JANUARY 2025 // TEVES 5785 // ISSUE 107
In a Golden Puppet Cage Well Answered by Vichna Belsky, BS, CLC
Support for Moms of Babies Born with Cleft Lips/ Palates
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LET’S CLEAR THE AIR
Workout at Work By Chaya Tziry Retter, RDN, BS, CPT
Fruity Flavors Delectable Tu B'Shevat Desserts
The Problem With Doctors Rabbi YY Rubinstein Expounds
Fruitful Home Hacks Seasonal Stumpers
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Chaya Kessler, PNP, is a well-known highly dedicated pediatrician with years of experience working with the Heimish community
Dr. Anush Vasikaran, MD, a highly experienced and respected specialist, has nearly a decade of experience working with the renowned Dr. Rabin Rahmani
OB/GYN A distinguished team led by renowned physicians—Dr. Michael Abrahams, MD, Dr. Andrew Scheinfeld, MD, Dr. Francine Guzman, MD—alongside a dedicated group of midwives and certified PAs, including Linda Gaglioti, CNM, Nichole Virag, CNM, Naomi Schwartz, CNM, Aviva Salomon, RPA-C, Mahboubeh (Miriam) Zafarmehr, RPA-C, delivers exceptional care, decades of experience, and world-class service to the community.
CARDIOLOGY Dr. Naftoli Neuburger, MD, a highly sought-after specialist with 48 years of experience, currently serves as the Hatzalah Medical Director in Cardiology
OPTOMETRY Dr. Ha-Eun Chung, OD, and Dr. Nabeel Chaudary, OD, offer extensive experience in expert eye care, including exams, contact lenses, retina consultations, and managing ocular conditions
Dr. Edwin Cohen Azarkian, MD, an expert in internal medicine and nephrology, with 14 years of experience
DERMATOLOGY Hamid Bamshad, RPA-C, and Nakhon Leora, RPA-C, are both well-recognized in the Boro Park community, bringing several decades of expertise in dermatology
PODIATRY Dr. Diana Castro, DPM, brings 26 years of experience working in our community, while Dr. Glenn Donovan, DPM, has 42 years of experience performing procedures in surgical settings
PHYSICAL THERAPY Dr. Melody Bautista, DPT, and Dr. Paul Asoro, PT, are well-known in the Boro Park community and bring many years of experience and expertise
PAIN MANAGEMENT UROLOGY Dr. Sunshine Robert, MD, is board-certified since 1985, and comes highly recommended by Boro Park rabbanim with extensive experience in the medical field
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WELLSPRING MAGAZINE JANUARY 2025 | TEVES 5785
| ISSUE #107
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LET’S CLEAR THE AIR By Ita Yankovitch Tu B’Shevat reminds us that the Borei Olam created the whole world, including the trees and plants, for our benefit. Itta Yankovitz brings this concept home, expounding on how plants serve many fascinating functions, from beautifying our surroundings to cleaning the very air we breathe.
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CUP OF TEA With Libby Solomon MS-SLP By Devorah Levitz When stepping into unfamiliar territory, it’s helpful and healing to have a hand to hold. This month, Devorah Levitz speaks to speech therapist and cleft lip/palate advocate Libby Solomon, who provides rich insights, support, and a wealth of experience for mothers on this journey.
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THE PHANTOM PAIN By Mattie Steinberg The gallbladder was gone, but the pain wouldn’t leave. There’s a cautionary tale in this medical saga. Be informed, trust your gut, and act as your own advocate. There’s never a need to panic—but if something feels off, don’t allow your concerns to be dismissed.
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WELLSPRING / JANUARY 2025
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WELLSPRING MAGAZINE JANUARY 2025 | TEVES 5785
| ISSUE #107
WELL INFORMED 12 Springboard 16 Spiritual Eating 18 Torah Wellspring 22 Health News
LIVING WELL
WELLBEING
30 Cover Feature
62 Hakol Beseder
38 Second Opinion
64 Seasonal Stumpers
40 Community
66 Well Answered
42 Fitness
68 Wallet Wellness
44 Cup of Tea
70 Mind and You
50 Medical Saga
EAT WELL
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58 The Way Eye See It
98 Holistic
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EDITORIAL
Health Advisory Board Dr. Chayala Englard, Chaya Tilla Brachfeld, RN
57 More or Less
Editorial Contributors Rabbi Yehoshua Belsky LMSW, Rabbi Eli Glaser, CNWC, CWMS, Rabbi Y.Y. Rubinstein, Baruch Niebloom, Rabbanit Orit Esther Riter
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BETTER VISION, BETTER BEHAVIOR. Our targeted vision therapy program is geared to enhance your child’s ability to relax, and in turn succeed in school. • Children & Adults • Male & Female Providers
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Liana Rivkin O.D., F.A.A.O. Pediatric/Adult Behavioral Optometrist Esther Gurell O.D. Pediatric/Adult Behavioral Optometrist Margery Robles Assistant to Vision Therapy Director
Try vision therapy and see the difference in your child. Center For Advanced Vision Care
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EDITOR'S NOTE
pose. In fact, while we may be blind to it initially, even the bitterest food can yield the sweetest end product.
