The Or Shalom Dnipro Psychological Support Center, which operates at the Solomonika JCC with the support of the Joint, organized a special event titled “Psycho-emotional Support and National Identity as a Way to Improve Quality of Life in Current Conditions” for Jews from the city of Kryvyi Rih.
The seminar invited activists of the Kryvyi Rih Jewish community who are clients of the Hesed Hannah charity fund. They were offered a one-day trip to the Or Shalom center in Dnipro, as well as a tour of the Menorah complex, including a visit to the “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine” Museum and the Hesed Menachem charity fund.
Early in the morning, twenty participants of the event set off for Dnipro to “activate their resourceful state, find new meanings and inner strength for recovery and improvement of their general psycho-emotional state, develop stress resistance, and preserve national-historical heritage by expanding knowledge about the past and gaining a deeper understanding of key events and topics related to the Holocaust.”
To achieve this goal, two lectures in the format of psychoeducation were held on the topics: “Emotions in Our Lives” and “Developing Self-Regulation Skills,” along with a series of practical sessions dedicated to relaxation techniques, body practices, basics of self-testing one’s emotional state, and breathing exercises. These were conducted by the leading group psychologist of the Or Shalom Dnipro center, specialist psychologist Tetiana Chekhlova.
After lunch at the Menorah complex, the participants were introduced to the work of Hesed Menachem and took a tour of the “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine” Museum, including a visit to the Golden Rose Synagogue. This made a profound impression on every participant, giving them a powerful charge of vivid emotions and unforgettable impressions of a new personal experience.
