OUR STORY
The AZ House is a residential addiction recovery program established in 2016 in Israel by Eric Levitz, Yehuda Freedman, and Moshe Zalman Olive. It was established in response to the growing rise in drug addiction in the Jewish community. It aimed to provide a much-needed service with a proven track record of treating individuals with addiction. The program is based on the successful model and philosophy introduced by Jack Mullhal in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1991. Jack's goal was to create a therapeutic community where individuals struggling with addiction could focus solely on their recovery with the support of peers and knowledgeable staff. The program emphasizes the importance of work and household responsibilities in the recovery process and incorporates the 12 steps, as taught by Alcoholics Anonymous, into daily meetings and group sessions. The AZ House was named after Avrohom Ze'ev Olive, a young man who unfortunately never achieved recovery. It is a fully subsidized and free option for struggling young men and their families.
PHILOSOPHY
The philosophy behind the addiction recovery program at the AZ House is rooted in the belief that every individual struggling with an addiction deserves the opportunity for sober living, regardless of their financial situation. This belief is at the core of the model and philosophy introduced by Jack Mulhall in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1991, which forms the foundation of the program at the AZ House.
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Jack's driving force was that addiction recovery should be accessible to all, not just those who can afford it. This led him to open the Freedom House, which has been providing successful support for individuals in recovery for over 30 years. This approach is based on the understanding that addiction is a disease that affects individuals from all walks of life, and everyone deserves the opportunity to overcome it.
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The program at the AZ House is designed to provide a comprehensive and effective recovery experience for all residents, regardless of their financial situation. This is achieved through a fully subsidized and free option for struggling young men and their families. This allows the program to reach a broader range of individuals and provide a chance for a sober life to anyone determined to overcome their addiction.
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In summary, the philosophy of the AZ House is centered around providing a chance for sober living to anyone, regardless of their ability to pay, who is determined to overcome their addiction. This is the program's driving force, based on the successful addiction recovery model and philosophy introduced by Jack Mulhall.
OUR STORY
It is incredible how one small idea can grow into something truly special. AZ NEW is rooted in the belief that we all have an inherent responsibility to make a meaningful difference in our community. With a variety of active projects and a large volunteer staff, we harness our skills and resources to successfully achieve our goals.
Since our founding in 2000, we have been proud to witness how our activities have benefitted the San Francisco community and beyond. Want to take part? Contribute to our work by donating or volunteering today.
In Tribute to Avraham Zev
Avraham Zev Olive's life was cut short due to his struggles with addiction. Still, his legacy lives on through the AZ House, a residential addiction recovery program established in his honor. The program aims to provide a much-needed service with a proven track record of treating individuals with addiction and helping them achieve recovery, just like Avraham Zev could have had the chance to do.
It is a tribute to his memory that his name is associated with a program that helps others overcome the same challenges he faced. The hope of the AZ House is to provide a chance for sober living to anyone, regardless of their ability to pay, who is determined to overcome their addiction. It is a way to honor his memory and ensure that his passing does not go in vain.
He was a son, a brother, and a friend, who had a bright future ahead of him. His passing was a great loss to his family, friends, and the community. We will never forget the bright young man that Avraham Zev was, and we will always remember the hope we see in helping others through the same challenge as him in the AZ House. May his memory be a blessing to all those who loved him, and may he rest in peace.
OUR MISSION
Our Mission: Many treatment centers help people to overcome alcoholism and drug addiction. This industry has no monopoly, as the majority of success depends on the residents' commitment and willingness to change.
AZ House is a Residential Therapeutic Community, offering residents the chance to live in a community, develop self-discipline and become respectful contributors to society, alongside freedom from active addiction.
Our 12-step-based curriculum allows residents to disconnect and focus solely on their recovery. Our agenda is that the addict and his family need not experience financial destruction while simultaneously dealing with an addiction, which is why every resident receives a full scholarship upon entry.
To begin with, our residents receive room and board at our facility. Our serious yet encouraging program structure and schedule help residents develop a strong foundation. We see that this opportunity to focus intensely on their recovery serves them for the rest of their lives. The program's second stage guides our residents to develop self-sufficiency and seek employment. Once settled into a job while also reliably maintaining their responsibilities and commitments to the House, residents begin re-establishing themselves into society and become ready to plan their new way of life. However, there is no rush to leave the House, and residents are encouraged to stay as long as they need.
In addition to the staff providing hands-on guidance, the sober community is a huge part of ours, with volunteers who help in many ways, including several professionals who run some of our group therapy during our daily structure here at the House.
As of yet, few treatment centers provide programs sensitive to the Jewish community. We offer our frum residents the opportunity to focus on their recovery while having the freedom to continue living a frum, kosher, and shomer shabbos life. On the other hand, we also do not demand any level of religious behavior - we have residents who are not as observant, and our sole focus is on a resident's journey to recovery.
All are welcome.