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Arnie Goldfein and Rabbi Nahum Simon, Co-Executive Directors
of
Rodfei Shalom
Fellowship, Inc.,
Events for
ALL Jews in ALL 12
Step recovery programs
COMBINING
RECOVERY AND SPIRITUALITY WITHIN JUDAISM
RECOVERY NEWSLETTER 3/25/08
 MORE
RETREAT IMPRESSIONS:
We
are still receiving impressions from those that attended the
retreat in Lake Delton, WI.
"I
came away with a great sense of self and my connection with my
Jewish brothers and sisters in Recovery that showed me that I
too have many more things to look at and could qualify for just
about everything ending in A."
"This
was the best retreat ever. First, the atmosphere of the
surroundings was exquisite. From the moment we entered there was
an air of tranquility. The warm welcome when we first got to the
lodge made me feel tike I was home immediately. I like having
the one service for Services
.it shows the sameness, not
separation, even in praying.
Retreats are very special to
release the Nashoma (soul). I don't know what else to say other
than thank you very much"!
I
also want to take a moment and thank the
Health and Healing Network of
Chicago for all their support in making this first
Midwest Retreat. Tracey, Rabbi Joe and Marcy, we truly
appreciate all you have done and look forward to working
together in the future on bringing recovery to the Jewish
Community. Thank You!!
 Snippets
of Recovery:
My first
'relationship' was when I was six years old and I was the first
kid picked up on the bus everyday to go to school and Laura was
the second. We used to sit next to each other every day and I
thrilled when we did. I clearly remember the day she was sick
and wasn't on the bus I was devastated!! We enjoyed each
other's company for the whole year and looked forward to seeing
each other every day. When the schools separated the sexes, I
was mortified! It took me months to get over not seeing her.
When I hit puberty my anxiety,
desire and insanity only increased. I found myself running after
that cozy feeling of meeting Laura on the bus. Needless to say,
what I chased to get almost killed me. It did take m away from a
loving God.
That was the start of a life-long
pattern of yearning, disappointment and heartbreak that I
experienced in relationships.
Unrequited
love; yearning; frustration; never understanding what a true
healthy relationship with another human being was about; my
parents divorce only solidified my misperceptions and I lived my
relationships in a fantasy inside my head and never in the real
world. TBC.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
It's with great sadness that
we report the passing of Rabbi Y. Chinn, father of our own
Rabbi Hirsch "Teddy Bear" Chinn. Rabbi Hirsch has helped
many of us in recovery with his warm, welcome, and
non-judgmental ways.
He is a "Tzaddik" Righteous Person,
in his own right.
Hirsch, our love and hearts
are with you. May you be comforted among the mourners of
Zion and Yerushalyim.
Rabbi Hirsch is sitting Shiva
this week in
Israel and can be reached at
011-972-2-641-5743. Please pay your respects.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 Meetings!!!
Meetings!!!! Meetings!!!!
> We had a wonderful, intimate call-in meeting last
Wednesday night. Although the group was small, the sharing
was deep and heartfelt. Those joining us left the meeting
with a sense of gratitude, free-ness and of us being family.
I have tears in my eyes while writing this part.
I never
felt like I had a family. Now I am first beginning to
believe that we do care and are helpful to each other in the
best way that we can be.
Please join us for this unique, weekly call-in meeting
on Wednesday nights, from
9:00 PM 10:00 PM ET, 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.
Ψ
Our email Listserv discussion group meeting 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 rid you of some of those isolation
tendencies.
Ψ
NY Meeting:
Our Saturday afternoon meeting for ALL Jews in ALL will
resume this coming Shabbos (Saturday) afternoon at 5:30 PM
ED at 147-22 68th Ave., Flushing, NY 11367. All
are welcome.
Ψ
Florida Meeting:
The next meeting will take place Sunday, 3/30/08, at
Congregation Migdal David, Tamarac, FL. Call Rabbi Nahum for
more information at 954-445-1181.
Our best wishes for a complete healing to Rabbi Tamar
who
will be undergoing a "grand opening" and will be having
surgery to operate on a "loose marble" brain tumor on
Tuesday
March 25, 2008. Our hearts and prayers are with you
for a full recovery.
