By SIMHA Mental Health Series

When King Solomon wrote, “Educate a child according to his way,” he captured a timeless truth: every child learns and grows differently. For some children, intense energy and focus challenges can make life feel overwhelming for them and their parents. To shed light on this, SIMHA Mental Health hosted a conversation with Dr. Lancer Naghdeci, DOO, and Yaffa Gordon, pediatric physician assistant, moderated by Isaac Setton, LMHC. Together, they explored what ADHD really means, how it affects families, and how compassion and understanding can help children thrive.

Seeing the World Differently

“ADHD isn’t about bad behavior or bad parenting,” says Dr. Lancer Naghdeci. “It’s about how the brain manages attention, impulses, and emotions.” ADHD presents in varied ways. Some children struggle with focus, forgetfulness, or losing track of instructions. Others are highly impulsive, moving constantly, interrupting, or acting before thinking. Many experience a mix of both. Behind these behaviors is often a child who experiences the world intensely, feeling emotions deeply and reacting quickly. This intensity can cause frustration, but it is also a source of great creativity.

Understanding, Not Blaming

Families sometimes confuse ADHD with other conditions like learning disorders or autism. Yaffa Gordon explains, “Learning disorders affect how children process information. Autism involves social and sensory challenges. ADHD is different, it’s about regulation: attention, energy, and emotion.” Recognizing this distinction shifts the focus from blame to understanding. “It’s not about willpower,” she says. “It’s about wiring.” When parents understand that, guilt gives way to empathy and action.

When to Seek Help

Every parent wonders: Is this normal, or something more? Yaffa says the key is functioning. “If mornings always end in tears, homework feels impossible, or friendships are hard, it might be time to seek help.” Dr. Naghdeci adds, “We look for patterns that persist across home, school, and social settings. It’s not about perfection, it’s about impact.” A full ADHD evaluation includes history, teacher and parent input, and sometimes testing. “Diagnosis isn’t about labeling,” Dr. Naghdeci notes. “It’s about learning who the child is and how to help them succeed.”

More Than Medication

Medication can be helpful, but it’s only part of treatment. “Medication helps the brain focus,” Yaffa explains. “But therapy, structure, and connection teach the life skills that last.” A balanced approach includes behavioral therapy, school accommodations, consistent routines, and physical activity. Sleep, nutrition, and creativity all support focus and self-regulation. “It’s never just about a pill,” says Dr. Naghdeci. “It’s about building confidence, not compliance.”

A Parent’s Perspective

Yaffa speaks not just as a clinician but as a mother. “My son has ADHD,” she shares. “It’s been a journey, challenging, yes, but full of growth. I learned that helping him didn’t mean fixing him. It meant understanding him and focusing on his strengths.” Her story reflects what many parents discover: progress begins when we stop fighting against who our children are and start working with them.

Breaking the Stigma

Stigma remains one of the biggest challenges. Many parents fear being judged or misunderstood. “People still say, ‘Your child just needs discipline,’” Isaac Setton notes. Dr. Naghdeci shakes his head. “ADHD isn’t a lack of discipline; it’s a difference in brain development. Once people understand that, compassion replaces criticism.” When parents respond with empathy, children learn to extend that same grace to themselves.

The Power of Support

SIMHA’s mission is to ensure families don’t have to navigate ADHD alone. The organization connects parents with trusted, culturally sensitive professionals who understand both the science and the spirit of the community. “Finding the right therapist is like finding the right teacher,” says Yaffa. “It’s someone who listens, gets your world, and believes in your child.” This connection between families, clinicians, and schools can turn isolation into empowerment.

Redefining Potential

When we reframe ADHD as difference rather than deficiency, the story changes. Many entrepreneurs, artists, and innovators share traits common in ADHD: creativity, spontaneity, and energy. “We don’t treat a diagnosis,” says Dr. Naghdeci. “We treat a person.” A child who daydreams or moves nonstop might one day design, perform, or lead. With the right guidance, those traits can become gifts.

A Final Word

ADHD is not a life sentence – it’s an invitation to understand differently, parent patiently, and support more compassionately. Every child deserves the chance to succeed on their own path. SIMHA Organization helps families find those tools through understanding, connection, and care. Visit simhahealth.org or call 718-675-3000 to learn more.

