Yossi Baumol of Makor Chaim Institutions Live in the Studio During Today's JM in the AM

Well, I did say earlier today that I am very excited that our good friend Yussi Bal, who I have not seen in quite a while, is visiting our studio this morning at JM and the AM. We are trying our best to continue this uh connection between Israel and Diaspora. That's why when someone like Yassi walks in here, it thrills me. And um we're also trying our best to continue on the theme of the future of the Jewish people is in the state of Israel. And Yasi Bal is someone who realized that decades ago. Yasi Bal, a pleasure to welcome you back to JM in the AM. >> Good morning, Nakam. It's really a pleasure to be here. It's been a while and I miss you. >> I appreciate that. And we had not I don't think we've seen each other in person since the loss of your daughter. So I take this opportunity to on behalf of everybody because this is one big family who knows you very well over the years uh to accept our condolences and only in the future or I should say. >> Thank you very much. I bless all the people who are so many people are missing their children this past two years. >> 100%. You always have an interesting perspective on things. It sometimes leads to conversations where I don't always agree with you. But I always say you always have more information and you know what's and you know the facts on the ground better than I do. So I always defer to your opinion. And I'm curious now that we are at this point two years later and there is some peace in the air. We'll at least agree on that. I'm curious what your perspective is on what's been going on since October the 7th of 2023. Look, uh, the way God gets us to move out of our comfort zone is to make us uncomfortable. And boy, we were made uncomfortable on October 7th. Um, I think the two lessons, they're really the same lessons for both diaspora jew jewelry and Israeli jewelry. The land of Israel is crying for us to come home. uh and uh throughout the world uh the mesh says that the cycle of Jewish life is that we move to a new place and we have no money and we have no Torah and we build ourselves up. We have more money and more Torah. >> You know what's going on in this country, do you? >> Yeah. And then and then we we think >> lots of money and lots of Torah here now. >> And we think we're smarter than our previous generations is what he says. And >> and then a storm comes and uproots us from the place we've been for 100 years or so. and then we have to go to a new place uh until we realize we have to go to to Ushalim and he wrote that in Germany in 1927. >> Yep. >> So uh so on one hand I think it's time for the people to get the uh get the hint and to start coming home. I think for the people in Israel how many times do we have to recapture the Gaza Strip? Don't we get the hints God's name is Yud V? because he expresses himself in history. And in history, we see that we have to that that the dictator Assad emptied out southern Syria out of millions of people because of his attacking his own people. That area is empty and it threatens us and southern Lebanon has been emptied of a lot of people and it threatens us and again and again and again we don't get the hint. We h the Jews who live in Israel also have to go home to Israel to the larger Israel. This is I think what's happening. That's my personal opinion. Nothing to do with my work or anything else. >> This these opinions are strictly those of yasi valo. >> I think that's what's happening. And you know when you every day when we den we see the order of the of the redemption >> and uh one is kenu economic success. The next one is oh sorry before that. >> Yeah. Then there's the in gathering of the exiles. >> And then the next one is as you know there's a very big judiciary crisis in Israel right now >> and that's a step in getting things back in order and then the next step is if we get that straightened out then we can defeat our enemies. And the truth is the next one is we have to solve the problem of how we um bring together the parts of different parts of the Jewish people and we make sure that tourists continue to be studied uh even though we need terribly uh more soldiers. So that's basically what's going on. >> Of everything you mentioned that may be the issue that someone like you like yourself struggles with the most. >> Look I look at it from two points of view. From a moral point of view, I think it's clear that uh well, let me put it this way. I agree with the greatest post of the world who said the who said that anybody who doesn't learn Torah and doesn't go to the army has a den of a rode. That's really strong talk. You may remember that some crazy people said that about Rabin. >> Yeah. >> Uh and I see this now that people are learning Torah are being arrested because the other guys who are not learning Torah are not going to the army. >> Correct? So, I mean, I have a simple solution that'll pass pass the the Supreme Court, but uh I'm not sure they're going to listen to me. >> You want to share with us or not? >> Very simple. Uh anybody who learns Torah uh should be given all the rights of a combat soldier, but