In West Africa, there is an amazing little fruit known for its incredible, reality-altering effects on human taste buds. This sweet little berry goes by the fitting name of “miracle fruit,” and quite the miracle it is. No matter what food graces your plate, once you’ve eaten the miracle berry, all the food you consume in the next hour or so, whether bitter, sour, or bland, will taste deliciously sweet. Encountering this truly divine berry and recognizing our palates’ intricate functions, one can’t help contemplate the kindness of our Creator. Why else would we be given taste buds capable of discerning such specific flavors? Of all our senses, this particular ability seems superfluous and can be considered nothing short of a gift. As we prepare to celebrate the variety of fruits on Tu B’Shevat, from the shivas haminim and our classic standbys to exotic hybrids, our taste buds take center stage. They water at the suggestion of passion fruit and pucker at the thought of lemons. But lemons, too, have their pur-
I was fascinated to discover that lemons, among other fruits, can be turned into unique and surprisingly delicious wines. The process isn’t as complicated as it is lengthy, but with a bit of juicing, boiling, and a lot of waiting, the end result is sweet and rich. Unlike grape wine, where the juice of the fruit is considered of a higher caliber—a fact recognized by the upgraded berachah of ha’gafen— the berachah over the juice of any other fruit is downgraded to a shehakol. But while the status of the bright colored citrus may have been degraded, the flavor of the lemon is said to have been greatly enhanced. There’s another bitter “fruit” that yields the richest and sweetest results—the cacao bean. While most would not readily equate the cacao bean with the fruits in our Tu B’Shevat spread, this bitter fruit does grow within the pods of the cacao tree. It then requires harvesting, fermenting, and a lengthy meticulous process before we get to savor the delectable delight we know as chocolate. This intricate transformation, from bitter bean to sweet delight, is a testament to beautiful and brilliant elements
embedded in the Borei Olam’s creations. Both lemon wine and chocolate are divine delights in spite of their humble roots and bring home a fascinating point: The initial flavor is rarely the final one. It often takes work, and perhaps some of it is unpleasantly bitter, but that experience shapes and refines us. And if done right, the end product is pleasantly sweet. On Tu B’Shevat, as we marvel at what little seeds can sprout into, we give thanks for the awesome colors and flavors the earth puts forth. Law of nature aside, Hashem is the only One Who can create something out of nothing. Everything out of nothing. It’s all miraculous, much the way all of life is miraculous. Every person, tree, sapling, and berry is a precious and protected Divine Design. And lest we forget, there’s a little miracle berry that reminds us that everything can taste sweet. As it turns out, we don’t need to travel to West Africa, nor even make a ha’eitz to experience this miraculous phenomenon. Girded with emunah and recognition that whatever we encounter was custom-designed for us by our Loving Father, every experience can taste downright delightful.
