BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

By Wency Leung An ex-husband is challenging a Canadian Supreme Court judgment that has been heralded as a major boost in the global cause for Jewish women's stronger religious divorce rights. The woman in the case doesn't think he has a chance. After nearly two decades of legal battles over her right to a religious divorce, Stephanie Bruker, 59, thought she'd finally settled a case that has been heralded as a breakthrough for other observant Jewish women who have become "agunah," or "chained," and unable to remarry after seeking a divorce. In December, in a landmark ruling for the intersection of civil and religious law, the Supreme Court of Canada ordered Bruker's ex-husband to pay $47,500 in damages for the years he denied giving her a religious divorce, called a "get," after swearing to do so as part of a civil divorce agreement. But in a last-ditch effort, Bruker's ex-husband is asking the Supreme Court to rehear the case, according...

For the most part, 99% of the comments I get on this site are positive or intelligent in their disagreement for me to post them. But sometimes we bloggers get comments that are nasty, accusatory or just completely out to lunch. And I have had a few of those in the last couple days about my therapist and friend's murder - Dr. Kathryn Faughey. I decided that I would "respond" to them here. On my own blog. I don't believe in spreading hate or nastiness - and getting into a p*ssing contest on a board isn't my idea of adult "discourse." I had a few comments of the "she should have known" or "anyone who treats mentally ill people are asking for it" variety. Stupid comments like that don't deserve an explanation. Dr. Faughey was a consummate professional. Not a psychic. No crime victim "knows" ahead of time. She obviously fought for her life like crazy against this animal. Her office is like 1000s of therapy offices in ...

It isn't. Hezbollah, like Hamas and all of Radical Islam wants Israel and the Jews obliterated. Always have. Always will. Only this funeral may have put more fuel on that "fire." Hezbollah chief threatens Israel BEIRUT - The chief of Hezbollah threatened Thursday to retaliate against Israeli targets after accusing the Jewish state of killing the militant Imad Mughniyeh in Syria. Israel ordered its military, embassies and Jewish institutions overseas to go on alert Thursday, fearing revenge attacks for a car bomb that killed Mughniyeh. Hassan Nasrallah addressed supporters of the Lebanese Islamic militant group in a videotaped eulogy broadcast on a giant screen at the Beirut funeral for Mughniyeh, who was accused of masterminding dramatic attacks that killed hundreds of Americans in Lebanon in the 1980s. "You have killed Hajj Imad outside the natural battlefield," Nasrallah said in remarks directed at Israel. Hezbollah has long contended it only fights Israel w...

MY FRIEND & THERAPIST - Dr. Kathryn Faughey (left) A sketch of her killer (right) I just wanted to provide everyone with some links to check out regarding the brutal, senseless murder of my friend and therapist, Kathryn Faughey: FRIENDS REMEMBER SLAIN THERAPIST BRUTAL KILLING OF NYC THERAPIST SAVAGE MURDER WAS PREMEDITATED SUSPECT ON THE LOOSE SUSPECT HUNTED IN THERAPIST'S DEATH MAN SOUGHT IN THERAPIST'S STABBING I spoke with 6 reporters today and an 8 second on camera blurb from me was used on the NYC local ABC/ Eyewitness News last night. I will tell you what I told them... this was a wonderful therapist. Truly gifted, sensitive and intelligent. Personally, I feel the animal that did this to her took a piece of me with her. I don't know how I would have gotten through some of the traumatic and stressful changes that have happened to me in the last 15 years without her. I am sure her other patients feel the same way. I am very upset with some people I have heard (m...

Dr. Kathryn Faughey was my therapist for 13 years. She was a wonderful, wonderful person and my friend. She helped me get my diagnosis when I was becoming disabled. And stood by me during the disability process. She helped me through my infertility treatments and the birth of my children. She helped me get through the deaths of both my parents. She kept me from harm and helped me through severe PTSD of 4 years ago. She was a deeply spiritual woman, a class act and the sort of therapist I wish everyone had. I am in shock. Please pray for her boundless spirit and her husband. She was a one of a kind doctor, friend and human being. Patient hacks therapist to death BY ALISON GENDAR, KERRY BURKE and ETHAN ROUEN DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS A cleaver-wielding patient hacked his psychologist to death in her upper East Side office Tuesday night, viciously slashed a colleague who came to her aid and then fled into the night, cops said. The psycho apparently attacked Kathryn Faughey, 57, during a ...

