CTeenConnection

By Samara Smukler

Rosh Hashanah is just around the corner, and as everyone makes their resolutions for the year ahead and reflects on the past year, it’s important to think about how prepared we really are for this new year in all aspects: mind, body, and soul. Some of the mothers and daughters of CTeen got to experience this firsthand on Tuesday during the pre-Rosh Hashanah mother-daughter event aptly named “A Healthy Body & A Healthy Soul”. The event was planned by the CTeen Girls Events Planning Committee and was a huge success! I’m so happy I had a hand in planning this event and got to take part in it with my amazing mom and some wonderful friends. Read on to find out more about it.

We started off the event with a fun activity that questioned, “What does Rosh Hashanah mean to you?” For me personally, when I think of Rosh Hashanah, I think about spending time with my family, but also about what else I can do to really honor the meaning of the holiday. Rosh Hashanah is about fresh starts and new beginnings, about being your best self in whatever way that you can. I really try to take those things to heart entering the new year, and I was happy to see that I wasn’t the only one who had these opinions. Next, Shainey Denburg discussed the first component of our activity: what it means to have a healthy mind and soul. Shainey read a powerful, poignant letter written by the Lubavitch Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, and interjected with her own thoughtful commentary on what each part of the letter meant. Some of the things we learned were that having a healthy soul means living for others as well as for yourself, and it also means maintaining balance in your life, so you can “conquer yourself and the world”. Both the Rebbe and Shainey made important points that we will surely carry with us throughout and after the holiday.

After learning about what makes a healthy soul, it was personal trainer Andrea Roush’s turn to step into the spotlight for the second component of our activity: what it means to have a healthy body. We did an exercise class with Andrea wherein we did various activities that got us all moving! We worked with bands, weights, and did some stretching as well. Afterwards, Andrea told us more about healthy eating and what it truly means to make healthy choices and maintain good habits. We also played a fun trivia game where I learned that I, like many other high school students, definitely don’t get enough sleep! Finally, we ended off the night with some goodie bags and healthy refreshments for everyone. The event was definitely one to remember! To conclude this recap, I would like to wish everyone a Shanah Tovah and a year filled with health and happiness, where we all make the right choices to make our bodies, minds, and souls the best they can be.