Nachum and Yossi Baumol Discuss Makor Chaim in Israel

Yasi Balo is with us live via telephone from Israel. He of course is the director of development at um director of development and public relations at the Mccorim institutions in Israel. You know, I mentioned earlier how we have to uh step up our game when it comes to those proprietorships, vendors, stores that depend on tourism in Israel. And we've sort of neglected them. We haven't brought up the topic about how they've been suffering for all these months. Um it's the same with visiting certain really important institutions. Marim is not just an important institution. and it is one of the most beautiful campuses you'll see in Israel. So, if you have if you have an opportunity, if you're in Israel in July and August, get in touch with our friend Yasi He'll make sure you come and see uh something really spectacular in uh a very special area of the Holy Land. Yas B, a pleasure to welcome you back to JM in the AM. >> Good morning, Nakum. It's really a pleasure to be speaking with you. I haven't been traveling as much as I have in the past and uh I miss you guys. So, uh thank you very much for having me on today. >> Yeah, you don't want to get stuck in some country, not able to get back to we remember you and I actually have had this conversation. You know what I'm referring to, right? >> You had you had as the story goes, you've said this >> September 11th, >> correct? You had a rebby who told you not to leave Israel and you said, "What's the big deal? If I leave Israel, I'll just come right back." And then September 11th happens. You couldn't go right back. >> Yeah. You have a good memory. Wasn't a Rebi. It was uh the uh um the it's in the uh safer of the I don't remember in a few different places that that summer something bad was going to happen in overseas outside of Israel and Israel become the safest place in the world. And they went anyway and I got stuck with all kinds of wonderful people like Midan and Mosha >> right? I remember the whole got back whole of >> you know uh I told Yeah, we we've talked about this three time every time I go I'm afraid I'm not going to get back. >> Correct. >> And the truth is the last time that happened was when COVID broke out in uh Rashiva do singing was one of the first cases in Israel. We caught it in New Relle and went back afterwards. So, every time I'm afraid now it's even harder. You never know. >> Yeah. >> Uh I I somebody asked me if I maybe I would come in in the summer to do something because we're doing some educational activities in deal New Jersey and other places and I said I didn't order a ticket. I looked it up. It's $6,000 for a ticket. I ain't going nowhere for $6,000. I've never paid for a business class ticket in my life on the public expense and I'm going to start now. >> Wow. But it's crazy. It's crazy. We need more people flying here. >> Oh, you can say that again. Yasi Balmo with us live via telephone. So, what's uh what struck me and uh what led to me inviting you on the air for this morning's conversation was McCorim unfortunately um commemorated an infamous anniversary and many people won't believe that it was this long ago. Uh but the three boys were kidnapped back in 2012. Correct. >> 2014. So it's 12. That's where I got the 12. It's 12 years. Hard to believe that much time has gone by since that episode. And obviously they were all connected to Makor Kaim. Uh what was the uh what was the commemoration like? How did you uh memorial how did the yeshiva memorialize them this year? Uh, you know, it it's sad because ever since uh October 7th, you know, things that happened before have been dwarfed by what's been going on since then. >> So, it's not the same like, you know, national uh thing that it used to be. Um, there are a few things that go on every year including this year. Uh, first of all, we had a memorial shiva. Uh but besides that there is a uh there's a unity prize that was set up in their memory by the government and every year there's a special uh ceremony and they give out awards uh to people who've contributed to Jewish unity and you know when we think back to those days after the kidnapping of the three boys how united the entire Jewish world was and think about now how it's not so united as it used to be unfortunately. I mean, we had here in the neighborhood a very unfortunate incident last night when a bunch of people came to demonstrate outside of uh the Justice Soulberg's house in Alonut. Uh I don't know if you heard about it, but it was >> I I did not hear about it, but just added added to the list. Added to the list of of tragic demonstrations that have gone on this week. >> Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, so uh this year they awarded uh the unity prize to Rabbi Yonathan Rice who is a guy who uh guy totally he's a Belid who went got married went and lived in Brazil for a couple of years to do business. He came back to Israel and he didn't realize that he was a uh he went awall and they and they they drafted him into the army and he went through the army and however he came out of that thing out of that experience more religious than he went in and he's now the head of a chain of heistas to the karedi community uh and uh that that's what he learned from his unfortunate uh experience. So he was one of the people who got the award and also the head of the the spiritual leader of the Drews community Mahak Tarif also got the award. So that was the awards for this year. They always look for interesting people to give it to. Uh and that's what happened. That's basically it you know. >> And the three families attend the three families attend these memorials. >> Yes. Yes. Yes. Sure. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. >> And um what about the campus itself? I mentioned earlier that one of the things that people need to put on their list when they go to Israel is to see what you've done uh at the Mccorim campus, which is of course, you know, right in the area where the three boys were kidnapped. Um what's the progress? How are things going? Uh what will people see now as compared to a couple of years ago? >> And we're at the ent Yeah, we're at the we're in the entrance to the Vanel. Uh we have a beautiful beautiful bidash with very unique architecture. Uh a rashiva rod singer said if he wouldn't have been a rashiva he would have been an architect. It's open to the sky and it's open to the front idea is to get your inspiration from above but your Torah has to go out to the whole world in front of you. So the whole front is open. It's really a very special place. It's a beautiful campus and we have two dormatory buildings finished and office building and the school building and classroom building. We still have a very big problem that we I don't know how we're going to do this. We need one more dormatory. Uh we have our seniors are living in the old caravans that we slept from Farion which some of them served yeshiva haretsion 50 years ago is still working. So there's our senior classes in these terribly uh rundown uh caravans. So we have to build at least one more dormatory building. We have some funding from the government, but it's going to cost like I mean you know with the way the dollar rate it's at least we're going to need at least $2 million in donation just to do that. And that's sort of we don't see it happening at the moment but uh if anybody has a special special uh need to dedicate something in Israel it's something worthwhile. And how do people find Macccorim institutions online? >> It's very simple. Makora m a ko rc h aim.org. Uh or they can write me at ysy.mmccorgmail.com or they can call me at 9179298525. >> You've described to us um the program. I I think I think I'm accurate about this. High school kids that come from our area, New York, New Jersey to actually be in Marheim. Am I right about that? We've had that program for many years. We're we're we didn't have it this year because of all the pro was actually two years because the war but uh we're looking to renew it hopefully soon. We are having a group of teachers from around the world from Australia, Mexico, the United States, Canada and England coming here in about a month from now uh with they're part of our listen teacher training program run by Yehuda channels uh out of Tene New Jersey. Uh, and uh, and it's it's it's a program that's grown tremendously and people have to know how holy it is to be a fundraiser because I had to make Rob do singer famous in America in order to raise money. But then they learned all about our methods here and now we're they're being used all over the world and funded by great part by American foundations like the Neighbor Foundation, Thinkers Foundation, all kinds of other other foundations. But we need more help with that also. Uh and what what's interesting is that we had a program here. We copied it to the United States and and it grew and improved thanks to the input of Yoda channelists and others. And now we're looking to copy what we did in the states back here to Israel. It's like really very interesting uh educational process where we're learning from what we do in and and applying it back here. >> Amazing. Um, so yesterday I was joking that uh we might be able to get you to say something about the current situation in Israel, especially politically because you're sometimes hesitant to share everything that's on your mind. Although you did just tell us much to your chagrin about the demonstration that went on last night, which is uh again so sad and uh not not a unifying event. Exactly the opposite. Um anything you want to share with us that we should know 6,000 miles away? anything that uh any insight that's happening with I don't know the prime minister, the government, the current situation in Israel that we may not realize because we're not there on the spot. >> How much time do you have? >> Now you're willing to talk, huh? >> Okay. So, first of all, I I wouldn't mind talking a little about the situation with Iran, Lebanon, etc. I think people are jumping to conclusions too much too quickly. Some people are yelling, "How can you make peace?" Some people, "How how can you make war?" I want to give my take on what what's going on because I don't think Trump and Natanyao are idiots. They're very smart. And I think people realize that in the end only regime change will will bring peace to the area. That's the aim. So what do you do in order to bring regime change? Do you bomb out all their electricity