Benoni LBenyamin: From Sorrow to Strength by Miriam Berman

Synopsis From Sorrow to Strength is a collection of insights and reflections about various Jewish stories and traditions, all examined through the lens of mental illness, particularly clinical depression. The author has mined her own personal experiences to relate to readers in an identifiable and visceral way while doing her part to help end the stigma of mental illness. The text is divided into three parts. The first is a detailed examination of the Jewish calendar, exploring how its holidays and holy days can be connected to depression. The second part is a series of mini-sermons; here, the author explores a number of stories from the Torah and draws parallels between these narratives and mental illness. Finally, the third part collects the author’s journal entries, commentary from other individuals who suffer from depression, and a first-person narrative from the author’s daughter regarding how her life has been affected by her mother’s illness. Throughout the book, those who struggle with depression will find inspiration and hope, while those who have a loved one with depression will gain a better understand what dealing with this condition is really like.