I FOCUS

Mind

A

t 93, Helen Har-
wood is a "very,
very happy and
healthy, young at-
tractive woman,"
and she owes it all to Jewish
Science.
Through Jewish Science,
Harwood has discovered the
power of positive thinking.
Using such techniques as
relaxation and visualization,
Harwood is able to conquer
all problems in her life.
"Obstacles come my way,
but I know how to overcome
them," she says.
Harwood is a director of
the Society of Jewish Science
in New York and a longtime
member of the organization.
As a Jewish Scientist, she
does not scorn medical
treatment as do Christian
Scientists. But at the same
time, Harwood and other
Jewish Scientists do not
believe medical treatment
alone can cure illness. The
answer to healing lies in the
mind, they say.
Jewish Science was found-
ed in 1922 in New York by
Lithuanian-born Rabbi
Morris Lichtenstein.
Disturbed by the popularity
of Christian Science among
Jews, Rabbi Lichtenstein
sought a message that would
attract more Jews to
Judaism. That message, con-
tained in his book Jewish
Science and Health, was to
develop a constant and per-
vasive "deep calm" and to
use prayer and positive
thinking to maintain that
state.
Popular at the outset, Jew-
ish Science has failed to
draw the numbers Rabbi
Lichtenstein envisioned.
Though offices exist in
California, Florida, New
York, Albuquerque, N.M.,
New Jersey and Israel, the
Society of Jewish Science
has attracted only some 150
members nationwide.
Jewish Scientists hope to
change their relative
obscurity with the recent
publication of Applied
Judaism by the late Tehilla
Lichtenstein, wife of Rabbi
Lichtenstein. The book is
filled with optimistic essays:
"How To Overcome Fear of
Any Kind," "How To Pray
for Health," "How To
Become Master of Your
Mind and Your Heart" and
"How To Tap the Source of
Health."
David Goldstein is exec-
utive director of the Society
of Jewish Science and a
practitioner with the organ-
ization, which means he
helps others use visualiza-
tion and prayer to achieve
"deep calm" or be healed.
"A lot of people who come

VER

Malady

Pills, syrups and surgery may
help, but no one will heal
without positive thinking,
Jewish Scientists say.

ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM

Assistant Editor

JEWISH SCIENCE

AND

HEALTH

THE TEXTBOOK OF JEWISH SCIENCE

BY

RABBI MORRIS LICHTENSItIN

Founder of the/m.4h Science Moutrment

nil work expounds the philosophy

of Jewish &ices,
It reveals the bans and ructhal of

Spiritual Healing: it teedes how to heal

oneself and others.
k teaches how to

what ...rota
and .hat to follow in order to attain

9

Health and Happineu.
An came" application of the princi.

plcs laid down in this work will lead one

to oNeroe
mt worry. conquer fear, sub-
due anger and live a joyful. optimistic
and rime hfc.

SOCIETY OF JEWISH SCIENCE

Jewish Science founder
Rabbi Morris Lichtenstein:
Trying to bring more Jews
back to Judaism.

to us feel hopeless," he says.
"They don't have it in them-
selves to cope.
"We help them realize
they do have a lot of strength
within themselves. It's just a
matter of tapping it."
One of the ways Jewish
Scientists help others draw
on their inner strength is
through "healing times,"
practiced both at Jewish
Science weekly services and
in one's home.
During the "healing
time," Jewish Scientists re-
peat affirmations, words of
encouragement designed to
induce positive thinking. "I
am calm and cheerful,"

reads one affirmation. "I
hate no one; there is no
worry or fear in me; I trust
in God all the time."
Prayers are made for
specific requests — every-
thing from good health to a
better job — and visualiza-
tion and application are used
to help guarantee the
fulfillment of that appeal.
Goldstein recalls working
with a woman who hated her
apartment. He encouraged
her to visualize the kind of
dwelling she would like.
Then he suggested she read
apartment ads in the news-
paper and ask friends for as-
sistance.
Similarly, Goldstein would
advise a man suffering with
a heart ailment to imagine
his heart getting stronger
and healing.
Jewish Science does not
believe that illness is a
punishment from God, but it
says He will work with man
toward healing. Man need
only ask.
Prayers appealing to "a
power superior to that of
man — an appeal for courage
in moments of fear, for
strength in moments of
helplessness, for health in
times of sickness, for hope in
moments of despondency, for
cheer in moments of dejec-
tion, for solace in moments of
sorrow, for relief in times of
distress," are always an-
swered, Rabbi Lichtenstein
wrote.
Goldstein has been in-
volved with Jewish Science
since he was a boy. His
parents were active in the
movement and were friends
of Rabbi Lichtenstein.
In his youth, Goldstein
"learned the affirmations,

APPLIED
JUDAISM

TEHILLA LICHTENSTEIN

Tehilla Lichtenstein (above),
author of Applied Judaism:
A woman who rolled down
Central Park hills with her
grandchildren and practiced
the fine art of calmness.

but I didn't really under-
stand them until I was an
adult." Today, Jewish
Science "makes Judaism for
me a very enriching experi-
ence," he says. "Judaism is
not just characters in the Bi-
ble. It's show me how to pray
to God and for others."
Jewish Science meetings
attract Conservative, Or-
thodox and Reform Jews and
has been endorsed by Jewish
leaders from all three
movements.
The idea of appealing to
God for help in overcoming
troubles, especially sickness,
has deep roots in Judaism.
God's ability to affect the

world is a basic theme in
Jewish prayer.
Much of the Siddur is
taken from the Psalms; there
is a longstanding tradition of
reciting specific psalms to al-
leviate certain problems.
The Amidah, or Shmoneh
Esrey, prayer contains a
series of requests for health,
sustenance and prosperity.
The power of prayer fre-
quently is cited in the Torah.
Avimelech recovered from
sickness after Abraham
prayed for him. Jacob found
solace from danger when he
prayed. Isaiah prayed for the
recovery of Hezekiah, and
the king became well.
For generations, syn-
agogue-goers have recited a
version of the Mishe-Berach
prayer on behalf of someone
sick.
Moreover, Judaism ac-
knowledges the existence of
maladies that are not
physical, but spiritual, in
origin and which no physi-
cian can cure. The Torah de-
scribes tzoraat, a skin
disease said to be caused by
lashon ha-ra (evil talk), the
cure for which may come
only from a kohen, priest.
The value of a positive at-
titude in helping heal
disease, as espoused by Jew-
ish Science, also has been
charted by a number of
medical researchers.
A study of breast cancer
patients, conducted by Dr.
David Spiegel at Stanford
University, indicated that
women in group therapy
survived twice as long as
those who were not. Candace
Pert of the National In-
stitute of Mental Health
discovered in the 1970s that
depression and happiness
have clear effects on numer-
ous biomedical functions.
None of this is news to
Doris Friedman, a long-time
Jewish Scientist and editor
of Applied Judaism.
Friedman learned from
her parents: "Every time
you fall and hurt yourself,
God is punishing you. But I
knew God is good."
Friedman saw her own
beliefs echoed in the
teachings of Tehilla
Lichtenstein, whom she
heard lecture in New York.
Lichtenstein "discussed how
God is within each of us."
The kind of woman who
rolled down Central Park
hills with her grandchildren,
Lichtenstein taught Fried-
man to practice calmness.
"Once you're calm you can
see everything in perspec
tive," Friedman says. "If
you practice this, then
calmness and cheerfulness
become a habit. I consider
this my life insurance." 0

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

39

