Nefesh B'Nefesh Mega Event: Nachum Segal Interviews Rabbi Fass And Tony Gelbart

Rabbi fast Tony gelbart I just said it the way it is the two of you is a dynamic duo the sum is greater or I should say the total is greater than the sum of its parts you like that huh that is beautiful turn on right by fast as microphones we can hear them so we can hear him complement my my analysis what do you think of that in my face that was very beautiful greater than the sum of its parts the two of you together have made such an amazing effort have undertaken such an incredible task the results speak for themselves and sure enough but the two of you are able to accomplish is greater than the sum of the uh of the two parts uh Rabbi fast is rejoining US Tony Gilbert Shalom welcome to you sir thank you heard you had some trouble at the airport yeah they had to change the tire but everything's good and you've been at a million planes I'm sure that's happened before no yes that's where I live it's basically on the plane right we've heard stories from Tony most of his great ones come from travel come from the traveling on the plane all right uh gentlemen congratulations the mega event is the largest ever which must be an incredible feeling close to 1300 people they already they told me earlier about close to 150 are registering who had not pre-registered for the event I assume that number has climbed since it is a couple hours ago and it is unbelievable to watch how people here in North America have this face check this incredible desire this amazing yearning to be in the Holy Land you saw earlier we spoke to somebody who's leaving March the 13th going through the process as soon as for some it's not quick enough for some they needed to happen immediately and they're ready to make it happen in one week if need be which is unbelievable and of course for this summer and for the big flights that are coming up there's so many families that are going to be benefiting from uh from this mega event and from all the work that their parents at the Children's parents have been doing online and through the telephone number over the last few months what is the average someone makes the first call how much later are they in Israel families yeah nine months simple as that yeah and therefore those who are here today it's not unlikely that they could be the this summer or certainly before the end of 2016. some families approached me and said we're just starting the process we're gonna do it what are the flights this summer right and once you give them the dates they're ready to sign themselves up it's pretty amazing now when the two of you were on last time and I believe it was at bengurion airport you alluded to the fact that there are bigger plans coming that there are a lot of things happening down the road some of which you can't always reveal publicly what's happening Tony what what happens 13 years later that could possibly add to this entire experience that could make the Jewish Community around the world and specifically North America benefit even more from the work that you've been doing with neffish benevich look in North America you know we've done a good job and the people are receptive to what we do you see the energy and you feel the energy in this room pretty amazing and uh it's just over the top um I think the future God willing holds for us uh a lot of challenges but if we can duplicate what we've done and built here in North America to other countries that's a little bit of hint of the secret so um we're looking forward to the future and bringing more Jews from around the world to Israel you've made efforts in other countries correct there have been efforts in other countries already outside of the United States correct well not real efforts uh-huh you need a stronger one you need a better one yeah we've been receptive on a response level but but to actively model what we've done here to other countries that's that's the next Frontier is this a director from the Israeli government or is this a uh gelbart fast idea or a little bit of both yes it's everything huh no no comment no no it's a little bit of both but uh I mean there are people in the government asking you the way it sounds I'm just conjecturing here you can you can deny or confirm as much as you wish there are people who are asking you to get involved in places outside of North America to help facilitate Aliyah and that means obviously educating a staff in different languages uh learning and or at least getting people who are familiar with the culture of those countries to I don't want to say infiltrate but to you know to to bring the message of Aliyah to those communities not an easy test it was tough enough in North America when you guys are really you know pretty pretty well versed in what's going on in North America we know English yeah exactly you know the language and you know how things work you know how Americans think it's not going to be easy in other places around the world thanks for your vote of confidence and we might reassess all of our plans you can't do it I'm trying to impress on people how tough a road it is that's all look in this um in the climate of uh politics that we're going through today you can understand that we're going to be very careful what we say here but the challenge uh the opportunity and the excitement is to take the blueprint that was built that we built with Neptune fish you know this is the road map the blueprint and see if we can um duplicate yeah to move it to other places uh in need people in need and you know when somebody cries out you want to help you want to do what you can all right so that's what we're gonna do we we hear the cry and we're gonna help it's not that we didn't think about it before we thought about it since day one but you know North America is a very cool place for Jews to make Aliyah too to you know to come from and there's other places as well and you can just go down and listen guests and I'm sure you'll you'll guess well you can go through an entire global map and you'll find plenty of places uh uh Tony Gilbert or by Josh fast they are with us dynamic duo that leads nefreshments that founded