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Reform students at Emory
will examine youth suicide
Iris Bolton
The Reform Jewish Students
Committee of Emory University
will sponsor a forum on youth
suicide entitled, “Break the Si
lence...You Can Make a Dif
ference.” The program will be
presented on Monday, March 3, at
7:30 p.m. on the Emory campus in
White Hall, Room 206.
The keynote speaker will be
Rabbi Daniel Syme, vice president
of the Union of American Hebrew
Congregations (UAHC). Rabbi
Syme has published articles on
topics such as Jewish-Christian
relations, Jewish social action, and
Jewish education. In addition, he
has co-authored several Jewish
books for children. He has served
on the Rabbinic Advisory Council
of the United Jewish Appeal and
on the executive boards of the
National Religious Education
Association and the National
Council for Jewish Education. He
also has served as chairman of the
Coalition for Alternatives in
Jewish Education. Rabbi Syme
was instrumental in the formation
of the Task Force on Youth
Suicide of the Union of American
Hebrew Congregations.
Rabbi Svme’s keynote address is
entitled, “The Night My Brother
Died,” and he will be followed on
the program by Mrs. Iris Bolton.
Iris Bolton is the executive
director of The Link Counseling
Rabbi Daniel Syme
Center in Atlanta. She is a
graduate of Columbia University
and holds a master’s degree from
Emory University with a major in
suicidology. Mrs. Bolton is a
member of the Georgia State
Committee on Youth Suicide
Prevention, and was recently
appointed to the board of directors
of the National Committee for
Youth Suicide Prevention in New
York City. She appears on WSB's
Action News in a weekly segment
called “In Touch,” dealing with
mental health issues. In addition,
her publications include a pri
vately published book entitled
“My son...My son...” that she co
authored on the survival of a
family in the aftermath of suicide.
Mrs. Bolton's presentation is
called “We can make a difference:
Suicide Prevention.”
The program is free and open to
the students, faculty and staff of
Emory University and the local
Atlanta community.
While in Atlanta, Rabbi Syme
will address members of the
Reform community at a reception
on Sunday. March 2, at 7 p.m. at
the home of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur
Heyman, 28 Willow Glen Drive
and at a luncheon to be held at The
Temple at noon Monday, March
3.
For further information, con
tact Mrs. Beth Fleet, UAHC
college area Director, 897-1462 or
Mrs. Jan Epstein, 636-4044.
Toroh thoughts
Elijah’s challenge
Adaptul Irom the works of Rabbi Menachem M.
Schnccrson. the I ubaviuhci Rcbbc. by Rabbi
Yossi New. (ha bad of Georgia
This week’s Haftorah relates the
story of Elijah’s conflict with the
priest of the pagan deity, Baal.
When the people of Israel were
gathered to see the outcome of
Elijah’s challenge to the priests of
Baal, Elijah admonished them:
“How long will you tread along
two paths? If G-d is the L-rd,
follow Him—and if Baal, then
follow him.” Superficially it seems
that the emphasis in Elijah’s
admonition was misplaced. He
should surely have reprimanded
them like this: “How long will you
worship Baal?” Apparently it
concerned Elijah more that they
“trod along two paths” than that
they “followed Baal!”
The justification that the “two-
path-treaders” used was, that
although they believed in G-d,
Baal seemed to bring them
material success. It was precisely
this trend of thought that Elijah
considered so dangerous—for two
vital reasons: 1.) Those that
sincerely believed in the powers of
Baal and worshipped only him
would be overcome by bitter
remorse when they would finally
realize that they had committed a
grave sin and had worshipped a
baseless myth. They would return
to G-d with a full heart. No such
feelings would ever overtake those
Israelites who professed dual
allegiance. They had, after all,
always served G-d partially and
therefore would not consider
themselves to be such great
sinners. 2.)The “treaders on two
paths” were worse because they
fully realized the omnipotence of
G-d, yet were prepared to abandon
their entire spiritual lives for
material gain. They sold their
beliefs for a “pottage of lentils.”
The message to us from Elijah is
unmistakable. So many of us
consider ourselves religious, yet we
mold our behavior as if our faith
were a religion of convenience,
“shelving” G-d and His laws
occasionally, particularly when
these inconvenience us socially or
make us feel different. We are
afraid that people might say about
us: “Oh! He's old-fashioned. He
doesn’t understand or fit into our
modern age. And especially here in
America where everybody knows
Rabbi Sehueerson
that you have to compromise the
old customs, you have to conduct
yourself in the spirit of the times.”
With this fear of “what will people
say” in the back of our minds we
sell (so-to-speak) G-d and our own
soul! This type of behavior would
classify us as the worst of “treaders
along two paths”—knowing what
is right, yet betraying our prin
ciples for momentary (and often
self-imagined) honor and wealth.
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PAGE 11 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE February 28. 1986