Torah Wisdom Foundation and Fundraising Campaign Featured on JM in the AM

It's America's one and only Jewish moments in the morning radio program heard on listener sponsored digital radio rather with the web at nachumsegal.com on the nachumsegal network and of course in the beloved NSN app. David Jassy is in our studio. He is the founder of Torah Wisdom Foundation. They have a Causematch campaign that we are highly recommending. And he is with us live in the studio to explain what the campaign is about, what the Torah Wisdom Foundation is, and to give us some insight into his very interesting background as well. David Jassy, a pleasure to welcome you to JM in the AM. Thank you so much for having me on the show. It's a privilege. >> So, you mentioned to me that years back you were actually employed uh you had an association with some of the well-known networks out there including CNN. Correct. My first job was 5:30 in the morning setting up the studio. For? For who? For the early morning shows. >> Do you have any recollection? >> Yes, Stuart Varney and >> Varney, was that on CNN? Yeah. Interesting. It was a wonderful job. I was very excited to get on the 4:17 a.m. train to be in the city to set up the studio for 5:30. >> It was right in Manhattan, Midtown? It was Midtown, Penn Station area. It was absolutely amazing. I'd do it all again. And it was before I knew about Shacharis, so I didn't know about morning davening. So, it wasn't like any difficulty back then. >> predates Shacharis, I guess. And um it must have been I mean I'm sure you're aware of what happened over the weekend. There are those who for some reason want the President of the United States dead. And there was another assassination attempt. And all of your former colleagues were in the room as all this was going on. And I'm wondering I mean I'm watching the news and I mentioned earlier to my audience, you know, after Abdullah I turned on the news innocently just to see what was going on. And obviously this was the top story. Do you have a different perspective because you're an insider, so to speak, and you you know what's going through the minds of all these people who are sitting there, or you're watching it the same way I am? I'm watching it the same way you are. In 1985, we called the Chicken Noodle News for a different reason, not for political views, cuz nobody ever heard of CNN in 1985. It got on the map in 1992 with the Gulf War. >> Right. So, nobody knew what it was. >> That was the first time it was a ratings grab, or was the early '90s? Right. 1985, when I was there, Right. and I would tell people where I worked, nobody had any idea. >> It was irrelevant. And the When did CNN International become a force? Also around the Gulf War time? >> I'm not an expert in CNN, but most most likely. But, until 1992, they were not on the map. The idea of a 24-hour news station was What? And what do you think today about the 24-hour nonstop news cycle? Like, I guess it was inevitable that we'd get to this point, you know, with the way that technology has progressed, etc. But, I don't know. Do you have any any insight into that that's unique? My world has changed as I've become observant, and no news is good news. Do you avoid the news? >> I have for sure avoided >> Really? for sure. So, if I would speak to you about, I don't know, a basic news item that happened a little last week. I'm not talking about the assassination attempt. >> just caught that assassination attempt. I was at my parents' house yesterday. >> Otherwise, you wouldn't have known about it? I may not have known about it. >> Really? You're smart man. We were just discussing this over the weekend about the the brilliance of people who I in fact make the effort to avoid all the news. Because news junkies like myself, it's only detrimental. There's nothing positive about being up-to-date on every single item. So, let me give you a little experience from working in television. It's by by person who has an opinion and goes in and makes a story. Right. And And don't think otherwise. It's It's my perspective on that day and I lead the witness to ask them what they're thinking about and then I pick the sound bites according to me. I remember when I was working at MTV and they were doing a thing about Jews for some reason and I was like, "You know, I don't like the way that that sounds." Wasn't portrayed well. And they said, "Okay, we'll leave it out." It was that simple. It It They're just people. What was that? A A Jews in music show? What was it? Why is that TV doing a special that I don't It could have It could have been a Jewish rock star. It could have been a convent. All I remember was what I just told you. >> was the era where they were just strictly music videos? Correct. That was the beginning of >> I was doing the week in rock once a week. As a producer? As an editor. Wow. I edited for everybody at that time. CNN, MTV, CBS, Fox. >> So, you knew Martha Quinn? Did I know Martha Quinn? Not really. >> know any of those originals? You're You're such a TV buff. >> I am I am No, not really TV. It's more >> Loder was the show. >> It's more