Kosher ADHD: Surviving and Thriving in the Torah-Observant World, by Dr. Simcha Chesner and Dr. Sara Markowitz, offers a practical yet creative approach on how to transform the chaos of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder into a fulfilling Torah-observant lifestyle.
Synthesizing Jewish insight and sensitivities with contemporary psychological theories and research, Chesner and Markowitz provide all who struggle with ADHD—parents, teachers, children, adults and therapists—with structured guidelines to empower the ADHD individual to thrive personally, and within the family, school and community.
The book includes detailed strategies for how someone with ADHD can overcome difficulties with prayer, Shabbat, Torah study and other central aspects of Judaism. It is a revolution in guidance for Jewish families living a Torah-based life and struggling with the challenges of ADHD.
About the Authors:
Dr. Simcha Chesner founded and directed the Bnei Chayil Yeshivot in Israel for adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity and associated disorders. He has published three books in Hebrew for children and adults with ADHD, and directed clinical services for the Idud National Program for ADHD of the Brookdale Institute and JDC. He currently lectures and supervises master’s degree students in special education and psychology at Orot Teachers College and is the executive director of the Israel Academy of Social and Emotional Learning. Chesner received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Case Western Reserve University, where he was awarded the David Hudson Fellowship for excellence in scholarship and citizenship. He received his undergraduate degree from Yeshiva University. In 1991, Chesner made aliyah with his wife, Dr. Rachel Chesner. For the past three decades, they have lived in Israel with their children and grandchildren.
Dr. Sara Markowitz, Ph.D., has achieved an incredible amount, in large part due to her personal “ADHD” superpowers. In addition to obtaining a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Markowitz is the founding director of an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for Jewish Women at Achieve Behavioral Health. She continues to develop curriculum and measure clinical outcome research for ADHD parenting groups, as well as the integration of ADHD individuals within the Jewish community. Markowitz has developed curricula—currently utilized in schools and families—focusing on overcoming challenges of multiple origins. In addition to her formal professional activities, she is a mother to five children and is the rebbetzin of Congregation Shomrei Torah in Fair Lawn, N.J.
Kosher ADHD: Surviving and Thriving in The Torah-Observant World, 309 pp. Price: $19.95. ISBN: 979-8-88894-019-8.
