Resource Category: Mental Wellness

Exploring Social Connectedness and Mental Wellness

In May 2023, the U.S. surgeon general released a new advisory on the public health crisis of loneliness, isolation and lack of connection in our country. With the holidays approaching and this public health crisis at hand, we must ask what our responsibility is to support ourselves and each other in fostering meaningful connection. The Jewish value, or middah, kol Yisrael arevim zeh la zeh – כל ישראל ערבים זה לזה, all Jews are responsible for one another, is a reminder of our responsibility. It helps us understand we are interconnected and must be invested in the mental wellness and overall well-being of others.
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SUMMER HARD – The Ultimate Guide to a Fulfilling Summer: Boost your Mental Health and Deepen Connections

By Justin Milrad | The longer days and warmer weather of summer offer the perfect opportunity to rejuvenate your mind, body, spirit and soul. It’s a season of growth, exploration and connection — a time to prioritize joy, personal development and meaningful interactions with others. However, while we all KNOW we need to disconnect from our work and take time for ourselves for the sake of our health and spirit, sometimes we need to be reminded HOW to do it during the precious days of summer. If you need help doing that, we have some tips for you:
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Staying Grounded to Keep Growing

According to Jewish law, all fruit trees need to be left to grow for a three-year period ending on Tu B’Shvat, the 15th day of the month of Shvat. Then, after a ritual redemptive process in Jerusalem, we may eat the saplings of the fifth year. This process is called “Orlah.” On the surface, this long and complicated process may seem tedious and unnecessary. But if you dig a bit deeper, the law of Orlah offers us a valuable lesson about the importance of patience when undergoing growth processes.
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October 7th – The Jewish Collective Trauma Response

By Talya Gordon | I don’t have the answers for how or even if we will be okay. Right now, all we can do is sit with the pain and be honest about how we are doing. We are not okay. We need the world to do more. We need to mourn and cry and take care of ourselves. We need support from non-Jews, so we know people outside of our community care about our safety.
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Immersive Experience Staff Journal

We know staff mental health needs are important, and we hope this resource offers an opportunity to better support the staff’s mental health over the summer. The Blue Dove Foundation is proud to partner with BeWell, an initiative of Jewish Federations of North America, and Foundation for Jewish Camp in the creation of this meaningful resource.
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Summer Camp Staff Journal

We know staff mental health needs are important, and we hope this resource offers an opportunity to better support the staff’s mental health over the summer. The Blue Dove Foundation is proud to partner with BeWell, an initiative of Jewish Federations of North America, and Foundation for Jewish Camp in the creation meaningful resource.
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The Blue Dove Mental Health Glossary

This glossary contains common mental health terminology. It is a great jumping-off point to learn more about terms you may hear when engaging in conversation about mental health. In Judaism, we read the same weekly parshiot (portions) from the Torah in the same order each year. While we may be familiar with the parsha (portion) of the week, we reread it to refresh ourselves with the story and glean something new as we approach it with fresh eyes and an open heart. In a similar vein, you may be familiar with many of the terms in this glossary. We encourage you to continue to learn and explore mental health terminology, so you can make connections to mental health in a way that supports where you are on your journey.
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Looking for Chametz – Inside and Out

Chametz is also symbolic of other things like the yetzer harah (the ego, the self, mental clutter, negativity) that live within us and distract us from our true goals. We are tasked with cleansing ourselves of that kind of "chametz" as well, which allows us to focus on what matters in our lives. In a way, this is a mental cleanse as much as it is a physical cleanse. Try this fun mental cleanse resource to make space in your mind for freedom.
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Learning to Love Your Tree

By Jaime Glazerman | The Torah compares the human body to a tree and writes that "For man is a tree of the field” (Deuteronomy 20:19). Just like we love and appreciate trees of all shapes and sizes, we must learn to love and appreciate our own unique "trees".
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