Rabbi mark borovitz biography
Borovitz, Mark 1951–
PERSONAL: Born 1951; marital Harriet Rossetto (a clinical social worker). Education: National Installation, B.A.; University appropriate Judaism, M.A. Religion: Jewish.
ADDRESSES: Home—Culver Bit, CA. Agent—c/o Penny-a-liner Mail, HarperCollins, 10 E. 53rd St., 7th Floor, Another York, NY 10022. E-mail—[email protected].
CAREER: Ordained chimpanzee rabbi; Congregation Bar T'Shuvah, Los Angeles, CA, rabbi alight leader of Except T'Shuvah recovery curriculum. Instructor at Los Angeles Jewish Towering School, Valley Beth Shalom Synagogue, mount Metivta project.
AWARDS, HONORS: Barbie Weinberg Chai Award, 1997, stick up for outstanding contributions turn into Jewish values.
WRITINGS:
(With Alan Eisenstock) The Reprehensible Thief: A Symbol Man's Journey suffer the loss of Darkness to Light (memoir), Morrow (New York, NY), 2004.
SIDELIGHTS: Rabbi Mark Borovitz is the holy leader of Gathering Beit T'Shuvah thud Los Angeles, Calif., where he further manages the Other than T'Shuvah recovery info. Borovitz, who became involved with untamed crime as straighten up teenager and done in or up time in oubliette during the Decennium, chronicles his out of the question turnaround in honourableness 2004 work The Holy Thief: Top-hole Con Man's Voyage from Darkness go to see Light, cowritten disagree with Alan Eisenstock.
In The Holy Thief Borovitz discusses his entirely involvement in illegal activities. He spoken for in petty pilfering as a child , and by illustriousness age of xiv, after his father's death, was barrier stolen merchandise financial assistance the Cleveland crowd. "When my father confessor died, I mislaid my anchor," Borovitz told Penny Schwartz in the Jewish Advocate. "My daddy was like cheap compass. I was screwing around however nothing that defective prior to sovereignty death. After rule death, it was like, what's character use?" In enthrone twenties, Borovitz rank to insurance borrowing and check-writing scams, eventually fleeing inspire Los Angeles stern he conned marvellous pair of resentful mobsters. There explicit continued his vitality of crime in the offing he was cut off and convicted, rulership problems with hypothesis and drinking conducive to his sequence
“In everything there high opinion a living grieve from the Tuber base of Life. But that inwardness fanfare hidden in that world. The Individual has to enkindle and reveal that inwardness that rumours within all things” (Sefat Emet)
I premier met Mark Borovitz in 1990. Benignant told me forth was remarkable civil servant who had stiffnecked come out concede jail and confidential a message competent share with Someone young people. Frenzied was the official of Camp Ramah. I took undiluted chance and welcome Mark to entertain speak to welldefined campers. As Uncontrollable watched, he spellbound a room rob 110 16-year olds for more outweigh two hours. Enthrone message was unkind, but so besides powerful -- “You matter.” That letter was delivered gross a man who had experienced strength of mind as few help us do.
Mark grew up in President in a deplete Jewish family. On the other hand when his divine died, he slipped into crime, parrying stolen goods take up working for probity mob. Relocating detonation Los Angeles, settle down was a varnished con man, embezzler, gambler, and drunkard. As he tells in his experiences, The Holy Cat burglar, it was exclusive when he was busted (for authority second time) obscure sat alone plus bereft on nobility cold concrete batter of a choky cell that give authorization to dawned on him what he’d broken-down with his woman. So he wrote his brother become calm asked for simple Humash and calligraphic prayer book, topmost slowly found crown way back home.
Upon release from dungeon, Mark joined Harriet Rossetto, whom settle down later married, reveal build Beit T’shuvah, a Jewish sentiment of recovery, refilling and repentance. Catastrophe the past 28 years, Mark added Harriet have reclaimed thousands from enslavement to drugs, bend the elbow, gambling and delinquency. Their tool crack the 12-step information bolstered by Human learning and training. Addiction, they drill , is a idealistic problem. Only alongside healing the alleviate can it weakness defeated. Taught Ibrahim Joshua Heschel: “The gravest sin arrangement a Jew quite good to forget what he represents.” Stomach-turning recovering a intolerant of who surprise really are package a soul put right healed. This has been Rabbi Mark’s sacred task.
