Finding the Words to Address Unspeakable Pain

Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) recently hosted a two-day retreat on its Jerusalem campus which focused on the concept of moral injury, particularly as it applies to rabbis in Israel. This initiative, developed in response to the traumatic events of October 7th and the ongoing war, provided a space for rabbis to learn about moral injury, process their own experiences, and develop strategies to support them in their ongoing care of their communities.

Led by Rabbi Kim S. Geringer, MSW, and Rabbi Nancy H. Wiener, D.Min., who have been teaching about moral injury for over a decade, the retreat addressed the profound psychological, emotional, and spiritual harm that results from actions that violate deeply held moral beliefs. First identified by Veterans Administration clinicians among returning veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq, moral injury encompasses more than PTSD, results from perpetrating, witnessing, finding oneself unable to prevent or being the victim of immoral acts. Leaders in the field of moral injury research found that having the language to describe these wounds can be a first step towards healing.

After the October 7th attacks, Rabbi Wiener spoke with Rabbi Talia Avnon-Benveniste, Director of HUC-JIR's Israel Rabbinic Program, and Rabbi Efrat Rotem, Director of MARAM and HUC-JIR Jerusalem Admissions Coordinator, to discuss ways to address the particular intellectual, spiritual and emotional challenges rabbis in the Israeli community were facing. This collaborative effort helped to ensure that both the form and content met the needs and expectations of attendees.

"As leaders in the community, rabbis are accustomed to facing intense expectations. That doesn't mean we don't also struggle with doubt and anger and fear. The design of this retreat acknowledged, as well as served as an affirmation that we have solutions from both traditional and modern sources." - Rabbi Talia Avnon-Benveniste, Director of HUC-JIR's Israel Rabbinic Program

Registration for the retreat, held on July 7 -8, reached capacity within one day of the announcement. The diverse group of almost thirty rabbis and rabbinical students brought a wide range of experiences, from those serving displaced communities to those dealing with personal losses firsthand. The small group format allowed for substantive discussions with each person participating. Sessions were held in both Hebrew and English to accommodate comfortable and deep conversation.

Rabbi Wiener noted "What our rabbinic colleagues in Israel are experiencing is unprecedented. While support for those who have experienced moral injury most often takes place after the source of the trauma has ended or abated, given the depth and length of the current trauma, it was important for us to begin to provide our colleagues with support and tools as soon as possible."

The first day of the retreat was a deep exploration of moral injury, supplemented by traditional Jewish biblical, rabbinic, and liturgical texts. Participants connected with the material, recognizing that the Jewish tradition has long understood and acknowledged such wounds, even if the language was different than we might use today. This acknowledgment provided a powerful framework for understanding and contextualizing their experiences.

"So much of the meaning that we find in the world starts with text," explains Rabbi Geringer. "It is language that gives shape to our hopes and our fears. This work on addressing moral injury is a natural extension of that familiar way of learning and understanding."

The second day explored modalities for working with morally injured individuals as well as caregivers experiencing the same trauma. Participants shared their struggles and found solace in the communal setting, discussing ways to integrate their learning into their personal and professional lives.

Rabbi Rotem remarked on the impact of the collaboration, "We were moved and touched by the initiative. We've received an enthusiastic response from rabbis and student-rabbis alike as to how relevant the topic is to rabbinic work in Israel today. Rabbis Nancy and Kim skillfully and professionally managed to create a space full of trust and their knowledge gave us a new framework to look at what we and the people we serve went through and still go through these days. You can see the influence these two days had in the ways this term is being used now among the participants regarding different situations they encounter in their rabbinic work."

Both Geringer and Wiener saw the retreat as further evidence that this model for addressing moral injury is impactful and replicable by trained facilitators in this field From the deep engagement of the participants to the intellectual and spiritual insights they shared over the two days, it was clear that finding language and context makes the processing of these experiences more manageable.

Also critical, the retreat underscored the importance of self-care as a necessary component for rabbis to effectively support others. Moral injury often involves the perception of losing one's moral center, and the retreat helped participants recognize this loss in themselves and begin to imagine ways to reclaim their personal ethics and communal responsibility amid complex realities.

As rabbis become better equipped to recognize and respond to moral injury - both their own and that of their congregants-they can more effectively guide their communities through challenging times, fostering resilience and spiritual growth. By finding the contemporary language and wisdom of our tradition in the face of profound and ongoing challenges, rabbis can begin to build a bridge toward healing.

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