Let me state for the record: I am a trendsetter.
This just in, according to no less an authority than The New York Times. Based on their most recent census analysis, more American women are living without a husband than with one.
Author and former practicing attorney Wendy Jaffe has written an interesting and illuminating work called, \”The Divorce Lawyers\’ Guide to Staying Married.\”
Although rabbis can play a positive role in brokering a reconciliation in couples with relatively minor problems, they are generally ill-equipped, both educationally and often temperamentally, to grapple with spousal abuse, depression, bullying and other serious issues that can destroy marriages and souls.
Stephen Lachter didn\’t know what to expect when a friend dragged him to a men\’s club meeting at his Conservative synagogue five years ago.
\”My father was in a men\’s club, and to me, it was guys sitting around playing pinochle and volunteer ushering,\” he admitted.
Lachter was surprised to see \”interesting people having serious discussions,\” and he \”fell into a session on kiruv,\” or outreach, to intermarried families. \”I said to myself, this is something shuls need to be talking about.\”
Fewer than one-fifth of non-Jews who marry Jews convert to Judaism, according to a new study distributed by the American Jewish Committee.
I have a friend who answered one of these \”too-good-to-be-true\” ads. They met for brunch and she knew right away it wasn\’t going to work out because he glanced at the menu and then said, \”So, do you want to split an order of toast?\”
I met Dan a few weeks ago at an awesome party downtown. It was held on the entire floor of an industrial building on Spring Street, where a dozen or so artists were showing their work — mostly photographs and paintings but with a couple of jewelry and clothing designers interspersed. The lighting and the ceilings were low in a way that made everyone look more scintillating than they might in a retro basement bar in Santa Monica. Of course, it could have been the flutes of wine or the chocolate truffles. Or could it really have been Dan?
Couples who have created a partnership and life together consistently talk of the effort involved. Yes, some relationships seem easier than others, but all say it takes time, energy and a true willingness to face whatever comes along on their journey together.
Canceling a wedding has become that common these days. Just because a couple gets engaged, doesn\’t mean that they\’ll get married. It just means they\’ve registered at Macy\’s.
I met Bob and Susie at the end of a float plane trip deep in the Alaskan wilderness. Most of the year they live on a 40-foot boat surrounded by nothing but forest and water.
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