Walking Through Nazi-Era Poland: A Rabbi's Firsthand Account

She said, "What are you doing here?" I said, "I came to stop in Mab." He said, "You're not allowed here. I can arrest you." I said, "That we'll talk about tomorrow." >> My father lyer from the balcony that Hitler Shim made his first public speech in Poland [music] against the Jews. >> In the hotel room, they were like, "This is Hitler's desk and this is Hitler's [music] chair." >> What were you feeling like when you did it getting on Hitler? >> None of your business, Oshi. None of your business, Michael. It's the None of Your Business [music] podcast hosted by Michael and O. >> Welcome back everybody to another inspiring, incredible, emotional, fantastic, amazing episode of the None of Your Business podcast. I say all that because I am really looking forward to this guest over here that we have, Rabbi Edgar Gluck. Welcome to the program. I have to start off by just saying a tremendous welcome. Thank you for coming to us. We really, really appreciate it. I understand it's your first time ever really doing a podcast. It only took almost 90 years to make that happen. So, we're really, really excited. Um, we have another guest co-host with us today. So, welcome Ze Mermstein back on the program. Ze was one of our first guests ever. I remember when we first started the podcast, I went to all my friends and they, no one hesitated. Everyone's like, "I'm in." Yes, he turns in. Ze Murmstein in. A couple of others we did and it never came out cuz the audio was broken. The video was broken. That's for another podcast. Um, so we are sponsored by Prime Source, which is our company, by the way. This is what we do. And, uh, this is all for branding and marketing, but we don't do it unless it's real. And it doesn't get more real than this. So, thank you again to Prime Source production team. If you're a nursing home, assisted living home, rehab center, home, in fact, one of our listeners from a few episodes ago called us and said, "I found you on YouTube. I have a couple of rehab centers and I'd like to utilize your service." So this works for those of you that want to know posting on LinkedIn doing podcast marketing top of mind newsletters rep that you're obviously familiar with. I get it all the time. They're great. Uh so we are joined with us today with none other than S. Gluck who's back at it in a new comfortable chair cuz last time you were on the round table and uh you comfortable suit [laughter] >> made by Twillery. Twillery and >> I don't know what their sponsors but big plug for Twillery let me tell you being in suit all day in the summertime especially I was able to function big shout out >> and I am waiting for the airbag >> it was the kadesh of the Shaba sneakers that came out when we were able to wear sneakers on Shab [laughter] >> no till then we had to go to 16th Avenue by the pointy floor shine ones and that's what was >> I don't understand why were you able to wear sneakers suddenly >> cuz they made him >> cuz they sneakers can look >> they look like shoes. >> Oh, so you're saying that was the era of transitioning, >> right? >> I see. Otherwise, >> that suit is the next transition. >> You know what it is? When we grew up, right? So, we we all I mean, just to state this. So, first of all, you forgot to mention that this is my father. I was about to get But what makes this even more special is that the three of us grew up together. Well, if we grew up debatable. So, when you were on one of our podcasts, also a friend that was willing to say yes right away. It was our fastest growing podcast at the time and we it blew up and it really took us to the next level. We had a very very uh you know, it was a great conversation and you nominated your father and it took us a few months to get him here, but I am so honored that you're here, Rabbi Gluck. Thank you so much for being here. Again, it means a lot to Mitsvi. Thank you for nominating him and thank you for bringing him on board. Unfortunately, unfortunately, Oshi wasn't able to make it today, but we have someone who I think would be a great person to add value to this conversation, who grew up together with us, who knows you, Rabbi, remembers you from the good old days. I'm sure you have a couple. >> Victoria with the DD license plate. >> No, got that wrong person. >> It was >> not the DD. What was it? >> DD13. >> DD 13. You're telling me Dr. Didian? >> Yes. >> DD3. You didn't even I grew up with that license plate. I knew I never paid attention to the license plate. >> What's Dr. Kavorian? What are you doing? >> Dr. Kavorian. That's the one that we don't talk about. >> What does DD stand for? >> Doctor of Divinity. >> Clergy member. What do you mean, Rabbi? >> Mean anything, [laughter] >> but DD13 was your license. I remember it. >> But it was a it was a grand marquee, not a not a crown victori. >> That could be. >> Please, >> Rabbi. Um, we learned earlier that you're almost 90. until we celebrate Mashiach together in stroll. >> And I'm curious, you ever heard of chat GPT? >> You familiar? Okay. You're familiar with the internet, >> the computers, social media, and all that stuff. So, they developed a system called chat GPT that basically is like Google. You understand the concept of Google? >> On my phone, it's just chat. >> Yeah. Except there's another one thing called chat GPT. So, there's something called chat GPT. It's like Google, but it's basically like what does Google have to say about you? [clears throat] So we have a thing here printed out >> doing a better job. >> It's doing it now. Not a better job. Different chat GPT is using artificial intelligence AI. You've heard those words. >> And the way it works is that the research it's like Google on steroids. So it's not just searching for something. >> And for the most part it's pretty darn good except for when it cites a legal case and the case never existed. But continue. So, I do this thing in the beginning of the podcast to to allow the audience, the people listening to get to know you in a in a short form way and tell you what the internet says about you. >> Uhoh. >> Are you ready? >> You didn't do it on me though, right? >> No, it wasn't a second. >> Making sure. Okay. [laughter] >> No, today it's just the rabbi. This rabbi was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1936. So yes, he survived one of the nastiest chapters of history and turned it into a mission. >> You were born in Germany. >> Yes. And >> in the DP camp? >> No. 36. >> 36. >> Whichever did you go to? >> Sorry. >> No. No. Which did you go to? Let's talk about this again. >> Let's give a plug for the one that taught you that. >> You graduated to the same one. [laughter] >> That's funny. That's actually you hold a BA from Kasam Sofur Rabbitical College in 1957 and an MA from Long Island University in 197. >> I don't have I'm three nine nine points behind on MA. I have to write a thesis. I never did it. >> Rabbi Rabbi almost ma >> Rabbi have it. You have time. >> You got to find time and prioritize. [clears throat] Um that's Rabbi and academia combo that you don't see every day. So that's that's pretty fascinating itself. Curious about your first uh 20 years of your life. You were born in Germany and then >> came to Bronx, New York at the age of two and uh D by Rabbi Bick. There was in thing there everybody went anybody went to remained from and other areas in the Bronx had had a lot of difficulty with people remaining from. My own father when he came went to a relative of ours to get a job he he got a job pasta's bakery there's a cousin and he came Friday so he went into the ona and he told him I'm not coming in tomorrow he says you mean I can work tomorrow and you can't don't come tomorrow don't come Sunday don't come Monday goodbye that was his first job >> wow >> so I mean that's that's the way it was at that time so a lot of people couldn't couldn't uh get over it. They just came on chabas. >> Wow. >> But then the story gets even more interesting. So my grandfather is what I mean was considered to be a very big uh joker. He was a big comedian but a sweetheart. Again I don't really remember him. This is what I've heard. But there's an interesting story is that so after that where does a Jew from Germany go look to Davin on a Friday night? The first shabas in America. What do you do? You go to the biggest shel with a big mug and right you want to that's what you're used to. And he walked into the shel and what did they say to him to they asked him to give a nickel. No. But first they nickel. Then then he got an aliyah and he had a bench because he came on a Thursday. So for shabas was bench. So he went to bench. How much do you give? So he said a half a dollar cuz he got a job after that for $2 a week. And they said dollar $3. So and Monday morning they came to my father's uncle who brought us to collect the $3. So my father uncle came home. He says you know greenhorn why [clears throat] you giving such kind of money you know. My father says I never scared such kind of money. He goes into shulu Tuesday morning and there's herring and pickles and you name it. And he says what's this? Who's your third? just know because you gave $3 for next two weeks have every day we have this kind of uh spread they came knocking for it. My father says, "This is not a shoulder, this is a bar." Walked out, went around the corner with my uncle tricer, my uncle f. And they walk on foot and they see a guy with a beard cleaning the leaves in front of a shul and he sees them. He runs over to them. He says, "Come, I want to show you where your seats are." So far says, "We don't have any money." Money? Who talks about money? Who ever mentioned money? and takes them into the shul shows them that was Rabbi Bik and that's where they became close to Rabik from that time on and they also had a sense of humor >> 52 years with well more than just baric when they moved to Barark from the Bronx Ravik Shul was on 55th Street right the ground floor was the shul the second floor is where Ravik lived and the third floor is where my grandparents lived >> they lived in the same house >> wow >> wasn't just as a matter of fact >> used to say Oberina >> Ora something like that. >> Sorry. >> It's over the rabbi. >> Oh, [laughter] I'm on top of the rabbi, >> right? But but one second. And what about people that used to call my my grandfather >> and then he would run down to ask a shil to Ravik because they would dial the wrong number and they got one >> and number was 611. My father was 6112. I got them both the numbers at the same time. [laughter] >> So >> Wow. So you so you grew up in the Bronx essentially >> till till about 20. till about 20 and then you moved to Bart and >> then I went to Medician. >> Oh. >> Well, first you spent a year which I found out again I'm I'm learning new things. >> Love it. >> I was in Vinand New Jersey by my wife's family by my in-laws going through and we get to this old shul over there and there's a rabbi there and he says what's your name? I say Glock. He goes oh your father was from my father's first. I said what yes? He goes right here in the shul you're standing. And I said what are you talking about? My father went from no. So I call up my father. He goes, "Yep, Ravik sent me for the first year to wash to to Vinland to help them with starting the yeshiva. I didn't even know about it." >> Wow. >> I learned new things. And I learned another new thing. This is a great time. My son Penny, my baby, who is now in ninth grade, graduated and was validictorian. >> And we were saying, "Where did he get that from?" My father goes, "What do you I was validictorian when we gradu like what are you talking about? I don't know these things. Like >> I was validator they paid for it. I mean no >> you were the first chief rabbi of Galitzia. Did I say that right? >> Yes. >> Yes. That Galitzia the historic region not just the Delhi. It says here the title had been abolished in 1786 and it was resurrected for you >> which is a great story also was resurrected really because of me. My I was there putting on film for my mitzvah >> where >> in Krakco in the Ramshul. >> What were you doing there? >> My father used to go for years and years to Poland there 43 years >> and rebuilding cemeteries finding mass graves a lot of things which we'll get back to in a second. But I'm there to put on my fillin and there's a female rabbi that's there with her daughter who says I want my daughter to be able to lane shabas for herb mitzvah. And my father looks at her and he's like, "No." She's like, "What should I do?" He goes, "Listen, there's a temple synagogue down the block that was a reformed synagogue before the war. Go there." And Mrs. Yakabovich, who was the head of the community, she starts