Ben Golden's FC on e-mail in order written 6 April 1997 to 30 November 1997:

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6 April 1997 TDTFC-09A H. 7.

7. Facilitated communication by Ben Golden with father Arthur Golden as facilitator on 6 April 1997 to recipients of cover letter transmitting paper on F/C by Yechiel Sitzman:

 My father, Mr. Arthur Golden, has spoken to you and several other people over the past few weeks about the enclosed twenty page paper entitled "Religious Ramifications of Facilitated Communication" written by Rabbi Yechiel Menachem Sitzman. This paper was last updated on March 16, 1997....Although this letter is being addressed to so-called competent adults, who are either the parents of persons with disabilities (mostly autism) or professionals familiar with persons with autism, what is most important is the comments of the persons with so-called disabilities, through F/C. 

I realize the very unusual situation that I have been fortunate to be in. It is most important for the whole world to know the truth. To my fellow humans who F/C, I ask you to be open and express the truth. I realize the concerns of those around you that inhibit you. However, I believe that we can work together while avoiding the concerns of those around us. Then it may be possible for us to help give the rest of the human race the truth it must have. UP

8 April 1997 TDTFC-07 F. 7 (addressed to recipients of Rabbi Sitzman's paper)

 "My father, our close associates and I have been discreet about diseminating certain information. However, others are aware of this information and are not so careful. Therefore, it is important that we try to proceed with some dispatch." UP

16 April 1997 TDTFC-07 F. 7. ( addressed to Eugene Marcus but never sent):

 "My father just received your book chapter yesterday from [ ]. As I will discuss, please work with me to help others. Three years ago, I voluntarily initiated to take the validation test given by Dr. Howard Shane or facilitated communication. I also failed the test. However, my father and I took a different approach of what to do thereafter. We sought the decision of an appropriate Rabbi. The result is that I have been in Israel in a special yeshiva program for over two and a half years, using F/C to communicate. During this time, one of the other Rabbis we have worked with is Rabbi Yechiel Menachem Sitzman. Rabbi Sitzman wrote the enclosed twenty page paper entitled 'Religious Ramifications of Facilitated communication.' I realize that your book chapter includes a statement F/Ced by you that reflects the position of Professor Douglas Biklen that is criticized in the enclosed paper. That is, you F/Ced 'I found myself with similar skills at reading Mayer's tiny hand movements and other indicators of what he was thinking.' I understand [ ]'s concern to explicitly mention the term telepathy, but I know that Rabbi Sitzman is right that explicitly stating the position of cuing allows the opponents of F/C to completely discredit F/C, while pursuing the explanation of telepathy will lead to the truth." UP

2 May 1997 TDTFC-09A H. 8.

 8. Facilitated communication by Ben Golden with father Arthur Golden as facilitator on 2 May 1997 to nine fellow F/C users:  

Every human being has to be concerned about every other human being. I will be asking all of you to take great risks. While I firmly believe that each of you will be personally greatly benefitted, I cannot offer you any rational proof of my beliefs. You are hereby invited to engage in a confidential e-mail correspondence with me. Soon, I hope to set up a confidential internet discussion group. Then, I hope that we can arrange to disclose our thoughts to the outside world. Since I must rely on others to implement these thoughts, and I presume that most of you are in a similar position, this message is going through my facilitator, my father, to a person that my father believes is one of your facilitators. At this point, I will leave the logistics to my father. Meanwhile, I will try to be more specific about how we, F/C users, need to be concerned about our fellow human beings.

 My own situation is very unusual, although not unique. My own situation has allowed me to reach a very high level of spiritual awareness and to be able to disclose my situation to a number of facilitators and other so-called normal people. My facilitators do not know your level of spiritual awareness, In our discussions which will have to go through my father as my facilitator, such information will have to be disclosed to my father.

