By its nature, my work requires an emotional investment which at times I am not ready to make. I am concerned that I feel so emotionally spent at the end of the day. It goes against my self-image of being all things to all men to realize that I have only so much to give. I want to save part of myself for my family and my personal interests. I feel bridled by my awareness that at times I am called upon to make a great investment and yet, when needed am reluctant to accept my mountain. I look to the day when I will strike a balance between my expectations and my abilities, and when my concerns as a Jewish Center worker will not all be paradoxical.
Constandino Biris, "The Concerns of a New Worker," (May, 1966). From the National Jewish Welfare Board collection at the Center for Jewish History.