yelling at Mrs. Yakabovich. And she says, "Listen, this is our chief rabbi. You have to listen to what he says." And lo and behold, the title has been bestowed. >> Oh, that's funny. >> That was how the title that was. In other words, she was the head of the gamina. So she actually, believe it or not, had the power to do that. In other words, I mean, they control all the cemeteries, all the shs, everything, nursing homes. You should maybe get business by them in the Polish nursing homes. They have everything. And but then it became, but that it didn't stop at that. From there, it actually became something very real that my father for the next many, many years was flying back and forth and dealing with all sorts of issues that kept coming up. Today I'm still working on three cemeteries to reinstate. >> The people are still dead. >> They weren't sure. >> Rabbi, you got to take us back a little bit. I'm sorry. >> How did you get involved in this? How, you know, I'm sure if you Google the Jewish world's Oscan, your name will come up, but I'm wondering where did it come from? You're in the Bronx. You're a young man. You're growing up. What happened? Like what what drew you to Ukraine? What tell us about the first time you went? Why did you go? >> I I got a call from Nakam Albam. Mhm. >> who was the head of Ideal Tours. In fact, my wife was working for him at that time, but it wasn't my wife yet. [snorts] He says to me, "A Baltilla in Warso either had a heart attack or died something." He's around and it's a few days before. >> How old are you at this point? >> I was in the early 20s. >> Okay. And it was and and and he says and and uh a few days before he says I know you're a good belt filler please go and dab in Warso. I said okay. So I ded in Warso for three years and after that KCO started requesting me. So for the other 40 years I ded in Krakco. >> Well no first it was Yam Kipper. For the first many many years, it was always Yamkeer. We would leave right after Rashashana. And I'll explain in a minute why that's so important. And and and then when I would go with my father, cuz you know my brother Yakov. So it used to be that one year he went, one year I went, one year we both went, depending on what was going on or how much we killed each other the summer before. If one of us was punished, the punishment was not to go, which was a a real punishment cuz everybody like it was great going except for the fact that in those days there was no sleeping cuz you know my father would go we go to cemetery cemetery rav reba caver the whole Poland we would travel the entire Poland in 4 days like literally like it was just but um and then it started with Rashashana also then because and then it was where Wars wanted him and Krakow wanted him so the best shar was okay one one the other And the best year ever, sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off, was the year that we ended up in Vatzlov, otherwise known as Breastlau. Now, just so you understand, you know, like I I I joke around sometimes, I say, I went recently to Kazakhstan and when I landed, it seems that they never got the memo there that communism ended. They they never land. They still check your pockets. How much money you're coming in with? How much you feel? Like it was mamaish like you mamaish felt like I'm still traveling to Poland when I was 10 years old with my father you know and with the soldiers outside. So the year of breast. So I guess at that point the gamina kept saying other neighborhoods want you. You got to go. So we end up there and uh the people were very very nervous. They were scared. Now, that neighborhood was one of those areas that kept changing. It kept changing. Russia, Poland, or German, I don't even remember which one. I have to look at the map, but whatever it was, it kept changing places. And even the people in the sh was scared to be in the shool. Like, it was a it was a very interesting thing. And then at one point, like I was taking pictures cuz you know, you do that and people were getting scared. What are you doing? But it was worth everything for blowing shaer mats kipper cuz my father's blue shaer from the balcony in breastl that Hitler Shimam made his first public speech in Poland against the Jews from that balcony. So in that same balcony blowing from Matiamkeer. >> So you you knew that balcony was there? Yes >> and you did it on purpose. >> Of course. >> Yeah. They were like in in the hotel room. They were like, "This is Hitler's desk and this is Hitler's chair and this is Hitler's this." And they had it in hotel. They had they still had it on show. >> Wow. >> And I said, "The best way to get them is I'm going to blow Shaifa." And you know >> what were you feeling like when you did it? >> Getting the com Hitler. That's all. >> What was the Poland like for those 50 years? >> Well, the first years that I was there was communist. >> And what were the Jewish community like at in Poland? How many were there? Such a great question. Like after the war, what was left in in Poland? >> I had about 250 people >> and those are families that came back after the Holocaust. >> Family there, Israelis doing business, whatever. >> No, in the early days, it wasn't Israelis. In the early days, it was it was locals. I mean, that was saying back wanted to try to >> or that a lot of them were married. They they were saved by their non-Jewish neighbor who they then married. I mean, there was a lot of We're not judging anybody. They were just stating it like a lot of the I mean we heard stories of people being saved amazing stories like just you know >> so for the first couple years there was 250 and then it grew shrunk. What was that like? >> Shrunk shrunk >> and it kept shrinking over the next 50 years. >> Well one of the people that we made a birthday party for and the the Polish song is till 100 till 100 till 100 and the guy turns around he says they want to kill me I'm already 103. know why [laughter] they stay till the hund. So I mean but uh there were a lot of old people the year of the September 11th I was at the site. >> Well one second let's go backwards. >> Yeah. >> Our flight was for September 11th. That was our scheduled flight to Poland. That's why I said it was still after Rashashana that year if I'm not mistaken. Right. >> Wow. >> Well I don't remember. It was before. Okay. And my grand my nephew was supposed to come with us that year. It was before Russia. My No, my nephew had a bar mitzvah. That shabus was my nephew's bar mitzvah and the flight was supposed to be September 11th >> and I I for some reason I believe that the FAA canled all flights. I'm not sure why. >> But they canled it. >> I would have called three. >> One second. But we ended up going we got there a few a few days later. So what happened is that the old people, three or four old people that are close to 100, went into the American embassy and told the council general, "This rabbi comes and blesses us every year. You got to make sure he comes this year." So I got called. I said, "Good. Give me a flight. I'll come. I mean, I'm ready to come." Well, you ended up coming 3 hours before. It was an empty plane, but it had full staff because the airline industry needed to show that they're going to bounce back. >> So, there was we were on the plane and nine stragglers ended up that were supposed to go to Oman, Russashana and they just needed to get to Poland or wherever and they were already in Europe. I don't I don't know. Pink. It was the whole thing was it was hysterical. >> But the crazy part was we flew back and then flew back to Poland again. We did two round trips because my father came back for my for the bar mitzvah and then back for Yum Kipper. I It was like a wacky week. >> I'm wondering to myself, you know, you went at a time that I personally would have been scared to go. >> I walked out of the sh >> Yeah. >> And the guards that were standing with with M16s or whatever the the the thing was around the shul by they were standing on the roofs of the hotels and everything else around there protecting me. And I walked out and Mrs. Jakabo says to me, runs out, says to me, "Go back in. Go back in." What happened? She says, "They just came down from the police to say, "They can't give you security unless you're inside the sh, you know, please stay inside. Don't don't don't become a a thing that draw attention or something like that." When I went to my hotel, at that time was like a 15-minute walk. They had cars full of guys with machine guns escorting me back and forth. I get a call from Mrs. Zakovich wants hysterical. The communists want to demolish the mikvah. Why? Because the roof instead of being like straight as a drop like this and they're afraid the Jewish woman is going to be killed by a [clears throat] stone falling from the roof, which is a a phony excuse because the communists threw down churches and mikvas and sh any religious institution. If they had a way, throw them down. So I told them, tell them what they don't want to hear. He says, "What?" I said, "I'm going to rebuild it." And they have no right throwing it down. I'm going to rebuild it. I came back to Poland and I said, "I don't know what you guys want. There's nothing wrong with the roof, but you want give me a price, how much it cost to to rebuild the roof, and uh I'll do it, but I need one thing from you. A letter from the mayor that it's 100% legal. Everything is fixed and everything that once I get that letter, I pay you. Here's $25,000. How much you want?" They said five and a half thousand. It came out 800,000. The one good thing about communism is also money. Always like if you get $4 for a dollar by the communist you get 12. Okay. >> You can negotiate differently. >> Yes. So they said when do we get the rest? I said I have the rest right here in my hand. I give it to you when you're finished or when you give me the letter because I know how you guys grow. The communist they take 10 jobs at a time and they start this one and then they said we'll be back as soon as we finish that one. This that I said I don't want to hear that. I give you 10 to them. I go to I used to go to him every time every year before I went and he gave me handwritten Polish letters to the people there that he knew. People there that he knew. He gave me So I tell him about mikvah. He goes like this. Takes out $1,000 and says here's your first payment. So what do you mean? He says I know 38 women that use that mikvah and there's no way you should let them demolish that mikvah. that Mik must must say it's for my time yet more for me and and this and that and uh that's how it worked with the communists. So I mean >> also if you ever lost luggage in communist time it was great cuz we you know traveling in those days I was 9 8 or nine years old I remember like it was yesterday and it's few days before Yamiff and I have no clothes I'm not going to how am I going to sh I have no clothing. So this lady there Mrs. um oh what's her name? Not Yakabovich the other one um that was like the competition which after communism fell she went back to Russia. So then they claimed, "Oh, she was really KGB. That's why she was here." But we don't know. We don't know the real story. Anyway, so she sends us to a store. Now, in those days when you went shopping in a store, especially as a kid, like it's the fascinating. First of all, the amount of money that you get is like my father said, you know, you you're getting three to four times more than what it's worth. >> A three-piece suit with a velvet collar. Beautiful. Cost $3. >> So we bought two. >> Three American dollars. Didn't know which size it was. >> You bought two bigger. the bigger one. >> And then this other woman was able to do a shot in his check. >> Yeah, she did a shot. >> Yeah, deny. She said she did. Okay, we believed it. It was good. The point is I got a whole new wardrobe for like 10 10 bucks, >> you know. But I remember like the the parts that stick out is I would be, you know, waiting online. So you go to one line, they give you a paper that you're allowed to go look at the clothing. You get the clothing, you get another paper that it's being held. You then go to the cash register which has a soldier at the cash register. >> You make the payment, right? Like a full army uniform. That's who's you make the payment. They give you another piece of paper. You go back and then they give you the product and that was how they >> working for the government. Each one of these people were that was their Pala. They're working for the government. >> But I do want to say I people make jokes all the time and I have to say something that I I I remember when I was 11 years old. They were just getting the money to build the first major highway from I don't remember