Our amazing Noa, soon turning 40 (Happy Birthday to her!), is married and lives in the north. For the past two years, she has been working at the Golani Midrasha Guest House, mostly washing dishes in the dining hall but also helping at the laundry, serving, and whatever else is needed. She even recently received a certificate of excellence… 👏👏👏

Given that tourism was quite slow this year, the guest house primarily hosted soldiers and reservists taking a break 🙌 and Noa was always there to help.

Besides her work, Noa loves going to the movies with her husband, doing personal fitness training, watching TV, baking, and generally taking care of the house. In the future, she dreams of opening a business where you can buy carrot cake or her excellent apple strudel 🥧.

Billie, our wonderful vocational coach in the northern region, has been accompanying Noa for about 3 years, especially since Noa is an employee with a disability. Before her current job, Noa worked in kindergartens, but it was difficult because the work required bearing a lot of pressure and their attitude wasn’t always kind to her.

As part of the support process, Billie helped Noa integrate into work at the guest house, where she is so satisfied, loves the place and the amazing people, feels appreciated, loved, and accepted as she is. For Noa, the support is important and meaningful because Billie is a good listener and helps her solve problems and overcome challenges in the workplace.

Today is marked in the world as the International Day of Equal Rights for People with Disabilities, and Noa thinks this is an especially important day – a day that will help raise awareness! She advocates for equal opportunities to fulfill the rights that she and many other people deserve, especially in employment. With accessibility and adjustments, it’s a WIN-WIN!

So won’t you listen to her?

Employers interested in equal employees in every sense 😉 are invited to contact us:

054-2620385

And if you also want to kickstart tourism in the north, treat yourself to a vacation at the guest house… The dishes will definitely be spotless 🍽🍷 as well as the fun and heartwarming smile you’ll receive 😍

Our dear Noa – we are proud of you – you’re a champion! Continue to succeed, dream, and fulfill your dreams ❤️

Billie – we are lucky to have you! Thank you for being an incredible advocate of equal rights ❤️

The Bnei Brak Clinic staff – psychiatrist, psychologists, social workers, creative arts therapists, and administrative staff – headed out this week for a team-building day in the holy city of Jerusalem 😇

The weather was perfect, as was the atmosphere and the entire day, which turned out to be incredibly fun and rejuvenating.

They began their tour at Mishkenot Sha’ananim with Asher, a legendary guide who accompanied them throughout the day with eloquence and charm. He explained and expanded their historical knowledge, while also being impressed by the remarkable expertise and familiarity some staff members showed 🤓

From there, they continued to Yemin Moshe, then to the Old City, and through Israel’s most vibrant market, arriving at the enchanting ‘Between the Arches’ restaurant for a proper lunch break 🍽️🍷

The tour continued through the Kotel Tunnels (the Great Bridge) and on to the Western Wall… where they had the opportunity to pray, feel moved, and ask 🤲🏼

The staff was also honored with a visit and kind words from Bayit Cham’s CEO, Rabbi Arie Munk, and from Avi Kannai, expert psychologist and Bayit Cham’s clinical director.

The day ended with wonderful feelings, a sense of togetherness, and renewed energy 💪💪

Bnei Brak staff – you deserve this more than anyone! For your dedicated, intensive, and heartfelt work throughout the year, especially during this challenging year… We deeply appreciate and thank you 🙏 We are fortunate to have you on the team! ❤️

We often think of our thoughts and feelings as originating from our heart, or living in some abstract organ we call the “psyche.” But the truth is that the heart is “just” a pump – all our emotions, thoughts, and behavioral patterns actually occur in our brain, an incredibly complex biological organ that manages everything.

Our thoughts, decisions, and emotions are the result of sophisticated electrochemical activity in the brain. When we think or process stimuli, brain neurons communicate by sending messages to each other through neurotransmitters – chemical messengers including serotonin, dopamine, GABA, norepinephrine, and others. Each plays a unique role in managing different emotions and functions. These neurotransmitters meet in the synaptic space (think of it as a neurotransmitter café), where they “converse” and influence our mood, thinking, and behavior. Sometimes, an imbalance in their communication – whether too much, too little, or some other disruption – can lead to uncomfortable moods or behaviors. For instance, low serotonin might lead to depression, while excess dopamine could distort reality perception or impair judgment.

Our brain’s function and the balance (or imbalance) of this complex system is shaped by a combination of genetic factors, environment, and life experiences.

How can we address these imbalances?

Modern medicine offers medications that help balance neurotransmitters, which in turn helps regulate emotions, thoughts, and behavior. Additionally, the beautiful thing about our brain is its plasticity – its ability to rewire itself through personal work on changing thought patterns and behaviors (through psychotherapy, NLP, physical activity, and more). These approaches can contribute to desired brain changes and help achieve emotional balance.