uh we'll give him like two years to least 20 to figure it out if he wants to learn or not. But from age 20, whoever is not learning full-time, right, >> combat time, right, >> in to in Torah, he has to go should go to the army, >> right? Because once some someone is uh 17, 18, 19 years old, we get the feeling about whether they're serious about their terrorist >> in the religious world, we have Hezda for that purpose. We have the pre militarymies for that purpose. >> Uh and then if somebody comes and says, you know, I would go to the OMA, but my rabbi says I'm not allowed to. >> He's a conscientious objector. >> Conscious objector should lose a lot of rights. I'm not sure if they should take away the vote or not, but >> and I'm not sure they should be incarcerated because I think that move >> Oh, for sure not. You can't force people. >> Correct. That that was a big mistake they made starting to jail. >> It's not a mistake that they made. The the government a mistake that was forced on them by the courts, >> right? Correct. >> And it's the whole pro the whole campaign is funded by foreign money. And uh >> really >> Yeah. It's it's part it's part of the attempt to break down Israel's will by breaking down the prime minister that we chose. Wow. Unbelievable. Yasi Balmo's here. >> Do you know that we have a son in the IDF? I don't know if you know that. >> I didn't know that. >> We have been so uh we've been separated for a while. >> Wow. >> Yeah, we have a uh our youngest is serving as we speak. So, it seems from what you've handed me here that you're still working very hard on behalf of the Makorim Educational Institutions. >> That's correct. uh you know when you we did our program from Karion in our old campus eight years ago this what you the picture you're looking at is was an empty field >> and today uh we've built up a tremendous beautiful campus there's a lot left to be done we moved in 3 days before the war literally uh we had our and all construction had to stop and that's fundraising was diverted to the causes connected to the war >> we have a lot of stuff that need still needs to be done from we have students we had to we were we built two beautiful dormatory complexes but we had to drag some old caravans from far for the senior year because there's not enough room then it's dangerous to live in in a caravan in a war zone we were firebombed a few weeks after the beginning of the war um the mikvah is not finished we have to elevate we have handicapped teacher uh teachers and students who who have a very difficult time getting to where they have to go because we don't have the two elev elevators that we need to build. And our students came to us and asked us for a uh gym, a workout gym because they want to go into the army and they're getting want to prepare properly. These guys are sitting and learning all day long and all of a sudden they got to go to the army so they want to prepare. So these are all projects that we're working on. >> So that's what brought you to the US, huh? >> No, not really actually. No, no. The the my uh in order to raise money for the campus, I had to make a rasha of Dozinger famous. And very quickly, uh very prestigious American foundations like the Maybrook Foundation of the sort that we have a secret way of of getting kids, students and adults to connect up to Hashem. In Israel, we have three different divisions. We have the Shiva High School. We have the midrash which is like a spiritual outreach program where we have tens of we have over 10,000 people take part in our programs annually from filling the great synagogue with a very musical happy uh um prayer service on on during and uh >> is that or it changes from from year to year. uh and we have we've set up 150 self-help groups which are called kabur inidic language where people get together and we have a very systematic way of getting them to connect up to each other uh through Torah through davining through understanding Torah through understanding doning and this has spread like wildfire we have now 25 schools from Australia, Mexico, United States, Canada and England who are involved in our in our various programs and uh basically the idea idea is that we can't know God directly. The way we know God is through our fellow man. It says, "You would think that they would listen to each other." Yes, they're talking to each other. Two Jews talk and Nidbru is a very interesting language. It's it's something that happens almost by itself. When two people meet not on, but it's face to face, something special happens. That's why the God speaks to the to to the Jews from between the crew. It's from between the crew the interaction between two people that and and we say every day the way it's our fellow people. So we have that are well known. >> So you've proven my point when you and I are face to face it's much better than if we're just communicating via WhatsApp. And I'm right that when I'm on FaceTime with my granddaughter it doesn't compare to being there live and in person. >> Abs. Absolutely. with all the great FaceTime. Oh, these days you have FaceTime, it's good enough. No, no, no. There's nothing like being there on