"Jewish women have many strengths. We are often articulate and confident. We have been taught to function, regardless of how we feel, and we may 'look good'. And because of the religious and cultural values of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), many of us are strong advocates for justice.
However. We may constantly monitor and check ourselves, constantly search out what it 'wrong' with us. We may feel like we're never enough, that what we do is never enough. Consequently, we can't stop and rest or we feel so bad that we can't get started. And sometimes we veer wildly between the two extremes. It is not coincidence that 'manic-depression' is the psychiatric label most frequently attributed to Jews.
Many of us have lived with 'problems' that we thought were our own 'meshuggas' ('craziness'), only to discover, with exquisite recognition, that they evolve from shared experiences of anti-semitism and sexism."
from the MIND Millennium Award poetry booklet
'the art of dis/appearing - Jewish women on mental health'
This participative workshop offers a sensitive space in which to explore mental health issues and their particular resonance for us as Jewish women. Please note, it is not a poetry workshop.
Leah Thorn