Chesed and Kiruv Focus with Yochi Herzog and Rabbi Chaim Sampson on JM in the AM

Well, we've uh we're in the midst of our Nissan campaign. Of course, we'll talk more about it later on. A lot of great initiatives a week to go before the Seder and there are a lot of needy people out there and we've made suggestions even if someone's not needy, but they may be in a specific situation where they need a certain type of help. Uh and they're very there are some very creative and many of them inexpensive ways to help people. single mothers, singles in our community, uh families that are um you know going through difficult challenges specifically this time of year. They they make it through the rest of the year, but this this time of year is really hard. Go to.com for some of those recommendations. and our good friend Yiki Herzog. Um, Royal Wine Corporation, Kedm, you know, the company that Barak Hashem will have God knows how many hundreds of thousands of bottles on the seder tables around the world. Welld deserved for the service that they continue to provide for our community for so many decades. And we of course have had an amazing association with them. And you would think that today, a week before Yantiff, our good friend Yi Herzog would be on to talk about wine. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Yay contacted me and said, you know, there's another type of another type of outreach, right? Because is outreach. You're reaching out to others. Another type of outreach I would love to discuss on the air, especially before YT. Maybe it'll get people around the Seder table and around the YT table to talk about what they could do for people uh in the comm in the greater community. and uh Yi suggested that we invite to this conversation Rabbi Kaim Samson the founding director of project inspire. So it is with great pleasure that I first I say welcome Yi Herzog back to JM in the AM >> good morning pleasure pleasure to be on again >> a week before Yantiff you must be one of the busiest people in the country. Yes. Yes. But you got to do it for the children. We got to do what's right. >> There's no question about that. And you in many creative ways have been telling us this for years. Rabbi Kaim Samson, a pleasure to welcome you to JM in the AM. >> Thank you so much for having me. It's really a covertle. Thank you. >> I that's really sweet and very nice of you and I thank you for that. Normally, we'd start with Ray Samson because uh he's obviously the director of Project Inspire, but it would be unfair not to have Yayi explain to the audience, explain to all of us uh how all this came about and what this is all about, frankly. AI, tell everybody uh how is it that we got to this point? What is it that happens on a regular basis? What is it that you've discovered over the last many months and years uh that has gotten us to this point of getting on the air and discussing this outreach initiative? >> Very simple. Thank you for having me again. >> Sure. >> Always pleasure talking to you in a big maz. >> Thank you. on the of your daughter this week >> and only by school and everybody >> but you know my father's of very well >> and the herak family my father always been telling us for years not only in the kishayan business in the kishm business >> a from company supplying thousands of hidden with kish >> with with a good reputation a from company with a good reputation we need to stress that >> borashem and we produce wine all over the world and we have our own wineries and we and many of us as you know Jay myself and we're busy traveling and mingling with people and coming across less affiliated and non-religious Jews in in the industry very Jewish industry >> not very many from Eden yet >> right >> and you mingle and you talk to them and and just being honest straighta businessman you can influence to get a little closer to Hashem. And my father's always been telling us telling this to us, don't forget the madesh Hashem. You're working for the Royal Wine Company. You're presenting a Jewish Orthodox firm. Present it in a nice way. I've been as a kid always been hearing it. And I grew up in Mount Kisco as you know there's the Nitish title, but the town of Mount Kisco, a very uh wealthy town, a lot of non-religious Jews. My father would go there to the modern shoo on a regular basis and put in with people and and and go to help them make communion. So the outreach was in our DNA. But lo and behold approximately 25 years ago it was by Shabaton of Project inspire and I got inspired most shabas it might have been Samson or someone else got up and there's a big crowd in Mali never going to forget it few hundred people and he said okay Rabbi sorry everybody's inspired beautiful Shabbat how many of you are in Kiru raise your hand and about 10 12 people is and about 10 12 people raise their hand they're in Kiru Then he asked another question and how many of you have relationships or or business associates who are not yet religious or not that connected you talk to on a regular basis and probably 100 hands went up. Well, guess what? You're all in Kir. And starting from this Friday, I want each one of you to commit to pick up the phone to three, four, five non-religious Jews and say good shabbat shalom. talk Yiddish kite, have the family, don't talk business. And you know what? It it it hit such a chord with me. And I can tell you, my children know, my wife knows, it's been at least 25 years. I don't think I missed a Friday that I don't pick up the phone. Some of my non-religious associates, whether it's employees, whether it's suppliers, whether it's distributors, and I call them and say, "How you doing? Have a good shab. Shabbat shalom." The beginning they have a little surprise. Nathan, it's 2 o'clock in the afternoon. what do you want from