Abraham J. Twerski

Abraham Joshua Twerski (hebraisk: אֲבְרָהָם יְהוֹשֻׁע טווערסקי ; født 6. oktober 1930 i Milwaukee i Wisconsin i USA, død 31. januar 2021 i Bnei Brak i Israel) var en amerikansk hasidisk rabbiner, en av de høyest aktede innen det hasidiske Chernobyl-dynastiet, og en psykiater som spesialiserte seg på stoffmisbruk.

Liv og virke

Bakgrunn, utdannelse, tidlig virke
Abraham J. Twerski ble født i Milwaukee, moren var Devorah Leah neé Halberstam (1900–1995), dtatter av den andre rebben av Bobov, og faren var rabbi Jacob Israel Twerski (1898–1973), som var rabbi for Beth Jehudah- synagogen i Milwaukee. Denne eldre rabbi Twerski immigrerte til USA i 1927, og nedstammet fra rabbi Menachem Nachum Twerski, grunnlegger av det hasidiske Chernobyl-dynastiet, og disippel av Baal Shem Tov. Twerski var den tredje av fem brødre. Flere av brødrene skulle få betydningsfulle karrierer.

Abraham Twerski tok High School i Milwaukee, med slutteksamen som 16-åring. Han begynte på Hebrew Theological College i Chicago (som senere flyttet ut til Skokie) og ble ordinert til rabbi i 1951.

Han virket som assisterende rabbi med sin far. I 1952 giftet han seg med Goldie Flusberg. I 1953 begynte han på Milwaukees Marquette University, og tok slutteksamen fra dens medisinske fakultet i 1960. Han fikk sin psykiatriske spesialisering ved University of Pittsburgh, og virket ytterligere to år ved det statlige hospital i Pennsylvania. Han ble så hentet inn til leder for den psykiatriske avdeling ved Pittsburghs St. Francis Hospital.

Karriere

Innen medisinen
Twerskis medisinske karriere omfatter Gateway Rehabilitation Center i Pittsburgh, som han grunnla og virket ved, virke som klinisk leder ved Department of Psychiatry ved St. Francis Hospital i Pittsburgh, associate professor i psykiatri ved University of Pittsburghs medisinske fakultet, og grunnleggelsen av Shaar Hatikvah rehabiliteringssenter for fanger i Israel.

Rabbinerkarriere
Som rabbiner forfattet Twerski en mengde bøker om jødedom og især shiurim (Torah-baserte forelesninger). Han var også medvirkende åndelig leder for menigheten Beth Jehudah sammen med sin far til 1959. Han komponerte i denne tiden en melodi for salme 28,9 «Hoshea es Amecha», som slo an i jødiske kretser.

Senere liv og virke
Twerski trakk seg fra fulltidsarbeid i 1995 og flyttet til Monsey i New York, som hans andre hustru Gail var fra. Etter rundt ti år der flyttet de til  Teaneck i New Jersey. Twerski flyttet til sist til Israel med sin hustru, og oppfordret andre jøder å gjøre det samme.

Han døde på Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center i Bnei Brak i Israel den 31. januar 2021 av covid-19.

