The murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan in the UAE last week has had a ripple effect on Jewish communities around the world, especially the Chabad community, Rabbi Simcha Scholar of Chai Lifeline told The Jerusalem Post.
Chai Lifeline is an international support network that provides social, emotional, and practical assistance to children, families, and communities impacted by medical crises and trauma.
One of its services is a 24-hour crisis helpline – the largest in the Jewish world – which provides emergency first-response emotional help to people in need.
On Sunday, Chai Lifeline organized a Zoom call for Chabad shluchim (emissaries) and their families around the world. Seven hundred people attended.
"Our job is to create a safety net for the community, providing them with resources," Scholar told the Post."This type of service is essential for maintaining a normal life," he added, referencing how many of the Chabad shluchim live in isolated areas, without a Jewish community, and therefore require added support to navigate challenging times.
He also commended the shluchim and their families for their "resilience, commitment, and dedication to the mission."
He said, "They are not the types to pack their bags and leave when things are hard; they are more of the mindset of 'give me the tools to stay.'"
Talking to children about trauma
But regardless of their resilience, Scholar said it is important that they "recognize that they are human beings, that their feelings are real, that their concerns are real, [and] that they can reach out to resources such as Chai Lifeline."Rabbi Dr. David Fox, director of Chai Lifeline's Crisis and Trauma Service, spoke to those present in the Zoom call and pointed them to the help services available.
Fox reminded them of the importance of not pushing off issues but recognizing that it's okay to have those fears and that their children might have questions. Fox also reminded them to give them the tools to speak openly with their children on their level.
Fox presented three key strategies for parents and caregivers when discussing trauma and tragedy with their children.
First is to listen without judgment and validate children's feelings so they feel heard and supported.Second is to share information that is accurate and age-appropriate.
Lastly, Fox highlighted the importance of reassuring children and reminding them of the Jewish values of kindness and resilience.
One of the strengths of the Chai crisis team, Scholar said, is that the volunteer responders come from many different Jewish communities, so there will always be someone who can approach those in need with understanding.
They have volunteers from hassidic communities, secular communities, Chabad, and Modern Orthodoxy – from different countries – and this means that those in need are often more "receptive when they go through trauma."We are here to heal and to help," said Scholar.
Chai Lifeline began its work with children with medical crises, such as cancer, helping them and their families navigate health emergencies and often bereavement.
Fox decided to apply the model to training emergency first responder practitioners in emotional crises, which is how Lifeline was built.
As an example, following the October 7 massacre, the team had thousands of calls from the English-speaking community in Israel who needed emergency emotional support.
If those accessing help require longer-term intervention, Chai Lifeline can guide them to the right places. It has resources, such as guides for confronting antisemitism on campus, guidebooks on how to talk to children during a crisis (for teachers and parents), how to face the aftermath of suicide, and how to respond to natural disasters.
Chai Lifeline's 24-hour crisis helpline can be reached at 855-3-CRISIS or crisis@chailifeline.org.