the spot. >> That's why I don't like to talk to you on the phone. I like to thank God we were able to do this. So, this is some of the work that Mccorheim is doing. >> So, we had a so we had a conference this week of 120 educators from around the world who came to New Jersey to two-day seminar. Today, we're having uh we're expanding this program to communities. In other words, we found that the students en enjoy this new approach to Torah so much that the parents are interested and we're starting to set up. We had a first meeting last night in Tene uh about this and uh we're setting up uh basically our Israel starting to do here and I have to shout out to Rabbi Yuda channel who with his own 10 fingers has built this organization from one school when he was in Fukes Mizrai in Cleveland to a number of schools to an organization and now it's a movement it's literally a movement where people find that they need to connect up to Hashem >> how do people especially those affiliated with schools here in the US find out more about this. >> Um, we're in contact with everybody. We offer it. We've grown about five schools every >> elementary and high school or >> mainly high school. We do some middle schools also. Ramas S may not um all over the world. >> Pretty amazing. Uh, did you do any fundraising this trip? >> So what I do is >> I mean there are a lot of projects to build. You know >> it took me a long time to understand that the rashiva you know God has a sense of humor. He likes to curse important organizations. If a rabbi doesn't have anything important to give to the world, he he doesn't have any financial problems. He sits in the corner with his students and he teaches. But if somebody has a message to the world, he he challenges them with financial challenge. In our case, >> that's how it works, huh? >> The building. It works with your children also. In order to make a living, they have to find out what they're really good at. Interesting. >> So God drags us out to fund raise so that we can come in contact with various communities. And and this way they get to know to to know our our Torah. And uh that's what's happened over here. It's like an amazing thing. I mean, and thank God our work throughout the world is all funded by various foundations. In Israel, we still have to raise the money. Uh at least in the meantime, it's funded. Uh and in Israel, we have to we still have to raise the money to finish off our projects that we've been working on. >> Yi Bal's here. How many students are on the campus that I'm looking at in this photo? It's now December. It's typical middle of the school year. How many students are there on the campus? We have 320 students and we can't take more cuz we don't have more dormatory buildings. >> And is Makarim uh next to Derakavote or on the ancient Derakavote as you call it next to Naniel? Is that related to the Makorim in Jerusalem? >> Oh our yeshiva takes its name from the street it was founded on by Rabstein. >> Wowim and there were other institutions that were founded. So we're not really connected that much to uh the elementary school but there something similar. I was there not long ago. We have our monthly roes filot in various places sometimes even in secular schools and we were in mukim about two months ago. >> All right. So how many decades ago did you make the decision uh that or did you come to the realization of the future of the Jewish peoples in the state of Israel? When did you permanently move to Israel? >> 48 years ago. 19 >> 48 years. >> 197. >> Yeah. And when you look back on that decision, >> well, can I tell you? I have uh families of nine grandchildren living all around. >> Give me give me some examples of cities where your where your children grandchildren. >> Well, my daughter passed away, lived with her six children in Nahoot, which >> Nahot. >> Yeah. The south of of I have a son who lives in Kir Arba. I have one a daughter in Batay and I have three kids in Taka, a kid in St Boaz, which is an extension of in Dan. I have one kid who lives out in Zikrono, but everybody else lives in that general area. And guess what? We left that general area. We moved to Ushalim about a half a year ago. >> That's funny. >> When you have a house with eight bedrooms and there's nobody there anymore, you know, and you can rent it out. >> Time to downsize, >> right? So we year many years ago, we bought a very small apartment in Arona and we're living in now. It's still just almost just as close. I got to learn with my grandson in Koa. >> Oh, you're right there. You're in southern Jerusalem. So you're right right near Gush. Yeah, it's it's not a far move and uh >> what's happening in Takcoa because I remember the times or the days where you know it was just just a few people and limited number of families >> there well over a thousand I have to tell you you know my son Moratara who's a musician >> so on the side he set up this uh the government is allowing people to set up farms and other outposts as long as you don't build actual settlements illegally you know and uh he legally set up this like a concert venue out in the desert >> officially in Takoa >> and it's it's between