First events seek to ease anxiety in students.

The newly formed Bergen County branch of the Consortium of Jewish Day Schools (CoJDS) will be presenting three events dedicated to the goal of easing anxiety for students to three different groups — parents, educators and rabbis and rebbetzins in partnership with the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County — during the first week of November. All events will be held at Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey in River Edge.

The events will feature David H. Rosmarin, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and the founder of Center for Anxiety, and the author of the book “Thriving With Anxiety.” The event is called “Community-Wide Thriving With Anxiety: Getting Everyone On Board For The Sake of Our Children.” Coordinators are planning to welcome at least 1,000 participants.

CoJDS — under the leadership of Rabbi Heshy Glass, is dedicated to empowering, developing and improving Jewish day schools across North America, promoting best practices and using traditional Torah values as its guide. “Our goal is to raise the bar of Jewish education, to elevate the standards, and to ensure that curriculum aligns with today’s student needs so that day to day in the classrooms students are learning at the highest levels that they can,” said Rabbi Yehoshua Yeamans, CoJDS’s director of development. “We hope to support day schools not just within the realm of academia but in their dedication to each child’s wholesome development.”

A recent video, conceived as part of the CoJDS Bergen County branch’s approach to Oct. 7 education for K-8, featured Teaneck’s Rabbi Yaakov Neuburger answering questions about the attack to mark its first anniversary while supporting Bergen County students with age-appropriate information and much-needed validation. It was shared worldwide, and approximately 120 schools showed it on Oct. 7.

Rabbi Yeamans discussed the unique role CoJDS is playing now in Bergen County, just having created the first “branch” of the organization, noting that recent meetings and event plans have involved all eight heads of school of Bergen County’s K-8 day schools. “We see this as the future model for creating branches in different communities. Our current services can be more tailored to the specific needs and interests of each community.”

“We chose Bergen County to be the first branch because the heads of schools are talented people, work well together and are responsive to us working with them. We are very excited about what the future holds with them as our partner.”

Rabbi Jonathan Knapp, Yavneh Academy’s head of school, shared his optimism about the initiative. “In their short time working with the yeshiva day schools in Bergen County, COJDS has already made a significant impact. They spearheaded a very inspiring and impactful video presentation for our students as part of our October 7th commemoration. We are all looking forward to the series of workshops on anxiety and depression led by noted psychiatrist Dr. David Rosmairn this coming week. It is our hope and expectation that these efforts will further strengthen our day school community and lead to further efforts of collaboration.”

As an organization outside a community, CoJDS has the ability to look at new ways and other needs regarding Jewish education and then tailor projects so they are unique to any particular community. For example, Rabbi Yeamans said, Rosmarin gives parents, teachers and leaders a practical approach to help manage the anxiety of their students. This is a pressing issue in our communities.

“As we continue to work with the heads of schools in Bergen County, we see ourselves as the extra pair of hands to help school leaders achieve their greater goals in the education of their respective school communities,” Yeamans said.

On tap for the future are multiple initiatives, including the launch of coordinated Israel clubs in the Bergen County elementary schools.

For more information about the organization, visit www.cojds.org.