New Israel @ 77 Series Preview and Yeshiva of Flatbush Update on JM in the AM

J&M, good morning. So, I got a communicate from our dear friend, Rabbi Dr. David Herzburg. Rabbi Herzburg is very proud, as he should be, of these students at Yeshiva Flatbush. And in general, he's proud of any student, high school age, uh, who's using the opportunity of the current situation to really connect to the Holy Land, to connect more and more to our brothers and sisters in Israel. and to utilize their energies, he said to me, off the air, to help the Jewish people as best as uh they can during a time when um not everybody is so anxious to turn their attention to the needs of the state and the people of Israel. All right, Dr. David Herzburg, a pleasure to welcome you back to JM in the AM. >> Thank you so much. A pleasure to be here. your name came up over the Kag. We had the pleasure of um being guests in um in a wonderful suka and among the guests who were there with us were the Kaminskys and the Kaminsk. >> Yeah, the Kaminskys were singing your praises, Rabbi Herzburg, >> Harvey Harvey and Holene. >> That is correct. Very good. That was unplanned, by the way. That was off the cuff. Anyway, they're very proud of what's going on at Yeshiva Flapos. You should know that. >> Yeah, they're wonderful people and and they're really helping us do some amazing things and bringing some speakers that have really inspired our students. >> Oh, that's cool. That's really nice. Um, all right. So, there are a couple of things I want to discuss with you. Obviously, one of them is uh what's going to be happening at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time this morning. Let's start with the students if you can. It's now almost the end of October. students are planning what they're going to be doing uh Thanksgiving week, intercession, etc., etc. What is the plan right now? Uh what do you have in terms of parents and students and their commitment to travel to Israel and to help out as much as possible over the next few months? >> So, the commitment of our students and of our parents is, I would say, at an all-time high. And you know this we're doing this new trip in November which is taking some 30 high school seniors to check out Yeshivot and seminaries but also of course while we're there we're going to be doing uh visiting uh soldiers uh bases hopefully some uh yeshuim uh maybe meeting with some hostage families because the fascinating thing is in my contacts in Israel as I'm sure with yours as well that they're saying that we need you more than ever. you know, donor, you know, it was great that the past two years, but now that hopefully we're rebuilding, we need you. We need those hugs. We need the visits, we need the connections. And I I was just overwhelmed in terms of that need. And I'm also happy to say that over the past couple days, we've been reached out by some other schools that are planning trips, too, which is exactly, you know, the message I'm hearing is don't stop now. And Bar from our end, our students aren't ready. You know, we have another trip with say Rabbi Best of the Mission. 50 kids are signed up already. >> You and we're a full bus that is just there to help out. It's uh it's just very very special. >> Now, this is so what you just described is the bandwagon that that you and I were hoping people would hop onto. Uh we've been encouraging people to contact you, meaning people from schools, leaders, uh administration members, principles, etc. to en we've encouraged them to contact you and uh really draw from your ideas and your experiences at this point to make their trips with their students as effective as possible. And look, there's a reality by Herzburg and that is that now a lot of people who would not have wanted to travel over the last two years. You can't you and your students can't relate to that. But a lot of them now are going to be um anxious to travel. Hopefully, it'll bring hopefully the tourism will bring the uh the price of the flights down. We pray for that. Make it even easier for people to travel. Uh but the reality is that uh that tourism is a major part of it. Now, again, your group is beyond that. It's so much more than just tourism. But I'm sure you have been uh told by many people in Israel as I have uh that that that part of the industry that that part of the whole economy the tourism industry is so vital and if we can get back to pre-war levels would be pretty amazing. >> Uh 100%. them. And I hear this from, you know, the the taxi drivers, from the stores, you know, in Ben Yehuda that, you know, they need they need the tourism back. And now, you know, just as, you know, in my meetings the past few days, there's that glimmer of hope that we're going to get back to those pre-war numbers to really get that economy the economy moving again. >> But you have not been informed if prices of flights to Israel are going to be coming down, right? That nobody has given you a definitive information. Whatever I what I have been informed is I think prices of hotels are going to be going up by demand. >> Okay. You know, so you know, so it's however I will tell you with the flights, it's it's um you know, if you buy early enough, get group rates strategized and there ways to do it and and certainly I've gotten some advice from other people, given advice to others. There are ways to keep the price somewhat down, but the earlier you book those flights um the better it's going to better it's going to be. Oh, 100%. I mean, I I I literally booked one of my flights a year in advance or just under a year in advance, and it's a good piece of advice. All right, Dr. David Herzburg is with us. By the way, did you see the rendering of the hotel they're planning on building near Benurion airport? Did you see that? >> No, I did not. >> Pretty amazing. And uh apparently, it's been this project has been delayed god knows how many times. I'm sure the war, you know, made it uh made it delayed even