Mi Sheberach: A Prayer for Recovery

by Jocelyn Schorvitz, Executive Director of MACoM 

Mi Sheberach, I come here today in hopes of finding healing for my body,
my heart and my soul, and to find a renewed strength to guide me through recovery.

One in 7 Americans suffer from some form of addiction. Every 19 minutes someone in America dies from an opioid or heroin overdose. This affects all religions, people in all socio-economic brackets, and people of all educational backgrounds.

Whether we are aware of it or not, most of us know people who have faced the struggles of addiction. I’m a middle-aged, middle-class mother who drives a minivan. I live a pretty boring life. Yet in the last 5 years I’ve had friends die of opioid abuse. I’ve had friends die from alcohol abuse. I’ve watched friends struggle with their drug addictions. I’ve watched their children cry. I’ve watched their parents cry. I’ve heard their pain and it’s just not ok.

So when Gabby Spatt, the Executive Director of the Blue Dove Foundation came to meet me at MACoM (Metro Atlanta Community Mikvah), I immediately knew the value of the work they are doing, and I knew how important it was for MACoM to be a part of it. The Blue Dove Foundation was created to help address the issues of mental health and substance abuse in the Jewish community. They focus on education, awareness, and outreach, encouraging conversations and providing information and tools for organizations, individuals, and families seeking assistance.

Together, Gabby and I wrote Mi Sheberach: A Recovery Immersion Ceremony. We wrote the words and the process, being mindful of how ritual immersion is a powerful way of connecting to yourself, to Jewish tradition, and to God. It’s a way to transition to a better place. It can be a way to renew your soul. When we pray the mi sheberach for healing, we pray for healing of spirit and of body. The Jewish emphasis is on healing, not on curing. Even when addiction is under control, healing and a return to wholeness is in order. We see healing as a process, one that has many components and may be a lifelong journey.

A journey that Michelle Day, our first recovery immersion guest, knows well. Michelle has been in recovery for 11 years. Yet even in the best of situations, she knows it is still a journey she will always be on. Michelle didn’t know how she would feel about the mikvah ceremony. Yet when the warm waters washed over, when the prayers resonated, the moment took effect. The mikvah waters were there to embrace her in body and spirit. They were there to connect her to a higher place and guide her through her journey. The words reminded her of her own strength…

Mi sheberach, to the one who blesses:
May G-d renew my faith in myself.
When I fall into despair, may G-d bless me with hope.

Hope. Faith. Renewal. Gifts the ceremony was created to give any guest seeking a way to guide them on their journey. It’s a brief moment that has a lasting effect. We hope this immersion will be there for those who need it most. The journey is not an easy one, but MACoM will be there.