if it was Vatzlav to Vasha or Vasha to I remember which one it was but whatever it was it was a major highway. Major highway meant there was going to be two lanes in each direction and they were preparing for gas stations. You know, there was those that and it was brilliant because they had the guardrail, you know, between the north and south and like every few miles they had a no U-turn sign, you know, like on the throughway, but there was no opening in the guardrails. [laughter] I'm just saying it was an interesting thing to see like, okay, I won't make a U-turn there, >> right? Even if you try. Yeah. Rabbi, I'm curious because you're saying about uh the times of communism and you're going back to Poland, Kraco, wherever you were in the world then. You're in your 20s. You're young. From then till now, have you ever been afraid? >> Well, it's not in my in my dictionary. That word doesn't exist in my dictionary >> or in his DNA. Except >> if you were to be afraid, what would have been the scariest situation you ever >> That I'm not doing what wants me to do. That's the scariest situation. >> Uh I love you. >> I love him, too. But I I have to say, Tati, with all due respect, I'm not allowed to argue with you cuz you're my father, but you're scared of mommy. >> [laughter] >> I I just want to go on record somebody else. [clears throat] >> Without mommy, I wouldn't be able to do any of the things that I'm doing now. She deserves a lot a lot of credit. >> Wow. >> I told you he's scared of her. Nobody believes me. >> How did you How did you meet her, by the way, when you said she was a travel agent? >> No, he was divorced for many years. This is I'm the product of a second marriage. Yours, mine, and ours. >> Got it. >> My father was divorced for many years. My mother was divorced for a little bit, whatever amount of time. And somehow she reached out to my father for something, for help, it doesn't matter what, whatever, didn't matter. And he decided he liked her. And he was very well sought. He was a very eligible bachelor, right? He was already involved in community politics, right? Rabbi Glock, Rabbi Glock. And then he met my mother. >> This is fascinating piece of information that I didn't know, but your started after your divorce. >> No, that's what I'm saying. >> 17 something like that. I mean, >> what happened then? How did you get involved in this? Yeah. >> One thing happened that I remember somebody was killed in a big shoe. The guy had a basement washing machines and dryers and and in basements and he walked into a basement and he saw the guys breaking into his machine and taking the money out. He started yelling at them and they killed him with a knife. They just killed him and they left him there. And I went to the medical examiner's office and I saw Dr. Halpern. He was the medical examiner and the chief medical examiner. She says, "What are you doing here?" I said, "I came to stop an autopsy." He says, "You came to what?" I said, "To stop an autopsy." He says, "You know, this is city property. You're not allowed here. I can arrest you." I said, "That we'll talk about tomorrow. Right now, let's talk about this person who died." So, I said, "Maybe we can do something." So, we ended up doing what they call now partial autopsy just to get a cause cause of death. And he said I'll stop the minute I >> other than the knife, >> right? >> No, no. So this was with a cut. No, this is with but >> limited. The limited >> limited is what they call it again. Now already you know in cases like that but >> and and um day later then we made the Leva and a day later I went down again. He says what are you doing here today? I said I came to be arrested. I promise you. uh he liked that so much that he became a friend of mine and Bashem were able to stop hundreds thousands of autopsies because u had a very good relationship with him and Hashem was >> you feel like that was your first entry into >> that was one of one of the best story that I that I have of my father's entry was when my father was in basician >> there was a fire on a Friday night >> who was yesa there when you were there >> but he was very sick you know I mean it looked like this and then was >> I'm sorry for those that don't know Bish alon is in Muny at that point that's before lakewood began it was the >> together this was the this was the who else was going who else went through bishon that you remember give me some names was >> okay >> he gave us a >> got it okay keep going who else you >> my classmates Keep going. >> Koopit the Koopit family was the >> Yeah, >> it was it was the place. He had to be >> It was the Thanks for bringing flavor. >> Was obviously very smart. Still is. And uh but that was >> Do you do you remember the story he's about to say? >> Yeah, of course I remember. >> Maybe we'll hear it from you. What happened there? >> Friday night. Sorry. Right after the rash gave a shia Friday night. But between the eating and that they went for a walk a little bit and then and oh the fire guys turned the hose right on us. >> What what hose? >> The fire instead of fighting on the fire they turned it on us. They started spraying us with water. >> The local fire department. >> The local fire department. So after that one of the guys came into me and he told me Bernie Gola he says I want to run for fire commissioner in order to vote for fire commissioner you have to be a citizen you have to be you have to be a resident he says you have contact here with the with the community and the church is opposing me so can you help me I said sure what they did to us on Friday night I said I I'll do anything for you the votes used to be in the fire department the commissions voted for themselves. So you had 7 to2, 5 to 8, something like that. You know, there was no all of a sudden the church came out with a paper, vote for this and this guy and he okay. So I brought the guy into the yeshiva and we made announcements and first people got started voting. They said, "Hold it. You can't vote." What do you mean you can't vote? You need a voting machine that too many people start turning up. [snorts] We ended up winning 350 to 35 >> that that time. So they made me chaplain for the for the fire department at that time. >> Ah, so that's a good one. That's a good one. See, [laughter] >> so that's a good one. But there's also other parts to that story that followed suit many years later. >> Let's hear your your your side of it. >> No, no, it's not my side. It's that's what I've memory. Yeah. >> So there were not my memory. My memory I remember hearing. So some of the people that were involved in the fire department, it was very I mean my fire department was very anti-Semitic before this. I mean as a group of people they were just you know nobody was >> so they're coming in as a joke in spring the Jewish kids or >> they were they were anti-semmites instead of spring >> they saw an opportunity to just >> so there was one of the big people that was involved somehow wanted to keep his position as chief or whatever and my father made a deal with the new commissioner like listen you know the word got out that if you upset you know Edgar Gluck then he's going to help put you out of business so this guy became close with my father anyway we'll fast forward many many Many years later, Hatal is working on getting their licensing and there were fights on every level, but one of the biggest ending fights was the largest, most powerful union was the fire chief's association in New York State because at the end of the day, most New York State is living in areas where the fire department is EMS's, fire is everything. And they were coming out against Hatalo. And my father went and had a meeting with the head of the fire chief association which turned out to be that chief that he >> oh my god >> years ago kept his job >> and uh you know so these things uh >> the next paragraph on chat chief PT look at that you know it's uh perfect he co-founded hotsa in New York yes the volunteer emergency responder service so he's got serious saving lives cred [snorts] not just shul talk that's what it's saying >> that's what chat GPT says >> yes >> now the story was that Hashel Weber the founder of he went to the south Marov and he told the South Marov I witnessed six people dying a lady was running for a boss avenue she turned blue she fell out turned blue six police cars came and they went nobody know what they did they were just yeah and and she died and then the by one of the shs all the people ran out at one time and they ran over a guy and who's dead and this so sat told that says any place that there's no Jews shouldn't live there. She says we don't know exactly what we're when but call the organization. So he said >> he gave him $100 at that time $100,000 and he said this will help you more than anything else and go to borrowon and get Rabbi Glock and you and him will have masle in making the organization. So that >> your relationship with the gulam of yesterday year is fascinating. Your history with everyone and their love and trust in you. You know as sh but when you come up the amount of namas greeting you of favors you've done for the biggest out there it's mindblowing. >> What's >> before that let's go even back. My father was still a tal by the way. First of all and from my father. Why are we stopping? >> Income tax [laughter] inflation. >> The you talk about stories with gdm. So this is probably my favorite story and I'm I'm going to say it cuz not that you don't want to say it but if I say it I have my my twist to it maybe. Is my father uh was a klaf already as a kid. He was in Camp Auda from the first day campa opened up in High Mount, New York. We're not going to discuss how old he was when he used to take the camp truck home with him after the summer for the whole year. And >> may didn't kill you. >> No, this was pre Please might tell me. Anyway, long story short, my father gets Ruven the making the briselian and he sends my father to drive to Williamsburg to pick up the satba to be sic by the bris and >> who's making the brisu for anku >> fern and he's havinging the satu >> I'm just hello this is this is why I said this story to me you know especially after recent events with rabbis and letters and stuff this type of story really is gives us a renewed but he tells my father very important you have to be there on time because I told the smeu that we're making the bris bismano and he's going to be ready now mind you first of all there was no police escort no lights no Cadillac I think he was driving a pickup truck at the time that was good enough for everybody right this was the days anyway gets to Williamsburg 8:00 8:30 9:00 Reb is not coming out. Finally, whenever it is, the Reb comes out and they drive there and tell them what happens when you get to Muny. When you get to the yeshiva, okay turns go. And the Reb turns to him and goes, "Lucks. And then he turns to my father and goes, >> "Oh, very good." >> So that that was the part that I like that little cuteness of like even in that. So just for those in English, right? >> So Ruin was saying, right, because you grew up with us, you understand it. You're so fuzzy. I didn't understand. I'll say it in Hebrew, then you'll make believe. >> Anyway, because you know you still you still make believe you're Israel. >> You know how many listeners we have that appreciate that Yiddish by the way. Please comment below. >> By the way, absolutely. comment, like, share, tweet, [laughter] x lm n everything in yish. >> In yadish [laughter] ruain said when we learned about au and the bris, it says vayash got up early in the morning because I'll say early in the morning meant you get up early to do a mitzvah. You don't wait. And from there is where we learned that we do a bris in the morning. Otherwise, we would all make afternoon, evening brises before night, whatever. But that's the reason. And the sba's response was yes. It says that he got up early in the morning, but then it says that he had to saddle his donkey. And the satb said saddling donkey is the equivalent of preparation. Just because I'm not getting up early in the morning to come to you doesn't mean I'm not up. I might be up. I'm learning going to mikvah, doing all my other things. That's called preparation. But because he used the puk of with a kamar with a donkey and people used to ride donkeys, he quickly turned to my father to say, "But you're not the dunkey." So that it shouldn't be said. So you say stories about sadikim right of yester year. >> So you know growing up and we say this as a child but my father was very close whether it's from my no at my son's my first bris I made we used a bottle that was from kaduri you know I'm saying like you know we so talk about dancing at