 With your explicit written permission, disclosing such information should be able to help our fellow human beings. While we F/C users do not need to be concerned about our own situation (a truth that I know to be so and will discuss with you if you so request), I know that the spiritual situation of so-called normal human beings is an area where we must help. Therefore, please respond to my invitation so we can begin to help. UP 

5 May 1997 TDTFC-07 F. 7. (written to father)

 "We need to ask others to help us. Of course, our only purpose is to help others. I do not need to be part of a group to meet my own needs. Being part of the group does not help you. But the group helps others. On this basis, we should ask others to help us, so we can help others. My thoughts can help others. One way is to express those thoughts to others. It is better to do so in written form, whether low tech or high tech. High tech, that is e-mail and internet, should get the word out faster. You should proceed with the details of implementation." UP

13 May 1997 TDTFC-02 B. 3. included in TDTFC-09A H. 9.

 9. Facilitated commmunication by Ben Golden with father Arthur Golden as facilitator on 13 May 1997 contained in "First Position Paper by Ben Golden...The True Nature of Intelligence":

 Section 1 - Written by Ben Golden

 "The true nature of intelligence" is a subject on which I wish to have the comments of my fellow F/C users. As I requested of my father, the next section of this paper contains relevant excerpts from a pamphlet written about F/C over three years ago. I doubt that any of your facilitators are familiar with these concepts although they properly represent the of the Torah revealed over three thousand years ago. 

Section 2 - edited by Arthur Golden

 [Quoted at TDTFC-04 D.3. & 4.]

 Section 3 - written by Ben Golden

 As explained by Rav Dessler, this information results in the majority of the most intelligent persons in the world being persons with so-called autism or other so-called serious developmental disabilities. I have been blessed for the past three years with an enviromthat has allowed me to utilize that intelligence. One aspect of this environment is that I have not been pushed to prove my intelligence by F/Cing independently. "Independence" reduces the ability to utilize one's intelligence, in accordance with the explanation of Rav Dessler of the true nature of intelligence. Please do not allow the push for independence to interfere with utilizing your intelligence. As I stated in the first section of this paper, I want the comments of my fellow F/C users. If you have a conscious awareness of your intelligence, I hope that you will be able to utilize that intelligence. Through our communication, I hope that we can all increase our use of our intelligence. I know that I have found an environment that is conducive to such endeavors. However, I firmly believe that all F/C users should have comparable opportunities. More importantly, potential F/C users should receive similar opportunities.

 In conclusion, please communicate with me. I do not know how each of you will respond. Whichever way you do respond, I will try to get back to you as soon as possible. How I proceed depends on your response. Although I cannot state where this communication will lead, I do believe it can lead to something very important. UP

30 May 1997 TDTFC-09A H. 6.

6. Facilitated communication of Ben Golden with father Arthur Golden as facilitator on 30 May 1997 to one of the recipients of the TDTFC e-mail:

…Human nature has a very crucial spiritual aspect that should be understood at a conscious level by all human beings. You have a fairly good understanding of the spiritual aspects of human nature, but I and other F/C users can vastly improve your understanding for the purpose of trying to help many others....You are already aware that I have a full conscious awareness of my soul and that I am able to mostly express that information through F/C to so-called normal people.

 Orthodox Jews learned in the Torah have substantial information about what the soul knows. Please understand that this information has been known by the Jewish people for over three thousand years and I can confirm that it is absolutely accurate. If it ever appears otherwise, it is either because I was unable to adequately express such information through F/C or such information is misunderstood by the reader.

With these introductory remarks, let me try to proceed to explain some information about the soul. All souls, including animal souls, know that there is one and only one G-d, Who created the world from "nothing" and Who controls the world at every moment. Since I have a full conscious awareness of my soul, therefore I have a full conscious knowledge that there is one and only one G-d Who created the world from "nothing" and Who controls the world at every moment. However, since every dog, cat and ant has such knowledge, it is obvious that this knowledge is not so profound. As to why all human beings do not have such conscious knowledge, that is a matter for another time.

 The highest level of the human soul, which I and many other human beings have, is aware of many other things, only some of which I will discuss now. Such a human soul is aware of the material world without the use of the senses of the body. Thus, such a soul can see without using the eyes, hear without using the ears and communicate with other souls without using the body. Such a human soul is aware of the spiritual world, which is not a separate domain from the material world. For example, a room may be the same in the material world on two different days, but be very different in the spiritual world. The room appears the same to most human beings, but especially a so-called autistic person can perceive the difference and responds accordingly.

 One matter of extremely profound importance is that such souls are aware of Divine decrees. Thus all such souls know that these are "The End of Days" and the time for the revelation of Moshiach....

