An ex-con turned spiritual leader will share his inspiring story of reform and repentance this weekend at Shaare Zedek Synagogue.

Rabbi Mark Borovitz, spiritual director of Beit T’shuvah, a Los Angeles-based congregation that also acts as a full-service residential treatment center, will be a visiting scholar-in-residence at the synagogue. Borovitz, author of “The Holy Thief,” will host events on Sept. 23-24 under the theme “Relevant Judaism – How a Con Man Became a Rabbi.” The program is underwritten by the Leo & Sara Wolf Adult Education Fund. The rabbi spoke with the Jewish Light by phone last week.

What do you talk about when telling your story?

My basic message is that t’shuvah is the Jewish answer to the need to be perfect. God knew we wouldn’t be perfect and we’d need a way back so God put t’shuvah in the world before it was created. It’s how we live that and how we live with ourselves with our own imperfections, how we raise people that live mindful Jewish lives.

What is t’shuvah and what does it mean to you?

T’shuvah is repentance, return and response. It’s actually what all times of the year are about but certainly at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, that is the theme of the month of Elul, take an inventory of myself and my actions, see what I’ve done very well and how I’ve made life better for myself and others and also what areas I need to improve upon and what I need to still repair with other people.

Tell me a little about your background and some of the challenges you faced.

I’m a nice Jewish boy. At 16, I was president of my United Synagogue Youth group at my temple and at 36 I was the inmate clerk for the rabbi in Chino, Calif., at the California Institution for Men. I had gone far away from what I learned and what I knew and from my upbringing. But I learned that I could come back. I learned that contrary to popular belief, a leopard not only does change its spots but it must. As humans, we have to continue to grow and change. Otherwise we die.

What sorts of things did you do?

Bad checks, ponzi schemes, fraud, that kind of stuff. All quote/unquote white-collar crime, which is also a misnomer. Think about this. What is white-collar crime? It means that it’s not violent. Well, when you talk to people whose trust has been really taken from them, because that’s what a con man does, they feel pretty bad. It’s a very violent feeling. You trust somebody, you believe in somebody and then they do something that is so abhorrent. My crimes were not victimless. It wasn’t just about money. It was about people being able to trust another human being. If you don’t have trust, then what do you have?

How did you start to turn your life around?

A police officer happened to be turning a corner while I was crossing the street, he recognized me from when he’d arrested me about six years earlier and he remembered there was a wanted poster from Santa Barbara County out for me. In the time it takes to turn a corner, all of that clicked. He called out my name, I looked up and I was arrested, which was in December of 1986. I called my first wife and I said that I was arrested and she asked me what bail bondsman did I want to bail me out and I said don’t call anybody. The man upstairs is trying to tell me something and I have to sit here until I figure it out. I will tell you that to this day, I have no idea how those words came out of my mouth. That, to me, is God because, trust me, that’s the last thing I was thinking about. My thoughts always were “get me out of here.” It really was one of those spiritual awakening moments.

How did Judaism play a role for you?

I started to turn around. My brother has been a rabbi for many, many years. I called him and said, send me a Torah and a siddur because the only thing I knew that would help me was a return to Judaism. I started praying and studying in 1987 and have been doing it ever since.

Is there any particular aspect of Judaism that touched you?

The story of Jacob in the Torah. Jacob was a con man, a thief, a cheat, a liar. He did all this to his brother and his father and yet he is able at the moment of meeting his brother again, he was able to make a decision to not do the same thing over again. Instead of going to see his brother with malice or hatred, he went to see his brother with open-heartedness, kindness and love.

Tell me about your work at Beit T’Shuvah.

We have a very successful center. We’re nationally known and I’m blessed because I’m able to speak to people in a language that they can understand and that’s important. Each case is different so you don’t have a canned pitch. It’s not just do this or just do that. “Just don’t use” doesn’t work. It’s about helping people feel connected to themselves and to spirit, to God and whatever their concept of God is, to free themselves from what we call the addiction of slavery.

What do you get personally out of your work as a rabbi?

It’s my place in the world. I’m blessed I get to live my true life and what I belong in doing. It’s the greatest joy that I have. Each of us have a calling in the world. Mine is to be a rabbi and teacher to transmit the beauty and power of our tradition to people who have become lost. That’s about as good as it can get.

Scholar-in-residence events

Shaare Zedek’s scholar-in-residence program will begin at 6 p.m. Sept. 23 with Kabbalat Shabbat, followed by Shabbat dinner. RSVPs and payment are required for the dinner. He will speak at 8 p.m. on “Relevant Judaism-How a Con Man Became a Rabbi,” telling his own personal journey of redemption and return.

On Saturday morning, Rabbi Borovitz will present a D’var Torah, with a Lunch and Learn following services, to be held at 12:30 p.m. on “You Matter.” On Saturday at 8 p.m., Brith Sholom Kneseth Israel Congregation and Shaare Zedek will co-sponsor Selichot services at Shaare Zedek, followed by a dessert reception and discussion with Rabbi Borovitz on “T’shuvah is Judaism’s Answer to Greek Civilization Perfectionism.” At 10:15 p.m., the Selichot night continues with Havdalah. Events are open to the public. Shaare Zedek is located at 829 N. Hanley Road. For more information, call Rabbi Mark Fasman at 314-727-1747.