Today, more Jews are participating in Twelve-Step Recovery
Programs than at any other time in the history of the
seventy-year-old tradition, originally begun by an unemployed
alcoholic stockbroker, affectionately known as Bill W.
Twenty
five years ago, only a handful of Jews could be found in
Alcoholics Anonymous and, later, in Narcotics Anonymous.
However, in the past ten years, Jews, in increasing number, have
been joining these programs, as well as Overeaters Anonymous,
Gamblers Anonymous, Sexaholics Anonymous, Codependents
Anonymous, and every other self-help program on the Twelve-Step
landscape.
It is no
longer uncommon to find men with beards and yarmulkes or women
with covered hair and long skirts in Twelve-Step rooms. The
self-destructive behaviors of society in general have now
reached the Jewish community as well, affecting adults and
adolescents from all walks of Jewish life.
This
year, National Recovery Month and the Jewish High Holy Days
share the same season. As a result, addicted Jews in recovery
will become double winners, since the philosophy and practices
of the two traditions serve to reinforce each other, as each
seeks, in its own way, to bring about a positive and lasting
transformation in its followers.
The
parallel paths to self-improvement include deep introspection
and the taking of a personal moral inventory. In order to
accomplish this, we are encouraged to confront regretted
behavior in our human and Divine relationships and attempt to
correct the underlying character defects that are responsible
for this behavior.
In the
Hebrew month of Elul, the 30-day period that precedes Rosh
Hashanah, and during the Days of Awe, the time between Rosh
Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Jews throughout the world engage in a
process of intense self-examination. This process includes
confessing our undesirable actions and attitudes, admitting the
specific nature of our wrongs, making amends to those we have
harmed, and expressing a willingness to distance ourselves from
such behavior in the future.
For Jews,
this formula for spiritual cleansing can be found in the
classical works of Reb Yonah and the Rambam. For those in
recovery, a similar formula exists in the Big Book of AA and in
the Twelve Steps that developed out of the Oxford Group, a
Christian fellowship that predated it.
It should
come as no surprise that these similarities exist, since both
traditions are rooted in Biblical teachings; and, according to
the Bible, living a spiritual life means always striving to
correct our moral failings and negative personality traits, so
that each year, we can become a new, improved version of
ourselves.
In the
Jewish tradition, we have the Torah, which is the Written Law,
and the Talmud, its exposition, to guide us on our journey. In
the Twelve-Step tradition, there is the Big Book to serve as our
source of knowledge and inspiration. Both are read and reread,
studied and restudied. Yet, there is also a more experiential
mode for communicating with a Higher Power. In Judaism, we have
many ancient mystical teachings which emphasize direct contact
with G-d through prayer, meditation, and a series of daily
practices. In the Twelve-Step world, we also learn a variety of
practices and perspectives that emphasizes the experiential
dimension of healing and personal development.
In both
traditions, the concept of communal sharing plays a large role
in our day-to-day lives, as well as in our ultimate quest for
spiritual growth. Jews pray with the support of a prayer group
called a minyan, and members of Twelve-Step Programs regularly
attend fellowship meetings where they offer each other hope,
understanding, and encouragement.
In the
early years of AA, there was an ongoing debate over which of the
two approaches was more foundationalthe direct experience of
the group meeting, in which one can see himself or herself in
the sharing of others, or the printed wisdom of the Big Book.
Nevertheless, both Judaism and the Twelve-Step Movement
acknowledge that what one can achieve with others is far greater
than that which can be gained alone.
The two
traditions also recognize that while the group is essential,
each individual is unique and learns in his or her own special
way. And, so, there is a system in place to provide a more
personal approach to the group dynamic. A Jew learns with an
individual study partner known as a chavrusa. Through
discussion and debate, they help each other clarify the concepts
being studied. The Twelve-Step counterpart is the
sponser-sponsee relationship, in which a more experienced member
acts as a support and guide to one who is newer in the Program.
Another
area where the two traditions overlap is in their approach to
the value of each day. Living a day at a time is a large part
of Twelve-Step thinking. The past, with all its sadness and
regrets, can become a heavy weight that prevents a person from
moving forward, while the future, so often darkened by
uncertainty and fear, may seem too overwhelming to contemplate.
For this reason, we try to keep things in the day and ground our
reality in the experience of each moment.
Judaism
also teaches that we should live day by day. Each night, as we
go to sleep, our neshama, our soul, leaves our guf, our body.
If we are fortunate, when morning comes, our soul is returned to
our body, and another day takes form. Therefore, upon
awakening, Jews greet the morning with the blessing of Modeh
Ani, a special prayer thanking G-d for the gift of a new day.
This helps us to maintain what, in Twelve-Step parlance, is
referred to as an attitude of gratitude.
Years
ago, many Jews felt uncomfortable about attending meetings in a
church and reciting the Lords Prayer at the end of each
session. There seemed to be a distinctly Christological feel to
the Twelve Steps. Since most of the members were, in fact,
Christian, they naturally tended to express their spirituality
in the language and imagery of their own religion.
Around
1980, Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski, a noted psychiatrist and
Chassidic Rabbi, showed where the Twelve Steps could be found in
Jewish thought and how the two approaches were not only
compatible, but mutually supportive. As a result, he rendered
the Twelve Steps kosher for everyone. Through the gates that he
opened, many Orthodox Jews were able to enter the previously
closed world of Twelve-Step healing.
As
National Recovery Month gets into full swing, there will be
celebrations and observances throughout the United States. In
Florida, the South Florida Recovery Festival will take place at
Mizner Park in Boca Raton on September 24th.
One week later, Jews in Recovery will observe Rosh Hashanah and,
hopefully, achieve the ultimate spiritual high.
Helping
to support National Recovery Month will be Ohr Ki Tov
Carlebachs Jewish Alcoholism and Addiction
Counseling Center, which is
a locally based national organization that serves as the bridge
between Jewish spiritual practice and the process of recovery.
It was created in 1985 by addicted Jews and their families who
were participating in Twelve-Step Recovery Programs and wanted
to learn more about Judaism in order to supplement and
strengthen their recovery
In
southern Broward County, Rabbi Nochum Simon, coordinator of JACS will lead a Spiritual Day for
12 stepping Jews on Sunday, September 25th. The day
will be highlighted with speakers, sharing, workshops and
fellowship.