this incredible organization um everybody out there is encouraged not just to be at this mega event but at this point if you're not able to be here today to certainly explore Aliyah through their comprehensive website at nbn.org.il and of course their phone number at 866 for Aliyah we've told the story how the two of you dreamed of this many many times uh it's gotten to a point where now we could say how many tens of thousands have moved to Israel because we're at fifty thousand at fifty thousand already which is pretty remarkable and those numbers continue to climb we are no longer surprised by what states are represented by Aliyah no I don't know if we've got no 50 but we're certainly close right we're close we're very close and I assume that includes the provinces in Canada as well right are we close to all of them very close to all of us not having achieved all of them already we're not shocked at all anymore we're anglos where North American Jews want to move to in Israel right every area of the country is basically covered 134 134 different communities yeah and you initiated and this is I mean we had a chance to speak about this just as you had done it the go north go South all these different initiatives which helped areas of Israel grow in terms of an Anglo uh Jewish Community is there anything that we haven't covered yet is there any concept or any initiative you've done the medical and you've tried to attract people you know from different Industries to move to Israel anything we haven't done yet or anything in the in the works we've covered lone soldiers as well right and you show that uh we're the only real non-profit appointed by the Army to service all all alone soldiers around the world after they make Aliyah and when they have to serve so there's a body that helps them as well all right so uh we might also extend soon to individuals who volunteer as well so that's also on our short list of 2016 accomplishments we haven't done anything with broadcasters yet yeah we have podcasters there is going to be a broadcaster Fellowship that we're launching in 2016. really yeah that's good to know yeah you've been working with us um day one and doing a wonderful job you know I'd even speak to him they just came off the plane like talking about streamlining the application process you're really really streamlined in this case I don't think there is an application process for for broadcasters one of the things that you've done that you've given me a uh a good um a segue one of the things you've done is of course made this process as easy as possible uh I wonder if anybody has has anyone done the research what the OLED the 1970s had to go through on average in order to actually get this process going great no I know they're the things we've discussed and things that happen on the plane that obviously never happened back then but a real analysis a real you know side-by-side comparison would be insane right it's it's you can't compare it it's just a different world and sometimes I think that olim today don't even know the contrast right to what it was maybe 10 years ago when the transition was happening but now it's a completely different world this morning when I was at JFK waiting for an hour to get through passport someone I never I don't know who the person was tapping on their shoulder and says can't Netflix do this can't you just to fix this problem yes but thank you no question about it um I thought of that this morning as we started this show that there are people now in this Alia process who don't realize that never been that fish really one of the reasons it was created was because of the balagon and if not for that and in a way we have to be thankful for that polygon because look at the look at the incredible uh and amazing uh Aliyah that now exists all that processes now exists because of what used to be and now we have this uh this amazing process which gives people a huge shout out to the dysfunction because dysfunction got us to this point that's exactly what I'm saying yeah but the world of technology also moved the process along you know it's run like a business but the the world of technology we could do things today in technology you couldn't do before I mean the the yearning to go to Israel and live in Israel if 1970 1948 and 2016 it's the same heart the same yearning technology methods you knock them sitting here and and broadcasting live here think about that for a moment that's that's never been happening before so in 48 they didn't have that and 72 they didn't have that but now they have it so it's hard to believe it's really sure uh what are your words of advice for those who uh come I'm sure you get people who come up to asking about moving to Israel right asking you if they should do it or you know if it's as easy as it sounds or you know where should they start what do you tell them when people like that come over to you and ask you go first all right what do you tell them to follow their dream to to give that dream some kind of validation and to do the research to get good advice sometimes that initial step is the scariest step sometimes people are somewhat scared of the vastness of the vision and they don't even want to encounter the details and sometimes people are fed bad advice and they quash their their Dreams by just ill advice and Ill suggestions you owe it to your dreams and you owe it to your passion to do the homework and the research that's necessary and to follow it and even if it means that you don't come through with it just to give value to the system to that concept and to allow you to take those few steps and uh and I encourage individuals just to take those baby steps just for your children also to see them the parents also just giving giving value to that to that concept so if it doesn't work for that generation the next kids see that struggle of their parents and they see that their parents wanted to but it didn't happen and there are thousands of reasons why Alia doesn't work for people and and people maybe should not get on the plane but for that generation Next Generation to see that struggle that that itself is maybe the best inheritance that