The SEED program, a hallmark of RKYHS, gets to the issues and develops a direct and honest dialogue about issues affecting students in society. Each week, the school hosts a special SEED speaker or program that opens up new vistas to the students and encourages them to challenge assumptions and engage in issues.

In a recent interactive SEED program, RKYHS students were divided by grade and worked with community agencies on timely topics. Eleventh and 12th graders were divided by gender and participated in sessions with representatives from Project S.A.R.A.H., a New Jersey statewide organization based out of Jewish Family Service of Clifton-Passaic that offers prevention and treatment programs for victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Project S.A.R.A.H works to overcome cultural, legal and religious barriers confronting victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Students watched videos developed specifically for the Orthodox Jewish community, which highlighted the warning signs of unhealthy and abusive relationships and initiated discussion on the topic. The program alerted students to the signs of sexual harassment and helped them understand the definitions of healthy relationships and reinforced the importance of these relationships.

Concurrently, Robyn Krugman, LCSW, the coordinator for adolescent services at Jewish Family Services of MetroWest, presented to the ninth and 10th graders on managing stress and anxiety. The program explored the typical challenges of adolescence and helped them understand when “normal stress” becomes something more serious like depression or anxiety. This presentation allowed students to recognize stress, learn ways to cope and to normalize the emotion so they understand they are not alone. The program also urged teens to communicate their needs to the adults around them.