 Upcoming
Events:
Save the DATES! a) We have reserved June 22, 2008, for our
next Spiritual Day. Keynote Speaker and location to be
announced.
b) September 5-7,
2008 for a Spiritual Retreat Weekend in the Northeast
(tentative). This event is looking better and better every
day. We have confirmed a hotel andare awaiting a contract.
We are planning something very special and unique for this
event. Stay tuned!!!!!
c) September 19-21
in the Midwest for a Spiritual Retreat Weekend (tentative)
d) Yearly New York
and Florida Succah Recovery Events October, 2008.
e) December, 2008
Florida Spiritual Retreat Weekend (tentative)
f) January, 2009
8 Day Recovery Cruise!!!
 Smile
for the Week:
In my continued attempt to
bring a little smile and laughter to our recovery, I am
going to continue my crusade of putting something here that
I consider worthwhile. 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!!
DE-STRESSERS: BECAUSE EVERYONE NEEDS A
SMILE!!!!!!
1. How do you put a giraffe
into a refrigerator?
STOP and think about it and decide on your answer BEFORE you
read further.
The correct answer is: Open
the refrigerator, put in the giraffe, and close the door.
This question tests whether
you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated
way.
2. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator? Did
you say, Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant, and
then close the refrigerator? Wrong Answer!!!!
Correct Answer: Open the refrigerator, take out the
giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door.
This tests your
ability to think through the repercussions of your previous
actions.
3. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the
animals attend, except one. Which animal does not attend?
Correct Answer: The Elephant. The elephant is in the
refrigerator. You just put him in there, remember?
This next question tests your memory. Okay, even if you did
not answer the first three
questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show
your true abilities.
4. There is a river you must cross but it is used by
crocodiles and you do not have a boat. How
do you manage it?
Correct Answer: You jump into the river and swim across.
Haven't you been listening? All the crocodiles are attending the
Animal Meeting. Thanks to Norm G.
 Our
Teffilin Facilitation Program is still on the move and, as
mentioned, we now have two Donors, each with their own criteria.
The combined current 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; F)
Be a male*.
We
have two more people that have qualified, one for February that
is currently in the works and one for March that has qualified
and is awaiting final approval.
*
We have added a new level to our program! We forwarded an
application to the Donors for their approval and it came back
unapproved. When we inquired as to why, both Donors (separately,
I might add) stipulated that their approval criteria was geared
towards giving the Teffilin to Men. That being the case, we
decided to attempt to find a Donor and expand the criteria to
enable women to receive Teffilin. If anyone is interested in
taking on the role of a Teffilin Sponsor and Donor and wishes to
include women in their criteria list, please let us know and we
will be happy to facilitate this.
If you feel you
qualify, want to commit to this program (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.
These Donors'
guidelines are NOT meant to exclude those in other
programs or be gender specific. They
ARE
meant to do something positive for others and promote these
Donors' particular requests.
If anyone else wishes
to become a Teffilin Donator with a set of criteria of their
own, 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.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 Spiritual
Thought(s) for the Week:
As we approach this time of year, I remember my first Pesach
(Passover) in the 12 step Program. I sat at the Pesach Seder,
and tears began streaming down my face, as I read about freedom
from being enslaved in
Egypt (alcohol, drugs, foods, sex, gambling, money), and how we
are supposed to imagine ourselves as being freed.
For the first time in my life, I could understand the meaning of
freedom. I could understand what it meant not to be under the
control of a power that I hated. I had broken the terrible hold
that was held over me, and I no longer had to do things against
my own will. From a 12 Step Jewish Blogger
The art of acceptance is the art
of making someone who has just done you a small favor wish that
he might have done you a greater one.
Anonymous
Every time I
ask God to give me patience, he tells me to wait!!!! - Jay M.
THIS IS OUR ONLY
AFFORDABLE WAYS OF GETTING OUR MESSAGE OUT TO THE RECOVERY
WORLD.
PLEASE SPREAD THE
WORD!!
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT:
WWW.RODFEISHALOM.ORG
Hey gang, send us your recovery snippets and your jokes. If
approved we would love to print them here!!!
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,
With love,
Arnie
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