NEFESH: The International Network of Orthodox Mental Health Professionals
Connection Collection
Menachem Hojda MSW
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A collection of thoughts on the power of connection and attachment in our daily lives.
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Showing Results 1 - 6 (6 total)
Conspicuous Connection
Author: Menachem Hojda MSW
July 2nd, 2017

The Watusi Cattle is a striking animal. I noticed it while riding with my family on a train ride at a local zoo. The guide explained to us that this African breed is considered a key status symbol among the African tribes. Those with the widest horns may only be owned by the king, and how many Watusi one owns as well as the quality of the herd projects importance to everyone else. Certainly the animals provide important sustenance for their owner …
1 comments
Going Off The Derech
Author: Menachem Hojda MSW
July 16th, 2017

A few weeks ago I was driving through Ohio on the I-80 West. Driving long distance in the winter can be treacherous because of the weather, but in the summer the construction can be almost as bad. I always try to think of the long term benefits maybe next time I drive this road it will be nice and smooth, but it always feels like next time the same road is perpetually under construction. Sometimes when construction gets too bad or if th …
2 comments
I Dreamed a Dream
Author: Menachem Hojda MSW
July 23rd, 2017

Some people are lucky to get their dream job, the wife of their dreams, a son who is a dream, or even all of the above. Others can only imagine what it would be like to reach that dream, still others might refuse to settle until they find the dream they are chasing. But the thing about dreams is that they only happen when where asleep, it's almost like dreams and life are mutually exclusive. The nice thing about dreams is that they aren't bo …
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Stop Barkin' Listen Up!
Author: Menachem Hojda MSW
July 10th, 2017

High school is always dramatic, but when my parents divorced the summer before I left for Yeshivah it set up an interesting four years. Living away from home and trying to understand how to navigate the various dilemmas that came up I spent a lot of time talking to Rebbeim who kindly gave me wise advice, yet somehow with all the advice I was getting these conversations seemed to lead to even more inner turmoil, except when I talked to my roommate …
1 comments
Tags: Parenting, connection, listening, marriage, teaching, yeshivah, trauma, holocaust, pirkei avos
Taking a Stab at Holiness
Author: Menachem Hojda MSW
July 30th, 2017

On Tisha Bav we will read about the dramatic moment when Titus the Roman general entered the Holy Temple and proceeded to blaspheme in word and in deed that most holy of places. In Kinna 16 Rabbi Elazar Hakalir recounts how the evil Titus used his bloody sword to tear into shreds the remarkable curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple. This curtain had different images on each side an incredible artistic accompli …
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Who Could Love a Skunk?
Author: Menachem Hojda MSW
June 25th, 2017

A few nights ago I was driving back from a meeting when I saw a skunk crossing the road. Following behind her in a neat row were 4 little baby skunks. While I stopped to let them cross, I noticed how the mother skunk stopped at the curb to help each one climb up this formidable obstacle. Safe inside my car I thought about how in a different circumstance coming across a skunk could ruin my night, but tonight it was a thing of beauty to witness the …
2 comments
Tags: Parenting, attachment, connection, skunks, family, mothers, teachers, fathers, friends, emotions, child development
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