RONNIE with Rabbi Chananya Greenwald - Part 2/2 (Ep. 316)

Hi, this is David Olowski and welcome to the Rev Olowski show. And whether you're watching with our friends over at Turning Time, whoever you watch or listen to your podcast, as always, we're [music] excited to have you along for the experience. And this is in fact part two [music] uh of my interview with Rabbi Kanaya Greenwald about his book Ronnie about his father Ronnie Greenwald. But before that, we have a little bits of business that we have to take care of. First of all, our PES hotel is sold out except for about 20 rooms for the first days of Pesak. So, if you're in America, probably you're not coming, but if you want to come for the seder and like for the first day, Yantiff. So, uh I still have about 20 rooms where the first half is available. Otherwise, I don't have any rooms left. I'm sorry. Um I told you it was going to happen. for Hashem. And uh some people were not sure. I was never nervous. And uh hopefully it'll go well. And I can tell you everybody's very excited. And speaking about our friends over at Torony Time, Tory Time is in the middle now of their annual fundraiser. I've been given an entire sheet over here to read, but luckily they wrote the following. Please read. Feel free to add lib. That's all I need. [laughter] All right, I'll give you the statistics. I don't need the the rest of this. I don't need because I'll tell you my own perspective. But Tori Anytime has been around for 20 years. They now over 1.6 million users, more than 18 million hours of Torah watched, and over 400,000 classes available. Okay, that's all that's all I need. Those are the facts, the figures. I don't have to tell you about Torney any time. Tory time is such an incredible resource. Now for a moment let me speak about my favorite topic which is me. Um I have for years been one of the top 10 speakers on to any time. Bear in mind that there are uh hundreds and hundreds of speakers and lists of hundreds of speakers who are waiting to get on who can't even get on. But that's because it's a forum that is dedicated to people being able to learn Torah and it's a it's always been a means for me to start to be able to spread my Torah. And I have to tell you the reason this podcast exists is because of Tory Time because Tory time basically what would happen is when I would give a speech someplace they would send someone down to film it and they put it on their website and that was it. Fine. And uh one of my former Talmid and good friends mayor Strobble one time gave me muser and said there are people who want to hear your Torah and you don't have it on. So I said uh well uh you know what do you want what do [laughter] you want me to do? You know he says he says well you should be on to any time. I said I am. He goes no you should do something on a regular basis. And I said I don't have anything on a regular basis. He says you should do something. And that was the impetus to start the Rabelowski show and put it up. And it's um what can I tell you? What are the of the top 10 things that are on any time? Uh so right now in you have no idea what it takes to make this work. You you know how many servers you need? You know how many people you need? They send people they run run around to film different speakers including me. They're filming this podcast and taking care of it and editing it and putting it up and and uh you know all the work that goes into it and they're doing this with many many speakers and the things all around the world. They have whole day seminars. They film and put together different programs. It's it's amazing what they have. I have to tell you, if you haven't heard of Tyranny Time by this point, you must be, you know, uh, living in a in in a cave someplace or you're one of those, uh, Japanese soldiers that doesn't know that World War II ended and you're still someplace elder in Eioima, you know, someplace hiding out in the jungle. I don't have to tell you about Tony Time. What I do have to tell you is people don't appreciate the fact that they need your support. This takes a lot of money. All of the speakers uh on Tony Time have their own page. So people go in and they donate to Tony Time, but they can donate it to their favorite speaker. I have to tell you there's a story with Ribakov comingi where you know everybody was ordering the chicken and they weren't having the meat, you know, and so they come to Ryakov and he's looking at the meat and he's looking at the chicken. He's pointing to the meat. He's going tya ga tya ga. you order the chicken and you're showing you're you know you're too firm to eat the meat. You know, on the other hand, the meat tastes better. Ty Ga. So, uh so, um for me, it's not Ty, it's just Ga. I I I want to try to be out a lot of the other speakers, so I need your help. [laughter] And don't get me wrong, it's very important to support to earning time. And if you give them anything and it goes to anybody, that's wonderful. But if you do uh put it on, you know, my page and say, "I'm doing this for Rebolski," I would really appreciate it personally because it's important for me to beat out many of the other speakers on [laughter] because I'm just that petty. Anyway, a lot of people have already donated. Thank you so much. And I encourage you uh right now they're in the middle of their campaign. Please give generously and make sure and give it in my name. [laughter] Okay. Uh all right. Now we come to the sponsorship. I've only got about five pages here, so hold on. This is the third of six shows sponsored in honor of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the USA. As you'll no doubt recall, Abraham Lincoln is considered by many historians, including Rabbi Burl Wine, to be the greatest president of the United States. And when I was a kid growing up, there were two holidays. February 12th was Lincoln's birthday and February 22nd was Washington's birthday. And uh these were these we were celebrated these and then they put it together into the president's day and then they made president's week. But I still remember growing up February 12th was Lincoln's birthday. He led the US through its greatest moral, constitutional and political crisis, the US Civil War. Everyone knows this. He preserved the Union, abolished slavery, and strengthened the federal government. There were people in the north who wanted to let the South secede, and Lincoln insisted on holding the country together. It's very interesting thing. There's these people who have a whatif. It's like a whatif type of site. And one of them is what would have happened if they didn't have the civil war or if the North would have lost. And it's just terrible. uh world history would have uh changed for the negative. And he makes that point. Yeah. In the 20th century, it was the US military that stopped uh Japan, Nazi Germany, communist Russia. It's now the only thing standing in the way of communist China, and radical Islam from dominating the world. And of course, it has been a major backer of the state of Israel since 1967 in a world that is hostile to Jews and Israel. And there's no question if if we did not hold the United States together and if Abraham Lincoln was not insistent of this, then uh world history would have ended uh much worse for many people. Dr. The event Miller writes in H.com that President Lincoln has been called America's most biblically literate president. He would regularly quote from the Bible in speeches uh letters etc. But here's what's very interesting is that he had a tendency to quote more from the new the Old Testament than the New Testament. And in fact, Lincoln mentions God over 420 times in his surviving letters, and he never mentions directly Yashka. Interesting. Um, and unlike many American Christians, listen, if there wasn't uh well, of course there was. There was anti-semitism in America too, but uh not as bad obviously in Europe, but to embrace Jews uh I told the story once uh where Bulitzki who was an older of young of New Height Park and I was running NCI had a chapter in his and his sh and I said to him once didn't you go out and protest why weren't you guys screaming and yelling what was going on and he said to me Ber you don't know what you're talking out. You never grew up seeing a sign on a building that said no Jews or dogs allowed. You didn't know that there were schools that didn't let in Jews and there were businesses that wouldn't hire Jews and and there were and there were clubs that wouldn't allow in Jews. We we did not have the strength and acceptance we have today. So the fact that Abraham Lincoln had friends friends who were Jews. So one of them is Julius Hammers law. Uh he met him when he was Lincoln was elected as Illinois state legislature 1834. And uh he included him in his uh you know in his social circle. And this fellow was not just Stam, an assimilated Jew. Uh he was the secretary of Baltimore's Hebrew Assistance Society in 1865. And when they built their synagogue, he was his first president. And even when Lincoln became president, he invited this Yid Hamslaw to be a frequent guest at the White House. He had another friend, Abraham Jonas, a Kentucky merchant, lawyer, and politician who supported and encouraged Lincoln for most of his life. Lincoln even referred to him as one of my most valued friends. Now, one of the things about Lincoln that was fun is he used to, first of all, he used to tell amazing stories and uh and he also used to um have uh these uh