COMMUNITY NEWS
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia mobilizes
financial and volunteer resources to address the
communities’ most critical priorities locally, in Israel and
around the world.

Not Alone: Programs to Know This
Mental Health Awareness Month
T he global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25% since the
beginning of the pandemic, according to the World Health Organization.

May is designated as National Mental Health Awareness Month, which
aims to eliminate the stigma around mental illness, support mental wellness prac-
tices and advocate for a better mental health care system.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia continuously strives toward
building a more accepting, diverse and inclusive future. Through the organization’s
commitment to enhance and expand social services, the Jewish Federation supports
local agencies focused on assisting those with mental illnesses and their families.

These partnerships, such as the following programs, help to ensure that anyone
affected by mental illness has access to the resources they need to live healthier
and more fulfilling lives.

Atidim In addition to training high school students from vulnerable populations in the
periphery area of Israel to become drone operators, the Lehavim Drone Program
combines technical skills with critical thinking skills. Students also meet with The Jewish Federation supports local agencies focused on assisting those with
mental illnesses and their families. 
Courtesy of Getty Images
counselors to deal with emotional, social and family-related issues that can
undermine motivation and affect the ability to achieve.

Israel Trauma Coalition for Response and Preparedness
cope with crises, including the residual effects in the aftermath of attacks in Israel.

ITC provides direct trauma care and counseling to help community members The organization also offers psychosocial services to individuals, families and
communities to develop resilience to economic insecurity and potential home-
lessness. Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia
The JFCS Holocaust Survivor Support program provides trauma-informed and
holistic services to low-income aging Holocaust survivors so that they can remain
in their homes and live with independence and safety. These programs help alle-
viate isolation, preserve a sense of community and enhance the quality of life.

Jewish Learning Venture
The Engaging Underrepresented Communities program works with families with
children who have been historically underrepresented or marginalized within the
Jewish community and pairs them with educators, therapists and advocates.

Tikvah/Advocates for the Jewish Mentally Ill Social Program
Tikvah AJMI is a grassroots organization committed to improving the quality of
life for adults living with mental illness. This program provides opportunities for
those living with mental illness and their loved ones to participate in education,
group therapy and social events which provide a sense of community.

Tikvah Residence
JEVS Human Services operates the Tikvah Residence program, an apartment
building that helps maintain a safety net for individuals living with disabili-
ties related to mental health diagnoses. The program offers opportunities for
peer socialization, community and/or work involvement, healthcare oversight,
improved access to community resources and more. Tikvah Residence also
engages local community members impacted by mental illness with program-
ming and engagement.

8 MAY 19, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



YOU SHOULD KNOW ...

Rabbi Abi Weber
The app required that walkers take
pictures of their charges as they walk
and upload it to the app for the dogs’
owners to see as proof the dogs are
in good hands. It also gave Weber a
chance to fill her camera roll with doz-
ens of happy canines.

“I was sort of perfecting my tak-
ing-cute-pictures-of-dogs skill,” Weber
said. It was during that spring when
Dog Sutter poses in front of Temple
Beth Zion-Beth Israel on day 15 of the
Omer in 2021.

Courtesy of @dogbaomer on Instagram
SASHA ROGELBERG | STAFF WRITER
Courtesy of Abi Weber
T his issue of the Jewish Exponent came out on the 33rd day of
the Omer, which is four weeks and five days of the Omer. Of
course, these days, there’s an app to tell you that. Or, if you’re
Rabbi Abi Weber, there’s a dog.

The Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel rabbi, 33, is the mind behind
@dogbaomer, an Instagram account dedicated to posting a dog a day
for each day of the Omer, the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot.

The account, at first glance, requires no prior knowledge of Judaism
to enjoy: Murphy the Australian Cattle Dog poses outside of Middle
Child on day 24; Great Dane Wilson sits in Rittenhouse Square and
cocks his head at the camera on day five.

But for Weber, who has amassed more than 750 followers on the
account since 2021, it’s a labor of love, for both her friends and her
own religious practice.

Before Weber was taking snapshots of Philly’s best canines, she
was a dog walker six years ago for the app Wag in Chicago, where she
attended SVARA: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva.

Weber came up with the pun “Dog
BaOmer,” a derivation of Lag BaOmer,
a celebration held on the 33rd day of
the Omer to honor Kabbalah scholar
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.

Weber began posting the pictures
to her Facebook, and a loyal group of
friends happily supported the increase
of dog pictures on their feeds.

In 2021, a friend egged Weber on,
encouraging her to post the Dog
BaOmer pictures on Instagram, where
they could be seen by the public and a
younger generation of Jews who pre-
ferred the app to Facebook.

A modest following after the 2021
Omer (combined with Weber’s admit-
ted lack of commitment to Instagram
tactics to gain popularity) made Weber
— also a proud cat owner — reluc-
tant to continue in 2022. Some more
friendly encouragement changed her
mind, and the pups made a return to
the ‘gram on the fifth day of the Omer
this year.

After Hey Alma published an article
about the account on April 29, Weber
received an influx of followers, as well
as a flood of submissions which, after
a few days of consideration, Weber
decided against posting.

She enjoys going on evening walks
every day with her wife and daughter
through Center City. As the weather
warms, dogs abound in the neighbor-
hood. While it’s traditional to meditate on
each day of the Omer on a different
aspect of God, Weber found similar
spiritual significance in a meditation
of looking for something new in her
familiar neighborhood each day.

“It would be great if I could just
sit every day and meditate on values
or on aspects of God,” she said. “But
that it’s much easier for people, myself
included, to actually notice a physical
thing in the world that’s new and dif-
ferent every day.”
Even an account such as Dog
BaOmer can be indicative of changing
spiritual technologies, Weber said. An
Instagram account can allow a younger
generation of not traditionally obser-
vant Jews to learn more about counting
the Omer and other mitzvot.

Though the Omer is a time of spiri-
tual reflection for many, Dog BaOmer,
in its levity, can still provide spiritual
meaning. “It’s OK to be light about some things
and to just lift up that lightness and
that fun piece of religion, and to say
Judaism can be just enjoyable and cer-
tain things can just be simple,” Weber
said. Weber has one friend who doesn’t
count the Omer, but she likes Dog
BaOmer’s Instagram post every eve-
ning. That’s not a mitzvah, Weber said,
but it is the beginning of how to engage
with Judaism.

“This is just one thing that, if it forces
people to pay more attention in their
daily lives and to notice their sur-
roundings and to value something new
each day,” Weber said, “then I think
that’s completely in line with what
Judaism is trying to teach.” JE
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM 9