all and and growing up >> everybody had to come on to him. I don't always say come on to him. You know, I use the line as long as they need you more than you need them, you're in a good place. But we don't have to say it like that, >> but it's true. >> He was an, you know, Swiss army knife. >> There was nobody else. >> For everything in Clius that went wrong, >> right? >> Was absolutely >> Rabbi, what what is your recollection throughout your life of what people called you mostly for? If you can sum it up, you know, from >> originally was autopsies. >> Autopsies. Parking tickets. stop things, >> stopping stopping autopsies from happening. And you were >> calls me up, a guy calls me up and uh he tells me that uh his father walked out of a house and walked between two cars and fell down and died. So he was in in Queens in Cugan. So he went to Rabbi Schfeld told him no way could stop an autopsy. When a guy dies in the street, there's got to be an autopsy. Then he went to Rabbi uh Steinberg, Parrot Steinberg, told him the same thing. They called him out of frustration. He says, "What do I do?" He says, "Here's the Rabbi Glock's number. Call him." >> Just by the way, another name. >> Yeah. Another name, right? >> Very very close. >> Mindblowing. >> And and and uh a guy calls me up. I called the medical examiner. Calls me back. He says, "In 10 minutes, send an undertaker. he can take the body. The guy never forgot the family keeps on he even started telling the story now gave them a number and and and and and that's I mean at that time >> and how did you do it? What was your tactic? How did you stop so many autopsies when the law >> well before changing the law? Wait, don't forget my father changed the law. But let's by the way, I just want to interject and say something that when Hatalo was becoming legal just to add that in because it's an important keynote. One of the people in government and politics was yelling and screaming that my father was not a patriot because he's changing laws to fit the community or something. Right. >> The the the in London [laughter] said, "You're not proper." I said, "What do you mean proper?" I said, "What do you guys do when somebody dies and they make an autopsy?" He says, "We make sure that the medical examiner and the undertaker don't tell the family." >> I said, "That's what you're doing for 30 years. You're telling people, "But they're making autopsies." Oh, they have to, but you're not proper. I said, "What? What? What means not proper?" He says, "You made sure that they don't make autopsies." So, I said, "So, what's not proper with that?" He said, "We can do like that." No. I said, "Listen, they make autopsies." And we argue with them that if you want to do it for research, do it on people that don't have an objection. But what he has a religious objection and I included the the Muslims in that because the Muslims called me also to stop autopsies because they also want burial immediately and an autopsy >> and >> is the biggest problem with an autopsy. Excuse me for interrupting. >> Bizarian MS. >> It's the bizarian MS and the delay. >> I'm sorry. Explain what that I was thinking the same question. >> Explain it how Okay. So >> of the of the dead person. >> There's two things. The way you're born is the way you're supposed to be buried from a spir 100% spiritual. Well, it's all and spiritual. So the answer is yes. So the immediate burial is a very interesting thing because people have this terminology of saying 24 hours is 24 hours does it's as quickly as possible. So when I do trainings I tell you know whether it's law enforcement or medical examiners I tell them listen if somebody dies in Israel 8:00 in the morning by lunch they're already in the ground. Meaning it takes time to get a death certificate to get this to get that. But it's so important by the Jewish community that we do it right away. But I'm talking about the story earlier when when when you were first working on the law in America, okay? >> When the guy said he's not a patriot because he's changing the law and whoever it was that was the speaker of the city council or something gets up and goes just the opposite. >> That makes him a real patriot because he is going to work with the legal system to change laws and not trying to go against the law. Yeah. >> So that was a >> and then we had a meeting of rabbis meeting with with district attorney Hines >> and a reform rabbi came in. >> He was the longest serving district attorney in Manhattan. >> No, Brooklyn. Manhattan was Morgan Morgan and Hines. >> And then he sees me this reform rabbi. He says to Hines, "How can you let this man be a member? You know what he did?" He says, "What? He's violating the law." Turns around to me. I said, "What violating? We changed the law." He says, "But that's violating it." So Hine says, "No, I'm going to go after you. You're the one who's violating the law because now the law is with him. So you [snorts] don't." And the guy got so embarrassed he >> What was the law change? What was the law? >> Mario Cuomo was governor. >> Interesting. And I go into Mario Cromo and I said, "Listen, we had a a case in my where a guy lost the control of a car, hit the house of a rabbi and sw hit a swarm closet and the swarm closet fell down on a an infant in a crib and killed the baby." I called up the the car and I said, "When do I get the body for the burial?" He says, "When I finish the autopsy, autopsy never cause a death." Said, "Write down chicken packs. I mean, come on. Don't I don't understand you. >> It's obvious. I mean, >> because I can I can. So, I called the county executive and I said, "Last year you're running in three year in three three weeks, you're running for election. The last time you won three years ago by 14,000 votes in this room between Vision and Miy have 52,000 votes. You want to really be embarrassed? He says, "What do you want me to do?" I said, "Make sure the guy can't say because I can." Said, "What do you mean you want to fire him?" I said, "No, just tell him to resign because there's a sickness in the family and he has to take care of his family." Next day, Journal News headlines, medical examiner resigns because of sickness and family. So, I mean, this is this is this is when but I I got to Mario Kr and I said, "Listen, we have problems with it." So he says to me, "Okay, you get Shelley Silva, let him get the assembly vote. The Republicans, that's your department." He says to me, because it was Republican Senate, so you work with the Republican Senate, and I'll sign the bill when it comes to me. >> I said, "No problem." >> And just so you know, Dennis, second, my father was very close with Mario Cuomo. My father worked with Mario from the day he came in and did it. But >> good guy. >> Yes. A very He's the reason why Atala became legal. He was the reason why the autopsy law was passed when they were drafting the law. So the it was based on religious reasons, but Dennis Raps is who was very involved, right, in helping you, Copa or something? >> President [clears throat] of of Copa. So Shelley says to me, I'll write up the law, but tell me which rabbi you're going to have that's going to say that this law is according to Ala. I said, Rabbi Big. Okay. So I made a point with Rabbi Big. Dennis Raps came the head of OU the head of I mean five big sharp lawyers and Dennis Shelley says to me on the way up okay who's going to read this to the rabbi says America can read it themselves no it's written on legal ease part of the first part second part don't worry about it goes through one page second page third page stops what does it say over here there's no autopsies on Jews wait a minute you mean if Somebody kills a Jew, there'll be no autopsy, so they won't be able to convict him. Nobody may do balabus on Jewish blood. If a kills a Jew, we have to put him to we have to convict him. There's no such thing as as as as as just saying because he's Jewish, you should make an autopsy. So take that out. All the lawyers were shocked >> in case of murder. >> So there's two two he made public health emergency >> public health and a murder homicide >> more than co one second. So let me tell you when did public public health emergency first of all that's a foresight that nobody ever thought of what was his the same way the Jews were blamed for the black plague and all these other things if something happens Jews can't be blamed the only time that I remember it almost being an issue and at the last second it wasn't because somebody else had just died like an hour before they were going to do the autopsy was by swine flu where there was a kid that was nifer and the medical examiner is like Listen, we know the law, but public health emergency. We can't find anything on this. Like, we need to do this. And my father went, I think to rep Freriedman, the tanker or somebody. Who did you go to? He goes, he goes, "Nope, this is he goes he's right." Meaning this is what this is the reason why this is why Rick put that in there for this reason. >> So, they agreed, but then literally like right before they had somebody else. But, uh, >> but Mario Cuomo calls me up. I can't sign. You got it passed. Oh. So I go to the Republicans. So they said, "Tonight's the last session, the last session of the year, and we're going to meet in caucus. I'm inviting you as a guest for the Republican caucus. You speak to them. If you convin convince them, you got it." So I go to Republican caucus and I told him that I have a fight in Nassau County, a medical examiner. I called him up. I said that a passenger got killed in a car accident. He says, "Well, I can make an autopsy." I said, "Why?" Because I can. I said, "But passenger, you can't you can't blame a passenger for for an accident. I [laughter] if the person was on drugs or something like I mean there's nothing that you can do with a passenger." Well, I can. So, I told this to them and then I told the story about the death and on turned around they said, "Okay, you got our vote." So then we came up for a vote 20 to 4 in the morning and one of the last votes in that session. >> Mind you, mind you, one second, one second. Pause. You have to understand in a normal 19 I have to look it up. 89 90 somewhere. I have to look up the the year. But you have to understand, just to pause for a second, in order for something to get passed, you need both sides, right? The assembly and the senate. And you have to use the same verbiage, the same language. And if any side has to tweak something, it's got to go back and forth. This is a process that sometimes takes more than one governatorial cycle for people to change along. Here we're talking about not just fasttracking but like uh zooming right through it. Now continue. I'm sorry. >> Anyway, [laughter] so >> just the listeners need to understand what this process is that you're talking about. And that's what I wanted to get to next is some other scattered thea stories. >> So Mario Mario says to me, I can't sign it. All the medical examiners, the coroners, the sheriffs, and the police chiefs are calling me saying not to not to sign it because we go in case of homicide. I said, "Wait a minute. Hold on. Look at the bill. Look at page three." That language was taken out. It specifically says homicide. Oh, so I can answer that said, "Okay, so when we make a signing, how many rabbis are you going to bring?" I said, "50. That's too much. >> [laughter] >> That's too much. She says, "Is Rabbi Shira going to come?" Masher, that's all he was interested in. >> So I said, "Rab Sher's out of town, but Rabbi Bloom, >> who's his assessment, >> will be there representing him." Okay, we come there to to think about 35 rabbis and um his pen is going from back and forth from the veto message to the passing message. Veto, passing, veto, passing like that. All of a sudden he says, "Okay, I want to bring someone in to meet you people, the head of the New York State Supreme Court. I'm nominating her for the Supreme Court of the State of New York and the Chief Justice and the first Jew and the first woman to have that position, but the first Jew." So everybody clapped on this and that. Then he talked about the G law, which wasn't too much. >> Were not pro the G law at all. They And they clapped like this. [laughter] Then it came to passing the the law [clears throat] say silver you come here this one Marino from from the Senate you come here this and that. Then he was giving up pens and he signed it and everybody got up and started applauding and this that and the rest >> what a moment is he should also have for all the work he's done on behalf of yourself. You guys work together on so many so many projects. >> My my title in Scotland is state one and Shel wanted state two, >> right? State