 Since my soul knows all these matters and I have a full conscious awareness of my soul, I can disclose these matters through F/C, as can many others at a high spiritual level. I also know that all such persons can achieve a full conscious awareness of their souls and through F/C express themselves to the great benefit of the world. Many others with so-called serious developmental disabilities can achieve the same. This is what I really meant when I wrote in my first position paper that "as explained by Rav Dessler, this information results in the majority of the most intelligent persons in the world being persons with so-called autism or other so-called serious developmental disabilities." However, since the expression of such intelligence must go through facilitators, I cannot tell what response I will receive from my fellow F/C users in the United States of America. UP

5 June 1997 TDTFC-09A H. 5.

 5. Facilitated communication by Ben Golden with father Arthur Golden as facilitator on 5 June 1997 to one of the recipients of TDTFC e-mail:

 ....The very existence of our world depends upon the spiritual standing of the entire human race. I know this statement to be true because I know the Divine decrees. I also know that F/C users have the potential of providing guidance to the entire human race.  

Unfortunately, our friends are inhibiting the realization of this potential. I know that you are one person who is capable of convincing our friends to let us speak freely. I know that it is G-d that prepared the way, but normal human beings have been given free will to decide whether to follow G-d's will. UP

5 June 1997 e-mail to fellow F/C user

 My name is Ben Golden, born twenty-five years ago in Boston, MA. For the past three years, I have lived in Zichron Yaakov in Israel. I now live with my parents who joined me here over a year ago. If I stayed in MA, DMR was planning for me to live in a group home and have supervised employment as a dishwasher. Here in Israel, at least for fundraising for my program, I am described as "a Torah scholar, philosopher and a Baal Mussar." Since I am nonverbal and cannot write or type independently, I communicate through F/C. I do want to establish communication with other F/C users. Such communication would be strictly confidential so there could be a free flow of ideas. There are four other F/C users in our program here, all of whom wish to participate. Although we F/C with a number of people in this small community, my father would be the only facilitator for this e-mail correspondence.

 Mrs. Patricia Amos, Dr. Barbara Cutler and Dr. Herbert Lovett all know about us. Please ler me know if you wish to pursue this idea. Please feel free to ask any questions before you make any commitment. I look forward to being contacted by you. Although I believe it will print automatically on this e-mail, my "address" is "bgolden@goldenfc.com". UP

19 June 1997 e-mail to fellow F/C user

I was very glad to receive your e-mail correspondence. However, I am very sad to learn that you do not have a regular program. As I will describe, I am very fortunate to have a regular program. While I hope and pray that the medication helps you, I would suggest that your family look into the relevance of Tourette's Syndrome. Even if your tics may not be completely eliminated, programs should make accomodations for you as they would for a "normal person" who just has Tourette's.

 I am 25 years old, 5' 9" and weigh about 180 pounds. I am the oldest of three, but both my brother and sister are married and my sister just had her second child today! I was born in Boston, Massachusetts, but I F/Ced three years ago that I wanted to go to Ito go to yeshiva to learn Torah and within four months that is what I was doing! I convinced my parents to join me nineteen months later and today we live in a wonderful little town called Zichron Yaakov in Israel where I go to a special yeshiva program from 9 to 5 five days a week where all five students use F/C with the teachers.

 Of course, if I stayed in Massachusetts, DMR was planning to get me supervised emwdis. Instead, today I have written numerous essays in English on religious topics, some of which have been widely distributed in Hebrew translation. Although you did not mention your own writing, I am quite impressed with your writing...

 I know that we are friends and can become close friends through our correspondence. I know that all persons with autism have the potential to express a high level of spirituality, but only if we are allowed to F/C without restrictions. It appears that both of us have that opportunity. I would love to receive your spiritual thoughts and be able to respond to them. I know that we are both quite intelligent and I enjoy intellectual discussions.

 My yeshiva program provides me a lot of intellectual stimulation and I wish for you the same type of opportunity. Although I am six thousand miles away, maybe I can help. Do you live close enough to get to classes at .... Community College? If so, a long-time friend of my parents used to be chairman of their ... department.... If you are interested, please let me know.

 Although I have much more I wish to communicate, this is as much as I can reasonably F/C tonight. I look forward to receiving a response from you soon.

