Nachum and Yehuda Lanzkron - Memorializing Israeli Soldiers

With us live in studio is the founder of manim Yehuda Lansron is visiting us from Petikva Israel. He has a unique project that um has been kicked off in order to memorialize those who've given their lives for the state, the land, the nation, and the people of Israel. That's obviously our precious IDF soldiers. Yehuda Lanskrron, a pleasure to welcome you to JM and the AM. >> Good morning. Thank you very much. which is also my big pleasure to be here. >> Shalom. Shalom. >> Shalom. >> What does the word manim mean? >> So actually man is from the word of net. >> Eternity. >> Yeah. Eternity. Exactly. So when we do many we call it manim. >> Yeah. Understood. Uh your brother was Naftali. Correct. >> Exactly. >> And Naftali was unfortunately a victim of which terror? And I say it like that cuz thousands of miles away as you probably know there are certain terror attacks that stay in our memory and that uh you know jolt us when we think about it. Which was the one that took his life >> 25 years ago in the second inifada on 2001. Actually it was the 28th of March 2001. Nali was 13 years old only 3 months after his bar mitzvah. And he learned in Aisha in Kumim Shiva Ben. And they used to leave the house from Petikva on a mini bus. Seven boys from Peta who went every morning to Kumim. And they used to stop on a gas station on the way to change to a bus, a special bus against bullets. And that and that was in a gas station. And that morning the bus was late 5 minutes. And in those five minutes uh came a terror with a belt, a bomb belt and uh bombed himself on these five seven children >> wearing a suicide belt. >> Yeah. Suicide belt. Yes. So Natalia and his friend were killed on stop and five other guys were injured. Um and and you and your family have suffered the way so many thousands of families have >> through situations like this. >> Yes. And my way to get over our tragedy was by doing memorials. And I did very many memorials for my brothers such as three, three shisa. Two years after I've been doing all these memorials, Napali came to me one night in my dream and told me, "Yeah, enough is enough. You've done for me enough. There's many other berd families who need your help. Please go help them." But I woke up in the morning. I tried to understand what was this and then I understanded that that was his will to me to help families to do memorials and that's what I've been doing for the last 25 years. So when we traditionally think of helping families, it's usually financial. In your case, it's no, people need comfort. People need to know that there are others want to reach out to them. People need to know there are others who are in their type of situation that they're going to get through it. And that's what you're doing for them. >> Exactly. And after October 7, what I understanded the size because every year I used to help three or four or five families. >> Now the magnitude has gotten crazy. >> Yeah. So then I decided after October 7 to establish my own um organization called Mansim and this is what we do 24/7. We do we do memorials for families and our main project is called this is a project where we actually renew old apostle secret toas and we dedicate them to soldiers to families uh on the name of their sons. Where do you find Torres that are no longer usable >> that have to be fixed? >> So, actually in every shoe around the world, there's at least at least one puzzle at all. At least one. I've seen eight and 10 and also from the States already. >> I know it's not funny, but there's something there's something humorous about that. Yeah. >> Yeah. So um we explain the shoes and the families who own the old cifhaturas that in for the past 25 years this seat sat in the Aron Codes or maybe in some other place. >> You wonder why nobody ever took the initiative to actually fix them but that's a separate topic. Yeah. >> And um 30% of the positives can be fixed right >> so we tell the families donate them to us we will fix them. These are not small fixes of $1,000. This is a fix of $20,000. So people assumes are not willing to invest that amount but we are we are willing >> and then what happens once we repair it >> on the new mantle in the front we put the name of the new soldier but in the back we put the names of the of the grandparents or whoever the sephur was dedicated in the original. So actually uh the family only gains because the sephora goes to be kosher again. The grandparents suddenly nom is going up again because whoever it's dedicated whoever yeah whoever was dedicated >> so that remains plus obviously a soldier who's passed away who's been killed uh they are included in the dedication. Uh Yehuda Lens is with us the founder of man. We'll tell you how to go about this special project that he's introduced in a moment. So do you get cifrey Torah from here also? Yes, we got already actually in the last two years we raised 200 cifhora apostle from all over >> someone brings them to Israel >> and more than 30 apostles already we got from here from New York. Um >> but in all seriousness how do they get there? Someone literally brings them. >> Yeah. So some I take with me in cases when I come and some my dear friend Ari sends them to Israel. >> He may get his responsibility. