Over the past six years, Jewish Federation has actively engaged the San Diego Jewish community in critically thinking about engaging Jewish teens. Through our work with over 20 local Jewish organizations and more than 70 Jewish educators and engagement professionals, we have learned a lot about who our teens are and how they meaningfully connect to their Jewish heritage.
As a result of this work, we have uncovered a new area of focus in supporting Jewish teens: Teen Mental Health & Wellbeing. Teen stress, depression, and anxiety levels are rising, and we must explore what role the Jewish community can play to ensure that our youth develop the resilience and grit to face challenges in their lives.
The Jewish Federation, in partnership with the Jim Joseph Foundation and Jewish Teen Education & Engagement Funder Collaborative, have committed to helping San Diego wrestle with this issue and implement new strategies and programs to address this issue with teens and support their parents, guardians and educators.
