Rabbi Levi Levertov of the Chabad Jewish Center of Phoenix knows a great thing when he sees one –and he saw one in Scottsdale resident Avie Guttman. The two met about a year ago and soon realized they could team up to make a lasting and powerful impact on the local Jewish senior community.
As director of Chabad’s local Smile on Seniors, Rabbi Levertov and his wife, Chani, provide Shabbat dinners, cocktail parties, Hanukkah parties, lectures and other gatherings for local Jewish seniors, as well as Shabbat and holiday programs at area senior living facilities.
Avie’s Recorded Interview Program for seniors provided the perfect synchronicity. Rabbi Levertov provides a steady stream of seniors, and Avie provides a priceless service to them – the ability to leave a verbal legacy of their rich and varied lives. Rabbi Levertov uses his technological wizardry to transform Avie’s tapes to a USB drive for a computer or TV, creating a lasting memoir complete with a picture of the interviewee in front of a Jewish-themed background.
As a long-time student of Kabbalah, Avie felt this project aligned with her spiritual path in life. “I wanted to do something meaningful and without cost. Kabbalah is about transforming yourself into a giver, emptying yourself of your ego and becoming a channel for blessings. It’s all about being the ‘light.’ I truly believe the more kindness you give, the more you get back.”
Avie says she believes her long-standing interest in books, history and biographies of people are what makes her so interested in people relating their life stories. Her sense of compassion, she says, comes from being the baby of the family and surrounded by adults. “I also cared for my father, who was paralyzed. Now I want to give strangers what I would have given my own family if they were still around.”
A typical hour-long session with Avie takes place at the Scottsdale and Shea Chabad library (and occasionally retirement homes and private homes) and is not only free, but available to any senior regardless of religious affiliation. In addition, the records are entirely confidential. “Not even the rabbi knows what’s on the tapes,” says Avie. The recorded interviews always remain on Rabbi Levertov’s computer, however, there is a new offer from Dr. Lawrence Bell at the Cutler Plotkin Historical Society in downtown Phoenix. He has offered to allow the interviewees to use his archives to save the recorded tapes.
“When Avie proposed doing interviews, we knew this was something truly unique,” says Rabbi Levertov. “She had the background and a real passion for it. It’s amazing to see someone who truly cares about the community do this kind of mitzvah. People sometimes think mitzvahs are mainly tied to money, but not in this case. This is a win-win situation. Avie feels empowered, as well as the seniors.”
To achieve a memorable and engaging interview, Avie asks a variety of customized questions aimed at uncovering not only your personal history but your dreams, life lessons, passions, careers, grand loves, family, travels, hobbies, friends and philosophies. She relates that many people are skeptical before they grasp the total concept.
“People ask if I’m going to write a book about them or if I’m a Ph.D. student,” she says. “Sometimes they think I’m going to give it to the newspaper, which of course will never happen. But they have every right to be concerned and I understand that.”
Before embarking on becoming an interviewer, Avie had a colorful and creative life that set the stage for her Recorded Interview Program. An art history major and interior designer, she interviewed many people in her hometown of Santa Barbara, CA. These interviews were conducted through the Santa Barbara Historical Society. “My interviewees included directors, bank presidents, authors and even a spy,” she says with a twinkle in her eye. Little did she know it at the time, but her interviewing skills would pave the way for writing a book. Ten years ago Avie was a docent at the Casa del Herrero Historical Home in Santa Barbara, which was built in the 1920s and included 12 acres of gardens. “The grandson of the renowned landscape artist Lockwood de Forrest mentioned to the director that he wanted a book created about his grandfather,” she says. “The director introduced him to me, and I spent a good deal of time doing interviews with him and taking pictures. I created the book, it got published and out of gratitude for being in this wonderful place for 14 years I donated the proceeds. The artist’s work is still being sold.”
Now Avie spends most of her energy on her interviews. Her goal? “To interview every senior in Phoenix,” she says.
