In the Talmud, the sages of our Jewish tradition discussed the meaning of a passage in the Book of Proverbs “If there is care in a man’s heart, let him quash it [yashena].” We read: “Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi dispute the verse’s meaning. One said: He should forcefully push it [yashena] out of his mind. One who worries should banish his concerns from his thoughts. And one said: It means he should tell [yesihena] others his concerns, which will lower his anxiety” (B.T. Yoma 75a:2). This passage is often cited regarding traditional Jewish understandings of mental suffering and anguish. Two opinions are emphasized here: (1) one must suppress their emotional distress and (2) one should reveal and share their emotional distress, thereby allowing others to help. The second perspective provides a foundation for many forms of therapeutic and pastoral support to become possible. Furthermore, we are given an entrance into a new forum of communal support for those suffering from mental health conditions. Most importantly for the work within this capstone project, there is another underlying layer, when one speaks about these issues out loud, they can become normalized. When we stifle the speech of those who suffer from mental illness we reinforce stigma, and when we stifle those who would speak and advocate on behalf of those suffering the stigma only grows. Through this 5-7 podcast series, we explore issues surrounding mental health awareness and advocacy through interviews with rabbis, chaplains, scholars, writers, and educators of various areas of expertise and opinion on mental health and stigma among those in our Jewish communities. Each interviewee brings their own unique perspective. Some have personally struggled with mental illness or have experienced what it is like to live with and love someone who suffers from mental illness. Others speak from their experience as advocates and founders of mental health support and education programs, including NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), NAMI FaithNet, and other organizations dedicated to outreach work on mental illness from various ages and stages of life. Given that 1 in 5 Americans experience mental illness every year , we are doing a grave disservice to ignore mental illness in our communities and research shows that Jews are no exception in those who suffer from mental health conditions in daily life. This podcast series is part of my senior capstone project as a rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College (HUC-JIR). It is my hope that these interviews and podcast episodes will provide a means to break down these barriers in our conversation on mental health. This series allows listeners among progressive Jewish leadership and members of our communities alike to incorporate this listening material into their own deeper discussions on mental health support and advocacy.