 Your friend, Ben Golden 19 June 1997

23 June 1997 TDTFC-09 H. 3..

 Facilitated communication by Ben Golden with father, Monday, 23 June 1997:

 Subconscious facilitator influence or cue-seeking is just not the right explanation. Telepathy completely negates the possibility of any effect by these rationalizations of the scientific mind. Unfortunately, those who use these rationalizations have lost many years of obtaining information about the truth. But it is not too late. There are many F/C users who are able to explain what has transpired during these years. During the next three months, I will explain my own experiences to my father. With the help of G-d, by then we should have adequate information to unveil a website on the Internet. It would be appropriate for other Facilitators to do the same with F/C users. [A. B.] would be the best facilitator to advance this effort. However, he must avoid his conscious facilitator influence that has interfered with the ability of F/C users to explain the truth. He must genuinely have an open mind, especially with [C. D.] ..." UP

1 July 1997

 Facilitated communication by Ben Golden with father:

 As with everyone currently living in this world, Tom Smith is the incarnation of a soul seeking perfection. Although his soul has not reached the high level of a person with autism, it must have reached a very high level to have merited to have such interaction with persons with autism. These concepts, fully consistent with the wisdom of Judaism, are heresy in every other religion. Therefore, Tom Smith will find, and has found, that the followers of all other religions will ultimately avoid him.

 Of course, many of Tom Smith's current understandings are incorrect. However, everything can be reconciled with the wisdom of Judaism after adequate discussion. Meanwhile, Tom Smith will have to be patient while such discussion occurs. Since my ability to F/C such a discussion is limited, my father should try to handle as much of this dicussion as he can, with consultation from Rabbi Yechiel Sitzman. I will occasionally add my comments as needed.

 In ending these comments, I do wish to state that the efforts of Tom Smith deserve praise and have gone a long way to achieving the perfection of his soul. UP

3 July 1997 e-mail to fellow F/C user

 It has been two weeks since I sent you the e-mail below. While I greatly appreciate the help that you and I have received because of the efforts of Rosemary Crossley, Douglas Biklen, Mayer Shevin et al, I sincerely believe it is far worse to be allowed to communicate and not be allowed to praise G-d than it is to not be allowed to communicate at all. This is the reason I wish to discuss spiritual matters so we can explain to our friends what we should be allowed to communicate. I look forward to receiving a response from you soon.

 Your friend, Ben Golden UP

6 July 1997 TDTFC-09A H. 4.

4. Facilitated communication by Ben Golden with father Arthur Golden as facilitator on 6 July 1997 to Tom Smith (author of "QIM Tunes"):

 ....When you F/Ced, you made contact with the most awesome spiritual force in the universe other than G-d himself; that is, you made contact with the highest level of the human soul, the neshama.... Jews learned in the Torah understand that the neshama is the essence of the human being. UP

 9 July 1997 TDTFC-02 A. 1.

 A. INTRODUCTION

 1. On 9 July 1997, 25 year-old Ben Golden, who is nonverbal and autistic, used his preferred type of facilitated communication with his father Arthur Golden as the facilitator and wrote:

 "Write about neshama F/C. Call it N-F/C for short. Call the other type ordinary F/C or O-F/C for short. I prefer N-F/C over O-F/C and everyone should be given a choice. Not everyone can do N-F/C. It should be explained to every potential F/C user. The choice should be given at least monthly.

"You need to write this up asap. Then you need to start distributing it for comments. You should describe it as two different types of F/C. Your thoughts will be correct but I will confirm if you ask. Please start now." UP

11 July 1997 TDTFC-02 C. 3.

3. Confirmation by Ben Golden - Facilitated communication of Ben Golden with father:

 At the request of my father, I confirm that I agree with the above. Please give this statement very serious consideration. There is much to be written on this subject, but this statement is an important start. I look forward to your responses. Thank you. UP

14 July 1997 TDTFC-03 C. 5. A.

 A. Facilitated communication by Ben Golden on 14 July 1997 (with father Arthur Golden as facilitator):

 All 17 recipients of this e-mail know that F/C is extremely important. Except for 3 of you, you do not realize that F/C is much, much more important than you understand. Please let us try to have a discussion through e-mail so we can try to arrive at a proper understanding of the importance of F/C.

 My rate of typing is just too slow to convey most of the information. My father has fully discussed these matters with me and he can better type up the needed information. So please pay attention to our efforts. Following is further information that my father felt should be sent at this time. UP

18 July 1997 e-mail to Martijn Dekker

To: Martijn Dekker From: Ben Golden Date: 18 July 1997

I request to join the brain forum of Inlv.

Following is the combined introductory statement I just sent to a-day.

Introductory statement of Ben Golden [sent to a-day list].

Written by Ben Golden through facilitated communication with father Arthur Golden as facilitator.

