Our Flagship Program

The "My Best Self" Project

An empirically-designed, Torah-grounded curriculum that builds self-compassion, body acceptance, and resilience in Jewish Orthodox girls.

Already in use at 75+ schools across the U.S. and internationally.

Bring it to your schoolSee the curriculum
76%
of children who participated in body-confidence programs felt better about themselves.
Prevention works
The Program

Three audiences, one mission

The most effective prevention reaches girls, parents, and educators together. The My Best Self Project is designed to be facilitated by your school's own trusted educators or mental health staff — not outside speakers.

🌿

Girls

Hands-on, stand-alone interactive workshops at key middle and high school milestones — 8th, 10th, and 12th grade. Four one-hour sessions per grade, ideally one week apart.

🤲

Parents

Seminar on understanding body image and eating disorders, avoiding common pitfalls, creating a health-based focus at home, and identifying when a daughter is struggling.

📚

Educators

The prevalence of body image and eating disorder issues in our schools, how to identify and address weight stigma, signs and symptoms of eating disorders, and how to create healthier classroom spaces.

The Girls' Curriculum

Three workshops, four session in each

Focus: Our innate value, self-compassion, thoughts and feelings, the appearance ideal, body image, and identifying personal strengths.

Session 1
  • Our innate worth
  • Self-compassion
  • Understanding the mitzvah of “Veahavta L’reicha Kamocha”
Session 2
  • Thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
  • What is in my control and what is not
  • We are alike, but different
Session 3
  • The Appearance Ideal
  • Body image
  • Finding balance
Session 4
  • The Torah perspective on beauty
  • Identifying our strengths
  • Self-care vs. selfish

Workshops are comprised of 4 1-hour sessions, so 4 sessions per grade. Ideally scheduled one week apart. Total: 12 hours over middle & high school.

Anchored in Torah

Built on Rambam's foundation

“Maintaining a healthy and whole body is an integral part of one's Divine service.”
Rambam — Hilchos Deos, Chapter 4

The My Best Self Project draws from Gemorah, Rishonim, and contemporary Hashkafic and Halachic authorities, combining these teachings with empirical research on mental and emotional health and their impact on eating disorder prevention. Reviewed and endorsed by prominent Rabbonim.

