Jewish Family Concerns

Our goal is to help congregations to be communities of compassion and inspiration that promote the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of children, adolescents and adults.

 
Resilience Tools
A Step by Step Guide to Resilience of the Soul (PDF 33.17 KB)
Outline Session for Parents and Synagogue Professionals on Reslience (PDF 43.16 KB)
Creating a Shelter of Peace (PDF 67.42 KB)
A joint meditation for parents and children
Compassion is the Best Medicine
A conversation with Rabbi Edythe Mencher about ways to help a loved one who is engaged in destructive behavior.


Resilience is the trait that allows children, teens and adults of all ages to emerge with hope, optimism and confidence in themselves and others even after experiencing challenging and painful times in life. Read More...

Resilience of the Soul: Developing Emotional and Spiritual Resilience in Adolescents and Their Families Grounded in Jewish text this book is a guide for congregations and individuals seeking to support and strengthen teens and their familes...addresses the realities of depression, eating disorder, binge drinking, substance abuse, and self-inflicted violence among teenagers. Resilience of the Soul

  • Table of Contents (PDF 26.39 KB)
  • Opening Meditation
  • Sample Letter to Parents (introducing them to and inviting them to the Resilience of the Soul program)
  • Sample Letter to Staff
  • Sample D'var Torah to introduce the program
  • A Selection of Text Studies (PDF 207.53 KB)

rj mag insiderRJ INSIDER'S GUIDE TO COLLEGE LIFE
View Full Guide RJ Magazine: Fall 2008
Stress Less! Here's How Interview with Edythe Mencher
Promoting Resiliency in College: Pointers for Parents by Edythe Mencher



Active Connections for Parents of College Age Kids  - Program Suggestions and Examples

Let a person always bend like a reed and not be hard like a cedar:
A reed grows in the water, its stem is flexible, and its roots are many.
All the winds in the world cannot uproot it, for it sways back and forth with them.
And when the winds cease to blow, the reed is still standing in its place.

A cedar does not grow in water, its trunk is not flexible, and its roots are few.
All the winds in the world cannot uproot it, but when a southerly wind blows,
it is immediately uprooted.

Babylonian Talmud Ta'anit 20A

 

Resilience of the Soul brochureResilience of the Soul Brochure: how to promote resilience, inccrease understanding of teens and their choices, and encourage healthy ways of coping.

 

Parenting Jewish TeensParenting Jewish Teens by Joanne Doades
Referencing Jewish teachings, insights, and wisdom, this guidebook will help you navigate the tumultuous journey of parenting a Jewish child into adulthood.