Debbie was always interested in jewelry but didn’t make it her full-time work until 2018 when she finally began to feel healthy again after her body had been weakened by gastroparesis. But as soon as she was regaining physical strength her lifelong battle with depression began to spiral out of control. For years she tried to keep her personal life out of her art but in early 2019, Debbie realized she couldn’t continue treating her mental health and her artistic life as two separate entities. 

She had grown up without mental health support or resources, without a family dialogue around mental illness, but as her jewelry business grew and her stress increased Debbie knew she had to confront her depression head-on. Now, she uses her social media platform to bring awareness to mental health and suicide prevention. In recent years she’s also incorporated her Jewish identity into her work and promotes Jewish education and the fight against antisemitism. 

For Debbie burying her background and her experience is no longer an option. On this episode she joins Ronit to talk about remaining true to herself and to her mission and how she will continue to shed light on mental health and Judaism and fight for what’s right.

Debbie Lechtman is an Israeli-Costa Rican writer and jeweler based out of Los Angeles. She started Roots Metals, her jewelry brand, in 2018, drawing inspiration from her eclectic cultural background. As her business grew, she started using her platform to speak out about her turbulent experience with the mental health system, as well as to provide education on antisemitism. In her spare time, Debbie enjoys rock climbing and hanging out with her two dogs, Simba and Wall-e.