Newspaper Page Text
it v» *'kw *W^*>
wM^AM
. V
PMMPVWpn
Page 24 -THE SOUTHERN ISkA+JHL -October *1,11986
Unique service offered
Counseling keeps ‘culture shock’ at bay
Special to The Southern Israelite
When someone makes aliyah
they’re in for a real shock. We’re
speaking about culture shock;
and if you think that this is just a
meaningless term or the clever
title of a new book, you’re wrong.
Culture shock is a verifiable
emotional condition. It has been
studied in depth, and its various
stages categorized by social
scientists. It was really “disco
vered,” if you will, not in Israel
with its tens of thousands of
immigrants from all over the
world, but oddly enough, in
Washington, D.C., where it was
the first defined and studied.
An alert sociologist noticed
that many members of the diplo
matic community in Washington
exhibited signs of disorientation
and depression after arriving in
the American capital. She defined
the malady as “culture shock,”
which occurs when one is removed
from his familiar cultural milieu
and thrust into an entirely differ
ent cultural setting.
Nomi Rosenberg is an expert
on culture shock. Not only does
she treat people experiencing
culture shock, she does so from
first-hand knowledge. “I went
through culture shock at least
twice,” notes the vivacious 35-
year old mother of two. “Once
when I made aliyah in 1969, and
again when 1 returned to the
United States as an aliyah emis
sary for three years in 1983.”
Nomi’s personal experiences
led her to develop the unique ser
vice of Culture Shock Counsel
ing now being offered by the
Association of American and
Canadians in Israel (AACI).
Given Nomi’s background and
the AACI’s long history of ser
vice to North American olim, it’s
not surprising that the two have
joined forces on this project.
Nomi Rosenberg grew up in
various communities in the Unit
ed States as her father, a rabbi,
moved to different pulpits around
the country. She finished high
school in Greenville, Mississippi,
and made aliyah in 1969. In 1974,
she graduated from the Baerwald
School of Social Work at He
brew University. From 1976
through 1983, she was in charge
of a Jerusalem-based project
aimed at rehabilitating released
convicts. From 1983 until 1986,
she served as the aliyah emissary
in the Greater Washington, D.C.,
area.
The AACI is the largest and
most active of the immigrant
associations in Israel. Founded
in 1951, its over 18,000 members
collectively represent most of the
60,000 North Americans living in
Israel. The main goal of the AACI
is smoothing the absorption of
new immigrants into the main
stream of Israeli society. Toward
this end, it offers extensive coun
seling services on such important
topics as education, housing, taxes
and employment. Its five regional
offices also sponsor a variety of
social activities, ranging from
picnics to support groups for
single parents and seniors.
Reflecting on her personal ex
periences and drawing on her
professional background, Nomi
has developed the idea of Culture
Shock Counseling. She feels that
the concept of “aliyah,” literally
“going up," often serves to raise
the expectations of new immi
grants to an unrealistic level and
exaggerates the effects of culture
shock. The counseling, which
takes place on an individual or
family level, serves to help the
immigrant pass quickly through
the depression phase and into the
coping phase of culture shock.
“Most olim who return to
America do so during the depres
sion stage,” explains Nomi. “This
is when they are the most vulner
able and feel the worst. We help
them to understand that their
feelings are normal and will pass
with time. I really believe that as
this type of counseling becomes
more widespread we’ll begin to
see a drop in the rate of returning
olim.”
FOR THE BEST
OF BOTH WORLDS
Ron Weintraub
Best of
Europe,
Jaguar
Hennessy Cadillac Jaguar
3040 Piedmont Rd., N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30305
261-5700
Nomi Rosenberg during a counseling session at the AACI office.
Both Nomi and the professional
staff of the AACI view this new
program as an important advance
in the services that are offered to
North American immigrants liv
ing in Israel “This is really a revo
lutionary approach in dealing
with olim,” states Nomi. “We are
relating to the new immigrant on
a personal/emotional level, and
not just as a statistic in a bureau
cratic system.”
Specialist says Syria rethinking
costs of war; predicts new threat
NEW YORK—A specialist in
Middle Eastern affairs has warned
that there is an erosion in Syria’s
perception of the costs of war
with Israel, thereby increasing
the danger of such a conflict.
Dr. Shai Feldman, a senior
research fellow at the Jaffe Insti
tute for strategic studies at Tel
Aviv University, told a meeting
of the Anti-Defamation League
of B’nai B’rith’s Middle Eastern
Affairs Committee, that a policy
of strategic deterrence has kept
the peace between Syria and Israel
in recent years.
“The policy of strategic deter
rence,” Dr. Feldman explained,
“has been based on each coun
try’s perception of the costs of
conflict and the punishment it
was willing—or unwilling—to
accept. Now Syria is gradually
changing its perceptions and
adding to the risks of war.”
A major reason for this change,
he told the group, is a massive
buildup by the Syrian armed for
ces. In the past, Syria regarded
itself as not having military par
ity with Israel. That is not quite
the case today, he reported, since
Syria’s forces have doubled since
1978. There has been an enor
mous anti-tank buildup in the
area between Israel’s border on
the Golan Heights and Damas
cus. Anti-aircraft missiles and
artillery have increased and the
Syrian air force is becoming more
sophisticated.
Dr. Feldman, who is also a vis
iting fellow at the Washington
Institute for Near East Affairs,
said all this is changing Syria’s
views on the costs of conflict and
the kind of punishment it might
inflict.
While Syria may not deem
itself in a position of strategic
parity with Israel at this point.
Dr. Feldman said, and may not
be planning active conflict, be
cause of the erosion in its percep
tions war could result from a var
iety of possible crises.
For example, he cited the at
tempted placing of a bomb on an
El Al airplane in London last
summer. If the terrorists had
succeeded and Syria was found
to be involved, this could have
triggered the destruction of the
currently fragile strategic deter
rence, he said.
EYEYEYEYEYEYEYEYE
y QQptical £
e oervices E
Y Y
E offers E
Y Y
E Quality E
^ Selection £
y Experience y
y Y
We have a ^
Y beautiful selection Y
E of designer frames... E
Y at below Y
E retail prices. E
Y 2441 Cheshire Bridge Y
£ Suite 112 £
Y 6369727 v
EYEYEYEYEYEYEYEYE
Patronize
The Southern Israelite
Advertisers
The
Gentle
Touch
Dr. Jane Rosenberg
$35 Off Spinal Exam
Includes consultation and Orthopedic
Neurological Chiropractic examination
Regularly $50 Now $15
Dr. Jane Rosenberg
Chiropractor
Dr Jane Rosenberg. Doctor ol
Chiropractic has never slopped her
Chiropractic Education In addition to
her doctorate and bachelors degree.
Dr Rosenberg has continued to
complete professional courses and is
now a member in the American Col
lege of Chiropractic Orthopedists
Perhaps you have hesitated visiting a
chiropractor and you did not know
about Dr Rosenberg's gentle touch.
Maybe you did not know that Dr
Rosenberg also utilizes massage ther
apy to supplement her chiropractic
care She has successfully treated
• Back Pain • Shoulder Pain
• Neck Pain • Arm/Leg Pain
• Numbness • Hip Pain
• Headaches • Painful Joints
• Arthritis • Stiffness
• Bursitis • Cold Hands/Feet.
CALL FOR APPOINTMENT
2090 Dunwoody Club Dr. • Suite 113
Orchard Park • Dunwoody, Ga. 30338
396-3106
