The Breather, Active Minds’ Mental Health Newsletter, Set to Relaunch after Three Years

The Breather, the psychology newsletter run by Yeshiva University’s chapter of Active Minds, is set to resume publication this semester following nearly three years of inactivity. 

Active Minds is a student club on both the Beren and Wilf campuses dedicated to promoting awareness about mental health. The club, a chapter of the national Active Minds organization, hopes to use The Breather to provide students with a platform to share personal experiences and help students access reading focused on psychology and mental wellness.

“We wanted to create a publication where mental health and wellness is addressed and where people feel they can read it for its content and also contribute when they feel they have something they would like to share,” said Breather co-Editor in Chief Meira Steiner (SCW ‘24).

The Breather’s staff includes Active Minds’ presidents, two editors in chief, Steiner and Sivan Mussaffi (SCW ‘24), and four editors.  Going forward, they aim to print at least one publication a semester and are currently working on their first.

“We're so happy to have such a great team of editors and writers who are committed to bringing student voices on mental health back to the forefront of the college experience,” said Avraham Frohlich (YC ‘25), Active Minds’ Wilf president.

Articles in The Breather are written by students, and touch upon psychology, mental health, wellness, halacha and the personal experiences and thoughts of students. The Breather runs a Whatsapp group for potential student writers with over 50 members.

”The Breather is unique because it provides students with the opportunity to share their passion for mental health awareness in a creative way,” Yael Berger (SCW ‘23), Active Minds’ Beren president, shared with The Commentator. “Our goal of starting this dialogue is for students to gain knowledge and resources about mental health and illness. By doing so, we hope to further destigmatize mental illness within the community.”

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Photo Caption: A scene from Stomp Out the Stigma in 2022

Photo Credit: Yeshiva University