these quips, quotes, some of the most famous quotes. Uh one of them, of course, is from the Lincoln Douglas debates. Uh a country cannot stand uh you know, it cannot have a house divided against itself. A country cannot stand half slave and half free. But there are a lot of famous quotes. Uh, you can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry. I destroy my enemies by when I make them my friends. That that quote was actually first said by Schwan Nugget. Human action can be modified to some extent, but human nature cannot be changed. Mo most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. And this one, of course, the famous one. You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time. When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That is my religion. Those who look for the bad of people will surely find it. The ballot is stronger than the bullet. Uh nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. This one's another famous one. Better remain silent to be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt. America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. And of course, Lincoln's most famous speech was the Gettysburg address. The Battle of Gettysburg was the greatest the the the worst I say the greatest the biggest battle ever fought uh in North America. Over 50,000 casualties. And it went on for three days. July 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. And uh and July 4th, after it finally ended, they dedicated Gettysburg uh to be a uh a battlefield. So when they dedicated the military cemetery, the main speaker was Edward Everett. He spoke for two hours, 13,000 words. And then Lincoln spoke for two minutes, 10 sentences, 272 words, four score. And seven years ago, our forefathers brought to this brought to this continent a new nation, right? Everyone knows it. The day after Everett wrote Lincoln, I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I what I said in two hours was as good as what you said in two minutes. Um, Lincoln insisted that Jewish chaplain be able to serve in the military. He repealed Ulissiz Srant's order expelling Jews from Tennessee. And a few hours before he was assassinated, Lincoln's wife wrote that Lincoln wanted to go to the Holy Land. And on the fifth fifth day of Pesak 1865, he was assassinated. And uh, you know, they people say that his connection to Pesak freedom from oppression, ending slavery, etc. was like that. I want to add one last uh um personal experience that I had. Um Sri Kushki told me a story. He he he quoted Abraham Lincoln. He said there was this uh fellow who appealed to Abraham Lincoln for a job in the national government. and uh and Lincoln wrote to the person in charge and said,"I think he would be a good candidate for the job. I think he would do a good job." The person came to him and said, "Mr. President, do you know what this person says about you behind your back? He says the worst things about you. He says terrible things about you." And Abraham Lincoln responded, "Nobody asked me what he thinks about me. They asked me what I think about him and I think he would do a good job and he looked at me and said a good but a lot of wisdom. [laughter] So that was Shalowski making that observation and uh you know the uh uh there there are certain people who are people of the moment who are put into a situation where they can make a deep impression on the world and uh you know Abraham Lincoln is one of those people and now the second part of my interview with Rabi Kanan at the very end of the book because I read the whole book. Just coming in the end of the book, your mom writes the following. And I didn't know what to make out of this because throughout the entire book, he's written like a superhero. And she says, "Listen, you read a book like this, you have to remember he was just a regular guy." >> And our marriages, our marriage had its ups and downs, >> as do many. I was shocked by that line because that doesn't because the way you wrote it is your dad is Batman and she's Robin and the two of them are running around >> your life also. >> No, that's very interesting. [laughter] >> The truth is >> I should not argue with Batman. I remember this villains right now. Let's go. >> That's right. They that the that they somebody wrote it's very true when you think about it. Batman was who he really was. Bruce Wayne was his was his disguise, you know, because he wasn't really Bruce Wayne. He didn't care about what Bruce Wayne stuff. He only cared about Batman stuff, you know. So, you read this book and it sounds like the two of them. Your dad kept inviting people to move into his house. >> Usually my mom invited them. I mean, my my >> No, but there was times when my mom invited her say, "Yo, come live with us." >> Yeah. Well, I guess he would just go over to your mom and say, "Oh, I just invited this person to come and live with us." And at no point your mom was like, "What? Don't you think you should have checked with me first? You know, were we going to put them exactly? What happens when the kids want to come for Shabas with?" It was just like, "Yeah, okay." >> Aloki, there's 140,000 words in the book. You want there to be 750,000 words. >> But I'm just interested in this. What does she mean by the marriages? Did they with Did they fight? Did you ever see them fight? She said, "I had enough out of you, Ronnie. This is craziness. I have enough. Stop it already." >> Okay. So, the answer to that question is no. I never saw them fight. >> Okay, then what? >> Let me finish this kind. Let me finish [laughter] like like there are no blew me away. There are no superheroes. >> They didn't fight, but they had disagreements. They had they had they had things they they had arguments. >> We never saw it turn into a fight. A fight is when people are insulting each other. They're trying to hurt each other. They're yelling at each other. That's a fight in our book. >> I heard your father raise his voice. >> Not at my mother. No. >> Okay. >> Me. [laughter] >> You? No. You know you were. Okay. One second. Do you remember? I'm going to get back to remember when >> I've been yelled at by some of the best people in the world. >> You don't remember when we first met? >> I don't remember. I remember cuz I was just like this high school kid. >> Oh my god. >> People were singing at the NCSY Shabaton, the Grand Shabaton, whatever they call in in National in the hotel over there. It was View Hotel. That's right. And they're singing Ani Orlo Beasa Orlo. I'm just saying. Okay. That's when we first met. Okay. So, you are like a superhero. Now, getting back to real people. So, they >> I am like disagree. Like, there's no light. There's no life. You're a superhero. So, >> you're just like dressing up in spandex. But anyway, yeah. [laughter] >> I didn't realize what that t was made. >> Yeah. Yeah. You got >> Okay. I'm underdressed, by the way. This is okay, right? I'm not Rasheed. amazing thing. So, so they could disagree. They were very different personalities. >> All right. Yeah. [clears throat] I'll tell you a story. A good story. By the way, >> I want to tell you a good story about that. >> Based on the way Zakaya described your mother, >> she sounded much more straight laced and your dad sounds like a crazy person just by the way that >> crazy. >> When I say crazy person, I mean like >> sort of madness. >> Madness. >> Yeah. So, so she had to be a little bit mad also because she went along with this. So, it's it she was the perfect straight man. >> So, if you want, >> you know, Costello hated Abbott. >> So, she wasn't >> but she couldn't she couldn't get he couldn't get rid of him because he couldn't find anybody as good as Abbott. He was just too good. >> You would know something like that, right? >> I'm a fountain of worthless information. So, so, so they did not see the world the same way, but their core values were the same. >> Yeah. >> And was like just kind of built into it. If you I I was recently speaking to a very elderly woman whose husband had passed away in her 90s. She was she's raised probably about 90. They ran a huge charitable foundation and they gave away just, you know, hundreds of millions of dollars to causes in their in their state. And she said to me, "Well, Sam used to say, we we can, therefore, we must." Or maybe you say, "We must because we can." And I kind of feel that was my father and that is my mother. We must because we can. If we're able to, then we have to. So if we could host somebody, we have to. If we could have plenty people for shabas, we have to. If we if we can't, then we then we don't. >> But didn't he want down? Didn't he want downtime? >> He had down time. I don't know how he found his down time. He went to Oki Finoi. He went to, you know, whatever. Anyway, I'm going to tell you a story like this is a great argument like that. I heard them have, right? And it was uh and it was uh uh they it was on Shabas and like whole, you know, kids at risk thing was like first becoming like a subject. you know, he's been dealing with it since he's >> teenager, but you know, now it's like a thing, you know, they discovered, you know, and then there's like, wow, we're gonna talk about this as a Anyway, so he um so they're talking about, you know, kids who who who have, you know, very very bad, you know, situations in their home or whatever it is. And so my mother was like, you know, theorist, you know, you got a diamond for the kids, you got a diamond. And I think