As we move into the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are all watching the seemingly never-ending seesaw of numbers caused by the omicron surge, and now the “omicron BA.2” variant. Add to that the political divisiveness over the vaccine, staffing shortages, overrun hospitals, overworked medical staffs, concerns about teacher and student wellness. Among Jewish groups, there continues to be growing concern about how Jewish life and our mental health are being affected by the pandemic.

Assessing needs

During the start of the pandemic, Jewish Federation of St. Louis made getting a handle on just what the St. Louis Jewish community was up against a top priority. On March 23, 2020, just 10 days after President Donald Trump declared the novel coronavirus a national emergency, Federation conducted a Community Partner COVID-19 Needs Assessment. They reached out to 69 Jewish organizations in St. Louis and surrounding areas to better understand their needs.

“All of this isolation and issues around the pandemic have seen an increase in mental health concerns for many,” said Jewish Federation President and CEO Brian Herstig. “As such, mental health and well-being have become priorities and emerged as one of our community’s top challenges for us within our Core Commitment to secure the well-being and safety of individuals within the Jewish Community.”

That summer, the Federation conducted their “Covid Response Phase II Needs Assessment,” and found 61% of respondents reported that their constituents were experiencing mental health challenges. That number is staggering and yet, not surprising with all of the stressors we have all had to deal with since COVID began.

To address these challenges, the Federation has developed a multi-pronged approach that includes both financial investments and program planning to continue to meet and alleviate the mental health needs of our community:

• Community Impact Investments to JFS and BBYO
• Supporting Day School student needs – $50,000
• Young adult mini-grants for pilot programs – $6,000
• Request for proposals from local Jewish organizations – with $100,000 in funding available
• Mental Health Access Fund Pilotto reduce cost – $10,000
• Community mental health training.

Judaism and mental health

Starting this week, Jewish Federation and supporting partners are making a variety of mental health training opportunities available. All focus on Jewish mental wellness.

“We have invested $14,000 in this training for the community. We feel this investment will make an impact on the needs and help our community with this issue,” said Herstig.

All training will be held virtually, and space is limited. Details are below.

Each workshop series consists of two consecutive training sessions, listed as either Option 1 or Option 2.

Community members can choose the workshop series that aligns with their role in the community and their schedule. A Jewish Mental Wellness Toolkit will be distributed to all participants prior to the first workshop (details on how and when to pick up the toolkit will be shared after registration). After completing the workshop, participants will receive a completion certificate and will have the option of being added to the Facebook alumni group of The Blue Dove Foundation, an organization that works to address the issues of mental illness and addiction in the Jewish community.

WORSHOP SERIES FOR STAFF OF LOCAL JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS:

• Option 1: Thursdays, Feb. 10 and 17, from 3-5 p.m.
• Option 2: Wednesdays, Feb. 23 and March 2, from noon-2 p.m.

WORKSHOP SERIES FOR RABBIS AND CLERGY MEMBERS:

• Tuesdays, Feb. 8 and 15, from 1-3 p.m.

WORKSHOP SERIES FOR GENERAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS:

• Option 1: Sundays, Feb. 6 and 13, from 2-4 p.m.
• Option 2: Thursdays, March 3 and 10, from 6-8 p.m.

Click here to register.