Meshugas –
AUGUST 21, 2019 – I had to confront this issue when I first became sober more than 27 years ago. As an observant Jew, I was uncomfortable with entering churches, if only the basement. I didn’t feel comfortable with the concept of “fellowship.” And I certainly wasn’t down with the Lord’s Prayer.
At the same time, I recognized that A.A. was “the last house on the block” – pretty much the last chance I had to stop drinking and get my life in order. What’s a Jewish drunk to do?
Remarkably, that same week was Yom Kippur, and the rabbi in my Los Angeles synagogue focused his sermon on his visit to a young Jewish woman in a drug and alcohol rehab. He spoke movingly – and convincingly – about the value of the 12 steps and about the legitimacy of 12-step recovery. But did that make AA “kosher”? I still wasn’t sure.