further. uh but now it finally looks like they're going to get started on it and it could be a real gamecher in that area and obviously for people who fly and obviously for people who come in to the country for conferences etc etc by Dr. David Herzburg is with us. All right. So, it's very simple. Any group out there that wants advice or guidance regarding getting to Israel, anybody wants to replicate what you're doing with the yeshiva flatbush, uh both for uh student trips, parent trips, and com combined trips, they can be in touch with you. Um and you'll be more than happy to share all that information with them. >> AB: Absolutely. Absolutely. >> And I hope people in fact take advantage. Okay. What's going to be happening? You know that we we have a show on this network called Israel at 77. you made such a commitment to it and we're indebted to you for it and we're so happy that you're doing it. You know, we think about um uh being up on uh on the history of the state of Israel. It's extremely important and a lot of people are enjoying it. Israel at 77 essentially begins a brand new season now. Obviously, the 43rd season of JMA and the 14th season in the NHL network is now underway. It's the first full week back. Those of you in Jewish education, I'm sure you're getting the feeling that finally you're back into the regular groove. What can we expect at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time this morning here on the Nalom Seagull Network? >> All right. So, today I'm starting a new series, a minieries about five weeks that's part of our Israel advocacy I'm going to say, but we're taking a different angle. We're not just discussing, you know, how to defend Israel against accusations of genocide and things like that. how we're taking uh the approach of the contributions that Israel makes to the world. So before the world condemns Israel and says we don't need you. Hey, wait a second. You know, things like going to be taking a look today at ways which is uh came out of Israel. We're going to be taking a look at next week the Israeli bandage which has saved countless lives. We're going to be taking a look at the ubiquitous cherry tomato which Israel had something to do with all these things. I mean I guess if you like tomatoes it's something positive. You know, I know BB Netanyahu said that in some way he said, "I happen to not like tomatoes, but we've given it to you." Uh, so to it's it's that angle and to to arm people with that idea. Well, you know, to be able to push the positive contributions of Israel. So, we're going to be doing that for five weeks and then after that, I think I'm going to start a fund series that I was actually encouraged by some of my friends in Israel about because I've kept a list over the past 10, 15 years of all my interactions with taxi drivers. Seriously, >> you've you've got the log. >> I have a log of stories of my taxi drivers, taxi drivers, ll pilots that I met, but I have scores, tens and tens and tens. I, you know, after I smoo with these guys, then I go back to the hotel and I write them up, the the the the uh the anecdotes and things like that. And some of these are just amazing stories uh insights, philosophy from these uh from from from these guys. >> Yes, they're more than happy to share their philosophical angles with you. >> Totally politics, philosophy, psychology sometimes. >> 100%. And if you want commentary about how crazy traffic is in Israel, they'll do that for you as well. >> Yeah, I know. I I just just in this past summit, you'll appreciate this. M I met this driver He was my I was with my parents. We were in the car and and random guy picks me up at the invo and we're going just uh somewhere close. Okay, we figure out the price. A minute and a half into the discussion, this was a Thursday. He says, "You want to go with me tomorrow Arab Shabbat to Gaza? I I'm bringing food to soldiers in the days. You want to come with me and I collect every week from drivers?" And they're just like that. I met the guy two minutes before. >> Holy cow. I had a similar experience like that. My gosh. And oh man, it's unbelievable. Look, there's no place like Israel. That's the bottom line. And our job is to continue to bridge the gap between Israel and the diaspora or by Dr. David Herzburg's doing that really well on many different levels. Students and and parents are heading to Israel with the amazing trips that Yeshiva Flatbush is doing. We encourage all the schools to hop aboard and try try your hardest. A lot of schools even during you know peaceful times uh always found it difficult to etch out time in the schedule during the year to do a trip to Israel. Try your hardest everybody to do that and to work it out this time uh in the near future. And of course Israel at 77 continues at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time as Herzburg said. If you're into ways, if you're using ways right now as you're listening to the Nahm Seagull network to get to work or to check out traffic, whatever the case may be, you might be curious uh to know that Israel has a big role when it comes to ways. It's an actual Israeli company and that's one of the things that Herzburg is going to be emphasizing over the next few weeks, Israel's contribution to the world. Can't thank you enough, Rebe Herzburg. I hope that um I hope that you have a lot of fun with these upcoming series because they sound like uh they could be very uplifting, encouraging, and finally some good news to report. >> Hashem, thank you so much. Have a wonderful day. >> Appreciate that. Best regards everybody. Again, everybody, they are on many different levels. And Rabbi Herzburg emphasized to me before this conversation, don't think it's just administration and parents. There are students who are leading this uh effort as well to continue to focus on Israel, to get to Israel, to work for Israel, to volunteer for Israel, to advocate for Israel. Kakavode more coming up. It's JM and the AM.