Orthodox Jews and ED with Devorah Levinson
It’s personal.
Addressing the impact of eating disorders within the Orthodox Jewish community holds personal significance for me. Within this community, there are many people who are struggling with eating disorders, and it’s crucial to explore how they are managing it and what actions they can take.
Listen to the Episode Now
If this post resonates with you or makes you feel something, share it with a friend! My hope is that we can keep this important conversation going long after the post is over.
There are obvious questions around the topic of kosher. What does that mean? What does it look like? How do you deal with somebody who does keep kosher? What are the different levels of kosher and how do you personalize care?
There is a cultural shift within the Orthodox Jewish community due to the internet, where appearance ideals have become pervasive, challenging the community's perceived protective measures. The learning curve lies in recognizing these changes and understanding that even with a more insular lifestyle, the community is not immune to the impact of societal influences on body image and eating habits.
So in this episode, I am joined by Devorah Levinson. Devorah is a Referral Specialist and the Director of Eating Disorders Division at Relief Resources, a mental health referral service that caters to the needs of the Orthodox community. Her role at Relief is to provide mental health referrals and information to families and patients and she serves as a conduit to appropriate and effective care. Her work consists of researching new clinicians, facilities, and treatment options as well as promoting cultural sensitivity to clinicians who have little or no experience with Orthodox Jewish patients. She has presented on the topics of mental health and eating disorders in the Jewish community at schools and hospitals; most notably, at the Academy for Eating Disorders International Conference in Washington, DC. Devorah also has a strong focus on eating disorder prevention and in that vein was part of a team that adapted The Body Project for the Orthodox Jewish Community.
Together, we are diving into:
The influence of eating disorders on Orthodox Jewish individuals, including unique challenges related to home environments, social media, and cultural shifts.
Reservations within the community about seeking external treatment, parental fears of losing religious identity, and the observation that Orthodox patients often seek help when already in critical condition.
Societal and cultural pressures on body image, dating, and marriage, and the challenges of recognizing eating disorder symptoms within large families.
The complexities of recovery, including societal ideals, internalization of beauty standards, and the impact of appearance ideals on the conceptualization of eating disorders.
The influence of kosher laws on individuals in recovery, challenges in higher levels of care, and the increasing availability of kosher options in outpatient settings.
The difficulties of managing meal plans for individuals with eating disorders.
How to accommodate diverse dietary needs, particularly focusing on kosher requirements, with variations in approaches such as providing kosher-style or frozen kosher meals.
The importance of clinical appropriateness in accommodating religious dietary restrictions within eating disorder treatment programs.
The intersection of religious practices, fasting dilemmas, and the emotional impact of not being able to follow religious practices during the treatment process.
Individualized approaches in outpatient care, involving trusted therapists and knowledgeable rabbis.
Clarifying the role of a rabbi in mental health decisions.
How to seek information as a clinician to communicate openly with Orthodox Jewish individuals while balancing cultural sensitivity with clinical judgment.
Tweetable Quotes
"If someone is concerned their child isn't going to be religious anymore, that's going to be very painful to them. That's going to be very worrisome.” - Devorah Levinson
"Some people are much, much more careful with what they're going to eat." - Devorah Levinson
“Lay's potato chips is not a Jewish company, but they are kosher. So some people won't eat Lay's potato chips because they only want the Jewish supervision.” - Devorah Levinson
"Don't just assume because someone says they're a rabbi that we need to do everything that they're saying and that their word is law." - Devorah Levinson
"Well, we're not giving you a cup [to wash with] because you purge in these things and you throw them out before we notice." - Devorah Levinson
“At what point does somebody else have a say in what needs to happen and how do you come to that medium? There's no fine line here.” - Rachelle Heinemann
"I think that's why you have to have a therapist who really is very well trained in eating disorders and who you really trust." - Devorah Levinson
Resources
Grab my Healing Journal Prompts!
Related Episodes
Episode 98. Body Stuff with Dr. Jennifer Gaudiani
Episode 97. How to Handle the Hardest Situations (Clinician Series)
Episode 96. What ED People Got Wrong About Science with Dr. A'nna Roby
Episode 86. Medical Complications of Eating Disorders
Episode 59. When It’s Not Working Out With Your Therapist
Episode 32. Is this Recovery or Orthorexia? with Dr. Lara Zibarras
Episode 10. Social Media, Societal Pressure, Disordered Eating, and Poor Body Image
Newsletter update: If you’re not already signed up for my newsletter, then I’m not sure what you’re waiting for! I’m ✨obsessed ✨ with it. In an effort to keep things fun and fresh, we’re going to monthly newsletters rather than weekly. If you have any feedback on what you want to see in the newsletters, reply back to one or send me a message!
Grab my FREEBIE!: As you navigate recovery, you may be feeling like something is missing. You're doing a lot of work challenging yourself with the food, your body, and exercise. You're probably working on lots of other things at the same time, like stuff at work or relationship issues.
But, still, something doesn't feel like you're getting to the bottom of it. Grab my free journal prompts below and begin to work through the emotions of healing.
More From Rachelle
Hey there! I’m Rachelle, the host of the Understanding Disordered Eating Podcast. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, I work with clients to make sense of life’s messy emotional experiences.
I believe in the power of deep work and its positive impact on your life in the long term. Learn more about how we can work together here.
Sign up for my weekly newsletter for even more!
You can connect with me on Instagram, through my website or email me directly clicking the links below.
Subscribe & Leave A Review!
If you enjoyed this episode, you can show your support by leaving a review, subscribing, or sharing with someone who may need help. Click here to open this show in iTunes and leave a five star rating and review.