tz i v o k h s r e H i r i Tz
tziri@wellspringmagazine.com
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SPRINGBOARD
Temporary Relief Is Still Relief Issue #106: Skin Deep Thank you for the story on pemphigus vulgaris. I want to thank the protagonist for her courage in sharing her story and reliving her experience. It gives chizuk to other people going through this ordeal. Being such a rare disease, it can be lonely and isolating, and seeing the story in print makes us feel seen and understood. Additionally, patients too often suffer for months as they run from doctor to doctor in search of a diagnosis. When patients have the knowledge, they can insist on getting the biopsy to test for pemphigus and thereby finally get the diagnosis and help they need. I’d like to share my own perspective on this journey. In “Skin Deep”, the woman seemed to imply that prednisone is not advisable and one should immediately go the Rutoxin (rituximab) route. In my opinion, those suffering from pemphigus should not so quickly dismiss prednisone/steroids. Rituximab takes approximately three months to kick in. In the interim, the
patient is in excruciating pain. Prednisone or other steroids can be a lifesaver during that time, alleviating the bulk of the pain. My doctor also felt that even while on rituximab, the steroids were necessary to get me symptom-free and to arrest the disease’s progression—making it beneficial in the long run. If anyone would like to initiate a support group for pemphigus/pemphigoid, please reach out to me through Wellspring. Name Withheld
Emotionally Safe Issue #105: Winter Wellness I must take a moment to react to two incredible articles published in issues 105 and 106. First, some reflections on hygge. This article was enlightening, creative, and novel. The concepts are so very distant— even despised—by Americans today, who honor the hustle of a hectic, forever-doing lifestyle. We need more
of this kind of material out there to combat the unhealthy rushing we see all over. Thank you, Tziri, for holding emotional health as the gold standard of accomplishment in an environment that honors everything but that. The concept of hygge struck home. As an emotional wellness coach and Creative Journal Expressive Arts instructor, I’ve come to learn that there is one thing we all seek. No matter a person’s level of crisis, stage, age, history, trauma experiences, family situation, every human being seeks safety. We seek the ability to feel full, whole, and comfortable in our own skin—safe. Take anxiety, for instance, which plagues our generation. The very physical symptoms of this condition cause a person to feel scared, out of their body, threatened, lost, floating, and hurt. The anxious person feels entirely unsafe. Recovering from anxiety means finding safety within, once again. Last year there was a big splash about “authenticity” being the word of the year. What is this authenticity that people are so busy with? It’s the ability to be true to ourselves and thereby feel safe in our own skin. Look around, listen to people talk; it’s all the same repeated cry for safety. The reason why Tziri’s beautiful article on hygge struck me as so incredibly rich was because it
GET IN TOUCH Wellspring invites readers to submit letters and comments via email to info@wellspringmagazine.com. We reserve the right to edit all submissions and will withhold your name upon request. We will honor requests for anonymity, but we cannot consider letters that arrive without contact information.
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Any health information, advice, or suggestions published here are the opinion of the letter writer and are not independently investigated, endorsed, or validated by Wellspring. Always seek the advice of a qualified health professional or medical practitioner regarding any medical advice, condition, or treatment.
SPRINGBOARD
Quick Question Question: I have been to the doctor twice this week. I am coughing and have been having a fever on and off. The doctor tested me for flu, COVID, RSV, etc., and all came back negative. I am feeling horribly sick—weak, tired, and unable to do much. Do you have any suggestions? Also, is there something I can do to prevent my kids from catching this bug?
Answer: You are obviously under the weather, but not all viruses can be tested for. This is where you can really benefit from taking supplements and using essential oils. My recommendation would be to take some vitamin C 1000 and Maxi Biotic, three times a day, as well as vitamin D (with food) and elderberry. I would also recommend you drink echinacea tea or cold and flu tea every three hours, adding honey and lemon. You can also massage your chest with oils that contain eucalyptus, peppermint, and tea tree. For your cough you can use the following homeopathic remedies: bryonia, aconite, and eupatorium perf. Two sprays under the tongue twice a day should be helpful. For prevention for others in the family, you can give them vitamins C and D, use thieves oil as an immune boost (massage soles of feet morning and night), and a combination homeopathic remedy called Flu Remedy, which contains oscillococcinum, bryonia, and other antiviral remedies. Kashrus Note: Oscillococcinum needs a hechsher. The one manufactured by Boiron is not kosher; the company verified that it is made from duck liver. Miriam Schweid, Health Consultant
brought out the physical characteristics of the safety we all seek. The mug of hot chocolate, fuzzy blanket, dim lighting, family moments, and heartfelt singing are all physical demonstrations of safety. These demonstrations whisper: You’re safe here, you belong, you are home. In fact, in the first paragraph, Tziri writes, “The grounds were covered in snow, but I was safe and secure indoors.” That’s hygge: safety. Offering our children (and ourselves) physical and emotional safety is the biggest gift we can give in 2025—and forever. And it’s not by telling them (or ourselves) that they are safe. It’s by giving them the sensual experience—like hygge—of safety, so their senses can experience it in real life and bank on it during hard times. In essence, when a per-
