Springfield—On March 15, a panel discussion was held at Congregation Israel and attended by over 75 people from three local synagogues. The event was co-sponsored by all of the Springfield houses of worship. Women who were all victims of terrorist attacks, or experts in dealing with the aftermath of such attacks, spoke and discussed relevant issues. Panelists included Dr. Michelle Pearlman, PhD, founding director and former clinical director of the Institute for Trauma and Resilience and the NYU Child Study Center; Wendy Lanski, a survivor of 9/11; Pamela Kramer, a survivor of a Ugandan terror attack; Sarri Singer, founder of Strength to Strength and a survivor of an Israeli bus bombing; and Lisa Weiss, family member of Rabbi Levine who was a victim of the Har Nof massacre. These women all had important messages and stories to contribute to the discussion.

Dr. Pearlman engaged the discussants in conversation about their experiences, and then spoke about how to address these issues with children and adolescents. Her advice was simple—let them ask the questions that they need to ask, and don’t force feed information. Several short non-threatening sessions are better than one conversation which tackles everything all at once. Finally, she stated that parents know their children best and should always be a source of safety and security for their children.