HOME & FAMILY

The young members of Kollel Beis Dovid in Holon were surprised one morning to find an older woman trundling a baby carriage right into the beis midrash. In answer to their questioning looks, she explained,

Playing vs. Praying
Children in Shul
by A. Ross, M.Ed.

"What can I do? I have five small children and I can never get to shul at all. It makes me really unhappy to hear my friends arranging the davening schedule of the Yomim Noroim round their children."

BOOK REVIEW
Trust Me! An Anthology of Emunah and Bitachon
by Rabbi Eliezer Parkoff

After the Nazis took over control of Austria, my late grandparents, R' Mordechai Yehuda Kritzler and his wife, Devora, decided to flee to England via Switzerland. The Austrian authorities would not allow anyone to leave the country unless the family's documents were all in satisfactory order and they stepped up their requirements from time to time in terms of the certificates they required.

Fighting City Battles
by Tzvia Ehrlich-Klein

There are so many problems, irritations and aggravations thrown at us each day that some of us find it easier to just `turn off' to those problems that don't affect us personally. I mean, how many wars can we enter in a week, and how many battles can we fight? Better to preserve our energy and stick to what's within the four walls of our homes.

Celebrating a Bas Mitzva in a Meaningful Way
by Yonina Hall

Part II

Like a kalla on her wedding day, the Bas Mitzva girl stands at the threshold of a new stage in life. This occasion naturally lends itself to personal reflection and prayer.

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

Shabbos is something precious to all of us, and I want to give you a guide on how to approach the medical aspects. I am not here to discuss halacha, although should one of my readers desire to respond to this column or ask questions on the medical aspects I would be very elated.

POET'S CORNER

Mazel Tov!
by Esther Marilus

Some things are best when paired as two,
A glove -- a cuff -- a sock -- a shoe.
Yet, there's a limited selection,
Of `pairs' tailored to perfection.
For it takes years to cultivate,
A `pair' that clearly is first-rate.
And not every single perfect `catch'
Becomes an everlasting `match.'

Two need more than fun-filled dates,
To bind for life, as true soul mates.
The most perfect of shoes won't fit,
Unless both decide to commit...

Perfect pairs need to be tended,
Hurt feelings quickly mended.
("Why feel so offended?
Nothing was intended?")

Oh, things may seem a bit insane,
Once two decide to share a name.
But life is much more than just fun,
As two -- instead of only one.
So, rather than your staying single,
Pay attention to my jingle:

To harmonize in a duet,
Prepare to give more than you get.
Being one half of a pair,
Means always being fair -- and there.

It means, never to provoke,
Not even in a silly joke.
And to make sure that you resist,
Telling `stories' with a twist.
Words and deeds that are upsetting,
Are always better worth forgetting.
To grow serene, mature and wise,
Look for ways to compromise.
And don't ever, ever dare
Try to judge or to compare.

We hope you've arrived at our conclusion
That married bliss is no illusion
But a fact, when all is said and done,
It's not a battle that you've won,
For only two halves of a whole
Form an everlasting Jewish soul.