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son starts to feel safe within, that’s when their bitachon is strengthened as well. It is then that they can start to truly relax in Hashem’s embrace. So hygge—safety—runs deeper than we can ever imagine. Thank you, Tziri, for bringing out this brilliant idea. I must add how much I appreciated the ingenuity of your gift-giving guide. I loved the concept of gifting our children with what they truly desire. And, if we look underneath the gift-giving options you so eloquently presented, what are you really gifting the child with? You are giving them safety. You are telling them: I choose you, I like you, I want you, you are safe to be you. Thank you Tziri and the Wellspring team for being pioneers in teaching and disseminating such valuable
information about emotional health and wellness. Wishing you much continued siyata di’Shmaya and success. With gratitude,
Pnina Schoss, CJEAI® Emotional Wellness Coach
You Can Help Issue #106: Well Answered The Well Asked question stirred up childhood memories, and the answer triggered me intensely. I strongly believe that even without knowing all the
details or having the ability to stop the situation, people could still make it easier for kids going through a horrendous experience at home. When I was going through difficulties in my childhood, most of my teachers didn’t know the details. I was experiencing a physical and emotional roller coaster. I was not the one being physically abused, but with all that was happening, I did not feel safe in my own home. Even more, I was an emotional wreck, and I felt so ignored, scared, unwanted, and alone. I had two wonderful teachers that year, neither of whom had an inkling of what was happening in my home. At one point, a well-meaning family member did enlighten them about some facts, but the details remained murky and it was not clear what—if any— action they could take. Yet, even without knowing precisely what was happening—the chaos taking place in my home and in my head—both of those teachers went out of their way to make me feel seen, accepted, and loved. During a time in which I felt so ignored, they made me feel like I mattered. It is impossible for me to accurately express just how much their kindness meant to me. They gave me back hope and the will to live. They had no idea about the extent of the situation, and even had they known, they would have been unable to fix it. But even so, they did fix a large part of my childhood that year. I looked forward to going to school. I finally had somewhere I felt safe. So, going back to the question, it is not quite accurate to say that the neighbors were simply unaware or unable to assist. Having been a child in a similar situation, I have to insist: They could have done more. Something. Anything would have been better than nothing. They may not have known they had the power to make a difference, but they did. I agree with Vichna’s insistence that it is important to forgive and to recognize that those old neighbors might have felt unable to help. But I believe they could have—they just didn’t take the opportunity. My hope is if you are reading this and are aware of a situation you feel powerless to help or stop, you will nevertheless not turn your back. You too can make a difference in the life of a suffering child. Mrs. M. Monsey, New York
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SPIRITUAL EATING
By Rabbi Eli Glaser, CNWC, CWMS
Greatness from Within
Parashas Va’eira begins with a curious conversation between Hashem and Moshe. Hashem reassures Moshe that the redemption is at hand, but Moshe questions his ability to communicate effectively with Pharaoh. They go back and forth until Moshe finally agrees. He develops into a leader who directs the Jewish People out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and to a national revelation at Har Sinai. Before his death, Moshe achieves the greatest heights of spiritual leadership, a level that is never matched during the subsequent three millennia of Jewish nationhood. What is peculiar, however, is that during this discussion, 15 verses of paternal lineage are interjected in the middle of the dialogue. These seem quite out of place. Why in the world would the Torah temporarily divert from the discourse between Hashem and Moshe to paint a family tree? One approach to understanding this, based on Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch, is to recognize Judaism’s definition of a leader. In many societies, a leader is a supernatural figure residing high above the rest of the nation. He is not a person as much as a godlike figure, separate and aloof. In Judaism, the opposite is true. A
leader is a normal person who reaches exceptional heights, assuming responsibility for a nation in which he is intimately involved. He is not separate from society; he is an integral part of it, with parents, siblings, children, and all the accompanying joys and challenges. He too is another beautiful leaf on a magnificent and deeply rooted tree. The Torah intentionally lists Moshe’s ancestry smack in the middle of his assuming the mantle of leadership to teach us that he is just as much flesh and blood as anyone else. He too can have insecurities—“Behold, the Children of Israel have not listened to me, so how will Pharaoh listen to me? And I have sealed lips” (Shemos 6:12)—but he can also accept encouragement and walk through his fears to achieve greatness. None of us are born as exceptional, refined, and complete people. Everyone, without exception, has to invest time, effort, and a lot of prayer to achieve any genuine goal in life. This is especially true when it comes to changing unhealthy behaviors. One of the biggest self-imposed stumbling blocks is the rationalization that “it’s just too hard for me; I can’t change. I don’t have the willingness to stick with it like other people do. I love sweets too much to give them up.”
