From the Editor
Dear Readers, In her interview with The Wellspring, Mrs. Raizy Zeigler, founder of the Zichron Shlome Refuah Fund, takes us back to the time when the seeds of her esteemed organization were planted. It was 30 years ago when she and her husband lost their dear son Shloimy to a 3-year battle with leukemia. Through his pleading before his petirah that they do something to perpetuate his memory, the organization was born. When Raizy shared her memories of that tragic time in her life, she took a break to shed tears. “It’s been 30 years,” she said between sobs. “Ober m’ken noch veinen, but we can still cry.” When Yom Tov comes around, we’re more desperate than ever to feel happiness in our hearts. We want to enjoy the family time, the beautiful rituals, the nachas. But what can we do if we’re bogged down by aches and pains? What can we do about the sadness, the maror, that surrounds us? As psychiatrist Dr. Yaakov Freedman shares in this issue’s fascinating “Cup of Tea,” a person can be on medication for mental illness and still lead a perfectly beautiful life. The question is, he points out, how the person feels about it. It all boils down to how we see the circumstances Hashem sends our way. The curveballs we’re faced with are not particularly pleasant, but it’s the way we accept them that makes all the difference in determining our level of simchah. Since the inception of our magazine, we’ve been inundated with requests from fans and readers for an exposé on the Sarno method. Finally, in this issue’s cover feature, we explore the controversial methodology that’s heralded by many as the route to recovery, yet viewed by others as an unsubstantiated, even hazardous, proposition. Dr. Sarno’s approach, which aptly relates to the theme of liberation, is constructed upon the “mind over matter” principle that affects not only our emotional health, but, according to him, our physical health as well. It’s not the back pain or digestive issues, he and his proponents argue. Instead, it’s that inner frustration, that unconscious tension, that manifest themselves in physical symptoms. As frum Jews, we’re the ones who hold the key to liberation from all this anxiety and sadness, with the help of the ultimate Redeemer. And there’s no time like Pesach to get to work on the process. Pesach is the Yom Tov of emunah, in commemoration of the time when our nation followed Hashem into the wilderness, feeling as secure and confident as a young child in his mother’s arms. Even if we can’t see it, even if we don’t feel it, we must believe that Hashem is at our side, that He’s holding our hand and taking us wherever we’re meant to be. With this thought in mind, we can finally let go of all that pain that’s constricting us and feel a true simchas Yom Tov. Wishing you all a kasheren, freilichen Pesach,
Shiffy Friedman
shiffy@wellspringmagazine.com
Well-Put!
“Your mindset is the foremost factor in successfully traversing the path to weight loss, because it is your guide, your cheerleader, your controller, your everything,” writes Beth Warren, RDN, in her article on mindfulness. Check out her new column, "Secrets of a Kosher Dietitian," on page 16. Nissan 5778 | The Wellspring 7