Nearly 300 concerned community members, teachers, rabbis, divorcees, and family and friends of divorcees, turned out in Brooklyn to see OHEL’s debut film, Rising From Divorce—a groundbreaking new film for all members of the community.Through this new initiative, OHEL aims to better educate the community about the impact of divorce, and the specific roles that the wider community, rabbis, community leaders, and educators can play to help ensure that both parents of divorce and children of divorce can thrive.

Rabbi Moshe Lieff, Rabbi of Agudath Israel Bais Binyomin, spoke powerfully, drawing on his own personal experience—the divorced machatonim of two of his own children—who are still role models of wonderful parenting. So too R’ Lieff spoke about the community-wide need to offer more help and counter the stigma associated with divorcees and children of divorce. Rabbi Eli Mansour offered an insightful explanation that Miriam’s petition to her father Amram about his divorce from his wife Yocheved reflected her concern not about future unborn children, but about the negative impact of the divorce on the living children.

OHEL is holding screenings and panel discussions in multiple communities.

This Sunday April 26, OHEL will be screening the film at 7:30 p.m. at Bnai Yeshurun in Teaneck. Rabbi Steven Pruzansky will be providing Divrei Brocha and joining the panel discussion together with Rochel Chofetz, a noted educator; Dr Mark Banschick, a noted psychiatrist; and Dr. Hindie Klein, OHEL Director of Clinical Projects.