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
It was very early on in my rabbinical career when I learned the important lesson: “Not all that glitters is gold.” Too often those families, who at first glance would be perfect to adorn the cover of “Mishpacha Magazine” were in reality the most dysfunctional. When I first began dealing with Shalom Bayis issues I still believed with a
Rabbi Yehoshua Hartman, the head of the Hasmonean Beis Hamedrash, London, was a close talmid of Rabbi Moshe Shapiro זצ"ל for over thirty-six years. He shared powerful insights into the life and Torah of his rebbe, which has lessons for us all, on Rosh Chodesh Kislev 5778 speaking to the kehillah of Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion,
The forum was conceived and made possible by Rabbi Moshe Hauer, the Rav of Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion.
This past Wednesday afternoon I was driving home when my nine year old son called me and excitedly told me, “Tatty I have amazing news! Rubashkin is out of jail!” I realized that the great miracle that Klal Yisroel has just experienced was being celebrated by the youth too. I saw it again on Friday night when I came home from shul
After the death of Yaakov Avinu, the brothers of Yosef had great doubts whether or not Yosef had forgiven them for selling him to a caravan of Yishmaeilim that resulted in his eventual sale to Mitzrayim. Rashi informs us (Bereishis 50:15), “They perceived their father’s death through Yosef’s behavior. They were accustomed to
Don’t forget where you came from.” It is often said at graduations, it’s the title of a country music song, and many successful people include it on their list of the most important things to remember. And yet, when Yosef HaTzadik ascends to great heights and power in Egypt, he marries, has his first son and seems to violate this
Chanukah means consecration. During the eight days of Chanukah, we commemorate the miraculous rededication of the Bais Hamikdash by the Chashmonaim in 165 BCE, following three years of contamination at the hands of the powerful Seleucid Greeks. Chanukah, however, can also be understood as education, the
Years ago, someone gave me a Tony Robbins CD to listen to. I was excited and eager to hear the wisdom of one of today’s greatest motivational speakers. He introduced his talk by saying that he has the secret to both happiness and success. If you follow his advice and begin each and every day of your life exactly as he
The first recorded story of abuse of a woman by a man in a position of power is in Parshas Vayishlach when Shechem kidnapped Dina. We see that the #MeToo phenomenon is not a new issue; it goes all the way back to Vayishlach. The bad news is that it’s not just “their” problem. We read about it and respond, “What do you
“If you want to take the island you need to burn the boats.” – Tony Robbins Nearly five years ago I was facing an important decision, a career crossroads that, depending on its outcome, would greatly impact my professional future. I had spent the past fifteen years in the field of education, as a teacher, principal, and adjunct professor.