Loading Events

« All Events

  • This event has passed.

Ensuring Mental Wellbeing for LGBTQ+ People During Challenging Times

January 4, 2023 at 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Ensuring Mental Wellbeing for LGBTQ+ People During Challenging Times

Part 2: Sharing Challenges

Feelings of depression, anxiety, and loneliness can threaten the mental health of the LGBTQ+ community, and are often exacerbated by lack of communal acceptance, feelings of rejection, or estrangement from family members. Ben Small and Simcha Pollard will discuss some of the current challenges to LGBTQ+ mental health and wellbeing, and will share some of their wisdom and strategies for addressing mental wellbeing, followed by Q&A.

About Ben:

Ben Small is the founder and producer of the Your Life Sucks podcast, aiming to destigmatize teen mental health through raw discussion. He has advocated for mental health awareness at his high school and through several non-profits. He graduated from SAR High School in Riverdale, NY last year and is now learning at Yeshivat Maale Gilboa in Israel.

About Simcha:

I consider myself to be an observant Jew and devout follower of Chabad. I am a gay male living in Laramie WY with my two dogs. I earned college and graduate degrees in economics and agricultural economics from Sonoma State College and The Ohio State University. I retired from a university professorship after 35 years in 2015 and have “settled” into almost full retirement as of August 2020. I also have lived and worked extensively in numerous countries as a financial economist. I was raised in somewhat of a Conservative Jewish environment. I left Judaism at the age of 15 having discovered that alcohol and drugs were a better alternative than Gd and religion.  In 2009, after years of returning to a more spiritual way of life, I was put in touch with a Chabad rabbi. I put on Tefillin and made a spiritual connection that brought me back to Judaism. I was an active and enthusiastic member and board president of a Chabad shul in Long Beach, CA from 2012 to 2018. I moved to Laramie, WY originally be with my now ex-partner.  However, I soon discovered a greater purpose in moving and have been carrying out that same enthusiasm for Jewish community life in Laramie, WY as I had in Long Beach.

Hosted by Eshel Baltimore – sign up to receive location and Zoom information.

Details

Date:
January 4, 2023
Time:
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm