DR. MARGRET RODWAY
Professor Emeritus and Lecturer of Human Social Functioning, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
My first impression of John (Prof. Eugene Heimler)was that he was a compelling person and speaker. I attended the initial public lecture which he gave in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and found myself to be absolutely transfixed. After his lecture I rushed home to my husband to tell him that I had discovered in Human Social Functioning the method of practice which would guide my counselling in the years to come. And such was the case.
In the years to follow, I would discover in my association with John that he was disciplined in his approach to any undertaking and thus would accomplish a great deal in any given task in a relatively short time. He was a gifted writer with the ability to be sincere and clear and easily understandable. John displayed at times a delightful sense of humor and an infectious laugh, so that I would also be laughing without being sure in my own mind of that to which I was laughing.
His quality of dedication to his work and to others was another aspect of John’s which I found admirable.
There are so many other comments I would make but will have to be guided by the requirements of the assignment.
Professor Emeritus and Lecturer of Human Social Functioning, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
My first impression of John (Prof. Eugene Heimler)was that he was a compelling person and speaker. I attended the initial public lecture which he gave in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and found myself to be absolutely transfixed. After his lecture I rushed home to my husband to tell him that I had discovered in Human Social Functioning the method of practice which would guide my counselling in the years to come. And such was the case.
In the years to follow, I would discover in my association with John that he was disciplined in his approach to any undertaking and thus would accomplish a great deal in any given task in a relatively short time. He was a gifted writer with the ability to be sincere and clear and easily understandable. John displayed at times a delightful sense of humor and an infectious laugh, so that I would also be laughing without being sure in my own mind of that to which I was laughing.
His quality of dedication to his work and to others was another aspect of John’s which I found admirable.
There are so many other comments I would make but will have to be guided by the requirements of the assignment.
STEVE REGIS
Lecturer and Researcher of Human Social Functioning, London, England
I first met John (Prof. Eugene Heimler)at the end of an introductory course to his newly emerging Human Social Functioning in 1970. That night I was on my way to take the funeral of my Grandfather the following day. It was as if one mentor was to be replaced by another.
John and his Human Social Functioning methods soon became, and have remained, a cornerstone of my professional and personal life; my DNA merged with that of HSF, you could say. As with many another, such helped to change the course of my life. Not always smoothly I might add, for neither than man himself nor the methods he offered made for an easy life.
Those were indeed halcyon days in the 1970’s when a group of advanced practitioners in Britain would often meet for a weekend. John, when he was back from North America, would join us and talk enthusiastically about the latest developments and ideas over there. Meanwhile, we in our turn would share with him some of the uses to which the Heimler Scale and other aspects of his methods were being put – along with exercises to enhance understanding and potential developments.
Later the British Association and the Heimler Foundation tended to go their separate ways. However, towards the end of the 1980’s we were planning along with John another International Conference. It was scheduled to be held in the lovely setting of the Old Jordan’s Quaker Centre, a quarter of a century after the 1st International held in Banff, Canada. Sadly, he died before it was to take place in the summer of 1992. But it was nevertheless still held, albeit with a somewhat altered emphasis as we wondered how and where to take HSF without him: the unwritten 56th question of his Scale that still seeks its answer.
Lecturer and Researcher of Human Social Functioning, London, England
I first met John (Prof. Eugene Heimler)at the end of an introductory course to his newly emerging Human Social Functioning in 1970. That night I was on my way to take the funeral of my Grandfather the following day. It was as if one mentor was to be replaced by another.
John and his Human Social Functioning methods soon became, and have remained, a cornerstone of my professional and personal life; my DNA merged with that of HSF, you could say. As with many another, such helped to change the course of my life. Not always smoothly I might add, for neither than man himself nor the methods he offered made for an easy life.
Those were indeed halcyon days in the 1970’s when a group of advanced practitioners in Britain would often meet for a weekend. John, when he was back from North America, would join us and talk enthusiastically about the latest developments and ideas over there. Meanwhile, we in our turn would share with him some of the uses to which the Heimler Scale and other aspects of his methods were being put – along with exercises to enhance understanding and potential developments.
Later the British Association and the Heimler Foundation tended to go their separate ways. However, towards the end of the 1980’s we were planning along with John another International Conference. It was scheduled to be held in the lovely setting of the Old Jordan’s Quaker Centre, a quarter of a century after the 1st International held in Banff, Canada. Sadly, he died before it was to take place in the summer of 1992. But it was nevertheless still held, albeit with a somewhat altered emphasis as we wondered how and where to take HSF without him: the unwritten 56th question of his Scale that still seeks its answer.
ANTHONY RUDOLF
Friend and Translator of "THE STORM" by Eugene Heimler
The other day, by coincidence, I received two emails from close women friends, both of them -- unknown to each other -- suffering deeply from unresolved family trauma and associated mental convolutions. The temptation of the first woman is to flee from the self. The temptation of the second is to enter more deeply into the self. Pondering my replies, I thought of Eugene Heimler, who taught us to avoid both temptations. To redeem our ineluctable mortality, to create even in times of darkness, we must follow Eugene’s precept, as engraved on his tombstone: “Do not ask why pain / only what is to be done with it” and this reminds us that in Auschwitz he survived by splitting, constructing a mental space where unsuffering mind closely observed suffering mind. I am reminded of the great French poet Rimbaud’s famous remark “Je est un autre”: I is another.
Heimler taught us to avoid the original sins of eastern and western traditions: extreme abandonment of self and extreme embrace of self. I have been reading Yehuda Mirsky’s remarkable biography of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, who sought to build bridges in Zion between radical secular anti-religious intellectuals working the land on kibbutzim, and their brethren, devoutly religious in word and deed, centered in Jerusalem: to the horror of both groups, he insisted that they were equally needed for the redemption of the Jews and, indeed, mankind: he quoted the audacious, unexpected and mysterious sentence from the Mishnah: “In the time of the footsteps of the Messiah, chutzpah will greatly increase”. I don’t know if Eugene Heimler knew the work of Rav Kook but I do know that, like Kook, Eugene, my friend and mentor, had plenty of chutzpah, and that his work plays its part in the long slow journey ("the Messiah tarries") towards redemption.
Friend and Translator of "THE STORM" by Eugene Heimler
The other day, by coincidence, I received two emails from close women friends, both of them -- unknown to each other -- suffering deeply from unresolved family trauma and associated mental convolutions. The temptation of the first woman is to flee from the self. The temptation of the second is to enter more deeply into the self. Pondering my replies, I thought of Eugene Heimler, who taught us to avoid both temptations. To redeem our ineluctable mortality, to create even in times of darkness, we must follow Eugene’s precept, as engraved on his tombstone: “Do not ask why pain / only what is to be done with it” and this reminds us that in Auschwitz he survived by splitting, constructing a mental space where unsuffering mind closely observed suffering mind. I am reminded of the great French poet Rimbaud’s famous remark “Je est un autre”: I is another.
Heimler taught us to avoid the original sins of eastern and western traditions: extreme abandonment of self and extreme embrace of self. I have been reading Yehuda Mirsky’s remarkable biography of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, who sought to build bridges in Zion between radical secular anti-religious intellectuals working the land on kibbutzim, and their brethren, devoutly religious in word and deed, centered in Jerusalem: to the horror of both groups, he insisted that they were equally needed for the redemption of the Jews and, indeed, mankind: he quoted the audacious, unexpected and mysterious sentence from the Mishnah: “In the time of the footsteps of the Messiah, chutzpah will greatly increase”. I don’t know if Eugene Heimler knew the work of Rav Kook but I do know that, like Kook, Eugene, my friend and mentor, had plenty of chutzpah, and that his work plays its part in the long slow journey ("the Messiah tarries") towards redemption.
JACK HEYNEN
Lecturer in Human Social Functioning, Seattle, Washington, USA
An unforgettable experience took place while being personally interviewed by Professor Heimler while taking the Human Social functioning Course as part of completing my M.S.W degree at the School of Social Welfare, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Struggling with my future direction after having completed a Bachelor Degree in Theology, wondering again if I could trust God for further direction – his unforgettable response was: “After all, if you can’t trust God, who can you trust!” Wise words from one who survived the Holocaust and turned his ‘pain in pleasure’, such a universal principle so relevant and timeless.
It was gratitude that I accepted Professor Heimler’s request to become a lecturer. The training was completed and officially recognized on August 13th, 1974. Along with Dr. Margret Rodway and Professor Gus deCocque, we also completed several training workshops with Dr. Heimler. To have that personal contact with Eugene was indeed a treasured experience and most memorable, seeing him ‘swat flies in our hotel room’ – witnessing our respected Maestro under such ‘down-to-earth’ circumstances just having fun!
