Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy Upper School Raises Mental Health Awareness
By Judie Jacobson
STAMFORD – Life isn’t always easy. But getting through life as a teenager – dealing with the emotional challenges of transitioning between childhood and adulthood – can be especially difficult, even in the best of times. Add to that the stresses created by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the level of angst and anxiety among teens is amped up even further.
Well aware that many teens were struggling with mental health issues and, moreover, that they did not feel comfortable sharing their experiences with others, BCHA Upper School principal Rabbi Shimmy Trencher, school counselor Angela Wilson, and special programs coordinator Ilana Bauman put their heads together and came up with an idea to give a voice to these students – and others like them – by bringing mental health awareness to the entire student body.