This series is sponsored by our friends, Daniel and Mira Stokar.

In this episode, we discuss parental alienation. In some way or another, almost all of us struggle with alienation. Who among us doesn’t feel too far from someone that we love? The meeting points of religion and family in religious communities can make navigating change in the family unit difficult, sometimes leading to alienation. As we approach Yom Kippur, we spoke to five people who have lived through the stressors that lead to alienation. These guests are people that might be your neighbors, your rabbis, your siblings, or your parents, talking about the cost and challenge of keeping family close, no matter how hard it might be.

In this interview, we discuss:

— How does parental alienation start, and where might it lead?
— What can someone do to avoid or rectify alienation?
— What can we learn from those who have struggled with familial alienation?

Thank you to each of these guests for sharing their stories with openness, vulnerability, and honesty, and thank you to Eitan Katz for permission to use his song, Ki Karov.

Resources:
"Somebody’s Son," Richard Pindell
Kesher Nafshi
Toldos Support Group for parental alienation