“It’s not good for man to be alone.” Living a traditional Jewish life implies marriage and raising a family. Sexual intimacy is highly valued, but only within the framework of a marital bond. However, whether due to the “shidduch crisis,” rising divorce rates, or other circumstances, our communities include many individuals who haven’t married, or are widowed or divorced. What are the experiences of singles in …
“I’m so happy and grateful- his Rebbe said he’s a meyuchad, a lamdan, really something special.”
“I just want to do whatever is best for my husband’s learning.”
“This is a good job for a working mom- it’s my privilege to support my husband’s Torah.”
“As long as we can, we’re hoping long term.”
“It’s a zechus for me, for our future children to have a ch …
I have noticed a sociological psychological phenomenon amongst a segment of religious clients. Certain otherwise observant people do not lay tefillin. From anecdotal evidence, it occurs with greater frequency than other lapses. Individuals who otherwise observe kashrus, shabbos (even not using smartphones) still seem to have difficulty with tefillin. Logically, it is perplexing because tefillin as a mitzvah can be performed in approxi …
Dear Rabbi and Shira,
I don’t know what to do! I’m 21, have returned from seminary and have completed 2 years of college.. My parents, friends and family are all pressuring me to start dating, but I don’t feel as though I’m ready. Discussions with my mother usually deteriorate into her crying and telling me that I’ll end up alone, with a bunch of cats. This gets me very nervous and then I start crying as well. Howeve …
Relationships are what make the world go round. Our closest relationships are those that remind us of who we are, what we’re capable of and are there to show up through the ups and downs of it all. However, when you have anxiety, it can come in the way of you fully showing up and enjoying the positive attributes of the relationships in your life.
Anxiety can hold you back from deepening relationships or even from branching out and making …
In one of my early graduate classes, our professor posed the following question, “Given that so much of our existence touches on cycles—night and day, the seasons of the year, evaporation and rainfall, to name but a few—is there anything that can be described as linear?”
One brave student volunteered the answer that human life is linear: a child is born, they mature, become an adult, begin to age, and then they die. Our pr …
