Eighteen months into the pandemic, it is clear that social isolation, fear, and loss have had a tremendous impact on the mental health of our friends, family, community members, and perhaps most dramatically, our youth.
We may recall the haftarah we recently read on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, which tells the story of Hannah weeping so desperately in prayer that her lips are moving with no words. Her mental and spiritual anguish was so deep that Eli, the High Priest, believes she is drunk. But when he understands the depth of her pain, he is able to help her. Like Hannah, we each cope with anxiety and fear in different ways. It manifests itself uniquely in each person as we struggle and tremble where we are, and we must be aware and sensitive to each other so that we can be responsive and helpful. We have taken this time of reflection and repentance to focus on the stress and anxiety our community has faced over the past year. We are committed to helping our members take care of themselves and their families. Some of our initiatives include: - Over the past few years, USY has been doing Mental Health First Aid training, including the training of youth staff during staff retreats. We are thankful to the Jewish Education Project for covering the cost to train four of our USY staff as Youth Mental Health First Aid trainers. Some of our summer staff have had additional mental health training thanks to the generosity of the UJA-Federation of New York and the Foundation For Jewish Camp. This past summer, our staff participated in a two-hour QPR training (emergency response to someone in crisis) to elevate the level of care we provide.
International USY President Sam Zuckerman, has made mental health support his top priority for the year.
“The Mental Health of USYers, and the creation of a mental health safe space for USYers is one of the most important points for the organization. Throughout my time as a USYer, USY has always been a place where I could remove myself from the stresses of the outside world and focus on my friends, my religion, and myself for a weekend or week at a time. This stands true with many of my friends, and many USYers that have come before me. Because of this, it is crucial that we as an organization continue to take steps towards a better understanding of mental health, and continue to implement mental health friendly policies. With more effort put into this field over the next couple of months, I believe that we will continue to add mental health networks and resources for our USYers, and recreate the same magical space we had pre-pandemic when we return to in person programming.”
- Nativ 41, which departed on August 30 with 37 participants, has also prioritized mental health resources. This year the entire Nativ staff went through an intensive training with Keshev and United Hatzalah to be Certified Mental Health First Responders.
- Right now, USY staff members are diligently working on updated policies and procedures as they relate to mental wellness. Along with this, we are creating a section on the USY website that can serve as a resource for all matters related to mental health with the BBYO Center for Adolescent Wellness.
- During Mental Health Awareness Month, we hosted a conversation with USYers about hookup culture as it relates to mental health, a session on Judaism and mental health during our Tikkun Leyl Shavuot event, and we co-sponsored an event called "Laughing Matters: Jewish Teens Tackle Mental Health'' which was run by the Blue Dove Foundation and Here, Now. Last year, we put together a guide to mental health during quarantine for USYers and are in the process of updating it and releasing a newer version.
- The holidays are an intense period for clergy, staff and lay leaders. The Rabbinical Assembly, in partnership with USCJ, is hosting #HeshbonHeshvan again this year. On Rosh Hodesh Heshvan, October 6 and 7, the virtual program offers our clergy an opportunity to focus on themselves for self-care, rejuvenation, renewal, vacation, or whatever else they may need for rest and renewal. Check out the article describing last year’s program.
USCJ is always looking for resources to grow our mental health training and support. USY is looking for resources to provide a full time social worker for the various summer programs, trips, and events. We are also working diligently to provide programming resources on wellness and inclusion, and this is just the beginning as we move forward in the new year.
Whether you attended services in person or virtually, 2021 has not been the year we anticipated; we missed being with our loved ones as we celebrated the new year. We hope that throughout 5782 you’ll take time for yourself to pause, reflect, and breathe, and ensure your own health and those in your community in 5782. Warm Regards, |