and all their oil and all their infrastructure so that the people who love you now will start hating you as well? also the problem. Do you side peace with the with the with the murderous regime that's there now? No. What you do is you choke them off at the straits of Hormos and you keep talking about how much you want to make peace and dragging it on until the the regime collapses. Do you understand what I'm saying? >> And that's what you think is going on right now. >> Yes. And it's all the other stuff is static. Trump is saying Trump is saying, "Oh, we want to make peace. We can make peace. There's people to talk to, etc." And They're dragging it out and Iran is dragging it out. In the meantime, we're their economy is falling apart and they're hoping uh that their regime will fall. I I tell you honestly the only problem with that is that both Trump and Netanyahu have elections around the corner and they can't do this forever, right? >> So that you know they got to come up with some kind of resolution before >> I always say turns out that >> No, go ahead. I'm sorry. Now I always say when uh whenever people cite the fact that God is in control of everything obviously and that you know everything he does is is you know a miracle and and you know the systems that he employs you know always end up being for the good especially for the Jewish people etc etc. always joke that the one thing he can't control is when election day is and and you're so right. >> In Israel, he can. I think >> Yeah. But in Israel, you could say that to a degree you can. But here in the United States, as you know, those midterms are happening at the beginning of November, no matter what. >> Right. And the truth is what I just told you about Trump and Natanyao. I hope it's true that that's what they're planning. But maybe they don't know that and it's God's plan because we need we need those people to pull. they are so evil it has to fall and uh that that's my view on that thing. What's the next issue? Um the draft on the talk about that. >> Yeah, tell me tell me. >> Okay, great. Great. Okay, first of all, last night a group of um demonstrators, Kared demonstrators came to Alonmloot and uh broke windows and uh threatened I don't know exactly what I don't want to um exaggerate because worse things have happened on by the on the other side demonstrations were also but uh it was a very nasty thing. Uh um Justice Soulberg is a a nice fellow. I think he's swallowing a lot of what's going on now in Israel Supreme Court, which is just out of control. He swung it because he's next in line to be in charge. If he'd be in charge, probably there wouldn't be any problems. They wouldn't have to do all this stuff. But it's it's gotten out of hand and there's going to have to be there's going to have to be a reform, legal reform here. By the way, you know that the stages of the redemption go according to >> Here we go. Here we go. is is the legal reform here in Israel. And the next one is about how do you get the sadik to get into the army or not? That's the next question. So, uh um if you want my personal opinion, the biggest tragedy of the situation is that the Torah has become a it's being misused. It's not being respected. It's used as an excuse. It's used as and that's the most terrible thing. I don't think you can force anybody to be a good soldier. And just because there's a war, it doesn't change human human nature. You can't force people to be good soldiers. They'll sit in jail instead of going to the army. So what are we achieving? So my what I would do is very simple. Anybody who learns Torah the way that the soldiers in the army gets all his rights. Anybody who comes and says, "I I can't sit in yeshiva, but my rabbi told me I'm not allowed to go to the army. You're a conscientious objector. you lose certain rights and go on your merry way and that's it. And uh and they should do that for the Jews. They should do that for the Arabs. I think it would pass in Supreme Court. There's a very simple plan. You can't punish yes. You can't punish organizations. You can give people different status and let them decide what they want to do with their life. Let the kids decide till age 20 if they want to go into the army or they want to sit and learn all their lives. Whatever they, you know, they choose is fine. But you can't force people. That that's my opinion. And again, the biggest problem is that Torah study has become a means and not an end. >> I I agree with everything you've said, but there's one consideration that that you didn't mention, and that is that uh all these, you know, logical conclusions or logical ways of handling it are set aside when you're trying to maintain a coalition in the government. That's unfortunately the situation. And usually the only way to maintain and the only way to maintain that coalition is to assure full rights and to give as much money as possible. That's the bottom line. >> Yeah, it's it's it's an unpleasant situation and I think it's for all sides. But what can I tell you? Had uh one of the opposition parties joined the government, they could have avoided this whole situation. And and I'll tell you another thing which always frustrates me, but this week was something when I saw those demonstrations