How to Reach Jews in the Social Media Era | Rabbi Steven Burg | Behind the Bima #191

[music] Welcome back to Behind the Bea. We got a great episode for you. A conversation with Rabbi Steven Berg, the CEO of Aish International, doing enormous amazing work. But first, the great Rabbi Moscow, which is back and better than ever. >> Back and better than ever with the great Rabbi Goldberg. Now, Rabbi Goldberg, this is a momentous few weeks here in Boca Raton. Momentous. >> We are not just teaching Torah, but we are spreading Torah. And these are the weeks where you really put yourself out there to encourage people who benefit from your Torah to be able to support the Torah. Is that uncomfortable for you as a rabbi who views himself primarily as a teacher, someone whose mission in life is to spread Torah? Obviously fundraising and enabling you to do that is part of the process, but is that uncomfortable for you to >> for those people watching or listening who think that this was like a setup, but we don't talk in advance. We don't know what we're going to cover and we don't know the answers we're each going to give. >> In fact, in fact, our wives sometimes wish we scripted this a little bit better. [laughter] Sometimes we get some feedback afterwards. >> Perhaps we should have, maybe we will. Um, it's a great question. It's a big question. Do rabbis belong in fundraising? Um, some rabbis won't touch it with a 10-ft pole. It's not their job responsibility. I'm a religious spiritual leader. I teach Torah. I'm there to pastor the flock. And monetary money, mundane, other people should do. And other rabbis live for fundraising. They love it. The thrill of the chase, when you get a yes, when you land, when you they get a I'm somewhere in between. Um, to me, fundraising is a necessary evil. I wish I didn't have to do it. In fact, um it's possible I play the lottery often more often than I should. Not for myself, but Hashem, but I have a whole conversation with the Almighty every time I buy a ticket. It's irrational because I only buy a ticket when the lotteryy's over some insane amount. As if winning $50 million wouldn't change in my life. It's only when it's closing in on a billion that I'm willing to buy the ticket. It's irrational and it makes no sense. But I do buy it. And every time I have a little conversation with your bon before I purchase it, here's what I do. Here's what I'd said how I'd use it. Here's who I'd hire. here's what I'd build. And every time he's like, "Nice try. You're going to go have to go out and do the work the oldfashioned way. You're going to have to raise it." I don't get a thrill from it. I don't love it. I don't live for it. I get enormous relief when it's done. But I also entirely embrace the responsibility of it. I don't I mean, rabbis are entitled to no judgment whatsoever of rabbis who see themselves in their roles differently. But if you have dreams and you want to make them happen, then that's what it takes. Torah. I mean, the reality is it takes it takes the money and resources to pursue the dreams. So, it's hard to have dreams and expect somebody else to raise the money or give the money for it. And they see through that. If if you're not the one who's willing to put yourself out and make the time and become emotionally vulnerable and do the ask, then do you really believe it? And how badly do you really want it? So, I think it's important for rabbis to do it. We're actually coming up to those parios where Hashem told Moshe when we're coming up to those parios that you want to build a Mishkan, you have a dream. Hashem says, "You don't have the luxury of saying you're not in fundraising. You're Moshe who's teaching the Torah and you're the Mosha who's got to raise the money for the Mishkan and you're the same person. >> You know, it's interesting because I've we've now been together for many years and I I learn a lot from you. I have learned a lot from you and I continue to learn a lot from you. >> But one of the things that you've taught me along the way >> is that fundraising is part of having a vision. And what I found just observing you and and some of the people that you've solicited donations from is they get excited by your vision. Right? It's not just an ask for money to keep the lights on, but you're selling them on a story. You're selling them on what can happen if they give to you. And I've actually seen, it's amazing. People get excited like they want to be part of that journey. They want to be part of a winning team. They want to be part of someone who has a vision for the broader Jewish future. So, it's not just the ask, but it's the vision. And I think that's something you excel at perhaps more than other. Like, you have that vision. You have that drive. You have that ambition. And I think that's what gets you excited is being able to sell that. >> More than I appreciate that. Um I again you have to genuinely be excited. So the rabbis that don't want to do fundraising, they may not have dreams and if they have them, they may not be excited and really want to attain them. There's there's dreams and there's dreams. You know, there's the wish list and the resolution list. The wish list are the things that if I had all the money in the world, if I won the lottery, I would love to, but I'm not actually ready to put in the work or or trade off something I'm doing now for it or take risks. And then the resolution is like, okay, this is the plan and this is how we're going to get there and I'm sick and tired. It's like the I have no patience anymore for this. We need to hire that person or I need to start that entity or we need to like that little bit in a very small way behind the beimma. When we came back, right, >> um earlier a few months ago, we we had this little intro. Actually, people told me they really enjoyed our little walk through memory lane, including one who would like his band to be over and would like to be back [laughter] on the winner of our talent show, who would like his excommunication to end and and right to come back on. >> He could submit his application. I mean there there's a great example where buy the Beimo was born during Corona. um hit its peak then when people on Wednesday nights at 900 pm desperate to see us, see each other, hear what's going on in the world, hear our guests, watched it live and and scheduled to and um but then it it ran its course and it got it got not stale, but it got tiring to sort of chase guests, coordinate the timing that works for them, make sure that the technology and their Wi-Fi speed and how do what do we do with it and how do we publish it and will it get out there? And I'm like, you know what? Um I don't have patience anymore for that. So either we end it or we're impatient enough to change it. And Barashem with generosity and help, we were able to put this little studio together and we're able to get Noah and his team and others involved. And and now we've got and it's our dream. Like we made it. And now what happens is everyone who comes through Bokeh in South Florida, we hear you're in town. We say let's record. That's why, by the way, we've got many episodes ready to go. So instead of every week be like, "Oh, did we get a new one behind the V? Oh, is it gonna happen this week? Can we squeeze it in? Will it happen? Will we record? can now it's like we've got thank god a nice group. So that's like a microcosm. That's also true for our campus that we're building. It's true for the global campaign and it's true for any project like you have a dream you're excited about it. >> Got to make it happen. >> You got to make it happen. And fundraising is a big part of making it happen. >> Now that was the softball question. Now we're going to go behind the bea because this is the real question about this and this might be one that our wives might not appreciate. But because so many people view you as a rabbi, they view you for your pastoral care and and you excel at that and you genuinely care about people. Do you feel or are you afraid sometimes that when you make the ask, it changes the dynamic of the relationship? Someone who says, "Rabbi, you've always been there for me. You were there with me. When my parent passed away, you were there for me when I was sick. You and and was it all because you just wanted this donation?" Like, how do you do that in a way that shows people I still care about you whether you say yes or no? But in Torah, like at the end of the day, I still have to I have these dreams and I have these ambitions. >> I um I feel like I'm I'm being interviewed from behind the >> That's okay. Hey, listen. >> Um I've changed a lot in that. And in fact, I I used to be a big believer of I don't want to ask. I don't want to upset the relationship. Right now I'm their rabbi. Once you introduce money, now it gets awkward. If I ever feel that, it's because I don't really believe in what I'm asking for. >> So, and I saw that from the campus. I saw that from a year ago. I saw that. I'm not going to say the number and we still have a little bit of a ways to go. But I am passionate and I we we're passionate and we're driven and failure is not an option and the shalom we believe he wants us to do this because of what we can do in it and on it and from it and so that comes across in those conversations and I start every one of those. I had many in fact to the point that maybe I'm fatigued and I need to get back on it because there's more money to be raised. Every one of those conversations started like this and Rabbi Moscowitz, I believe this every fiber of my being. I would say to them, this is a dream. This is what we're building. We think Hashem wants it. If you want to partner, it would mean the world. And if you join us, we can do this, this, if this, then that, right? If you help us, we can do that. What speaks to you, it's meaningful. It's not bricks and mort. It's not square footage. It's what we can do here, who we can impact, the change we could make, what we can represent. And if it doesn't speak to you or you don't have the ability or you've already allocated elsewhere, there's no hard feelings. changes absolutely nothing about our relationship whatsoever. I really believe it's all from Hashem and if it's through you that's fantastic and it's not it's equally fantastic and it's no problem and there were people like this is not my thing or right now I don't have the ability I wish I could and it doesn't it didn't change an iota of the relationship. So if you're really passionate, you believe and here's the thing. Rabbi Moshi Shiner in Palm Beach who's a Reb to both in fundraising. >> He taught us in a very Kabad mentality that the same way when you put fillin on someone where were we recently you put fillin on someone oh at the TWWA hotel JFK when you put fillin on somebody you like this doesn't maybe people who are trying to keep up on social media or have a notch on their belt or put it on famous people but for the most part it doesn't do anything specifically for you. you're doing it literally because here's a Jew who hasn't worn fillin and it'll change their life to put on fillain and when you get a Jew to keep a little bit of shabas when you get a Jew to do something it's all for them he said so he taught us that the attitude has to be this is a Jew who has money I'm getting them to use it the right way it's stuck I'm getting it to invest it in a place that'll give them a return and I also say that in each of the asks for our campus I would say you know at that time the market's been up market's been down Bitcoin all kinds of investments people have that go upside down and sideways and you can't get that money back and you wish you could I What if I have an investment for you? I'm guaranteeing you an ROI. I'm guaranteeing you an incredible return and I want to give I'll tell you the stats that will tell you the return and I'll tell you the vision and the plan and the picture and I'll tell you the population and demographics and I'll tell you who's going to be the return. Wouldn't you want to invest and not only return in this world this is a return for eternity because what you have forever is only what you've given away not what you held on to >> whatever all the lines fundraising. I'm not using if you believe that in your core and when it comes across you're not I I was not emotionally dejected after any nose on the big on the campus and if there is anything that I ask because there are some things and people and right now I need to ask for this I need to ask the global campaign is a great example of it >> I don't know why it's emotionally it's a two weeks that's an emotional exhausting roller coaster that's filled with enormous enormous satisfaction and >> comments are amazing I mean >> when people talk about I'll tell you why I want to give because this year I have this impact I love reading the article. I print out the partial sheets. It's made a huge change in my life and I'm more than happy to contribute to it, to be a partner in it, and to do more of it. That that touches me so deeply. Like I I relisten to those voice notes and I reread those texts because they give me big like >> it also makes you vulnerable and you're putting yourself out there. >> But then I have to tell you, it's like it's an amazing thing to be in a place where you're doing $1 million asks in the same week that you're doing like $1,000 ask. >> I'm not minimizing $1,000. A lot of money. People have to work hard to earn that $1,000. Not minimizing. It's a lot of money. It's a big gap between a thousand and a million. But doing both because got a raise to the campus, got a raise for global. The thing to me is I won't tell you and I don't want to embarrass anybody. I cannot tell you how many people I wrote personal text and personal voice notes. This wasn't some form. You know the difference between it. If I said your name, I referenced something personal between us. Radio silence crickets. Not I'd love to, but I can't. Not I will. Not I will, but I can't do as much as you're asking. Gornish. Nothing. Silence. And then you say to yourself like, you know, >> so let me ask you a question about that because >> is that because we haven't done a good enough job of training our communities about the value of tadaka. In other words, I think anyone would know the value of tadaka and they would say of course rabbis are going to speak about the value of tadaka because it pays their bills and it keeps the lights on. So of course they're going to make us feel guilty about saddaka. But in a world where we're pretty much unparalleled in the level of affluence as a by and large obviously we have challenges but as a Jewish community in basically in the history of the world like have we done a good enough job from the younger ages through college through choosing your profession your career we had Rabbi Newberger who spoke about this a little bit the Shabas have we done a good enough job of saying like wealth is a blessing whatever Hashem gives you is a gift and you have to do your part it's not something for you to keep yourself but it's something for you to share to another. Have we introduced that language enough? >> It's a good question, but there's I keep saying it's a good question. They're all good questions, not you're good at ask. >> I got another one because Yeah, >> there's different stuck. There's that stuck that you give because you're asked. There's that stuck you give because socially you have to. I don't know. Your kids go to a school, there's a dinner, there's all kinds of things that sort of, you know, you're peer pressured into the giving. Then there's the stucker that you're asked and you're happy. Where I think we're the worst, and I I look at myself also, and I may write about this week because I still haven't written yet. um is the proactive stuckle when you're not asked but it's the right thing to do and I'll give you the example in the last generation when you were at a shul as a visitor and you got an aliyah >> made a donation >> you left a check >> you made a donation when you were on vacation for a week and there was a sh that you davened at before you left or you know it was before there was you know zel and Venmo and QR codes and whatever but you had a checkbook and you left a check because you you you were of service to me I don't take it for granted there was a minion I said Scottish or there's a minion because I go to minion and I'm deeply appreciative of it. If someone did a study today, I'd be so curious. We're living in a time and I think young people aren't educated about this. We have people who move into our community and they can spend a year or two or longer domining daily asking shas using the mikvah eating a kdish and shalash putting their kids through youth program enjoying every speaker that comes to town and not join membership [clears throat] >> and not join membership >> right >> because it's sort of like my like this is part of my birthright I'm Jewish I have a birthright there's a shul and it's it's all available for me it's for me and and when do they think too many when do they join they have a baby and they want the shafer email to or they need the social need and they want the member rate to make a bris and then they realize oh taka should be a member I'm not even criticizing I don't know if we did a good enough job >> parents telling children when you get married would you move to him this is the appropriate thing a kassan or kala teacher talking about in a checklist yeshiva or seminary in a manup conversation about this is what it means to be responsible you move to a community single or married you join you contribute you ask what can I do and you do so I there's this sort of my now I I have it you have it. We all have it to a certain degree. So, for example, we don't use it anymore. I'll deny that I ever used it. So many better things today than Wikipedia, but you know, once a year the Wikipedia pop up that says Wikipedia is free. It's crowdsourced. If you'd like to make make a donation and help us do it, >> X [laughter] out. By the way, why Torah >> Safaria? I can >> where we post our Shirum and we listen to other Shirum and it's popup comes up and you're like, [laughter] they've got a lot of money, a lot of philanthropists, a lot of this is a server. They're lucky I listen. They're lucky I use it X. Like there's probably a long list of those things that we also benefit from, gain from. We don't even volunteer to give and even when we're asked, we X out. And this is the X out phenomenon. That's what I'm getting exed out by a lot of people. And you sort of can't help but start to take it personally. You're like, I don't know. You wrote me an email that says it changed your life at Munisher. You were in this predicament, that moment, whatever. It didn't change your life. $100 worth, $180 worth, $12 worth, $4 a dollar worth. Like what like what like what what does that mean? What does that mean? So >> there's so many layers to that, right? There's just like a basic gratitude hakara. >> Yeah. >> There's a value in giving back, right? Like there's so many parts to that conversation beyond the actual donation. In other words, aside from what it's doing for you or for the Schul or for whatever institution, there's a value for yourself of saying, "I took from something, therefore I should get back." Correct. But is that a language that we use? You use the word consumerism and everything about our society is a consumerist society. So I go into Starbucks, >> your Gmail's free, your is free, your chachi BT is free, your >> and I have it the way I want it. So I go into Starbucks money, >> right? And I go into I go into Starbucks. It's no longer like, oh, you just get a coffee. I could have the coffee any way I want and you're going to make it the exact way I ask. And people that mentality filters back down where now I'm a consumer in as opposed to an investor, as opposed to a supporter, a partner, stakeholder. different language which says it's not I'm giving and you're taking but we're in this together and it's a partnership. >> Absolutely. Like be a stakeholder. That's why when I've been reaching out I want to thank the people who do respond. I say thank you for partnering. Not one penny of this goes in my or your pocket. The shu pays our salaries. Thank God. But there are costs for the fact that we publish promote produce share spread all the things that people and we're grateful. It's such a privilege, such an honor and so grateful. It's a little bit also of a curse of being a shul. I I was flipping through, this is the part where maybe we we could or should be censored or censor ourselves, but um I was flipping through a Jewish newspaper this past Shabas and um there was a full page ad and it was of a of a rabbi who teaches and his organization. It's I won't even say what it said. I don't want because it's not a judgment of him whatsoever in the least. He's got an organization. It teaches Torah, does outreach, serves a a a purpose in its community. And so he needs you need money whatever organization everybody does. There's no one you could talk to and I can say this Rabbi Y meaningful minute Rabman anybody who's out there when you're tied to a shul it ends up becoming a handicap that's not the right word it ends up becoming sort of a liability because they're like why would I have to contribute though he's giving like there's a shul who pays everything the shul pays everything offline >> but to be able to share and promote and reach more people and help and and play that role and you need to help people online so that becomes That's what's authentic. That's what I don't, you