Neurodiversity & Judaism
Several rabbis, community leaders and researchers discuss the historical connections between neurodiversity and Judaism.
A few years ago, this writer and his father were discussing the intersection of Autism and the Talmud. He suggested, based on the intensity, specificity, and repetitiveness of their arguments, that “all the rabbis were on the spectrum.”
This comment was repeated a few weeks later at a dinner with a young-adult group and the B’nai Torah rabbis, held at Rabbi Joshua Heller’s home. Rabbi Heller overheard and said, perhaps only half-jokingly, “Was he talking about us?”
“What I’ve found really interesting is, in neurodivergent Jewish spaces, there is a fascination and discussion around rabbis and thinkers and teachers from Jewish history, and whether or not they may have been neurodivergent,” said Rabbi Simcha Weinstein, co-director and co-founder of the Jewish Autism Network. “It’s very interesting, where if you look at the Talmud, the attention to detail, the organization, the mindset, can be conducive to a neurodivergent thought-process for many.”
Such specific, repetitive focuses are a well-known attribute of Autism but also are present to some extent in other diagnoses, such as ADHD or OCD. The need to recognize this diversity and variation in human minds, both in the positive differences and difficulties they provide, is where the terms “neurodivergent” and “neurodiversity” come from.
There is a fascination and discussion around rabbis and thinkers and teachers from Jewish history, and whether or not they may have been neurodivergent.
Within Autism Spectrum Disorder specifically, which is also characterized by difficulties in verbal/non-verbal communications and significant sensory issues, the range of ability and difference in presentation is vast.
“I’ll compare it to flowers – roses and daisies and tulips are all flowers, but they’re radically different from one another,” said Rabbi Dr. Nathaniel Bushwick, Executive Director of the Northeast Autism Center in Pennsylvania. “Different kinds of Autism – they’re all Autism, but they’re radically, radically different. What you’re going to do with them is different, and what you can expect from them is different.”
He described two examples to illustrate this range, both of whom had significant symptoms: one, a man with whom he had attended graduate school with, who was five years younger than him at the time, and is now a Professor Emeritus – the other, a young man who does not have an object concept, meaning that his life is entirely composed of sensory experiences that he cannot concretely link together.
“He looks at an apple, he sees red. He feels it, he feels something hard. He smells it, he tastes it, but there is no object called ‘apple,’” said Rabbi Bushwick, “so there’s your range.”
Different kinds of Autism – they’re all Autism, but they’re radically, radically different.
Though the concept and definitions of Autism and most modern psychological diagnoses are a little over a century or two old, there are references in rabbinical commentary, some over a thousand years old, to similar concepts.
One example Rabbi Heller and fellow B’nai Torah Rabbi Rabbi Elizabeth Breit brought up was the istenis, a category of person in the mishnah and other rabbinical texts that literally translates to “delicate,” and is described in various places as having a number of sensory issues, including significant aversions to bitter foods, to the feeling of spit in their mouth, to bad scents, and especially to dirt. Mishnah Berurah (554:22) describes an istenis as one “whose mind is not settled on him until he wipes his face with water.”
It is not difficult to draw comparisons between these symptoms and sensory symptoms related to both Autism and OCD, but another interesting note was the way they were responded to. There were several considerations made for this kind of person, which helped accommodate for the difficulties they faced.
One story (Mishnah Berakhot 2:6) describes Rabban Gamliel, who was an istenis, bathing during a mourning period, which was normally not allowed. It was noted that, for him, not bathing caused physical distress, and it was not required that a mourner undergo physical distress. Mishnah Berurah 639:32 also notes that, during Sukkot, if something falls from the roof of the sukkah into any of the food, an istenis is permitted to eat outside the sukkah.
Many references in the liturgy, culture, and customs are a lot less specific, but nevertheless speak to the importance of accommodating such differences.
Rabbi Bushwick brought up a quote from the Book of Proverbs: “Educate a child according to his way, even when he gets old he will not deviate from it.”
“People understand this to mean, ‘Give a child a good education, he’ll be a solid good person his whole life.’ That misses the whole point,” said Bushwick. “The important word is ‘his way.’ Every individual has his own personality, his own ‘way’ as it were. And it is in accordance with this way that he needs to be educated if his education is to be successful.”