with the light rail and you know in general the and it's funny because when the when when when other causes are taken up in Israel, Jews and leadership in the Jewish world around the world are ready to, you know, condemn those who how dare they stop traffic, how dare they disrupt, you know, everyone's day, how dare they put people in difficult and sometimes violent and uh and dangerous situations. But it's amazing to me that Jewish leadership and I'm talking about religious leadership outside of Israel say nothing about and literally their silence condones these activities. It it drives me nuts. How is it that >> What do you mean there there are American rabbis who complaining terribly about settler settler violence against the Palestinians? >> Correct. >> Correct. Look, in both cases, it's a very small minute uh part of the community. These >> Oh, I hope you're right. >> I may think of the leaders of Karedi community, the K community as a community is the most mo most wonderful um ideological community there is. I don't know about the and Pelleg is a minority settlers >> and Pelleg is a minority. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. the numbers the numbers would indicate that. >> Look, I am not defending anybody and you should know that uh that the that the that people who uh who were demonstrating against the government who did just as horrible things uh got got a free pass. There hasn't been a single arrest of all the people who demonstrated who broke windows o over kids in cars when they blocked the roads and who who who attacked the owner of channel 14's house and did the same thing that they did to uh justice last night in a lunch. these things are happening but they're all minor small parts of the these communities and uh there's nothing you can do about it that there there are criminals everywhere the criminals in the world the criminals in the religious Zionist world and uh it's much much less than than it's it's touted to be >> but you're a lucky man Yasi Bal because you get to shut all that out walk into Maraim and view the real future of the Jewish people correct Yeah, absolutely. We had here a uh uh I forgot Karedi uh I forgot his name publicist I'll remember in a moment who came to speak about why you know why the go going to the army and he told our students you know there was this is easy to tell the the non-religious people about this name is Krombi the head of the institute of public affairs so he said the following lecturing secular Jews to try and explain the ultraorthodox why they don't enlist because they study Torah and want to retain their independence is one thing, but it's a lot more complicated to speak with Makheim students who study Torah from morning to evening just before they enlist >> and and while they're in the army AND WHILE THEY'RE IN THE ARMY. Why is why is the why is the Torah in Ben Brock more valuable than the Torah being studied in Gaza by soldiers who are sitting in and learning all day long in their free time? >> No, you got to calm down. You have a public position, you know, in a radio station. I know, but it frustrates me. They they talk about and they talk about the proper the the proper um what what's the word? Uh notion that we're all aware of that Torah protects us. And I'm the first one to defend that 100% Torah protects us. But why is one one subset of Torah more important or more valuable than another? That's what I never understood. >> Let me ask you a better question. How come Torah protects us against the Arabs but it doesn't protect us against the those horrible secular Jews or the horrible religious Zionist Jews instead of demonstrating they should go sit and learn and Hashem will protect them. Right. Isn't that how it should work? >> That's based on their own theory. All right. We got I got to be careful here because this is a show of unity. But this stuff this week just frustrated me and it's and as you said weaponizing Torah is just so dangerous and so terrible and and so detrimental to to our future. So that's why I say you're lucky. You walk into Marim and you see the real future. >> Out of all my kids, out of all my sons and son-in-laws, uh, who all served in the army, I have one son-in-law who was a who was a he's still a Belid, >> right? >> And when he was in his teens, he didn't go to the army. And now at age, I don't know, 45, 46, he went into the army now. >> Wow. >> He never served in the army. I mean now he went into the army. So um >> vote >> all the other ones went you know so >> vote. All right Yasi Bal and I remind everybody that Maraim in Israel is worthwhile visiting worthwhile supporting as well. You go to the website makarim.org m a koim.org. Um, we brought Yasi on because this was the week that they commemorated the uh unfortunate anniversary 12 years since the kidnapping and murder of the three boys as we knew them and know them and um Marim keeps their memory alive. Yasi Kakavo, thanks so much for joining us. I hope it's a hope it's a successful and peaceful summer. Please God, come visit Nah. I miss you. >> Yeah, I'll be there. I hope this summer. I hope I hope I hope hopefully I'll see you. Yasi Bal from Mccorim speaking to us from Israel on a uh Thursday morning broadcast here at JM in the A.M.