Merkos Torah To Host Halacha Workshops Focused On Mental Health

As Shluchim gather in Crown Heights for the Kinus Hashluchim, Merkos Torah will host a series of Halacha workshops addressing mental health, addiction, and crisis situations that communal leaders increasingly encounter.

The workshops, presented as the Kinus Halacha Track, will examine the Halachic framework behind these complex situations, giving Rabbonim and Shluchim a deeper understanding of the principles, sources, and practical considerations that inform psak.

“Shluchim are often the first people community members turn to when they are facing difficult and deeply personal situations,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, director of the Kinus. “Giving Shluchim access to clear Halachic guidance on these sensitive issues can help them respond with greater clarity, responsibility, and care.”

The first session, “Depression, Anxiety & OCD: A Halachic Perspective,” will open with an introduction to the Rebbe’s approach to mental health struggles. Rabbi Boruch Hertz, Rabbi Zischa Ausch, and Rabbi Tuvia Kasimov will join moderator Rabbi Koppel Zirkind to discuss the Halachic questions surrounding depression, anxiety, and OCD, including their impact on Torah and mitzvah observance, balancing Halachic requirements with individual circumstances, and practical guidance for Rabbonim and Shluchim.

The second session, “Addiction: Internet and Others,” will explore the issue through both Halacha and Hashkafah. Rabbi Zischa Ausch and Rabbi Shlomo Sternberg, together with moderator Rabbi Yitzchok Einstein, will address internet addiction and other dependencies, including personal responsibility, maintaining Halachic standards, and the practical challenges addiction can create in frum and personal life.

The final session, “Suicide and Mental Health Crises: Halachic Questions,” will focus on situations in which someone may be at risk. Rabbi Koppel Zirkind and Rabbi Chaim Lazaroff will discuss the Halachic considerations involved in responding, along with practical dilemmas that can confront Rabbonim and Shluchim in a crisis.

Together, the sessions are designed to give Rabbonim and Shluchim practical guidance for confronting sensitive situations while maintaining Halachic standards and responding to the individual in front of them.

Schedule and Location

Depression, Anxiety & OCD: A Halachic Perspective — 11:30 a.m.–1:15 p.m.
Addiction: Internet and Others — 2:00–4:00 p.m.
Suicide and Mental Health Crises: Halachic Questions — 4:15–6:00 p.m.

Bais Levi Yitzchok, 556 Crown Street