Photos by: Nechama Kotlarsky
Shluchim are often called upon as emotional support for their community. Of course, this takes empathy and devotion, but it also takes training and expertise. To that end, Chabad of NJ launched a Mental Health Initiative (MHI) to support our shluchim and shluchos.
Now in its second year, the MHI provides a broad spectrum of professional trainings, such as full-day workshops, the services of an on-call mental health consultant, and – new this year – a subsidy for shluchim families’ personal therapy needs.
Senator (and former Governor) Richard Codey, a long-standing friend to the Rabbinical College and Rabbis Moshe and Mendy Herson, together with Governor Phil Murphy, earmarked a generous annual grant to support this initiative, along with the generosity of the Rabbinical College/Chabad of NJ and some shluchim.
Particularly heartwarming is the recognition that “a nurturer needs nurturing,” and the Initiative includes an annual Family Fun Day, and separate Kinusim for Shluchim and Shluchos to coalesce as chassidim ein mishpocho.
This Wednesday, 72 shluchos joined for a day to nurture heart, mind, body and spirit. Hosted by Chabad of Fort Lee, our full-bodied program–facilitated by Hindy Drizin, Malkie Herson, Mimi Kaplan, Lieba Konikov, Mushky Levinson, Dinie Mangel and Chaya Schera Spalter– included guest speaker, Chani Krasnianski, many home-grown speakers, musical entertainment, paint-and-sip, three catered meals, and a fabulous swag bag. This was a day of friendship, learning, music and laughter; a day to relax, unwind and spend time with fellow shluchos.
In the words of one shlucha: “How nice it is to have designated time under the umbrella of mental health. It really helped me depressurize, and to remember that there’s more than one way to find “inspiration and spiritual growth.”