you can give to your kid so that maybe they fulfill that or at least the Baton of Zionism and Co notes and the value of Eric Israel is passed from generation to generation showing them how critical it is how critical Israel is to the family look I don't think there's a day that goes by where someone doesn't ask me about Aliyah right the Shabbos included and more so on shots like yesterday but I can I can tell you that the advice that I would give and do give no matter who they are is don't go in with one toe don't just take that little toe and stick it in it's gonna be it's gonna be cold take the plunge go in and it might be cold but instantly you'll feel that you made the right decision the warm the water will be warm so it's not just a a little inch you want to take you want to plunge you want to give it all your heart and all your might to go ahead and make it everything that you think it's going to be and if you struggle if there is a struggle and generally there's always something but when you do that it's the plunge that will make you work it's not the toe in the water Tony Gilbert or by Joshua fast so when you first dreamed of this and we've spoken very often about the first Shabbos that you brought this idea to each other and started you know bouncing it around so was there a great fear was there a trepidation was there a more toe-like feeling than the entire body jumping into this project I don't think so no fools no I told him I needed 24 hours yeah and then I said when he gave me this the whole process the whole idea and I said uh I need 24 hours gotta check with the wife got to think about a few things I said but if we do it it's not 100 it's 110 100 I think the day after our first Charter flight July 9th 2002. I think we looked at each other like now what what's next 747 landed we had a prime minister deck we did it we had 400 people came off the plane and we looked at each other like okay what's the next one what's the second act and you didn't know at that point with the next fact we had dreams we had a business plan but it just it was like this is there was a movement that was that we we felt many times and we've said this to to each other many times over the last 13 14 years that that we're we're on a ride that that sometimes we don't feel that we're behind the driving wheel that there's a movement here there's a Thrust and we're just very very privileged that we're taking along for for this very very intense and very spiritually beautifully um satisfying Journey it is unbelievable um no we we always said it's not about Rabbi fast and it's not about Tony galbart it's about the people making Aliyah build a brand a credible brand that stands for integrity efficiency with a heart it's like a business with a heart and then run with it and that's it that's how it works and sure enough it's worked uh you feel it's important uh we we know there's a phone number I know there's a website people approach you but you feel it's important for your staff to approach others to have an event like this in many different cities not just New York and bring this to the people it's not just the people that you're encouraging to come to you you want to bring this whole concept to the people in this talking about what Tony was saying about technology we we've like everyone else people are not leaving their homes um people are Googling everything people are competing everything it is rare to have people leave the Comforts of their home to gain information and they're not really coming to gain information they're coming to get a personal connection and we had a huddle here beforehand before this and I grabbed everyone here my whole staff before and I said people are coming for you they're not coming to hear about shipping they're not coming about rights because they can easily call our toll-free number they can easily email us and get it responsible in 12 hours they're leaving their homes they're taking their Sunday off they're schlepping out to to to the Crown Plaza because they want to see a face they want that connectivity they want to see in your eyes that you care and you're concerned about their individual plans and that's what's going to help people move it's so true it's the handshake it's the hug it's the smile and it's the personality because in today's age of technology which we utilize to the max it's this personal feeling that you care is what really is important for people and that's what drives them here to the mega event in New York City I just had a couple they came to me they said we emailed you on Friday I said yes I know they're like we just wanted to shake your hand I was like but you've got all the responses no we just we wanted to connect I was like Wow who would think in 2016. people still want to connect huh it's a huge it's a huge decision a move it's it's it's it it can transform the trajectory of of a whole family's line so it's not enough just to have this cerebral information being gleaned from the internet you have to have someone help you or escort you you have to have that confidence and faith in in the people that are entrusted in helping you make that move yeah when I was coming up the escalator now somebody was going down the escalator and yelled out hey Tony I go turn around somebody I know for many many years he knows everything about Aliyah one of his sons made out of the uh joined the army did all the things and I said what are you doing here he goes I'm just feeling it I'm just looking around this is great I said you get information I said yeah all the information I just want to look absolutely true there are people used to go to Israel real estate exhibitions not because they ever thought that I could buy anything they wanted to be in that atmosphere you know exactly I want to be there and get to Israel as soon as possible gentlemen you're amazing both of you and so are you now thank you very much Rabbi Josh fast Tony Gilbert they are the founders of damage thank you for having us here today thank you for coming thank you we can do this live on the plane yes that would be a good idea right my test is working on that yes yes thank you both very very much all right