Jenna Ashkenazi

In a New York bridal market saturated with long waitlists, generic silhouettes, and overused designs, one name has quietly risen above the noise and has become a legend within the community: Anna Augusta. Brides know her for her breathtaking workmanship, her engineering-level precision, and her rare ability to create a gown that feels unmistakably personal, designed with only one bride in mind.

Brides in New York know the familiar challenges of the bridal landscape. There are extended waits for popular gowns, limited flexibility in altering styles to meet modesty preferences, and the fatigue of visiting boutique after boutique only to encounter the same silhouettes displayed under different lighting.

Accessories are often sold separately and sourced from multiple designers. Even with considerable effort, the accessories rarely align perfectly. It is in this environment that Anna’s studio truly differs. In Anna’s space, a bride encounters more than one hundred lace and fabric options, each selected for its structure, texture, and quality. Rather than brides having to assemble their look from disparate sources, Anna designs the entire bridal ensemble herself. The gown, veil, cape, gloves, and headpiece are all created to align in fabric, proportion, and intention. The result is a cohesive and refined presentation that is exceptionally rare in today’s market.

Because each gown is crafted from scratch, Anna designs seamlessly across the full spectrum of bridal style, from deeply modest to elegantly modern. Her approach is both sensitive and deliberate. This thoughtful adaptability has made her especially beloved within communities that prioritize modesty while still seeking a gown that feels contemporary and expressive.

The Fit!

The distinctive fit of an Anna Augusta gown has become one of her most recognized signatures. Brides speak about how naturally her dresses sit on the body. They describe how the silhouette flatters from every angle, and how the bride feels her gown moves with confidence and grace. This elevated fit is no coincidence. Before focusing exclusively on bridal design, Anna studied engineering. She brings that structural understanding into every seam and measurement. Each gown is built using the bride’s exact proportions, taken with exceptional accuracy. The result is garments that feel both artful and architecturally precise.

When she was only seven years old Anna created her very first dress for a doll. More than thirty-five years later, she has become a sought-after designer for brides across the United States, Canada, Israel, France, and England. Brides are attracted because Anna offers something rare: a gown created entirely around the bride’s personality, modesty needs, and vision. In Anna’s hands, the bride’s aspirations are not only respected. They are brought to life with a level of dedication and craft that continues to set Anna’s work apart.

The typical upscale New York bridal dress requires a long wait. Major bridal houses often require nine months to deliver a gown, followed by an extended period for alterations. Anna completes a fully custom gown, including fittings, in approximately three months. Brides have described the process as calm, organized, and reassuring, especially amid the pressures of wedding planning. Anna’s calendar fills quickly, often months to a year in advance, reflecting the deep level of trust she has earned within the community.

Anna Branches Out

In addition to traditional custom orders, Anna offers an option that is rarely available in New York. Brides may design a custom gown and rent it from Anna for the wedding day. This means that Anna maintains ownership of the gown, and other brides may benefit from a lower cost and a gown already made, which just has to be altered to create a perfect dress for each bride. This thoughtful approach allows women to experience the beauty, individuality, and craftsmanship of a bespoke (meaning a one-of-a-kind, unique) creation while embracing practicality and accessibility.

To meet growing demand, not only from brides but from their families, Anna has established BUY GOWN, a boutique devoted to elevated evening wear. The space offers a curated selection of gowns particularly suited for mothers and sisters of the bride or groom. Each piece is chosen for its refinement and is enhanced with Anna’s renowned alteration standards. BUY GOWN extends Anna’s philosophy of precision, elegance, and personalized care to women preparing for milestone celebrations, offering them an experience that mirrors the attention and artistry she brings to her bridal work.

For brides seeking individuality, precise structure, comfort, modesty, and true craftsmanship, Anna Augusta remains a distinguished and trusted figure in New York bridal design. With BUY GOWN, she has expanded her reach even further, allowing more women to encounter and wear her exceptional talent.

For more updates and inspiration, visit their Instagram page: @AnnaAugustaBridal

Jack Gindi

The December air carries the scent of wood, smoke, and possibility. I’m sitting in my home office this evening, surrounded by the year’s writings, each one a blueprint drawn from lived experience: the construction sites that taught me about foundations, the grief that stripped me to the studs, and the slow, intentional work of rebuilding a life of meaning.

