But as she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named him Ben-Oni (son of my suffering); but his father called him Benjamin (literally, son of my right arm, meaning son of strength). And Rachel died.

—Bereshit (Genesis) 35:18

       This text from Breshit has become my theory of spiritual care. How can I bring strength to those who are suffering? And, eventually, how do those who suffer turn their suffering into a source of strength?
 

     I had planned to write a book about this, looking at suffering through the lenses of the people I have had the honor to work with as a chaplain. My patients are my teachers, my inspiration. However, the more I tried to write other people’s narratives, the more I realized that I must first write my own story. My story is not as tragic as a mother dying in childbirth; it is not as dramatic as the suffering my patients go through. But it is my story, and it is just as real.

 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. 

Ben Oni L’Benyamin: From Sorrow to Strength draws from the author's history of clinical depression and her work as a rabbi in a series of accessible reflections on Jewish traditions through the lens of mental illness. The book explores the holidays and holy days of the Jewish calendar along with stories from the Torah, mini-sermons. By drawing parallels between these important elements of Judaism and the devastating effects depression has on its sufferers, the reader can gain a deeper understanding of what it is like to live with this condition.

From Sorrow to Strength also includes her journal entries, advice and commentary from other people with depression, and her daughter’s firsthand experience witnessing her struggle to provide the reader with a complete and sympathetic portrait of this illness.

 This unique yet utterly raw take on a common experience for many Americans could earn it a spot in the self-help, memoir, and religion sections of any bookstore.

Rabbi Sara Berman graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a degree in Women’s Studies. She is an ordained rabbi and board-certified chaplain. She contributed a chapter on illness to Walking with Life, an adult curriculum series published by the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies. In addition, Berman completed a chaplaincy residency at UCLA in the Neuropsychiatric Institute, where she later became a patient. Berman’s struggles with depression have inspired her to help end the stigma of mental illness. She presently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two kids, two dogs, and two cats and works as a chaplain.