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Resource Type: Articles

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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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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V’NAHAFOCH HU: Turn it Upside Down – An Alternative Reading to the Mitzvah of Intoxication on Purim

From Arielle Krule and the T’shuvah Center Team | There is an oft-used statement from the Talmud on Purim that “a person is obligated to become intoxicated on Purim until they do not know the difference between the curse of Haman and righteousness of Mordechai.” This statement has been used as the guiding principle for what Purim celebrations have comprised in the Jewish community, but that statement contains a deeper meaning, hidden right beneath the surface.
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What Connects Moses and Esther? Imposter Syndrome

Masks are a major part of the celebration of Purim — but also the way we operate in the world. Depending on the social setting, masks are the things we hide behind to conceal our true selves for fear of rejection. Often, the use of masks in public spaces is out of an insecurity that deep down, we aren’t who people think we are — otherwise known as imposter syndrome.
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