A Message to our Readers

With the change of the season to the blooming of spring flowers and warmer sun-drenched days, a sense of renewal becomes palpable in the air. People generally find themselves invigorated and confident. Many use this time of year to harness their newfound energy to tackle projects that were ignored throughout the long winter months.

This feeling can be sharply contrasted to the sometimes unrelenting nature of raising a special needs child, which is at times so overwhelming and all-encompassing that it may leave a parent feeling quite inadequate to shouldering the burden and somewhat weak.

A solution to ensuring that we remain strong and find the wherewithal to dealing effectively with these challenges can be found from a well-known classic commentary on the Four Sons that we say on the Seder night. In dealing with the “she’ayno yodea lishoel”, the child that doesn’t know even how to ask, Chazal say, “Aht p’sach lo”, - that the parent must initiate dialogue with this son. The term “Aht” signifies that even though the degree of difficulty in teaching this child is so demanding that it leaves one fatigued and weak, nonetheless by redirecting this feeling of weakness and adapting it to a gentle approach where the parent opens up the dialogue, one will ultimately be successful in imparting the traditions of this night to even a child with limited abilities.

Although there may be times when we feel weighed down and the circumstances of working with our special needs child seems hopeless, we must bear in mind that it is precisely at those times that we must channel that emotional weakness to a positive form of empowerment and to create a sense of renewed resolve. By doing so, we can, at will change our own state of mind and transform any unwarranted sense of despair into a blossoming sense of invigoration and confidence.

A kasher and freilichen Pesach to all

Rabbi Simon Lauber
Founder & CEO

Founder & CEO
Rabbi Simon Lauber
slauber@spiritmag.org

Editor-in-Chief
Gershon Sabol
gershon@spiritmag.org

Rabbinical Advisory Board
Rabbi Chaim L. Rottenberg, shlita
Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Feuer, shlita

Editor
Dini Sternhill
dinis@spiritmag.org

Copy Editor
Arielle Miller

Magazine Layout & Design
Mark Weisz Design
www.markweisz.com

Web Layout & Design
Baruch Lebovits

Editorial Advisory Board
Elisheva Stein
Michelle Steinhart

Contributors
Sara Faigy Dubovic
Tziri Frank
Chana Harrel
Rochel Issacson
Toby Markowitz
Ken Moses, PhD
Leah K. Reiss
Gitty Rubin
Ayelet Sapir
Dubbie Simon
Jim Sinclair
Deborah Thorpe
Chaya Rivka Ungar
Yosef Waxman
Nancy Silberman Zweibach, MA, PhD