Recession And Domestic Violence

Posted on: November 16th, 2011

The country's economic indicators may be falling, but incidents of domestic violence are rising.

The In-Law Relationship

Posted on: November 16th, 2011

Dear Dr. Yael: I wish to share some thoughts with you and Despondent Daughter-in-Law (Magazine, 10-28-2011). I am a happily married woman who has a great relationship with my mother-in-law. Although it might seem to others that my mother-in-law sometimes favors her other children’s families over mine, I don’t let that bother me – I have a different approach toward the whole situation.

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Mind Your Manners: Raising A Respectful And Considerate Child

Posted on: November 16th, 2011

Have you ever noticed that when four year olds play baseball every member of the team runs to field the ball? Do you pay attention to the fact that toddlers are eager to help with clean up regardless of whether they made the mess?

Shalom Task Force Responding to the Call of Domestic Abuse

Posted on: November 14th, 2011

Mrs. Sharon Russ, Hotline Director for Shalom Task Force, prays every day that her job will cease to exist. Alas, her prayers have yet to be answered. Over the last fifteen years, thousands of Jewish women have summoned up the courage to reach out and contact the hotline, asking for help. They rely on Shalom Task Force's guarantee of anonymity and privacy and awareness that an Orthodox Jewish wife will often delay efforts to seek advice. This is because she is fearful of embarrassment and the potential negative consequences for her and her children. When she finally gathers the courage to face her dilemma, calling the hotline is her first step towards getting help.

The Other Side of the Story — Reflections on the Social Experience in School

Posted on: November 14th, 2011

Sara is pulling straight A's in all of her classes. She scores high grades on most of her exams and tests. You would think that she and her parents would be thrilled with her progress. But Sara is struggling in school despite her academic excellence. Socially, she is a wreck. While all the other girls easily group together during recess she has few friends, little social contact, and she is generally reclusive and shy around classmates and teachers.

The Anguish And Heartache Caused By Bullying

Posted on: November 12th, 2011

Dear Dr. Yael: Respectfully, I was greatly disappointed with your 10/21/11 column regarding bullying. Although my experiences relating to this issue occurred more than 15 years ago, and the bullying did not, Baruch Hashem, affect my son as he journeyed into adulthood, I am still extremely bitter about what occurred.

Chronicles Of Crises In Our Communities

Posted on: November 12th, 2011

Decorum in Shul (Chronicles 09-30-2011)

Chronicles Of Crises In Our Communities – 11/04/11

Posted on: November 2nd, 2011

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Dead Beat Parents

Posted on: November 2nd, 2011

Certainly most of us have heard the term "deadbeat-dad" used in relation to fathers who fail to be financially responsible for their children. There is also another type of "deadbeat- parent” (I prefer to use the word parent in an effort to avoid gender bias and with the understanding that this phenomenon can occur with mothers as well), and the phrase is used to depict parents who are emotionally unavailable or inattentive to their children's emotional needs after the breakdown of their marriage.

Learning To Communicate And Accept Each Other’s Individuality

Posted on: October 26th, 2011

The challenges that married couples face everyday can be quite complicated, not to mention filled with unique nuances. Issues of infidelity in one couple are different from issues of infidelity in another.

Don’t Bite The Hand That Feeds You (Part II)

Posted on: October 26th, 2011

In Part I (Family Issues 10-14-2011) we discussed how many of us personalize different situations and how that affects our effectiveness in dealing with those situations.

Reflections From A Yachad Parent

Posted on: October 26th, 2011

“Hi Tammy. It’s Penina. It was so nice meeting you and spending Shabbos with you guys last week. It was such an amazing weekend. I wish we were going back on the shabbaton this coming Shabbos!”

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Chronicles Of Crises In Our Communities – 10/28/11

Posted on: October 26th, 2011

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Chronicles Of Crises In Our Communities – 10/14/11

Posted on: October 16th, 2011

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When Should A Couple Go For Marriage Therapy?

Posted on: October 12th, 2011

Q: My husband and I are having trouble in our marriage. We tend to fight about the same issues every day and he’s so emotionally distant. At what point should I consider seeing a marriage therapist?

Chronicles Of Crises In Our Communities – 10/07/11

Posted on: October 5th, 2011

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Prioritizing Our Children’s Safety As We Approach The New School Year

Posted on: September 28th, 2011

As the new school year begins, we parents must gain insight into one of the common causes of youth at risk -- abuse and molestation. It is a highly sensitive issue generally deemed the domain of mental health professionals and community leaders, with a host of significant halachic ramifications, such as raglayim l’davor - meaning reasonable suspicion, which is the halachic threshold to permit reporting to authorities under the rules of mesira.

Chronicles Of Crises In Our Communities – 9/30/11

Posted on: September 27th, 2011

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Chronicles Of Crises In Our Communities – 9/23/11

Posted on: September 21st, 2011

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The Need For More Marriage Education

Posted on: September 15th, 2011

Are we doing enough to prepare our children for marriage? I'm not talking about matters of Jewish law which couples learn about with their chassan and kallah teachers before they get married. What I'm referring to is the lack of knowledge of effective communication skills needed to make marriage successful and relationship-building tools that can enhance feelings of love and camaraderie.