11/11/2025
This was written by a friend who understands the topic of su***de all too well.
"A few days ago, a post circulated on LinkedIn about the tragic death of a teenage boy in Jerusalem.
The post argued that su***de is a “crime,” a “cowardly act,” and that too much empathy toward those who die by su***de encourages more of it.
That post has since been deleted, rightfully so, but the ideas it expressed are still out there, and they are dangerously wrong.
As a parent who lost my daughter to su***de, and as an Orthodox rabbi, I want to share what I wrote in response:
"Suicidal ideation is not a crime or a cowardly act. It’s the tragic result of unbearable psychological pain that overwhelms a person’s ability to cope and erodes their capacity to believe in themselves or their will to live.
Research from survivors like Kevin Hines, shows that most people who attempt su***de do not want to die. They want their pain to stop, but they no longer know how. We tragically learned this firsthand from our daughter, Gila, who undoubtedly wanted to live.
Posts that label people who die by su***de as “guilty,” “cowardly,” or “criminal” don’t save lives. They endanger them. The phrase “committed su***de” is outdated and harmful. It reinforces stigma, deepens shame, and silences those who are suffering.
Someone commented [on the original post] and wrote that su***de is an aveira (transgression). Jewish tradition distinguishes between a person who deliberately ends their life in a state of full awareness and someone who acts under the influence of illness or unbearable distress. Someone suffering from mental illness is not a murderer any more than someone who dies from cancer is. Mental illness is often an invisible disease, the “cancer of the spirit,” and it deserves the same empathy and urgency as any physical illness.
Behind nearly every su***de is not moral failure, but profound pain. What saves lives is not condemnation but rather conversation, compassion, and understanding.
I invite all of you to learn more about Gila's story through , an organization born from personal loss and dedicated to replacing stigma with education, & condemnation with compassion.
