Manhattan Jewish Experience 27th Annual Dinner Previewed with Rabbi Mark Wildes on JM in the AM

Well, our good friend Rabbi Mark Wild is with us live via telephone. MJ um has its uh 27th annual dinner, believe it or not, happening tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. at the Museum of Jewish Heritage on Battery Place in New York City. MJ was founded by Rabbi Mark Wild in 1998. It's reconnected thousands of unaffiliated and less affiliated uh folks with Jewish life and provided a venue in which 401 couples have met and married. That's an unbelievable number. Uh through its talented staff and innovative programming, including Shabbat dinners, classes, beginner services, retreats, and trips to Israel. Hundreds of MJ graduates have become active members of the Orthodox community, sending their children to Jewish day schools and yeshiva. The dinner is tomorrow night beginning at 6:30. Rabbi Mark Wild, a pleasure to welcome you back to JM in the AM. Well, >> thank you for having me, Nam. It's really an honor. >> I mean, first of all, the, you know, over 400 couples is an incredible number, and that's an accomplishment in and of itself. But I mean if if one were to in fact figure out a way a formula to reach out and be successful in this endeavor. The programming that you've created, the dinners, the classes, the beginner services, the retreats and trips would would probably be the the recipe would probably be the formula in order to get this done. And now obviously the proof is in the pudding with all this incredible success that you've had. There are so many who try to do this. Why has MJ been so successful? >> Wow. I really appreciate that. That's very kind to hear such compliments so early in the morning. I really appreciate that. Um >> uh I I think you know we have a couple of things going for us. Uh and and I'm going to get a little rabbitic on you. A lot of this is dishmaya. you know, as they say in French, a lot of this is really Hashem's blessing because the truth is you could throw a lot of money and programming at something and it just won't take. Just like any endeavor in life, you could get the right degree, you know, put on the right tie for the interview and it just doesn't it just doesn't happen. So, you know, is is is Hashem. And there's been also just a lot of uh um perseverance over the years. I just remember going through the years of COVID, how difficult it was to be able to keep MGE going, keep young Jewish people coming out of the woodwork when the whole world was shutting down and and and shifting and pivoting to being online and then when COVID was over coming back and then after October 7th, there were all these kinds of hurdles that have been thrown our way. Um, but it just stuck because young Jewish people want to be embraced. They want to learn more about their Yiddish kite. They want to be part of the Jewish community. Everybody's looking for meaning and purpose and everyone is looking to belong to something greater than themselves. So, if you can invite people into that and you can have that just great uh place for people who are looking for something more because there has to be more to life. people recognize it's got to be more than just waking up in the morning, going to work, making money so that your next generation could do the same thing, just that grind. Um, and these programs really speak to that and and and I think it's been amazing. I'll tell you one other thing also, and that's Shabas. Shabas has been an easier cell uh um for me, for MGE, for our teachers and and educators in the last couple of years since uh Instagram and social media took off. People are looking for a a technology detox. And it's just such an unbelievable opportunity when you invite people to experience a Shabbat for the first time and they're not bombarded by their phone and they're just sitting and having meaningful conversations and coming to Shabbat meals and and and domining and just it's like for us we grew up with it but it's like a finish. It's like a new thing for a lot of people. >> Yeah, it's pretty amazing. Wow. Excellent insight. You know, MJ has another advantage which we always point out and you and I live on the same island. So, you and I have always made this observation up close and that is that there are a lot of Jews in Manhattan and and one of the things one of the things we always talk about, you know, when you see communities in Manhattan, certain areas maybe dying out a bit in terms of its Jewish presence, etc. The answer is the Jewish presence is always going to be there. And people outside of this city, I don't think realize it that there is a, you know, an incredible um uh number of Jews of all ages, but certainly the ones that you're attracting in their 20s and 30s who are living in the city, who are part of city life. And as you said, once that life becomes so busy and so crazy, which is the case for so many in Manhattan, they need a respit. They need they need purpose and they need chabas and they need the things that your programming offers. So again we talk about your success. Honestly I think your landscape has something to do with it. >> There's no question that we are in a a place which is just just so fertile and just so filled with this particular group. Uh the only thing that's changed I would say over the years is that because Manhattan has become so expensive um nearly I would say 30 maybe even 40% of people who are coming to our programs uh don't even live in Manhattan. They're living in Atoria or Queens. They're living in Hoboken, New Jersey. They're living in uh Williamsburg uh Brooklyn. Um, so that's that's changed a little, right? >> Um, just because of real estate, but it doesn't hasn't really it hasn't really changed >> the amount of people coming to programs. People are still coming in a very robust way because once somebody finds a place where they feel comfortable and they like the the like the vibe, >> they like what's being taught, uh, even if they're not completely bought into everything, they'll they'll travel and they'll come to it. >> Yeah. >> You know, it's no different like in in the Orthodox community. I don't know where exactly like how many other shooles do a lot of people pass before they get to the shoo they want to go to, >> right? >> You know, >> no, I understand that. No matter where they're living, they all know that, you know, and they know this from experience because they've experienced it that the center of all activities in Manhattan and they're going to gravitate to it as you pointed out, right? Mark Wild is with us. Um the uh you know, it's funny. I I don't know if it's the first time you've done this. Maybe it has been like this already a couple of years, but I can't imagine it was like this years ago. You are now giving MJ a subheading of