Bereishis Foundation Strengthens Mission with Key New Leaders Amid Youth Mental Health Surge

In a poignant expansion that’s touching hearts and promising brighter futures for struggling kids, the Bereishis Foundation announced three powerhouse additions to its boards on August 25, 2025. Founded by Azriel Boymelgreen in memory of his cousin Dovid Horowitz, who tragically passed due to mental health challenges, the organization has swiftly become a vital resource for families unable to afford therapy. This move blends faith, psychology, and school-based initiatives to tackle rising youth anxiety, depression, and trauma—issues that have spiked post-pandemic.

Boymelgreen, a young Chabad entrepreneur from Crown Heights, channeled his own battles with anxiety and OCD into this nonprofit, launched in June 2025. As shared in a raw Neshamos.org Podcast episode, his journey from bullying and addiction to healing through therapy inspired Bereishis, Hebrew for “beginnings” to cover session costs directly, letting parents pick therapists while preserving privacy. Stories like 11-year-old Miriam reclaiming joy after losing a parent, or 9-year-old David learning to trust again post-trauma, underscore the real change happening. With 100% of donations fueling care, the foundation invites support at https://www.bereishisfoundation.org/donate.

Spiritual Guidance Gets a Boost  

Rabbi Shaykee Farkash brings infectious charm and global perspective to the Rabbinical Board. Known for his kindness and innovative touch, he directs youth programs and Camp Gan Israel at The Shul in Surfside, Florida. His path winds through teaching at Ohalei Torah in Brooklyn, chaplaincy at White Plains Hospital, and camps across Los Angeles, New York, Puerto Rico, Athens, and Ukraine. Studies in Australia, Argentina, and France honed his multilingual skills—English, Hebrew, Spanish, Yiddish, Portuguese. Making him a bridge-builder. “He reels you in with pure unadulterated kindness,” as one admirer noted, promising to infuse programs with light and fun for kids in crisis.

Clinical Expertise Elevates Care  

Dr. Charles Chaim Neuhoff, Ph.D., joins the Clinical Board, drawing on decades as a child psychologist specializing in anxiety, autism, disruptive behaviors, and divorce impacts. Leading Nachas Consulting and serving at Gesher Yehuda school for learning disabilities, he pioneers integrated support, mentors at Yeshiva University’s Ferkauf Graduate School, and pens a weekly Yated Neeman column. “Every child deserves to heal and grow,” he says, aligning with Bereishis’s goal of accessible, high-quality care. Founder Boymelgreen calls it “thrilling,” foreseeing stronger therapy guidance.

Education Ties Deepen Outreach  

Suzy Charnas, LCSW, steps into the Board of Education under Chana Kaiman, LCSW-RPT, the Education & School Relations Lead who joined earlier to spearhead New York school programs. Charnas, with her empathetic focus on self-esteem, depression, trauma, body image, and professional growth, crafts collaborative plans at Gold Therapy NYC and Crown Counseling. “Understanding your unique story leads to real change,” she emphasizes. Kaiman, a trauma therapist with 15+ years, uses play therapy to mend family bonds, as highlighted in her July 2025 Crown Heights Info announcement.

These leaders arrive as youth mental health demands soar, offering hope through combined strengths.

In the heart of a community still grappling with the shadows of loss, the Bereishis Foundation’s latest board enhancements stand as a beacon of renewal, announced on this very day, August 25, 2025. What began as one man’s response to profound grief – Azriel Boymelgreen’s tribute to his cousin Dovid Horowitz, lost to mental illness at just 20, has blossomed into a nationwide effort to shield children from similar fates. Boymelgreen, born in 2004 and raised amid Brooklyn’s vibrant Chabad circles, opened up in a gripping Neshamos.org Podcast episode about his own descent into isolation, bullying, and addiction starting at age 12. Switching schools, facing antisemitism, and battling substance use nearly broke him, but therapy became his lifeline, pulling him toward purpose. At 21, he founded Bereishis in June 2025, naming it for fresh starts, and now it funds therapy for eight kids weekly, negotiating reduced rates with providers to stretch every dollar.

The foundation’s model is elegantly simple yet profoundly effective: Families apply discreetly, choose licensed therapists, and Bereishis pays directly, no bureaucracy, no stigma. Testimonials paint vivid pictures. Miriam, 11, emerging from anxiety’s grip after parental loss to thrive in school; David, 9, transforming aggression into connection post-domestic turmoil; Sara, 13, rising from depression to lead her peers. These aren’t just stories; they’re proof of therapy’s power when barriers fall. As Boymelgreen shared in Crown Heights Info’s June launch article, “From Tragedy to Hope,” this isn’t about charity, it’s about equity, ensuring every child, regardless of means, gets a shot at wholeness.

Enter Rabbi Shaykee Farkash, whose arrival on the Rabbinical Board feels like a divine spark. With a charisma that “reels you in with pure unadulterated kindness” and a fervor for Torah unmatched, as noted in community L’Chaim announcements, Farkash has shaped young lives globally. As Youth Program Director and Camp Gan Israel head at The Shul in Surfside, he infuses activities with innovation and joy. His resume spans substituting at Ohalei Torah while delving into Kollel studies at Chabad-Lubavitch Headquarters, chaplain duties at White Plains Hospital offering solace in sickness, and directing camps from sun-soaked Los Angeles to historic Athens and war-torn Ukraine. Early immersions in Australia, Argentina, and France built his fluency in five languages, enabling cross-cultural connections. In this role, he’ll weave spiritual threads into Bereishis’s fabric, helping kids find faith amid fear.

Dr. Charles Chaim Neuhoff, Ph.D., fortifies the Clinical Board with a career dedicated to untangling youth’s emotional knots. Specializing in anxiety, autism spectrum disorders, behavioral disruptions, and divorce’s ripple effects, Neuhoff directs Nachas Consulting, crafting school and community programs that blend evidence-based methods with heartfelt care. At Gesher Yehuda, he tailors strategies for students with learning disabilities, merging academics and emotions. His influence extends to supervising doctoral candidates at Yeshiva University’s Ferkauf School and demystifying mental health in Yated Neeman columns. “Mental health care should be exceptional and accessible,” he asserts, echoing his private practice ethos where compassion meets clinical rigor. Boymelgreen praises this as a “significant addition,” poised to refine therapy standards and expand reach.

Bolstering education links, Suzy Charnas, LCSW, aligns with the Board of Education, collaborating under Chana Kaiman, LCSW-RPT. Charnas’s practice at Gold Therapy NYC and Crown Counseling centers on empowering teens and adults through tailored plans addressing self-esteem dips, anxiety spirals, trauma scars, body-image battles, disordered eating, interpersonal hurdles, and career shifts. “I look forward to grasping your unique qualities for tangible life improvements,” she offers, her approach rooted in collaboration and empathy. Kaiman, who joined in July 2025 as Education & School Relations Lead, brings 15+ years as a registered play therapist and level 2 IFS trauma expert. Running Empowerment In-Sight in Brooklyn, she integrates narrative therapy, mindfulness, and play to heal family dynamics, as detailed in Crown Heights Info’s announcement. Together, they’ll pioneer school integrations—training teachers, hosting parent workshops, creating safe havens, starting in New York with eyes on broader horizons.

This trio’s synergy couldn’t come at a better time, with youth mental health crises escalating. Bereishis, already bridging gaps via referrals and donations, now stands stronger, a testament to turning pain into progress. As Boymelgreen reflected in his podcast, “From despair to healing, faith and community light the way.” For involvement, visit https://www.bereishisfoundation.org/ or tune into Neshamos.org on Apple Podcasts/Spotify for more stories of resilience.