Rabbinical Endorsements

Reviewed and endorsed by prominent Rabbonim

Endorsement

Rabbi Shmuel Irons

Rosh Kolel

Kollel Avreichim Detroit

Oak Park, MI

Rabbi Shmuel Irons, Rosh Kolel

Kollel Avreichim Detroit, Oak Park, MI

Letter from Rabbi Shmuel Irons, Oak Park, MI
Endorsement

Rabbi Gershon Miller

Director

Yeshivas Beth Yehudah

Southfield, MI

Rabbi Gershon Miller, Director

Yeshivas Beth Yehudah, Southfield, MI

Letter from Rabbi Gershon Miller, Southfield, MI
From Participating Schools

What schools are saying

Recommendation

Mrs. Bluma Hecht

Principal

Beth Chana Academy

Orange, CT

Mrs. Bluma Hecht, Principal

Beth Chana Academy, Orange, CT

Letter from Mrs. Bluma Hecht, Orange, CT
Recommendation

Chani Holland

Dean of Students

Hanna Sacks Bais Yaakov

Chicago, IL

Chani Holland, Dean of Students

Hanna Sacks Bais Yaakov, Chicago, IL

Letter from Chani Holland, Chicago, IL
Recommendation

Mrs. S. Kaplan

Menaheles

Maharsha Beish Ya'akov High School

Johannesburg, South Africa

Mrs. S. Kaplan, Menaheles

Maharsha Beish Ya'akov High School, Johannesburg, South Africa

Recommendation

Dr. Sarah Mandelbaum, LCSW, PhD

Social Worker

Bruriah High School

Elizabeth, NJ

Dr. Sarah Mandelbaum, LCSW, PhD, Social Worker

Bruriah High School, Elizabeth, NJ

Letter from Dr. Sarah Mandelbaum, LCSW, PhD, Elizabeth, NJ
Recommendation

Mrs. Rochel Rabinowitz

Principal

Yeshiva School

Pittsburgh, PA

Mrs. Rochel Rabinowitz, Principal

Yeshiva School, Pittsburgh, PA

Letter from Mrs. Rochel Rabinowitz, Pittsburgh, PA
Recommendation

Mrs. Tova Rubin

Extra-curricular Coordinator

Bnos Yaakov Elementary School

Lakewood, NJ

Mrs. Tova Rubin, Extra-curricular Coordinator

Bnos Yaakov Elementary School, Lakewood, NJ

Recommendation

Mrs. Tzorti Steinmetz, LCSW

Junior High Student Advisor

Joan Dachs Bais Yaakov

Chicago, IL

Mrs. Tzorti Steinmetz, LCSW, Junior High Student Advisor

Joan Dachs Bais Yaakov, Chicago, IL

Recommendation

Mrs. Chana R. Twerski

Principal

Bnos Yaakov Elementary

Lakewood, NJ

Mrs. Chana R. Twerski, Principal

Bnos Yaakov Elementary, Lakewood, NJ

Letter from Mrs. Chana R. Twerski, Lakewood, NJ
Recommendation

Mrs. Miriam Weiss

Principal

Bais Trany

Monsey, NY

Mrs. Miriam Weiss, Principal

Bais Trany, Monsey, NY

Letter from Mrs. Miriam Weiss, Monsey, NY
Who's Using It

75+ schools and counting

Schools across the United States and internationally have partnered with Atzmi to help their girls discover their Best Self.

US schools map
Download school list (PDF)
Bring It to Your School

What it takes — and how to start

The Investment

Less than you'd expect

  • 4 hours per grade per year of classroom time. 12 hours total across three grades.
  • No curriculum cost All presentation materials, facilitator notes, and training videos are provided free of charge.
  • $10 per student for workshop journals. Travel expenses if Dr. Forta speaks in person.
  • Your own staff facilitates the program internally, while Atzmi provides comprehensive online training and support.
How to Start

Four steps to launch

  1. 1
    Contact us
    Use the button below to reach out.
  2. 2
    Initial consultation
    We explain the program, share the curriculum with you for review, and help you identify the right in-house facilitator.
  3. 3
    Prepare
    We ship workshop materials directly and grant access to all presentations and prep videos.
  4. 4
    Schedule the workshops
    4 one-hour sessions (or 6 45-minute sessions) per participating grade, ideally a week apart, plus the parent and educator seminars.
Contact us to get started
Go Deeper

Want to learn more?

Curriculum samples, facilitator guides, workshop materials, and full program details are available in the Atzmi Members Area — free to join, no application required.

Create a free account
Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Atzmi is not a treatment program. Atzmi provides educational programs dedicated to prevention and the development of emotional skills and tools.

Yes, you can choose not to do all 3 prongs of the program. However, for optimal outcomes and success it is recommended that all 3 prongs be implemented.

Thanks to the generosity of donors and sponsors, there is no charge for our My Best Self Project curriculum. Nor is there a fee for having Dr. Forta speak to the parents and teachers.

The only cost is for student materials which is $10 per student.

If you would like Dr. Forta to present in person, travel expenses will need to be covered.

Absolutely.

No. Ideally, the facilitator should be someone “in-house” within the school. If there is a staff member able to facilitate the program, that is generally our preference.

If your class periods are one hour, then 4 sessions. If your class periods are 45 minutes, then 5–6 sessions will be needed.

Yes, self-paced video online training is provided.

Using the order form on the Members Area of our website.

Yes, for Workshops II and III only.

Yes.

Yes, see the What schools are saying section above.

Yes — see the Rabbinical Endorsements section above.

Once you've completed training and have a 15-minute meet with Dr. Forta, you will be given access to those slides.

See the Who's using it section above for the live map.

See the curriculum tabs in the Program section above.

All of the details are in our Members Area, there is no cost to sign up, use the link above.

Ready to bring it to your school?

We'd love to hear from you. Most schools that reach out are running the program within weeks — not months.

Contact UsMembers Area