To Your Health!

One of the most interesting developments in recent years has been the growing interest, on the part of baby boomers, in issues of health and wellness.

Rabbi Richard AddressMaybe it is part of our own understanding of our own aging and the desire to stay vibrant, and active as much as possible. Maybe it is a subconscious desire to stave off the reality of mortality.

Whatever it is, the interest is there: from outward bound adventure vacations to yoga and meditation to changes in diet; we seem to be more focused that ever before on issues of health.

Part of that interest has also been drawn to issues of mental health. Indeed, a national mental health week is celebrated in October and I just wrote a small piece on Judaism and Mental Health for the NAMI newsletter that includes the resources available if your congregation or chavurah or group wishes to study the issue from a Jewish text perspective.

About 30% of all the workshops and seminars I will be doing this program year, will include a major component on Jewish approaches to health. This is a result of congregations becoming more aware of the issue and some even devoting major program time during the year, such as Temple Sinai in Atlanta, which has declared the current year of 5771 as “Sinai’s Year of Wellness”, and will include discussions on Nutrition and Health, Yoga and Meditation, Exercise and Humor. The Union for Reform Judaism has also produced a congregation and personal Health Audit that lists 4 pages of tasks that a community and individual can do to become healthier in mind and body and spirit (available through raddress@urj.org)

We hope to explore some additional aspects of this subject during the coming year. In the meantime, my best to all of you for health and joy and peace

Shalom,

Rabbi Richard F. Address, D.MIn

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