Ohel’s brand-new resilience workbook for children couldn’t have come at a better time. Learn all about ‘Inner Space,’ below.
You’ve heard us speak about Ohel before: Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services is the umbrella organization that services the Jewish community with mental health support. Read all about what they do in our previous round-up here. Now, Ohel is back with their ‘Inner Space’ Resilience Workbook: a fun, engaging, and interactive workbook for children ages 5-10, to help build emotion regulation skills and develop coping tools.
And it’s never been more crucial than right now.
The Inner Space workbook, written by Tzivy Reiter, LCSW, and Dr. Naomi Baum, PHD, has been in the works for years. It was finally completed this summer: the writing, the gorgeous graphics, and all the accompanying pieces. The book is like a masterclass! The goal? Teaching our children coping skills that they can draw on in times of stress.
And then October 7th happened. ‘When the war broke out, we pivoted.’ explained Tzivy. ‘We translated the workbook into Hebrew and printed 20,000 copies that are already in use throughout Israel, to distribute to children displaced by the war, children relocated from the south and the north, children who found themselves in foster care, children whose fathers are on the front lines, children of policemen, and so so many more children all across the country. They’re printing another round, so more classrooms and students around Israel can learn the skills that they desperately need. The workbook is available in both yeshiva and secular versions in Hebrew, English, Spanish, Arabic, and Ukrainian.
The Inner Space workbook comes along with an entire crash course for teachers, educators and parents, including a video training to teach best practices, a teacher’s guide including suggested activities and ways to implement resilience training in their classrooms, and even a classroom poster.
So how can you get involved? First of all, check in with your child’s school! Do they know about the workbook? Are they interested in hearing more? Ohel is available to provide training and consultation on implementation of the workbook in school settings across the US.
Or, another option, you can use ‘Inner Space’ at home. You can download a free digital copy at www.ohelfamily.org/resources, or order an English copy for $5 per workbook by emailing schoolresources@ohelfamily.org. You can request a free copy of ‘Inner Space’ in Hebrew to be used by children in Israel by emailing naomi.baum@gmail.com. You can learn more about Inner Space by watching this video, which really explains what Tzivy and Naomi set out to accomplish.
And across Israel, the reviews are in. A principal in Efrat said, How do you build immunity for children? How do you mediate a complex, painful and ongoing situation to them? ‘Inner Space: My Resilience Workbook’ is designed to guide educational teams for young children. This booklet is so eye-catching and encourages children to learn the practical tools of resilience.’
And a teacher in Jerusalem expanded, ‘This book is exactly what we need right now. It helps the children to process their emotions, allowing them to project their experiences, as much or as little, as they are ready to.’
Learn more about Inner Space, and all of Ohel’s amazing work, here.
