I am a rabbi in Howard County, a Baltimore suburb consistently rated one of the safest places to live in America. However, in recent months, our peaceful community witnessed several murders, with one case in particular shaking our community — a young man had taken the lives of his own grandparents in their home. These tragedies weren’t distant; they were happening in our neighborhoods and on our streets. We were beginning to contend with an issue that many communities have dealt with for decades: the issue of youth gun violence.

Since February, I’ve spent countless hours with families looking for answers. During a recent conversation with teens in our synagogue’s leadership program, one of our teens asked Kenneth Ulman, chair of the Maryland Democratic Party and former Howard County executive, “How do we fix the issue of teen gun violence?” Ulman’s empathy-filled answer emphasized the need to address the systemic root causes of youth violence such as poverty, mental health and state sentencing laws.

These factors matter deeply. Expanding resources for individuals with disabilities and mental health challenges is a big part of the work that I do. However, I have found that in our collective desire to find policy solutions, we’re overlooking something fundamental: our children’s moral compass.

Our youth’s moral and spiritual foundation is connected with various crises we’re witnessing today: skyrocketing anxiety and depression rates, social media addiction, online bullying, substance abuse and a pervasive sense of purposelessness. While these issues are not new, they have grown to epidemic proportions in recent years.

While there are few solutions that can effectively solve all of these problems at once, I look at the wisdom of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, for a prescient solution he proposed back in the 1980s. As youth nihilism, violence and mental health first became major societal issues, he advocated for a daily “moment of silence” in schools — a minute for students to reflect on their actions and purpose — as an antidote to the aforementioned social problems.

The Rebbe, whose educational vision is honored annually on Education and Sharing Day USA (on April 9), understood that external solutions can only go so far. Without an internal moral compass, our youth remain vulnerable to dangerous influences, not to mention peer pressure, the empty validation of social media and other self-destructive behaviors.

In a 1984 talk, the Rebbe shared that: “The only way to educate the youth in the ideals of justice and righteousness is not through instilling fear of the police (for then one can think he will outwit the police), but by instilling faith in the Creator and Ruler of the world — that there is ‘an Eye that sees and Ear that hears.’” A non-sectarian moment of reflection at the beginning of each school day was the most practical way to restore this sense of moral responsibility that society seemed to have lost.

Ray Domanico, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, recently advocated for the moment of silence in public schools in the City Journal. In over 80 schools where this practice has been implemented, it’s become more than just a quiet minute — it’s opened conversations between parents and children about values, purpose and ethical living. The moment of silence initiative is gaining steam in several states, where it is being piloted as a solution to many of the issues discussed above.

What draws me most to this approach is how it transcends religious and cultural boundaries. Unlike school prayer, which rightfully raises constitutional concerns, a moment of silence creates space for each child to reflect according to their family’s values, whether grounded in religious teachings or ethical principles. This inclusivity is what makes the practice so powerful — it honors the diversity of our communities while providing a shared experience of reflection.

From my Jewish perspective, this aligns with the teaching that “a small amount of light dispels much darkness” — which emphasizes how even a brief moment of spiritual illumination can have far-reaching effects in dispelling negative influences.

The myriad problems facing our youth — from the anxiety epidemic to elevated rates of gun crime — demand bold action. Sustainable change requires new approaches that help our children develop the inner resources to make better choices. By strengthening their moral and spiritual foundations, we’re not just addressing violence — we’re potentially alleviating the loneliness epidemic, reducing self-destructive behaviors and helping young people develop the resilience they need to navigate an increasingly complex world.

A moment for reflection isn’t a magic bullet. But it might just be the foundation upon which we can restore our sense of community, purpose and safety — one meaningful moment and one child at a time.

Rabbi Yanky Baron is the director of Chabad of Ellicott City in Maryland, which he founded in 2019 and co-directs with his wife Leah.