Sacred Housekeeping - A Spiritual Memoir |
---|
An honest autobiography of a courageous woman and social worker, who took an interest in the unpopular cause of helping incarcerated Jewish men re-enter society and made it her life's passion. From that passion was born Beit T'Shuvah, a once tiny halfway house that has grown exponentially into a renowned treatment organization. Her voyage is remarkable and an inspiration to all people. This is the personal story of the obstacles she surmounted and the successes she encountered. This book also tells the unconventional love story of Harriet Rossetto and her husband, Rabbi Mark Borovitz. |
Harriet Rossetto-CEO and Founder |
---|
Harriet Rossetto is a rebel spirit. She is a self-professed misfit who felt she was operating
her life on the fringe. It is there that she found her fierce calling: helping broken souls and
changing a broken system.
Harriet received her Masters in Social Work from the University of Minnesota in 1964. A social worker with a strong Jewish identity, Harriet answered what would be a lifealtering classified ad in the Los Angeles Times looking for "a person of a Jewish background to help incarcerated Jewish offenders." Harriet soon recognized that most of the Jews in jail committed crimes as a by-product of what she's coined the "dis-ease" of addiction. Frustrated by the lack of resources, she embraced the unpopular cause, fighting the widespread denial that "nice Jewish men and women" could be addicts and criminals in need of rehabilitation. A woman of passion, vision, and action, this fight took on the form of Beit T'Shuvah: The House of Return. With Harriet as its guiding spirit for over 25 years, she has sustained Beit T'Shuvah's mission, and it in turn the mission has sustained her. She has become something of a "Relationship Guru", nurturing budding and fragile sober relationships that have in many cases turned into marriages and full-blown families. For Harriet, the greatest reward is witnessing and participating in the miracle of transformation. A mission with a beating heart, her living message is that everyone is capable of redemption, which is why she empowers the residents of Beit T'Shuvah with employment, hiring 90% of her staff from within. Today they are the lifeblood of the organization. Harriet is now a much sought-after speaker in synagogues and community groups as well as a trainer for the National Association of Social Workers, teaching classes about the treatment and philosophy of the "dis-ease" of addiction. Harriet's latest noteworthy project is her upcoming book Sacred Housekeeping, A Spiritual Memoir. A woman unafraid of risk and ridicule in her quest for doing 'the next right thing,' she has lived long enough to see the world just beginning to catch up with her. |
"I couldn't put it down. [Sacred Housekeeping] is full of riches, guides
to a spiritual life and frank and vivid truths[...]the power of what [Harriet
offers] is undeniable. I was moved to tears and laughter several times." -LEONARD NIMOY, WORLD RENOWNED FILM & TELEVISION ACTOR "The honesty, soul baring and soul searching, is beyond beautiful. The writing, like Harriet is unpretentious and yet revelatory. That's the gift of it...that it will be everyone's story who reads it." -JACK BENDER, ACCLAIMED HOLLYWOOD DIRECTOR "Sacred Housekeeping is an honest and inspiring look into the hidden world of human frailties. A compelling book that will touch the hearts and minds of the readers. This book is a must!" -DAPHNA EDWARDS ZIMAN, FOUNDER OF CHILDREN UNITING NATIONS. NY TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR. |
Dedication. |
---|
I dedicate this book to my Partner-In-Redemption, Mark Jay Borovitz. You are a fierce prophet. |