by Rabbi Efrem & Rebbetzin Yocheved Goldberg There is an old joke that a man’s version of “shalom bayis” is to turn and wave as he leaves home and say “Shalom, goodbye bayis.” But these days, the joke is on those who think they can have peace by leaving. The word shalom also means hello,Read More...
Each year, like so many of you, I eagerly look forward to my summer vacation. Used properly, a vacation is not only an opportunity to take a break from the rigors of work, but it provides tremendous growth opportunities. In fact, how we use our vacation and what we do in our down time notRead More...
“Do you know if anyone in his family is taking medications andwhat those medications are for?” “Can you give me the name of a friend of her father and a different friend of her mother I can speak to about her?” “What are the circumstances that led to his parents’ divorce?” “Is anyone in herRead More...
Flu season is currently making itself known around the community, first among kids and now hitting adults. But diseases and illnesses are not the only things that are contagious. Without you even realizing it, how you are feeling today is likely influencing and impacting the feelings of people around you. According to Dr. Nicholas ChristakisRead More...
Death is a highly uncomfortable and awkward subject. As a result, most people do all they can to avoid the subject altogether. While we would prefer to see ourselves as living forever, the Torah instructs us that, in fact, reflecting on our mortality and being mindful of our transience are critical to living an inspiredRead More...
While some are counting down to Mother’s Day this Sunday with great excitement and anticipation, many are looking at the calendar with dread and anxiety. For those desperately longing to have a child but have been denied by nature or because they are waiting to find a spouse, Mother’s Day and all the fanfare thatRead More...
Though my grandmother died 29 years ago and my grandfather passed away almost 40 years ago, my family just gathered for their hakamas matzeiva (unveiling) on last Friday morning. It isn’t that it took that long to honor them, rather there was a new unveiling because they were just moved from the cemetery in StatenRead More...
Recently, President Trump formally declared the nationwide opioid drug problem a public health emergency. Substance abuse is a growing epidemic that doesn’t discriminate based on religion, economic class, gender, or ethnicity. As we have come to learn all too well, the frum community is not immune, either. Experts will all tell you that drug andRead More...
In a previous message, Inquiries or Inquisitions: A Rabbi’s Perspective on the Shidduch System, I shared some thoughts and modest suggestions regarding what have become normative practices in dating. Afterwards, someone shared with me what might be the most outrageous prospective shidduch question I have heard yet. The “other side” wanted to know if theRead More...
A number of years ago, someone, who I guess felt I could use some motivation, gave me a CD of Tony Robbins to listen to. I was excited to hear what one of the most inspirational people of modern times would have to say and how it could change my life for the better. HeRead More...
According to researchers in England, the average couple fights in their bedroom 167 times a year. What do they fight about? The survey concluded they fight about leaving a light on to read, the temperature in the room, allowing the children to sleep in the bed, and snoring. More than anything else, however, they foundRead More...
Many cynics assume that Mother’s Day was invented by the greeting card industry and they are only half wrong. In 1905, Anna Jarvis of West Virginia lost her beloved mother whom she respected, admired and loved beyond words. She began a campaign to create Mother’s Day as a recognized holiday in the United States inRead More...
Two weeks ago, Adrian Peterson, a professional football player, suffered an unimaginable tragedy when his two-year-old son died as a result of child abuse. Forty-eight hours later, he played football saying, “Football is something I will always fall back on.” Whether you view it as playing a game or returning to work, Peterson’s reaction, whileRead More...
It is rare that we go anywhere with all six of our girls together. When we do, we usually turn heads and draw all kinds of unsolicited comments, observations, and advice. Perhaps nowhere does the image of six sisters ages 3 to 14 walking down a hallway together get more attention than in the maternityRead More...
If you find yourself in a happy and fulfilling marriage, count your blessings every day and recognize that tragically, you are in the minority. Indeed, as of 2011, there is a 49% divorce rate, with those marriages having lasted for just 8 years. Many analysts assume that the percentage should be much higher, but theRead More...
In the last few months in our community, a number of pregnant women have tragically lost their babies. Despite all the aches, pains and discomfort, pregnancy is a time of great hope, optimism and incredible excitement about the future life that will emerge and the unknown of who he or she can and will become.Read More...