like my mother's trus is probably like why I ended up from like, you know, I'm not going to take that away. like and then and my father like dear if you're beating the heck out of the kid right and then you're diving in for HIM THAT'S NOT going to work [laughter] and I was like that's my parents and she's like of course not >> your mom was beating you I don't >> No no no he's saying that if you want you can't just beat your kid up and do that he's going to be good you have to be good to your child if you want him to grow up good right and and >> well you have to beat him to Davin >> yeah that that [laughter] we know that that I recently did a survey of some kids who were speaking in like really elegant French and Yiddish. And I asked them, um, uh, how many of you had your mouths washed out as kids? Every single one of them. I was like, it really worked. And that's the only thing you say like, no, terrible. They that the language and it doesn't work, right? We that wasn't that wasn't the way they raised us. That wasn't what they did. And this what that they my father believed that you have to, you know, you have to give kids space. You have to be good to them and you have to be kind to them. you have to teach them good messages and whatever. So he was focusing on that. My mother was focusing on adineing. Neither one of them disagreed that he believed you had to adopt for your kids and she believed you had to be good to your kids. >> But who gave you where the focus was? >> My father disciplined us. >> Doesn't sound like that way from the book. >> The girls didn't let me write what he did to me. [laughter] >> It's he No, he he he >> when does that mean I mean my father >> joking? I know I'm >> My father had only one educational device that he got from his father. He took off his belt and he beat you. That was it. That was all he had. >> The only tool you have is a hammer. >> And every problem was a nail. >> Problem is a nail. He had a lot more tools at his disposal. Uh the rolling pin. No, [laughter] he Sorry. >> [laughter] >> First of all, if my father was upset, if he disapproved, that we took that very heavily. We did not that wasn't that that mattered. You don't have to hit a kid. If he was upset at us, that was very upsetting to us. So, if we if we did something that was like not appropriate, I had a very inmperate mouth as a I mean, you never encountered this. You did actually. But, you know, if you forgot the story, I'm grateful. Oh, because >> I assume Jupiter got it when he was six. >> Anyway, so >> could I imagine what you said? I don't know. I have parts in my life that I'm missing. I was like, okay, hopefully that one. >> Yeah, why not? Not even true that, you know, the the but that that mistakenly um and and he did not approve of it and he would talk to me about it. But see, he could talk to me about that. The things that we get punished for were lying [snorts] and mistreating someone else like for for being like bum. He would not punish for lying. I could get a slap. I never got beat but I get a slap. Didn't get so many in there my whole life. Couple but okay. And then at a certain point he said slapping you cannot do it in this generation. And that was it. He never did it again. Of course, by then I was 6 feet tall. [laughter] No, but in all seriousness, like he it really really seriously it could be like a what do you call it? It was a flick. It wasn't no such thing. He never he never beat us. He never heard about he never wanted to hurt us. >> So he but he did the discipline if he would if he would, you know, I mean my mother could also discipline us. They could both discipline us. We did what what kind of discipline did we need already? I'm saying like what you have to also let kids grow. Kids will be kids. You have to know that. They knew that. Did you all get up in the morning and go to school? >> We all back then everybody went to school. School. The question is, what did we do in school? [laughter] >> I have some I got some real stories about that. But, you know, he we No, he went to school and he kind of put up with it. He was not great like at sitting in school himself, >> right? Yeah. He never graduated high school. >> You know what he told us? He would always say >> him and his him and his father together told us this story that he says yeah if he came home from school and said the rebi gave you a patch you know what happened why if the reb you must have been there right and you know in one generation that might have you know really been the way to to do that and that's how you keep your kid in the line but I think you recognize that the freedom of the world we lived in the options that are available to us and the different ways that kids could go and find their own way if their way that they're living in their home is not uh loving and supported. I think that that played a very big role in the way he raised us the knowledge of that and you know and the space [snorts] >> right but he event apparently saw this already in a much earlier time then it became >> yes >> acceptable he already figured this out >> somebody yeah somebody asked me how did he know this right therapist talking a psychologist recently >> and he figured out already about mental health services and he figured how did he figure this out >> I don't know I think he always believed there was a way forward. That's the I think like if I had to like say like what's his thing? there's always a way forward and he always believed there was a way forward and you just have to find one and if this is going to work then this is going to work so let's try this okay this isn't working and he was very quick to be able to say this isn't working and you know >> he said no what I don't understand is he wasn't the only one in cl and yet he was the only one in like for example the story with Willig in the wheelchair >> that's an unbelievable story >> where she said no everybody Somebody hid me away cuz I was in a wheelchair. And he came to my house and convinced my parents to send me to camp. >> Right? >> And I said, "I'm in a wheelchair." He said, "We'll have someone push you." >> Right? >> And there was nobody nobody was making accommodations for handicapped kids. >> Right? >> So, how did he figure this out? How come he was the where was everybody else? >> I I I kind of feel like there's two things here. I want I want to say two things. First thing is is that I don't know about you but I had like one or two ram like this >> not on such a grand scale >> right >> but that they understood how to reach the labor of a child they understood how precious each child was. They believed it and they had enough control over themselves that when they got frustrated, it didn't pour it out on the kids, which is really the icker strength that a parent needs to have cuz you're going to get frustrated, but your kid is not meant to be the but that frustration. And so he did I mention I started a podcast for you. You didn't mention it. You didn't mention it on the podcast. >> Yeah. Oh, we should mention it. Go ahead. >> Mention it now. Should we >> No, let's mention it now. There is a podcast out there besides the Robbie Olowski show called >> There's only one other. >> Yeah. [laughter] >> And it's called Becoming Home. >> Becoming home. >> Yes. How do you become the home for your children? >> And and so far we've got three whole episodes out, but there's a much more in the pipeline available. Spotify, YouTube. Uh YouTube. Um 246. Um what else? I'm not on tour anytime. I never tried to go on tour anytime. >> Yeah. So now I heard there's a waiting list so I'm not going to try. >> I I'll put in a good word for you. >> You put in a good word may [laughter] anyway. So um so okay. Yeah. So it's about Yeah. So what will you say? >> Surprisingly I um I started doing this podcast just just cuz somebody you know challenged me. They said you don't have enough material out there. But apparently it's not that easy to do a podcast you know to get to build up a following. >> Yeah. Well I mean but you already had a following. Not that I knew of. I mean, I knew they were out there. >> For heaven's sake, there when he was 17. >> Yeah. Who could get there for an hour and listen to me? >> Apparently a lot. >> Apparently, I was really surprised. >> I'm still surprised. I'm surprised every single time. >> The problem with you is that you're a funny guy and you know you're funny and you're still funny. And that's like that that [laughter] >> No, but you see because my father Hashem because he beat me so much and would always tell me the verbal abuse was much better. I look forward to that because at least it wasn't beatings. Thank you. >> But he used to say to me, you're a low and you'll never succeed at anything and if I don't take care of you, you'll solve to death. So I still believe that to this day. So whenever anyone tells me, you know, oh, we enjoyed listening to you. I enjoyed your share. I was like, yeah, right, right, right. I know already. I know already what my dad would say. >> So So I want I I I want to say that that I don't think I I know it's much more than I don't think. I know neither my father nor my mother ever called us a bad name. We were never called a bad name in our lives. Our our behavior could have been criticized. My behavior gave them much reason for criticism. Um or for constructive criticism or whatever it might be. Um but they never called us a bad name. They never used a bad name. And and as a result, like for