know, sometimes people get cynical about this, but it really is authentic when you make the ask. And I know you and we've had many, many, many conversations about this. You genuinely just want to grow it, right? With more resources, you could grow the brand, you can grow the, you know, the ability to reach people, you can grow the market. Like, there's so many opportunities out there. >> I'd like to grow Rabbi Moscow. Rabbi, I'm tell everybody right now. Rabbi Moscow gives an extraordinary parish. Three ideas in 30 minutes every sensor >> with a hot dog roller and all the trimmings and toppings and on a really sponsored week other acutrin as well >> and it's super popular and everybody love it but I would love to say the whole world should be listening so you know what the reality is that to publish to share it the these things the quality of it the quality of it you know you could like a lot of shs have when they do a program there's like an iPad that's crooked on a tripod that's tipping over with sound like you're in the middle of an empty uh you know cave >> or you could have excellent sound and you can have excell and it could be published on time and it could be easily accessible and it could be on podcast player and it right but those things they don't happen by accident. So you know you value you don't value help you don't help this too it's like from Hashem if he wants the good news is it helps my doining a lot all these obligations or responsibilities or dreams and hopes so you have conversations with Hashem like if you want it you know help me with it please. Oh boy. Speaking of Davin, by the way, I wasn't even going to go here because this is a total pivot, but you hit a milestone >> in your sitter snippets and I want to give you a big masletov. Thank you. >> I remember when you started this years ago. I remember you were on vacation. You said I want to start going through the sitter. We're going to call it six minute sitter snippets. And I remember asking you at the time, I said, "What happens when you get through the sitter?" Said, "I got a long way to go for that." You were now se what, seven years into >> 106 snippets. >> Wow. >> Through the Amida, we started with Modani all the way through. You know, the idea was a lot of rabbis struggle with what do you teach between first of all I think that's less of a struggle because now you just have minion factories you don't have anymore anymore. So um and and and we had gone through you know you had your things you taught I taught my things you went through them >> but it was hard because each day you were like scrapping around and you didn't feel like you got anything >> upcoming yonte what should we do I said you know what the sitter daily actually Mike senders Mr. Sanders all of us shalom passed away this year Mr. Sanders inspired me a lot on that cuz we would teach other things and he would say to us basically look at us with a good like really >> we're here doing like help us do something with davining and that really inspired we started at Modani we've gone all the way through the end of the Amida had generous series sponsors annual sponsors daily sponsors through the year very grateful to them for it record it put it up it's on all platforms to be able to listen um and actually want to do more with it at one point maybe even write it up publish it because it is literally every word from Modani through the end of the now we started And it is endless because when you finish long and short there's going to be shabing ding ding benching it's endless to take words that we say all the time and have no idea what they mean. The biggest beneficiary of citizen me and I'm uh I I grow from it. I forgot so much of what I taught. >> So what's your what what do you do? In other words, do you say when I'm teaching this I'm going to focus on this. I'm not going to because you obviously can't counter everything. >> I have in my office like a row of swaram on the sitter. I try to go through all of them, get ideas, and then you try to I try to whittle it down to things that you can increase your kavana while you're saying it. So gain changing these ideas about while I'm saying these words, here's what I could be thinking, here's how it could transform me instead of just some >> I'm saying your private because because your could take four hours then, but obviously it's not and it's overwhelming. Do you say to yourself, I'm like if I'm on the like this week while I'm teaching it, I'm going to focus on that or are there always things percolating in your head? There's always things percolating. It depends. You know, fundraising is a lot of [laughter] um preparing a big drussia. A lot of other people and issues are always every day. Um you know, like everybody you struggle your mind wander. We're going to talk about this. We have a a summ actually by the time this is published it will have been last week, but we have a for the sitter snippets. Uh Amida doing a zoom. Anybody could join whether you're part here's the other thing coming back to last conversation. >> All comes full circle. >> Here's the other thing. I'm not going to say who. There might be a major Jewish media personality who said to me, "You're doing it all wrong. You got to create a payw wall. You put a little taster in front of the pay wall. People enjoy the shar, the class, everything you do." And then with a pay wall in a membership, that's when you really give those. And I said, we just read about Hashem giving the Torah. He gave it for free. We've got to give it for free. I don't want to go to that model. I for Torah, I don't I don't It's not a business. It's Torah, but Torah and Torah. So I don't want to go to that model of of the pay wall. So everyone's invited to the CM whether you've a BRS member, BRS global member or >> what I call a moocher and a freeloader. They're all they're [laughter] all sorry to just say that out. >> No no leave that in. Last week one of the shirum was sponsored by somebody who wrote sponsor by so and so no longer a freeloader. I saw that was the name of their sponsorship and I love again I'm I'm pointing a finger at myself. >> I'm trying to as I'm feeling this think about where am I a freeloader? What don't I want to be a freeloader about or on? >> You once told one of the most powerful stories and I won't tell who it was or the details of it because I don't want to out the person. You told in Adrushia a story of someone who when they were younger got a scholarship to a particular university and later on in life when that person came into a little bit more means. One of the first things they did was made a donation back to that institution and simp and they had nothing to do with that institution again but for the simple reason of such gratitude that that institution took care of them years ago and now that they have the ability to be able to give back and it made such an impression on me. >> That person is unbelievable. did it with multiple institutions that when he was young a child of immigrants and and others were there to help him when his parents couldn't afford to pay he could have said like I did well I'm at a different stage of life now I made my annual donations to this >> or those are wealthy institutions they >> exactly it's the next generation's turn to help them he went back and he said I want to pay it forward so they can give that to there's just different mentalities you see it we see it there are the people who know the joy of giving and they love to give and there are the people who would give you their kidney before they're going to give you a penny of their money right now. Yeah, >> we already had Bar Cooperstein, >> we have Sapir Con and Sasha coming and then we have um >> Ali Sharabi >> Ali Sharabi coming and the money we're raising is not zero overhead, zero us, it's going exclusively right to the hostages. These are people whose lives were when you say put on hold, these lives were this is modern day slavery. They were captured. They were held hostage >> and and we're so you see it, you know, we have a certain amount of money. We said, "Let's reach out to certain amount of people." Each gives this and we're good to go and we can help them. And it's beautiful. They're the people who before you press enter, >> they're like, "Thank you, Rabbi. Thank you for the opportunity." [clears throat] >> And other people excuse explanations why not, why they don't deserve it, why it's probably not this, why there's just I feel bad. I feel sad for the people who don't know the joy of giving. >> So, how do we change that? How do we introduce that language? >> I feel bad for them. I feel bad for their children. the joy and the satisfaction and the gishmach of giving. It's like if you're in a position and whatever level, whatever percentage you can give, whatever it represents for you, there's there's a there's a woman who davins in our shul daily, >> a righteous, righteous woman, >> very righteous woman. >> And there's no stuck a box in the woman's section. >> We haven't corrected that, but I have a slot in the door of my office >> every day. >> And she puts a dollar in every single day in the slot in the door. >> It's it's amazing, >> you know, and and that dollar for her, what it represents, but it's every day. It is the act of giving every day and how that transforms. So >> you know it's interesting and I I know with this we'll get to Rabbi Berg which we want to number of years ago we ran something called a tween night of giving. It was for in between teens and youth and what we did was we had this I think this might have been my greatest Yeah. Kaneka. And my whole thing was Kaneka was all about taking for our kids. They had to learn how to give back. >> And so we had six different organizations present a video and make a compelling reason why the kid should give to them. Each family to participate donated a certain amount of money. And we had a pot of money, let's call it $10,000. And we split the kids up into groups. And each table got to decide how they were going to allocate the money. Do they want to give all of it to one institution? Do they want to break it up into six? Is it better to make a bigger impact to one? And we had a moderator at each conversation. And the conversations were fascinating. You just saw which organization spoke to which children and how they thought through the process. Afterwards, I got countless feedback from parents >> who said, "The best part about that night is my child came home talking to me about Sedaka and wanting to know how we think through Saddaka." And they said, "The best gift you gave me is you gave me the opportunity to talk to my children about charity. Why do we give to the school? Why do we give to the Shaw? Why do we give to this organization but maybe not that organization? Why do we give a lot to