Empowering Families

Families with a child or children who are struggling with their Yiddishkeit (and all associated difficulties) face numerous challenges. Parents may feel isolated, overwhelmed, embarrassed, or even ashamed. The situation at home is likely a continuous source of distress, uncertainty, and emotional upheaval, and parents may feel helpless as they watch their child suffer. They also worry deeply about the other children in the family, who are witness to the difficulties that their sibling and parents are experiencing. In addition, there are parents of struggling children who fear the stigma associated with having a family member who is not following the expected path of Torah-observance and behavior. They may attempt to keep the situation quiet and try to handle it on their own. No family should feel that they are alone and must face this struggle by themselves. 

Lebeinu was organized by a group of dedicated parents with a vision to address the unique needs and challenges of these families. Lebeinu’s aim is to provide parents with clear guidance, inspiration, and support to help them approach their challenges calmly and confidently. Guided by rabbanim with input from mental health professionals, parents can gain clarity on their situation and strategize the best ways to deal with their concerns. Furthermore, a crucial element of Lebeinu’s mission is awareness. By surfacing the resources available to families, Lebeinu can provide essential assistance to help them steer through this challenge.

Rabbi Gershon Schaffel is the rov who will help parents navigate this difficult and challenging time in their lives. He has extensive experience as a rov, posek, and advisor for families with struggling children around the world. Recognizing the uniqueness of each family, he tailors his approach to its situation and needs. He will be available for consultations in-person, via videoconferences, or by telephone to provide guidance for each family. Follow-up questions, updates, or communication about minor issues will be addressed by email, text, or WhatsApp. Additionally, the Lebeinu halacha/hadracha WhatsApp group chat is available for questions that can be shared with the group. This forum will facilitate getting answers to questions in a timely manner. Separate support groups for women and men provide yet another avenue of assistance in this challenging situation.

Education is an important component of Lebeinu’s future vision. Classes, lectures, and workshops for both parents and educators will highlight the challenges of raising happy and well-adjusted children and will offer tools to use along this most important journey. Access to those resources is contingent upon a minimum degree of parental familiarity with relevant educational sources. Learning about and implementing skills to help children manage their emotions encourages the development of a strong, healthy sense of self. The long-term aspiration is to support our community in parenting and educating proactively, laying a foundation of resilience to help children meet and successfully manage life’s challenges.

Lebeinu’s primary goal is to connect hearts. We want our homes to be a safe place for our children to grow, mature, and become the best version of themselves that they can be. Children whose hearts are deeply attached to their parents have the best prospects for understanding themselves and for building strong relationships. We hope and pray for the blessing of  וטהר לבינו   - a pure heart that allows for a healthy attachment with others as well as a deep connection with Hashem.