HOME & FAMILY

It was 11 o'clock at night. Mr. Wolf was walking slowly down the steps of his apartment building after visiting his friend. Suddenly, the door of an apartment was flung open and two little children stood by the open door, crying hysterically.

Shoring Down
A True Story
by Susan Jacobi

Elul is the time for inventory. What have we accumulated? Of what value is it? What about the intangibles? Have we stored up enough of those, the ones that really count?

Color Blindness
by A. Ross

Who would ever think that even color blindness could be connected to judging people favorably? Something to think about...

PARENTING WITH MENUCHA
Adolescence -- Dealing with Mini-Adults
by Menucha Fuchs
Author of dozens of adult and children's books, parenting counselor

Parents of small children sometimes feel bewildered. They start off as parents of one child and suddenly, before they can come to terms with the birth of their eldest, they are already parents to his siblings.

BOOK REVIEW
Heart and Soul
Classic and Contemporary Tales of the Jewish Spirit
by Susan M. Tenenbaum
reviewed by Sheindel Weinbach

A silky tablecloth gathered in folds around a wine decanter and a single rose. All in various shades of beige. Elegant and classy. A cover to fit this fine book. Both vintage and contemporary. Excellent reading, quality, caliber, yet very comfortable. Not only for leisure but for the needed spiritual boost called for at this time of year: true stories with an impact. Stories whose cud (message) you chew during the day, come back to, mull over and internalize.

Your Medical Questions Answered!
by Joseph B. Leibman, MD

What does a pediatric cardiologist do? For sure, they rarely see problems that happen with adults -- kids just don't often get heart attacks or need pacemakers. And for sure, they see a lot of cases of heart malformations from birth. But there are some diseases that occur in children that affect the heart that are somewhat more common.

Poet's Corner
The King's Treasure
by E. Isaacs

Jack was the farmer
Jill was his wife,
They led an uncultivated,
Simple, peasant life.

Digging a trench
Jack unburied a chest,
"I'll ask Jill what this is,
'Cause she knows the best."

Jack lugged it home,
"Jill, look what I found!
For years it's been buried
Deep down in the ground!"

Jill was so busy
She was churning the butter,
"Anything useful inside?"
Was all she could utter.

With a hefty blow
Jack uncovered the treasure
Out spilled jewelry
Priceless beyond measure.

"What's this for?" asked Jack,
Giving the scepter a kick,
"I know!" exclaimed Jill,
"It's a shepherd's stick."

The heavy gleaming crown
Was rolled into the shed.
"An ideal headpiece," said Jill,
"For the scarecrow's head."

A heavy gold necklace
Studded with jewels so rare,
Became "A rein for our mare,
Since the weight she can bear."

*

Many years later
They arrived at the city,
And not to visit the palace
Would be a great pity.

Outside the tall gates
Jack and Jill waited with curiosity,
What would he look like?
The King, His Royal Majesty?

When the king and queen passed
Jack and Jill with laughter did roar,
A more amusing spectacle
They never ever saw!

Armed guards encircled the pair,
"An explanation we demand!
Who dares laugh at the king?"
Screamed the one in command.

"We beg your pardon,
We meant no harm,
The king -- he's wearing
Things from a farm!

"Never did I dream
That the king of the land
Would a shepherd's stick hold
In his royal hand!"

"And the queen!" cried Jill,
"Is wearing a hat
Just like my scarecrow
Can you imagine that?"

"Around her neck
A horse's rein, does she wear,
Do you now understand
Why we laugh, why we stare?"

*

Don't laugh at Jack
Don't laugh at Jill
We make similar mistakes
Only sillier still!

Our heart, our mind
Our eyes and even a hand
Do we know their true worth?
Do we correctly understand?
With our priceless gifts
We can soar so very high,
Let's use them correctly!
Let's at least try!

(Based on a moshol from the Ben Ish Chai)