me, it never even came to my mind to use the name when I was speaking to my kids. It it it wasn't even because I had good meatas, terrible meatas, but I just had been like raised like it wasn't part of the it wasn't part of >> I learned how to cook. My mom taught me how to cook. And I I was going to call my cookbook this. My wife wouldn't let me, but I was going to call it It's easy, stupid. That's how my mother taught me how to cook. She'd say, "Put up the brisket." I said, "I don't know how." She goes, "It's easy, stupid. You put it in the fire. You cut up some onions, put in some potatoes and garlic, paprika, and put in the oven at 350." Then she'd say, "Put up the chicken." I said, "I don't know how." She goes, "It's easy, stupid. You put in some garlic paprika, cut up some onions, stick it in the oven at 350." You know, I did that with everything, you know. >> Eggs taste the same. >> Eggs, everything. Take eggs, put in some garlic paprika, stick it in the oven 350, whatever it is. [laughter] >> But she would say to me all the time, she just she'd say stupid or she'd say, "You're crazy. You know, there's there's something wrong with you. You're a sick you're a sick dog." [laughter] >> Those are some of my mom's pet names. Now, she didn't mean anything bad by it. Obviously, that must be how she grew up, you know. But when she would say like, "Touch that and I'll cut off your hands." You know, I I didn't understand the full appreciation. Do it and I'll throw you down the stairs. Now, that's so interesting. >> In order for me to get this education, I had to GO TO YESHIVA. MY PARENTS could not provide me with this. >> You see, you would like Yeah. [laughter] But then Yeshiva filled blanks for me. I was ready for all the abuse I got in Yeshiva cuz I had been prepared for it. So like, you know, but that was so interesting when you mentioned that cuz that's how people talk back then. So you mentioned you mentioned the um you know, you went to art school about them doing it. So Jonathan Rosenbloom told me that when he wrote the Rebakov book, >> there was a story in there where happened said, "If it was me, I would have thrown him down the stairs." >> Yeah. >> And Artsko changed it to, "If it was me, I would have shown him to the door >> at the top of the stairs. Push him down." You know, I edited, you know, I edited these books. >> I did. >> Yeah. We had an argument about that actually. But okay, at the end of the day, you know, this is, you know, they had >> But that's how people talk. People used to talk that way. >> Uh, well, you know, I don't Yeah. Okay. >> A lot. That's what Jacob Yakob was. I would have thrown him down the street. >> I listen, I can't say my father. >> So, when my mom said that to me, >> confrontation, I can't say he never said that. And I could know that he never said it to us, >> right? >> We never felt threatened. >> Yeah. >> So, he never threatened us. >> I was constantly threatened. But anyway, yeah. So, >> here we are each other. Come on. The difference is the difference is difference is I'm the moment with all the trauma. That's why >> that's why I'm funny. [laughter] >> You know, >> you know why? I'll tell you why. Cuz everybody else is traumatized, too. That's why I I put out >> the mainstream. >> I put out this niche. >> You're too healthy >> for people who treat you're not crazy enough. >> No, I went to Yeshiva. They helped me. They helped me. They helped me. They helped traumatize me. I uh I went to >> starting on camp. >> I I uh I just did a podcast a few weeks ago where I just complained about all kinds of stuff that annoy me. I did a whole hour of just little things that just annoy me. You know, I got so much response to that cuz people are like, "Yeah, me too. Normally, >> I gave people permission to about everything in their life that's just annoying." You know what I mean? But uh you >> but uh but you you had that story in Israel with the case of beer. That was a great story. It's not in the book >> with my father. >> No, with you. >> Case of beer. >> I tell the story over all the time. >> I guess you forgot it. >> I don't know the story. >> This is the story that I heard from Greenwell before he lost his mind when he was sick. He was in Israel and he put up a sign on his door. Whoever gives the best answer to this question wins a case of beer. >> Okay. Okay. Okay. No, no, no. But that was that was David Foreman. And >> you told me it was you. >> No, it was David Foreman. It Okay, it was me. It was me. >> Anyway, the question was it was David. >> The question was why? >> So people why? Why not? Why not? Because and who won the case of beer? >> The guy who said that's the way they did it in Europe, >> right? >> So the guy actually that was David Foreman who did that. >> Oh my god. >> For was super like you mean Alpha Alfano like he's like like you know whatever. So that's how I got into writing. I've been telling the story for years with you. >> I'll take the credit. Listen, that's how I got into, you know, I take credit for his books, too. The >> way I started I take credit for everybody's story. >> We started writing for art school, translating Gomorrah for art school. True story. David Foreman and I were classmates in Israel and then we went to Australia together, did a care program. I was far more successful than them because that's where I met my wife. So my clearly my jur was more successful than >> I have to ask you about that. >> Yeah. I'll tell you in a second >> cuz you just mentioned it in passing, right? >> Yeah. Yeah. But let me just tell you this one because I think this is good. And so like David was translating Gomorrah for art school. Art school wanted like big and were like great writers. And then there was like rehears. So they were like okay >> make me he came later. So it was like it was like okay so let's so we have people who write English very well but don't learn that great. We have people that you know that learn great but they don't write that great. Okay. How about if we get some younger guys who are pretty good at learning and pretty good at writing right [laughter] anyway and then this masterpiece of a project you know developed. So David form was writing to them. He's doing kaducing and I'm like Dave what are you doing? He's like I'm writing for art. I came by sitting there with his little laptop. I thought laptops were so cool. I said what he said I'm translating. I said they're what are they paying? He told me I was like that's more than I get for a month call. I'm like if he could do it I could do it. So I sent in an a thing to art school. Now if you've read David's book, you will know that as good as this book is, I cannot write like David Per. But you know, thank good for God for >> he's creative, but you got a lot to work with over here. >> Yeah. Irrational self-confidence. So that's how I got the job on. >> He never quotes Wikileak except Yeah, I'm saying [laughter] cuz he's able to create. He doesn't need sources. Yeah, that's his greatness. Anyway, but whatever the case that was that was anyway that's how I started writing uh translating force because if Dave could do it I could do it and it's not true and my work wasn't as good as his either but nevertheless that's how I got into it. So right you know give him credit Australia. >> You grew up in Muny. >> Yeah. >> Who has a havamina to marry a girl in Australia when you're from my >> Now what you told me many many years ago was >> Yeah. There was nothing I could do about it. When any when a live person shows up in Australia, they won't let him leave the country without a girl. They make him take a girl with him. >> I'm glad that my sense of humor was intact as a child. >> Okay. For starters, for starters, >> look, why would you even think to date in Australia? >> You know, it's upside down. >> Yeah. We got so dizzy. That's why I >> So I So for starters, >> they don't have the Big Dipper. When I was in South Africa, they >> got the Little Dipper. >> I don't know what they cross. >> They have the Southern Cross. >> But I'm looking for the Big Dipper. I mean, I grew up my whole life. You always see the Big Dipper. That's the only thing you can spot in the sky. >> Southern Cross. >> Sh. >> Yeah. So, so uh Okay. First of all, I I did not grow up in Muny. I grew up in my father's house. People always ask me, "What's it like to raise kids in Israel?" I'm like, "I don't I brought my kids up in my home. >> So, um, you know, >> married a Yemenite >> having Moroccan. >> Moroccan >> and I have a Moroccan son-in-law now. But Anyway, so >> they can make fish Friday night. That's good. >> I want to tell you, [laughter] boy. >> That's the only reason they have a Moroccan in the family. >> You know what? For that long anyway, you know, we It's all about food. >> 100%. You got to put it in perspective. >> How come we're not meeting now in That's right. >> So, um, >> but your wife can only make kangaroos. That doesn't really help. >> That's from my father. My father's the scissor of the of the world, right? Right. >> No. Okay. I went to Australia to work on a cure program, >> right? Counter point. >> Counterpoint. Rabbi Refson from the very >> I used I did the ones in uh I did in South Africa a couple times. >> So So I went there I was 20 20 years old and uh and I went there for the first year. Dave Forn was with me and the second year one of our bands told me to start dating. I didn't really want to start dating so I went back to Australia. I was like, "No, no, I