Locally in Calgary, a fellow lecturer, Bruce Llewellen, and I have collaborated to present Human Social Functioning as a course for potential therapists to become facilitators in this most excellent methodology. Interest has been shown by the Indigenous communities to equip their staff to manage multiple issues within their communities to provide healing. In our senior years we both feel very committed to Heimler’s methodology and its flexibility to adapt to various settings of human activity.
While in my senior years, it is my hope and intention to present the value of this energy-producing, healing methodology in yet unknown areas of need for the blessing of people’s lives and well-being of this planet. Eugene’s story needs to continue to be told and spread. Together we laud his unwavering faith in humanity as shown by his principles applied. Thank you, Eugene Heimler.
MAUREEN MACKRORY
Practitioner in Human Social Functioning, Friend,
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
My encounter with Dr. Eugene Heimler (John) started during my Bachler of Social Work degree program at the University of Calgary. I took my first course with him in January of 1977. The classes were like no other. Because John’s theory was born from his experiences in Auschwitz during World War II, they touched my soul. Each class was a meaningful experience that helped to make sense of my own journey in life. That spring of 1977 John set up a practicum with the Probation Service in Inner London and for four months that spring I lived in Inner London and was very fortunate to be allowed to be part of this. John also took me with him to his lectures at the University of London and I met with others in his home for more lessons. John became a good friend who had a huge impact on my life. I used his method in my work in forensic psychiatry helping people make sense of their own lives. I will always be indebted to this man for sharing his life in a profound way. May his impact continue.
Lecturer in Human Social Functioning, Seattle, Washington, USA
An unforgettable experience took place while being personally interviewed by Professor Heimler while taking the Human Social functioning Course as part of completing my M.S.W degree at the School of Social Welfare, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Struggling with my future direction after having completed a Bachelor Degree in Theology, wondering again if I could trust God for further direction – his unforgettable response was: “After all, if you can’t trust God, who can you trust!” Wise words from one who survived the Holocaust and turned his ‘pain in pleasure’, such a universal principle so relevant and timeless.
It was gratitude that I accepted Professor Heimler’s request to become a lecturer. The training was completed and officially recognized on August 13th, 1974. Along with Dr. Margret Rodway and Professor Gus deCocque, we also completed several training workshops with Dr. Heimler. To have that personal contact with Eugene was indeed a treasured experience and most memorable, seeing him ‘swat flies in our hotel room’ – witnessing our respected Maestro under such ‘down-to-earth’ circumstances just having fun!
Locally in Calgary, a fellow lecturer, Bruce Llewellen, and I have collaborated to present Human Social Functioning as a course for potential therapists to become facilitators in this most excellent methodology. Interest has been shown by the Indigenous communities to equip their staff to manage multiple issues within their communities to provide healing. In our senior years we both feel very committed to Heimler’s methodology and its flexibility to adapt to various settings of human activity.
While in my senior years, it is my hope and intention to present the value of this energy-producing, healing methodology in yet unknown areas of need for the blessing of people’s lives and well-being of this planet. Eugene’s story needs to continue to be told and spread. Together we laud his unwavering faith in humanity as shown by his principles applied. Thank you, Eugene Heimler.
MAUREEN MACKRORY
Practitioner in Human Social Functioning, Friend,
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
My encounter with Dr. Eugene Heimler (John) started during my Bachler of Social Work degree program at the University of Calgary. I took my first course with him in January of 1977. The classes were like no other. Because John’s theory was born from his experiences in Auschwitz during World War II, they touched my soul. Each class was a meaningful experience that helped to make sense of my own journey in life. That spring of 1977 John set up a practicum with the Probation Service in Inner London and for four months that spring I lived in Inner London and was very fortunate to be allowed to be part of this. John also took me with him to his lectures at the University of London and I met with others in his home for more lessons. John became a good friend who had a huge impact on my life. I used his method in my work in forensic psychiatry helping people make sense of their own lives. I will always be indebted to this man for sharing his life in a profound way. May his impact continue.