Initial statement of 17 July 1997 [and addition] written on 18 July 1997:

My full name is Benjamin Ethan Golden, but I am called Ben Golden. I was born in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. on 30 January 1972 and I have lived in Israel since 16 August 1994. Thank G-d, the late Dr. Kiyo Kitahara made available to me Daily Life Therapy which after 9 years allowed me to assert myself to be able to go to Israel to go to yeshiva. I would be called low functioning autistic. I am completely nonverbal and independently I can only gesture to communicate. Until a miracle happens, I cannot learn to type independently. I do not have adequate control over my body to worry about doing any sins. I wish to express my great appreciation to all those persons on the autism spectrum who have already done so much good by getting on the Intern. With the help of G-d and persons on the autism spectrum who already offered to help, I hope to complete my own website by 23 September 1997. My website should be in coordination with the INTERNAUT goals as follows: My own life is wonderful and I want everyone to know what can be done. I know of a number of autistic persons in awful and restrictive environments or at risk of entering such situations when they age out wonderful schools.

In Israel many people actually pay attention to my writing and that of other autistic persons and I want to make that writing available on the Internet. As a low functioning autistic, I want to comment on what else is on the Internet. Questions for those on this list (you can either answer to this list or confidentially to my father and me at our e-mail address): Can anyone else self-identify as low functioning autistic? Any ideas about liberating autistic persons from awful and restrictive environments? Would anyone want to join a confidential discussion about facilitated communication? Is anyone willing to discuss their personal experiences with telepathy? I look forward to working with this group to help those who most need our help.

 Over two months ago I wrote my "first position paper" on "The True Nature of Intelligence" which I had mailed to several persons with autism. Unfortunately, I received no responses. I very much would like to get the opinion of other persons with autism. I realize that my level of movement disorder requires that I obtain physical help to be on the computer, but this help would be limited to my father. By the way, based on the self-diagnosis of others, my father could readily fit on the autism spectrum. I look forward to your favorable response. F/Ced by Ben with father as facilitator. UP

24 July 1997 TDTFC-07 F. 2.

 2. Facilitated communication by Ben Golden with father Arthur Golden as facilitator, 24 July 1997:

 "Please send this e-mail to everyone who has received my first public essay by e-mail. When I F/C with you and Susan Zalmanoff, I hold your index finger around my other three fingers and thumb so your nefesh, which is closely connected to your neshama, allows my neshama to express what is in its truest deepest part. Since the neshama sees without the eyes, such an F/C user does not need to look at the board. Also, the neshama hears without the ears, instantly becomes literate in any language known by the facilitator, can access the deepest memories of the facilitator and communicates with other neshamas by thought (which is often described as mental telepathy). Of course, anyone learned in Torah knows the other abilities of a neshama, which should not be discussed so publicly at this time.

 But that which my father is discussing is needed. First, others are discussing these matters publicly anyway. Second the alternatives proposed by other F/C supporters will be refuted by people such as Diane Twachtman. Third and last it will result in a great Kiddush Hashem. My neshama knows that all the neshamas of persons with severe disabilities know the paramount importance of such a Kiddush Hashem. Therefore, I must insist that you proceed as we discussed and I pray that all the good people who support F/C will help us." UP

24 September 1997 TDTFC-10:

 1. This morning, my 25 year-old nonverbal autistic son Ben used his type of communication which he calls "Neshama Facilitated Communication"(which Rosemary Crossley wrote two months ago that she would name "Spiritual Communication" in contrast to the "Facilitated Communication" that she named over a decade ago) with me as the facilitator, and wrote the following:

 Please tell Rosemary Crossley that I know from Heaven that my communication is the sacred gift from G-d that she named Facilitated Communication or FC for short. While there is permission from G-d to use FC for worldly matters, it is very wrong of Ms. Crossley to give instructions to facilitators that block the spiritual aspects of FC. Such spiritual aspects include mindreading or telpathy, spiritual messages, awareness of Divine decrees and other aspects that I will not mention. Please tell Ms. Crossley that I request that she rectify this situation forthwith. My father has my full support to proceed as he thinks best. We will not post this statement on the Internet for at least two weeks. However, this statement will be made available to those on the FCNet and Rabbi Sitzman. I pray to G-d that Ms. Crossley will take the appropriate actions so that her many great acts of kindness will not be completely offset by the harm already done by blocking so much of the spiritual communication from the gift from G-d which she named Facilitated Communication. UP