one?" And and they said they were so grateful for a platform to be able to engage their children in that conversation. And maybe that's what we have to do more of. >> That was a great program. We should repeat that program because it was a great program. And people talk about that if you're a grandparent or a parent doesn't have to wait for Kaneka. You give a birthday gift to the child. I'm making up a number on a lot of little these days. If you're giving $100, give them a $100 and a second $100 for them to give away. There's someone else in our community who does that. Yes, he does. >> Whenever his children have milestones, simas, >> makes a meeting with me with that child. And that child comes to deliver. The gift to the child is giving the child the capacity to give stuck and choose how it should be used. Scholarship fund Shabas what do we need it for? You talk about how you raise children no giving. That's how you do it. That's how you do it. Whether you divide the 150 they keep 50 they give 100 match the 100. Everybody could decide their own scale. >> But that's part of the exercise is helping your child think through those calculations. >> No question. Master master fundraiser. Rabbi Steenberg is not only a master fundraiser, it's because he's a master visionary >> and a master friend >> and a great friend. Because he has that vision is why he's so compelling to raise those funds. And under him, Isha Torah has multiplied. Its reach is outrageous online and offline. Uh he's doing incredible things. We've known him a long time and he's been a good friend. And I'm glad we finally were able to in our studio get him on. Without any further ado, Rabbi Steven Berg. Welcome back to Behind the Bea. This is a long time coming. my longtime dear friend, Rabbi Steven Berg, CEO of Ahatura, doing extraordinary things. We go way back and we've worked on a lot of things and I've always been a big admirer of yours and so I'm glad we're finally able to make this happen. >> Uh, yes, very exciting to be here in your beautiful studio. This is actually, I think, the most exciting part is the fact that you got this great space here and um did I tell you everywhere I travel around the world, this is like the thing that people listen to behind the beam of like, oh, you know him. I'm like, we used to be friends now. >> I appreciate that. We're [laughter] still we're still friends. More than friends. So, thank you for giving us time. Thanks for going behind the beimma together. You've got an enormous amount going on since you came to a How many years you there now? >> Uh 10 and a half. >> 10 and a half years. More than a decade at a is everywhere. >> It's not just yeshiva. It's not just outreach. It's a girl seminary. It's online. It's reaching everyone everywhere. >> And your fingerprints are all over it. But there's something extraordinary I think that you do, which is you've raised enormous money. You're the engine. You're driving it. You are a visionary who's building it. And yes, you know, you do your your news shows and you paint your articles and there's the weekly email. I read who you met that week, but you've never tried to and I don't think that's who you are. Mick H synonymous with Steve Burke. As much as you're in front of the scenes, you're behind the scenes pushing it. Is that the philosophy? Tell us a little bit about where that comes from. >> Yeah, look, I I think I think it comes first of all, thank you so much for for having me. It's a pleasure to be here. Um I think it comes from being a movement and there's a difference between being an organization institution and believe it or not two years ago I went to Ashtodo with a couple of folks from Aish and and we were heading this direction but we had a real conversation where I put up on a board like all these different things that we could be institution organization yes education like all these different things and then the one that just like jumped out was movement and a movement really is bigger than you or me or anyone. A movement means we have certain values and we want everyone emulating those values and it doesn't come down to a 513 C3 an organization. It's we're trying to get the masses to do things and u I spent a lot of time trying to understand movements and and where they go and so I think because of that >> are you trying to become a movement or do you think you already are a movement trying to be a bigger movement? I think with Noah Weinberg in his heart and soul wanted to be a movement and I think that there's an a conflict between movement and building an institution organization. Uh and it's hard to get out kind of past that. So in my mind everything I've done you know a started 50 years ago and when I came on 10 and a half years ago my goal was to take the values of Noah Weinberg and Aish and push them out. I've tried to stay true to those values, but part of staying true was I think they always genu genuinely wanted to be a movement. And I don't know that we ever fully got there. And so my goal and again, my goal is let's say I disappear one day, no one even notices. >> Level five leadership, >> right? Correct. It just keeps going. And if you could do that, there's nothing that you can't do. >> So what is it? I want to I want to get into this because um I think you're on to something in my own little modest humble tiny way with what we're trying to do here. you know the BRS vision of of diversity and unity and I don't need to get into my hospiel but more than that our online are living with the moon and the things you know we aspire to be a little bit like a little little bit of a movement so I'd love to continue to unpack this conversation about what what is how do you define movement right so it used to be a yeshiva outreach center discovery program and so on then it was branches there's a branch here in Hollywood by night and gal my you have branches >> and now it's not just and then it's online we'll talk about the numbers and the portal and what's doing online Unbelievable. But you're saying it's not just like here's the brochure, you know, we have a the brand and then underneath it we've got the yeshiva, the seminary, the outreach branches. It's it's when you look at it collectively, it's a movement. Define movement. >> Movement is a set of values that we all kind of agree to. And you know, if you look back historically Jewish history, there was a kidic movement. The kidic movement came because people were so broken after Shapi and all the things that had happened. And it was right before the emancipation and they created a movement. And if you remember the Vagon was appalled, you know, at this new movement, you know, and you had the Muslim movement and you have Zionism and you have you have a lot of movements throughout Jewish history that never took away from the 613 commandments and never took away from who we were, but it gave us this additional kind of push upwards. And I think that, you know, in age I I distilled it to three values that we believe in. The first one is wisdom. We believe that every single Jew, we started vision H vision 2030, we're going to get 3 million Jews to study Torah by 2030. After 5 years, we had over four million followers, a million video views a day. We were doing really well and u so we pushed it to every single Jew. >> Just say those numbers. You just said them way too quickly. >> Okay, sorry. Slow. >> No, say that again. The goal was 3 million. The goal was 3 million already at >> We're over four million, well over four million followers and we do a million video views a day on social media. >> Wow. So we immediately realized we we need to go further and bigger. What I say now is our goal is to get and that was 20% of the Jewish population is 3 million. So our goal now is get every Jew to studying Jewish wisdom. And you know one of the most common questions I get asked is what's the difference between you and Kabad, right? Kabad's a movement. Asia is a movement. And what I say is that Kabad is much more experiential. They want you to experience it. They want you to do the right. You're into the experience. Asia is much more intellectual. Right? We're the guys, the discovery guys. We want you to be able to learn, to study, to delve into. It doesn't mean that Kabad doesn't have Torah study. Doesn't mean that we don't have experiential, but it it's what your emphasis is is on. And for us that you a Jew can't live without Torah. It's like water to breathe or or or water to drink or or air to breathe. And so therefore, we want every single Jew to experience that. And you could see right now Jew, you know, there were many Jews who are pro- Israel and now their kids and grandkids are not pro-Israel because that's not enough if you're not tied into the heritage. Now you made the comparison to so is it is it fair to say that you and Kabad are not competing or different movements that movement of outreach and am but just like inidas you have breast and visionets and sar and labavich and they're very different but they're united by being part of the kidic movement so you're both part of the call it outreach or amra movement just different branches and approaching different ways. I literally never use the word outreach. I don't consider us to be an outreach organization. So that's the only thing I would say. Look, >> what are you a movement of? >> Education. We believe that every single Jew needs to study Torah and we need to make it palatable and open and easy to someone who doesn't know olive bays, right? We don't realize, you know, the Orthodox community, thank God, has grown tremendously. But if you go to our Torah websites, you see a rabbi in a tie at a lectern, the average Jew is not going to respond to that. For the Orthodox community, it's it's great. It's awesome. And even >> so I I don't know. I certainly haven't ever thought of and I'm not sure most people would distill a down to you said what's and what's its movement. It's a movement to get every Jew on the planet learning Torah. I don't I don't It's funny. >> That's it. >> It's interesting. >> That's it. And that's our first value because that's what we >> as I think the average say like what word comes to mind? They say outreach rooftop. >> Well, we've been around for 50 years and you know people have a certain knowledge of us but but right now my numbers are in the millions you know and and >> to find out. Let's go back to that. A million people watching a video a day. How do you convert watching a 90-second reel to learning to first of all do you consider that learning Torah? Do you have to make a basel in the bathroom? Do you make a >> You're asking a fascinating question. Let me tell you that when we started this, we basically woke up 5 years ago and said um that we need to create a vision. You know, when I took over 10 years ago, right? So