From renowned Group Therapist Louis R. Ormont comes this gripping novella recounting real events that took place in the lives of immigrant school children in 1930's Philadelphia. Kids whose parents had immigrated from Greece, Yugoslavia, Ireland, Russia, Poland, Israel, France, etc. and whose lanquages and opinions reflected their backgrounds were forced to put aside their prejudices and mad hatreds of each other when confronted by a more powerful, larger gang. With all odds stacked against them and with their ingrained determination to fight against each other rather than alongside each other, the kids from these extraordinarily different families learn that sticking together makes them stronger - they are safer when they support one another and focus on how they are the same. The children ring bells with their various dialects and refreshing, honest speech, as they experience rage, fighting, surprise, and love. It is only by coming together and working as a group, understanding each other and even giving each other a little help, that they manange to defeat their enemy. Ormont's passion for group therapy may have begun when he first observed this drama and realized the power of the group. This timely true story celebrates the power of teamwork and the overwhelming advantages of working to understand your comrade's thoughts and feelings as well as your own.
About the Author: Louis R. Ormont, PH.D. was one of the earliest practitioners of group therapy based on the psychoanalytic model. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Dr. Ormont received his BA from Temple University and subsequently served in the US Armed Forces during WWII. He went on to receive his Master of Fine Arts from the School of Drama at Yale University and his PH.D. in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University. During his more than 50 years in practice, he led over 20,000 group sessions, published more than 30 professional articles and wrote 3 highly acclaimed professional books. An enthusiastic speaker and teacher, in 1974 he joined the faculty at Adelphi University's Gordon F. Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies. In 1970, Dr. Ormont was instrumental in the establishment of The Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies in New York; in 1989 he along with his wife, Joan Ormont PH.D., and many associates established The Center for Group Studies to train others in his innovative treatment approach. Dr. Ormont was named "group Psychologist of the Year" in 1998 by the American Psychological Association and became a Distinguished Fellow of the American Group Psychotherapy Association in 2000. Dr. Ormont was also a prolific playwright and wrote over 50 manuscripts for theater, television and film. In all his endeavors, Louis Ormont's passion was focused on relieving inner suffering, fostering hope, creativity, resourcefulness and joy in his patients, students and audiences. His sense of humor was boundless; he worked enthusiastically without a pause, until his death in 2008.