Families who are confronted with the challenge of a special child often feel lost and alone. In the confusion and pressure that reigns, decisions about this child's future can be made that will later be regretted. Rabbi Abraham discusses difficult questions parents often are forced to decide and the answers he received from Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and Rav Elyashiv. Among the topics spoken about are whether or not to bring this child home, when to make a decision to send a child for adoption or foster care, and how important or not it is to find an observant Jewish home for a child that will never have any cognitive ability at all.
Of course we accepted the Torah with the words na'aseh ve'nishmah. But often we don't realize that despite defining ourselves as religious Jews, we may be contradicting our beliefs with our actions. Rav Berkovits speaks about our reactions when things go wrong and learning to accept a path to perfection that may diverge from our own agenda.
Parents of special children know that as each summit is reached, another mountain remains yet to be climbed. This is a mother's story of raising a child different from the norm, the stuggles to acheive an education for her that helped her develop her potential as well as her Jewish identity, and an honest portrayal of the challenges involved.
Anyone who struggles with a difficult life experience knows how heightened our sensitivity becomes when we are dealing with pain. How can we learn to be sensitive in our speech and action? Rabbi Kaplan gives some pointers on communication, on handling the day to day encounters, how we should view insensitive people. Can it be that sometimes there really is no right way to say something without causing pain?
Can it be that suffering is really good? Hashem loves us with a love that lasts forever, even when we don't see Him. When we have pain, Hashem is still watching over us. It's harder to see Him, but not impossible. A 10 point class on how to gain even though we wish we'd never had have to go through hard times.
We've often heard people say "I asked, but God said no". While this may be an admirable response to being denied what we desperately wanted, were these heartfelt prayers simply cast to the wayside? Rabbi Nissel proves that tefillah works. And even when we think it didn't, he shows how answers are often disguised in ways we wouldn't recognize unless we learn how to look for them.
Each child, and specifically the 'special' ones help their parents reach completion. Rebbetzin Neustadt explains how certain nisyonos in life can make or break us. Understanding the nature of this mission not only clarifies the goal, but adds chizuk to brave it in dignity. Hear also how nurturing an isolated child can draw them out of their lonely world.
No one denies that the entry of a special child into a family - as beautiful as they may be - is a huge test. Where do parents garner the strength to stand up to the struggle? Rabbi Rabinowitz relates from his own experience how close Hashem is to parents during such unexpected challenges.
Most of those faced with the birth of a special child struggle with the heavy emotions that comes in its wake. Rabbi Rabinowitz validates this challenge by showing how to integrate the new reality - and to move forward. Learn how prayer can and should be used to help us cope, and how to view the neshama and the task before us.
Each child, special or not, have their own needs that must be met. How do we balance the higher demand on our time and patience these children demand while still maintaining our relationship with our other kids? A fascinating talk by Rebbetzin Ebstein, a Holocaust survivor who struggled with two children who have severe hearing issues. She makes a number of important points about how a child is affected by their environments, and finally decided to start a Jewish school for children with disabilities.