LAKEVIEW — A touring production stopping in Lakeview Monday will present an unusual juxtaposition for its audience.
On stage left, a Passover Seder begins, with family members dressed in white. On the right, darkly clad addicts begin a meeting of their own.
In Chicago for one night only, the Los Angeles-based "Freedom Song" will attempt to debunk misconceptions about Jewish people and addiction at 7 p.m. Monday at Temple Sholom, 3480 N. Lake Shore Dr.
With many 12-step addiction programs based in Christianity, it can be easy for the Jewish community to overlook its addiction problems, said Beth Fishman, director of the Jewish Center for Addiction.
"I think part of it is just a long-standing myth that Jewish people just don't get addicted; that's what happens to the Catholics or the Orthodox Russians, but it's not our issue," Fishman said.
With heroin overdoses on the rise over the past couple of years, and considering the fatal consequences of all types of addiction, "Freedom Song" is a creative and engaging way to get the word out and, potentially, save lives.
The free show, created by the Beit T'Shuvah treatment center, sends an even stronger message with a cast of Jews recovering from addiction in real life, Fishman said.
"A whole group of Jews who stand up and say, 'Yes, I'm in recovery,' that's unprecedented in Chicago, because it's still shameful and considered a stigma. It's making a major statement that it's not only OK to come out, so to speak, of your addiction recovery closet, but it will save other people's lives," Fishman said.
The Chicago-based Jewish Center for Addiction — a branch of Jewish Child and Family Services — provides referral services for Jewish people battling addiction, helping them navigate the complex world of treatment providers and services.
Since opening in 2012, the center has become "sort of a gathering place for Jews in recovery, because they implicitly trust we're going to give information that's not biased for recommended treatments," Fishman said. Now, Fishman hopes to expand the center's reach and spread the word about its services in Chicago.
"We're only two years old, and it can be challenging to let people know we're here as a resource. We're hoping this performance will also help people know we're here, so the momentum can continue," she said.
"Freedom Song" also will be performed at 4 p.m. Sunday at the B'nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim synagogue in Deerfield. To reserve tickets, visit the Jewish Center for Addiction's website.
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