Support & Guidance
As a hub for Jewish teens and the adults who care about them, 4front aims to help teens thrive.
Below are helpful resources, articles, and organizations to offer support and guidance for teens
and their parents during these transformative and often turbulent teenage years.
“Youth Groups Transition to In-Person Programming”
via Jewish Times
“Teens on a Year That Changed Everything”
via The New York Times
Thumbnail photo art by Camila Salinas
Crisis Hotlines
Suicide Hotline:
800-273-8255
Crisis Text Line:
Text HELLO to 741741
LGBTQ+ Hotline (The Trevor Lifeline):
1-866-488-7386 / text START to 678-678
Trans Lifeline for Transgender Youth and Adults:
877-565-8860
Mental Health & Wellbeing Resources
Blue Dove Foundation
The Blue Dove Foundation was created to help address the issues of mental illness and addiction in the Jewish community and beyond. Based in Atlanta, we work with people and organizations across the United States and around the world.
Jewish Community Services: Parenting Resource
Jewish Community Services (JCS), a comprehensive non-profit human service agency of The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, provides a broad range of services to meet the multi-dimensional needs of individuals and families throughout Central Maryland.
Headspace
A free meditation app with one goal- to improve the health and happiness of the world.
Collective Compassion 2021
Each May, the Jewish community joins the annual national movement to raise awareness for mental health and wellbeing. We’re offering events and experiences designed to support all aspects of wellness: mind, body, spirit. From the Jewish Teen Education and Engagement Funder Collaborative, explore pop-up programs, creative workshops, giving circles, ‘screenside chats’ and wellness inspo all month long. We hope you walk away with new self-care practices, coping strategies, and a deeper understanding of the dimensions of mental health.
Project Here Now
Here.Now is a teen-led initiative promoting mental health, well-being, and resilience through innovative content and creativity.
Scarleteen
Scarleteen is an independent sexuality and relationships education media and support organization and website for young people worldwide. Scarleteen provides support and education by and for diverse audiences including gender, sexuality, ethnicity, ability and more.
Jewish Education Project- Racial Justice Resource: “Responding to the Moment and Beyond”
Recent tragic events have once again brought to the fore issues of systemic racism within this country and raised critical topics for our children/students. To offer support, the Jewish Education Project created a collection of resources for Jewish educators, teens, families, and the community.
The Baltimore Jewish Council’s Antiracism Resource
The Baltimore Jewish Council is the political and community relations arm of The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore and its agencies. This page is a collection of resources curated by the BJC for those interested in exploring racial justice and antiracism.
The Religious Action Center
The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (the RAC) has worked to educate, inspire, and mobilize the Reform Jewish Movement to advocate for social justice. We work on over 70 issues including gun violence prevention, immigration, reproductive rights, and criminal justice reform; and mobilize around federal, state, provincial, and local legislation.
ADL Table Talk
Created by the anti-hate organization, the Anti-Defamation League, these Table Talk Guides provide families with helpful tools, prompts, and ideas to engage children in rich conversation around the dinner table to share important values and foster a lifelong interest in the news.
Advocates for Youth
Advocates for Youth works alongside thousands of young people here in the U.S. and around the globe as they fight for sexual health, rights, and justice. AFY has resources and opportunities for teens and parents.
LGBTQ+ Resources
Keshet
Keshet works to ensure the full equality of all LGBTQ Jews and our families in Jewish life by strengthening Jewish communities and equipping Jewish organizations with the skills and knowledge they need to make all LGBTQ Jews feel welcome. We also create spaces in which all queer Jewish youth feel seen and valued and advance LGBTQ rights nationwide.
JPride Baltimore
JPride Baltimore helps to create safe spaces and equality for LGBTQ individuals and their families within the Jewish community through support, education and advocacy.
Johns Hopkins LGBTQ Resources
A comprehensive listing of the resources available for LGBT individuals, their families and their allies at Johns Hopkins Medicine.
JQ Youth
Jewish Queer Youth (JQY) is a nonprofit organization supporting and empowering LGBTQ youth in the Jewish community. JQY fights to ensure the emotional and physical health and safety of these individuals, with a special focus on teens and young adults from Orthodox, Chasidic, and Sephardic communities.
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25.
Stand with Trans
Stand with Trans’ mission is to provide the tools needed by transgender youth so they will be empowered, supported and validated as they transition to their authentic life. They also provide virtual support groups for trans teens and parents.
Moving Traditions: Covid-19 Resources
A guide curated by Moving Traditions to help teens take care of themselves, both mentally and physically during these challenging times. Along with tools for Jewish Educators to support teens, while taking care of yourselves as well.
Virus Anxiety
Creative resources for anxiety and your mental health in a global climate of uncertainty.
Jewish Resources
My Jewish Learning
My Jewish Learning is all about empowering Jewish discovery for anyone interested in learning more. They offer thousands of articles, videos and other resources to help you navigate all aspects of Judaism and Jewish life — from food to history to beliefs and practices.
RootOne Travel Voucher
Seeded by a generous gift from The Marcus Foundation and powered by The Jewish Education Project, RootOne will provide $3,000 subsidies to teen participants in select Israel travel experiences (called RootOne Vouchers). Marking an investment in elevating trip curricula and experiences, and working with partners to create deeper pre- and post-trip engagement opportunities to help strengthen participants’ Jewish identities and connections to Israel before they begin college.
The Pardes Tefilah Education Initiative
The Pardes Tefilah Education Initiative, under the umbrella of the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators, is proud to present this free online database of tefilah resources created and curated by leading tefilah educators across the world. It is fully searchable by grade, prayer, disposition, and type of resource (lesson plan, curricula, video or music).
Social Justice Resources