can't. I have this kid prov." [laughter] And so I was >> And the irony the irony >> and the irony. >> And so I'm staying at these people's houses uh uh the the uh the Robinson family and um and they had a daughter who had just gotten married. and they had the shak bug. And I walked into their house the first time, actually it was a year before the first time they met me and they were like, "Wow, he's tall enough for Helen Hersh." [laughter] >> That's like an old joke cuz I might have a for you. How tall are you? >> Exactly. There was one guy in Sydney in the from community who was 6 feet tall and he was uh he was you know he was dating somebody else and he was 5 years old younger than her which might not have been you know a problem if >> Okay. So they're like I'm like the last thing I'm doing is like you know whatever >> cuz you went ran away to Australia not to get married >> to Anyway, but that was like the joke. Anyway, I came back the next year and we were and they kind of got us together at the meal and I was like she's really nice. The rest of my friends is history. >> Wow. >> And so why did I date an Austral? Why did I How did I >> But none of your kids have an Aussy ass accent. Uh, well, my son Ellie, who's married to an Australian and lives in Australia, has a deep Aussie accent. >> Roy and Roy. >> Roy R O I G HD. Roy. >> Yeah. Whatever. Anyone who drives an Australian accent messes it up. >> But whatever the case, he him and you listen. I live my grandkids in Australia when they took Zid. >> Yeah. Anyway, so any So, I wasn't going to date an Australian girl like specifically. I was in Australia to avoid dating and met a nice girl there. Wow. >> Barashem. So you seem had his plan. >> God is amazing that way. >> He is like so cool. >> Anyway, I don't know. I don't know how he >> 20 years. >> I don't know how he works this stuff out. Well, Zay Redmond, you know, he told me once he was saying over something in seminary he was teaching at sang over maybe something for whatever was. And one of the girls says, "That's so cool." And he goes, "Torah is not cool. Torah is and he told me the story and I said, "Yeah, it is cool. It's really cool." And I did a whole podcast. It's called How do we define him? It's toys. It's play things. It's like you enjoy it. Have fun. >> From cool to toys. I'm saying >> it's toys. There's no cool. [laughter] >> I I hear I hear >> some of the coolest coolest things I've ever had with toys. >> Yeah, I hear you. >> That's a sketch. >> [laughter] >> Willy Willy. I'm so amazed by Willoolly Willie. A little magnet with the filings, you know, or magic slate where you write on it and then you just pick it up and it disappears. I mean, come on. Hey, so cool. >> In the 18th century. So, >> when I grew up, [laughter] you know, what was I going to do? The hula hoop? >> Yeah. I have a I have one of my a couple of my grandchildren who do that thing, you know, with the with the rope and the thing and >> yo-yo or something, >> whatever it is, they toss it and flip it and that, you know, I tried it once. It's not for me. I couldn't do the regular yo-yo. You know, the regular yo-yo, you go like this and it comes back up. You do all kinds of things. The only thing I could do was sleep. >> I would go like this and that was it. And it wouldn't come back up. And like >> I said, well, I could get to walk the dog here. I walk it. [laughter] Not a lot of fun. something gave different people different skills. Yo-yo was just not on the list to you, >> my friend. Nothing was almost nothing that required any skill. >> You were and then you inherited from your parents. >> My friend uh Barry Ham Shalom >> um he uh he had there was this guy who was this unbelievable frisbee guy when he went to yeshiva. He was an oti at the time and it was a round uh >> it was the frisbee like where did that come from? So he says when somebody were talking on the pay phone, this guy, this big Canadian guy would throw a Frisbee and it would hug the wall and hit the person on the phone and then the person would go and then you would hear on the other side, you know. So Barry went out and practiced for hours with frisbes and he waited until the guy was there and he goes on the phone and he hears the Frisbee, moves out of the way and it it falls and goes. And then he goes, "Ho ho ho." And he picks up three frisbees. Goes and he goes, "And that's how we got into frisbes." I couldn't do frisbes. I can do frisbes, but it never goes. It It goes off that way, goes here, I don't know. There's a skill that I have not >> YouTube that could break it down for you if you really want the skill. >> Yeah, >> I bet you there's a video on YouTube. >> I know, but I can't do it. I I when my son Mo Moshi Huda was on the podcast the first time. So, uh I was like, "How did you learn how to play the guitar?" Cuz I never gave him guitar lessons cuz uh I watched the video. >> Yeah. >> I was like, "Gosh, I can't do that." >> Different generation. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> What's going to be coming out? You know, uh I I remember I went to a camp once where they had um water skiing and it was in a little pond and you put on the water skis and you hold this little machine and you're supposed to go around in a circle and I could not stand. As soon as I stand I fell. >> And the guy was this most calm guy in the world. And at the end he was screaming AT ME, "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? WHY CAN'T YOU just stand up? I'm trying. I can't I can do it now." >> Yeah. He's like He's like, "Don't worry. You try again. Try again." by the end of the HOUR WAS LIKE, "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? EVERYBODY can do this." [laughter] I don't I I don't really have skills. I have very limited skills. This one I got from my brother Jason. That's about That's about one of my few skills. >> I don't think I can do that. I'm just like putting that out. >> Yeah. And then I learned this magic routine uh from somebody once. D and then it goes on like that. I think you're underage. >> Well, that's about as good as it gets. And I was a magician, but I only used mechanical tricks. I couldn't I couldn't do like real things, you know, >> did magical mechanical tricks. >> Like, in other words, I could I could do certain things that didn't require a lot of slider hands like that cuz I'm not coordinated enough, you know. So, I got by with showmanship and with mechanical tricks and stuff like that. But, you know, I watch people do things with cars that are just outrageous. Last I heard they took they took this off like the prerequisite list for Mama like the magic tricks and the water skiing. I think I think you're saying >> don't believe it. >> I think it's off the list. >> No, your dad probably spread that rumor just to make people like me feel better. >> Yeah, you believe [laughter] >> but there's a there's a thing in magic that was that was developed by the uh amazing Herman, the great Hermon where he could fly he could fly cards >> like all the way into the balconies and stuff. I used to practice this health mish. I I couldn't get it to fly. I don't know what it was. And people said, "No, it's in the wrist and it's this and it's that and I would try eight times and I just couldn't do it." >> We had a we had a magician come to us from uh behind the iron curtain. Eigore and he spent Chabas in our house and uh he came with his doves. No, no, he didn't come with them. He produced them from his jacket after Travis. Yeah. >> So, it must been hard getting through customs, but >> Yeah. Right. Right. And I guess customs fell for it and or maybe he just like bought some when he got to America and he did shows. My father like sponsored shows from him. He was a Jewish guy and he was just trying to give him a you know Jewish guy shot at making him proud. Amazing eagle or something. >> Speaking of which, I asked this I said did your father ever have any money? And he said no. >> Okay. I think >> which is amazing because he has all these contacts and all these things that he has an office where he's supposed to be doing business deals and he says he didn't have any money. >> Oh, so I think that uh Sylvia Mashinsky maybe secretary maybe she said or maybe it was Siri's line for every dollar he had in his pocket he gave away two. >> Right. >> Talk about a magic trick. >> No, but I can understand that. If you tell me he made $500,000 a year and he gave away $600,000 a year. Okay, I understand that. But did he make $500,000 a year? >> No. >> Okay. >> A year? I mean, look, there were some years where he pulled off big deals and but the money went so fast and he gave it away. >> Well, that's clear from the book that there's he he's he he's spending money left and right. >> He he lived like a man. >> If I knew a kid off the Derek, I'm not taking him out to breakfast. I'm just telling you right now, if you're out there, >> not going to get that. >> I'll talk to you. >> I'll offer you a drink. Yeah, >> you have to make up your mind if you want a book or not. >> I do. I just need a better writer. [laughter] >> I'll get I'll get what's his name from Nville? David uh >> David Bloomman. >> David Bloomman. Yeah, >> he can be creative. >> He could be creative. >> He's not based on the true story. >> Stop making up though, you know. >> You remember what Ry Wine all used to say? He goes, "All my stories are true. >> Just some of them haven't happened yet." [laughter] Yeah. So, so, so, so he, okay, finances