Heart, Mind & Soul was founded in 2003 by a team of Jewish educators and mental health professionals.

Originally the brainchild of Rabbi Shimmy Trencher, MSW, an educator and social worker who has spent over 20 years working with Jewish children and teens in a variety of settings, Heart, Mind & Soul runs positive, powerful educational workshops for teens and now adults.

Rabbi Trencher currently serves as the Principal of the Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy Upper School in Stamford, Connecticut. He holds a Masters Degree in Social Work from University of Connecticut, with a certification in mental health and substance abuse in social work practice. Rabbi Trencher also served as the Assistant Director of New England Region NCSY for seven years, as Principal and Dean of Students of Berman Hebrew Academy for five years, as Dean of Students of Hebrew High School of New England for ten years, and as a teacher at Yachad Greater Hartford Jewish Community High School (now JTConnect) for twelve years. Rabbi Trencher is also a trained instructor of Redirecting Children’s Behavior. Although he is no longer involved in the day-to-day operations of the organization, Rabbi Trencher currently serves as a board member and advisor.

In developing the program, Rabbi Trencher elicited the help of Pam Dunn, President of Your Infinite Life Training and Coaching Company. Ms. Dunn has over two decades of experience in teaching work based on cognitive psychology models. Ms. Dunn has developed numerous programs for teens at risk and the general young adult population, and she has been instrumental in developing and refining the Heart, Mind & Soul program. Ms. Dunn also has developed other workshops and groups that are utilized by the St. Louis, Missouri Court System. 

Today, Heart, Mind & Soul runs numerous programs each year, some for adults and others for teenagers, with Sandy Trencher serving as president of the Board of Directors.

Our Board of Directors:
Sandy Trencher, President (West Hartford, CT)
Rabbi Mark Trencher, Chairman (West Hartford, CT)
Rabbi Shimmy Trencher, Treasurer (Stamford, CT)
Chanokh Berenson (Silver Spring, MD)
Rabbi Cary Friedman (Passaic, NJ)
Shifra Gewurtz (Beit Shemesh, Israel)
Eli Samet (Woodmere, NY)
Aaron Steiner (Baltimore, MD)
Tali Trencher (Stamford, CT)