October, 1992. It is the
first day of studying occupational therapy at Haifa University. Dr. Dalia
Sachs, then the head of the Occupational Therapy department, opens the school year.
I am a first year student
to occupational therapy. What is this thing, this journey I am starting today,
occupational therapy?
Dalia tries to explain. I
feel confused, but understand that she understands. I hope that one day I would
understand too. Three and a half years of meetings left me with a great feeling
of honor and a role model.
October, 2011. I start
thinking of a PhD. Dalia agrees to supervise me, great excitement. I had a lot
of meetings with Dalia, both fun and challenging times. Every time the feeling
of honor accompanies me, I find it difficult to let it go, I choose not to.
This week I meet her
again, in her home environment. There is something intimate and different in a living
room meeting. With her personal coffee mug and a cake from her favorite bakery.
While we sit we remember to turn on the recorder, so that we won't miss
anything.
She tells us how she began
as an occupational therapist, completely unintentionally. She was between two
very different areas, and by the end she was influenced by a picture she saw in
the newspaper. A decision that wasn't based on any evidence and was a based
decision, which has defined who she is now. I can easily empathize with that
feeling; I made many similar decisions like this one.
In her story Dalia tells
us about the changes she made and the opportunities she had. We all have many
opportunities, the best advice is to take them, and Dalia utilized them all.
How much courage is needed
from a young 30-year-old woman to establish an occupational therapy department?
Dalia shares with us those decisions and how they changed and influenced her self-definition.
She tells us how other pillars added to her being an unusual occupational therapist
interested in philosophy, sociology, gender, and feminism. How those added to
her being an occupational therapist who is both innovative and varied.
She had so much confidence
and faith that her way is right, that she does have what to say, during days
that everything was still unclear, unstructured, and novel. She had chosen to
share it with others through teaching, opening the department, and through
influence both socially and politically.
"What had led
you?" We asked? "Social justice" she answered without blinking
an eye. An answer not many can say without it being cliché. It was clear to me
that Dalia indeed drove others from the same compass of values she carried with
her in her different levels of evaluation. When she told us how in an oral examination
she refused to answer a question because she disagreed with the answer’s value;
I could imagine it happening. She is telling her story and through it, she passes
on a clear message – to fight, be everywhere where there is a chance to move
social matters and foster any opportunity for equality, to let our voices be
heard, for and together with the people we accompanied, and for the uniqueness
of our profession. Dalia highlights again and again our uniqueness in the broad
understanding of the person in all aspects of their life. "Which other
profession does that?" She asks. I have no answers. It is indeed a
wonderful profession. She sent us with no hesitation to our two next stations
in this chain that had evolved, two new exciting opportunities.
We leave by the red door, one
that only Dalia has.
While we walk along the
path we smile with satisfaction. I choose again to keep holding it.
Every day I learn new aspects
of the profession. I still don’t know why I took this way but I understand why
I am still taking it. I choose to be an occupational therapist.
Naama
We scheduled the meeting
with Dalia for the first day of Joan Toglia's workshop in Haifa University, for
me, to find it easier to get to her house located on one of the most complex
and beautiful streets in town. It was great timing for me to be able to have a
real observation of her influence. Until yesterday, she was, for me, an
impressive figure who I knew from a distance and lately had heard about her
more and more from Naama.
From a close view she is
just as I say about our profession – as more regular and down to earth, more
relevant and meaningful. The is something simple in her, maybe it was sitting
in her living room in her inviting house, and the four o'clock timing that gave
the atmosphere. This natural feeling created a simple connection that doesn’t
need to be explained. Every sentence makes me more curious and now and then I
join the conversation because she speaks straight through my own set of values.
She tells us about her initial
reason she chose the profession, and I'm with her, I chose and fought on my
place without a clear reason, I just knew. Later on, I realize this feeling is based
exactly on points Dalia describes, of a profession that not only focuses on the
individual itself but also on the society he or she comes from. Society
influences an ability to integrate within it. For me, her ability to strive to
justice, and the belief that what should be, not as a slogan but as a
personal-professional way of living, with the demand to apply those values in
legislation, research, calling out – I identified to my own everyday practice
and vocational decisions (that sometimes feel odd to others).
Dalia looks at both of us
during the discussion, she is not only speaking equally to us, but also acting
this way. She is dividing herself equally and presenting the same to each one.
She spoke about the need for a discussion of occupational therapists from a
multi age level, that a mutual learning is so important for an evolution of new
and old knowledge. Naama quoted Anthony and we all know whom she is speaking
about.
They talk about the first
strike of people with disabilities; knowing that I don’t "remember",
only "know about". I explain from the field how we practice these
values. However, in the past, a revolution was needed for them to be noticed. Yes,
I used the term revolution even though I don't like it, because the biggest
revolution today is to keep changes in the daily routine. To create more
interventions, more connections, write another paper, perform in another conference,
research, and build up another generation of valuated occupational therapists.
Things that would evolve our society, and the people living in it, to have a
better and more meaningful life.
She also, as those she
follows, tells us about big things she has done while young in age. One being, the
creation of a new occupational therapy department at the University on the Mountain.
A few hours after I heard the current dean praise the OT department I hear
Dalia’s story, explaining to the Dean, years ago, why there is a need for this
department in the University. And it happened. She also mentions Yael H'alevi,
with great respect, as a strong person that led others in new endeavors. The name
Aliza Karni was also mentioned several times. It marked a direction and lead us
on the path. It tells us that our community is one with a wide scope that with every
meeting reveals to be part of it.
This is our third meeting
and I already feel how the story forms an image. She sends us on two routes:
one to the academy, and one to the field. I all of a sudden understand that the
story of occupational therapy was framed in my mind with a specific point of
view of what I know. Which is good, but just part of the big picture.
Sivan