were, they were tight >> and I mean there were times I know things were late and we had a car repossessed. >> Stroll and I both discovered this at my parents 50th anniversary. We thought the car was stolen. We thought it was strange that insurance didn't cover it, but we were kids, you know, we we had this brand new custom cruise blue. it was repossessed for not making the payments on a shabas morning. And so we didn't know that and they didn't feel there was any reason to share that with us. And so >> they paid tuition. >> Yeah. I'm sure they got deals. I have no idea. I never, you know, somebody wants to do like a study and they go into the records of She Valley, find out what we paid, you know, they're welcome to do that. I have I have no idea. I'm sure they paid tuition. There's no question that they paid tuition. How much did they pay? We had a house. We had you know they paid >> right and you have a million people always living there >> he had a job but if he you know but money will come like he would when you do I was like a little kid and they wrote in the board like right and they will give and then the rabbi says it's a palendrome although he might not have used the word palendrome because you know he didn't have a cool word >> he didn't have my mother raising him right but Vasne both ways >> very hard to work into a sentence >> it's the same word yeah >> palendrome >> so I just worked it in and uh you know >> for those of you who don't know >> a sentence Alendrrome is is a word or a sentence that can be read the same way backwards and forwards. >> Madame I'm madam. >> That's a good one. >> Yeah. >> A man a plan a canal Panama. >> Oh that's good. >> Thank you very much. >> That's good. That's good. >> I don't do much but what I do I do well. [laughter] >> So So yes >> Bob [laughter] >> not. So, so, so that's fossil and and so you give and somehow you get and somehow or another he was always giving and he and >> so I mean do you remember as a kid that you said can I do this or can I go here and they said I'm sorry we don't have the money for it. [snorts] >> My father would never use those words. My mother might say something like like that's too expensive. She wouldn't say we don't have the money for it. She would say look that's too expensive like you know or maybe that's you know like I never went skiing when I was a kid and my friends were going skiing. Skiing was for rich people. Here I am 60 years old. I still haven't gone skiing, but I decided I like basketball better than skiing. So like I was okay. Uh the >> I when I ran NCSY, I used to take the kids on a ski trip and [clears throat] I always brought at least one kid to the hospital. >> Right. >> So I used to sit in the lodge near the fireplace with a hot cocoa and wait for the injured to be carried in. >> Yeah. You knew I was like water skiing. I feel like if God that's why he said something like water skiing, you know, it's like I mean if God wanted me to ski, he would have made me with very long thin feet. You know what I mean? So [laughter] >> So yeah. So So uh >> you guys ever go down to Florida? >> Are you kidding? No. >> We went in the back of the we we went in the back of the station wagon to you know to Lakewood. We went to you know went to we went to Coopertown. We one year he rented like an RV like he had some friend you understand that there were a lot of people owed him a lot of money cuz when he had money he gave it you know he gave it to people and there were a lot of people who owed him a lot of money and if all the people who owed him money had paid him we'd just be fine >> and that's the first thing and the second thing is that um uh one guy one guy Joe Brown he he [snorts] my father gave him money and he invested with him and I don't know like a year later he calls my father he's like yeah if you want to come to not Rwanda to uh like Nigeria you could be a millionaire you know so it wasn't even called Nigeria what was it before Nigeria it was called uh I can't remember says if you want to come >> maybe yeah if you want to come here you could be a millionaire [laughter] like I'm doing really well you just can't get the money out of the country uh >> well he had this deal that was one thing in the book that really hit me is he he got some kind of deal from from some country, some weird country that made him the trade representative. >> No, that was Betswana. That was when he was >> I can't even pronounce it. What is it? >> Butswana. >> Who is that? >> Okay, so South Africa decided that they no longer wanted to be known as a racist country. >> Black do was Oh, please. A little elegance. A little elegance. What they decided to do was they created uh I don't remember how many maybe 10 >> states called homelands bantans as they were called bantans and they created 10 of them and the black people would all be citizens of those homelands and therefore South Africa would no longer be a racist country because they would not mistreat their blacks cuz they didn't have any. They were all part of their homelands. >> How come that didn't work? So uh well most of them were really really poor most of these countries and they were taking people and trying to transfer them. There was a lot of international you know push back on it. Both of Tatswana and Batswana no not Batswana is one of them. Both of Tatswuana was the richest of all and they had tremendous mines. They had uh platinum and they had all kinds of different valuable minerals and they uh they were really wealthy and uh Saul Kursner built Sun City there which was like a Vegas of South Africa and the whole world was going there to to to to gamble. The whole Africa was going there to gamble. It was the one place you could go with like worldass casinos or whatever it was. both of Tisswana uh heard about my father through the prisoner swap >> Mosmbique >> through the Mosmbique prisoner swap and my father heard about them from a fellow Lionel Stein who was who was actually somehow a step cousin of Mur Marcus the world works in these ways and he had met my father in Shu in South Africa and it became whatever it is >> Jews really do can build a world it's like everyone's right >> I don't think there's any control here although he did help my father and my father did make that swap with Rwanda and South Africa. But so he he um he introduced he had some connections in the government and he introduced them to my father. And so my father they were looking to get recognition in the UN as an independent country. They had the chops to pull it off because they had enough money and they had enough minds and they had all this money coming in from their casinos. So they were very very wealthy country. Okay. So, so uh the president was a guy called Lucas Mangopi [snorts] and um and he was, you know, the head of a tribe and there were a lot of other tribes that were fighting or other people in the tribe who were fighting for control. But whatever the case, they reached out to my father and my father then had to register as a foreign agent with the United States. He became a representative of this country in South Africa. He had the status of uh um uh ambassador but not not in the United States and he was working towards getting them recognition >> right he's the also the ambassador of this >> how's he going to get them recognition in the UN he's bringing foreign investment into the country >> right >> so there's so much wealth in the country foreign investors want to come in bringing celebrities there was a heavyweight fight there we got a picture of him and Jim Weaver in in the book when he beat up Jerry Cozy and there was uh and there was uh you know all these different um uh uh investors that he was bringing in. Um and so they were making he got observer status for them in the UN. And so they were making headway, right? >> I actually won a bet about this. I had a kid in Yeshua who said to me, "You're lying. Your father is not like, you know, is not an ambassador." I'm like, "Tod, can I have a copy of the paper?" And he prints it out and like give it to the kid and you know with the rank of ambassador, you know whatever. The kids like what? Anyway, he could afford it the bet and uh he um and so he ended up trying to do that. At some point the pre the people in the in the government other people said we don't want a white guy representing us and so my father was a victim of discrimination >> but for well he was the trade representative >> of buffutswana >> and he put some Israeli guy in charge who stole all the money. >> Okay. No wait wait wait wait. [laughter] The guy in Israel was just to go back to our original story of Flat Chiron. Wolf Gang Vogle, the German lawyer did not want to work with Flat Chiron. He said he's he's he's too controversial. He's too dirty. He's too whatever it is, I don't want to work with him. He had a aid who worked for him called Shapi Kovich. Shante Kovich was this incredibly charismatic uh uh force of nature Russian uh immigrant to Israel who's actually as it turned out later a spy for the KGB. >> No way. >> This was not known at the time. >> And um >> that's why Wolf Gang wanted to work with him. >> No, no, no, no. Wolf Gang didn't didn't know that. It had nothing to do with him. It had nothing, you know, it had it had nothing to do with that. And so he, my father holds he was at least a triple. He was for sure double agent, maybe a triple agent. Back and forth Russia. Who, who was like, he got out very early. Who was pulling the