one. >> Shel is for state two. >> But by the way, you just understand that that you know you talk about these things. So I'm going to have to throw in a little trauma plug over here. So my philosophy is >> I wouldn't leave without putting trauma. All right. [laughter] So my my philosophy in life is >> that people are very successful when they have to prove something. And my father unfortunately lost his mother when he was very young. >> I was 8 years old >> and then his father got remarried. So he was raised by his father and a stepmother but more by Ravik you know same you know but so I people say what gave him that kayak? I said he just needed to prove something you know not I'm not saying it in like a in a bad way. >> Yeah. But um but even before the autopsy, let's one second. You want to continue going down. This is like the Chad GPT. No, don't be sorry. This is perfect. >> No, there's just one other thing that it says there that it's like it's ob it's obvious that this happened to you, but the presidential award for community service >> was given to you in 1984. And Chief, yes, the United States President's Award, you also got that badge. So you had a lot of badges to pull out if somebody pulled you over >> with nobody. It was better for me. It was better for me >> because when I was his son, Zeish, quiet, no stories. We we had some stories of finding out if being Rabbi Glock's son. >> Yes. >> You know, was was worth it. And and I tested the system and it was it was by the way. I never got into trouble. It was it was it was it was a >> Come on, guys. One story. One story. >> Like the trooper. >> We got a few. Let's Let's >> I remember taking two cars from the body shop on what's his name? body shop on Fort Hamilton Parkway. He lived on 45th Street. What was his name? The first excellent not collision. The first guy that made lights and sirens. What was it? >> Securely yours. What was >> No, no. On on the for >> I know who you're talking about. >> And they live first guy. Anyway, they had two >> No, this was um No, this is before him. >> Way before. I remember there was two cars in the shop. >> Yeah. identical Infinitities, but like the first year Infiniti came out with this small >> Q45s. The Q4 talking like >> we took them because they were being fixed in the shop, our friends. >> And they had license sirens. >> Yeah, >> they were being worked on in the shop. I remember we just took them racing down colony. [laughter] >> Then we put them back. Very nice. >> Oh, so you don't have to use your >> That one we did. >> That one we did. But the best was the day I got my license. I wanted to test out the PBA cards. the day I got it and I was my New York license was issued in Muny. I was in yeshiva there and I guess we registered the car to my and this and I had an old beat up 1984 Oldsmobile Delta 88. >> It was already beat up then and my father wanted everyone to know who I was. I shouldn't make trouble on the road. So he got me license plates Glock 26. So you know what you have a car but fine. Anyway, I'm driving on a Thursday night on the prospect. I'm literally coming around like between Fort Hamilton and Church Avenue where even then the speed limit dropped. Now I think it's 35 the whole time, but then it was like, you know, it dropped and this troop, this officer, highway cop pulls me over. I'll never forget it like it was yesterday. Pull over, license, registration, insurance, no problem. I give it to him and I give him some PBA cards and this. Who's this? Said my father. Who's your father? Rabbi Glock. Really? Yeah. Okay, I'm sick and tired of everybody saying they're related to Rabbi Glock. If you would be Rabbi Guck's son, your license would be to 56 Street in Burough Park, not to Rocklin County, and your car would be there, and you're just trying to abuse the name. And the guy wrote me seven tickets. >> Okay. >> Seven tickets. And the last one that he wrote me, I'll never forget, was called Greater Than Prudent. You ever heard of somebody getting a ticket for Greater Than Prudent? >> I don't know what that means. Thank you. Me neither. So, what it really means is let's say the speed limit is 35, but it's pouring rain, so really you shouldn't go more than 10 >> speed. >> So, it's the common sense ticket. >> I've gotten a greater improvement. >> You got to you probably >> on a jet ski. >> Okay. >> On a lake and they gave me a speeding ticket and I showed up. >> Rabbi, I'm I'm curious. You're hearing all these stories from your son sitting right here and I'm sure you have a lot of proud moments that you have. >> Was he a difficult child? Don't forget I was acknowledged all the truth on my last episode here and I even told him about me going to jail. >> So now you can answer the question. I like him. My father had a big >> Was he a difficult child? >> No. >> No, not to you. Even with all the trouble that was being made, >> he was very good. Good-hearted from when he was a little infant. Good-hearted. Really good. >> That wasn't the question. >> And how did you know he was going to be a successor in at what point? >> I heard stories about him. >> [laughter] >> You know, TV mentioned a minute ago that he, you know, we were laughing about our ADHD. >> Yeah. >> Right. You're familiar with that term. ADHD. >> Very familiar. >> Okay. So So you've had to deal with children that had the ADHD, >> I guess. >> Before they knew what it was. >> Yeah. Before they knew what it was. >> I wasn't take I wasn't on meds then. Now I'm on meds. Then I wasn't. >> Yeah. Two patch or uh >> What did you call it back then? I mean, was there ADHD? Did you know >> a That's it. That's it. But a good vaya, a good-hearted >> I'll take that. >> So, so what you know, looking back, what what can we learn from what he did as a child? You know, you're growing up with a ADHD son who's a vai who's good-hearted who's using your name in vain. [laughter] In >> vain. I'm kidding. >> Not in [clears throat] vain. It was for real purpose. One second. That's anything but vain. >> I say, what can we learn from it? I'm just I'm wondering like you as a parent, what you know, as as being a parent, you know, you're busy. You're out there. You're doing >> very simple. So you can learn that if you do the right thing and you do it like because you really believe him because Shmayim your children will follow and will do the same thing. That's it. >> Beautiful. >> They they use you as an example. My father did this, my did this that I'll do it too. I'll do it better. and uh >> what what are what are some of your >> these organizations that Rabbi Gluck started you know whether it's at Salah gives the opportunity for good kindhearted goodhearted people with ADHD a place to really express themselves and do good and go running in the streets at 4:00 in the morning doing good these organizations gave an outlet >> and now we have 18 other I have a question for you. This happened um at your wedding. >> Okay. >> Um a comment that I heard because you had a lot of hats people there and a lot of people that are asim people, you know, for those listening who don't know the word, you know, we have a lot of non-Jewish listeners listening. And the wordin is rabbi, how would you translate the word asin? >> A do good. >> A do good. Someone that just do does good. the the common denominator that I heard from people that I was talking about, oh, your your husband does so good. I was talking to the to we were couples hanging out together and we were talking about doing good for the community and someone said to me and my wife at the time that I wish my husband was home as much as he is on calls and I'm curious, how do you have that work life or ask and balance? >> So, I'm I'm not I'm not going to let my father answer that question. Why? >> And I'll tell you why. And I'm sorry. You can answer it afterwards. >> Okay. >> When I was growing up, there was no balance. My father was never home. I've said this publicly. I've said it in front of him. I resented him at times for it growing up. I swore I'm never going into public service. As a result of it, obviously got the last laugh. Um but what I realize now right and I'm going to say this in a way that is so first of all I try very hard to overcompensate to that with my kids I will tell you that the amount of time my father gives my kids okay meaning even now my father learns with my son every single day he's in yeshiva my father learns with him every day on the phone >> so there is that but in those days what I learned now getting older is that there was nobody else so it wasn't like you know and again people say this all the time it's like oh people are looking for an excuse to leave the house in those days you weren't calling somebody else whether you had a passport emergency somebody died in a foreign country somebody got arrested somebody needed an autopsy whatever it was there was only one number you called Rabbi Gawk but did I appreciate it as a child no but as the balance my father unfortunately did not have it but I learned to understand it and and respect what it I'm going back to your dad. I'm sorry. I have to I I need to ask this question to you because >> I feel that there's a lot of people that have this challenge and I know you say that back then there was only one number to call. Today there are plenty of organizations that help with plenty of different things >> and plenty of members available. But there's still that notion of I wish my husband was more home than he is answering calls or going to fix something for someone or going to pick up someone. So I'm curious from your experience based on your history and knowledge and knowing raising kids and hearing what he just had to say what your response to that is. How the response is that that a lot of that that credit goes to my wife in the middle of PES I was in my man's hospital in the middle of William Kiper I was five times in the hospital with different patients and I mean all these things and my wife was able to to to say okay you know keep on doing it and >> let me let me let me rephrase the question >> if if we were to ask you what advice would you give somebody today who's getting involved in public service based on the fact that it's a different culture today than it was back then. What would your advice be to someone, especially if the wife is already starting to make comments about it? >> Keep on doing what you have to do. That's all that's my that's my advice. >> Yeah. Keep on doing what you have. As long as the problem comes to you, solve it. >> But what if the problem is that your wife needs you at home? >> Solve it. So that's got the bigger problem. [laughter] >> No. So this reminds me of that famous the famous story that never happened, right? The mal of the guy that was in when he was coming late every day. Finally the Rashk said to him, "Listen, if you don't come on time tomorrow, you're not getting paid. We're done. This is a job for you." Okay. So for the next week, he comes on time and then again he comes late. Rashk says, "What'd you do?" He goes, "Listen, I was on the way in and there was a woman with five kids and she needed help. She had nobody to help her." He goes, "Oh, so you did a mitzvah." He goes, "Yeah, okay. Very nice." The next day, again, the same woman with five kids. He goes, "Yeah." >> By the third day, he goes, "It's my wife. She's a woman with five kids. If I leave, there's nobody to help." It's a very old school way of thinking, and I'm not saying this in a bad way, but it's just something to understand >> that in today's day and age, the answer is I'm home. I turn off my phone. >> You know, we we speaking of old school, you said earlier that you're not afraid and in general that attitude. Were you ever nervous about something? Was there ever something that like got you nervous or were you nervous about meeting somebody? >> When when when Cuomo called me and told me you can't sign the bill that made me like hysterical like you I went to the Senate. I went to the assembly. We got everything passed and all of a sudden now when it comes to signing the bill you said you can't because you're getting calls from the police chiefs and everything else and Ravik rescued the the situation >> by by reviewing it. >> By by reviewing it >> you know it said here about the president the community award. Did you ever meet any of the presidents of the United States? Yeah, there's even >> which ones did you meet? >> Carter. >> Bush senior. >> Bush senior. Yeah. >> Was it a private meeting or was it like a public meeting? >> Bush senior was like a private mixon. >> Uh >> can we bring up somebody else you met? >> Yeah. >> No, we'll get to that in a minute. Um but one second. The pope. We met the pope. Yes. What would you like to