Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School Promotes Mental Health and Psychological Wellbeing

By Eva Trieger

SAN DIEGO — Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School is no stranger to facing challenges head-on. Now, celebrating its 60th anniversary, this remains a fact. With climbing numbers of adolescents dealing with mental health issues, this courageous faculty, led by Rabbi Simcha Weiser, has engaged Stuart Katz, a Hebrew Day alumnus (class of 1974) to address this alarming issue. Katz is an international mental wellness advocate, currently living in Israel.

In an effort to promote mental health and psychological wellbeing, Weiser has engaged Katz to enhance the virtual training with an in-person program that was begun in Australia. Upon completion of the training, the faculty will become certified in Mental Health First Aid. The focus of the training is to “destigmatize mental illness and promote open discussion and effective therapies.” Weiser and the Hebrew Day administrators want to equip their faculty with the necessary tools to recognize students at risk, or suffering, and guide them to the appropriate support. The teachers are not expected to become experts or replace psychologists or psychiatrists, but this training will give them the tools to pick up on concerns and listen nonjudgmentally to the students in their care.

Unfortunately, the uptick in mental health issues was exacerbated by the pandemic, and while Hebrew Day had in-person education for much of the turbulent period, students did experience isolation, trauma, uncertainty, and loneliness. The caring faculty, staff, and administration at this forward-thinking school considers the whole child, not only the academic responsibilities they shoulder.

The Nov. 9 training offered middle school faculty the opportunity to receive training and evolve with the new demands that teachers face in 2022 and beyond. Using a guidebook, role-playing, and discussion, teachers were able to see how the framework applies to 7th and 8th graders so that they can make a meaningful difference in children’s lives.

Teachers reported that they felt empowered by expanding their boundaries. The training is in no way intended to put teachers into the role of psychiatrists, but to allow them to open a door for a child in crisis through appropriate, safe comments or questions that reflect, “We’re here for you.” Another feather in Hebrew Day’s cap is their outreach to parents. Weiser reported that experts have been invited in to lead parent seminars to provide the community with valuable tools.