Robert Shwartz
My thoughts and writings have been deeply influenced by the times in which I lived and the events that occurred during my long and fruitful life. I am convinced that the special events that I have witnessed throughout the twentieth century pushed me to develop my proposal for Israel's Future.
During World War II, when I was a young child in Rumania, my mother told me that Jews were prohibited to go into a particular restaurant. We did go to the restaurant but we had to be careful to hide our identities as Jews. This is the first event that explains my accommodation for spiritual dictatorship in which I was raised.
After World War II, anti-Semitism was forbidden by law in Romania. However, as I grew up, I realized that as the only Jew among non-Jews, I would have to prove my abilities beyond the shadow of a doubt and would have to face special challenges the non-Jews would not need to face. I studied mechanical engineering but it took three years later for me to be accepted to a professional position in engineering.
My first project had very good results and my boss suggested I file for a patent. In the meantime, the project became a reality, proving my success. I felt wonderful. I donated my rights in the patent to the state of Rumania. However, the factory boss rejected the use of the patent and I was transferred to another department.
Why did that happen to me? A short time later, I noticed others were in the same predicament I was, or even worse. I realized then that this was not my own personal problem, rather a problem of the society I lived in.
I left the factory to work in a Research and Development Institute where I came up with several new patents. In order to achieve my aim, I formed a team including two managers. As a result of these activities, in 1969 I was able to publish my proposal in the Rumanian journal, ‘Economic Life Magazine’, in an article called "The Creative Cell". Eventually, this experience planted the seed for TWC (Team Work Contract), one of the central concepts in this current book.
I left Rumania for Israel in 1976. In 1988 I published a book in Rumanian in Israel called "A New Kind of Life". In 1997, I published the second book, also in Rumanian, called "Homo Homini….” Now I am publishing my proposal in English.
My proposals have the power to change the entire organization of society through the implementation of the economical tools I propose.
The process of writing the book took several years during which time many of the ideas evolved and changed. The collaboration with Ms Ruth Leitner forced Robert to clarify and simplify his ideas. At a later stage, an additional collaboration, this time with the Editor Ruth Rowinski had a significant contribution in bringing the book to print, thus illustrating the potency of team work.