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Ultra-Orthodox address mental illness in Israel

Bayit Cham battles against the attitude still prevalent among many ultra-Orthodox families that mental illness is something that needs hiding.
Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews attend the funeral of Rabbi Shalom Cohen, influential spiritual leader of Israel's largest ultra-Orthodox Shas party, Jerusalem, Aug. 22, 2022.

Ultra-Orthodox charity groups often launch donation campaigns ahead of the Jewish New Year and Yom Kippur. The campaign recently launched by Bayit Cham (Warm Home), a group assisting ultra-Orthodox families of children with mental illness, has attracted special attention.

“We touch on the most painful stories, deal with human and family tragedies we are supposed to respond to, and still, all of this activity is done under a cloak of secrecy,” Bayit Cham Director Arie Munk told Al-Monitor.  

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