Sept. 2025
Cara Bensimon

Rosh Hashanah invites us to pause, reflect, and reset. As we turn the page on the Jewish calendar, we look inward and forward, taking stock of where we’ve been and imagining where we might go. This season of renewal couldn’t be more fitting for the official opening of Hamilton Jewish Family Services’ reimagined mental health and well-being clinic.

Over the past 18 months, we’ve been quietly building something bold. We listened carefully to what our community needed and responded with a new model of care. One that blends professional one-on-one counselling with group workshops rooted in Jewish values, practical tools, and compassionate connection. Whether someone is navigating anxiety, grief, relationship strain, or simply seeking greater resilience and mindfulness, we want them to know: we are here.

The timing feels right. The High Holidays remind us that teshuva - returning to ourselves, to one another, and to wholeness, is possible. Our clinic embodies that belief. It’s a space to be seen, supported, and strengthened. A place where healing is not a luxury, but a priority.

We also recognize that mental health isn’t just an individual concern — it’s a communal responsibility. Our workshops, open to all ages and backgrounds, create opportunities to learn together, reduce stigma, and build shared language around emotional well-being.

We’re deeply grateful to our funders, volunteers, and staff who have helped bring this vision to life. As we step into 5786, we do so with hope and humility knowing this work is both sacred and ongoing.

If you or someone you care about is struggling, reach out. If you're curious, join a workshop. And if you’ve been waiting for a sign that it’s time to take that first step, consider this it.

Shanah tovah umetukah from all of us at Hamilton Jewish Family Services. May this be a year of growth, strength, and renewal. And may it also be a year of return — of healing, of hope, and of bringing the hostages home.