About the Authors
Steve Lefkowitz
Born in Brooklyn NY, Steve was a founding member of the Wholistic Health Center and Institute for Self Development, located in Manhasset, New York. These organizations were bellwethers for much of the interest in spirituality and natural health care seen today. He was a student of Dr. Robert C. Sohn, spiritual Teacher, mentor and wholistic health care visionary for over two decades.
Steve studied with Tina Sohn, a true Wholistic healer credited with introducing Amma Therapeutic Massage to the United States. He has practiced and taught the art of Amma Therapy® for over 40 years, and has been professionally licensed in five states, most recently in Arizona. In addition, he has been a serious practitioner of T’ai Chi Chuan, teaching the form and its principles to many students since 1978.
Steve has helped pioneer the natural products movement in the United States as Vice-President of Sales and Marketing for Sunsource Health Products from 1982-1997; Director of Marketing for Sunsource at Chattem Drugs, 1997-2001; and Vice-President of Sales for Zila Nutraceuticals, 2001-2006. He worked to expand awareness and distribution of unique branded natural medicines worldwide, e.g. Ginsana®, Garlique®, Rejuvex®, New Phase®, Ester-C®, & Cran-Max®. Sunsource Health Products played a significant role in elevating customer acceptance of natural medicines within the orb of consumer health care.
As a graphic artist and one who has always appreciated humor in the form of the “pun,” Steve has designed a family of unique, original graphic puns aptly named “The Art of the Pun.” They have been sold locally in galleries along with other of his original graphic artwork. Also, as a lover of music, he’s written and produced two solo audio albums entitled “Transformation” and “Pendulum.” He has discovered music to be an important place of focus and self-expression.
“Dogma, A Spiritual Dog’s Tale” is his first foray into writing and publishing. At this stage of his life he wanted to express his unique spiritual experiences with Robert Sohn, his Guru. A difficult, but profoundly rewarding undertaking, the book expresses his immersion in the ideas and practices of spiritual Work.
He currently resides in Prescott, Arizona with his wife Marion and their wonderful miniature schnauzer Lucy.
Steve Schenkman
Steve met Dr. Sohn in the early 1970s and soon became his spiritual student for over twenty years with whom he studied Esoteric Philosophy, Tang Soo Do karate, Tai Chi Chuan and Traditional Chinese Medicine. He also studied Hatha Yoga and Amma Therapeutic Massage directly with Mrs. Sohn. As a Minister in the Independent Church of The Realization of the Word of God, an esoteric eclectic church founded by Dr. Sohn, Steven gave sermons on spiritual Work and, after the death of Dr. Sohn, continued teaching the Work for several years to a small group of students. A founding member of the Institute for Self Development and the Wholistic Health Center under Dr. Sohn’s leadership and guidance, Steve taught Tai Chi Chuan, was licensed in Massage Therapy, and practiced as an Amma Therapist in the Wholistic Health Center, treating patients daily with a wide range of ailments. In addition, he studied and became certified in Biofeedback and treated numerous patients with that modality as well.
From the 1980s to the early 2000s, Steve was an established leader in the field of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. He served as President of The New York College for Wholistic Health, Education, and Research (now known as the NY College of Health Professions) from 1989 through 2001 located in Syosset, Long Island, New York.
During this time, and while living with his wife Faye in the spiritual community in Muttontown NY, Steve also demonstrated leadership in the profession of Massage Therapy as a founding member of the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB), Chairman of the New York State Massage Therapy Board, founding member and President of the American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia (AOBTA) and founding member and board member of the Federation of Massage, Bodywork and Somatic Practice Organizations in 2009. Steve also published a book entitled: ‘Massage Therapy: What It Is and How It Works’ by Cengage Learning. His efforts to have the field of Massage Therapy recognized as a medical treatment resulted in major changes to the profession including the acceptance and proliferation of Asian Bodywork into the licensed Massage Therapy profession.
Since then he has been a consultant and curriculum specialist to career colleges, allied health and business schools, and schools of massage therapy. As a consultant, he specializes in assistance with accreditation and administration, licensing, internal consulting, reorganization, curriculum and new program development, marketing & advertising, and strategic planning.
From 2009 to the present, Steve continues to serve as the Director of Corporate Development for Hunter Business School (HBS) on Long Island, New York, where he is responsible for overseeing the school’s institutional and programmatic accreditation processes, campus effectiveness planning, new program development, and related compliance issues. Steve also serves as a member of the institution’s management team and oversees its programmatic advisory board process.
Throughout his time at Hunter, Steve has successfully developed and implemented several academic programs including its Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS), Practical Nursing (PN), Radiologic Technology/X-ray (RT), and Web Application Design & Development programs. He has and continues to secure commitments and system-wide contracts from numerous hospital and clinical facilities where PN, RT, DMS, and Medical Assistant students do their clinical rotations.
Steve’s wife Faye continues the Art of Amma Therapy, having taught it for many years in several colleges and universities with her business partner Kim Rosado, both of whom studied with Dr. and Mrs. Sohn. They are currently in private practice on Long Island NY with their miniature Schnauzer Maxwell and Schnoodle, Ella.
Dr. Sohn transformed Steve’s life most profoundly and Steve’s efforts to relay the teachings of Dr. Sohn with his best friend Steve Lefkowitz in this book ‘Dogma: A Spiritual Dog’s Tale,’ have been nothing short of a labor of love.
