New Orleans is building a community mikveh! But what is a mikveh for anyway? Join Rabbis Josh Pernick and Lexi Erdheim along with Jessica Rosenberg of the Rising Tide Open Waters Mikveh Network to learn about the history and development of the mikveh from the Torah through today. We will explore contemporary re-imaginings of the mikveh and consider how you might use our community mikveh. Rabbi Bob Loewy will share updates about the progress of the mikveh and answer questions. 

In this session led by members of the BBYO Mental Health Task Force, you will learn about the mental health challenges facing many people, but particularly teens/young adults, during these unique times. Through videos, discussion, and anonymous writing, you will examine how stigma interacts with your own mental health and leave you with action steps for eliminating mental health stigma going forward!

In the early days of the pandemic, the name Anne Frank was everywhere, whether as a Facebook meme or as a stern warning never to forget the unique horror of the Holocaust. But although Anne Frank is an iconic figure for Jews and non-Jews alike, most of us do not know the nuances of her story or its context in the Dutch experience of World War II. We also may not be aware that the "diary" we read is, in fact, a combination of Anne’s daily diary and her own (incomplete) revision, which she hoped to publish after the war. Looking at examples of Anne’s own writing and re-writing, we will consider how she might serve as a model of spiritual resilience and hope in a time of anxiety and hate.

Suicide is currently the 2nd cause of death among individuals 10-34 years old and the 4th for ages 35-54. There are 25 suicide attempts for every one death by suicide in the nation. One in four young adults has struggled with suicidal thoughts since the coronavirus hit. We need to be talking about suicide and what we can each do to help prevent it. For more than 30 years, Jewish Family Services (JFS) has brought Teen Life Counts (TLC) suicide prevention curriculum to students, faculty, and parents at local schools. The curriculum includes suicide statistics, the stigma associated with mental illness, the warning signs of suicide, how to have a conversation with peers and adults, and where to get help. Join JFS Clinical Director, TLC Program Manager, TLC volunteer, and Country Day Head of School for an open and honest conversation around the topic of suicide and what we can do to combat it.

All are welcome for gentle, accessible movement focusing on mobility, breath, and grounding. For this session, participants will need a chair and a cushion-y item (pillow, blanket, towel, etc.) Optional: yoga mat, yoga blocks. Participants are encouraged to leave their webcams on so that the presenter can modify instruction and provide feedback in real-time -- just like an in-person class!