Dear Mr. Weisbord,

Pesach is over, and our daughter will soon be coming home from seminary in Eretz Yisrael. But instead of being happy, I am upset and worried. We visited her this past winter and found a different girl than the one we sent off. And according to our phone conversations, it has only gotten worse.

We are a middle-of-the-road frum family – not especially modern nor extremely chareidi, either. We fit in well in Baltimore. Both my husband and I have college degrees and work as professionals. This is our oldest daughter; she is extremely bright and talented, b”H. During her last year in high school, after discussing it with a relative, she decided to become a physician’s assistant, because she thought it would afford her opportunities for full- or part-time work with a good income.

Dear Mr. Weisbord,

I’m worried about the beginnings of a temper in my son. He is a lovely, sweet, considerate boy, and has friends. It’s just that if somebody is making fun of him, or something makes him angry, he loses his temper. His teacher says he blows up in class. At home, he cries at the drop of a hat. He didn’t used to be like this. Perhaps we gave him his way more when he was younger. It has occurred to me that he might be frustrated because he has a lot of older siblings bossing him around.

Regardless of the reason for his behavior, please give me some ground rules for dealing with it. I am not the type to wonder about what caused him to be angry. I just want to know what we can do to correct it. He is young, only eight years old. I would think that there is still time to modify this trait and save him (and us) from becoming a bad tempered adult. Should we come down hard on him and not tolerate it at all when he exhibits anger? Or are we supposed to be more understanding? What should we do?

Whatever methods you suggest, I plan on involving the entire family, including the older children, so that we all deal with this child the same way.

Worried Mother

On the patio behind my house in Lakewood, a terra cotta urn about three feet high and two feet in diameter and filled with dirt, was waiting for me to plant something in it. Shortly after Pesach, however, a Canadian goose took up residency in my urn. I called her my tenant.

People in my development hate the geese; they make a huge mess. Everyone was urging me to get rid of my goose. But I wondered if she would ever lay eggs, affording the opportunity of performing the mitzva of shilu’ach haken. I was willing to give her time.

The power of prayer and tzedaka may take many years to manifest itself, and in the following case, it did, baruch Hashem.

I was a guest of Rabbi and Rebbetzin Eliyahu Shuman on a Shabbos following Purim this past year. Based on the words of Rabbi Asher Weiss in his sefer Minchas Asher, Rabbi Shuman spoke about the connection between Purim and the mitzva of machtzis hashekel. On Purim we traditionally give machtzis hashekel (half a shekel), and in parshas Ki Sisa, it speaks of giving machtzis hashekel when we are counted. In the time of the Bais Hamikdash, the money

This article was published in 2009, so before you leave the house check to make sure the information about the place you are going is the same.

Everyone agrees that one of the best things about Yom Tov is spending time with your family, including grandparents, cousins, and married children. Although most mothers would agree that if everyone else is happy, they will be happy too, it can be hard to think of activities that will please everyone, from toddlers to seniors – and especially teens!

One safe bet is a park. Being outside on a (hopefully) balmy April day is enjoyment enough for the adults. And for the children, many of the parks I reviewed feature special attractions. So look over this list of destinations. They may not be earthshakingly exciting, but when the sun is shining and you have good company, almost any activity is fun.*

Here is a list of things to do that I have gathered in response to the perpetual question of what to do on Chol Hamoed. Some of these activities require reservations, so read this article before Yom Tov, and be prepared!

Tours
For adults: You’ll have to leave the little kids home for this one. Rabbi Dovid Katz is leading two truly unique tours of Baltimore on Wednesday and Thursday of Chol Hamoed. One is called “Old Jewish Baltimore,” and the other one is “The War of 1812, the Civil War, and the Jews.” The tours last for about five