RichardmGreen,
I have been reading your posts. I know which Dix Hills house you used to live in. About a mile from the Uttings right? Would love to correspond more with you.

Slate asked about the Gattis.
Yes.
I know all about them. Very well. Are you still reading the posts. I know vaguely what happened to Lisa and Lynn and Michael.

Ksmith,
Did you get me post? Larry Olsen is about 56 right? I know him. He has one brother and ...I think...three sisters, all younger. I remember them. Isn't one of the Olsen sisters married to a Newman? And Tarrentino....I'm not sure, I think another sister maybe...maybe she married a Tarrentino. I remember them. You know them?

Hi Gerry. Peace to you. I'll continue here with issues related to the Fellowship/Community in 1973-83.

Books Widely Used in the Community

The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was a reference text for Jesus Book class (c. 1974-75). I thought highly of the book when I first read it. I returned to the book years later, after the scandal, and could not stand its pietist sentiments. This is not unique; I forced myself to read The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a Kempis, and some of the Bruderhof’s Eberhard Arnold, which I also could not take. It is probably a combination of my scientific training and disillusionment from the experience of radical discipleship. I like other writings by Bonhoeffer, and I'm still attracted to radical discipleship in some form.

I never read Jesus and the Zealots (published 1967), which formed the scholarly basis for the idea in the Community that Jesus was political. Recent books which cite Brandon (Ched Myers, Binding the Strong Man; John H. Yoder, The Politics of Jesus; Richard Horsley, Jesus and the Spiral of Violence) give Brandon credit for introducing the political element, but reject the simplistic understanding of both him and his opponents. I believe Jesus was political in much the way that Gandhi was.

The annual lectures of Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik were organized by Pinchas Peli and published as On Repentance (1980). They were widely used in the Community. This is an extremely good book, halakhic and ethical, which I return to from time to time.

Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl, contains an account of the author’s experience in a concentration camp, followed by the theory of logotherapy. The book was used among the youth and young adults in 1981, and I have re-read it since. It is an excellent resource for responding to the shock of the scandal. I agree with Frankl that the Will to Meaning is more powerful than what Freud postulated.

After the scandal, the best seller Holy Blood, Holy Grail was cited as explaining the lineage of Jesus. I read the first 100 pages because I was asked for my opinion of the book by another member of the Community. The book is worthless. Umberto Ecco ridicules this genre in Foucault’s Pendulum, a novel I found uncomfortably reminiscent of thinking in the post-scandal Community. (Update: The Da Vinci Code, similar to Holy Blood Holy Grail, has since been published and made into a movie.)

To everyone who has been posting on the site: a number of you have been asking about particular friends of these. I believe this has been done out of a sincere desire to reconnect with people we were very close with. That was one part of the Community that was very sincere: there were truly deep friendships that were formed. However, many of us would not want our names associated with the group in an open forum such as the Web, with all due respect for others who do not mind this. I think out of respect we should refrain from posting peoples names. Let's take those type of discussions with direct email.

Janet24 (remembering the good times, and sad about the hard times we all had to face when things fell apart....

HI Janet 24,
It's like the ''big brother'' thing right? No one wants to believe that the world is watching. The web is sort of like ''big brother'' out of control. I understand where you are coming from and I also understand your concerns. I also have my own legitimate concern about the fact that this group is still active and ''cloaked''. The people who participate pretend they are not involved. I am a believer in truth. I believe a person should be truthful about who and what they are. Whether you believe the book of Genesis or not; here is some food for thought. Did Adam incur God's judgment for disobeying....or for hiding what he did? Just a question. Remeber? They ate the apple OK but then...what did they do? They realized they had erred and so they hid. I'm not saying that I believe in big brother or that I think ''the web'' is God but you know...be who you are. If a person is involved in Shoresh Yashi...be involved. But don't pretend you are not. That is deception and it is wrong.

I also have something to say to ''everyone'' who wants to ''remember the good times'' as they pertain to this cult. I would like to say..this was a cult...led by a pervert. If you are reminiscing about the good times then go belt down some suds with OJ while he fondly discusses the ''good times'' he had with Nicole. There were no good times. Unless you were a condescending and arrogant adult who enjoyed preying upon the naivitee(however spelled) of children. Then maybe you had some good times. If that is the case then seriously consider what makes you feel good and stay away from children.

M. He ennodoc,
About Holy Blood Holy Grail. That was a big deal. That is the book that had everyone believing that Jack Hickman was a descendant of Christ. Sick. I believe many cult leaders today will use ''The Davinci Code'' knock off.
How about ''Night'' by Elie Wiesel. Community loved it and actually, so did I. Of course Hickman used the book to perpetuate fear and feed the community's persecution complex. But really, the book was fabulous because Elie Wiesel bared his soul. He told the truth about his most raw, inner emotions. His father dies at one point. He says...I will paraphrase ''I knew I should feel something as I saw him there dead...I searched my soul for an emotion...I found only one emotion...it was relief"
Such raw honesty from the author of "Night". I appreciated the honesty. Then Jack Hickman uses this book to help promote his lies...shame. Truly, shame on the man.

Sallie

I agree with you regarding those who are still involved. Let them be open about it.

I am more concerned for those, like me and my husband, that got out pretty early on and have moved on with our lives. (We left as soon as we heard rumours of beatings and abuse.) We worked hard to put our lives together after we left. We simply would not want our personal and professional relationships tarnished by having it known that we were part of this group.


When I say good times, I refer to the early years when we were involved and we developed very close relationships with other people. I agree with you about the horrid aspects of Jack and the core leadership. I cannot understand at all the people who chose to remain in spite of the evidence -- that truly is the cult like aspect of this. However, I value some of the learning I did and the friendships I developed.

HI Janet,
I am glad for you that you got out early. I think that is something to be proud of. I talk all the time to people about the fact that I had dealings with a cult when I was very young. If you left then, I believe you have good reason to be relieved. I imagine the deep friendships you developed were with others who also got out. I say this because I know the people who have remained and they are not people with whom a person can maintain a deep friendship. Friendships are based upon trust and honesty. Period. Those who lie and decieve because ...''god told them to....''....well.. when your god is the author of lies....
I'm just saying..
Good for you if you maintained some strong deep friendships.
You must have gotten out pretty early....