when I took over and Noah had passed away, we were basically bankrupt. There were a lot of challenges. We got through the challenges and after five years we had to go from being reactive to proactive. What are we going to do? So we sat with Roberkwitz who's the Russian the leader of of our movement. He said what do you want us to do? And and I have something that I I like to say to people and you of course will appreciate this that vision without implementation is delusion. Right? We're smart guys and come with the greatest vision in the world but if you don't know how to make it happen. So we went to Robert said what are we supposed to do? Burkwood said like no Weinberg that he felt that the greatest issue facing Jewish people is the majority of Jews have no relationship with the Almighty with God. The way to change that is through Jewish wisdom Torah. So we said we're going to get he wanted 6 million. I bargain him down to 3 million. We're going to get three million Jews to study Torah. Right? Okay. Thank you so much. How are we going to do it? Social media. Right? So we go to social media and we say we're going to go and get to all these people. But we say >> we can't really put Torah on social media. What we'll do is we'll leave breadcrumbs from Instagram and Tik Tok back to h.com and you know and we learned and I have to thank Bob Diner publicly here. Bob Diner who hotel.com get.com um he told us >> former guest on behind the beimma. >> Absolutely. Well that yeah of course I mean everyone everyone who's anyone >> I think that's on top of his resume. >> Yeah. >> Former guest behind the beimma then hotels.com. >> Totally. I'm sorry I should have started with that. >> So I apologize. So, um, so anyways, he he said to me, he says, "Look, Steve, um, >> where you start your journey is not where you're going to end it." And you need to know that. It was the most important advice I got because we realized very shortly that number one is people do not like to leave their social media venue. >> Yeah. >> Number two, the social media companies don't want you to leave and they're not going to they're going to try not to let you leave. And number three, you can give Torah content on on Instagram and uh Tik Tok. And we didn't realize that at first. So, we shifted and pivoted and we gave real Torah content to people and people were relating to it. What I've realized now is in a good way, we built up this massive following of people getting um I had a I sat with a foundation head. She called it byite-size Torah, right? H is byite-size Torah, Instagram, and Tik Tok. So, we're building out something called HU now, which is basically we're seeking university accreditation. We're going to be giving classes online and it's going to be the next step. Really? You like Tik Tok? You like Instagram. Here is a class that's going to rock your world. And and get this, we're using AI, right? Why are we using AI? If you go to that class and you have zero background, AI will you make the class for you. Let's say you have partial background, it'll do a little the class will be a little bit differently. Let's say you have a lot of background, it'll be a little bit differently, right? So AI can basically take our educational mod. We have an AI rabbi on the website right now. We've done the last four months 150,000 interactions with our AI rabbi. 25% of those we consider very serious conversations and we can lay out literally every piece of it. AI is changing the world and so the Torah world has to be able to to move that. >> First of all, there's so much we want to get to. >> Yeah. >> We have to take a step back because all we've talked about is Aish so far, but Steve Berg is not Ace. You didn't unlike many of the people at Ace. You didn't come up through a was McCari and it changed your life and now you want to be a branch head and you came up through the organization. You're an outsider to it. So we'll come to that in one second but I want to just follow up on the numbers right because you know we play this game here we are on the behind the beimma studio and barash behind the beimma while I enjoy it and I'm proud of it is sort of I don't want to call it the least I don't want to insult anybody but if you tell me that you've got x amount of time to listen to efir Friday a lot of other things right so I look at that and I say you know there are people enjoying and I get to learn with people virtually and I want to grow those numbers and so for a long time I was amateur for a long time I was posting it and dealing with it in house and just doing it myself. And I decided it's time to go pro and to try to help other to try to get the help of others to try to reach more people with it because if it's resonating, I feel like that's my responsibility to hashem. I'm not the brand the Torah is just like with you and a but let's reach more people and sort of the the push back or the conversation always goes are numbers the only metric and how real are they a metric? If you want someone to listen to a shear and have their life changed and transformed by it, is it about the click? Is it about the hit? Is it about the numbers? or is it about the change, the transformation? And that's why how do you know that you're converting? So a million views a day of a video, you know, could be that person scrolling the reel, it's for a few seconds, they're moving on to the next thing. It's better than not connecting to Jewish content. To be clear, there's no question that that little reel, that 90 seconds or longer or less is touching their Jewish soul in a deep way. It's meaningful and it's better than if it didn't. >> But is it Torah learning? Does it qualify as Torah learning? And how do you convert the person from the 92nd reel? There was some wisdom in that. I enjoyed that to and I want to find out more and I want to dive deeper and I want real connection to that wisdom. I want to start learning with someone. I think partners in Torah is now under I want to locally check out my local synagogue shul rabbi. I want to online go to where I'm taking real classes and I'm going to get to the kabad model of real experiential. How do you convert? So the question really is how much do the numbers really mean? First of all, numbers can be inflated and and we know that algorithms and and online marketing and buying views. I don't mean buying bots, but I mean even real eyeballs, but you know, how how do you convert the views, the numbers, which are intoxicating? >> They're really they're really seductive and intoxicating. You see them, you see them climbing, you're like, "Wow, we're doing stuff. We're doing big stuff. We're changing the world." This isn't only a question I have for you. I'm sorry for the long-winded question. It's not only a question I have for you. It's a question I have I have in general. So, um, I just had it with somebody high-profile recently offline where I asked as as fearful as we are, as concerned as we are with the influence of Tucker and Megan and the others, and their numbers are in the millions and the people watching them right down here in our backyard, the nightclub incident in Miami, of Nick Fuentes, Makshima, and Andrew Tatton, these horrible people who have a combined, I think, 10 million followers who are singing and dancing to Hail Hitler. How much does the online world correspond with the offline world? Yeah. >> Do we sometime confuse the two? because they're so inflated and they're so easily manipulated. Does it really reflect does it really represent what's happening offline? So that there's a lot I just threw at you, but but that's what I'm, you know, that that goal of we want every Jew learning is it achieved and accomplished through these sound bite real micro doed experiences online and those numbers >> I'll tell you a few things a few things. Number one is I think >> thank you for letting me get that. >> No, I think it's great. I I happy to help and I will lay out a couch and you could tell me all the other issues you're wrestling with and you know uh look number one is God runs the world, >> right? If we don't accept that, then nothing else matters, frankly. So, when you're putting content out there, you need to understand that God runs the world and God is going to make sure the right people need to wind up the right places. And I think we get so caught up in those. And look, look, I'm a I'm a metrics guy, a numbers guy. I'm running institution. I'm making sure everything is running and we're going where we need to go. But we're we're, you know, we're God's people, God's chosen people, and and we have to be a light to nation and we need to push the light out. So, I think that's number one. Okay. you're putting out good stuff. God is gonna make sure a lot more of that happens than we do. Um, but having said that, I I like that we live in a metrics world and and I'm looking at Amazon, I'm like, how did Amazon know exactly what I want? Right? All of those algorithms exist, right? Um, and when I'm out there, my goal is not actually my goal is probably not behind the Beimma, right? My goal is Jews that that want nothing to do with being Jewish or have nothing to do with being Jewish. How do I find them? I have to cast very wide nets that catch a lot of non-Jews, which is okay. I don't mind that non-Jews are learning about us to try and find those unaffiliated people. Um, I had a a conversation with an incredible woman not long ago. We do roundts of journalists in Israel um almost on like a bimonthly basis. They come, they get to know age, when you get to know them, we discuss a certain topic, etc. And this woman came in very interested, a lot of tattoos, etc. and she's explained to me how she was part of Antifa, right? Who are, you know, out of their minds, right? So, she's she's part of Antifa and and but yet she's like on this row of Judaism. She's trying to figure everything out. She I got to tell you something. I was really embarrassed to walk into synagogues because of my tattoos and all my background. Like, you know, I just I was very self-conscious. You know, they won't want to accept me. And I have to tell you that every single time holiday came around, I went to h.com, I went to social media, and I would learn all the different pieces of it. and I was comfortable because I could do it in my own home. And you know, you just mentioned Andrew Tate and you mentioned uh Nick Fentes and all these horrible people, right? Why are they being successful? Because there are a lot of young men sitting in their home that don't feel listened to and they're giving them a way to converse and to interact, right? Even though it's just kind of by listening and wanting to be them or whatever it is, the Jewish people need to understand that there's a lot of Jews out there that are looking for spirituality even though they