me? I said, "No, no, no, no. It's not a business call." >> How many how many how many how many people do you think are on that list now? >> So, the list is approximately 20 25 >> and I rotate. I don't call the same person every Friday because then it's then it's a given, then it's a typical, oh, he did his mra, he called me. I I do five one week, five, another week, 10, another week, etc., etc. And you know what's interesting, Knuck, I sent you some pictures last night. Don't know if you got it. Yeah, I saw those. >> The impact it has, >> the impact that this has, you know, we're the biggest import of Israeli wine. Besides having our own wineries, we represent 38 wineries out of Israel. And and most of the Israeli wineries, while kosher, but the export managers or the the directors are not necessarily religious. And Israel, you would think they all know Yiddishkai, but you know what? from an American businessman from normal telling one of them, you know, when's the last time you put on fill in? When was the last time you did a half a Shabbat? >> And suddenly it resonates with them. You can't I you can't imagine how many non-religious Israelis are putting on fill in because of my craziness, because of my outreach, because of my because I'm not a kid professional. I'm just a businessman trying to make Hashem happy in many ways. >> And and I get pictures from all of them on a regular basis. And I said, but I got to tell you one story that happened two days ago. >> And I wait before before you tell before you tell me the story, I just have to emphasize something that you just said and we'll get to Rabbi Samson, of course. Uh what you just said was you said I think you said half of Shabas. And the reason I wanted to go back to that for a moment is because we can encourage people to observe Shabas for an hour or for the Friday night or for as you just said half a shabas because the goal of course is to get them to the full 25 hours at some point. Please God. But that's could be very intimidating for people. So I want I want people to realize I was you didn't misspeak. You you meant it when you said it like that. >> Yes. And I and I and I gave it a name called the shab. the >> you can't do the Shabbat. Do the Sha and I got permission. I spoke to some very special rabbis before I did it and they said, "Yeah, of course." The guy does six hour 10 hours. So, I have a bunch of people. Wow. >> And they openly tell me, "Nason, I'm doing the shab." Which means they shut their phone and television and car and everything from sundown Friday till this morning 10 11 12 >> uh for 12 to 14 hours. And they love it because they realize suddenly because we're so addicted to the stupid smartphones and iPhones and and and and Instagram and all this crazy stuff and you can disconnect and connect with your family and connect with Hashem. I have two guys who started keeping kosher Friday night. Friday night the meal is kosher morning. I don't ask them what they do. >> They wouldn't dare eat tray Friday night. I love that. Okay. Tell us the story you wanted to tell us earlier. >> Yes. I was talking to Itamar. great guy who's the export manager of Barkan Winery, one of the biggest wineries in Israel. And uh and I about a few years ago I asked him if he has fill in he says no not really I don't know I misplaced them from I it's so sad living in Israel he had film but he misplaced them. I said, "If I buy you fillin, would you put them on twice a week?" He says, "Bet." >> Wow. >> Anyways, I called him from the winery. We bought a beautiful pair of fillain and he bought a beautiful talit and a talis bag with his name on it. And he fell in love literally with the mitz talit and fellin. So much so he sent me a picture of you and says, "Mason, I'm doing it twice a week, but I think you want to start doing it every day." I just I'm just loving the feeling. I say Shima said, you know, they know everything there, but they weren't trained right the right way, unfortunately. And so I spoke to him two days ago, how you doing? How you keeping up with them? He says, it's very sad, you know, the missiles are falling and and business out there. I took my kids to uh to elaps for a few days just to get away. And of course he tells me I took along my chillin and you'll be proud to know I'm doing it now together with my two boys and mad but my son suddenly started wearing a kipa says aba I want to wear a kipa I want to become closer to Hashem I was crying I was I have to know this guy with tattoos and everything and he says he says Nathan look what an impact this is having my wife my kids and this guy's going to be religious no doubt in my mind goodness shama he's putting up he's going to start keeping Shabbat And and that's our for clioul hashem's children reach out to my children who are so far we decide to bring them back. Unbelievable. Yiki Herzog's with us of course, President Royal Wine, our good friend from Kedm. And even though it's a week before Pesak and we know what they're focused on when it comes to uh uh the Sedar and Yantiff today, we're focused on outreach and what we could do as regular individual business people or regular folks when it comes to those we work with and comes those to those we are related to and comes to those we have encounters with. Raim Samson's with us, founding director of project inspire. Shai Samson, it sounds like you deputize herogag. Is that a good way of putting it? >> I know. I mean, it's it's it's a tremendous pleasure when I meet someone like Rabio and he tells me that 20 years ago he came to an event. We don't even know anything about, you know, what he did until he tells us many years later that since that event, he's been calling people eight people, you know, every of sharas and the impact that he's had. And that's really what