know? [laughter] >> Anything you'd like to share? >> One thing. When did this happen? >> I mean, he's he's no longer alive. He's no longer with us that pope. >> Yeah. >> As much as you want to share the backstory. The post story. >> There's no backstory. There's no post story. It was just we my father has been meeting popes for years. >> And how was the outcome for >> Well, let's say the best one was John Paul. John Paul was a sic when they asked him in KCKO. I mean when he became pope and then he became 95 years old and they asked him how you living so many years you know this and that. So he says when I was in Krakco I was taking the children out of monasteries all those who were put in bed of war and I had a list of all the children and those children that had parents we got them united reunited with them and those parents that did we sent them to Israel on the on the church's expense and that and came through Krakco and he gave me a blessing >> gave me a blessing that I'm going to live long >> blessed the pope before he was pope he was a priest >> the plain priest in in KCO, >> but I think they want to hear more about I think I think he really is asking more about like the the the Pope viral video. >> So, I'm not sure what you're referring to. >> I want to know what led up to it. You know what? I'm sorry. What are we talking about? >> Okay. Okay. Wait a second. Let's go backwards. No, no, no. Let's go backwards cuz he doesn't even know what we're what we're even leading into. So, let's just take it back a step. What's the Pope's story? So my father has been dealing with the Vatican for many many years especially in Eastern Europe where the Vatican is the most respected institution because having the Vatican on your side means you can get back cemeteries, you can get back shaves and not having them inside doesn't. So my father's been involved with them for years. Um there's a cute story I'll say. So Benedict when he was flying to I I found this out by accident at a bar mitzvah a few years ago where I'm sitting by a bar mitzvah and this guy tells me you know I this guy my friend's father is not Jewish his mother's Jewish they're Russian and his father works worked for the Russian government as the Vatican correspondent for the media for the Russian government media and he was sitting smoozing and he's telling me his story he goes you should know that my father who was next to it was me him his father it was his son's mates who was sitting there goes goes I was the I was the correspondent and and we went to Poland and when we were on the plane the pope made a speech to all of us that out of respect nobody should speak to me in Germany when we're in Poland in German because we don't want to and then some rabbi sits right next to the pope in Awitz before the ceremony and starts talking to him in German and he's not stopping and they're having a lengthy conversation so I take out my phone show him I said is this the rabbit Ah said, "Oh, that's my father. My father was born in Germany. He spoke German fluently." That story to go backwards and then we'll get to this one is my father was work somebody made a comment that their grandmother knew about a mass grave in a certain area in Poland. So my father who bar I say this this thinking outside the box is really what got it all done came up with a great idea. Let's do a school project where we're going to ask the local kids to speak about what their grandparents say and through that we'll extract the information and we'll know about it. Right? So project is done >> and one of the reports come back and it talks about the grandmother witnessing many people being killed and buried. So my father reaches out to the local priest and he says I'm not talking to you. I'm not involved. I'm not giving you the property. Like leave me alone. After my father had this story speaking in Germany the front page of the papers was the rabbi and the pope. This priest came running back to my father saying I'll give you the property. I'll give you everything. So you talk about these things. They got back a mass grave from that meeting. So we this pope meeting was my father. My father meaning my father has reasons to meet the pope and his reasons got successfully. I mean tell them tell them what happened. Well, there's one town where I got a call from somebody that uh he wants me to somebody in my shel came over to me and he says to me his father-in-law and mother-in-law in a grave in this town and uh it's right near Leens. So when you go to Lejens, stop off over there and see if you can see the graves. I go to Leansk and I tell my driver next stop is he says where? I tell him, "Louache, Luachv, that's 190 kilometers from here." I said, "Listen," I told the guy, "I'm going, so I have to go." I come there and I go around the houses around the cemetery and I asked for the key because usually he gave them that time was a dollar and I get $5, but they give me key. >> And um the lady comes out to me, there five people there don't have any key. She says to me the all the historical objects including the keys and everything else are by the museum in Lubetub just called the director of the museum. In essence I called the director and thank God he spoke English and he says in a few minutes I'll be there. Comes and he says to me what are you doing here? I said well I came to check on the grave. Why don't you go where to kill the Jews? I said what? They killed 2,500 Jews and but I said where's that? He says two and a half kilometers from here. I'll take you. So I drove with him, shows me [snorts] a field that's like four baseball field, four basketball fields. I mean like like from 11th Avenue to 18th Avenue in Brooklyn and Burough Park. I mean, and he says to me, "Where?" So I made my meeting, the United States, I'm a member of the United States Commission for Preservation America's Heritage Abroad. So I made a meeting, a public hearing and four or five people came down, 90 years old, 92 years old, this and they said, "Yeah, we sort of killed they they killed the Jews, but they told us not to tell anything. In fact, they told us uh I sat in my house for a week. I didn't even walk out. I didn't open the window because they said if I come out and they're going to shoot me." And he says they shot 2,500 Jews. They took them from the airport. They took them from from the from the movies, from the this from the synagogues. And so I meet with the I asked the meeting with the mayor and the governor. So I meet with them and they said, "You're never going to get this property. Forget it." Why? Because they're making a branch of the Walder Historia here and they're making the largest shopping center in Poland because it's only 14 kilometers from Ukraine. So all the rich people go back and forth through this area. So they're making the largest shopping center and they're fighting each other. So if the one says $25,000 for the property, the other one says $30,000. So I said, "So whose property is it?" He says, "The church." Said, "Okay." A week later, I'm invited to meet with Pope Benedict. And we spoke about this and that and etc etc. And like the American ambassador comes to me, says, "You're the rabbi. You go first." I said, "No, you're the ambassador. You go first." So he spoke to him 11 seconds. President of Poland says to me, "You go first. You're the rabbi." I said, "No, you're the president." Okay. 11 seconds. The Israeli ambassador, he look 11 seconds, comes to me. I start speaking to them in German. He spoke three and a half minutes. All the press came running over to me. What did you discuss? I said, when two religious leaders speak, it's not for the press to know. They took my name out of the article. They took my picture. They were furious. They wanted to kill me. Was it this is like a day later, I went back to that place and I said, "So, it's the press that it's the property of the church. Where's the priest?" He says, "He's waiting for you to call him." Said, "Okay." I call him. He says, "I'll be there in few minutes." You have a meeting with the governor and the mayor. All of a sudden, you're never going to get this property. And in 90 days, the final bid is coming down as to who's getting it. So, you have 90 days to work on it. Priest comes in. He says, "What did you discuss yesterday with the Holy Father?" I said we discussed where if you see a Jewish grave or Jewish bones or any artifacts that are religious things, you have to contact me immediately and I'm supposed to make sure that have a proper property is yours. No money, no nothing. Property is yours and the that that town is four hours from KCO and the head of the Jewish community went with me four times there. each time eight hours. And we worked out a deal that they said, "Okay, you're you're you're you got to give 40,000 because we're going to make a road coming here. We're gonna make this that." And then they said, you know, um, "How do you know exactly where the graves are?" I said, "Well, I take these metal rods and I go over and I can tell you exactly where the graves are." But I called up Rabbi Schlesing in London and I said, "Send me somebody from the Eastern European rabbis. I don't want to say that I found it and I get it and I didn't and this and that. It looks like too much self-promotion. I need some other organization to blame. So, so he sends me somebody. The guy sees me. He says to me, "You're here. You're our expert for the graves. I'm not going to do it." I said, "Okay, but just say you did it." I took the >> And what do you do? >> I I I go We go over an area that's hollow. The stick starts shaking and you know exactly >> when it goes between the bones. So, there's two metal sticks. It's based on the ground penetrating uh radar. >> Yeah. >> And sonar, which it happens to be that after they did this, my father to be a Yaki, cuz he's still a Yaki, ended up hiring a company that does the ground penetration. >> I I I had a company that was the the archaeological college of Poland. And I said, I'll bring three professors. No, the mayor calls me up. He says, I don't believe in this what you did. Maybe it's hocus pocus. >> Yeah. >> I said, you're right. You don't have to believe in it. So, I'll get the the archaeology college in Poland to verify it. I went to here, put in a stick. Here, put in a stick. Here, put in a stick and here put in a stick. Put in each each one. We hired the we made a contract with them. We hired them and exactly where I put in the stick. That's where they said they had their their big like looks like a ge, you know, it's like it isn't. So they said 99% you're right, but to be 100% we have to dig. I said digging doesn't forget it. There's no such thing as digging. If you're not going to take 99%, they're not going to take 100%. They call the mayor, they bring him the report and uh the priest says property is yours, but you need 40,000 for so my the head of the community bogged them not to 17,000. So I called somebody in New York, >> Cayam Silver Lobo, >> and I told him the guns. >> I called him and I said to him, "Listen, I'm here in the middle of a situation and they want $17,000. How many partners do I have?" I said, "As of now, you're it." He says, "Checks in the mail." >> And we made a cemetery. >> Givers give, >> right? Givers give. This goes givers give. >> And he says, "Checks in the mail. You got it." >> Yep. And then they did me a give me a bonus that the guy who was in charge of the museum was also in charge of the public education for the whole area not only for a town like like New York City and New York State. He was in charge of the whole the whole the whole area. And he says he's making every graduating class in June before they graduate they have to go and cut the grass and cut everything to make sure the cemetery is in good shape. >> So till today they're doing it. >> Wow. I hope to be able to visit that location one day. Rabbi, I have to say that when I started this podcast today, I said fascinating, incredible, inspiring. There's not enough words to describe how I'm feeling listening to this story. >> Just that one story, >> just >> and I'm going back with you. >> But the beauty of it is >> that would be amazing. But the beauty of it is that you were doing a favor for somebody who asked you to go check out a place and you went hours out of your way because you said you're going to go visit and then from there what happened and what happened and when now the whole school is cutting the grass of the unbelievable I'm I'm blown away. >> Not only that I found out the date and and and I put in a big >> they put a monument with the thing of the date that it happened. And then the mayor calls me and he says, "You wrote down this and this date and this, but you didn't write. The Nazis did it