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You could have cut the silence in the air with a knife as Asher Rosen & his family sat in the living room of their Bnei Brak apartment awaiting a very special guest. Asher had now been on a few shidduch dates with a young woman named Shani and was ready to introduce her to his parents. When she arrived smiling shyly at the door, however, Asher’s mother was temporarily speechless.
The yeshiva bochur had failed to mention to his parents that his kallah-to-be had a very unusual appearance. Whereas most young ladies in their community had shoulder length hair or longer, often tied back into a ponytail, Shani had “boy-short” tufts of curly hair poking out rambunctiously over her ears & jutting out in several directions.

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Shani* used to be one of the most popular girls in her class. When she got sick and started chemotherapy, however, that changed. Losing her hair was devastating. Through her battle with cancer she volunteered, cheering up other patients, and made a chabura with other girls in the neighborhood to learn shmiras haloshon. Her family was elated when they finally got the news that the chemo had eradicated her cancer, and that she was in remission.

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The debate is not a new one: When bullying goes too far, who is at fault? Many child bullies are suffering from difficult home situations as well. Some parents feel that it is best not to intervene, and to allow the children to develop the social skills necessary to endure these difficult situations.
One Jewish school’s indifference, however, nearly cost a 14-year-old her life. Leah Levine was a bubbly and precocious young girl, who caught the attention of a ruthless group of bullies. Though the girl’s parents approached the school administration on multiple occasions, and were assured that it would be “dealt with,” the Levines say no steps were taken.

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Yehudis Segal couldn’t help but shriek as she watched Moishy and Mimi walk through the threshold of her apartment, cheeks flushed and eyes twinkling.
“Mazel tov!” she cried, giving her son and then his new kallah a tight embrace.
Moishy had been dating Mimi for several weeks and tonight, he had finally popped the question. Yehudis was amazed to see that Mimi was exactly as Moishy had described over the past few weeks: Warm, intelligent, fun, and possessing beautiful middos. But as the l’chaim continued on, something in Yehudis’s stomach started to churn. She tried to push the thought away, but the more she resisted, the more it ate at her…
Was the wedding even possible?

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Sometimes, everything changes in a moment.
When Gila Eisenbach’s daughter came home from school complaining about stomach pain almost a year ago, Gila could never have guessed in a million years how much their lives would change that day. But after taking her daughter to the hospital, the mother’s worst fears were confirmed: Her eighteen-year-old daughter Chani had cancer. 
Ever since then, Eisenbach’s lives have completely flipped upside down. Chani’s bone cancer was only discovered in its later stages. Life for the family became a physically and emotionally exhausting series of long bus rides with Chani to the hospital for chemotherapy and back, appointments with specialists, and hours of tear-filled tehillim.

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Gila Eisenbach sat at the dimly lit dining room table with her husband, conversing with him in hushed tones. They had just deposited their monthly paychecks from work, yet their bank account was somehow in the minus. And not by just a few shekalim.
“We had to buy extra groceries this month, Shmuel Tzvi,” Gila said. “It’s the Yamim Tovim. That’s just what happens every year. But…”
Her voice broke. She looked up at her husband’s kind, caring face. Then back down at the bank statement.
“What in the world are we going to do about Chani?”
Shmuel Tzvi buried his face into his wrinkled hands as his wife Gila broke down into sobs.

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Raising kids after a divorce isn’t easy. Mrs. Levine did the best she could with what she had to give her kids what she needed. Leah, her sweet shy little preteen girl, was enrolled at a respected girls’ school. There, Mrs. Levine felt confident that her daughter would have the wholesome childhood she needed. She had no idea what her daughter witnessed in those halls.
From a lunch tray knocked to the floor to a shove in the hallway, the bullying began gradually. Statistically, kids from divorced homes are more likely to endure bullying. At this beloved school surrounded by nice frum girls, however, Leah had hoped for better.

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Today, Sunday October 10th at 8:00pm, join Lomdei HaDaf across the world to mark the completion of Maseches Beitza.
On the verge of starting the ninth Masechta, we’re already nearly one third of the way through Shas! 
‘Yoma Tova L’Rabonon’- It’s Yom Tov again as we celebrate the Siyum on Maseches Beitza- the Masechta which Chazal call Maseches Yom Tov. And as with the inspiration of Yom Tov, we hope that the inspiration aroused by this Siyum will accompany us into the next Zman, giving us increased passion for our Torah and Avodas Hashem.

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Tomorrow, Sunday October 10th at 8:00pm, join Lomdei HaDaf across the world to mark the completion of Maseches Beitza.
On the verge of starting the ninth Masechta, we’re already nearly one third of the way through Shas! 
‘Yoma Tova L’Rabonon’- It’s Yom Tov again as we celebrate the Siyum on Maseches Beitza- the Masechta which Chazal call Maseches Yom Tov. And as with the inspiration of Yom Tov, we hope that the inspiration aroused by this Siyum will accompany us into the next Zman, giving us increased passion for our Torah and Avodas Hashem.