It’s not often that a rabbi crosses over into secular life and makes a grand impression.  Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (who died earlier this year) was one such fellow.  But, he was the Chief Rabbi of England.

Rabbi Abraham Twerski- from America-  was another such individual.

Rabbi  Twerski was the son of  Rabbi Jacob Twerski (6^th generation descendant of the Grand Rabbi of Chernobyl), of the Beth Jehudah Synagogue in Milwaukee and Devorah Leah Halberstam Twerski, the daughter of the grand rabbi of Bobov (another Chasidic sect).  All of Abraham Twerski’s brothers became rabbis (Abraham was ordained at 21)- with advanced secular training, which is highly unusual for Chasidic leaders.

But Rabbi Abraham Twerski was even more unusual.  He noticed that his father was routinely counseling folks on personal matters, but the congregants were not always coming to him.  So, he elected to go to medical school and become a certified psychiatrist so they would.

His studying at Marquette left him short of cash, struggling to cover his tuition bills.  But, Danny Thomas (yes, THAT Danny Thomas) heard of his predicament, and provided Twerski the funds to continue his studies and become a psychiatrist.  (Think of this story the next time St. Jude’s Hospital pops into your brain.)

Rabbi Dr. Twerski became associated with the University of Pittsburgh and St. Francis Hospital.  It was there that his efforts in mental health began, where he dealt with addiction and substance abuse issues.  He broadened he Christian approach (the 12 step program) of Alcoholics Anonymous – an organization that blew him away with the efforts of folks willing to be awakened in the middle of the night to go help a fellow alcoholic.  A true expression of what we Jews call Tikun Olam; from that point of view, Rav Twerski modified the 12 step program to include Jewish tenets of belief.

With the Sisters of St. Francis, Rabbi Dr. Twerski developed the Gateway Centers for long-term residential care.  He knew that alcoholics needed a facility for more than a few days of drying out in a hospital, which is why he helped found Gateway.  There are now 22 such centers in Pennsylvania and Ohio, and by 1987 it was recognized among the 12 best rehab centers in the USA.  It was while he was in Pittsburgh that Rabbi Twerski headed the Lubavitch Center, the Chasidic congregation there.

Rabbi Twerski managed to operate in rabbinical universe of Tora and Talmud as well as the medical world of psychiatry.  He eventually wrote some 80 books on scientific and spiritual matters.  And, died at the age of 90 from COVID-19 in Jerusalem  (31 January).

But, it wasn’t just substance abuse that rapt his attention.  He noticed that folks associated their sense of self-worth with their jobs, and that led him to seek out Charles Schulz (of Peanut’s fame)to collaborate on  “When Do the Good Things Start?” and “Waking Up Just in Time: A Therapist Shows How to Use the Twelve-Steps Approach to Life’s Ups and Downs”  featuring Schulz’s “Peanuts” characters.  Twerski wanted to broaden folks point of view on alcoholism and psychology.

I gave away his daily calendar books and the Schulz collaborations to many folks over the years.  They made a pronounced effect to many lives of which I am aware.

Rabbi Dr. Twerski also made sure that spousal abuse wasn’t hidden in the corners of Jewish life.  By 1996, he wrote “The Shame Borne in Silence: Spouse Abuse in the Jewish Community”, a groundbreaking effort in spousal abuse.

May his memory always be a blessing.

Share this: