Arnie Goldfein and Rabbi Nahum Simon,         

              Co-Executive Directors of

 Rodfei Shalom Fellowship, Inc.

    Events for ALL Jews ALL 12 Step recovery program

COMBINING RECOVERY AND SPIRITUALITY

WITHIN JUDAISM

WEEKLY RECOVERY NEWSLETTER – 2/22/08

Hi Family,

Ok, we're down to crunch time!!! The Midwest Retreat is only two weeks from today and the registrations are coming in. All looks promising for a wonderful weekend of recovery and healing. On that note, here's this week's news.

1) Midwest Retreat:  As you all know by now, our Midwest Spiritual Retreat Recovery Weekend, with the support of The Jewish Healing Network of Chicago, is set for the Perlstein Retreat Center in Lake Delton, WI (about 70 minutes from Madison, WI). The food is Glatt Kosher and under the supervision of the CRC.  The event will take place March 7 – March 9, 2008. If the Florida retreat was any indication of what this event will be like – you can look forward to a warm, exciting, growth-filled weekend, in a safe environment. Sign up and be part of a warm, recovery filled weekend that will heal, enlighten you and your spirit.

We are getting the message out to as many people we can. Attached you will find a beautiful flyer the JHNC created as well as our brochure/registration form and Financial Assistance Form. Please, print out a few copies and pass them out to all your friends, acquaintances, others in recovery, etc.

2) Our February membership drive is rolling along wonderfully (and beyond my expectations!!) with now over 75 new members signing up since we started this a couple of weeks ago. Besides getting discounts to our future events,  receiving our newsletters and advanced news of upcoming events, among other things, those joining in February will receive free*, the CD's of our two main speakers from our January Spiritual Day with Rabbi Abe Twerski and Rabbi Nahum S. The benefit to our organization is that the funds help us cover day-to-day costs associated with membership events. Please, we are almost at our goal and we need you to join for us to reach our goal, to not only help the organization but for you to get all the associated benefits (AND the free* CDs) as well.

Yearly membership is only $20.00 for Individuals; $36 for Families; $50 for Professionals and $100 for Institutions. *Shipping for the CDs is only $4.95 for domestic delivery. This offer is valid only for anyone joining in the month of February, 2008. Some limitations apply. Membership is renewable on an annual basis. Foreign shipping additional. Membership form attached. Please allow 7-10 days for delivery.

3) Our Teffilin Facilitation Program: The only thing I can say is please read the following letter from the mother of the person who qualified for the first pair: "May Hashem bless you and the donor for all your Chesed (kindness) and help in this gift of the Teffillin! What a Bracha (blessing)! Please pass my words of thanks on to the donor and that I wish him/her hatzlacha rabba (much success) in all of his /her endeavors, good health long life and much Nachat (Spiritual pleasure) and recovery. I don't even have the words with which to express all my feelings about this. Thank you again."  

We are on the move again and we not only have a second Donor, we also have selected a second person who has qualified for a new pair of Teffilin and are in the process of making it happen.

The qualification criteria are simple: a) Fill out our Teffilin Request Form (you need to request the form from us); b) Be in recovery from Alcohol, Drugs or Sexual Addiction; c) Commit to putting on the Teffilin once a week; d) Does not currently own a pair of Teffilin; e) Have a financial need.        

If you feel you qualify (remember, honesty is a key ingredient in recovery) and you wish to apply, contact me via email at arnieg@rodfieshalom.org and I will send you the necessary paperwork to get things rolling. Once an individual qualifies and all the fine details are worked out, the Teffilin will be on their way.

For all you with enquiring minds, the Teffilin are quality-made from a store in Boro Park. 

As we mentioned, The Donor's guidelines are NOT meant to exclude those in other programs. It IS meant to do something positive for others and promote these Donor's particular requests.

If anyone else wishes to become a Teffilin Donor for any or all program people, please let me know. Or, if anyone wishes to start their own Good Deed Program and wish for us to facilitate it, let me know too. Let's see if we can do something here that I never even imagined or thought of – have others who are willing to be Givers, give. And have those who are not in the position to afford it, receive something to enhance both their recovery and Judaism.

4) Our Email Discussion Group. Our email Listserv discussion group for all those recovering from addiction and their family members is open for all to share their experience, strength, hope and Spirituality with other Jews in recovery.  There are no requirements to be a part of the discussion, as long as postings meet the guidelines that have been established. Just send your name, email address and a short paragraph introducing yourself to rebnahum@rodfeishalom.org. We will then send you a return email with instructions on how to sign into the group and begin receiving messages from all the discussion contributors. It's another way to become a part of our family and help with some of those isolation tendencies.

