The importance of play is so widely recognized as critical to a child’s development that it is guaranteed by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Playing is more than “just” fun. It builds cognitive, social, emotional and behavioral skills which children benefit from their whole lives. Play as the Child’s Lab Albert…
Averting the Harsh Decree of Mental Illness
There was no word for mental illness in antiquity. Like the fear of death, the fear of slipping into mental anguish was as real in antiquity as it is in our times. We see this in the traditional Jewish liturgy of old. For example, in the most well-known prayer of the High Holidays, ‘Unetaneh Tokef,’…
MLK Resources for Any Day
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, here are some MLK resources to spark reflection, extend understanding and inspire action. The King Encyclopedia This is the motherlode of MLK resources. It’s housed at Stanford as part of The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute and is curated by Dr. Clayborn Carson. Clear navigation…
The Collapse to Homelessness
Homelessness doesn’t happen to people with education, right? A degree in social services, certification in chemical dependency, chairperson of the Seattle Public Schools Head Start program – these are a few of the accomplishments Charles “Carlos” Woodson had prior to 2009. Woodson, a single father and longtime Central District resident, spent his days taking care of…
Weekly Leisure Activities for Adults With Mental Illness
Isolation is one of the biggest challenges people living with developmental disabilities or mental illness face. To help address this, the SAJD Supported Living Program hosts a weekly leisure activity for adults with mental illness or developmental disabilities. The outing changes from week to week, but the goal is always the same – to get…
Refugee Resettlement Is a Jewish Value
I grew up in Spokane, down the street from my grandparents. They were early 20th century immigrants from Eastern Europe who arrived at a time before the term “refugee resettlement” had been coined. My grandfather, who fled the Ukraine because of pogroms, arrived in America as a teenager with his mother, joining his father who…
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