Rabbi Dr. David Sher, a research psychologist at Oxford University who also studied Autism in Jewish settings at the University of Cambridge, notes the Ben Azzai quote in Pirkei Avot, “Despise no one and call nothing useless. For there is no person who does not have his hour – and no thing that does not have its place.”
He also cited prior research by Michal Shaked and Yoram Bilu in 2006 on Autistic individuals in Orthodox communities in Israel, who were in several cases viewed as having a particularly significant spiritual virtuosity. There was even an account of a revered rabbi who would stand to honor an autistic child as they entered the room.
Rabbi Sher’s own investigation of Autism in Orthodox communities in the UK focused on stigma, or the lack thereof, within those communities. He found that those he interviewed tended to report that there was not so much stigma as there was discomfort or lack of knowledge in their communities, and that significant strides had been made in all regards.
Despise no one and call nothing useless. For there is no person who does not have his hour – and no thing that does not have its place.
“I think, in the previous generation, there was a stigma around discussing differences in a strength-based manner,” said Rabbi Weinstein, in a similar vein. “I feel today that there’s a lot more awareness, openness, and tolerance […] It is certain that communities are, I think, more accessible and accommodating than ever before.”
Dr. Ami Klin, Director at the Marcus Autism Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, notes that, in light of the need for predictability and consistency across their environments, the rituals of organized religion can be very helpful for autistic individuals.
“The rigid calendar of prayer, well-established traditions, and cadence and repeatability of festivals in Judaism specifically can provide a wonderful opportunity for community acceptance, inclusion and friendships,” Dr. Klin said.
Rabbi Bushwick notes that much of this may come down more to the way individual parents raise their kids.
“There are many who do [accept them], but there are also parents who don’t accept these kids, and want them to be the same as other kids, and they’re not,” said Rabbi Bushwick, relaying the relatively famous example of Temple Grandin, the noted scientist/inventor/animal expert, and her mother – who accepted her, but pushed her to be the best version of herself. “Within the Jewish world, you have those who do [that], and those who don’t. I wouldn’t say that it’s that much different.”
Abby Lail-Franz, Community Access Program Manager at Jewish Family & Career Services’ Intellectual and Developmental Disability Service, believes there may be something concerning Jewish values in that regard.
“I hear stories of my friends with their Jewish mothers who are kind of pushy, and stern, and ‘I’m going to support you, but I’m not going to feel sorry for you.’ And I think that works so well with our population because people are quick to say ‘oh, poor thing, you have Autism, you don’t understand social cues, you have cerebral palsy, you have to use a wheelchair,’” said Lail-Franz. Although not herself Jewish, Lail-Franz has noted that the mission of the organization – which serves many community members, regardless of religion – reflects these values.
“I think for some Jewish volunteers, professionals, community members – they grew up with that sense of ‘I will show you empathy, but I’m also not going to sit and feel bad for your existence.’ I think, in neurodiversity, that is something that we really truly need – that I can feel for you while also challenging your limits.”
For Rabbi Breit, the Jewish perspective makes the empathy part a little easier.
“As the Jewish people, being a little outside of the norm makes it hard to maneuver society – you can ask any Jewish kid in December,” she said, relating this outsider perspective to neurodivergence. “It can feel like you’re outside, and weird, and other, but also allows us to bring perspective to society and history and the world that can be very beautiful.”
Terminology Primer
- Neurodiversity: The concept that neurological differences, including disabilities, are part of the natural variation of human minds – and that these differences should be accepted.
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A broad developmental disability, characterized by difficulties in verbal and/or nonverbal communication, issues interacting in social settings, sensory issues, and fixed, repetitive interests/behaviors.
- On the spectrum: A more casual way to refer to those who are diagnosed with/have traits of Autism Spectrum Disorder, also often used by autistic individuals to describe themselves.
- Neurodivergent: Used to refer to neurological differences outside what is considered the typical way for brains to work. Originally referred primarily to disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorder or ADHD.
- Neurotypical: Used to refer to anyone/anything not neurodivergent.
- Neurodiverse: Adjectival form of neurodiversity. Sometimes used as a synonym for neurodivergent.
- Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD): A developmental disability characterized by difficulties in attention, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity.
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): A condition characterized by uncontrollable, recurring thoughts and repetitive, excessive behaviors.
- Developmental Disability: A chronic condition that arises before adulthood, typically affecting a person’s ability to function in areas like learning and language.
comments