it's this area between Takoa and Malay almost. It's a whole chain of things like this. I have a grandson who owns uh a dunkey and 23 sheep and uh we did Peter the uh during Sukkot. I'm the great-grandfather of a dunkey. Love it. But but there's tremendous I I can't explain to you this is happening throughout Shamron and I don't like to talk about it too much because you know it's better >> here you go >> the blessing comes from uh but and also I'm very close with Maki livinger and I'd say maybe once a month a new house is either bought or legally we spoke about that over it's amazing >> uh and what's happening you know I'm not forgetting about the the whole thing sovereignty. I think BB doesn't want sovereignty. They want the headache of having to pay for the uh health of another two million people. I I don't agree with him because I think security comes from them knowing that we're not going anywhere and that's that sovereignty. Uh but there's just tremendous things going on. Salatric Oituk are doing such wonderful things and the land is being settled all over. There's a chain of these places between connecting up Malamos and and Takoa and throughout Udan Shaman. It's really really amazing >> just incredible. And uh those of us who didn't make that decision 48 years ago, we don't realize what we're missing out. It's the question is if you want to sit in the bleachers or you going to play the game down on the on down on the field. That's the difference. >> As Riskin always says, is Israel your Disneyland or your homeland? >> Correct. Correct. >> Yeah. >> Boy, oh boy. It's America's one and only Jewish moments in the morning radio program. Heard listener sponsored digital radio around the world.com on the single network and of course the beloved NSN app. Yasi Bal visiting us from Israel. Talk a little bit about Makarim. Um so uh what do we want to tell people today? Are they should they go to a website? Should they get more information? >> Go to the website mak m a k o r c h a i m.org and all the information is there. >> Now it's no secret that uh that end of year vacation is coming up for a lot of people. They're going to be heading to Israel. It's no secret that in January we have what we call mid-inter vacation which ll of course has discovered. That's why prices go up in mid January. Yes. Yes. Yes. He said it publicly. Uh in February a lot of folks are off you know mid- winter again but postponed till the President's Day weekend etc etc. And then of course you'll see Bama we have the amazing Purman Pesak coming up as well. So a lot of people are going to be visiting Israel. What if they want to come and see the campus of Marayen? >> Go to the website. You can find my contact information there or I'll say the number 917-9298525917-9298525 reaches me here and in Israel and we're happy to show you around. We have people I mean we have people from all over the world. We have a group of who came with their wives to visit the yeshiva. >> Where were they from? >> I don't want to go into details. >> No, but meaning the New York area. They were from the American. >> Yeah. Yes. Yes. Um, one of them told me that the satarba said the state of Israel wouldn't last 70 years. Therefore, this is not the state of Israel the Reb was talking about and therefore they could come. Thank you, God. >> And I think this is the way really to unite the Jewish people, the various sectors is by reaching out and by dancing with them and having them come and and and it's just an amazing thing that we have. We have groups of Americans. We had Yeshiva Flapish came to visit us. They had a kumit tonight. >> Oh, they're back and forth all the time. >> Yeah. And uh it's just amazing how people are hooking up to Israel. People miss it. They know that they miss it. And uh I'm encouraging everyone to come visit. If you can buy an apartment in Israel, you should really do so before it's an interesting situation. The rents are going up and the prices are going down slightly. Uh because of so much urban renewal, they throw the people out and you have they have to go rent and there's a lot of projects that were held up because of the war. So there's a lot of construction going on, but there's nothing ready. So uh so so >> are you saying that people can get a bargain now in Israel? >> I wouldn't say a bargain. >> Far from a bargain. >> You have to I don't know if you noticed the dollar rate exchange when she was strong. >> By the time Mashiah gets here the shekel will be stronger than the dollar. So uh you know this is everything is going up both on real estate really. >> Would the agree with that that the that the dollar is soon going to be weaker than the shekel? >> I don't know. >> You're not sure if he would have predicted that? >> I don't know. But >> that's not what he was thinking of 100 years ago. >> But I can tell you that every generation of olim regretted that they didn't come earlier and because of the prices. The prices have been going up. It's not going to go down that much, but it's at the moment it's going down by 2% more or less. >> How about Katrin where I want to go is prices recent. >> You know, a lot of people moving there. >> Are