This post isn’t recommending any particular approach. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages, and its own balancing capability that should be evaluated and prioritized with healthcare professionals. Remember, what works for one person may not work for another, and there are additional factors to consider (such as a good support system, medical history, etc.).

To conclude, when we talk about the “psyche” or “heart,” we’re really talking about our brain – a brilliant, complex system that sometimes needs a “tune-up.” And for anyone still feeling embarrassed or affected by stigma, we hope you understand that mental health is just as medical and biological as any other health issue… Seek treatment when you need it just as you would for any other medical condition  🙏

We’re here if you need support: 1599-510-550

Good health to all ❤️

Struggling with self-confidence – whether it’s you, your child, or a loved one? Here’s what you can do about it.

Building self-confidence is a journey that strengthens one’s sense of capability through small successes. When working with children, the best approach is to assign manageable tasks and then offer specific praise for both their accomplishment and effort. For instance, if you ask your child to help tie their sibling’s shoelaces, you might say, “What a great job – you managed to tie them and even made a perfect bow!”

Here’s another example: Ask your child to take the dog for a quick 5-minute walk (you can join them). Afterward, you might say, “I’m really impressed with how you handled the leash – did you notice how well Louie listened to you?”

The key is authenticity in your praise. Children learn about themselves through your feedback, so they need to trust what you’re saying. Simply saying “Great job, champion!” for everything won’t help them understand their strengths. If something doesn’t go perfectly, be honest while remaining encouraging. For example, if you’ve asked your child to help prepare dinner and they feel it didn’t turn out well, you might say: “I’m proud of you for trying and putting in the effort. So what if the omelet got a bit burnt? It’s no big deal. We can make another one, and next time you’ll know to flip it a little sooner – I’m sure you’ll get it just right!”

With time, you’ll notice a positive shift in how your children talk about their abilities and themselves 😊

Success to all! ❤️

There have been debates – whether to hold remembrance ceremonies or not… But what’s certain is that the “ceremony” is far from over. Either way, we believe it’s crucial to pause, commemorate, remember, and remind ourselves, the world, and future generations ⚠️

1. Because thousands were brutally massacred. Women, men, children, and infants. Simply for being Jewish and Israeli. In their homes, while dancing, in their own country. This event affected us all, directly or indirectly – some of us were personally impacted, and everyone knows someone who experienced their own private holocaust beyond the national one. The cemeteries are full. We bow our heads in memory of them all 💔

2. Because 101 hostages are still in Gaza. This isn’t just a slogan! They are real people, and we all pray and hope for their return 🙏

Beyond their families’ cries, some of us have “adjusted” to the wartime routine, grown accustomed to the images, posts, and news articles, moving on to debates and disputes. We must stay sensitive, shake off this numbness. Even if opinions differ, we must remember we are family 💛

3. Because this is an existential war! We’re pushing back threats from the north, south, east, and west, both within Israel and abroad. Hundreds of thousands of families have been uprooted from their homes, jobs, schools, friends, from their lives. And even those Israelis still in their homes – all of us (!) live under threat. We all deserve to feel secure, to demand our right to exist, and to live our lives without threats or apology 🇮🇱

4. Because all our lives are in crisis. Our emotions, thoughts, family life, livelihoods, economy, resilience, functioning – everything is completely disrupted, and the world needs to know this! It’s crucial to understand the ongoing impacts of this war: at least half the country needs mental health support – returned hostages, soldiers who can’t shake their alertness and the images of fallen comrades, children who witnessed horrors, Nova survivors, bereaved families, displaced families, families waiting for their loved ones to return, reservists losing their income and sanity, reservists’ wives coping alone for months while barely keeping their heads above water, children missing their dad/mom/siblings, children frightened by every boom, adults scared of every boom, schools that might open tomorrow or might not, weddings that might happen tomorrow or might not, an entire nation suspicious of every stranger on the street, a nation where the most sought-after workshop is “How to react while driving” to gunfire, missiles, and stones… Actually, second most popular – the top spot still belongs to the blockbuster workshop “How to cope with anxiety, stress, and uncertainty.” And the list goes on… and it’s hard to breathe. So, first of all, don’t feel bad if this is your situation and you’re running out of strength. It’s a normal reaction to an abnormal situation! And like every traumatic event, this too shall pass, hopefully soon.

Yet despite everything, let’s end on an optimistic note. Let’s remember that our strength can still lie in our unity, that unconditional love is healthier for the psyche than hatred, that all Jews are brothers and sisters (missiles don’t distinguish between right and left, religious and secular). Let’s truly be responsible for one another – after all, we share the same sacred mission 🙏

Sending hugs, strength, and prayers for good news 🤞🏼🙌