I have the merit of providing Soveya health and wellness seminars to communities throughout the country, speaking before thousands of people. When I mention that during my own continuing journey toward a healthier lifestyle, I haven’t indulged in a piece of chocolate cake in more than two decades, gasps of wonderment and awe abound amid the audience. I quickly grab the biggest pin I can find and burst their bubble of amazement, pleading that I am no stronger, wiser, or self-controlled than anyone in the room. Anyone, absolutely anyone, can make whatever critically important adjustments are necessary to improve their health and wellbeing. None of us are born with any added advantage. We may have our unique challenges, but honesty, consistency, and a 100 percent commitment to change are universal ingredients in the recipe of success that is inherent in all of us. If we are truly open to encouragement and suggestions—and willing to walk through our fears no matter how difficult we may perceive them to be— we too can reach the goal of health and wellbeing, both physically and spiritually. Our aim is not to summit the heights of Moshe Rabbeinu, but rather to nourish and cultivate our own innate and unique potential.
Rabbi Eli Glaser, CNWC, CWMS, is the founder and director of Soveya and the author of the best-selling book Enough Is Enough—How the Soveya Solution Is Revolutionizing the Diet and Weight-Loss World, available on Amazon and at Barnes & Nobles and Judaica Plaza in Lakewood. He has worked with thousands of clients around the world and has maintained a 130-pound weight loss for the last 19 years. For more information about Soveya’s programs call 732-578-8800, email info@soveya.com, or visit www.soveya.com.
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WELLSPRING / JANUARY 2025
led by: Dr. Binyamin Hillel, RPA-C
Dr. Stuart Goldwasser, RPA-C
Urgency is no longer an excuse Say goodbye to bandaid care, and hello to getting it right at the hands of professional doctors. FastTrack is revolutionizing after-hour healthcare for local families like yours.
TORAH WELLSPRING
By Rabbi YY Rubinstein
The Problem with Doctors
I suspect that this column might be a teeny bit controversial, although that is certainly not my intention. Perhaps I should start by explaining my choice of title. Many years ago, I met someone who told me that their grandmother often used to say, “The problem is that doctors think they’re gods…and people forget that G-d’s a doctor.” Throughout my personal life, when my sons or daughters suffered from the inevitable childhood illnesses like sore throats, flu, or measles, I had the average exposure to doctors. That exposure became far more frequent during the five years of my late wife’s battle with cancer. Professionally, that changed when I became the Jewish chaplain to two of the biggest and most famous medical schools in England: Manchester and Liverpool. I met lots of doctors or trainee doctors as my job required me to counsel and help them. So, with all that experience and interaction with physicians, I would have to disagree with that wise old Jewish bubby, or at least tweak and qualify her statement to “Some doctors think they’re gods.” Of course, that doesn’t make the old joke of the Jewish couple who take an advert in The
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Jewish Press that reads, “Mr. and Mrs. Cohen are proud to announce the birth of their son…Dr. Cohen!” any less funny or true.
In Germany in the 1930s, more than half of all doctors enthusiastically joined the Nazi party. More doctors chose to become paid-up Nazis than people from any other profession.
But the focus of this article is on doctors, not their proud Jewish parents who might indeed see their MD offspring as being far above other human beings.
In Holland today, the number one cause of death is officially “death by doctor.” In that country, which allows euthanasia— so-called “mercy killing”—two doctors’ signatures are required before an old or sick person’s life can be ended by lethal injection. The procedure and practice of the policy by Dutch doctors has been rocked by repeated scandals and abuse. Mercy killings have often been less than merciful and their practitioners very far indeed from being “caring, kind, and wise.”
Almost none of the doctors I have met have any delusions of divinity. Most know that they are vulnerable and fallible human beings. Certainly, the hundreds of Jewish medical students I was responsible for over 25 years did. Many of them had very real issues, including social awkwardness, anxiety, trauma, depression, addiction, and all the rest that people outside the doors of medical facilities suffer from too. Which is actually a pity. I think that when going to our doctors, most of us rather hope they do possess supernatural abilities. We want them to be able to cure any ailment or condition that we or the people we love may have. We hope they are brilliant clinicians who are caring, kind, and wise. As I mentioned before, the reality is that they have just as many flaws as the people they are trying to cure. Sometimes and in some places, they actually have many more.
The values of society become the values of medicine— and the people who practice it.
I could continue to list other countries, such as China— where doctors happily carry out policies of the state that Torah Jews would find simply appalling and horrific—but I hope you will take my word for it that in some places and some eras, doctors can behave more like devils than gods. The values of society become the values of medicine—and the people who practice it. Today, society’s values are very far removed from those of Torah Jews and this is often reflected in its medical values. That is a problem.
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