About Meir Charash
Background
Meir Charash, originally from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, made Aliyah in 1979. A few months prior, Meir acquired a BSc. in Business Management, majoring in organizational management, from Boston University and a MSW in 1984 in Group and Community Work from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work (WSSW) at Yeshiva University.
Meir worked as a community worker in Beit Shemesh and in Jerusalem, was the Director of the Israel Office of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia for 19 years providing fiduciary oversight to donor funds and facilitating Israel – Diaspora relations.
Meir’s expertise is in community building, fundraising and organizational behavior. In addition to supervising Wurzweiler social work students, Meir worked as Faculty Advisor and Coordinator of the Israel Block Program from 2010 to 2017.
Meir is married with three children, two adorable granddaughters and another granddaughter on the way! Meir resides in Armon HaNatziv, Jerusalem and is a certified fitness trainer, Thai massage therapist and an avid mountain bike rider having participated for 11 years in the Alyn Charity Bike Ride for the Children of the Alyn Rehabilitation Hospital and in two races, the “Epic,” and “Sovev Arava”. Meir served in the armored forces for a year and a half and 15 years in reserve duty.
My “Why”
Nine years ago, my beloved son Ariel, of blessed memory, ended his suffering and life by suicide after a prolonged struggle with anxiety and depression stemming from OCD – obsessive compulsive disorder. Soon after my son’s suicide, I engaged in individual trauma therapy and participated in support group for parents who lost children to suicide that was organized by B’shvil HaHayim – an NGO that provides emotional support and organizes programs that promote suicide awareness and prevention.
After years of reading and writing about the subject of suicide, I then underwent an intensive training program for volunteers organized B’Shvil HaHaim about how to share my “personal story,” in an informative and sensitive manner.
Publishing this website is part of my mission to increase awareness about suicide—a painful and complex subject that society prefers to ignore because of stigma and shame. I am committed to speaking and writing about suicide and suicide prevention because I deeply believe that honest and open conversation can help to reduce this epidemic and hopefully save lives.
Remembering Ariel z”l
Ariel’s House
This is “ Ariel’s House” located at the Jerusalem’s Battered Women’s Shelter that was donated by my parents Murray z”l and Helen Charash.
Kerem Ariel
Kerem Ariel located at the Dolev Settlement- donated by a dear friend, Shlomo Cohen, who served in the same tank with me.
Mitzpe Ariel
My wife, Devorah Roytenberg Charash, and I established Mitzpe Ariel located at the Adam Community Garden in the Armon HaNatziv Neighborhood.
The purpose of the Mitzpe is described in the plaque:
Mitzpe Ariel was established in memory of our beloved son Ariel z”l with the purpose of providing, calmness, tranquility and peace to the residents of Armon HaNatziv Neighborhood- the very things that were missing in his life.