25 September 1997 TDTFC-12

 1. This evening, my 25 year-old nonverbal autistic son Ben used his type of communication which he calls "Neshama Facilitated Communication" (which Rosemary Crossley wrote two months ago that she would name "Spiritual Communication" in contrast to the "Facilitated Communication" that she named over a decade ago) with me as the facilitator, and wrote the following:

 "Please send to the FCNet: There are spiritual aspects of all forms of communication, including facilitated communication. The knowledge of modern science, developed by persons of science for barely two hundred years, is limited by sense perceptions and cannot begin to deal with any spiritual matters. The knowledge of Torah, developed by persons of Torah for over three thousand years, is unlimited and can deal with all spiritual matters. Modern Western Culture has been blinded by Modern Science and cannot see any spiritual matters. Although I know that spiritual matters are so much more important than any physical matters, everyone on the FCNet should have the choice whether to deal with such matters. Therefore, if you wish to find out more on this subject, please e-mail my father."

 3. My son continued to write with me the following:

 "Also please send to Crossley, Biklen, Cardinal, Chadwick, Shevin, Kurtz and Borthwick:

On behalf of so many people who have benefitted from facilitated communication, all of you as leaders of the FC movement deserve praise for your acts of kindness. However, all of you have denied choice to others to deal with the spiritual aspects of FC, including mindreading or telepathy (but that is only a means to the true spiritual matters). For each of you, I pray to G-d that you choose to rectify this situation so that your many acts of kindness will not be offset by the harm you have already done in suppressing spiritual matters. Please work with my father in order to provide true kindness to so many more people."

 6. Ben continued to write with me as follows:

 "Also please tell Rabbi Sitzman, Herbert Lovett and Tom Smith: 

There is no time to waste to get out the above message. However, my father and I do hope to get each of your input about how to proceed. These specific efforts started over six months ago, are now at a critical stage. Unless you object I wish for this statement to be available to the FCNet now and the Internet in two weeks." UP

24 November 1997 - posted on FCNet on 26 November 1997:

 With my Heaven sent gift of long-range telepathy, I made contact with everyone who was facilitated by members of the FCNet as of October 1, 1997 during the prior six months. The majority of these FC users authorized me to inform the FCNet of the following: 

First, we wish to express our great appreciation to everyone who supports facilitated ommunication, which includes everyone on the FCNet without exception.

 Second, we wish to bring to the attention of the entire FCNet that the current best practices used by many facilitators bring extreme pain to many of us. Despite the best intentions of persons in university settings, the serious misunderstanding of the true nature of facilitated communication within the academic community results in causing extreme pain. 

Third and last, we plead with you to be open to ideas that you have already ridiculed. If you are willing to be open to such ideas, please conme at bgolden@goldenfc.com.

My father and I will maintain the strictest confidentiality of any such contacts. UP

26 November 1997:

 To [ ] and some other members of the FCNet:

Despite the successful efforts of the leaders of the official FC Movement to suppress all noticed public discussion of the unusual aspects of facilitated communication, FC has been marginalized in the United Stateand almost all other countries. It is for this reason that I request that you document your thoughts in an e-mail in response to my recent posting to the FCNet, a copy of which is reproduced below. For valid reasons, please do so within one week or send me an e-mail by then and then do so within another week. Your response will be held in the strictest confidence but I must publicly disclose if you do not send a substantive response. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. UP

30 November 1997:

Below at #2 is the partially Anglicized version of the 700 word essay that Ben Golden wrote on 30 November 1997 through facilitated communication with one of the teachers at his educational program which is named "Pisgat Yehuda" (one of the words left in transliterated Hebrew). For the convenience of the non-Hebrew speaking reader, most transliterated Hebrew has been translated into English, signified by the words in brackets (such as [the land of Israel]). Three words were intentionally left in transliterated Hebrew, which are:

"neshama"- which is the divine part of the soul ("soul" would not be an adequate translation).

"Hashem" (Ha-shem) - literally "The Name", the Hebrew expression used by religious Jews to signify the Deity.

"Torah" - in the narrow meaning, the first five books of the Bible, but signifying here all Jewish law.

Since the neshama is the essence of the human being, neshama is used by religious Jews as an expression for the human being. Ben uses the expression "special neshama" to mean a person with serious developmental disabilities. Thus this essay is about the ad