Chicken Soup For The Jewish Soul

DiamondsPolished Here

Kindnessis the golden chain by which society is bound together.

ùGoethe

AlthoughI gave up my rabbinic pulpit in 1959 to practice psychiatry, the lore, wisdomand ethical beliefs that imbue my family mythology and formed my growing yearshave never left me.

Asa psychiatrist, I specialize in treating addiction. Twenty-five years ago Ifounded The Gateway Rehabilitation System in Pittsburgh. I am often askedwhether any particular treatment modality is employed at Gateway. I alwaysanswer that our strength lies in our belief in the inherent goodness of everyclient. This quality is not always easy to recognize in a person who has led adestructive lifestyle for decades, someone whose use of alcohol or drugs hascaused great suffering for others. But in all my years of treating illnesses ofthe heart and soul, this belief has never failed me; each individual'sintegrity is always there, lurking right beneath the surface, eager to emerge.

Astory occurs to me of a man named Avi. I first met him while I was in Tel Avivspeaking before a group of ex-convicts in recovery who were coming into ourIsraeli rehabilitation program, a sister home to Gateway. When I began to speakof self-esteem, this man interrupted me. "How can you talk to us of this? I'vebeen a thief since I was eight. When I'm out of prison I can't find work andmy family doesn't want to see me."

Istopped him and asked if he'd passed by a jewelry store lately. "Consider thediamonds in the window," I said. "Try and think what they look like when theycome out of the mine as lumps of dirty stone. It takes a person who understandsthe diamond to take the shapeless mound and bring out its intrinsic beauty. That'swhat we do here: We look for the diamond in everyone; we help the soul's beautycome to the surface; we polish it until it gleams." I looked at Avi, alldisheveled and hunched over, nearly hiding in his seat, and said, "You're likethat dirt-covered stone. Our business is to find the diamond within and polishit until it glows."

Twoyears passed. Avi had graduated from the treatment center, and when thefollowing event took place he had already completed his stay in the halfwayhouse and was integrated into the community, working in construction. One dayAnnette, who manages the halfway house, received a call from a family whoseelderly matriarch had died. They wanted to donate her furniture to the halfwayhouse. Annette called Avi and asked him to pick up the furniture, which hewillingly agreed to do. When he went to pick it up, he saw that it wasn't worthsaving, but not wanting to insult the family, he hauled it anyway.

WhileAvi was laboring to carry the shabby sofa up the stairs to the halfway house, anenvelope fell from the cushions. After getting the couch inside, Avi retrievedthe envelope, in which he found five thousand shekels (about $1,700). Now Avi,remember, had served time in prison for burglary. When he was doing drugs hewould have broken into a home for twenty dollars. But now Avi called Annette andtold her about the envelope. Annette said it must be reported to the family.

Thefamily was so gratified by Annette's and Avi's honesty that they told her tokeep the money for the halfway house. As a result, the halfway house was able tobuy one more bed and provide room for one more guest, creating anotheropportunity for recovery. And Avi wasn't a crook anymore.

Avirelayed this story to me in a letter. He wrote, "When I used drugs, I would geta high for a very short time. When the high wore off I felt terrible, worse thanbefore. It's been three months since I found that money and every time I thinkof what I did, I feel good all over again. How different a feeling than atemporary fix."

Anotheryear went by and I returned to the halfway house where Avi's good deed had setoff a chain of events which led to, among other things, an extra bed. There wasa sign hanging above the entry. It read: DIAMONDS POLISHED HERE.

ùRabbiAbraham J. Twerski, M.D.

WeAre All Jews Now

Thehighest flights of charity, devotion, trust, patience, bravery, to which thewings of human nature have spread themselves have been flown for religiousideas.

ùWilliamJames

Viewedfrom high on the rimrock cliffs that run along the northern edge of Billings,Montana, the city presents an attractive sight, a thriving metropolis nestledwithin the great open spaces of the American West. Citizens of Billings say it'sa good, civilized place to live. They pride themselves on the quality of theirschools and their strong family values.

Soit came as a shock to many when, in November 1995, a series of hate crimes tookplace against minority groups in the city.

Whoeverwas responsible for these acts must have thought that their victims would beeasy targets. Billings is predominantly white; Native Americans,African-Americans and Jews make up only a small percentage of the population.But there are just enough of them to frighten and harassùor so the haters musthave thought.

Theymounted a series of nasty attacks. Graves were overturned in a Jewish cemetery.Offensive words and a swastika were scrawled on the house of a Native-Americanwoman. People worshipping at a black church were intimidated. A brick was heavedthrough the window of a Jewish child who was displaying a menorah in her window.

Butthe white supremacists, or whoever they were, had reckoned without the

citizensof Billings, who had an answer for themùand it wasn't what the hate-mongerswere expecting. An alliance quickly emerged, spearheaded by churches,...