you serious? >> I uh the guy >> you're practically in Syria. >> The director of our mid Russ is moving to the Golan. I have a ne niece who moved to to Katarin. I have friends from from the states who went and aliyah who moved to to Katsarin. >> What? >> Yes. >> Where were they from in America? >> Brooklyn, New York. >> And they went to the Syrian border. >> Yeah. Yeah. And they're having a great time. There's a nice the American community developing there and a lot of other places. >> I really have to look into it. I keep joking about it. >> Do you bar? >> Yeah. >> He lives in Katarin. >> Holy cow. So I'd have nice neighbors. >> Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. You know, but from the beginning I always uh told my wife that, you know, we got to we got to live near you because we want to see the pe our friends from the states who come. They're not going to go all over. They're going to be close to where they come to. So >> well, that was the attraction because my friend who lives in Katrin said to me, "If you come here, you'll have so much space, which I know you love, and nobody will ever visit you." So that was that was that was his pitch to me. >> Yeah. Exactly. >> We'll see if it ends up working. >> Yeah. But they're new Anglo communities. I've been we've been we rented out with friends for a year an apartment on on the beach in Ashkalone. There's a beautiful community that built a a tent. >> We know New Yorkers who are built >> a lot of people went there and they there was a little sh there. They built the city let them build a big tent within a week 300 people are diving in that sh over there and I gave the shabasuvaja there in English. >> Holy cow. Can you imagine >> the nerve? But this is what the Gumar tells us that if you hear the the Babylonian language in Israel, it means Msiah is coming because the foreigners are coming back. So you hear French and >> and all that >> and there's plenty of languages now in Israel. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Russian, French, English. >> Unbelievable. >> Yasi Bal, anything else you'd like to add, sir? I just want to say that Yakov Ainu uh had a struggle with uh with with the ish the angel and we got our name from struggling. Israel means we struggle. We struggle even with God. And we that's the session we did last night about what when when we when do we beg God for something and then when we fight with him for something. And the reason that the Yakov was injured is because you can't connect up two smooth wooden blocks. But if somebody's missing something, somebody if there's some something, it's like Rabbi Aman says that there's nothing as whole as a broken heart. >> If you are missing something, someone else can connect up to you on a personal level in a in as sectors of the Jewish community. >> And uh we have to understand that these are challenges. these challenges and these pains and I take this even personally means for us to struggle and to understand that we have to get closer together and move forward in uh building the Jewish people in the land of Israel. >> Wow. Very inspiring. You stopped by today. The future of the Jewish peoples in the state of Israel. This is the new everlasting theme of JM. This is where we've graduated to. We've done a lot of work in the last 43 years. Yes. Now this is the theme to remind everybody who listens the future of the Jewish people is in the state of Israel >> and you know you can uh work remotely even can have his program at 1:00 in the afternoon instead instead of 6:00 in the morning in Katrina and then work in the afternoon >> right exactly >> what about the nightife in Katrin anything there or not >> can't guarantee it's too >> trouble finding a good restaurant there >> but you could find a good sheer uh to go >> really the sheer before the restaurant. Maybe that's what I'll do. I'll build a restaurant in Gustra. There you go. >> I'll get doggy to help you out. >> There you go. I'll definitely have an idea for me. Uh Marim, if you're visiting Israel at any point in the next few months, and we know a lot of people are going in December, a lot of people are going in January, and thank God a lot of people are going in February. If you'd like, you get in touch with Yasi Bal 917-929-8525. He even invites you to WhatsApp him. He'll allow you to add him to your contacts, contacts rather. Imagine that and just be in touch and you you will see a beautiful campus. We were there and I know we were there when it didn't look like this, but the whole area is just incredibly beautiful. And if Yasi takes you on a tour of the campus, there's some bonuses cuz you also go around and show some very nice historic sites. It's a it's an afternoon well spent. >> But in addition, we're doing spiritual tourism. people come to us for sessions and tremendous programs and uh be in touch and we'll love to connect up. That's what we're all about connecting up. >> Amazing. The website is m a koim.org. >> Thank you very much. It's a really pleasure to see you again. >> It's phenomenal to see you and thank you so much for stopping by. More coming up. It's uh Thank you. It's Tuesday and it's JM in the AM.