Philadelphia, PA – In a reflection of the rising rate of eating disorders in the Jewish community, the country’s oldest residential facility for women with disorders such as anorexia and bulimia now offers a track specifically for Orthodox Jewish women.
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Since it opened its doors some 25 years ago, the Renfrew Center in Philadelphia has maintained an inclusive atmosphere that welcomes patients of all faiths, but as the years passed, and as the number of Orthodox patients in Renfrew increased, the center’s leaders decided it was time to create a program to accommodate the religious population. This past April, Renfrew officially launched a specific track for Orthodox women.
“The staff at Renfrew is well-aware of how close-knit the Jewish community is,”
explained Cindy Shore, Renfrew’s assistant vice president of northeast operations. “Since familial and communal support is so important to the recovery process, we’ve started providing group programs sensitive to Orthodox Jews to give those patients an even better chance at recovery.”
Eating disorders affect between 3-5 percent of the general population over their lifespan. According to Dr. Marcia Kesner, a psychotherapist who specializes in treating self-harming behaviors, and who works with Orthodox patients in Brooklyn and Manhattan, the numbers of girls in the Orthodox Jewish community suffering from eating disorders may be higher than in the general population.
“Shidduchim pressures,” Kesner explained. “Boys are sophisticated enough and have learned what a size 2 is and they are asking through their parents or through their shadchanim for a girl who’s that size.”On a more positive note, Kesner added, the Orthodox community is better prepared to deal with such issues than it was a few years ago.
“A key component of this track is that it allows women to relate more comfortably in therapy groups with others who share their background and values,” said Dr. Esther Altmann, a consultant to the Renfrew Center’s track of treatment for Orthodox Jewish patients suffering from eating disorders
“I think programs that are more culturally sensitive to patients’ religious and ethnic identities enhance their feelings of being understood, which facilitates the collaborative effort between patient and therapist that is so fundamental to successful treatment,” Altmann said.
Some parents in the Orthodox community are wary of sending daughters into treatment programs where secular patients could influence them.
“Oftentimes, patients in residential eating disorder treatment programs discuss their experiences with casual sex, recreational drugs and alcohol use, as well as make general cultural references that the Orthodox community tries to shield their children from,” said Shore.
This program aims to make religious parents more comfortable and at ease with the knowledge that the new track offers a space that, in Altmann’s words, is “more consistent with the mores of their community.”
The track itself consists of therapeutic group meetings of Orthodox patients, as well as having the patients partake in Orthodox-only communal meals, which given kashruth requirements, allows a more comfortable environment for the participants. Traditional Jewish foods like chicken soup and kugels are incorporated into the patients’ menu to help them transition from the program back to their families and communities.
One common theme of the group meetings is “bishvili nivrah haolam” — “for me the world was built” — which focuses on building self-esteem in young women who may feel lost within the strict confines of the Orthodox community. Dating and marriage is another common theme; the world of Orthodox matchmaking and dating is fraught with enough pressure and anxiety without the added stress of an eating disorder.
While some of the therapists who coordinate the groups are observant, even those who are not Jewish are aware of the sensitivities of young Orthodox women. Dr. Altmann frequently consults the Renfrew staff on matters relating to Orthodox life, such as the priority on dating and marriage at relatively young ages; observance of kashrut, Shabbat, and holidays; and the common experience of growing up in a large family, often taking responsibility for many younger siblings.
A former patient of the Orthodox track at Renfrew, who asked to not be named, said she found herself impressed by the environment.
“When I first got there, I found that I didn’t have to worry about being able to continue my traditions in residential treatment, and never had to worry about technicalities having to do with kashrut. I was always able to speak my mind and [the] staff and patients were never anything but respectful and welcoming,” she said. “The fact that the Renfrew program had a track geared toward Orthodox girls, and was therefore able to deal with concerns and issues I had, made all the difference.”
Renfrew also offers outpatient and intensive day programs at nine locations including New York, New Jersey and Florida. For more information go to renfrewcenter.com or call 1-800-RENFREW.
Sounds like a wonderful program!
God bless its founders!
I’m in a self he’ll program myself and it is the most amazing thing.
I wouldn’t advise anyone out there to become an alcoholic or an addict of any sort but if you are one and in denial, start listening to what your spouse and/or good friends are telling you…
Things can be better if you join a 12 step group…
It’s terrific that they have this program. However, I was saddened to read that some parents wouldn’t send their daughters for treatment if they would be mixing with non-jews/seculars who might talk about sex or drugs. While the program for OJ’s is preferable, would you not send your daughter to a hospital for cancer treatment because they might mix with sexulars? Anorexia can kill and can ruin lives. If an OJ program is not available, treatment is more important than who the child might mix with and what they might hear. If other patients might talk about drug use or casual sex, it is going to be clear that those behaviors were harmful and a result of the disease — the behaviors are not being promoted or glamorized.
As an addiction professional in the frum community with a very secondary background in the treatment of eating disorders, I applaud this program and the article publicizing it. I have known of Renfrew for many years, and have referred clients there. It is an excellent facility with a solid track record of top level care and highly trained and expert professionals. Drs. Kesner and Altman have also been working in the frum community for many years, and their endorsement and affiliation with Renfrew is additional testimony that it should be viewed with the highest regard.
It’s about time the voices of people with eating disorders are heard. Other towns should take the positive examples of this facility, and create one as well. There are more cases of people with eating disorders than recorded because so many individuals are either in denial, or afraid/embarrassed to seek help.
Just to note, there are several cases of men who have eating disorders, they too should have facilities that cater to their needs.
The pressures to be super thin are ridiculous. People should be most focused on being Healthy! That is the key to a more fruitful life. Exercise and eat healthy.
And remember, just because an individual looks super thin doesn’t mean they are anorexic or bulimic. Have a little sensitivity towards peoples feelings, and don’t assume anything. Telling a person they are “too skinny” can be just as insulting as being called, “too fat.” There shouldn’t be a double standard here.
very good program however i have a friend who tried to get her daughter into it and could not afford it. she said it is thousands of dollars a month. does anyone know the cost?
the article mentions the pressures involved with shiduchim.this unrealistic image of how thin women should be has,at least in part ,led to the growth in eating disorders in the frum community.i was speaking with a bais yakov girl who told me some of her classmates were considering various forms of plastic surgery to help them with shidduchim.is this what Hashem wants?isn’t this the total objectification of women as seen in popular culture?shouldn’t we be above that?
thank you so much frumgirl. i will give her the info
In New Jersey a major insurance company (I think it as BCBS) just had to pay a huge sum of money to subscribers who were denied payment for treatment of their eating disorders. The judge mandated that eating disorders MUST be treated like any other illness in terms of coverage; this is now a precedent that may be relied upon by subscribers in other states. Don’t give up without a struggle– my daughter was in an Intensive Outpatient program and the insurance company initially said that they wouldn’t cover it, but the insurance liason of the program kept calling and calling with other precedents, and eventually my daughter’s entire month of treatment was paid for.
The new mental health parity act that was just passed makes it much more difficult for insurance companies to get out of paying for treatment for mental health issues such as eating disorders