prayer is foreign to Jewish practice. In fact, many who practice the Jewish faith were raised with the notion that the Lord’s Prayer is not to be said by Jews.
The concept of spirituality is strange to many addicts, who confuse spirituality with religion, and is totally alien to the average Jew whose religious training, at best, was limited to two to four hours a week between the ages of eight and thirteen. And, as with many others at the onset of the spiritual journey of recovery, the loss of community contact, self-identification, and definition is a major stumbling block. Although we are told to find a “God of our understanding,” what does one do if there is no true point of reference to a Higher Power?
Many of these issues are common to all newcomers to the recovery process. Some may be unique to Jews, and others come from some culture or community outside the mainstream. The challenge for professionals in the addiction field is to assist the individual in finding and defining a spiritual path that is meaningful and productive. For this reason, our Palm Beach rehab offers faith-based recovery programs to aid patients from all religious backgrounds and beliefs to engage in true spiritual healing.
Recover From Alcoholism at Seaside
No matter where you’re from or what your religious background is, Seaside Palm Beach is here to help. We offer luxury alcohol detox and addiction treatment at our facility, among various other rehab programs designed to help clients in every stage of recovery.
For more information about our residential addiction treatment in Palm Beach and how we can help you or a loved one get sober, call us today at 561-677-9374 or send us your contact information, and we’ll reach out to you.
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