One of the panelists at a session at the recent Agudath Israel of America convention related to mental health was Rav Moshe Weinberger shlit"a, veteran Rebbe and Agudah Rav in Brooklyn, NY, as well as a longtime summer camp head counselor.
I would like to share some of his wisdom, wit, and good humor here.
"Today every Rebbe knows that he's in charge of the mental health of his talmidim." (3:15 -).
(Partially translated from Yiddish) My father didn't have time to have OCD, my father didn't have time to think if he had self esteem or not (36:50).
Today there is tremendous pressure.
On what a Rebbe can do to prevent mental issues 53:05 -
Rav Weinberger shlit"a commented with regard to three common conditions - self esteem, anxiety, and depression.
Self esteem - You have to acknowledge and relate to the children as individuals (check out the recording for details and examples).
Anxiety - With regard to tests, he says to students, it is a mark on the paper, not a mark on you. He will never write a failing mark on a paper. One of his fellow Rabbeim refers to tests as חזרה.
Depression - Speaks of the greatness of the sefer מסילת ישרים, it teaches that everyone is measured with their own measuring stick, and competition is only with what you can be.
The classroom and the house have to be happy places.
Torah was built in the United States with simcha, passion, vigor, and optimism (in name of his Rebbe, Rav Avrohom Chaim Levin z"l, who was just niftar) (57:40).
May we be zoche to have more Rabbeim like Rav Weinberger shlit"a, and to hear more of his wisdom and wit, לאורך ימים ושנים טובות.
(For more flavor and detail, check out the recording.)
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