[Reader-submitted] Living with stuttering can be a very lonely experience. A person who stutters might feel very different than other people. They have a harder time speaking than many others. Some have a hard time getting words out, others repeat sounds, and for others their face contorts and their head shakes when they stutter.

The person who stutters is often ashamed of the way he or she speaks. Because of this shame, they often will avoid many speaking situations. They may avoid introducing themselves to people they don’t know, speaking publicly, asking directions, asking for help in a store, or making calls. Men might avoid accepting an aliyah in shul or davening from the amud. Times when they are a chiuv can be particularly difficult.

About two years ago, Mr. Moshie Rosenberg of Brooklyn, NY took a bold step toward empowering people in the Jewish community who stutter. Mr. Rosenberg, who stutters himself, founded the Jewish Stuttering Association (JSA). One of the JSA many projects is to organize and support groups for people who stutter. There are currently a number of groups throughout the tri-state area. There are groups for men, women, and teenagers. Over a year ago a branch was created in Lakewood, NJ, and it has been holding monthly meeting since.

The meetings are a place where men who stutter gather to share, encourage, laugh together, and bond. Everyone is welcome to come and share whatever they want. Some enjoy meeting people who understand their experience and sharing with them. Others come seeking advice about how to deal with certain situations.

The group provides a place where the person who stutters feels at home. They know no one will judge them based on their speech, and no one will rush them to “just get it out already”. They can share the ups and downs of living with stuttering, and laugh about things that only someone who stutters can appreciate.

They group also serves another very important function. It enables people to learn about different professional options for managing, minimizing the impact and overcoming the limitations of stuttering. The group attracts people who have tried different approaches to overcome stuttering and they learn from others about options they did not know about before.

The group attracts a very diverse crowd. It has people from all over New Jersey. It includes bachorim in local yeshivas, shidduch-age bachorim, working bachorim, yungaleit, bal habatim, and people who are retired. It in attracts people across the spectrum of orthodoxy. The group is lead by two people who have made tremendous progress in overcoming stuttering in their personal and professional lives. They have a wide breath of knowledge about stuttering and treatment options; as well as a tremendous amount of compassion for those who stutter, regardless of where they are holding in their journey with stuttering or the way they choose to approach it. Any Jewish adult male is welcome to attend. It is free of charge and the evening is always exciting, moving, and dynamic. The next Lakewood group will be held Febuary 5th. For more information about the Lakewood group or the other services of the JSA please contact the JSA at [email protected] or at 347-855-7520 or visit their website, http://www.jstutter.org/.