RSS 2.0 FeedThursday, December 28, 2011, Wantagh Seaford Citizen
Hadassah teen suicide program
Program designed for students and their parents.
The Ahava Machar Chapter of Hadassah will present a teen suicide prevention program on Monday, January 9, at 7:30 p.m., at Temple B’nai Torah, 2900 Jerusalem Avenue in Wantagh. This event is co-sponsored by the Temple’s Hebrew school and youth group, and is open to the public. Intended for students from middle school through college, and their parents, the program will be presented by Dale Camhi, Metro-New York Regional Director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; and will feature age-specific DVDs. Topics covered will include teen suicide statistics, myths and facts, warning signs and risk factors, and how to talk to a friend in crisis.
According to the latest data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 36,035 suicide deaths were reported in the U.S. in 2008. This latest rise places suicide again among the ten leading causes of death in the U.S. for the first time since 1998. Nearly 1,000,000 people make a suicide attempt every year.
The program has special meaning to Ahava Machar Hadassah member and Wantagh resident Susan Sassoon, who is organizing the program. Her son Benjamin, a student at the University of Maryland, tragically died by suicide in March 2011.
With over 1,500 chapters in the United States, Hadassah is the largest women’s, largest Jewish, and largest Zionist organization in the country, celebrating 100 years of service rooted in health care, education, child rescue and rehabilitation. The Ahava Machar Chapter of Hadassah is a vibrant group of women from Wantagh, Bellmore and surrounding communities who are actively involved in fundraising, programming and membership-related activities for women, couples and families.