a living response to anti-semitism. I can't imagine that you've always used that line to help promote or describe your organization, but boy oh boy, uh it is extremely appropriate for now in 2026. When did the response to anti-semitism become a focus of the MJ program? >> I mean, it's a great question. That tagline we just came up with for the dinner, but it's basically uh an unwritten tagline that's been with us since October 7th because October 7th, the attack on Israel just um inspired a curiosity and a more than a curiosity. that word doesn't justify it's there was more of an intense search for why am I Jewish? What is it about Jewish Judaism that is being attacked? So many young people were coming out of the woodwork. Um you know we have a lot of what we call October 8th Jews. Jewish people that really had little or nothing to do with Jewish life before October 7th but felt some visceral kind of connection to what happened. I can't, you know, I can't tell you how many people, you know, have come through our doors like, "Rabbi, I've never even been to Israel. I don't I go a couple of times a year, high holidays. I have a Passover seder, but I'm not really connected." But when October 7th happened, I was like, I need to be around other Jewish people, and I need to understand a little deeper what it is about um Judaism that's worth preserving. Like, why are we being attacked? And why is it so important that this thing called Judaism, you know, remains? I mean, I know I'm ethnically, you know, Jewish, but what does it mean spiritually? And uh um we've we've, you know, that's one of the reasons I wrote the book that I wrote. Um as u it's called the Jewish experience, because I wanted there to be a book that I could hand people and say, "Here, this is what it means to be Jewish. Take a look at these six basic topics that we've been, you know, teaching and and living for years. God, Torah, prayer, Shabbat, and um and this is a good place to start. And but it's it's it's unbelievable what this has opened up. And um I also feel that we have to keep, you know, a Foxman of Blessed Memory just passed away as you know, right? >> And he devoted his life to fighting anti-semitism, the ADL and all the other groups that are are doing an amazing job and a very uphill battle fighting against anti-semitism. I think the most important response to anti-semitism is to have a living response which is not simply defending ourselves but digging and leaning further deeper into our Judaism. U because I think that could be the greatest uh outcome that could come from this the the this terrible catastrophe from October 7th which is that more Jews get to know who they are >> 100%. I mean look you've always done this the right way. It's why we we've been fans forever of your work. And um and those of you out there who want to help MJ, number one, we're always reminding people whenever we get an opportunity to support the organization, there's a donate button, folks. At the top of the MJ website to make a reservation for tomorrow night's 27th annual dinner in lower Manhattan at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, you can go to jewishexperience.org. Again, jewishexperience.org. And check out who they're honoring folks. A whole list including some good friends of ours like coach Bruce Pearl and Sid Rosenberg and uh Dr. Book right Penny Rosenthal and many others are on the list of the honores and you Rabbi Wilds have said that you wanted to put together a group that of people who stand with Israel and it's really hard to believe in this era where people get you know so criticized for standing with Israel public figures you know really taking a risk in many different ways and yet you were able to find a really large nice group of people who are out there and uh not not just defending but as you said you know actively promoting the Jewish community. So, call it a vote for that and I'm sure you're looking forward to honoring them tomorrow evening. >> I I am and I and I appreciate you you pointing this out. I think it's incumbent upon us in the Jewish community. We have a woman by the name of Erin Mullen. She flew in from Australia. She's Roman Catholic, but she loves the Jewish people and supports Israel. And I think that we have to not only say thank you, but amplify these people's voices because they have a much larger platform than I do, certainly than a lot of others in the community do. Bruce Pearl, I don't know if you heard of this gentleman, James Maslo. He's got three and a half million followers. Uh he's a musician from Nashville, Tennessee. He lost a million >> Oh, followers on Instagram, right? I remember the story. >> Yeah. Because And but he lost them because he went to Israel, >> right? and um and and and did this beautiful video showing love and support for Israel and we have to say you lost those but we're going to give you some more and it also helps us you know so we also um are um honoring Tuvia Book who's been our tour guide for many years he is fascinating guy I don't know if you know Tuvia but he >> um uh entered I mean he's 56 and he's currently the oldest medic um in uh in active combat duty in Israel. And after October 7th, he refused to be uh turned away by the IDF because he he was a medic for many years. He was in Lebanon in the 80s and he uh he's back and he just uh he was our scone residence over Shabu and he's he's a walking keshm this guy. It's it's unbelievable and we're honoring him as well for his service, you know, with the army. >> Unbelievable. All right, Ryan, Mark Wilds, we wish you a mazalto on tomorrow night's big event. Um, those of you out there who want to participate in any way, shape, or form, whether it's tomorrow night or just to support the great work of MJ, you hear what you hear what they're doing. Uh, they're just remarkable. Go to jewishexperience.org. Jewishexperience.org. There's a donate button and of course you can put in a reservation for tomorrow evening. If you want to speak to somebody by phone, 212787-9533. And get ready to continue to get ready to support a cause that continues to build our Jewish community in such a remarkable way. Rabbi Wilds Mazalto on the big event. I hope it really goes well tomorrow night. And thanks so much for joining us this morning. >> Such an honor and I really appreciate the the love and support. Oh, our pleasure. Our We've been fans from day one. Fans of your work from day one. Uh, tomorrow night folks, of Jewish Heritage, go to jewishexperience.org. And again, there's a phone number 212787953. Brothers and sisters in Israel, we are with you. It's your favorite America's one and only Jewish moments in the morning radio program. heard to listen to a sponsored digital radio around the world web also.com and the Alam single network and of course in the beloved NSN