Mental Health

Rabbi David Fredman
Rabbi David Fredman
Marriage Advisor at Refuat Hanefesh
Rabbi Dovid Fredman, MFT, M.Ed., is Aish Minnesota’s Executive Director. His engaging teaching style, quick smile and often quirky sense of humor is a combination that is easy to warm up to. An insightful marriage and family therapist, Rabbi Fredman works with couples and individuals who may need help in their personal as well as spiritual life. Rabbi Fredman’s popular weekly column, Less Than 1,000 Words From The Land of 10,000 Lakes has created a buzz among Jews from all spectrums, leaving his readership with new insights about life, relationships, and their Judaism. Rabbi Fredman has a voracious appetite for books on psychology and anything that makes the human “tick”. He has had the unique privilege of studying under some of the most prolific Jewish scholars of our day, including Rabbi Aaron Lopiansky and Rabbi Yitzchak Berkovits.
Rabbi David Fredman
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Happiness. It seems this is the modern buzzword for the ultimate goal in life. Ask parents, “What do you want for your children?” Most will respond, “I just want them to be happy”.

Ariel Mintz, MD
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Ariel Mintz, MD
Dr. Ariel Mintz grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After spending two years learning in Israel, at Derech Eitz Chaim and Shaalivm, he earned his BA in Psychology at Yeshiva Univesity in New York. He went on to obtain his MD at Oakland University William Beaumont School of medicine and trained in adult psychiatry at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. He completed a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic and is a practicing psychiatrist in Cleveland, Ohio. He has received awards for his research, academic performance, and service to the Jewish community. He has a supportive and talented wife and three wonderful children. He is very passionate about destigmatizing mental illness and bringing comfort to those who are suffering.
Ariel Mintz, MD
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Take me a gift In this week’s Torah portion (Terumah) God commands, “…And they should take to me a gift, whoever’s heart inspires him…”(25:2) Logically, we should have been commanded to give a gift, not take a gift. One explanation for this word choice is that by contributing to the Tabernacle we are receiving something Read More …

Ariel Mintz, MD
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Ariel Mintz, MD
Dr. Ariel Mintz grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After spending two years learning in Israel, at Derech Eitz Chaim and Shaalivm, he earned his BA in Psychology at Yeshiva Univesity in New York. He went on to obtain his MD at Oakland University William Beaumont School of medicine and trained in adult psychiatry at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. He completed a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic and is a practicing psychiatrist in Cleveland, Ohio. He has received awards for his research, academic performance, and service to the Jewish community. He has a supportive and talented wife and three wonderful children. He is very passionate about destigmatizing mental illness and bringing comfort to those who are suffering.
Ariel Mintz, MD
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In this week’s Torah portion (Mishpatim), Moshe is commanded: “And these are the laws you should place before them”. The Talmud (Eiruvin 54b) derives from the words “place before them” that the commandments and their details should be laid out like a set table with everything ready to be eaten.

Ariel Mintz, MD
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Ariel Mintz, MD
Dr. Ariel Mintz grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After spending two years learning in Israel, at Derech Eitz Chaim and Shaalivm, he earned his BA in Psychology at Yeshiva Univesity in New York. He went on to obtain his MD at Oakland University William Beaumont School of medicine and trained in adult psychiatry at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. He completed a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic and is a practicing psychiatrist in Cleveland, Ohio. He has received awards for his research, academic performance, and service to the Jewish community. He has a supportive and talented wife and three wonderful children. He is very passionate about destigmatizing mental illness and bringing comfort to those who are suffering.
Ariel Mintz, MD
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Why was the Torah given on Mount Sinai? In this week’s Torah portion (Yitro), the Jews receive the 10 commandments on Mount Sinai. This awesome revelation occurred at Mount Sinai even though it was not the tallest or most beautiful of mountains (Sotah 5a).     We all feel little at times Humankind has a Read More …

Ariel Mintz, MD
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Ariel Mintz, MD
Dr. Ariel Mintz grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After spending two years learning in Israel, at Derech Eitz Chaim and Shaalivm, he earned his BA in Psychology at Yeshiva Univesity in New York. He went on to obtain his MD at Oakland University William Beaumont School of medicine and trained in adult psychiatry at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. He completed a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic and is a practicing psychiatrist in Cleveland, Ohio. He has received awards for his research, academic performance, and service to the Jewish community. He has a supportive and talented wife and three wonderful children. He is very passionate about destigmatizing mental illness and bringing comfort to those who are suffering.
Ariel Mintz, MD
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Why didn’t the Jews take the straight path from Egypt to Israel? In this week’s Torah portion (Beshalach) God takes the Jews out of Egypt in a roundabout way. This was to avoid an immediate war which may have led the Jews to regret leaving Egypt.

Ariel Mintz, MD
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Ariel Mintz, MD
Dr. Ariel Mintz grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After spending two years learning in Israel, at Derech Eitz Chaim and Shaalivm, he earned his BA in Psychology at Yeshiva Univesity in New York. He went on to obtain his MD at Oakland University William Beaumont School of medicine and trained in adult psychiatry at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. He completed a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic and is a practicing psychiatrist in Cleveland, Ohio. He has received awards for his research, academic performance, and service to the Jewish community. He has a supportive and talented wife and three wonderful children. He is very passionate about destigmatizing mental illness and bringing comfort to those who are suffering.
Ariel Mintz, MD
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What does it mean that Pharoh’s heart was hardened? In this week’s Torah portion (Bo) the Egyptians experience the continued onslaught of plagues leading to pain, suffering, and death. Before each plague, Pharoh is warned and given the opportunity to avoid them. However, he refuses due to “hardness of heart”. The commentators give various explanations Read More …

Ariel Mintz, MD
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Ariel Mintz, MD
Dr. Ariel Mintz grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After spending two years learning in Israel, at Derech Eitz Chaim and Shaalivm, he earned his BA in Psychology at Yeshiva Univesity in New York. He went on to obtain his MD at Oakland University William Beaumont School of medicine and trained in adult psychiatry at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. He completed a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic and is a practicing psychiatrist in Cleveland, Ohio. He has received awards for his research, academic performance, and service to the Jewish community. He has a supportive and talented wife and three wonderful children. He is very passionate about destigmatizing mental illness and bringing comfort to those who are suffering.
Ariel Mintz, MD
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What prevented the Jews from listening to Moshe? In this week’s Torah portion (Va’eira) we are told, “The Jews did not listen to Moshe because of kotzer ruach and difficult work” (6:9). Rashi, an 11th-century commentator, translates kotzer ruach as shortness of breath. However, the Ohr Hachaim, an 18th-century commentator, translates it as “shortness of spirit”. He Read More …

anonymous
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I was diagnosed with depression a few weeks after my 17th birthday. The months leading up to my diagnosis had been turbulent at best. One good hour was often followed by many bad days. Eventually, my good hours were spent anxiously anticipating the next storm. I fought my battles silently and didn’t think anyone could Read More …

Aryeh Goldberg MD MA
Aryeh Goldberg MD MA
Aryeh grew up in Toronto, Canada. He studied in Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel and completed a bachelor's degree in Philosophy at Yeshiva University. He received his medical doctorate from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and pursued a master's degree in Medical Humanities and Bioethics from Northwestern University's Graduate School. He is currently at UCLA's Semel Institute for Neuroscience and the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital. He is committed to decreasing societal stigma around mental illness and to promote mental health awareness and access throughout our communities.
Aryeh Goldberg MD MA
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Mental illness is an organic illness of the mind. Something about this sentence sounds inherently contradictory and it deserves to be carefully unpacked.