Mar 22, 2023 By: yunews
On Wednesday, February 22, 2023, students from the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program at Yeshiva College attended a luncheon featuring an experiential workshop on mindfulness with Dr. Jonathan Feiner, clinical psychologist, founder and director of Rockland CBT, and adult clinical director at Achieve Behavioral Health.
The workshop led students through some of the questions and principles addressed in Dr. Feiner's 2020 book, Mindfulness: A Jewish Approach, including the potential obstacles Jewish clients face when practicing mindfulness, how mindfulness can affect Jewish practice, and how Judaism can, in turn, enhance and empower mindfulness-based interventions. All attending students received a copy of Dr. Feiner's book, courtesy of the Honors Program.
"I was surprised to learn that the idea of mindfulness has roots in our history and customs," Caleb Gitlitz '25YC shared afterwards. "Dr. Feiner demonstrated how mindfulness can help one appreciate the gift of life and all that Hashem offers to us, and also how to cope with the seemingly insurmountable challenges one may face. What he teaches has the power to help so many, and it comes from a place of wisdom and caring."
Dr. Eliezer Schnall, director of the Honors Program agreed. "We were very grateful that Dr. Feiner could visit our campus and lead this workshop," he said. "We live in stressful times, and I know our students will continue to benefit from thinking about how they can appropriately integrate mindfulness strategies into their daily lives."