Help and psychological support program at Maimonides Hospital for Holocaust survivors

Help and psychological support program at Maimonides Hospital for Holocaust survivors

It turns out that the legendary and world-famous Maimonides Hospital, where hundreds of human lives are saved every day, has been running a unique program for those who truly know what the Holocaust is for four years now. Over the years, a highly qualified team of specialists has provided psychological support and medical care to 125 people who survived a tragedy of unprecedented proportions. Most of them have been meeting regularly for two years with a social worker and a doctor who, in addition to English, speak Russian. The program is funded by the UJA Federation charity.

The program includes weekly home therapy sessions, monthly consultations with a psychiatrist, and help with life-changing issues. The team helps organize collaboration with various social services to increase the number of hours of care and to improve living conditions. Special attention is paid to ensuring that seniors, who are between 80 and 100 years old, and some are over 100, can remain at home, avoiding moving to nursing homes.

The goal of the program is not only to provide support, but also to give the joy of communication, distracting from worries and physical ailments. This is especially important for people whose souls are wounded not only by the horrors of the Holocaust, but also by subsequent tragic events, and now the war in Ukraine, conflicts in Israel and other political upheavals that have exacerbated their emotional wounds.

Psychological support for older adults, especially Holocaust survivors, is vital. As older adults age, their health deteriorates, which can exacerbate old traumas. The program helps not only cope with these difficulties, but also restores a sense of security and maintains emotional stability.

A special new program is working with Russian-speaking residents. Brooklyn is home to many people over 80 who survived the horrors of the Holocaust. Providing services in Russian ensures that the language barrier does not become an obstacle, and the cultural awareness of specialists and understanding of the mentality of Russian-speaking former prisoners of ghettos and concentration camps significantly increases the effectiveness of therapy. For example, a clinical psychiatrist with 30 years of experience Alex Trakhtman and social worker Olga Smirnova understand the mentality of Russian-speaking patients very well, which helps them find a common language even with those who are withdrawn and immersed in their suffering.

One of the participants in the program is Brooklyn resident M.R., 88, a native of Belarus. He was only four years old when the war began. He miraculously survived. Together with his mother and grandmother, they fled into the forest, where they were starving, freezing, heard the terrifying sounds of bombing, saw people nearby dying of cold and hunger. These terrible memories haunt him all his life. The stress he experienced as a child still sometimes causes him nightmares at night.

Of course, weekly therapy sessions with social worker Olga bring M.R. a huge relief. He admits that he looks forward to every Thursday morning. No matter his mood, talking to Olga helps him feel better. "I am grateful for the help. Since I started the program, my general condition and sleep have improved significantly."

If you or a loved one is a Holocaust survivor and feel you need help, please call: 718-283-7800

Marina Lagunova