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Sam Arcus
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Sam
Arcus,
a former orphan of the Hebrew National Orphan Home (HNOH),
attended CCNY and Columbia University, practiced social
work for the next 55 years and still working for the Pima
Council on Aging in Tucson at age 79. He recently published
a book called: DEJA VIEWS
OF AN AGING ORPHAN: Growing Up in the Hebrew National Orphan
Home which "enables the reader to walk in the shoes
of a fascinating man, and re-live his development from an
orphan in dire straits to that of an impact individual who
has made strong contributions to our society." (Stan Friedland
author of "An Orphan Has
Many Parents") The Orphan Connection would like to also
honor Adele Arcus, a former orphan, wife of Sam Arcus for
55 years, and a true supporter of her husband's dreams as
well as her own.
Sam can be reached
through the following e-mail address:sarcus@pcoa.org
or via snail mail at:
Sam G. Arcus, MSW • Social Work Consultant
8381 E. Marlena Circle, Tucson, AZ 85715
(520) 790-7262 (Office) - (520) 790-7577 (FAX)
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Bazhe
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Bazhe
is an orphan from Yugoslavia who went on
a search for his biological mother. This search has been
documented in an incredible book called Damages.
Bazhe weaves his story in such a way that you feel you are
a part of his life. Not separate. It is so powerful that
you can sense his emotions - his anger, rage, hurt, pain,
and compassion as well as his keen sense of survival.
-
- "Damages
is a memoir about one man's fight to overcome the psychological
wounds created by his peculiar upbringing as he struggled to find
his true identity and freedom.
The story begins with the death of his abusive father, a Communist
official. His mother is diagnosed with cancer, and he immediately
returns to Macedonia to take care of her. Meanwhile, his more
than thirty-year search for his biological mother ends, and he
tells her his life story, starting with his lonely childhood and
adolescence. After finding his "new mother" to be very understanding......"
Damages is
a book that reveals a true sense of inner strength and courage that
Bazhe carried throughout his life. Although awful things happened
to him, it did not stop his desire to be more than his beginnings.
Bazhe has a
web site where you can glean additional information about
him, how to order his book (which I highly recommend),
book signing schedules and more.
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Kay Baker
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kay@kaybaker.org
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Several
years ago I attended a seminar hosted by the National
Speakers Association - Heart of Texas branch and met this
fantastic human being. Kay
Baker had been abandoned at birth,
was adopted by a loving family and now has a successful
business of her own. Her heart is big and her desire to
help others is strong. Kay Baker is a professional speaker,
trainer, facilitator and consultant. Her expertise in
motivation strategies assists you in discovering your
keys to long term change. Kay calls this The Science
of Long Term Motivation. And believe me when I say
that she practices what she preaches.
Kay can be reached at:
Kay Baker Associates
335 Laurel Way, Lafayette, CO 80026 |
Phil Craft
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Phil
Craft was orphaned at an early age
due to the rage of his father. Upon his birth, Phil's
mother died thus being blamed his entire life for her
death. In his own words "I went directly from the hospital
to an infant home, where my first five years were filled
with such indescribable terror and misery." As a result
of the terrible abuse he endured, Phil developed a chronic
learning disability in the form of an error-prone slowness.
From age 5-18 he was then moved into the Pride of Judea
orphanage where he was treated much better. Even though
he was slow, he has a very high IQ and a tenacity to rise
above his early beginnings. His dream was to "devote my
life's work to helping people". A strong advocate against
child abuse, he went on to receive a Master's Degree in
Social Work. Through the years, he has helped dozens of
families and children as a social group worker and caseworker.
Now retired, he writes stories for the Pride Newsletter,
and sends many more to his alumni friends. He has detailed
his fascinating auto-biography in a book, An
Orphan Has Many Parents, which he co-authored with
his good friend, Stan Friedland. He also wrote an unpublished
25 year history of the 7th Armored Brigade, a heroic Israeli
Tank Unit. His view on life: "despite my rather modest
financial resources, life has been such a veritable 'feast'
that, whenever it chances to end, my dearest friends and
well-wishers can draw comfort and consolation from the
knowledge that, not only the quantity of my waking hours,
but also the joys I've experienced already have surpassed
anything that ordinarily could have been gained by others
in 80, or even 90 years."
What an amazing person!
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Dr. Wayne Dyer
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I have had the pleasure
of hearing Dr.
Dyer
on several occasions when he was in
Austin, Texas. His words are words of knowledge, of love,
of caring for others, of wisdom, and spiritual common sense.
Through the years, he has written many outstanding books
which reach the heart and soul of people all over the world.
From time to time, he mentions in his talks of being an
orphan and how he achieved his goals despite his early years.
I believe his soul purpose in life is to be a healer, not
only for himself but for mankind.
For more on Wayne Dyer and his many books, please go to
Dr.
Wayne Dyer |
Stan Friedland, Ed.D.
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Dr.
Stan Friedland, Ed.D., became an orphan
at the tender age of 4. His father had a fatal heart attack
and his mother had Multiple Sclerosis. She was unable
care for Stan and his brother, Bernie, as her health deteriorated
quickly. After being placed in several foster care homes,
Stan, at age nine, was placed in the Pride of Judea orphanage
where he remained until he graduated from high school.
Although Stan's mother could not take care of her two
sons, they always had to visit her on a weekly basis because
she was institutionalized. Those weekly trips meant everything
to the boys. "Her influence on me (Stan), then and now,
is at the core of my being." Stan received his doctorate
degree from Columbia University. is now a retired high
school principal; had a very successful career in education;
presents workshops and seminars to teachers and school
principalsthroughout the United States; and is an educational
consultant for the TV show called "Inside Education" in
Long Island, NY. Stan Friedland co-authored the book,
An Orphan Has
Many Parents along with his good friend,
Phil Craft. This book was written "to honor the institution
that helped them [the orphans] salvage a sense of the
future." (Newsday, Monday, August 3, 1998) |
Ira Greenberg
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Ira
Greenberg lived in an orphanage from
the age of 8 to 18. He was a newspaper reporter and a 30-year
psychologist. He was in the Army during WWII serving with
the 11th Engineer Combat Battalion. With 35 other soldiers,
he completed the Navy's Amphibious Scouts and Raiders School,
thereby being among the few who can claim grandfather status
to today's elite SEALs. He served with the 11th in Southern
France and Germany, earned a journalism B.A. from the University
of Oklahoma, covered the Phenix City (AL) crime and politics
for the Columbus (GA) Enquirer, spent a year on the
Louisville (KY) Courier-Journal, and five plus on
the Los Angeles Times, leaving in 1962 with a USC
M.A. in English. Then, with an M.S. in counseling from Los
Angeles State University and 1967 Ph.D. from Claremont (CA)
Graduate Hospital. Ira has written the following books:
Psychodrama and Audience Attitude Change, 1968; Psychodrama:
Theory & Therapy, 1974, and Group Hypnotherapy and
Hypnodrama, 1977 and The Hebrew National Orphan Home:
Memories of Orphanage Life, 1977 (in press). He now
practices hypnotherapy and business coaching in Los Angeles.
The photo show Ira telling ex-Seal Jesse Ventura, governor
of Minnesota, at UDT-SEAL Association Western reunion
in August, 2000, near Naval Special Warfare (West Coast)
Headquarters, that he is his grandfather - that is grandfather
Seal. |
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