strings? It's not clear. Whatever the case, shot that Kino. Then after [clears throat] they do this prisoner swap, help my father with other prisoner swaps. They did a bunch of other a bunch of other uh uh things that got people out of prison in different countries. Got a lot of letters from other people that my father helped get out. And then some of them, they never even knew who got them out. But there were a lot that he I mean the story of Morocco and I mean there were a lot of people who who they who they were involved together although he wasn't with Morocco anymore. He was very he was very dumb by that time. So so Kamovich my father got him the job as the trade minister for Israel with bothana >> and there was huge money pouring through that operation when he got arrested. your father. Why didn't your father take a piece of the action from that? >> I asked him that. I asked him that question. It's in the book and he said he said the the job of my job is to make the country wealthy, not to make myself buff. >> But the money's going anyway. Someone's making money on this deal. >> The if you're bullswana sells to Israel >> salary from Baswana. That's his job. >> Ah, I see. >> So he didn't see this as a way to enrich himself. Yeah. >> And it wasn't >> I have the same problem. >> Right. >> I never figure out how to enrich myself. >> But there's a line in there where I asked him one time, Todd, does it bother you that you that you never like became rich? And he said there there's more forms of being rich than money. And I'm rich in those ways. You're wealthy in those ways. >> I have those ways, too. But I would also like to have the way. >> Probably would have also liked to have it. But if it was a question of where he's going to put his prodigious talents to work to be there >> with all his context, how to not stumble on some real estate deals. >> Uh maybe he did. There are there >> everyone has real estate people who owe him a lot of money. I'm just saying there are people who owe him a lot of money and uh you know but that's uh that's what it is. >> So what's what is your personal legacy when you you're you're not you're not your dad? >> No. >> Right. You know the Gomorrah says I am vinegar the son of wine vinegar the son of wine greenw world that's my name >> no but when they say for example when uh when the the when the balm was nif so the mag took over and when the mag died so they said nobody could fill his place so they 10 of the reb >> I heard 10 rabbis each one took one mida >> that they were going to work on >> we're also like very worked out that way in my family >> yeah [laughter] so what did What? What >> a rope just like my father. I took that me [laughter] >> you know that to me amy's father David Cohen with the with the >> he told me this he says he says hutna had four yeah cuz he was too big anybody to take over for him took his >> David took his toyra >> he says took his and I took his sense of humor. >> [laughter] >> That's >> everybody take something. >> Everybody got something. >> So what did you take? >> Okay. So first of all, when we talk about his legacy, I remember a friend of his used to say to me, what's going to happen when your father is gone? Who's going to take his place? >> Nobody. >> And I said obvious none of us have this none of us have this focus. None of us some of us actually have jobs, you know. None none of us actually, you know. So that's the first thing. The second thing is that um you know you throw my brother said it is Levia like if everybody would just like take something on like maybe this could like replace him but everybody has to take something on. We are getting emails, phone calls, texts, and personal meetings on a daily basis from people who say they've taken something on cuz they read the book. they've done something like some kind of some kind of what do you call so that's my father's legacy that I got this book out right uh after you know nine years after he passed away nine and a half years after he passed away managed to finally you know let it come to press and uh and and and we published this book and that's his legacy that people read it and one of my students from 25 years ago yesa writes me and said Revy I had a Ronnie Grimmore moment he just told the story that guessed how she was so kid The whole thing he did, he said, "And I did this entire thing. It took me a few hours and I felt like this is actually what this is what Ronnie Greenwood would have done." And I was like, "I love that. Okay, just write it up for me." And I we keep getting them and I keep sending them to my family. Like we just keep spreading them. Anybody gets such a letter? >> But what's the Ronnie Greenwell in you? >> And me. So I think that I I I've thought about it a lot because many of the things that I thought like I discovered I was just discovering for myself but I had been kind of raised with that at this is the way things work. This is what normal looks like. >> People think this is what normal looks like. So the person who's yelling at the kid because this is what normal looks. the person who won't yell at the kid. This is what normal looks like. So what normal looks like to us is like that. You're not here only to take care of yourself. You're fine. So take care of others. If you have it, you need to share it. And so at very varying degrees and varying levels, things that like I thought I discovered, I found I didn't really discover them. I finally just found a way in myself to truly express these type of things. And so and so I have a yeshiva and I have a uh you know podcast and oh and I have podcast coming home coming home >> book you should buy 10 copies for your friends everyone which a lot of people by the way have told me they've done I think they give it out to anybody they think could improve it >> it is not the average [laughter] biography not the average and and it's so well written and so readable which is also amazing. >> Yeah. Um, >> so I'll just answer. And so the yeshiva itself like has been uh uh there's no such thing as like you know everybody has to pay and if not you can't come in you can't we work with the people the same way the camps did. This is kind of what we understood you have to do. >> That's only cuz Joe was gone. >> Yeah. [laughter] But Joe had it real hard also. Yeah. >> Yeah. But he was good at collecting the money. >> He was good at collecting the money. Most of them were still good at collecting the money, but you can only collect the amount that you could take and you can't get can't get blood out, you know, money out of the stone. Only who could get blood out of the stone? >> Um, I'm not sure. No, Aaron. >> Who get money out of the stone? >> Oh, who's that? >> Our scroll. >> This joke from the thing that he got. >> Very good. >> That mayor's lad got money from the stone. >> Misha got water from the stone. Mayor's got >> what's her name? H this woman comes to the cousin and says, "My kid swallowed a coin. I'm so nervous." Says, "You don't have to worry. He'll pass it. It's mine." Goes, "No, but I'm so nervous. I'm so nervous." Goes, "Don't worry. He'll pass it." You know. So he says, "But I'm so nervous." He goes, "You know what? Go to Bavaj." He says, "What? He has a school?" He says, "No, but he can get money out of anybody." [laughter] >> Fantastic. So now there's one last thing on this and that is I recall seeing in the book and correct me if I'm wrong on this that you said your brother Israel captured your father the most. >> He what what my father the most >> captured >> captured like became >> I don't know if those are the words that I >> something like that that >> had the most time with my father of any of the adult children. >> Yeah. He lived three doors away from him. >> Right. >> When when a when a when a when when Isro moved to that part of Muny to Regina Road. So when a house came available next to him, my parents wanted to be next to one of the kids. You mean I have sister and queens. Uh we had five of us were near at the time. Four, you know, four of us were near and was in M. They wanted to be next to Israel. And then Israel moved to that side of M. house became available and the house had a pool and they and it was cheaper than the house that they had had because the theish neighborhood kept expanding and they were giving really good prices for homes and so they bought this home next to Israel and so Israel was just there with them for years. they they shared the same office space and so I I I don't know I'm not sure like what the word I would use to describe but really lived him as an adult in a way that we didn't because I came home eight times a year I stayed by my father I came to America eight times a year for yeshiva I would stay by my parents every time almost every time not whether you know if I was in a different state but I would drive back and forth to Brooklyn to Manhattan to Queens to Long Island from my >> Yeah my is not really strategically placed >> no sort of like Australia. >> Yeah. And at the time they >> the one time I spoke in Australia I said you know you're really inconveniently located [laughter] >> and they're like actually >> yeah well it works for us. So I go Yeah. >> Yeah. So um yeah so you really got to spend a lot of time he and also got tremendous amount of time in camp. >> Yeah. >> She also no she also spent tremendous time alongside with him in camp all the years. So, uh, she also >> So, does the family have any shas anymore to Muganov and Sternberg and