A Message to our Readers

I have written in the past regarding my feeling that every family raising a child with special needs should establish a relationship with a competent rav who is experienced in dealing with issues pertaining to developmental disabilities.  Every parent needs regular access to ongoing guidance with the myriad halachic questions and hashkafah issues that come up. This is a critical need that often times gets overlooked or worse, ignored.

The fact that many parents do not maintain an adequate, ongoing relationship with a rav and moreh derech is obvious by some of the questions we come across, like “how much time should one give to the disabled child at the expense of the rest of the family?” Or, “how much of a role should money play in deciding what’s best for your child?”

These are questions whose answers are dependent on each individual family’s circumstances. There is no general rule that every family can rely on. These kinds of questions need to be addressed within the framework of the whole picture. Many times even the dynamics in the same family can change from one season to the next. What is right today may not hold true in three months time.  Therefore it is important to maintain a comfortable, ongoing relationship with someone who can help to clarify these kinds of issues as they arise.

It is equally important to recognize that while a parent understands their child’s challenges best, they can also become so involved with their child’s issues, or become so absorbed in heading off a major meltdown, that they can lose sight of the forest from the trees. At times like these, a rav’s input is crucial in assisting parents in maintaining the proper perspective necessary. Parents need to train themselves not to reject what might at first seem to them to be an unworkable or difficult option. Accept this advice and try it for a while. See whether a fresh perspective can open new doors in raising a child with special needs.

With best wishes for a healthy and enjoyable summer holiday.

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
Yakov Steinhart

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

Web Layout & Design
Baruch Lebovits

Editorial Advisory Board
Chaya Yitty Rottenberg
Gitty Stiel
Elisheva Stein

Contributors
Diana Bensoul
Matana Boloten
Ruchi Eisenbach
Lydia Fong
Tziri Frank
Channa Harrel
Dina C. Kaplan, Esq.
Miriam Lieberman
Yael Putney
Tzippy R.
Chana Blimie Rosner
Ayelet Sapir
Rivky Steimetz
Rochel Stern
Denise Ullman
Nancy Silberman Zwiebach, MA, PhD