Decoding Distress: Jewish Parenting for Teen Mental Health

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Decoding Distress: Jewish Parenting for Teen Mental Health

May 21 at 7:00 pm 8:15 pm EDT

During Mental Health Awareness Month, Moving Traditions invites parents and educators of Jewish youth to join us for a conversation about how to best support teen wellbeing, resilience, and mental health.  

Dr. Jess Shatkin, founder and director of NYU’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies, will share his expert insights with Rabbi Daniel Brenner. We will also hear hear a teen perspective from Sylvie Simmons, a Kol Koleinu fellow focused on mental health. Our speakers will share trends among Jewish teens and discuss how to support teen wellbeing through Jewish identity and community.

We will be asking difficult questions like: 

  • How can we teach our teens the skills they need to be resilient in the face of adversity?
  • What does the spectrum between wellbeing and mental health look like? How can you know if a teen needs professional support? 
  • How can parents support their own mental wellbeing and model healthy living for the teens in their lives? 

Following the one-hour discussion, we invite participants to stay connected for an optional post-panel discussion where they can network, share reflections, and continue the conversation among other parents and educators. 

Jess Shatkin (he/him), MD, MPH, leads the educational efforts of the NYU Child Study Center, where he is Vice Chair for Education and Professor of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the NYU School of Medicine. Dr. Shatkin is the founder and director of nation’s largest undergraduate child development program, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies (CAMS) at NYU. He has authored more than 100 professional writings including the book, Child & Adolescent Mental Health: A Practical All-in-One Guide.

Rabbi Daniel Brenner (he/him) serves as the Vice President of Education for Moving Traditions, where he weaves together ancient wisdom, developmental psychology, social pedagogy, embodied practice, and pop culture to help a diverse network of rabbis, educators, and volunteer leaders who mentor teens. He lives with his beloved, Dr. Lisa Brenner, in Montclair, New Jersey and they are the proud parents of three young adults.

Sylvie Simmons (she/her) is a returning Kol Koleinu Fellow, rising junior at the Dana Hall School in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and a congregant at Temple Aliyah in Needham, MA. She is an avid musician and loves to read, listen to music, make art, and write. She is the recipient of the Kol Koleinu Alumni Micro-Grant through which she is creating a Jewish zine project, inspired by her capstone project on the mental health of Jewish teenagers since October 7th.


Register now!


This free event is offered as part of Raising Up Teens with Moving Traditions, a series of webinars for parents and educators of Jewish youth. Learn more.