BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

A recent study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry focused on the prevalence of PTSD in Israelis. It stated: Israel has not known a time without hostilities. Therefore, an analogy between periods of "infrequent" terrorism in Israel and the situation that prevailed in the United States before Sept. 11, 2001, may not be accurate. Unfortunately, the analogy might be binding if further terrorist attacks reach the United States. In that sense, the comparison provided by this work suggests that recuperation from early distress will occur in a similar proportion despite an eventual incremental increase in the incidence of terrorism. The results of this work show that intense initial responses are important risk indicators of PTSD across traumatic events. They support the rationale of assuming a common pathological outcome (i.e., PTSD) to various traumata. In that sense, it is remarkable that the reactions to the more frequent motor vehicle accidents behave like thos...

Disney’s Dreamland for Online Predators In the last 4 years I have learned more about online predators, for both children and adults, than I ever really wanted to know. Lately my kids have been bugging me for cellphones. I have been firmly saying "no." They don't really need them yet. "But, Mom... so & so has one." I just look at them and continue to say "I know you really want one but you don't need one. Not this year, no." This is always followed by the attendant whining and gnashing of teeth. Don't worry - I am immune to such machinations. I am not enamored of cell phones myself. Mine has been very handy and when my children are at school or away from the home its on. If someone I know or family is in crisis or ill, its on. Otherwise - it's off. As is the ringer on my home phone. If the kids are with me and its not urgent, I am incommunicado. If I am doing advocacy work & working with a victim, at a conference or lear...

ALONE WITH MY CHOICE During my conversion process I heard one Rabbi say that one could not convert without the support of friends. One could be a Noahide and not convert. It was a big problem to me because my ex had me agree to bringing my children up Christian. He was and continues to be very against my choice of Judaism. My family and other friends have been supportive in that they have not been judgmental. Still, Judaism is very very much about family and not being able to include my family remains a hole in my heart. Many of them thought I had ulterior motives of some sort for converting but some did recognize this was a long process for me of listening to my heart & soul. A guy once dumped me because I wasn't Jewish. "I didn't feel like dealing with it," was his excuse. He never asked me how I felt about it. Frankly, I didn't mean anything to him or even as a friend, he would have discussed it with me. He didn't. I wasn't expecting hi...

DID YOU KNOW? A pictoral essay by my children Did you know that some horses can fly? So can some cows! And they can even be friends. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO JBLOG ME