Blog

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that emerges during certain seasons, most commonly in the fall and winter when daylight hours are shorter. For many, the reduced exposure to sunlight can disrupt the body's internal clock, leading to feelings of sadness, low energy, and difficulty concentrating. Although often associated with adults, youth are not immune to the challenges posed by this condition.

This fall, the Siegel JCC applied to and was accepted into the JCC Global From Good to Great Program. This three-program designed to enhance the capacity and sustainability of JCCs in Ukraine, which have been impacted by war, simultaneously develops global collaborations with partner JCCs worldwide.

In 2018, J staff member Sarah Segestrom died by suicide at the age of 16. The loss of Sarah had a profound impact on our community, with teens, parents, grandparents, and educators seeking support in helping themselves and those they care about through mental health struggles.

5 years ago, Sarah’s journey and memory inspired the creation of the Wellness Summit, a program with goals of opening up honest lines of communication around mental health and reducing the stigma around mental illness. Over the last five years, the Wellness Summit has been a forum for sharing grief, learning about the impact of mental health, and finding ways to cope as a community.

This month we celebrate Tu BiShvat, the new year for the trees. Trees, and the idea of sustainability, have always held a special place in the Jewish faith. The Midrash in Vayikra Rabbah teaches that “God planted a garden of trees in Eden. So you, too, when you will enter the land of Israel, planting trees should be your first involvement.” Many have truly taken this teaching to heart. In fact, according to embassies.gov, over 200 million trees now stand in Israel; making it one of the few countries in the world to have more trees now than it did 100 years ago, thanks to the efforts of its people in keeping the land healthy and intact for future generations.

Last week the Siegel JCC, along with our fantastic community, were featured in the podcast, Unorthodox. Listen to interviews with Ivy Harlev, CEO of Siegel JCC, and other members of the community, on the first segment of Across the JEW.S.A. 

If you needed more reasons to love the Siegel JCC, here's 10!