High Holidays in Recovery

"High Holidays in Recovery" by Rachel Adlerstone offers guidance for individuals navigating substance-use recovery during the Jewish High Holidays, as well as for those who support them. The book addresses how these sacred times can both aid recovery and present challenges through altered routines, communal alcohol, family dynamics, and emotionally charged gatherings. It provides a framework for coordinating existing resources like treatment and sponsorship, rather than replacing them. The author's approach distinguishes between spiritual reflection and clinical care, presenting them as cooperative while maintaining their distinct functions.

This guide explores practical aspects such as managing meeting schedules, medication, and sleep during the holiday period. It differentiates between personal responsibility and corrosive shame, and between making amends and engaging in contact that could be harmful. The text discusses wine rituals, offering alcohol-free alternatives that promote inclusion. It incorporates personal accounts illustrating various stages of recovery, from initial sobriety to relapse, and details family situations with differing boundaries. Clergy and hosts receive practical suggestions regarding privacy and language. The book emphasizes that Yom Kippur fasting is not presented as a recovery assessment, and it includes a one-page support plan for recording warning signs and contacts.