and they're going to suspect us." >> By the way, it's a big thing in Poland. >> It added on your rabbi. Three and a half minutes. I know it took you 11 seconds to get that deal done. What else did you talk about in that three and a half minutes with the pope? [laughter] >> Spoke about his son who was kept getting thrown out of yeshiva. You know, he was asking for advice. >> What about the current pope? Is that someone that you want to get back to the other story that he was he knows? >> He wants to get back. So the other story goes that my my father was setting up um was working on a meeting with the pope. >> I get a call from the um from the head of the he says there's a person coming now who's just promoted from archbishop to cardinal and he wants somebody from America that he can talk to and he says I told him that you have a very very interesting background. You said you have two ears and one mouth so you got to reduce by 50% what you hear in order to what you say. He says, "That's the kind of guy I'm looking for." So then the Israeli ambassador ambass ambassador called me. Can you meet with the pope? I says, "I don't know." He says, "That American ambassador calls me." I says, "Of course, today or tomorrow." He says, you know, like that. And I meet with him and he says to me, I don't want anybody to know about this, but the the previous John Paul's house in Poland, we want to buy it and it belongs to this and the psychiatrist from Park Avenue and he doesn't want to sell it. Could you be our intermediary to see if you can get if you >> This sounds like a joke. A rabbi, a pope went into the bar to go buy a house for me in Brooklyn. >> I said, "Do me a favor. You want to make money, right? You're a psychiatrist, but you still want to make money. Make a crazy price. If they give it to you, take it. That's all. He says, "Okay, you got a deal." I called back the the cardinal. I told him I worked that deal. I don't know anything about prices. I'm not a businessman. So, you negotiate with him about price, but it it is for sale. You can get it. From that time on that, that cardinal was my >> Yeah. >> Anything I wanted. Call up this priest. I have a cemetery there. Call up this one. That one. He was, >> by the way, when the smoke was rising, we were all hoping for that cardinal because this guy, when I go into Poland, right, when I went with my father, we go to meet with him. So, it's like Malus, but let me just tell, I know you're not allowed to say these things. The story goes, my father, we knew he was supposed to have a meeting with the Pope and with with Pope Francis. A friend of mine very much wanted to um meet the Pope because it's cuz it's cool. I mean, for no other reason other than, right? >> Next time you let me know. Story short, this person only travels with a minion. >> Not to miss minion, so that made the trip even bigger. But >> does his name rhyme with finer? >> I'm not sure. I don't know. You know, a lot of people took a lot of heat for that story. So, if you're going to publish this, you got to get that permission first. >> I'm I'm a big clus of Rabbi Pinson. >> So, >> so I'm just saying. So, we got to be careful how we do this. >> That's why I'm saying I want to bring it up and I want to bring it up with the most respect. So, I will tell you like this and it just came up recently again. >> Okay. So I'll tell you like this. I know. So it's very simple. >> I'm sorry. Just pause. What came up? Just tell me. >> Okay. The scandal was that we were by the pope. >> We were there was there was dancing with the pope. Okay. >> And there was it was the were two people with guitars and it was during spher scandal number one. Scandal number two was the song that was being sung was the scandal and that's what made public. No, no, no. But let me give you this. So So you want the story? I'll give you the real story. Okay. >> No, no. I didn't want the real story. I wanted the rumor and the scandal. Now you could tell me the real story. So the scandal that there was a song that wasn't him to the pope. Okay, got it. >> What happened was my father knew that you had to have a meeting. Laser wanted to go to make we're going to make a mat. He was going to have a minion. It was fine. So number one is by the way I found it yesterday. The morning that we get there right I don't have the envelope but the entries like cuz they everything is very formal faxes messengers. >> We're talking no but even before that like >> the Swiss I'm sorry the Swiss Guard. It's called Swiss Guard. Guard of Pakist Yeah. It's the Swiss Guard for over a couple hundred years. Yeah. It's fascinating history. >> And they still wear they still wear their costumes from like 200 years ago and they have these old bayonets. It's it's it's fascinating. >> I don't have We're sitting in the hotel. I don't have the envelope. >> I have a meeting. No envelope. What are you going to do? So I call up the phone number on one of the faxes or I fax them because we only had fax them. It was mamish. They don't they don't send they don't talk on the phone. They don't talk on the phone. Everything is fax >> because there's no copy of anything. So you can't This is the Vatican. >> 20 years ago you did this and no give us a fax number. We'll fax it. >> Anyway, >> that's that's the way they communicate. >> So I send them a fax and I'm saying I hope the guy responds like who knows if he's Anyway, we get a response back literally within a few minutes to the hotel fax machine. Okay, just tell them when you get there that you're with the Grand Rabbi's meeting with the Pope. So I announced it louder than I guess I should have. So we go to the pope, my father, me, laser, with like five of us, right? That was all we were planning on going was just a certain group and we go and we end up going inside for the meeting and the meeting was like a 45minut sit down. >> They they they wrote down rabbi and and uh holy father five minutes. After 27 minutes, his people came in and started pointing on watches like >> and he and and he actually chased them out. But it got interesting. So the pope only spoke in Latin with a translator. When it gets to me, what do you do? I said, I run an organization deal victims of sexual abuse and addiction. And in English, he goes, the holiest work, my son. The holiest work. And he then starts talking to me. We're having a conversation. Fine. As we're done, right, we're walking towards the foyer to go back to the waiting area where the pope is going to greet the other few people that came with us to shake their hands or whatever, right? Fine. And I have the video. I'll I'll show you some of it. As we come out, you hear me laughing and you hear the pope laughing hysterically, like a laugh. What happened? As we're going through that doorway, I I said, you know, we understand that the Vatican has a $1 trillion fund to pay for therapy for victims of abuse. Is there a possibility for Ammudim to get that money to help pay for victims therapy? And he looks me straight in the face and goes, "It was meant for priests, and I don't mean a cohane." Boom. >> That is. >> And we just we both started cracking up. Now, to give you the real story, and you might have to edit some of this out, but I'm going to pull it up. So, the real story goes that we come out and we see everybody there, including the whole group that we were there with. What happened? >> We found out later they were smart. As soon as they heard that the keyword was, I'm with the Grand Rabbi's visit. They waited 5 minutes after we got into the taxi. They took another taxi. What's the worst that can happen? Either they'll let us in or they won't. Right? So, we had no idea. Laser didn't We didn't know any of this, right? All of a sudden, what ends up happening is we come out and these guys are they with the guitars and the pope says, "Oh, you brought the joyful ones in English, not in Latin, >> but he didn't speak English officially." >> Yeah, he spoke the joyful ones. What's the joyful ones? What are you talk like? What's joyful? Right. And then he points to them and I turn around and I was like, "Oh, this is like you know right away something is going like it it's just okay." Now these guys were part of a choir with Yu or whoever that when Pope John Paul II came, >> they sang a certain Jewish song to him. So let me show you out of respect. >> The first thing was the pope after they speak for three minutes, the pope says, "Wait, I'm going to get you my secretary of state. You'll be in direct communication. Anything you need from the Vatican, the secretary of state is your direct contact. >> And >> so for him, it was worth it. >> Cemeteries. >> Most of the property in Poland is owned by the church. >> Have you ever gone to see any of the artifacts that they have, Jewish art? >> I asked them point blank. >> I asked point blank. >> You know what they told me? >> It's not here. >> If we have stuff here, >> then we're going to give it to Israel because we're close to the Israeli government. >> Do you believe them? >> No. I figured, okay, if there's things that have to be buried, the Israel government will take it and make a monument out of it and make a public showing out of it instead of burying it and everything else. I said, if that's the case, >> I'm not asking anymore cuz I know that government cannot be like they dig for dead [clears throat] people all the time and everything else. I mean, they can't be trusted. So once he's >> more difficult time with the Israeli government than the American government when it comes to >> then more difficult time with the Israeli government than with the Vatican. And by the way the worst thing that we had and I remember this as a kid when they were doing Highway One and my father was then rebuilding some of the cemeteries and they turned to him and said wait if Israel could do it why can't we build over a cemetery and that was a big issue but here listen to this. >> Wow. Anything [music] wrong with this song being sung? >> I don't think there's anything wrong with any song being >> one second. So the sphere part with the music again we didn't know but again >> but this was the song. This was the song wasn't meant for >> it happened to be that the when we used to travel to different when we used to travel different parts of the world that was our like anthem, >> right? Like the end song. >> It was just the end. And and one of the younger guys there just started humming it not even thinking of anything was literally just humming it like >> and the pope turns and goes that sounds sounds nice. What? So at that point you start singing it and nobody thought about the context of the words or what it meant. It just became like it and it's a catchy song and then the pope starts dancing. >> And who did you personally or you personally care that had a problem? >> So >> where who was affected? >> I will be honest. Me I don't care about anybody. What happened was when we were getting on the plane one of the people that was there leaked the video. Now mind you, Ali Talia, seven and a half hours, no internet. So by the time we land, >> this is all over certain media and everybody's commenting and they're commenting about the about the Stryal and the Beckash and this and that. But it didn't matter. We didn't care. But there were certain people that were there that in the groups that they were part of and you mentioned him, right? That within their community, this is like Lahashmid Lahar and it's the worst thing in the world. >> My question is was he the worst fallout? But my my father went to bat for him big time. My father went to meet with the heads of the shop. >> Did you did you see any problem with any of this? >> No. I mean not at all because the the the bottom line is >> he got what he needed. >> He got what he needed. >> That was my question. >> The bottom line that's the bottom line. When I went after that to a priest >> and you got this the dancing rabbi holy father the dancing rabbi. >> Yeah the dancing rabbi. >> That was until today. I gone to priest now till today they they say oh you're the one who so it ended up that that song and that dancing >> that video and the viralness >> was actual >> is what made you gave you so much power today. >> So you you people don't realize mindblowing literally one of the people that were there came over to me last week at a bar mitzvah >> struggling still with the whole fallout from it. They were very nervous that they were going to lose a big part of their business because of it from a certain sect. And he came over to me goes, I just want to let you know that specific sect I am so deep entrenched with right now more than ever. Everything I thought I was going to lose and you know what I'm talking about. But the whole idea, you