can't. They don't know that it's kaduca. They don't know it's the shama, right? But they're looking for something. How do I get in front of them? Right. Right now, someone, Rabbi Daniel, Rabbi Dr. Dan Row, who's the president of AU of this, he's an amazing amazing scholar. He said recently with Noah Weinberg dreamed of of getting in front of every Jew and bringing every Jew closer to God. Today, we can do that. Every Jew is on social media. So, if I can master the algorithm algorithms, if I can put out really good content, if I can can know where I'm focused and I can and I can watch those numbers to try and get in places where hopefully it's not the places, you know, necessarily where the connected Jewish community is, it's it's those other places, right? If I can get there and I get in front of those people and God's going to help me, we can bring a lot of Jews closer to God, closer to Israel, right? And we all know, >> so that's the part I'm asking. How how do you I'm not challenging. Yeah, please. Challenging is also how do you how do you know that they're getting closer to God, closer to Israel? Because they consumed a 92 reel in between, you know, the video of hunting or the guy shooting bullets through how many cinder blocks it will go. How do you know when they caught the 92 reel about Israel that they're actually closer to God or understand Israel more or better? Is there take us behind the beimma on the tech? Is there something I'll tell you at the end of the 90 secondond reel? Is it like click here for more? >> So, there's two first two two kind of places where you start, right? The first is what I call giving people content without their permission. What does that mean? That means this, right? Oh, is right. Exactly what you just described. Right. >> The second step is giving people permission uh content with their permission, which means they followed us. So, when I went from zero to over four million followers, right? That means, oh, I like this enough to say I want more. Right. >> Right. And then there's more points of engagement where I can engage that person. Even if I don't know their name, I know their IP address and I could see, oh, you know what, they're following this on YouTube and this on Instagram and this I can follow that al like that, you know, IP address to know this person is engaged with us, right? Interesting. >> And and for us like some of the most incredible experiences we have something this started years ago again. >> So you're that's but that's critical you just said which you're measuring engagement. Absolutely. >> So it's not just looking at the numbers of how many people watched where it's this just generic number of anonymous people. You're tracking engagement so you can follow up with the most engaged. >> It's quality and quantity. You're constantly quality and quantity. That's what you're trying to constantly engage together. But I I was mentioning that for years we had something called live chat, right? Live chat was started by Bob Bob Diner. >> Yeah. >> We people were coming to the website h.com and they pop off, right? >> So what do I do with that person? Yeah. I'm giving them [clears throat] something. Right. So what we did was if you're there for, you know, 15 seconds, a rabbi pops on. Hey, can I help you? Yeah. It was called live chat and we had a whole bunch of rabbis around the world on different time zones just monitoring and getting into chats of people and we had a whole system where level one, level two, level three was we would encourage you to physically go into some place, right? And by the way, one of the beauties of H being a movement, right, is I'm not interested in cradle the grave. I want to get someone I believe that I can reach unaffiliated and connect them and then I'm happy for them to go to synagogue. I'm happy to go to I'm happy to to just join the Jewish people because over 70% of Jews in America are nowhere. >> So if I can identify them and get them connected up right now with AI, a lot of those chats are started by AI and if we think those are significant chats with AI, it'll be handed to a live rabbi so I can get more done. >> How big is this team? I mean, for everything that you're talking about, producing the content, distributing the content, tracking, engagement, followup, you have a huge team of technology. >> Not not huge. Not. We have a couple dozen people. Not huge. It's based in Jerusalem in some other places around the world depending on the content. Not not as huge as as one would think. >> Couple dozen. And they're they're cutting edge. They're holding in the latest technology. >> Yeah. Yeah. We run like a tech company. We're very we run like a tech company. That's the way we measure ourselves. That's the way we look at ourselves. You know, >> it's fascinating. I I think the average person listening or watching right now who again associates is with overlooking the coel outreach discovery seminar doesn't know this whole armor branch of what you're doing. But let's take a step back. Let's go behind the beimma with Rabbi Steve Berg. Not just uh an infomercial for a not that it's an infomercial, but um the people learning about it who didn't know about it. You're not ash, you know, we know each other for a long time. You go back YU, the YU world, call it. Um how do you end up at a tell us about your childhood, your background, and your professional experience that put you in this seat until then? >> Yeah, I mean my dad was a a pulpit rabbi for 45 years. Um passed away by Al Shalom in Brooklyn. If anyone lives in Brooklyn, they go to Ocean Amnov. The street is named after him because he was in that shel for uh for 45 years. He was an amazing person. I I learned I mean everything I am is really came from him and my mother. >> U and I grew up there you know went to YU um walked into an NCY shop 19 decided this is what I want to do. Did it for 22 years all over the country. I was international director for eight years. Last five I was also managing director at the OU. Spent a lot of time at the OU NCY. Kind of grew up there. uh went to the signal center for a couple years and then a came calling and that's where I went. Um I had had 25 years in Jewish community before I went to a everything I did for 25 years was basically God getting me ready for a uh and what I saw in Aish was the ability to affect every single Jew in the world which is was my goal. You know I love the Orthodox community. I'm part of the Orthodox community, but we're a bit insular and there's a huge community out there and we need to uh we need to get them closer to the Jewish people in Israel and and and frankly, if you ask me in the last two two and a half years, what has crushed me the most is been seeing Jewish kids going up against Israel and and not following Jewish values because we just kind of left them out there for other people to pick up, >> right? >> And um over, like I said, over 70% of Jews are not connected to anything, you know? So to me, Aish was that global communal let's bring the Jewish people together. You know, I I personally, if you ask me on a personal level, I believe that it's been a 3,500 year journey and we're coming to the end. And the end is in Israel. You know, I do I do a lot of writing and I write a lot of opeds. And one of the things I talk about all the time is that what the world is not understanding is that whenever a Jew walks into a country, it's like it's like James Bond, like where are the exits? I don't want to get caught inside, you know? So, okay. Oh, great. I'm in Spain. Oh, North Africa. I'm in England. Oh, there's France. you know, we're always looking for the exit, but now that we're back in Israel, there's no exit. >> And and they're making that mistake that they could just drive us out to another country. We're back home, and everything is kind of settling back there. And we have to figure out exactly how we can continue to help all the Jews come together to do what they need to do. And it's on so many levels. And so I think a to me was this massive international incredible place that I agreed with the values and I loved the people there that I felt I could do the best job affecting the Jewish people. >> Who you mentioned your father a blessed memory your parents who are the other influences, mentors, who else put you on this trajectory of wanting to impact the Jewish people in this way? >> Um that's an excellent question. I had many mentors along the way. Roofski in Bergenfield is my personal rebby and his commitment to Torah is is is why I think I'm so comfortable there. Um I I'll be honest with you. I'll I don't this probably not the answer you're looking for, but I'm happy to give it. My inspiration is God. Like I feel very close to God. I feel very pressured by God. You know, sometimes like I have a we got a big budget. You know, our my budget coming in was like 8 million. Now our budget is 3540 million. Like and there's a lot of pressure. And sometimes I'm like, you know, God, why? Like why me? you know, it's like filler on the roof, you know, we're chosen people. Can't you choose someone else for a while? You know, so for me, it's basically if you believe in God and and you read the Bible and you understand all this and this is what we have to do. So, I mean, for me, it's David Amela. King David, I tell people, King David literally I read the book of Samuel over and over again. King David, you know, at the beginning of his life, his father-in-law wanted to kill him. The end of his life, his son tried to kill him. The middle of the Philistines tried to kill him. And he got a lot done, you know. So for me like in communal Jewish work and everything I'm doing I'm like if he was able to like survive all that like I'm I'm like the end of his life he's an old man >> your parents in >> I think so I think the Bible I I look back so when you're when when you're looking at the books and the budget coming up a little bit shorter feeling the pressure what does Steve B do to not get anxious? You know do you sleep well at night? Do you do something to take the edge off? What do you do to relax? >> I know that God's on my side and I know that he's my partner. He's my full partner. And you and I think that >> so many of us just forget that. >> I do. You know, what if you bid off more than you can chew? What if God's saying, "Steve, I've been with you, but come on, buddy. Like, you're taking on too much. You're moving too fast. Slow down." >> Yeah. I may quote Reno here. You know, I believe, you know, they they once uh someone once said to him, says, you know, I can't believe in an angry, vindictive God. And Renol said, "Oh, I don't believe in that God either. You know, I believe in a loving God who cares and loves about me. And if I'm on his team and I'm fighting for his team, there's no way there's no way that he's