Mental Health + Shabbat
May is Mental Health Awareness month, and you’re invited to bring the conversation around mental health to your Shabbat table. Whether you’re gathering with roommates, friends, or new guests, Shabbat dinner is a time to engage in powerful conversation, connect with others, and create a community of caring and inclusivity. In the United States, 1 in 5 adults experience a mental health condition over the course of a given year (National Association of Mental Illness). That’s 46.6 million people annually. Your outreach, your dinner table, and your kindness may impact someone more than you know.
Take the PAUSE You Need
A return to new. Coming out of hibernation. A transition into the next normal.
Let us remind you (and ourselves) that we have the permission to come back to the familiar at a speed that’s best for us. A butterfly comes out of its cocoon when it’s ready to. A bear leaves the cave after hibernating… “and you, mighty human, deserve to take your time too.”
Take the Pause You Need draws on wisdom from the animal kingdom and features a spoken word love note written for those who may want to re-emerge slowly. The poem is by award-winning poet, Charly Jaffe, set to illustrations by Heather Schieder and music by Broadway’s Andrew Resnick. Click here to view + download the poem by Charly.
Produced by Adam Kantor and Charly Jaffe. Special thanks to video editors Nathan Colby and Nicolas Mackall.
Take a Breath and Host a Dinner
- If you haven’t already, sign up to become a OneTable host.
- Once you’re approved, post your dinner by the Tuesday before your dinner. We’re supporting dinners for you + people you live with, solo Shabbats, plus vaccinated, outdoor and virtual dinners if you want to gather with friends and new guests.
- Invite friends! Share the link to your dinner, post about it on social media, and plan for your beautiful night of connection. If it’s open to the community, make sure to tag your event with “Mentalhealth” so that others can find it.
Find Your Seat at the Table
- Search our tag (Mentalhealth) on OneTable’s Dinners page to see events specifically taking place in your city.
- RSVP to claim your spot. Feel free to invite friends (space permitting) and contact the host if you have any specific dietary or accessibility needs.
We've Got You Covered
Additional Resources
OneTable’s Take the Pause You Need Playlist
Repair the World Repairing the Soul Guide
Repair the World Mental Health Justice Volunteer Opportunities
Repair the World Fighting Mental Health Stigma with Vulnerability
NAMI – Cultural Dimensions, Support Groups, and How to Help a Friend
Mental Health Awareness Month Books, curated by Jewish Book Council
Seize The Awkward conversation guides
Gratitude – הכרת הטוב – Hakarat Hatov in a Time of Social Distancing resource
LGBTQ+ Resources from The Mental Health Coalition
For even more about mental health resources, visit The Blue Dove Foundation Mental Health Shabbat page.
Finding a Therapist
MyWellbeing – match with the right therapist or coach, or find a therapist in NY, NJ, or CA. Additionally, free access to group mental health care for people of color here.
OKCLARITY Find a Jewish therapist that is specific to your needs.
Grief Resources
The Dinner Party is building a worldwide community of 20- and 30-somethings who have each experienced the loss of a parent, partner, child, sibling, other close family member, or close friend.
The Dinner Party’s CareSquad intergenerational postcard campaign
For immediate help, call or text 988, the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Visit this page for additional mental health and addiction resources across the United States and globe.
These mental health Shabbat resources have been developed in partnership with The Blue Dove Foundation. The Blue Dove Foundation’s mission is to educate, equip, and ignite the Jewish community with tools to work together to understand, support and overcome the challenges presented by mental health and substance abuse. As a community and through Tikkun Olam, we will improve and save lives while eradicating the shame and stigma surrounding mental health and substance abuse in our global Jewish community.