Friday, August 25

First drug and alcohol rehab center for Jewish addicts opens in Brooklyn

The first drug and alcohol rehab center created for Jewish addicts in Borough Park quietly opened its doors earlier this month.

The center, called Journeys, is state-certified and has more than 10 rooms for counseling and group therapy.

Community activists say it’s long overdue and that there's a need to address the growing addiction crisis.

"The answer isn't to send them off to some fancy rehab in California or Arizona," said Barbara Silverstein, 45, program director and health care coordinator of the center.

The center follows the overdose death of Malky Klein, 20, who grew up in Borough Park. Klein was found by her mother inside their Borough Park home on June 24, police said.

Klein had recently returned from a rehab in California, according to friends and family.

"We are hopeful to remove the stigma of addiction in the community so that more people can seek the help that they need," said Silverstein, noting the center is also set up to counsel family members of addicts.

There are similar centers catering to Jews and their families struggling with addiction in Flatbush and Crown Heights.

The Jewish community isn't immune to the exploding opioid crisis, activists say.

"It's a growing problem," said Jack Meyer, founder of Masaskim, a Jewish burial group. "It is progressively getting worse."

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