Project Inspire is all about. We're putting out the message that everybody can make a difference, every single person. And the the most basic thing that you need in order to be effective is you need to care. That's all you need. You don't need to be the career professional. You don't need to know all the answers. You just say I don't know but you do need to care enough to think like Ravioi did which is you know do I know son from people and what can I do to reach out to them and we'll give you the tools our whole business is to empower people it's inspire people even if you don't have people that you know but we will set you up with people who are not from so that you can engage people and share the beauty of Judaism with So really all you need to do is say heni I'm here I'm care we're going I care and we're going into pes the whole idea of pes is we came we went from being a family to being a people an arm and once we're in it's zeb we're all responsible for each other we need to care about each other and that's the Jewish people need I believe in this time in this of history that if we care about each other of course we got to care each other's about each other's physic icality but even more so the kakoma their spirituality there are brothers and sisters so everybody can make a difference and yoki is a is a beautiful example but there's so many people I was on the phone last night with zman he met a guy on an airplane right as as Rabbi Jacob Solomon is famous for saying why did God create airplanes for kur because you sit down to it next to a guy and you're stuck with a guy. So this guy what else he gonna he was learning the guy next to him or behind him you know was kind of like looking at him you know and he said what's that by the end of the of of of the flight you know they've decided they're going to learn together the kava they've been learning I spoke to this last night and he said he doesn't know exactly what he's achieving hopefully he'll get somewhere I said to him tell me something do you think he's he's become a mman you mean he said you mean believe he believes in hashm and in Torah he said of course I said rim do you know what you've done with this guy you've already turned him into a mining you and as as as as as rii said and he created the sh it's not all or nothing anything you know and I said to him to as well I said you you just even learning I said you know the mitra of tamatur is that a big one is just learning everybody can do something like that this they can sign up they can learn one-on-one with someone they become a mentor to one, we had a group of people that we took to Israel on a leadership trip. They came back, the guys from Toronto set up a one-on-one learning program with the village school where they brought all the from people to the non-f people that were there. There was all of a sudden there's a one-on-one learning program with 150 people in the room because these from people decided it's my responsibility. I can do something. We had guys from Lakewood. They decided, okay, we're going to do a shabaton. They got their friends involved. We sent the YU basketball team down there. You may have seen we did a tishab film about them about um Zebi Sam and his influence on the Israelis who really don't you know beautiful nomas but don't know so much yiskai. We sent them down. It was a you know amazing what that effect of just opening your house herring saying I I these are my brothers these are my sisters let me just do her head with them right from that shabaton there's about 10 guys that start keeping shabas right now it's it it's unbelievable what can happen we had a guy on an Israel trip that we went to the nova festival there was a a beautiful sadic of a guy not religious Orin who told us how he was in a a nearby kibut and he came across some people that were running some girls that were running he thought they were he thought they were drunk he you know he took them into his car he realized their lives were in danger he took them back to his kibuts and then he said have you got any friends that and they said yes we do but how can you go back you're risking his life he said this non religious guy said other is with me every non person deep had a pin Yid that's connected to the Rabon. Anyway, this guy went back. He saved many lives. Yeah. But when we heard him speak, one of our guys that was on the bull, Shalam Brickman went over to him and said, "Let me ask you a question. You spoke so beautiful to me. Do you live to Finn?" And the guy said, "You know, I do not. If I bought you a pair of fill, would you wear it?" He said, "I would be honored." He from that point onwards his life was changed because one person went over to him. We brought him to our convention that we just had and that Rabio spoke at at that convention. We brought the guy whose life he saved right when he was at the Nova festival. He didn't know that was a prize. He we brought Mayan out. They hugged. He said on stage you saved my life. But Shawn Brickman, who had his eye on the ball, looked at this guy who was Mayan, a completely non secular Israeli, and said to him on the spot at our convention, if you're, you know, if I bought you to fill in, would you put it on? So he and his brother who were both there a few days later, we presented them with a pyramid to fill in. Everybody can do this. Everybody can make a difference. Just have to say, >> you know, and sign up. Go to projectinsspire.com. Sign up and we will help you get involved in any way which way whether it's mentoring whether it's learning whether it's hosting whether we have we have a sign up over there you can sign up whatever it is >> project inspire.com Samson is with us founding director of project inspire very happy that he mentioned NCAA champion Zevy Samut in this