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Healthy hearts and minds: The goals of three informative FJMC publications

 

By Stan Schnitzer

If you’ve been a member of FJMC for some time, you’ve likely noticed that we’ve consolidated some of our messaging and information to be more concise and timely, without bombarding our members with constant emails.

At the same time, our volunteer leaders are doing so much and constantly developing new programs and initiatives to benefit you, our members, and we want you to know about them.

So we’ve created three new specialty publications to be more concise and informative, while focusing on a few key topics and issues. Here’s a closer look at what we offer.

Elevating the battles for healthy bodies and souls

When Dr. Robert “Bob” Braitman observed his fellow FJMC International members as the organization’s volunteer president nearly 20 years ago, he was appalled at what he saw.

“I became concerned about the health of our members and challenged the organization to begin a focus on men’s health,” he recalled. “I continue to be concerned with the overall health and wellness of the men in our communities. Who else but an international men’s group can best be the ‘publisher’ of a magazine focused on these issues?”

That magazine is L’Chaim! – the FJMC Health and Wellness Program’s bimonthly magazine that offers practical information, sound advice and things you can apply in your life immediately. Launched this past February, it’s the place for people to share their own health and wellness stories or videos.

The name of the publication was chosen because it best represented its founders’ hope to help men enhance their lives spiritually, physically and emotionally, according to Dr. Paul Davidson of suburban Boston.

“I knew that our membership spans such a huge range of excellence in the many fields that we would be covering, and this offered an opportunity for a variety of individuals to participate and make a difference,” he said. “After finishing my term as regional president, the FJMC leadership sought to get me engaged in a new role. I have devoted my professional career to helping improve health and wellness, and this was the chance to merge my professional and volunteer passions by helping fellow Jews gain in these important areas.

“Whether it’s trying a healthier recipe, adopting a new physical activity routine, or following one of the many health-related articles, picking at least one thing to try each issue will move you toward a fuller, healthier and happier life,” he added.

Braitman’s hopes for L’Chaim are “that our readers will be encouraged to have an increased focus on their own health and wellness” and that it will lead to “more ongoing programming by our communities on these issues.”

For Dr. Jake Sheff, editing L’Chaim is a mission. “When I received the invitation to help out, I bought in immediately because the mission of the magazine is something I am always fighting for: to improve and preserve the health and well-being of individuals in my community,” said Sheff, of Portland, Ore. “Taking care of your health is not rocket science.”

“It’s appropriate that Mentorship – the M in FJMC – is the focus of our next issue,” he added. “Saying ‘yes’ to joining the team at L’Chaim was a no-brainer because I consider Dr. Bob Braitman and Dr. Paul Davidson as personal mentors. My personal experiences with Bob and Paul at previous LDIs and the July 2023 convention in Chicago prompted me to say yes in the blink of an eye.”

You can click here to read the current issue of L’Chaim and access previous issues here.

Catalyst: A “Call to Action” against antisemitism

Physical health is not the only challenge facing FJMC these days. Antisemitism is making life in previously safe places more tenuous, and the need for inclusion in the Jewish world and the world at large reminds us how strength in numbers can enhance our lives. FJMC has two publications that provide thoughtful discussions on those matters: Catalyst, a quarterly magazine with a call to action in the fight against antisemitism, and Pride & Prejudice, a quarterly publication with stories of acceptance and tolerance, reminding us of the impact of our efforts—past, present and future.

Catalyst, edited by Aaron Altman, has partnered with organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League, Hillel Foundation, Blue Square Alliance and Spertus College to respond to the alarms of antisemitism.

“They fill a gap: the space between knowing something is wrong and understanding it well enough to act,” Altman said in describing the publication’s partners. “The bystander isn’t the villain of this story (of antisemitism). But history has rarely been kind to them either.”

You can click here to read the inaugural edition, which includes a perspective on the United States’ 250^th anniversary and articles from FJMC communities worldwide.

If you have any questions on combating antisemitism initiatives or content, or if you would like to submit an article to Catalyst, contact: Irv Varkonyi, chair of Combating Antisemitism, at , or Aaron Altman, editor-in-chief of Catalyst, at .

You can learn more about Catalyst by clicking here.

FJMC’s Proactive Stance for Inclusion Initiative

Pride & Prejudice began as a response to a waning engagement in FJMC’s inclusion initiative, begun by Alan Budman, immediate past international president. Now in its second year, its articles “encourage us to be more welcoming to Jews from traditionally marginalized communities such as autistic brothers and sisters, Jews of Color, LGBQT+, etc.,” said Jerry Brodsky, editor.

“We discussed a digital publication that we could assemble to reignite our collective need to engage all Jewish men into our programming,” he said. “Aaron Altman and Lisa Pollack brought us the format we use today, and Steven Mandel, Bob Watts and I produced it.”

The current issue, published with regard to the High Holidays, focuses on experiences in observance from communities worldwide. The December 2026 issue will focus on the winter holidays and observances.

“It’s the experiences of others that provide the continued impetus to take their stories and let other men know about them and how each of us can be more aware of our own behaviors and reactions to traditionally marginalized Jewish men,” Brodsky said. “We are all similar but different. None of us is more right, and none of us is more wrong. We all just ARE. We should take those we encounter and accept them, as we want them to accept us. That’s the goal of all the stories and articles, Letters to the Editor and special features in each edition of Pride & Prejudice.”

For those who wish to strengthen their bodies and their minds, there’s no shortage of equipment in FJMC International’s mental gymnasium. Visit fjmc.org and click on “Media” along the top of the page to access all of our timely and informative publications.

 

Stan Schnitzer is a HaD’Var contributor.