Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
Some 10,000 women registered for a Mitchadshot (women's renewal) workshop held last night as a Zoom presentation in preparation for the festival of Shavuot. Dr. Michael Abulafia, child psychiatrist, spoke about education and teaching Torah, sharing three pieces of advice:
"1. Above all, this is a generation that needs to be individually seen and counted. Even in this era of digital screens, we cannot give up on face-to-face interactions: to look into the eyes of our spouse, to bend down toward a child and really look at him. Everyone wants to feel seen, to know that he or she is important and occupies a special place.
2. Educate with pleasantness. These days, coercion leads to desertion. This generation wants to experience life with pleasantness and fun. At home, there will be the smell of delicious pasta cooking, children will notice their parents' enjoyment at listening to a Torah discussion in the background, and words will be spoken in a soft tone of voice. Children are searching for enjoyment and if they do not find it at home they will look for it outside in undesirable places.
3. We need to pay attention to our bodies. We speak about values and Torah but ignore the fact that the body is the tool upon which values and Torah depend. We need to sleep well, exercise well, breathe deeply, and know how to relax. We need to be concerned that the spirit will also find expression in the flesh. I see children and adults who are uptight and tense. Enough of this pressure already. Take a breather."
Thank you Dr. Abulafia and thanks to the thousands of women who participated in this event. Chag sameach".