What began as individual pieces about body, being, balance, and business becomes something more: a complete architectural plan for building dreams together.

The Foundation Year

This year, I found myself returning to the construction metaphors that shaped my early career. Not because I miss those days of steel and concrete, but because I’ve realized the same principles that create sound buildings, solid foundations, strong frameworks, patient craftsmanship – also build meaningful lives.

Writing “Building Dreams Together” forced me to confront my own neglect. After my son Shaun’s passing, I’d treated my body like a tool shed instead of a temple. Those extra pounds, caused by comfort food replacing proper meals, wine helping ease difficult nights, and exercise forgotten took their toll. The Body Codes became my daily practice, not just words on a page.

“Thoughts Become Things” took me back to that young man in a commercial real estate office, deciding to act “as if” success were already mine. I can still feel the nervous energy, straightening my tie before meetings where I wasn’t sure I belonged. That mindset shift changed everything, not through magic, but through the steady power of clarity, focus, and aligned action.

But it was the family articles I read that surprised me most. Exploring the research on family rituals – those kitchen-table moments we’ve lost and can still reclaim – reminded me that the most important construction project isn’t a building. It’s the family framework that holds our deepest connections.

The Framework That Emerged

What I was uncertain of at the time was how these separate explorations would weave together into a system. The Four Pillars aren’t just categories – they’re the load-bearing walls of a well-built life. When I neglect my body (foundation), it clouds my spiritual clarity (frame), which strains my relationships (systems), and ultimately weakens my ability to contribute meaningfully (structure).

The CODE Framework – being REAL with facts, RAW with feelings, RELEVANT in focus, and clear about RESULTS – became my compass through every challenge. It’s not about having all the answers; it’s about trusting a reliable process to find them.

Seasonal wisdom added rhythm to the work: November as harvest time, honestly assessing what I’ve built. December as blueprint season: designing the sacred architecture of what comes next.

The Work Ahead

As I prepare this article for publication, I’m struck by something I want you to know: this isn’t just my work – it’s our work. These blueprints are meant to be shared, tested, and built upon by families ready to create something stronger than what they inherited.

I think about parents who might start one small tradition after reading my articles, – the person who will see their body as a sacred vessel deserving care. The entrepreneur who will bet on their future self instead of waiting for perfect conditions.

And I think about the moms and dads who will use the CODE Framework to navigate their next challenge, because having a reliable process makes the impossible feel manageable.

Building Into 2026

The foundation is laid. The blueprints are drawn. But the real construction begins when these ideas move from the page to home – from concepts into daily choices, from my story into your family’s architecture.

This year taught me that the deepest satisfaction comes from sharing blueprints that help families build dreams together. Every article was an act of faith that someone would read these words and decide to strengthen their foundation – or create one small ritual that transforms ordinary time into something sacred.

As we step into 2026, I offer what I’ve learned: life is a construction project requiring intention, patience, and daily courage.

The materials are available. The blueprints are ready. The question is: what will you choose to build – now and tomorrow?

The foundation is yours to lay. The dreams are yours to build. Start building today.

Jack Gindi helps families navigate life’s challenges through the I Believe in Me Foundation. Contact: jack@ibelieveinmefoundation.com.

Sam Sutton

Sunday morning. Playoff football. The air was crisp, the stakes were sky-high, and the Deal Football League delivered another unforgettable chapter in what’s shaping up to be its most electric season yet.

We’ve officially reached the Final Four. The field has been cut in half, and what’s left standing are four powerhouses, four locker rooms filled with belief, and four captains who can practically taste the champagne.

But to get here, it took guts, grit, and a whole lot of game.

Bengals Stay Hot, Dolphins Go Home

The first playoff showdown of the morning pitted the Miami Dolphins against the Cincinnati Bengals, a rematch of the now-legendary Miami Massacre. The storyline was clear: could Miami erase the memory of that beatdown and get redemption, or would Cincinnati prove that their late-season surge was no fluke?

Spoiler: The Bengals were for real.