5) Our weekly call-in meeting continues on Wednesday nights, from 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM EDT, for the meeting and ½ hour or so afterwards for fellowship.  To join us, simply dial 218-486-1300 and enter the participant bridge code of: 933051.  Please join us and share your wisdom and experience. Please note: If you have unlimited long distance this is a FREE call!! If you are new to call-in meetings, may I suggest you give it a try? It truly is a wonderful experience and we offer a lot of love and support as well as sharing and fellowship.  It's also a great way for you to get some of our event information.

Please note: I have found a new service that has promised (?) to eliminate the problems some of our members have had dialing in. I am in the process of setting that up and will give everyone ample notice and let you know exactly when we will cut over to that new service.  

6)  Upcoming Events: OK, here we go: a) We have reserved June 22, 2008, for our next Spiritual Day. Keynote Speaker and location to be announced.     b) We have a tentative agreement for a weekend event.  c) We have a tentative weeknight in the summer for a cruise around Manhattan. d) There is someone working on "A day at the beach" for one Sunday in the summer. e) We have another tentative date for our winter cruise. We will keep you informed as soon as we have further information.

7) We have some sad news: We regret to inform you of the passing of longtime friend and old JACS member, Bonnie W., of Harrisburg, PA.  We wish the family our deepest condolences. Bonnie was a special person who on more than one occasion touched and changed my life.  

8) Spiritual Thought(s) for the Week:                                                                                                     

a) Be The Change: Think of one way in which you can simplify your lifestyle and try it out. –charityfocus.org

b) "The key to my serenity today is directly linked to my ability to stay in the moment—to be in the present."

And this is because G-d is only here with me now. As soon as my thoughts take me away from the present, and I begin to either dwell on the past and think of what could have been or regret what I did or didn't do, or when I begin to obsess on the future and worry about what will or won't happen, I have abandoned G-d and I'm all alone.

And by myself I am powerless and quickly become overwhelmed by fear and worry or by anger and resentment.

Today, my serenity is directly linked to my relationship with my higher power, and I strengthen this relationship throughout the day by returning to the present - where G-d is. – 12 Step Thoughts in Recovery

c) As long as you are not completely enlightened, there will always be an inner obstruction to knowledge that will make the task of helping others incomplete.  - Dalai Lama

 9) Recovery humor of the week: In my continuing attempt to bring a little smile and laughter to our recovery family, I am going to continue my crusade of publishing a joke. Now, I know what is funny to one person is not to another but I am doing this all in good humor – end of story – because I think in recovery we should laugh and have a good time!!  

Ok, folks, I rolled on the floor with this one and just couldn't resist:        

                                                                                          

A Shayla – (A Question in and of Jewish Law):

A well respected San Francisco psychoanalyst and a member of the Board of Trustees of Beyt Tikkun Synagogue (and frequently published author in the pages of TIKKUN) has brought the following question to our community, and hopes that its best Talmudic scholars might think more about it:     Is it OK to take Viagra on Shabbat?

There are two differing schools of thought on whether you can take Viagra on Shabbat:

Beit Shammai forbids the ingestion of Viagra on Shabbat, lest one violate the infraction of erecting a structure ('boneh').

Beit Hillel says do not read it as 'boneh' but as 'boner,' and permits the ingestion of Viagra before sundown so long as the Kabbalat Shabbat takes less than one half hour to complete, the kids are asleep, and your wife doesn't have a headache.

And what bracha (blessing) does one say before taking the Viagra pill?

There is a choice of four blessings:

1. Borei p'ri ha-eitz - blessing over the fruit of the tree;

2. Boruch Atah HaShem zokeif k'fuffim - bless you G-d for straightening those who are bent;

3. Ya'aleh v'yavo - arise and come;

4. Boruch Atah HaShem mechayei hameitim - bless you G-d for raising the dead.

THIS IS OUR ONLY AFFORDABLE WAYS OF GETTING OUR MESSAGE OF RECOVERY OUT TO THE JEWISH RECOVERY WORLD.

PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD!!

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: WWW.RODFEISHALOM.ORG

A few administrative notes: If you know you're moving and / or changing your email address, please let us know beforehand to ensure continued delivery of your newsletters.

In order to get the message of recovery out to as many people as possible, we will begin to start listing other recovery meetings on our website in the near future. This will be based on a mutual commitment. Just forward your information to us and we will get it listed as soon as we start the listings.  

Well, that's it for this week. For more information about any of our activities or events, feel free to call me at 718-261-4049 or email me at arnieg@rodfeishalom.org. To have your name or someone else's name added to our email list, simply email me and I'll be more than happy to subscribe you. And, you can visit our website at www.rodfeishalom.org.

 Have a great Day – just for today.

 Arnie