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Resource Library

Explore the connections between Judaism and mental health with our educational resources! Below you will find articles, downloadable activity sheets, videos and podcasts, and more about Jewish holidays and concepts, and the ways Judaism addresses mental illness.

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Active Inclusivity: How to Be Inclusive During Shabbat

We talk about inclusivity all of the time, but what does it mean to be actively inclusive? How do we ensure all people are able to fully participate in whatever way they are showing up? It’s important to keep in mind that for many reasons a Shabbat dinner or get-together can be difficult or stressful for some people. We don’t know what someone is showing up with that night. Whether for mental health, dietary, or other reasons, here are ways to create a community of caring and inclusivity.
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Shavuot: The Holiday of Ultimate Awareness

By Rabbi Steven Gotlib | Beginning on the second night of Passover and extending until Shavuot, many Jews count the Omer. For 49 days, Judaism maintains a special awareness of time — even for a religion that, as Abraham Joshua Heschel described, constructs a sanctuary of time each week in marking the Sabbath. But what exactly makes these 49 days between Passover and Shavuot so special?
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Taking Care of Our Kids by Taking Care of Ourselves: Mental Health for New Parents

One of the most difficult things for us as we worked through our struggles was the glorification of the sacrifices that caregivers (especially those who identify as women) are expected to make. For instance, loss of interest in activities we previously enjoyed was a difficult benchmark to wrap our heads around. We'd been told that once we gave birth, we wouldn't have time for anything other than the baby. Therefore, losing interest in our hobbies was something we both figured was to be expected. In a way, if we lost interest in our hobbies, wasn't that an indication that we were adjusting to centering our lives around our children? Wasn't that what was supposed to happen?
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Jewish Mantras: How to Change Your Brain

How can we change our mood when we’re in a funk? This resource will describe brief exercises to improve your mood now as well as retrain your brain to help you be more positive overall. It is important to verbalize and analyze our emotions. Feelings help us gather information about ourselves— how we are experiencing the world and what we need in order to feel better. But if unwanted thoughts and unsettling feelings start to consume us, how do we focus on joyful concepts instead of those that circulate anxiety and depression? We must retrain our brain to cultivate our own happiness and strength, recognizing we are not defined by our emotions; in fact, we are the boss of them.
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The Risks of Tween and Teen Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Written in Partnership with In the City Camps | One of the biggest factors in maintaining good physical and mental health is avoiding drug abuse. This is especially important for tweens and teens, whose brains are still developing. While any young person could give in to social pressure and start experimenting with drugs or alcohol, the Mayo Clinic has outlined some risk factors.
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Depression Among Tweens

Written in Partnership with In the City Camps | Even before the pandemic that changed the world (especially for kids, tweens and teens), depression among tweens was on the rise. The suicide rate among people ages 10 to 14 tripled between 2007 and 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And according to U.S. News and World Report, tweens are experiencing major depression nearly 50 percent more often nowadays, which dramatically increases their risk of suicide. So what can parents do to determine whether their tween is having an emotional crisis?
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How Peer Pressure Can Affect ADHD Treatment in Tweens

Written in Partnership with In the City Camps | The number of tweens with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is increasing, but sadly, a growing number of preteens are rebelling against treatment. According to ADDitude magazine, tweens tend to stop taking their ADHD medication. Peer pressure is a big factor, but refusing to take medications may also be another way for them to assert their independence. Parents and other caregivers can help their tweens feel less stigmatized by showing them ways to take their pills in a less obvious manner or in private. If your preteen is going to a sleepover, for example, speak to at least one of the adult chaperones beforehand.
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How to Spot Anxiety Disorders in Kids, Tweens and Teens

Written with In the City Camps | Kids, tweens, teens and even adults all experience fears and worries. But when they become frequent and interfere with the person’s ability to fully live their life, it has crossed the line into an anxiety disorder. Let’s discuss the different types of anxiety disorders and how to spot them.
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