know, he was still super uncomfortable and he wanted to have meeting with Rein to discuss it. Still last week it came out. He came to Rabbi Pinto to Rabbi David Pinto and told him, you know, Rabbi Glock went and this and that and he just said he had probably had good reason to go. That's all left at that. >> Now, on my perspective, being public enemy number one, especially since it was in the early days of Ammudam >> in the early days of the internet >> and the early days of the internet, understand that that Shabas, we flew out on the Mat Shabas. That Shabas was the Tormasur Convention. Before this whole trip started, I actually discussed it with Revelia Britney. I said, "Listen, we got invited. My father's going and you know, Laser wants to come." And he goes, "Listen, you're going, you're doing good things." He goes, "Something's going to come out of it because there's always haters out there and haters are going to hate." That was Realy's whole line. And which was great that I went to him because by the time I got back, a lot of the people that were upset that listen, talking about Amudum topics publicly, you know, people were not uh were not thrilled about it. And it so it was very good because he knew about it. So there was really no fallout at the end. And let me say it like this. The haters are going to hate no matter what. If I sneeze the wrong way, the haters are going to hate me for sneezing. If I So at the end of the day, like my father's says, what he needed was accomplished. And through this, I got LinkedIn messages from people all over the world for different things based on that video. They saw the video, they did a Google reverse search. my image. It's like the weirdest things have happened. Then it was in all the Catholic papers the next day with the pope dances with rabbi group and they made it as a big as a like a thing. >> You feel there's a way you know we know when Msiah comes all the nations there'll be one then how's that going to play out with the Muslims, the Christians, the Jews. How at your age now after everything you've seen dealing with all the different religions in the world is there a way of peace? Is there a path forward of peace? >> That's all that's all we have to rely on. Same thing with the >> do they hate us? >> Do they deep down hate us? Does the Vatican >> the I can't say the Vatican hates us. But I mean, we could say that. That's what I was going to say. But the I mean, >> but you've never experienced it. >> When you're there, it's always >> the Vatican. >> No, of respect. >> Oh, yeah. >> Yeah. Meaning the joke was that there was another very famous person who went with his family to the Pope two weeks later. >> Yeah. And there were pictures going around of the pope with us smiling and the pope with this family frowning like he was forced to be with them. And they were saying, "Oh, look, your friends were here last week, you know, and they were smiling." Um, as far as anti-semitism though, I I just want to say that although what you're saying is that, but currently look at what's going on in the world that we're living in. I mean, anti-semitism is something like it's never se it's public. It's allowed. >> The church specifically, >> the churches, >> you know, we went through the crusades. We've went go through places where Europe the church specifically people were so afraid a bishop a bishop will come to town he's going to wipe out the shoos and going to wipe out the the Jews and everything else bishop that time was a was a big thing now we have contacts directly with the pope so I mean it's like >> also don't forget the Vatican came out with an official statement already a while ago that the Jews did not kill Christ all these things but I I will also say there's one big story that we didn't even touch on and I know this is going to being longer and I don't know what we're going to do >> go for it please tati Yeah. >> You know, I always say my father Zangazant the the greatest doer in this generation in Kai Israel that I don't know a single from family in America for sure that one way or another wasn't impacted in a positive way as a result of my father. I don't know of any some anybody who has a family member that doesn't have an autopsy because New York State was the first law then other states copied anything anybody that ever called Lata right. But there was one thing that when people ask like what's your father's shining moment and he always likes to talk about the Ma area >> Slozburg >> Slozburg the original Mina area and >> I remember your car blocking off traffic by Sloburg. [laughter] I used to park there to let traffic up to the top of the part of not to let them anybody >> somebody fill me in you share the story. Do you know about the Mina area on the way upstate? >> No. Maybe Rabbi, you can tell me. >> Who went up state? >> Uh, state police. >> I went upstairs. [laughter] >> State police called me. I was a deputy assistant to the superintendent and they had problems in the Monroe 131, exit 131 of the >> 17 >> 17 people pulled up over there and started praying and they said they're going to start giving services because little kids are running on the highway. I mean because you know the father gets out standing for the kid runs out and this and that. So they start giving services. So I said you know what I went to Mario Ko I said let's legalize it. Let's find another area where cars can pull in off the road and and and say the prayers. So the first area we had was the salt area on the throughway. But that didn't work out because there was no bathrooms there. No this or that. No one second. Let's go back a second. Let just to go backwards. So that area was actually called Min area. The state police, the famous picture is Min area. Tell them what happened then. >> I got sued. >> The governor got got sued >> by who? >> A deal. >> The New York. No, the new No, not a deal. And the New York Civil Liberties Union. >> Civil Liberties Union >> violation church and state. >> And also maybe you make a Muslim area people can can spread out their carpets and and pray and why do this and why is a Jewish area and this and that. So Cuomo told him go fight go take me to court take me and the rabbi to court and he just told him to >> but when Pataki came in they said let's change the name to prayer area so that's like >> we changed it to service so then they switched it to service area >> but this was then and then there was no bathrooms no nothing so >> so we moved to the to this to the >> area rest area >> and uh >> but even then Slosburg It was on the grass on the right, meaning there was like the parking lot and then the all over the place like you know >> and the funniest part is that used to walk out with their jackets and their hats and walk out and this and that and he's saying and all [laughter] at the same time. >> Rabbi, I'm curious in your phone, who's the most uh highest level person you have in America when it comes to, you know, the get out of jail free card? Who who do you got in there today in today's day and age? Do you still have contacts like you had in those days? >> I have contacts at from time to time depending which agency you went where. >> Ever have any dealings with Trump? >> Yeah. With his father. >> Really? >> I helped his father. His father came to my office with a big long limousine. FWT was the license plate number. He was building Trump Village in Coney Island and the people were demonstrating against him and he was threatened. So I arranged 24-hour police coverage for him and he never forgot it. It was like [clears throat] Rabbi >> I'm going to say I I will never forget this interview. I really really appreciate it. Uh you know being the first of the podcast of uh together with your son. It was so nice to have both of you here. Thanks for filling in the shoes and uh bringing amazing perspective. You have good stories to tell. I want to ask you what do you think is the biggest challenge facing the Orthodox Jewish world today if you had to point >> anti-semitism >> anti-semitism now became it now became an instinct to do and it used to be like a guy I was an anti-semit so he was privately he cursed the Jews it is never now you could walk over and and and spill something on a Jew's face and and guess what I'm an anti-semite you're proud of it >> what what should we do about it can we do about it? >> There's nothing like dabbing and asking Hashem to to this because I mean we see from day to day the mayor's office this that everything is becoming legal legal anti-semitism. So I mean we have to pray to Hashem that he should assist us that >> in all your years in America have you seen anything like this? >> No. One second. When you were younger going [clears throat] it's worse now than it was when you were a teenager. >> Yeah. That's a very scary thought. >> That's a scary thought. So, one second. And what about like reminding everybody that we do have one big power here besides Feding? People should vote. >> Yeah, >> that is something that every election day called me right away, take me to vote, take me to vote because he came from Ukraine and there was no such thing as voting there and they etc etc. He was so happy that in America you can vote for a president and a governor and a mayor. He forced me to take him to vote. He must He must go. He must go. That was that was one of his big big big big days of the year was going. >> So how important would you say it is that people vote? >> Very very important. >> And as being Jews, as being Jews, are we better off being proud Jews or are we better off wearing the c baseball cap in, you know, in public? >> Let me tell you something. I go to Poland, I see people from Israel coming, they're wearing and everything else in Israel. They come there wearing a a cap for a drive taxi driver cap or this whatever and and I walk with my in the street every shabas and and this and I think that it's disgusting for people to hide their religion that's it got show it off and that's all that's who I am and finished and that's all >> even with all the antis be proud don't hide it >> powerful thank you I I really appreciate that and I have to mention you know again a thank you to a Big thank you to your son Si for nominating you and bringing you here. >> What you know final thoughts about what your son has been doing all these years and what he's been accomplishing amuim and all the great work that they do. What are your thoughts about it? That I'm very proud of him and Hashem should give him the kayak to keep on going and should also give him to get a lot of money so he can keep his his operation going because like he said that some of the other funding sources are drying up. So we have to make sure that the f that that they wake up not dry up and uh they should help our mmudim because ammudam is one of the few organizations that's in existence that helps people without any background anything else just you you're in trouble we're here to help you and they should have a lot of and a lot of >> amen I wish you should be out of business soon >> amen but I want to say my I'm going to ask my father if he feels comfortable my father told me something last week we sat and sat next to him by a wedding and he turns to Hey, do you remember what you said to me? >> I used to go to a wedding and they said, "Oh, like one guy came over to me last week. 52 years ago, you did me a favor and this and that and I owe you a big another guy said 58 years ago my father died and you stopped this and that." Now they come over to me your son. Fantastic. [laughter] He helped me. He helped me. And one after the other these are the thank yous I'm getting by weddings now. >> Beautiful. Beautiful. >> That's why you're alive. That's why you're here. to me that's not >> you know what this is all tremendous nas for me also and uh I really love that you came up here I really appreciate it and a thank you and a big thank you to our listeners our subscribers I always ask the last per the last question is would you sponsor someone else that you think would be a good guest >> you nominate you nominate >> who would you nominate to be a good guest on this podcast how about the pope >> as you said [laughter] how about the pope now but somebody in in New York local that you've >> made an impact or making an impact or >> sitting in that same chair sharing their life would make an impact to a big part of the listenership. >> I don't know. So many people that I know are not [laughter] with >> We're going to let you go on this one, Rabbi. On behalf of all of Kali's, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We really appreciate it again. We appreciate you coming here. Thank you, Tvi. That's a wrap. Have a great day. >> Have a good day. I [music]