As we approach Purim, the focus of the days immediately preceding the holiday becomes the long history of the relationship between Amalek and the Jewish people. Beginning with the few pesukim comprising Parshas Zachor, we remember Amalek’s original attack on the Jewish people shortly after the Jews left Egypt. Then, we read the less famous

I used to work for an organization that was composed of some of the most creative individuals you could ever hope to find. The down side was that, when we had a staff conference, trying to get them all where they were supposed to be was like trying to herd cats. When I lamented the

Last week, the Baltimore Orthodox community was treated to an outstanding event. The theme of the night was raising mental health awareness: how to help oneself and others, the importance of getting treatment and going to therapy, and reducing shame and stigma. Watch video from the event, including words from Rabbi Ephraim Eliyahu Shapiro: Read

The consultation with Mrs. Burger was just about as parve as it could be until I asked a question about her surgical history. “I’m sorry,” I said as I was quite confused by her answer. “Your husband wants you to do what?” There was no way I’d heard her correctly.  But then Mrs. Burger repeated

Rabbi Shmuel Bloom talks about his life-changing experience and dealing with personal adversity. How do we connect to the churban? We all have our own personal churban, how do we overcome those events. How can we use that to imagine what it must have been like to suffer the loss of the Beit HaMikdash? How

This article is not only about trigger warnings, it also is one: we are going to address suicide. Please stop here if you find such discussions triggering. People of my generation tend to scoff at the ubiquity of trigger warnings, content warnings and other emotional accommodations afforded in this day and age. Things like a

It’s time to bring the conversation about mental health to the forefront in our community. It’s time to meet all of the wonderful resources for people in our community whose pain is from something you can’t see, but hurts no less. It’s time for people to learn that they are not the only ones in

Jacob L. Freedman, MD, is a former student of Yeshiva Aish HaTorah and a psychiatrist in Boston, Massachusetts, and Jerusalem, Israel. Dr. Freedman is also a health care and a risk-management consultant as well as a suburban mountain biking enthusiast. For more information regarding Dr. Freedman, please visit his website at drjacoblfreedman.com. The best psychiatrist

Today, anxiety is the most common mental illness in the United States. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, it affects 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18% of the population. Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only about one-third of those suffering receive treatment. And anxiety cost the

When done right, gifts can be an expression of love and caring and can bring a couple closer together. Yet, gifts can often be a sore point and can produce the opposite result. Before you give or receive your next gift, here are five things you need to know: Know Your Love Language- Everyone has