Led by Shimi Cohen, who’s been in absolute command the last three weeks, Cincinnati came out with composure and confidence. Cohen’s offensive play-calling was crisp, methodical, and relentless. The Bengals played smart football, executing a balanced attack that kept Miami guessing all morning.

And then there was Moshe Shuk, back in the lineup and making his presence known. His intensity on both sides of the ball shifted the tone from the very first drive. Every big play seemed to have his fingerprints on it, and every drive felt like a statement.

By the time the final whistle blew, the Bengals had not only punched their ticket to the championship, but had also extended their win streak to three straight. A few weeks ago, this team was hanging by a thread. Now? They’re one win away from the biggest stage in the DFL.

Their opponent? The undefeated Baltimore Ravens – a team that’s looked untouchable all season long. Last time these two squads met, the Ravens took care of business. But this time, they’ll face a Bengals team that’s found its rhythm and identity. One team’s chasing perfection; the other’s chasing revenge. Buckle up this one’s going to be a war.

Demons Dominate, Vikings Silenced

The second game of the morning saw the Deacon Demons face off against the Minnesota Vikings, a team that snuck into the playoffs at the last possible moment after a late-season surge.

But if they thought momentum would carry them into the semifinals, the Demons had other plans.

From the opening possession, the Demons were dialed in. Their offense clicked. Their defense suffocated. Their energy was unmatched. It was mass destruction from jump.

Quarterback Zacky Cytryn put on a clinic, a dual-threat performance that defined leadership. He orchestrated the offense with poise and precision while also turning heads on defense, locking down the corners and picking off two passes that crushed any hopes of a Viking comeback.

When the dust settled, the scoreboard told the story: Demons 27, Vikings 0. A statement win in every sense.

Now, the Demons advance to face the Detroit Lions, a team riding their own wave of momentum with five consecutive wins and the advantage of a first-round bye. The Lions already beat the Demons once this season but this rematch feels different. This time, it’s personal.

The Final Four: The Stage Is Set

And just like that, we’re down to four: Ravens (undefeated), Bengals (three straight wins), Lions (five straight wins), and the Demons (dominant and dangerous).

No pretenders. No flukes. Just four heavyweights left standing – each one capable of hoisting the trophy.

As we head into the semifinals, one thing’s clear: the DFL has never been more alive. The energy, the talent, the storylines – everything is peaking at the perfect time. Four teams remain. Two will move on. One will rise above them all.

Welcome to the jungle. The road to the DFL Championship runs through it.

Every family has its own story, its own journey worthy of care and attention. In this case, Dad was a sales executive, earning $350,000 a year, until he abruptly got sick and landed in the hospital. He could no longer work, forsaking the joy and pride of providing for his family. Mom was a fitness instructor who made roughly $60,000 a year. Typically, she’d teach three sessions a week, but due to Dad’s health concerns, she had to take a work hiatus in order to take care of her husband. Mom and Dad have three children: a thirteen-year-old daughter and two sons, ages fifteen and eighteen. Mom had her hands full, whipping up delicious dinners every night, helping with homework questions, and imparting her kids with essential life lessons; however, the home structure suddenly flipped from comfort to chaos. Mom and Dad had too much on their plates to be present for their kids, to shower them with the love they deserve. The youngest child wasn’t doing well in school, the middle child didn’t even want to attend (and protested by misbehaving), and the oldest child was worried because high school graduation was looming and he needed life guidance. Putting her pride aside, Mom knew exactly whom she needed to turn to; she needed the full-package assistance that SBH provides. Knowing when to reach out for help is the first step, and being strong enough to make the call is just as important. Mom demonstrated bravery by heeding to a community volunteer member’s advice and contacting the SBH Client Services Division.

SBH’s mission statement is threaded in hope, assurance, and a guarantee that they will do their absolute best to mitigate family crises and take the form of a complete support network. Mom was vulnerable with SBH’s intake coordinator and opened up to them regarding her family’s recent struggles. The coordinator conducted an initial assessment of the case and made sure that the specific case fit the criteria.

“Here’s how the client service structure works,” the intake coordinator explained to Mom. “Each family that goes through our system is assigned a case worker and a community volunteer (referred to as a “captain”). That is the team that will walk families through crises, collaboratively creating both short-term and long-term goals. We employ a holistic approach for the entirety of this process. The holistic model enables us to cater to both the individual and the family as a whole. We work as a collective, as a team.”

