OU and Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago to Present Positive Jewish Parenting in Chicago, Dec. 1

21 Nov 2007

ASSOCIATED TALMUD TORAHS OF CHICAGO AND OU TO PRESENT POSITIVE JEWISH PARENTING CONFERENCE, FEATURING RABBI ISAAC MAYEFSKY MEMORIAL KEYNOTE ADDRESS, DECEMBER 1

Associated Talmud Torahs
2828 West Pratt Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60645
Saturday evening, December 1
7:00-10:20 p.m.

The Orthodox Union, in conjunction with the Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago, will present its Fourth Annual Positive Jewish Parenting conference in Chicago, in memory of Rabbi Isaac Mayefsky z”l, a most respected educator. The conference will take place Saturday evening, December 1, from 7:00-10:20 p.m. at the Associated Talmud Torahs, 2828 West Pratt Boulevard, for parents with children of all ages.

The conference, with the participation and sponsorship of Mrs. Florence Mayefsky and the Mayefsky family, as well as Jewish Child and Family Services, will feature the Twenty-First Annual Rabbi Isaac Mayefsky Memorial Lecture. It will be delivered by Rabbi Paysach Krohn, a dynamic and one of the most sought-after speakers in the Jewish world, who has delivered inspirational presentations in cities across North America, Israel, Europe, and South
Africa. He is the author of many books and is a fifth generation mohel affiliated with numerous hospitals in the Greater New York area. Rabbi Krohn will discuss Bringing Out the Best in Your Children in the Mayefsky lecture.

“For more than four decades, Rabbi Mayefsky used his great talent to benefit our community and its children. We urge everyone to attend this stimulating and rewarding program honoring the memory of one of our most respected educators,” declared Rabbi Harvey Well, Superintendent of Associated Talmud Torahs.

According to Frank Buchweitz, OU Director of Community Services and Special Projects, and innovator of the National Positive Jewish Parenting programs, “The workshops address day-to-day concerns of parents. The presenters, all outstanding mental health professionals from the Orthodox community, emphasize practical suggestions that enhance parenting skills.”

Doors will open at 7:00 p.m. in anticipation of a large attendance, with the program beginning at 7:30 with the keynote address, Why Bad Things Happen to Good Children, by Judge Dan Butler. A resident of Pittsburgh and a well-known speaker on behalf of organizations ranging from United Way to Satmar, Judge Butler has been a syndicated weekly columnist, college professor, regional director for NCSY, judicial law clerk, prosecutor, family court hearing officer, mediator and judge.

His presentation will be followed by three concurrent workshops, each running for an hour, with the program concluding at 10:20 p.m.
Workshops offered at 8:30-9:30 p.m. include:

• Parenting Special Kids: Glass Half-Full or Half-Empty? – Dr. Nina Butler, Ph.D., Educational Administration and Policy Studies; MA in Special Education and MA in the Art of Teaching. Dr. Butler and her husband have raised five children, three with special needs;

• Effective Communication with Your Child’s Educators: When, If and How to Step In – Michal Cohen, LCSW, in practice at the Jewish Child and Family Services in Chicago and a consultant to Jewish teenage youth groups, day schools and high schools;

• Developing Midos, Responsibility and Compassion in our Children – Rabbi Dr. Jerry Lob, Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Illinois School of Professional Psychology, and lecturer and author on topics of parenting, marriage and Jewish Philanthropy in addition to his private practice in Chicago.

The Rabbi Isaac Mayefsky Memorial keynote address will follow with Rabbi Krohn from 9:30 to 10:20 p.m.

Admission is $10 per person in advance and $18 at the door. For advance registration, contact Pearl Grogan at 773-973-2828, pearl@att.org, or www.att.org. For more information contact Debra Cardash at 773-973-2828.