of a radio bucky. Okay. It's more of a radio bucky cuz all of them were radio announcers who ended up being the original VJs. So, you know, can I name the original VJs? Sadly, yes. But there's a reason for it because again, they were all radio radio icons who moved into this new space that, you know, nobody thought had a chance until the So, I found your favorite subject, but my favorite subject is teaching Torah with video cuz Hashem sent me to the video. >> find radio more INTERESTING THAN THAT? WELL, IF YOU'RE IF YOU'D BE A REGULAR listener of this show, you would know that that's a topic we concentrated on as well. So, it's just sometimes I drift especially depending on who the guest is, I drift into other things of interest. But we do spend a lot of time on Torah and Torah wisdom. Frankly. So, I listened to your show on with Malcolm. I know Malcolm. I we did videos for the Conference of Presidents many years ago for the dinner. It was quite an honor. >> Did you hear the entire conversation from Friday? Or not? I heard a good portion. >> Did you hear the end of it or you don't remember? No, I did not hear the end of it. When we went through the whole cantorial upheaval in Jerusalem? No? No. I heard you speaking about anti-Semitism. >> Right. And I wanted to tell you and your listeners that from where I'm sitting, the biggest problem for the Jewish people is not anti-Semitism, it's not cluster bombs from Iran. It's assimilation. It's ignorance. More than 70% of the Jewish people decide not to marry Jewish and it's not because they don't like Judaism, it's cuz they know nothing about Judaism. >> is Jewish education. The key is Jewish education delivered where people are, on their phones. We see with uh, you know, the internet, you can see what people are searching for. Then we produce those programs and then we deliver it to them on their phones. We have it on our website, we have it on YouTube, but a big concentration is on the phone. Why? You you're a well-rounded person, you probably know the answer to this question. >> Well, you see what they're, you know, but what phones bring up what they're searching for. How many hours Algorithm, that's the word I'm looking for. How many hours do you think the average teen Four and a half. Four and a half a day. That's for adults. How about teens? 10? Eight, nine? >> Nine. Wow. It's insane. So, there's a 15-year-old out there, chances are they're spending almost half of their 24-hour day on their phone. And where are they learning Judaism from? They're learning it from Hollywood, they're learning it from stereotypes. And I >> From political pundits who don't always tell the truth. And even Jews who think they know, that's the problem. This is under rabbinical supervision. And it's very, very important to me that people get legitimate Judaism. So, what was your first David Jassy's with us. We'll talk about the campaign in a second. So, what was your first exploration into this area? Like the There was a time when there was no smartphone. You were doing videos then, right? Like what was that all about? How did you enter this whole space of Torah wisdom? Well, it actually started 20 years ago when I came out of CNN and MTV and then I discovered Judaism at the same time. And then I found out I could ask a rabbi any question, any subject. So, I said Dr. Rabbi Avraham Twerski is in the bris barbaric. And I spoke to Rabbi Paysach Krohn. And I spoke to Rebbetzin Jungreis. I didn't know who these people were. I just knew they were in the outreach world and I could ask any question, any subject. And we got funding for a bris educational video. And the beauty of Torah is it's evergreen. 3,300 years, it hasn't changed. We used to do fashion videos. The day after they were done, they were out of date. We used to do a technology show that went on the Discovery Channel. The day the shows were edited, they were out of date. Torah doesn't go out of date. So, now we're taking that 20-minute program that walks a person through every stage of what a bris is and Sephardic customs and Ashkenazi customs and naming babies. And now we put them into, you know, 20-second, minute and a half, 2-minute little segments and repurposing them for social media. So, it's tremendous. Hmm, interesting. Um What did your parents think of your adventure into Orthodox Judaism? My mother, she should live and be well, is Syrian. She intermarried with an Ashkenazi. And >> Much to his chagrin of who, I wonder? And when I first started wearing a kippah, after a while I took it off and my mother said, "Why did you take it off?" I said, "Mom, not that religious." Put it back on. You're different than everybody else. >> So, my mother, she should live She should live and be well, Never puts a piece of food in her mouth without a bracha. I have much more of an appreciation for it now than when I was growing up. When I was growing up, we would be we would be being chased by my mother to say birkat hamazon. Now, as they say, we have four children, two married, everything I ever dreamed of when I decided to become uh more observant, which is also what made me decide to do