What is the Mental Health Shabbat?

Run by JAMI, the Jewish Community Mental Health Service, Head On, the Mental Health Shabbat, is an annual Sabbath dedicated to raising the profile of mental health in the Jewish Community. It is an opportunity to encourage people of all ages to be more in touch with their own mental health and wellbeing, and to raise awareness of mental health and mental illness in the local and wider community. For 2019 it takes place on 11th and 12 January.

What is Bushey planning?

- Led by Rabbi Elcohonon Feldman, a qualified psychotherapist, Bushey is planning a wide range of mental health related events and activities for all ages in the community.

- This Friday night, talks for the whole community with (1) Judy Silkoff of the Federation of Synagogues, on the challenges of her daughter’s serious mental health illness. (2) Barry Canterford and Ilana Rinkoff, two of the NHS Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation Trust’s public governors (2) A representative from JAMI, the Jewish Community Mental Health Service.

- On Saturday morning, Sarah Mendelsohn, Head of Pastoral Care at JW3 Gateways, will be leading a mental health issues discussion with our youth (years 7 and above).

- Later this month, Dr Ilan Ben-Zion, NHS Neurohabilitation psychologist, and founder of the “I have mental health” campaign, is coming to Bushey to give a talk to Bushey’s educators, parents and grandparents on “stress and how it affect us”, with a specific focus on exam stress.

- This month, the second cohort of Bushey United Synagogue members will enrol on a certified Mental Health First Aid Course.