those things? >> I could use a couple of kids from, you know, grandkids who still go, you know, >> but they're not as far as Bless or anything like that? >> No, my father never owned the camp. It was always owned by, you know, by the >> board. Well, federation and the board. And then when Dove Pau bought the camp, so then uh there was the first time there was an actual owner of the camp, but uh my father was, you know, the the he was the camp. Are they staying true to your father's mission? >> I mean, they're privately owned today and so that means that they have to, you know, >> it's no more stuff, >> but there's a big fund that people raise money for to send keep people to camp that's run by a few former Stoneburgers. I think Beth Kaplan and I and >> they still take the girls and like leave them out in the woods. Anyways, they well that's how you say my [laughter] you know and but it's a privately owned camp today and but there's no question that uh like like do feels like that my father is his reban camping so I don't know how much he takes and how he takes it and Allison as well his wife they're very uh they're very like into the legacy of Ronnie Greenwald >> right >> uh in the camp and it's the Ronnie Greenwald campgrounds and um so you know I'm just glad that what he you Would he put all that time into this? People who are trying to carry it forth, you know, because at the end of the day, we're all going to die. >> And so now the question is like, okay, right. I have no intention. Well, you because sadikim are always called alive. So I'm saying you're you're >> I mean live life. I don't plan on coming. >> Okay, fine. Say it a come one before. >> I I just had my sus 12 years ago. I had a heart attack and two doctors told me I should have died. And I realized that God just doesn't want me. So I'm just I'm just going to live forever. It's not that he kept me here for a purpose. >> Don't just tell you you should die. >> Someone said to me, "Why did God keep you alive?" I said, "To be a prop at my grandchildren sim. That's the only reason I'm still here." You know, eventually they'll wheel me out. Okay. Take them back to the home. You know, I'm just not going to die. >> You're going to have to learn to play that role. I'm just, >> you know, it's like, wasn't it General MacArthur who said, "Old soldiers never die. They just fade away." So the same thing is true of old regional directors, you know, we just we just [laughter] linger. >> Yeah. Anyway, so but except for you, the rest of us are going to, you know, move on and um >> so what what do we like what what are we expecting, >> right? >> Just you want people to continue what you put all your anything should continue. >> So Woody Allen said, he says, "Do you hope to achieve immortality through your work?" He says, "No, I hope to achieve immortality by not dying." [laughter] Well, that's what happens when you believe in all the right you got. >> But yeah, we right. I guess >> that's how we ended the book as well. Like the story's not over. We keep sending him packages. >> Yeah. And that's why uh I mean I guess it's it's unusual to be able to have a book like this written about you uh when you're not a good Israel but all the good were recognized you and appreciated you and turned to you in times of need and and along with every off the kid every a whole section on aas a whole section on >> and we couldn't put in a bunch of stories because like some of the feelings are still rolled many stories didn't make it really like beautiful but heart-wrenching stories like >> that you have a part two >> and uh well you know they had asked like not to be included so we >> yeah but if this one sells well then you have no choice say listen >> I I I'm an owner >> I know my I know my father said no but I need the money so we're putting another one [laughter] >> we'll change your name >> I mean my mother >> honey >> my mother >> honey star next to it on the bottom whose real name is Susie >> my [laughter] mother got rid I don't know what >> she think she shredded the file >> the file she got rid of the file she took a quick look this is going to be lush and horror this is scandal we don't want these laying around because he had letters from everybody and all the cases he was involved in as much he was involved in the international cases he was involved in domestic cases every day of his life like every day anytime I came back from I come you know I I walk into the house in the evening he's sitting at the table a bunch of rabbon there there's a bunch of there's people there his family's there he's there alienated ated families he's trying to put back together. There are Yusha arguments that he's trying to resolve. There are there are there are a bunch of them there talking about how do they deal with this thing in town. I >> I have one last question and uh if you want to hear the answer to this question, you're going to have to go behind the payw wall. I'm just kidding. Anyway, I always wanted to do that. Anyway, [laughter] you can join the Rabi Alowski show. Uh you know, it's only $50 a month. Anyway, >> please rate subscribe. >> Great. >> I didn't say that. my podcast. >> Oh yeah, don't forget to uh to subscribe, to like uh to become commenting comment and uh whatever it is. Anyway, but uh yeah um there was a famous scandal with a rabbi in my without mentioning names. Was your father involved any have anything to do with that thing? Do you know you know what I'm talking about? >> I am I am trying to hold back from saying which one. Yeah. >> And the answer is probably. >> Oh, we do not know about >> I would know zero information about it. That's the thing that so many of his stories we did not know anything about it. If they were live, when they were happening and we were there, we were in the house. So some stories we would know, some he would tell us we had to leave the room, but other ones, you know, they were just taking place kind of on a larger level. So, you know, very often he asks my son, he has yes, let's see what he thinks. You know, he call me over. He does this all the time. did it in her house. He did it all the time. Um but but if you weren't there for it, you didn't hear the story. And there was another story next week to replace it. There was another story next day to replace it. There were five stories going on at once. There was always multip >> in retrospect. You should have been writing all this down. >> Oh, I was going to remember everything. >> Oh, yeah. >> To my own. But really, um I couldn't write it down because he wasn't telling us. I was weighing yeshiva. I was weighing. So you have to do what my kids do and listen by the door. >> We would I we I never did that. Um then I probably would have gotten a shot to the ear if I would have done that, you know. >> Wow. [laughter] >> All right. Well, ladies and gentlemen, we have gone over time. Uh but uh we have barely scratched the surface of what there is to say. I'd like to >> spoken. >> No, we haven't done nothing. I We have plenty to do. I told you it's probably not the last time you'll be here. You do have a podcast, right? It's called uh >> Becoming Home. >> Coming home, which is available wherever fine podcasts are podcasting yourself, so you could become children. >> The book is Ronnie. How's it sounding? >> Uh I think it's going pretty good. >> Is it only like hot cakes? >> You know, I've never actually bought a hot cakes. >> I haven't either. [laughter] >> I love that expression. So the hot cakes. How did hot cake sell? >> It's flying off the shelf. [laughter] It's flying off the deck. It's selling very nicely and you know we hope it'll continue itself. >> How many printings already? >> I don't know. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Well, >> when I get the print out from the >> pick yourself up a copy, pick up a copy for a friend and pick up a few. Uh it's a very readable book and I have, like I said, I don't read quickly and I finished the whole thing and I've already gone back to reread certain portions because it's just that well written. So that's it for now. If you want to find out more about my show, you can go to my website, roasti.com. You can sign up for one of my online shirim. You can leave a comment. You can ask a question. You can [music] sponsor an episode. You can sponsor a question and answer. You can sponsor a para in five. You can sign up for the pes [music] program while there's still room. Please don't wait for last minute. People are finally waking up and realizing, "Oh my gosh, I'm going to miss out on the Revolki Pesak program. There won't be another one until next year." And who knows what's going to be then I might [music] just do it for 12 people and it'll be very small and you'll be lucky to even get get an application. But anyway, this is this is the time strike while the iron is hot and uh the rooms are going like hot cakes. [laughter] And so until next time, I am David Olowski >> and this has been the Rabbi Alowski show. This is so much fun. >> Isn't it fun? >> People come on, they always say, "So much fun." >> Ready to go. The Rabbi Show. Knowledge and wisdom will help you. Lots of fun in every episode. And we don't have to rhyme, though we don't. It's the Rabbi Orlovski show on rabbi.com. Torah anytime you two and more. It's the Rabbi Olavski show. Torah and Sim ready to go. It's the Rabbi orski show. Till next [music] time till we meet again. The Rabbi Olowski show. It's the Rabbi Show. It's the Rabbi Show.