There is something new afoot in the world of marital counseling. It’s on television, on radio, in books and online. Everyone seems to be talking about it. What’s this big news? It seems that men (read husbands) have needs too.
A lot of men are starting to speak out. Not in anger, but in pain. Men who feel that whatever they do, it’s not enough. Men who feel constantly attacked and criticized. Men who feel neglected and taken for granted.
According to the Jerusalem Post, the Department of Homeland Security has allocated $1.83 million to boost safety at Jewish institutions in Brooklyn.
More than two dozen Jewish organizations in Brooklyn, including yeshivot, synagogues and the Children’s Museum, will receive funds as part of the program, in an effort to offset security costs at non-profit institutions considered particularly high-risk by officials.
Jews lived in Spain long before the infamous Inquisition of 1492. Jews suffered tremendously under Visigoth rule. Thus, when Moslem forces invaded the peninsula in 711, Jews welcomed the forces from North Africa. The relationship between Jews and Moslems was one of complimentary interests, but not of tolerance. Jews would not submit to the religious message of Islam, but they could be trusted not to side with their prior oppressors. They were, therefore, entrusted with security functions in captured areas, allowing Moslems to advance further without leaving behind military personnel. This was typical of Spain during much of the Middle Ages; a coalescence of interests dominated the political infrastructure.
According to one opinion, there was never a medieval Spanish Golden Age of peace and tranquility amongst Jews, Moslems and Christians. Rather, there was a tense balance of economic and security interests reinforced by governmental weakness to alter the status quo.
The back-to-school season is, for all intents and purposes, a period of pure parental mayhem. From tracking down the coolest backpack on the block to searching out that elusive five subject, wide-ruled, perforated spiral notebook that our child needs for Hebrew class, our to-do lists seem virtually endless.
Still for many modern parents, the stress of preparing our kids for their return to academia pales in comparison to the pressure we endure once they actually get there. After all, in our achievement-obsessed society, it often feels that our parental efficacy is directly correlated with our children’s standardized test scores. It’s no wonder that the sheer thought of homework, report cards and parent-teacher conferences has our stomach turning somersaults.
Being eco-friendly isn’t limited to the car you drive or the appliances you buy, and it doesn’t have to mean sacrificing convenience, quality or budget. In fact, it’s time to stop feeling guilty about not being able to do it all and make a few small changes to help the environment.
One easy way to live a more earth-conscious lifestyle is to turn brown bag lunches green this school year. By thinking green every time you pack a lunch, you can save money and take a small step forward for the environment.
Do right by your wallet and the environment with these simple tips:
Buy Local Foods
Look for a farmer’s market or grocery store that promotes locally grown and produced food.
I remember going to a parent-teacher meeting when one of my daughters was very young. “When your daughter prays,” said her 22-year-old teacher, “she does it with a lot of energy and vigor.”
“Great,” I responded. But the teacher wasn’t finished.
“But I don’t think she’s doing it out of love of G-d; I think she’s too focused on trying to win my approval.” (Which, it was immediately obvious, was not forthcoming!)
How can you help guide your children to the most enriching after-school activities? It helps to think about all the options.
According to estimates from Child Trends DataBank, the most popular after-school activity for children is sports, with 31% of children participating in athletic programs. Other popular choices include religious activities (20%), arts (18%), scouting (10%), community service (8%), academic activities (7%) and school clubs (6%). To identify local opportunities for your child, ask at school and inquire at places such as swim centers, arts centers, museums, recreation centers, universities and synagogues.
It is the end of summer—already. And you know what that means: going back to school, or starting school for the first time. While many parents are happy to see their kids off to school, after a summer of having them at home, other parents become sad, especially if their children are heading off to school for the first time. Parents can become anxious when they consider the new challenges their children might be facing in school this year.
In addition to the usual social and educational stresses of going to school, kids are faced with a slew of other social stressors, including peer pressure and bullying. Talking with your children about these issues at age-appropriate times may help decrease their chances of becoming a victim.
The sound of your child crying and clinging desperately to you as you try and escape to the door is enough to make any parent want to sweep them up and promise to never leave them again. But the reality is that sometimes moms and dads have to leave their little ones. For those of us lucky enough to have family members nearby, the first day of school may just be the first time your little one is not in a family member’s presence.
Shlomo is two years behind in reading and his parents are worried. His trouble began in kindergarten, when his teacher noticed that he could recognize letters but had trouble figuring out their sounds. Things got worse in 1st grade. Shlomo would recognize a word but not how to say it. He would see the “s” and “h,” but would forget that together they create the “sh” sound.
As time went on, the words got longer, and Shlomo had more trouble. When words were more than two syllables long, he would be lost. Sometimes he managed to hide it. He would understand some words, string them together, and figure out the rest by knowing what would make sense in the paragraph.
The goal of Hillel Yeshiva, beginning with the ELC, elementary and middle schools, through the demanding high school program, is the education of the whole child by encouraging a love of learning and instilling in each student a sense of confidence. Hillel takes pride in offering both rigorous general studies and Judaic studies programs while strengthening each student’s bond with Eretz Yisrael.
This year we take tremendous pride in the accomplishments of our high school graduates as well as the accomplishments of students that attend other high schools but received a strong foundation at Hillel Yeshiva. We congratulate the following students on their achievements and wish them a future filled with continued success:
Summer vacation with all its sweetness also has a sour side: it can easily rob your child of what he or she has gained over the school year.
Research shows that over the course of the summer, the average student forgets nearly 60% of the math, reading and writing skills learned during the school year. For weaker students, in particular, a two-month vacation from learning can be an enormous setback.
On August 30th, 2009 at Deal School, a softball tournament will be played to raise money for one of the biggest charities in Israel—Hazon Yeshaya. All proceeds raised will go directly to help this great organization.
Since 1997, Hazon Yeshaya Soup Kitchen has been providing life-saving meals to thousands of Israel’s neediest adults and children. Hazon Yeshaya was founded by Abraham Israel, a successful businessman of the Syrian Jewish Community of New York. He set up a small kitchen to serve 17 starving Jerusalem residents. Today, Hazon Yeshaya provides more than 400,000 hot meals each month at over 60 distribution points across Israel.
Students should be aware of one fact as they finish their final exams and gear up for their summer vacations: apparently, even after classes are over, even after graduation, the spirit and values of the school stay with you.
