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Resource Category: Jewish Connection to Mental Health

Giving to Yourself on Hanukkah

By Max Hollander | On Hanukkah, as you light the candles on the hanukkiah, be sure to look inward at the light shining inside of you, and take steps to ensure your inner flame is happy, healthy and bright.
Mother and child in front of Hanukkah candles.
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Shabbat: To “Remember” and to “Guard”

Many don’t realize the Torah contains two versions of the 10 commandments; it’s easy to overlook. By and large, the two versions are essentially the same, and there are no differences between the laws. There are a couple of small differences in the presentation of some laws; these can be easily overlooked. Yet they have tremendous significance, particularly when it comes to understanding a crucial aspect of Shabbat — and rest in general.
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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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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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