conversation who's also a great example of what we're talking about and I don't remember who it was I don't know if it maybe it Jacob Solomon or somebody else at that time when we spoke about project inspire years ago and the major uh I don't want to say China but the major topic that came up in that conversation was that uh most people feel too intimidated to bring up these topics or these suggestions with people they work with or are related to. you know, they they they they feel they're imposing on on the lives of those who are around them and they think it's gonna it'll likely backfire. Rabbi Samson, this can't be the first time you have been presented with this issue. What answer do you give people who have this type of hesitation, >> right? The most the most important thing is see 95% of outreach is caring. They're called God borra. You don't have to try to make the guy fum. You just have to care about him. Let me just give you an example. When I when the last time my rebi of blessed memory spoke in poseic couple hundred people came and there was a question and answer session and somebody asked him at the end he said when I'm when I'm have people for shabas should I you know go through hashkas and proofs and you know should I do that? So R leaned over, looked him in the side eye and said, "Tell me something. You want him to come back." >> Meaning like, "No, if you're gonna do that, you scare the guy away." That's great. >> People think means means number one, I need to have all the answers. You don't you if you say, "I don't know." They feel you're being authentic. You can even turn that into your advantage. Say, "I don't know the answer to your question, but let me get back to you or let me speak to a rabbi or let's speak to a rabbi to get." You don't have to know. They they love that you're not teaching, you're sharing what you know, right? That's number one. But two is that it's in the relationship. So don't try too hard to make them from Hashem will take just develop a relationship. If you become their you know in this generation where people are so busy with their phones, they have not who listens to someone nowadays, right? Who who you know? So if you just take an interest and really do a properly care about them, get to know them, then they'll and you become a friend, then they'll be open to who you are and what you have to re and what you represent. >> I like that. I like that a lot that do your part. Do what you can and the one above will take care of the rest. Because folks, we do have to remember he does come through for us, doesn't he? every single day Samson's with us Herzog's with us part of our initiative but obviously a little bit of a different angle. Uh now it's a week before the seder. Uh there'll be people that in your lives, friends, relatives, business associates that you may want to use the opportunity prees, whether it's to invite to the seder, bring them matzas or send them a case of wine, whatever the case may be to bring them a little bit closer closer and and allow them uh to enjoy our amazing tradition um in an intim unintimidating fashion. One must not fear the um uh the prospect of actually approaching somebody in our community with these types of gestures. Jaki Herzog, what do you have to say about the intimidation that someone sometimes feels, the hesitation rather that people sometimes feel to do what you've been doing? >> So my my answer is very simple. I'm doing it for over 20 years. Never ever did I come across someone who said, "No, Nathan, I'm intimidated. I can't do it." You'd be surprised. You peel the onion a little bit and it just pops out. You know, I want to add what he said about the Shabas table. So many years ago, we had one of the wealthiest people in the wine and liquor industry. I don't want to mention his name, but I'm talking wealth beyond beyond beyond. He's one of the biggest distributors in the world. and and he was one of my shabest calls and I do business with him but it's a I do very little compared to what he does billions and and I called him the other day was random and I said Wayne would you consider coming Shabbat to my house with my with your wife and he said um yeah yeah sure why not why not you and I kept on reminding him when you want to want to see your Shabbat long story short a few months later he text me the daughter was in college somewhere in New York and said I'm going to be in New York for for the weekend. Is it okay if we come on a Friday night and uh and we leave after the meal shabas morning? I check with a rabbi said as long as you don't drive you I have a place for you. I check what I have you can stay here what what you do on your own whatever you do whatever everybody should check with the local raim him and his wife came and when he walked into the house says Mason I'm empty I'm clean I left all my money and phone everything in the car he knew he knew that much and and I took him to the waxman's shoe you know the famous the flying waxman I told him that I'm bringing in this guy and he should please he always speaks great but don't throw in any words got to be a real English speech Anyways, he spoke 15 minutes like he always does and Wayne was blown away and and you know Friday night everybody's come first time through experience and everybody's coming over from what's he like what what's going on here it's like a convention I said no this is a typical Friday night you get together go to synagogue have a good time you meet up and you see a guest you say hello to him and then my wife to be honest was a little intimidated I'm bringing this fancy wow couples everything And I told the Siri, don't make nothing fancy. Just a good old Hey, Mr. Shab chicken soup and fresh salad and everything. They were here by the suda. I had my son, you know, and