Even with primaries here in the U.S., we and Israel face the same challenge. Lack of real, clear leadership. I haven't said much about Olmert lately. Out of sheer disgust. He doesn't care about the people. He told Sderot he feels their pain. Bull. As my mantra to abuse victims goes - WATCH THEIR ACTIONS, NOT THEIR WORDS. Olmert is negligent, disrespectful and full of hubris. And he's got the cahjones to still be negotiating the division of Jerusalem! And the candidates on the horizon here in the U.S.? Well we have a Republican who acts like a Democrat, a Democrat who acts like a Republican and one guy who's so wet behind the ears and I can't believe the naivety and lemming like manner in which he's getting votes! Where are the leaders? Hello???? by Yonatan Yavin We face leadership crisis but can’t find anyone willing to step up to challenge This phenomenon probably has a sophisticated name in the world of business and start-ups. I am talking about that...

In undergrad school, for my senior thesis/ performance (I was an English Literature Major and a Theatre Minor) I choose a number of monologues to do that portrayed a variety of the themes theatre covers about women. Particularly as more than sex objects. One of the hardest ones for me was Martha from "WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINA WOOLF? " I love Albee's works and Virginia Woolf has been a favorite writer of mine for years. Woolf had a good grasp on the struggle of women to find balance and selfhood - a struggle which finally overcame her personally. But Martha is a tough role. She is very 3 dimensional and at the age of 22, despite getting a standing ovation, I knew I didn't have the inner experience to flesh her out the way I would have liked. I think about Martha a lot, in light of my divorce, because my marriage had some similarities to Martha & George's. (Though Martha's loose sexuality was diametrically opposed to my own sparse sexual experience a...

After reading this article, I thought immediately of Senator Obama. And felt my stomach turn even more. Let me know what you think... I need some Imodium. Psychological Neoteny and Narcissistic Personality Disorder Professor Bruce Charlton, of the School of Biology at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, via Discovery News : People such as academics, teachers, scientists and many other professionals are often strikingly immature outside of their strictly specialist competence in the sense of being unpredictable, unbalanced in priorities, and tending to overreact. Like we hadn't noticed? This phenomenon is called "psychological neoteny." A fancy name for pychological immaturity, the failure to ever form a "finished mind." In its natural state, the human brain and mind naturally reach full development in the early twenties - after a person's education by his or her parents and society is complete and he or she is out on their own in the world. This ...

As a victim & survivor myself, I know that these do not work with a hardened abuser, destructive narcissist, anti-social or sociopath. Abusers RARELY, if ever, change. They may be worth a try. However, I have made some comments to this "overbroad" and overly simplistic article to deal with Verbal Abuse. I also ask that everyone take a look at THIS ARTICLE as well. 3 strategies to avoid arguments. Well, the strategies to avoid arguments drew arguments ... so, I thought it best to respond for the sake of creating peace in the world .... (FYI - arguing with an abuser it not a fair argument. The abuser must win & will do so at ANY COST! Peace is the LAST thing on their minds! They only care about winning and 'being right.') I received the following note: "I have a very hard time accepting how you would encourage someone to accept verbal abuse. Whether or not the spouse erred in saying or doing something, that person still does not deserve to be degrade...

by Ernest S. Wolf, MD (This paper originally was delivered at the International Self-Psychology Symposium in Dreieich, Germany, May, 2001.) Our topic for tonight, the problem of group violence, is one of the most important issues facing society. Not only is this a most crucial topic for our American society but we are confronted with events that are occurring all over the globe, on all continents and in all countries. While it is obvious that the daily news pin-point the current hottest areas of conflict, such as the Middle East, the Balkans, and certain regions of Africa, there seems to be no spot on this earth that is safe from unreasoning violence. Individuals as well as groups are in danger of being destroyed. How are we to understand these phenomena? I will attempt to bring two psychoanalytic perspectives to bear on these questions. A classic Freudian view derives the anger that is being expressed in hostile actions to an instinctual drive of aggression which is mo...

Now that the primaries are going on - there's some shakeout and hard choices. I feel like I really need to take a good look at who's left... again. I will be the first person to applaud someone who has learned from their mistakes and changed. 4 years ago I spent about 3 months going to everyone in my circle, including family, and admitting something immoral I had allowed myself to be drawn into. I took along hard proofs, including some things from the police. I let everyone read them, told them I was partly to blame and out of everyone - only ONE person stopped speaking to me. (No great loss there anyway.) For the most part everyone has been very supportive. Since then I have spent a lot of time helping vulnerable victims of emotional & psychological abuse. At this moment I am going through some more training to be able to be more effective. I don't make a big deal about it - this is just what I have decided to do. I know what its like to be so vulnerable you m...