Verker
Han forfattet over 60 bøker, del som jødedommen og dels selvhjelpslitteratur - blant hans forfatterskap inngikk et samarbeid med Charles M. Schulz som lot ham benytte illustrasjoner fra tegneserien Knøttene for å kaste lys over menneskelig samskvem og adferd.
 Addictive Thinking and the Addictive Personality: two books in one, with Craig Nakken (M.J.F., 1999)
 Addictive Thinking: Why Do We Lie to Ourselves? : Why Do Others Believe Us? (Hazelden Foundation, 1990)
 Addictive Thinking: Understanding Self-deception, with foreword by John Wallace (Harper & Row, 1990; 2nd Ed. Hazelden Foundation, 1997)
 Alive! : A 10-step Guide to a Vibrant life, with Mordechai Weinberger (Shaar Press, 2015)
 Angels Don't Leave Footprints: Discovering What's Right With Yourself (Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2001)
 Caution: "Kindness" Can Be Dangerous to the Alcoholic (Prentice-Hall, 1981, 1987)
 The Clergy and Chemical Dependency (Edgehill, 1990)
 Compulsive Gambling: More Than Dreidel (Mirkov Publications, 2006)
 Coping With Stress: The 9/11 Generation (Gateway Rehabilitation Center, 2002, 35 pp.)
 Dear Rabbi, Dear Doctor: The Renowned Rabbi-Psychiatrist Gives Straight Answers to Tough Questions (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2005)
 Dear Rabbi, Dear Doctor Volume 2: The Renowned Rabbi-Psychiatrist Gives Straight Answers to Tough Questions (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2007)
 Dearer Than Life: Making Your Life More Meaningful (Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 1997)
 Do Unto Others: How Good Deeds Can Change Your Life (Andrews McMeel, 1997)
 Effective Living : An Upbeat and Uplifting Life Can be Yours (Shaar Press / Mesorah Publications, 2014)
 The Enemy Within: Confronting your Challenges in the 21st Century (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2001)
 The First Year of Marriage: Enhancing the Success of Your Marriage Right from the Start—and Even Before it Begins (Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2004)
 Forgiveness : Don't Let Resentment Keep You Captive (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2012)
 A Formula for Proper Living : Practical Lessons from Life and Torah (Jewish Lights Publishing, 2009)
 Four Chassidic Masters: the Heart, the Mind, the Eye, and the Tongue—History, Stories, Teachings (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2008)
 From Bondage to Freedom : the Passover Haggadah with a Commentary Illuminating the Liberation of the Spirit, with Hirsh Michel Chinn and Benzion Twerski (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 1995, 2001)
 From Pulpit to Couch (Mirkov publications, 2005)
 Generation to Generation: Personal Recollections of a Chassidic Legacy (Traditional Press, 1986. Excerpted edition pub. by C.I.S., 2003)
 Getting Up When You're Down: A Mature Discussion of an Adult Malady - Depression and Related Conditions  (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 1997)
 Gevurah : My Life, Our World, and the Adventure of Reaching 80, (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2010)
 Growing Each Day (Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2004)
 Happiness and the Human Spirit: The Spirituality of Becoming the Best You Can Be (Jewish Lights Publishing, 2007)
 Healing from Despair : Choosing Wholeness in a Broken World, with Elie Kaplan Spitz and Erica Shapiro Taylor (Jewish Lights Publishing, 2010)
 I Am I: a Jewish Perspective From the Case Files of an Eminent Psychiatrist (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 1993)
 I'd Like to Call for Help, but I Don't Know the Number: The Search for Spirituality in Everyday Life (Pharos Books, 1991; Henry Holt, 1996)
 I Didn't Ask to Be in This Family: Sibling Relationships and How They Shape Adult Behavior and Relationships, with Charles M. Schulz (Henry Holt, 1996)
 I Didn't Ask to Be in This Family: Sibling Relationships and How They Shape Adult Relationships (Topper Books, 1992)
 In-Laws: It's All Relative, with Leah Shifrin Averick (The Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2009)
 I've Gotta Get Out of My Way! : Eliminating the Obstacles to Success  (Mekor Press / Menucha Publishers, 2017)
 It Happens to Doctors, Too (Hazelden Foundation, 1982)
 It's Not As Tough As You Think: How to Smooth Out Life's Bumps (The Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 1999)
 It's Not As Tough At Home As You Think: Making Family Life at Home Smoother and Better (The Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 1999)
 Let Us Make Man: Self-esteem Through Jewishness (C.I.S, 1991)
 Letters to my Children (Shaar Press / Mesorah Publications, 2015)
 Life's Blessings : The Meaning and Significance of our Berachos (The Shaar Press, 2015)
 Life's Too Short: Pull the Plug on Self-defeating Behavior and Turn On the Power of Self-esteem (St. Martin's Press, 1995)