Mom nodded with appreciation and was grateful for SBH’s dedication to help.

The intake representative continued to detail the confidentiality aspect. SBH would never disclose the names of its clients. Plus, before someone is ocially assigned a team, which consists of a social worker and a captain, SBH verifies their names with that individual to ensure that they are comfortable having them on the case. Assigning the right team to the right client is vital. SBH wants to cater to every family’s needs and find everyone the perfect match. The entire process is laced in compassion and understanding.

Later on, the team was confirmed with Mom, and they began their services by conducting a house visit. The social worker noticed disarray. Mom and Dad were behind on their bills and were drowning in their mortgage. There was a lot of financial stress. The team agreed that it would be important to attend to the family’s physical needs and mental health needs. The goals are as follows— working towards providing Mom with more daily structure, facilitating Dad’s eventual return to his job, and ensuring that each of the children reach a homeostasis and return to a healthy lifestyle.

The dominoes were then set into motion and SBH began to enlist their many incredible departments. The SBH Food Division sent over meals for dinner. The sbh medical division aided Dad with his recuperation process to make sure he was recovering properly and seeing the best doctors. The SBH volunteer division tutored and helped the kids with their homework; they also drove Dad to and from his appointments. The SBH Young Adult division assigned mentors to both sons to direct them through crucial formative years. Dad and Mom were referred to SBH’s counseling center, addressing anxiety and all the circumstantial uncertainty. SBH assisted with some of the family’s pressing bills, provided aid towards grocery shopping, and aimed to get Mom and Dad back to their normal routines. The SBH clothing division bought Dad a new suit and SBH career services helped polish his job resume, aiming towards getting him job ready. The SBH SEARCH program assigned a coach to their family that guided Mom and Dad on how to deal with a teenager that acts out.

Not only does SBH excel at collaborative problem-solving, but they highlight the importance of maintenance through weekly check-ins.

“Mom, how is everything progressing? Hey Dad, what are some skills we can accentuate to prepare you for a job interview? Are things running smoothly?”

As portrayed, there are numerous moving parts to this client service process, a harmonious intermingling of divisions, and a strong army of people who are eager to help alleviate families from crises. SBH provides an unparalleled level of care and guidance to those in need.

Your family may look dierent than the one depicted, every member undergoing their own journeys and hurtling over their own obstacles,
but the message remains — SBH is a pillar of support for every step of the way. Help yourself by letting us help you. With a case manager and captain guiding the process with love, care, and comfort we can get through some of the toughest treks.

Rabbi Elimelech Biderman

Dreidels are a beloved part of Hanukah celebrations the world over. And they’re far from being simple playthings. Dreidels symbolize deep spiritual concepts. Below are four enlightening messages that can be learned from the dreidel.

1. A dreidel hints to us that there’s nothing that happens in this world without it being decreed on high. Just as a person spinning the dreidel can’t know on what side it will land, so too he can’t know where his efforts will lead him. Spinning the dreidel harder doesn’t get you any closer to resolving this. Likewise, in life, the extra effort often just means a few more turns than necessary before getting to the result decreed on high. Hashem runs our life in a similar way. A man can’t change what was decreed for him from on high and all the extra efforts are just meandering off the path Hashem plotted for you.
    
2. Just as the dreidel spins only when you spin it from above, so too our world spins around by Hashem spinning it from above.

1. A person who spins and orients himself inwards toward Hashem will merit that he will spin out of and will escape the troubles that envelop him.

1. The Bnei Issachar explains: “…people spin the dreidel with the letters gimmel, shin, nun, and heh – and each faces a different direction with the dreidel spinning around a central point. These letters hint to the kingdoms of Rome, Babylon, Greece, and Madai, which oppose the four powers of man. Gimmel for “guf,” the body, shin for “sechel,” human intelligence, nun for “nefesh,” the soul, and heh for “hakol,” all of them.”

“They all spin on a central axis, which is Israel, that unites all the far away extremes. All the outside extremes are subservient to the middle they all spin around, and all the nations will nullify themselves to the nation of Israel and acquire a clear language (with which to come to Hashem).”