my son-in-law Ari here and we were singing and a kumit and no no big black players, no, just a regular Friday night suda. The middle of the suda, he he starts to cry. Literally just crying from the emotions and the warm. His wife turns to him. He says, "Wayne, what's what what's this that I'm seeing here?" He says, "None of your business. You go talk to her ladies. I'm connecting. I'm connecting." And and uh and then she gets emotional because my wife explained to her the beauty of the Friday night, the candles and the meal, everything. Anyway, after a three-hour suda, they both turn around to us and say, "You know, we have three beautiful kids. We brought them up Jewish and we showed them, but we did one big mistake in our lives. every Sunday night we get together for family dinner instead of doing it Friday night instead of having this experience. And I told him, Wayne, it's not too late. Not too late. They weren't married yet at the time. Fast forward, they now get together almost every Friday night. She lights candles every Friday night. I send him packs and I send him a bear. I send him a manora with a nice description what it's all about. He has three children, all married Jews. All married Jews. And I wax I think part of it is your credit because you show him he's not religious yet, but he knows Friday night. He goes to shul once in a while. >> Unbelievable. >> He's talked to Kabad. He's giving a lot of charity not only to museums and hospitals, giving charity to yeshivas and seduckers because he realized the beauty of Torah. I talk to Rabbi Waxman every once in a while and and and just by and he's a customer of mine. He's a customer of mine and it can be very intimidating but I I figured hello what can the words you can ask. He'll say no I'm not interested in fill in Shabbat. >> Pretty amazing. Pretty amazing. Rabbi Samson you get the final word. Uh people can go to the website as you said project inspire.com and especially this time of year a week to go before the seder. What do you want to tell this audience? Yeah. Well, listen, just to continue with your point that people do need to feel a sense of acarayas. It's these are my brothers and I have such the Torah. It's so beautiful. We we go to the night and we appreciating what we have so much. The Ram says in in the mitzvah of a hashem that if you love something, share it. that Abraham oh was my beloved because he shared the Torah with everybody that he met and that's because he loved Hashem and this is a time this son of a time of of Ava we read Shirim now is the time that we should share the beauty of what we have don't keep it to yourself share it with others and there's so many people Yoki did it you know Yi is a talented guy but you know we had from our convention aided a couple the crashes who heard what Yi is doing we got a message a couple of days later on Ersha said we just reached out to our eight non from friends because we learned from Yok and these are couple who through project inspire they're doing that they they theyms themselves went to Boston University to meet with the students there they had shabaton back in Burough Park you know there's so many ways you know that you can reach out and if you're intimidated by that then don't worry we'll bring them to you just sign up at projectinsspire.com. But you know, I give you Zebie Silverstein who's been part of our he had a worker who who he was trying to get to come to Mina. He wouldn't come. He said it's a famous story. I don't know if you heard about it or not. >> Yeah, we we just can't we can't we can't tell every story. So go ahead, finish this one. >> Okay, I'll finish this one. But he he said to he said, "How do I get this guy to to to come to me?" He said, "You know what? If I I'll make a deal with you. If I stop smoking and he I think he was smoking two packs a day. Yeah. Will you make a commitment to keep put on to to come and put on to fill and the guy agreed and you know so so but it's just because Zie paired and his wife is running all kinds of programs in for us in in Lakewood because she we're bringing them to her and she's taking around and people are moved. If you're sincere, you're authentic, you care, you just have to try. Reach out, be part of it. Go to projectinsspire.com, sign up and let's and the source of this we should see the gula shalma bakaro. >> Amen. Rabbim Samson, founding director of project inspire herog, president Ketm wine, Royal Wine Corporation. Yay. The final word before wishing everybody kosher. What do you want to tell us? >> I want to make an appeal. Not for money. I want to make an appeal. You have whatever 30 40 50,000 listeners. I want everyone everyone starting this Friday pick up the phone to three people. Imagine if 50,000 yidden men, women, young, old pick up the phone to a non-religious neighbor or a friend or an old friend and and think of Shabas and say Passover's coming, just missing you, thinking of you. Imagine what impact 11 shine that we reached 150,000 non-affiliated Eden and told them about Shabas and told them about it such as for the Eden as this royal who needs this for your own family. And like Robbie Stson said, this will come with cor. >> Oh man. Um, yeah, I'm not I mean, you know, obviously a week before Yontiff uh having you on the air, we would say something about the world of kosher wine, but all I'll say is that a lot of people will be enjoying what your company does all through the amazing week of PES. And uh for that uh we are um very grateful and wishing you a to you and the entire company and of course your entire family. >> Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you in the am Samson. You know the me. You know the message folks. You know the message. You want help with the message. projectinspire.com projectinspire.com. Come.