 Light At the End of the Tunnel: An Inspirational Story Fiction. (Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2003)
 Lights Along the Way: Timeless Lessons for Today from Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto's Mesillas Yesharim (Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 1995)
 Like Yourself: And Others Will, Too (Prentice-Hall, 1978, 1986)
 Living Each Day (Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 1988, 5th ed. 2003)
 Living Each Week (Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 1992)
 Messages From The Mishnah (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2013)
 Not Just Stories: The Chassidic Spirit Through Its Classic Stories (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 1997)
 Overcoming Burnout: Recognizing, Addressing and Preventing Burnout - in Yeshivah, the Workplace, and Beyond, with Alon Gul (Lakewood NJ: Israel Bookshop Publications, 2013) 
 Positive Parenting: Developing Your Child's Potential, with Ursula Verena Schwartz (Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 1996)
 A Practical Guide to Rabbinic Counseling, with Yisrael N Levitz (Feldheim, 2005; Jewish Lights Publishing, 2012)
 Prayerfully Yours: Creating the Bond Between Man and His Maker (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2001)
 The Problem Was Me : How to End Negative Self-talk and Take Your Life to a New Level, with Thomas Gagliano (Gentle Path Press, 2011)
 The Rabbi & the Nuns : The Inside Story of a Rabbi's Therapeutic Work With the Sisters of St. Francis, (Mekor Press / Menucha Publishers, 2013)
 Rebbes and Chassidim: What They Said - What They Meant (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2000)
 Recognizing a Loved One's Addiction, and Providing Help (Jewish Lights Publishing, 2004)
 Seek Sobriety, Find Serenity: Thoughts for Every Day (Pharos Books, 1993; Feldheim Publishers 2014)
 Seize the Moments: Captivating Nuggets of Torah Wisdom (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2011)
 Self-Discovery in Recovery (Hazelden Foundation, 1984; Harper & Row, 1989)
 Self-improvement? I'm Jewish! : Overcoming Self-defeating Behavior (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 1995)
 The Shabbos Companion: Customs, Prayers, Stories, Zemiros : Shabbos Day (The Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2008)
 The Shabbos Companion: Customs, Prayers, Stories, Zemiros : Shabbos Eve (The Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2007)
 The Shame Borne in Silence: Spouse Abuse in the Jewish Community (Mirkov Publications, 1996; 2nd ed. Urim Publications, 2014)
 Simchah: It's Not Just Happiness (Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2006)
 Smiling Each Day (Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 1993, 4th ed. 2003)
 The Spiritual Self: Reflections on Recovery and God (Hazelden Foundation, 2000)
 Stepping Out of the Abyss : a Jewish Guide to the 12 Steps, Menachem Poznanski, Aryeh Buchsbayew, and Abraham J Twerski (Mosaica Press, 2017)
 Substance-Abusing High Achievers: Addiction as an Equal Opportunity Destroyer (J. Aronson, 1998)
 Successful Relationships at Home, at Work and with Friends: Bringing Control Issues under Control (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2003)
 The Sun will Shine Again : Coping, Persevering, and Winning in Troubled Economic Times (The Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2009)
 A Taste of Nostalgia : Tales and Recipes to Nourish Body and Soul, with Judi Dick (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2006)
 Ten Steps To Being Your Best: a Practical Handbook to Enhance Your Life in Every Way (The Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2004)
 Teshuvah Through Recovery : Experience the Transformative Power of the Twelve Steps (Mekor Press, 2016)
 That's Not a Fault...It's a Character Trait (St. Martin's Press, 1999)
 The Thin You Within You: Winning the Weight Game with Self-Esteem (St. Martin's Press, 1997)
 Twerski on Chumash (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2003)
 Twerski on Machzor : Rosh Hashanah (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2011)
 Twerski on Machzor : Yom Kippur (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2012)
 Twerski on Prayer: Creating the Bond Between Man and His Maker, a re-issue of Prayerfully Yours (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2004)
 Twerski On Spirituality (Shaar Press / Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 1998)
 Visions of the Fathers Pirkei Avos (Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 1999, 2005)
 Waking Up Just In Time : A Therapist Shows How to Use The Twelve-Steps Approach to Life's Ups And Downs, with Charles M. Schulz (Topper Books, 1990; St. Martins Press, 1995)
 When Do the Good Things Start?, with Charles M. Schulz (Topper Books, 1988; St. Martins Press, 1995)
 Who Says You're Neurotic: How to Avoid Mistaken Psychiatric Diagnoses When the Problem May Be a Physical Condition (Prentice-Hall, 1984)
 Wisdom Each Day (Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2000)
 Without a Job, Who Am I?: Rebuilding Your Self When You've Lost Your Job, Home, or Life Savings (Hazelden Foundation, 2009)
 The Zeide Reb Motele: The Life of the Tzaddik R'Mordechai Dov of Hornosteipel (Artscroll Mesorah Publications, 2002)

Referanser

Eksterne lenker
 About Twerski  at Gateway Rehabilitation Center

Psykiatere fra USA
Rabbinere fra USA
Personer fra Milwaukee
Forfattere fra USA
Dødsfall relatert til covid-19 i Israel
Jødiske religiøse ledere ofre for covidpandemien
Forfattere ofre for covidpandemien