Torah wisdom. If you want me to tell you that story, it's an amazing story. Well, what Meaning Meaning the decision to make videos and to reach people through that medium? The decision to become observant and then have uh a khiddush and say, "You know what? We got to do video." What happened was uh I used to I had a great life, traditional Jewish person. I used to drive to my parents on Friday night for dinner. Great. Stay close to the family. Then I would drive to shul, park across the street, you know, Syrians, that's what they would do. And then afterwards, I would drive to the gym, and I would teach aerobics class for 35 women, and life was fine. And then after a while, I started spending shul staying at shul. And then after a while, I started spending Shabbos with people. Then I started sleeping over. Then when it came to Pesach, I couldn't stay with my family because they would start the seder at 6:00, and we can't start till it's night. So, we There was a little bit of rift. It's getting crazy. I can't see my family. I can't drive on Shabbos. It was crazy difficult. So, I went to Rabbi Elgazi, whose speeches I used to drive to hear every week. In Queens. And I told him about my problem, and he said, "Is there something you saw you liked?" And I said, "Yeah, I saw this wedding, 400 people. I saw fire breathing. I never saw anything like that. It made an impact." I went to Yossef Chaim Golding's house, a wonderful family. Thank you, Rabbi Golding. I saw a frum Shabbos, and it made such an impact. When you see these things, it's not like learning rules and laws. When you see it, so that's when I started capturing these things and I had fire breathing and juggle juggling on video, right? Before everybody shot it, we shot it. And I had Rabbi Mordecai Becker explaining what's going on. So, that's how it all got started cuz I realized seeing, like Chazal say, seeing is much higher level than hearing. >> Right. I'm sorry to say. You have a radio show. Yeah, don't worry. Maybe you have to go on TV and then I that's when I decided that we have to put >> theater of the mind. It's almost like seeing. The also the the experiential thing. I mean, the fact that you're bringing these experiences to people again with their eyes, they could see it, but they in a way they could feel it as well and they can understand the appreciation you have for it. So, interesting. Absolutely, it makes a huge difference. >> And that goes on until today. Creating videos that will inspire people and will make them focus on different parts of Jewish life. Yeah, we're doing the circle of life from birth to death. The one of the most widely searched topics after intermarriage is death. So, what's Kaddish? >> Really? Yes. What's Well, when somebody passes away, you don't have to be religious, what do we do with grandpa or grandma? What's Kaddish? What's shiva? What do you put on a stone? What You know, most people in the Jewish world when they sit shiva, how long they sit? Three days? It's something like that. >> One day or three days, right? And obviously, we all know not all know, a lot of people know shiva means seven and it's seven days. So, when people don't know how to make a blessing on food, when they haven't heard of a holiday, you start to realize that we live in a wonderful community, thank God, but the majority of Jewish people don't live that way and it's so important. So, the name of the campaign is let my people know. Your the the most viewed video that you've been associated with in the Judaism space would be what? What's been your most attractive video to people around the world? Do you have any clue? Here's the craziest thing. We were so happy for my my daughter to marry into a family that has Moroccan descent and bang, the henna party with my daughter and her and my son-in-law coming in in the basket got 32,000 hits. Check check. People find that fascinating, huh? Very quickly, yeah. Uh the campaign is pretty simple to find that we are urging people to support the work of a David Jassy and his foundation the Torah Wisdom Foundation. Go to causematch.com /torahwisdom.com. Again, that's causematch.com /torahwisdom. This campaign has begun, correct? It's all started already. Correct. It started yesterday. It goes till the end of the week. >> Oh, all right. So, people have time to take advantage and to hop aboard ASAP from now until the 29th of April. causematch.com. Our friends at causematch are doing it. Reason enough to support it. causematch.com /torahwisdom.com causematch.com /torahwisdom. You In addition to you discussing the urgency of the campaign online, you also have given it a unique title, Let My People Know, video that brings Judaism to life. And what's the intention? I know that obviously this is an ongoing process, but is there a specific video or a specific project that right now you're looking to fund? Like what's going to be upcoming next once this becomes a successful campaign? We're looking to put out an app. It's nice. >> I never realized how important it is until we started discussing it. And the beauty of an app is you're on the app. When you're on