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> He's been doing all right at that so far. >> Yeah. >> Just checking. He has experience from the war, from all the >> all the shipping. >> Yeah. All the shipping he did for the soldiers. >> Wow. That's true. By the way, we as a community really stepped it up when it came to getting stuff to Israel. Now, if you have to get puzzles to Israel, we'll figure it out, won't we? >> Yes. Yes. I'm really calling all the shoes who have plear or families who have puzzles. >> We are the exact um place to give it to because we're doing it the best thing you can do with it today. >> All right. This is by the way a good place to start cuz I know we have to talk about your campaign which we will in a moment but let's start with this. Anybody listening anywhere around the world who has a puzzle safer Torah especially if they assume that it's never going to be fixed under their opaces they need to contact you right >> exactly >> best way to contact you >> um www.mman.co. >> All right and they can through that they can contact you they can send a message etc. >> Exactly. Uh the manim website mat tzi m- an tzi c h i m the manim website will get you to Yehuda lens and you could actually have your puzzle safer to safer that no longer is is legal hakally to be used at the moment you could have it repaired by man and of course re rededicated in addition to the original dedication that you may have had for your family member u or whoever it's dedicated to. And now it'll be dedicated to the memory of an Israeli soldier. Simple as that. All right. So, you've introduced a new project. I'm assuming that's why you're here in the United States. The new project is if we're going to memorialize those who have been killed, those who've defended and have given their life for the land, the people, the state, and the nation of Israel, then you have a unique way to memorialize them. Tell us about it. >> Exactly. So as someone who was in the army when I was young and my son uh fought now in the last war in the Shirion and was also injured but Bohashim is okay. We all have a very special place in our heart for the kayalim. Although we have a special place for everyone who was killed in Israel, but the still is something special. And I wanted very much that all the 1,000 already very near to 1,200 who fell in the last war. I wanted them all to be dedicated in a sephorra in >> Is that the figure since October 7th? 1200. It was about 1200. >> It was 100,52 about 2 months ago. But in the last two months, Unfortunately, we we have every day 2 three four falling again. So, I don't know the exact number, but something between 1,5 1,152 to 1,200. >> Yep. >> And I wanted them all to be dedicated in a Torah project. And I knew that not every family will get or ask from ask for a sephora. So, we >> And frankly, there not enough Toras, you know. >> Exactly. >> Unfortunately, that's how big the numbers are. So we decided to think about a special project and then we came up with this special idea humashim in English we call it the hum of heroes. The idea here is that we made a set a beautiful set of five kumashim. >> It is beautiful. >> And we put inside >> go ahead >> 818 soldiers out of the 1002 in the five books. There's 818 soldiers >> that are dedicated. Each soldier got a page next to the page of the Torah with Russian uncleus. He got a page with his memorial uh words from the family with his bio and with Advatra that uh some the memorial words were written by the families and Advatra was written mostly by a rabbi who knew the soldier and that's how and that's how we have 818 soldiers in dedicated in one set of kumas >> because there 818 pages basically. Exactly. >> Uh each page again just to describe each page with the name uh the dates unfortunately the circumstances and uh as you said anything that the family wanted to add regarding the soldier and now that I look at it because I heard about the project last week but now that I look at it it's pretty it's pretty uh what's the word? >> Yes. >> It's pretty intense. >> Yes. Because now you see all these names, every name, one name per page, each one with a story, each one with a circumstance of how they were taken from us. >> And the Kumash is is absolutely beautiful, frankly. >> Yeah. And if you look at the index >> just of the index there. So we made an index with all the names and there's pictures and there's a QR that takes you to everyone. We have a page, a special page in the internet for each soldier. And the index shows you where the soldier is located in the kumashim which parasa which sepher which page and then you can go over the index and look for the soldiers you know and then you can find them in the kumashim >> unbelievable >> the the the work that went into this is crazy >> it's a whole year's work of 40 staff people working on it with a investment of half a million dollars and hashem Um just a week ago actually on we were here to launch the English edition. We did an English edition and it took us also half a year just to translate and work on the English edition and uh a week ago uh the ship with 2,000 sets have arrived here to the states. >> The one ship that showed up to the country. >> Exactly. Exactly. With 2,000 sets of the Kumsh of Heroes. And now is the time we think that every Jewish Zionist family should have such a humish in their house. And I can tell you what I do with it. Every Shabbat I take it out on the Shabas meal on Shabas evening and Shabas morning. And I read to my kids and my grandchildren. We read about each soldier every meal. >> Because for us these are only names. But behind every name there was a soul, there was a family, there's a ch there's a child, a soldier. He had dreams. We need to know who they were. They gave their lives for us, for the people in Israel, for the land of Israel. >> How old were you when Afully was killed? >> I was 31 and >> So he was really your younger brother. >> Yes, we're 10 siblings and I'm the eldest one and he was the youngest oneow. And I was 31 and he was 13. There's 18 years between us, >> but unfortunately he's met. >> Yeah. Wow. Uh All right. um what you just described is such a powerful way to use this uh set of humm uh I was thinking about it whether it's the Shabbat table or any other point you just having the hum around the kids in the family will take an interest and you know start flipping through the kumsh and see the different stories of all these soldiers and and really as you outlined will'll get a sense of priorities when it comes to who heroes are right today we have these There's a big basketball game in New York tonight. Everyone thinks those are the heroes. I don't know if you heard about this game that's going. Everyone thinks those are the heroes. The real heroes are the ones that you're memorializing and the ones that Mansim are recognizing. And I hope that that people out there will in fact get the Kumash. Um it you want support. The only way to get the set of Kumashim is to be supported. Correct. >> Exactly. So, uh, actually we you you donate if you want to purchase it, you donate $360 to the >> 20 >> 20 times high to the fan page of manim >> and actually you get two kumashim you get one in English for yourself. >> Yeah. >> And we give to a injured soldier in Israel in behalf of your >> the five the whole set. >> The whole set. So actually you are buying and giving. >> Wow. >> And donating. >> Yeah. >> Three three mitzvah together. >> And these will not be sold as a separate entity. This is for given to those who support the cause. >> Exactly. >> They're not being sold in Judeica stores. >> No. No. They are. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We are selling them also in Judeica stores. Oh, >> nice. Okay. All the guys. >> So it's really it's a two twopronged approach here. >> Yeah. Yeah. You can buy them in the stores and you can get them through our page fund and we hope um to have a big success here in the states as we had already in Israel. In Israel we sold already more than 5,000 sets in half a year. All right, folks. Here's today's assignment. Thefund.com/man. again thefund.com/man m- anzi c i m and I cannot stress enough how beautiful uh this set of kumashim is uh it's really incredible uh holding it in my hand is uh a remarkable feeling I flip through the pages and every single page has another soldier who's being memorialized um in in such a unique and such a wonderfully respectful way. Uh, and this will add to your family. It'll add to your Shabas experience. And just having this this set around this is the type of thing you want your kids to casually pick up, look at, flip through, and whether they're studying or not, to see the pictures of the soldiers and to read about their story. So, I'm highly recommending it. Certainly, if you can afford the 20 times high, it's $360 and you get the set. thefund.com/man theetfund.com tzi cim and I'm uh I'm I'm thrilled to hear that so far you've sold thousands of these already >> and every time someone gets one of these for their 360 as you said an Israeli soldier is getting a set an injured soldier right >> injured soldier >> is getting a set in Israel >> exactly pretty remarkable. Um, it's absolutely beautiful. You must have had a lot of It's not just the hard work that goes into the research. Just to make it look this nice had to had to have been quite a uh quite a job. >> Yes, we put all our heart in this project and there's not a shame. We want to do to give a lot of comfort to the families and this project is doing amazing amazing things in Israel. many many nandati families who got this humash suddenly because of the hum started going to shul and when they went to shul they saw the cifer to and then they came and ordered for us for the kids so it's really it's an amazing project it does a lot of a lot of good things >> every city in Israel has been hit hard by this war in terms of losing soldiers >> every city >> your neighborhood in Petikva you've had some losses >> many many losses many we had in Petika more than 70 soldiers that were killed 7D. >> Yeah. >> Shim. >> Shim. Yeah. Only better in the war and in the Nova. I mean, I'm saying >> I get it. Since October 7th. Yes. Yes. >> Uh, and the other thing for those of you who just tuned in, listen very carefully. Manim is not only doing a kumash of heroes campaign for 360 at the ketfund.com/man but very importantly Yehuda lens is actually taking puzzle cifray Torah cifray Torah a Torah that no longer is allowed to be used and they are fixing them. They are bringing them back to life and they are dedicating them to the original uh the original people to whom it was dedicated and in memory of an Israeli soldier and those cifra are being used today. Right. >> Yeah. And they go into Israel into new shoes and the new settlements around the country. In the last year we have 200 new settle in the last actually four years. We have new 400 settlements around 200 new towns. You mean >> not towns settlement. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Hashem settlements that will be towns, >> right? And we give them cifer Torres and we give to army bases who need now very much uh just the the chief rabbi of the of north came to me and told me listen we're short of cifures because every day we're opening new I don't know the word in English mutim actually bases okay small bases >> smaller bases >> every day we open >> outposts >> every day we open new bases in Lebanon and Syria and wherever we have 10 soldiers We need to bring a sephora and we don't have those means. We don't have those cifator. So if you can please get us to we need them now for the war in Lebanon. >> Unbelievable. >> Um and the easiest way to get in touch with you is through the manim website. They can also get through to you from the fun. >> Yes. >> Okay. If you have a safer Torah, if you have a Torah that's puzzled, that no longer can be used, if you have a Torah that um that uh you know is is simply going to sit in your sh and not be uh um repaired and restored, make sure to contact Yehuda Lanskrron, please. I'm begging you, go to thef fun.com/man. you'll be able to get through um in that way or go to the manim website and you'll be able to go through and uh and contact them that way. If you have any trouble at all, just email me.com. We want to make as many of these as possible to you. >> Thank you very much. >> Anything else you'd like to tell us? So, that basically wraps it up. How long are you here till or It depends if they open Bengurion airport. >> Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. >> When were you scheduled to go back? >> Uh 3 weeks. I came for three years. Yeah, >> you have time to see what happens. >> There's a lot of shame. I I need to collect a lot of secretaries to go back. That's my schedule. If I if I get two cases of I go back. >> That's how it works. >> Well, let's hope I get you there quicker than we than you thought. >> Let's hope. Thank you so much for joining us today. Everybody anything at all regarding this, including the uh cif to contact me if you have any trouble getting through to man. more coming up. You're listening to a uh Monday morning edition of JM in the AM