NEVILLE and MARGRET SASSIENIE,
Friends and students, London, United Kingdom
Eugene came into my life some 50 years ago when he came to speak to us in the British Reform Movement - Youth Movement. It is not easy to recall the intensity of what he told us except to say I write this at a critical stage of the Corona Virus epidemic. This tests to self-doubt all the beliefs, faith and principles on which I have based my life. Yet here was a man who had been through the darkest experiences in the Shoah and had come through to serve society as a Psychiatric Social Worker and by pioneering his unique ideas of the Heimler Method of Social Functioning. No wonder he set alight the ideas of young people who were trying to make sense of the post Second World War world. I may not have carried through all the technicalities into my life but I like to think that my lifetime devotion to the exploration of new revelations of Jewish truth is a part of the legacy he left me. More personally he helped me find treatment at the Tavistock Clinic and also over cups of coffee in his lounge. For this we are truly grateful.
Friends and students, London, United Kingdom
Eugene came into my life some 50 years ago when he came to speak to us in the British Reform Movement - Youth Movement. It is not easy to recall the intensity of what he told us except to say I write this at a critical stage of the Corona Virus epidemic. This tests to self-doubt all the beliefs, faith and principles on which I have based my life. Yet here was a man who had been through the darkest experiences in the Shoah and had come through to serve society as a Psychiatric Social Worker and by pioneering his unique ideas of the Heimler Method of Social Functioning. No wonder he set alight the ideas of young people who were trying to make sense of the post Second World War world. I may not have carried through all the technicalities into my life but I like to think that my lifetime devotion to the exploration of new revelations of Jewish truth is a part of the legacy he left me. More personally he helped me find treatment at the Tavistock Clinic and also over cups of coffee in his lounge. For this we are truly grateful.
JUDY UNGAR
Friend, Englewood, New Jersey, USA
An intimate tribute to Dr. Eugene Heimler from the widow of his best friend: Personal memories of their close friendship.
Dr. Eugene Heimler (we called him by his Hungarian name “Jancsi”) was a close friend of my husband, z"l, Rabbi Dr. Andre Ungar, for over half a century.
They met through Andre's first wife, Corinne, in London.
Jancsi and Andre were fellow Hungarians in England.
Andre translated Jancsi's world-renowned book NIGHT OF THE MIST and other writings, officiated at Jancsi's son George's wedding and at Jancsi's marriage to Miriam Bracha.
My husband and others knew Jancsi as a brilliant thinker, writer, lecturer and psychiatric social worker, and originator of the Human Social Functioning method.
I remember Jancsi's unique personality and characteristics:
- as a practical joker;
- how he and Andre, both brilliant men, spoke Hungarian together, laughing, telling silly jokes;
- Jancsi saying to Andre: "You have managed to go straight from childhood to senility without passing through maturity."
- Jancsi smoking his pipe, his thoughtful, appraising gaze looking at and through one. His keen intuition, his affection and fun.
- Jancsi and Andre appreciating the irony of Jancsi's receiving an Honorary Doctorate from a university after he had been rejected even for admission to another university many years before.
Jancsi's legacy endures - a man who survived senseless cruelty and pain to make a life benefiting others.
His memory is our blessing.
Friend, Englewood, New Jersey, USA
An intimate tribute to Dr. Eugene Heimler from the widow of his best friend: Personal memories of their close friendship.
Dr. Eugene Heimler (we called him by his Hungarian name “Jancsi”) was a close friend of my husband, z"l, Rabbi Dr. Andre Ungar, for over half a century.
They met through Andre's first wife, Corinne, in London.
Jancsi and Andre were fellow Hungarians in England.
Andre translated Jancsi's world-renowned book NIGHT OF THE MIST and other writings, officiated at Jancsi's son George's wedding and at Jancsi's marriage to Miriam Bracha.
My husband and others knew Jancsi as a brilliant thinker, writer, lecturer and psychiatric social worker, and originator of the Human Social Functioning method.
I remember Jancsi's unique personality and characteristics:
- as a practical joker;
- how he and Andre, both brilliant men, spoke Hungarian together, laughing, telling silly jokes;
- Jancsi saying to Andre: "You have managed to go straight from childhood to senility without passing through maturity."
- Jancsi smoking his pipe, his thoughtful, appraising gaze looking at and through one. His keen intuition, his affection and fun.
- Jancsi and Andre appreciating the irony of Jancsi's receiving an Honorary Doctorate from a university after he had been rejected even for admission to another university many years before.
Jancsi's legacy endures - a man who survived senseless cruelty and pain to make a life benefiting others.
His memory is our blessing.
