Youth Mental Health Summit
Posted on 03/21/2025 @ 06:00 AM
This past Sunday, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s BeWell Miami Initiative, in proud partnership with the Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE) and Jewish Community Services (JCS), hosted its Second Annual BeWell Youth Mental Health Summit, bringing together parents, caregivers, professionals, and community members for a powerful day centered on adolescent mental health and well-being.
Attendees engaged in meaningful discussions, practical workshops, and hands-on sessions designed to equip them with the tools, language, and strategies needed to better support the youth in their lives — at home, in schools, and across the broader Jewish community.
The highlight of the day was keynote speaker Dr. Lisa Miller, renowned psychologist and New York Times bestselling author of The Awakened Brain, whose groundbreaking research on the connection between spirituality and mental health deeply resonated with attendees.
Dr. Miller’s address underscored what Jewish tradition has long recognized — cultivating spiritual life is not only meaningful but essential to emotional and psychological resilience.
Drawing from both neuroscience and personal narrative, Dr. Miller shared:
- Adolescents are biologically wired for spiritual growth, with the adolescent brain neurologically primed for spiritual exploration and connection.
- Scientific findings provide compelling evidence that spirituality is not an abstract concept, but a vital protective factor against depression, anxiety, and substance use.
- spiritual practices — like reflection, meditation, prayer, singing, gratitude, and time in nature — literally activate neural pathways associated with connection and meaning.
Framing her insights within a scientific and soul-centered perspective, Dr. Miller emphasized the power of “relational spirituality” — a felt connection not just to oneself and others, but to something greater, transcendent, and deeply personal.
Dr. Miller also urged adults to engage in honest spiritual conversations with young people, modeling their own spiritual journeys, questions, and reflections.
Such conversations, she explained, normalize inner exploration and validate the spiritual stirrings that so many teens experience but may not yet have words for.
“I just wanted to say thank you for such an informative and moving mental health summit. It is truly inspiring to witness your care, love, and devotion to the youth of South Florida. It was very appreciated and the speakers, in particular Dr. Miller — stupendous!” ~ Rabbi Yaakov Garfinkel, Middle School Principal, Lubavitch Educational Center
This year’s Summit featured breakout discussions and resource-sharing led by local mental health professionals, organizations, and educators, offering participants practical, evidence-based tools they could begin using immediately in their personal and professional lives.
In keeping with the values of compassion and collective responsibility, attendees were encouraged to bring food donations to support the Jewish Community Services’ Kosher Food Bank, further reinforcing the Summit’s commitment to holistic communal care.
The strong collaboration of Federation, CAJE, JCS, and other dedicated partners highlight the strength of a community that not only values academic achievement and Jewish identity but also prioritizes the mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being of its youth.
Dr. Miller’s message echoed throughout the day: When we tend to the soul, we strengthen the mind.
It is through this integrated lens — scientific, spiritual, and deeply Jewish — that South Florida’s Jewish community continues to build a more compassionate, resilient, and supportive future for the next generation.
L-R: Audrey Maman Bensoussan, CAJE Director of Day School Programs and Services; Shoshana Farbman, BeWell Miami Director; Melissa Buckner, CAJE Board Member and BeWell Miami Board Chair; Jessica Dahan, Clinical Director at Jewish Community Services of South Florida.
For more information about BeWell Miami and upcoming programs, visit JewishMiami.org/BeWell or contact Shoshana Farbman, Director of BeWell Miami, sfarbman@gmjf.org