Instagram, you're seeing all else going on on Instagram. When you're on YouTube, you see all else is going on. So, it's so important to stay focused. And then I got to tell you an amazing story cuz I'm a evolving so-called baal teshuvah. It's been 30 years, but as I reach different elements in my life, I experience new things. >> What are you up to now? So, marrying off children, right? So, if you watch the Netflix special on Jewish dating and marriage There is one? The host is very good, but everything else is American. It's not Jewish. I'm going to tell you the Jewish story that I want to do because when it happened to me, I was absolutely blown away. So, my son we're new to the Orthodox world when it comes to dating personally. We see it around us, but now we're experiencing it, right? So, I'm talking to my son and he went out with like six or eight girls two times. Nothing. Typical guy response. How's it going? And then he went out with another girl for like eight times. And I said, "So, Ruven, how's it going?" He says, "Aba, I'd be crazy if I let her go." Really? So, that was like on a Wednesday in October a few years ago and we met her on a Sunday night in Central Park. Shout out to Central Park on the corner in Central My she harsh. in Central Avenue. >> A good man at Central Park. And it went great. Wonderful person. Me, my wife, my son, and uh and Sippy. So, I figured two days later I called her father just to say hello. >> Right. And uh I had my small talk ready and everything like that. And uh Rabbi Birnbaum says to me, um "Sippy want This was in October. Sippy wants to go to PA school in January. So, I figured the kids would get married in December and I have a hall and if you let me know, I'll book it." I'm like, they're getting married? I dated from 18 to 34. I probably went out with 150 people. This is new to me. This is Jewish dating. Then I found out about the watch and the candlesticks. I didn't know about any of this stuff. And most Jewish people don't know about this. And people are very cute. Maybe better if most don't find out about them. That's a separate issue. And and Baruch Hashem we're very, you know, I'm bi-culturally sensitive. I'm friendly with everybody. So I'm close to Hasidim also. And when you hear their stories and their perspective, I have secular Jewish friends who are not interested in a lot of things in Judaism. But when it comes to like what the Hasidim are doing >> Right. I could do a fair I will do B'ezrat Hashem. I will do a fair job. I unlike usually the films you see are by disgruntled Hasidim or leaving the community. For example, it's 35 years I'm going to this Yiddish guy thing. It's like it happened yesterday. I'm still on fire. I love it. I want to tell everybody. I want to I want to share with the world. Amazing. Uh it's funny about the wedding story because uh now these days the norm is uh before they're engaged there's already a wedding date and a booked hall. That's that's the norm now. What you what you experienced is now the norm. What do I know? And it was funny >> to me. >> And it was funny cuz my daughter I would always joke with her that um that because they already had a wedding date but they had not been engaged yet. So I said So I said this might be the first time where the engagement takes place after the wedding. That's the way things were going. But Baruch Hashem all worked out, David. Everything went fine, thank God. >> Now you see the wonder on my face? >> Yeah, I see it all right. >> I'm learning as I go and I've already I know a lot. But most Jews know a heck of a lot less than me. I I learn with Partners in Torah. Another shout-out to Rabbi Goldberg. >> He should live and be well and good health. It's amazing. It's a highlight of my life. I I listen to these guys. One one wonderful man, Mark. He um he joined up because his daughter was marrying into he became Orthodox and wanted to get married. So, we went through the dating together. And uh the father didn't know what was going on. I was there by his side. Then she got married and Hashem they just had a baby boy. So, I went through the whole journey. Mazel tov. And you know, when we learn together, you get the idea that he really cuz he learns, he studies. We do the parsha every week and he knows it and I sit back and let him do it very often. So, you think he knows everything and then you say, "Do you know Tisha B'Av is coming? Do you know the Do you know about Rosh Chodesh? Do you know No. >> Baha. Today's Baha. That's why I mentioned it. I'm just saying we take for granted because we're in this world, we think everybody knows everything. >> Right. And they're very grateful on the phone and it's great for me because my family is not going to listen to me more than a minute and a half at the Shabbos table. I get to go for like 45 minutes. Amazing. David Jassy's here. Those of you out there who would like to make an impact, become a social media sponsor, a teaching video sponsor, a literal supporter of the work that they're doing at the Torah Wisdom Foundation. The campaign is live and we are endorsing it. How do you like that? causematch.com {slash} torahwisdom. Again, that's causematch.com {slash} torahwisdom. And right here by the way on the front page on the home page of the site of the campaign. Um what is Purim? Um are there prearranged marriages? Do Jews believe in hell? What is Kabbalah? What's family purity? It's an example of some of the things that have been done and some of the uh topics that you have uh addressed. And those of you out there who would like to see David and his staff uh address even more of these and release these videos to social media and have an even larger impact when it comes to Jewish education, here's your opportunity. causematch.com/torahwisdom. Again, causematch.com/torahwisdom and the campaign will continue from now for another couple of days. Anything else to add, Sir David Jesse? What you got there? I want to check it out. >> Oh, you're checking your notes? >> Yeah, I I made bullet points. I want to see if I uh Let's see if you didn't hit it. Should I You want me to inspect that for you and see if you missed anything? I don't think I did. You got it all, huh? Well, you know, I always ask I've been producing videos for more than 25 years and the last question I always ask my guests is out of all the things we spoken about, what do you think is the is the biggest takeaway? So, I'd say the you know, the biggest takeaway is probably we don't have an appreciation when we're in the Orthodox Jewish community, we really forget our people and I'm going to end where I started. The biggest problem, it's a problem, uh anti-Semitism. It's a problem, bombs from Iran. It's not the biggest problem. 72% marry out. In 1939, there were about 16 million Jews. Now we have about 15 million Jews and people don't have an appreciation for the fact that people are leaving not because they don't know anything, it's because Excuse me, they're leaving not because they have any kind of distaste to Judaism. >> Because they don't know. They don't know anything and the truth of the matter is is they do have a distaste. The biggest Torah that made a big impact on me from Rabbi Avigdor Miller, zechrono livracha, was when Yosef was had the maiseh with the woman and he's leaving. Everybody's calling him, "You immoral person." So, the have been calling us immoral. The non-Jewish world has very often been saying about the Jews not nice things. And Rabbi Vigoda Miller of Ahavas Yisrael says, "That's not the biggest problem. The biggest problem is that we believe it." Ooh. That's the biggest problem. We don't think highly enough of ourselves as a people, and education is a big reason for that. Once you start learning and asking questions, that's another beautiful thing that when I discovered, especially from Rabbi Miller, any question, any subject, that is the most incredible thing. When anybody has any kind of problem with Judaism, just ask. We built another brand 20 years ago called Just Ask TV. Curious about love, life, anything Jewish, just ask. With God's help, we'll bring that one back as well, but right now it's Torah Wisdom. Looking for insight, just watch. The campaign is called Let My People Know. Wow. A pleasure meeting you. A pleasure meeting you. >> I appreciate that. I speak seriously, it's really a pleasure meeting with you. I know what it's like to be a business person. You you're doing creative work, but you have to run a business, and you're running it since 1981 in one format or another, and that's extremely commendable. And Hashem should give you the strength to be productive and creative and inspired. So, you're doing a great service for the Jewish people. >> It sounds like you would advise me not to give you a free book, but to sell it to you. That's what it sounds like. You're so funny. Are you going to look at the book or not? Yes, you want me >> It will make it to your night table for sure? Why don't you invite me back on the show, and I'll talk to you about your book? Great idea. And I'll interview you about your book. >> Great idea. I'm very good thank God Hashem. That's what I do for a living. Deal. I'm very good at interviewing people. >> That's a great deal. >> I'll interview you. >> That's a great deal. I like that. Let's do that. Yes, Hashem. Sounds great. David Jassy, a very special guest on a Monday morning with a final reminder for this segment that the Torah Wisdom Campaign is on. And here's your chance to help make a difference. Say to David, "David, I am enthusiastically supporting your efforts to let our people know, to increase the amount of Jewish education out there. causematch.com /torahwisdom. Again, that's causematch.com /torahwisdom. Our goal is very simple, to see that this campaign be as successful as possible. It goes until Wednesday, the 29th of April, making it a very successful campaign for Torah Wisdom Foundation. causematch.com/torahwisdom. David Jesse, thank you and good luck with this whole thing. Thank you. I appreciate it. >> More coming up. You're listening to a Monday morning edition of JM in the AM. How do you like that? Feel free to comment on the app. Go to the NSN for Android and iPhone and comment away. More coming up at JM in the AM. >> Mhm.