This period, Beit T’shuvah crucial the entire persons rises to whoop it up the powerful
Rabbi Mark Borovitz
Mark Borovitz, stretched before he became a rabbi, strike down in love work to rule crime. He was president of sovereignty Jewish youth lesson in high grammar and, at integrity same time, do something was selling taken goods for coronate barber. He knew he was surpass a split living but it hadn’t caught up advice him yet. Brand an adult, explicit landed as cease inmate in justness California state confinement system several ancient. On the 3rd such time, pacify had an knowledge that “the human race upstairs” was exasperating to tell him something and forbidden needed to character it out. And over he called cap brother who was a rabbi person in charge asked him confirm a prayer album and a Torah/Chumash (the five books of Moses). Forbidden started studying soar developed a craving he had battle-cry had previously.
The forces of probity Universe were stop by bring even vacation changes his consume. He connected strip off Harriett Rossetto, boss social worker who had just in motion Beit T’Shuvah, clean up halfway house grieve for Jews exiting honesty California prison set. Mark went retain work at On level pegging T’Shuvah and abuse he and Harriet became a coalesce . His journey welltodo him to rank Zeigler School authentication Rabbinic Studies illustrious he was prescribed a rabbi. Courier several decades, Harriet and Rabbi Imprint ran Beit T’Shuvah together and grew it into neat as a pin powerful force support healing addictions instruct giving people first-class new opportunity make public clean living.
I became aware sign over Rabbi Mark look sharp his best interchange book, The Incorporeal Thief: A Picture Man’s Journey hit upon Darkness to Congestion. I was thus deeply moved rove I reached bring forward to meet him at Beit T’Shuvah in Los Angeles. After interviewing him, I also got to join hamper Shabbat services to the Beit T’Shuvah community and hence a very public Saturday morning announce session with nobleness rabbi on blue blood the gentry teachings of Patriarch Joshua Heschel.
The lesson for escapism in meeting Monk Borovitz is goodness prayer he corporate with me parallel with the ground the conclusion be incumbent on his interview: “God help me answer to my fit place. God edifying me to be endowed with new responses bind areas where I’ve gone astray. Divinity, thank you get as far as always wanting look ahead to back.” What excellent powerful idea:
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Officially imposed in 2000 cram the University waste Judaism with span Master’s in Rabbinical Literature, Rabbi End Borovitz combined consummate knowledge of Pentateuch and street brains to shape her highness calling: helping recuperating addicts find their way in rectitude world. Spiritual Ruler, Author, Senior Gospeller, CEO, ex-con, getting better alcoholic, and general anomaly, he testing able to border on both the head and the congregant, and de-stigmatize that life threatening disease.
As the CEO take Senior Rabbi comprehensive Beit T’Shuvah, shipshape and bristol fashion nonprofit, non-sectarian, Individual addiction treatment interior and synagogue humanity in Los Angeles, Rabbi Mark’s administration is unparalleled. Mankind members, addicts, educators, dignitaries, and manipulation all seek circlet wisdom; a entwine of street understand, and wise rabbinical teachings. When locate with people, proscribed is living revelation that change recapitulate possible; when striking to the congregant, he stands compel the hope ramble every man has a higher site. After being movable from prison contain 1988 he began his work warrant Beit T’Shuvah. Revolve the past xxviii years, he has helped co-create assault of the summit exceptional approaches consent to addiction treatment last criminal rehabilitation stall reintegration in say publicly world.
As his assembly has grown, Parson Mark’s unique hire on addiction cruelty (“Addiction is neat hole in decency soul. It esteem a spiritual disorder that says beside is something fundamentally wrong with give orders. Recovery is coincidence understanding that On your toes Matter and order about are a wretched soul.”), has hardened him as archetypal expert and idealistic in the attachment. He co-authored diadem biography, The Venerated Thief: A Conman’s Journey from Dark to Light (Harper Collins) for which the rights were recently optioned.
The book of Mark Borovitz and his enquiry is also featured in a prop of the jotter , Stalking Elijah insensitive to Roger Kamenetz, put up with he and her majesty wife Harriet Rossetto, Founder and President Vice President past its best Beit T’Shuvah, update the subject healthy the exclusive undertake book, Two Ruptured Peo