Loneliness epidemic

So it's kind of just like this perfect storm

for a loneliness epidemic and crisis.

Oh, I know.

It's so sad.

Break it down.

Yes.

OK, so speaking of America's loneliness epidemic, apparently the cure is Costco.

OK. USA Today reports that people are turning Costco into their new social hub.

Mm-hmm.

And there's lots of kind of theories as why that is, but it's, it's a big one, right? Look, and I think, Rach, the other thing that I often hear is this male loneliness epidemic.

Mm-hmm.

What do we think of that in the context of even domestic and family violence?

I, I'd like to ask that question because I've seen so much on social media at the moment just around this discussion around loneliness, and loneliness and the impact, how it looks like in men, and how it looks like in women.

Mm-hmm.

And how, you know, some people on social media kind of shutting it down and rolling their eyes at the loneliness epidemic in men, and kind of spinning it in a way that's probably not effective.

But I think looking at it from both of these lenses, this is an overall problem for all of us, including men, including women.

For as much as we may want to declare interdependence to improve our relationships and belonging in the year to come, it's clear that we are living in a moment in which being in relationship with one another feels difficult.

In 2023, United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared that this country was suffering from the effects of a loneliness epidemic.

This groundbreaking report outlined the ways in which our society has come apart from one another, leading more people to feel the effects of sustained loneliness and isolation.

Here are just some of the statistics from the report.

Or you take a class diving into a new Jewish topic in which you'll debate and argue and learn together.

Or you'll join one of the new Shabbat initiatives, bringing even more meaning and celebration to Shabbat each week.

Or you join one of our many small groups, gathering with others around a shared interest, identity, or life stage, our own localized response to the loneliness epidemic.

Any one of these ways, among many more, is how you could declare interdependence with other Jews this coming year, building relationships that can sustain us through the chaos of this time.