going to let us fail, right? It's hard. He wants to see how bad you want it. I I've seen in in 10 and a half years of age, like incredible miracles. Like we were pushing pushing pushing pushing and and God's like, "Okay, you know, it's like playing football, you know, like you know, you got it. You got it to the within the 10. I'm going to get you to the goal line." And um I just I see that over and over again. And and that's that's I'm not to tell you that I don't like, you know, feel tremendous pressure and and things are difficult, etc. I do. I feel that. I feel tremendous weight. But I also know that it's as as a Jew, we're never allowed to just pass it off to someone else. >> Listen, you're most you're most nephesh enormously. Aside from the burden you've put on your back to raise that and you could have coasted and just kept things going, but instead you have dreams and vision and ambition and you've grown it, which is amazing. You've also been traveling regularly once, twice a month to Israel between Bergenfield, Israel. It's exhausting. Your amazing wife and kids also deserve credit because they're sharing you with the Jewish people with Cla Israel. At what point do you worry that Aish has become synonymous with your identity? Like who is Steve Berg without Aish? What if tomorrow you separated the two? Do you ever have to do anything or take any time to remember like turn off the ish? I'm asking not with judgment. I'm asking because I also struggle with that. Oh yeah. In terms of my identity and things I believe in. So like how do you ever say you know what for a little bit like I need to turn off a and stop being in the raise for a sell a dream aish push and just be Steve Berg Evan Hashem husband father son human being look I I I feel very blessed I think when I was younger I was arrogant I think I think a lot of people are you know you go to the White House you're in the room you're not in the room lot you know and at some point God you know I I fell on my face a bunch of times like I think most people do at one point I I'm nobody. >> Tell us tell us about one of those failures. Tell us when you fell in your face. >> Totally. Yeah. I was at the OU for 22 years. You know, I worked there very hard. I got to the top. I was running things and then um I got like crazy push back from from the people there and I just I just I I realized I can't go any further. I can't get it where I need to get it to. I need to go do something else. And I went to do something else. And then like my whole social circle 22 years was like kind of gone. And like all of a sudden I was in charge and people would come to me, I need this, I need that. I'm like, yeah, no problem. the second I was no longer able to help them like like I had work friends that just were no longer there. No one did anything wrong but like it was like you know 90 mph into a brick wall. You're like where where did everyone just go and then you realize that like you're left with your family you're left with God you're like that's where you are. Was that a good reset? When you look back now, when you were going through it, we were, you know, we were together. When you were going through it, it kind of felt like >> Conan O'Brien, if I can quote a great philosopher, American philosopher, Conan O'Brien said, and I I he came to age, I kid you not, he was on my roof and I told this to him that if you watch his commencement address from Dartmouth, >> yeah, >> threequarters is hysterical because he's funny. He gets there and all a sudden he gets serious because he had was given the the the late show and then he was kicked off you and Jay Leno came back and he had like very public embarrassment you know and he said there he said um they tell you whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger what they neglect to tell you is it still almost kills you and and I told him that we're like on our roof I'm like can I just tell you something I quote you all the time you know and it's like oh thanks you know and I said and I tell this to people when they're going through pain when I was like you know you ever go to a shiv call and they're like oh don't worry about it you know I'll make stronger, you know, like yes, but I'm in pain. >> And you have to understand that, you know, that that God gives us pain to get us to next level. But so when you have to be empathetic to other people, >> sure. >> Um, but when then once you get past that pain, I look back and I I literally I look forward to the day where this is all not on my shoulders. It's not going to be my call. It's going to be God's call. But but when that day comes like I have these dreams of just like I don't even know like like selling falafel someplace you know like you know worrying about the next guy to walk in and making a good falafel you know but until God says you know you're in the army you're in God's army so until he comes in says okay dismiss man like that's it what am I going to do like God says this is the Jewish people has to come we've got to rebuild the base of MD you know you need you need unity and love in the Jewish people you got to bring people you got to do all these things and my in general the the jobs that I've done in life are the jobs no one else wanted or no one else would do. I'm like a bit of a when there's a problem, I'll fix it. And so I just realized like, okay, I got I got no choice. I got to do this. So it is what it is. You know, God's until God shows up and says, you know, thanks for playing or you know something else, I'm in. >> But you're able to disconnect when you need to. You're able to shut off a for a little bit and be a person. [laughter] >> I didn't expect to get stumped. Um, look, my family's amazing. my >> Do they ever tell you >> your amazing wife? Like Steve, turn off Aish. Like, I'm just trying to talk to you. Can't we just be? Can't we experience? >> No, they're I happen to be I don't talk a so much at home. I don't. I actually don't. Uh my kids are amazing. I want to know all about them. I want to know what they're doing. I want to live vicariously through them because they're so much cooler and and and more talented than I am. I'm sure you have the same thing, you know. So, for me, it's like literally my family is my everything. And I think that's why God gives you a family. Your family's there to keep you grounded, right? more than that I don't really need. I just need to like see my kids are like amazing and doing amazing and they know how much I love them. That's like that's my >> I love to tell the story that um I also had the privilege to and and was with you several times at the White House. But I think the first time that I was there I was so excited. I was so pumped. Yeah. And our congressman who was my dear friend really got me ready said you know get over yourself look around take it all in and let's say what needs to be said. >> It was during President Obama's first term if everyone remembers the challenges with Israel. Anyway, I come out of the White House. I'm so excited to call her. tell her like who I stood up to, what I said, what I think I rose to that moment, what the Roosevelt room looked like, what the White House was. Like, it's all amazing. It's incredible. Listen, tomorrow's garbage day. So, whatever time you actually get in tonight from the airport, just don't forget to take the garbages to the curb. And I'll tell that story because I wasn't upset at her for that. It was like that was exactly her job. Like, listen, be excited, be impressed, and then remind me, don't forget to wheel the garbage to the curb. Tomorrow's garbage day. Yeah. >> So, that we have good wives. >> When I when I um when I went to age, I had a certain job trajectory. I was very involved politics like you, White House, this that lobbying etc. And people were surprised at kind of when I went with age, you know, and and I told them and this is absolutely true. I understand that standing in the Hbased Medish is more important than standing in the White House. Let's not take away from the White House and the incredible things that go there and we have allies etc. But you need to understand perspective and perspective is standing in the base of measures and and getting people to study Torah and getting people to connect to God is what God wants and um you know you can't get caught up in the other stuff because you you need to understand exactly what his priorities are. So let's get back to is one of the is a place that seems to be um of opposites and competing things and somehow it's able to integrate them together. So for example, it's a legitimate traditional hardcore based medish. I've had the privilege to sit and learn there a little bit and to even speak there over the last several years and it's a classic basis compete with anyone any other one on the other hand a online sort of provocative some of the pictures some of the titles some of the topics some of the articles um so it's able to manage that balance on the one hand burkowitita who's really a god in our time a postake of the Jewish people um thanks to you I've had that had access to and admire enormously um and also was on behind the beimma. We interviewed him in his office in your remember that thanks to you. How cool is that? Thanks to you. >> But he's he's a hardcore Karedi leader. He is hookline and sinker. Not only a card carrying member of the Israel community. He's a leader of the Karedi community. And on the other hand, Asia is a place who the yeshiva has loan soldiers. It is part of certainly, you know, the war. um honoring and appreciating the IDF observing I don't know the yeshiva itself the the the post high school yeshiva component yatsmu y zikaron and the like it's balancing that h how do you or how does ash balance these competing sort of interests hashkafas it's all things to all people or it's its own thing in its ability to do that and integrate what world does it fit in exactly >> well first of all it fits in no world which is what I love about it and why I wouldn't have it any other way meaning you know to me, this is the Jewish people, and I've got to figure out how to do this with the Jewish people. And so, you know, we get beat up on almost every side. It's fascinating. You know, this past week, we had one of uh the left leaders in the government in Israel came to the Asia roof um you know, with his contingent and we talked about Torah values, you know, and some of the people in the world found out and screamed at us, you know, and the same day someone else said, "You're not Zionist enough." and they screamed at us and I said to Drew Berkwitz I was like you know it's so funny like I got called a Zionist and anti-ionist in the same day and he's like that means we're doing the good stuff uh look part of it is why I ran in the world Zionist Congress right a Shaam we had a