Eli Glaser

Baltimore, Maryland

Votes for Eli Glaser: 283

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Tell us about your nominee. Why should he or she be recognized as a Jewish Community Hero?

Rabbi Glaser struggled with overeating for many years, until finally losing 110 pounds over 7 years ago.  He understands the central role food plays in the Jewish community and the particular challenge that it creates for many of us.  He decided to take this great challenge which he overcame and use his experience and skills to help others who suffer from issues with food. Rabbi Eli Glaser is a Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant.  He has 18 years of experience in the field of Jewish outreach, education and counseling, and close to a decade of work participating and mentoring in recovery programs involving compulsive eating.  Rabbi Glaser received smicha from Rav Avraham Kupshitz in Jerusalem and studied at the Aish HaTorah College of Jewish Studies, graduating with a degree in Jewish Philosophy and Law as well as a graduate degree in Rabbinical Ordination. Rabbi Glaser trained in pastoral and multi-discipline counseling while working toward his undergraduate and graduate degrees.  Rabbi Glaser learned extensively under Rav Yitzchak Berkovits and Rav Noach Orlowek.  Rabbi Glaser is a member of NEFESH, the International Network of Orthodox (Jewish) Mental Health Professionals.

What problem did your nominee identify in the community that needed to be solved? How has your nominee's efforts made a difference for others?

Rabbi Glaser recognized that the childhood obesity epidemic is taking a dramatic toll on the physical and emotional wellbeing of Jewish children at an alarming rate.  He started an organization, Soveya, to educated Jewish families and educators about proper nutrition and the Torah imperative to take care of our bodies through healthy eating habits. Soveya launced a program for Jewish Day Schools, SWITCHH, which doesn't just combat the growing epidemic of childhood obesity, it helps children understand the pleasure and importance of appropriate eating before they develop unhealthy behaviors with food. SWITCHH is an international coalition of Jewish Day Schools committed to addressing the issue of childhood obesity in the Jewish community. The initiative is run by Soveya, a non-profit organization, which uses a Torah educational approach to inform and empower parents, teachers and students about proper nutrition and how to develop and enjoy healthy eating habits. SWITCHH is endorsed by Torah Umesorah and currently runs in more than 30 schools across the country and abroad.