party in the world Zionist Congress we had the youngest candidates actually I think a lot of people put very prestigious Jews up there we actually went out and we put influencers and collegiate uh students that were fighting their universities those were the two big groups that we had >> um and And it was it was fabulous. And when we got to the end, I wrote an op-ed before the results came out. And I said, um, no matter what happens, Asia is going to meet with every party left to right. That's what we're going to do. Again, people screaming, you know, people like, "How you do this?" You know, and guess what we did? We met with every party left to right. And to this day, we have relationships with everyone from left to right, right? Does it mean I agree with them? No. And they actually know that, right? And we we never got to the other values, right? We started with wisdom. Second value of H. There's three values, but the second value is love. And I and I thought about this a lot when I was doing it. And at first I was thinking unity. And I said, I don't unity means I have to agree with you plural. Like I don't agree with you, but I love you. And my father used to tell me that Rabbi Lamb once said, I don't like every Jew, but I love every Jew. And that to me was so powerful because I have to love every Jew. So I want a you know, and and people don't know what to do with that. It's like, what do you mean? How can you be on his side if you're on our side? Like go back. >> But somehow you balance it. Robertoitz as leader of the Roberkitz doesn't tell you listen a can't participate in anything that looks >> no just the opposite Roberitz says we got to be open to every single Jew >> but including observing or participating in Zionist call it Zionist I know it's a scary word or >> you know you know we're a place that forget that I mean we we're a place where we make a mish you know they go do you have hollow in the basement manage no we actually go down to the code and have a musical hollow you know we we believe those those are values there's guys with guns every shabus you know coming back to to us you know rawitz just gave a smoo right to shanet and after the schmoo the shunned guys were lined up outside revsman's office who was run the shiv said based on Russ I think I should go to the army next year right you know yeah that's who he is and he's opposing which is something that also has to all this stuff has to be dealt with in Israel no one's talking to each other and if h can bring people together and help the conversations these are solvable issues they're not if everyone just screams at each other. And so I I I threw, you know, us into the World Zionist Congress. I I I'm in the cadest every time I'm in Israel. I know and speak to everyone because we're trying to do that to bring people together in a real way to have real conversation. >> So Burka sort of have his out of the yeshiva identity as a posigan leader and in the yeshiva he's managing a place that is much broader open. He can endorse or tolerate. No, he doesn't broader values. >> He's the same person. He's the same person. He is 95% of Kiraov Shilas go to him. He's the English speaking kared. He's a postk. He's he's the same person. These are his values. He grew up under Noah. These are his values what he believes. It it's not we need people to be bifurcated because I don't know what box to put you in. Oh my god, what am I going to do if I don't know what box to put you in? That is to me the downside of the Orthodox community. Yes, we have certain areas that we can't go past. We need to, you know, yes, you have to define. But to say that defines me everywhere, it it's crazy. And so like like a leader like a burgwitz, people don't know what to do with him because he's he's so amazing in that way. And I I find very much, you know, I'll go to a burgwitz. I'll see a burgwitz. I'm a pretty smart guy. I've been at this for 35 years. I'm a CEO. I know what I'm doing. I'll say, look, if the Russa, you know, thinks we shouldn't do this, just tell me we won't do it because I feel that I need to place myself with the checks and balance, right? And I think when the world doesn't have checks and balance, that's when we get in trouble. And >> what about the online world? Is Dhiva or of Burkwoods ever pushed back some of the provocative imagery, pictures, topics, titles of articles? Asia is provocative and cutting edge. And if it were a classic yeshiva, you know, you're not going to see I don't want to even name, but classic yeshivas wouldn't have websites that are putting out those images. >> Yeah. Yeah. For sure. No, Roberto pushes back that we're not out there enough, right? It's so if a question comes up, right, and we've had this from people. We had we have the chief rabbis office of of a certain country called us up screaming at us. Oh, could you have this, you know, Tik Tok video and you know and uh you know the guy sends me the video. First of all, I start laughing because I thought it was awesome. You know, it was just awesome because as I said, you can't just have rabbis at less, >> right? >> Uh so I I said, "Okay, I I think it's hysterical, but do me a favor. Take your phone to Roberwitz and ask him what he thinks, you know, and that's what we do. any question go, you know, but Burkwoods, he looks at it, he watches it, you know, he says, "You need to go back to this chief rabbi's office and you need to explain to them that we're going to we're we're working with unaffiliated and this is what we have to do. You know, we can't just all play by your rules. We have to be out there." So, just the opposite, he has pushed us to be out there in in a in a very serious way because we got to bring every Jew back. behind Roberwitz's office as you were in his office there's a map of the world with Jewish populations and his marching orders are go get every Jew back >> powerful how many hours you sleep a night >> is that relevant >> I don't I don't you know I don't know you know depends what time zone I'm on you know it's I got to tell you this this is a true story I'm here with you this morning you know 2:30 in the morning the embassy in Jerusalem called me right one of our students there he's fabulous guy um Dave Milstein Dave called me at 2:30 a.m. and I didn't want to tell him I wasn't in Israel. So I'm like, "Hey, what's going on?" You know, like as I run out of the room cuz my wife is sleeping cuz we're we're down here traveling, you know, and it turns out Leo Terrell is is who's I think one of the heroes of the world is coming to Israel and very excited next week. And he's like, "Look, we're going to the hotel, but he was a teacher. We'd love to come speak to the guys, you know." And I'm like, "We're in, you know, we are so in." I call my guys there. I'm like, "Leot Trell is coming. Do you know who he is? this guy is like kinish hashem city you know and so he's going to come speak to the guys our guy but that's also part of being a yeshiva you said being a typical yeshiva we're not a typical yeshiva because a guy can walk in not knowing olive bays and become a rabbi uh kids walk in and I said to someone one of my a friend of mine who his son really wanted to go to a couple years ago he's like what's going on there I said look you could totally send your son to age but you need to know he's gonna leave understanding that he has to change the world right and where burkwitz gets up there and says and by the way the third value Right? So we did wisdom, love is responsibility is is every student is told you need to take responsibility for the world. And if you have wisdom, if you have Torah and you have love in your heart, you can take responsibility for the world. So we want them with Leo Terrell to say to them, guys, this guy's a hero. This guy is a hero of our people. He is out there suing every university for your friends and for you when you go to university. And I want you to know something. We have a program for modern Orthodox young men and young women. when they graduate high school, they have become our best recruiters. They go to college campus, they meet a Jew, right? First of all, they start an organization to help them get film. They say, "Oh, you've never studied. You need to go to a best recruiters have been modern Orthodox incredible send back fabulous students." >> Uh, what do you do to relax, Robert B? >> To relax? What do you do to relax? >> Well, I I hang out with my family. If I'm my goal is to be home as many as Shabbust. And if I'm if I'm with my kids, >> Board games, you tell stories. What do you like? >> I'm not a board game. My wife, my wife's a board game person. >> Uh just no, just uh chilling. Just just it's I I become a grandparent not long ago. I've got two granddaughters. >> Uh and my kids are amazing. I I got to tell you, I just I'm not I know everyone feels that way. Everyone says that >> to me cuz also it's the bigger picture like this. I know like they're they're going to take over the world one day and I'm I'm influencing all these people, but this is my family, you know? This is you know, I know what I got from my father. I know I probably won't be able to do as good a job with my kids, but if I can do like 5% of what he did, then they'll they'll do amazing things. >> Rabbi Steen Berg, thanks for going behind the Beimma. Thanks for this time. We have to do episode two, three, and four because there's still so much more to talk about. >> There's a lot. Always a lot. >> There's already a lot to process and think about. So, thank you for the time. >> I just want you to know that I I am longtime listener, you know, big big fan. But, um, watching you, I have told many people, I don't I should say this here because I travel everywhere. I have the ability and the authority to say this, but I think you are the number one rabbi in America. so kind. >> And uh if if America had a chief rabbi, it would it would be you and the payment's on the way. >> You and your wife and your kids I've known a long time. I think that you have have taken the pulpit to a whole new level. The pulpit was a physical place where people would come and to pray and you've said, "Okay, the world's going to be my pulpit." And I I think more rabbis doing what you're doing and putting their wisdom out there is how we we win this. appreciate. We're trying in our own small way and we appreciate the partnership and always the encouragement that you've always given me and looking forward to doing great things together in the future. So, the world should watch out if we get together and uh combine our energies. We got big plans. So, very excited. Thank you. Thank you so much for coming. >> Amen, brother. >> Thank you for listening to Behind the Beimma. If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. We'll see you next week for another peak behind the beam.