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#126: Behind the Bima: Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis
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Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has been Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth since 1st September 2013. Formerly Chief Rabbi of Ireland, Rabbi Mirvis was Senior Rabbi of Kinloss Synagogue in Finchley from 1996-2013. - Intro - Interview - Outro Rabbi Efrem Goldberg: Rabbi, Boca Raton Synagogue (BRS). Rabbi Philip Moskowitz: Associate Rabbi, BRS. Rabbi Josh Broide: Outreach Rabbi, BRS.
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Auto-generated transcript. Not time-synced to the video.
rabbis Ephraim Goldberg Philip Moskowitz
and Josh Brody are taking you behind the
bema
the BRS Rabbi schmooze about
contemporary issues and talk to special
guests who give up behind the scenes
look at how they got to where they are
and what keeps them going
welcome to behind the bema
good evening Wednesday night nine
o'clock I'm not laughing over joined by
my dear friend and colleague and
Superstar partner in Jewish life Rabbi
Joshua Brody and we're here to take you
behind the Beamer we're gonna take you
behind the bema's very special night
tonight
the cusp of the incredible holiday where
we're going to stand together arm and
arm we're going to accept and receive
the Torah together but tonight was an
incredibly special program in Boca Raton
where are you right now what is that
background I'm actually in the Jewish
Federation I don't know any other Jewish
Federation in the whole world that took
its main theater where you have the
graduations and the plays and turned it
into a basement
was set up for you know almost 300
people and it was just a beautiful
beautiful show of actors of people
caring for one another how many people
how many were there
there were 300 seats set up maybe not
everything was taken but it was really
just a special evening to uh to show to
show that that uh that unity and uh what
better night to do it you told me let's
do it before shovel was tonight is the
night Matan Torah would be tomorrow so
that's amazing
I gotta say it was incredible see a
packed room of people and
um that's it the recreation of harcina
all these different Jews and United by
Torah commonality we're living in a
polarized world so much that divides us
and it was a real Unity night a real
celebration and unity through Torah
right what could be better Torah is the
common language Torah is it and uh it
was amazing it was amazing and special
to be part of it and to learn and to
connect and see the diversity in that
room the best part of it is that
harcinai wasn't a one-time event because
every time we open a book and study our
sacred Torah we are back at harsinai but
our Cena the event was one time but this
partner in Jewish life Jewish learning
is going to be going on every week at
BRS
I can't wait to launch it can't wait to
be part of it but you can only you gotta
sign up also I'm in 200 300 people in a
room every week who are from different
backgrounds observant non-observant and
studying together United by that common
language of Torah so exciting yeah and
just like to see everyone really enjoy
tonight I mean they were there were
people to make this the wasn't so simple
but yeah the ones that worked really
really worked you know we said oh it's
over and you know I said you can't
really build a relationship in 30 30
minutes learning with someone
yelled out yeah you can that's great it
was great those relationships Toyota's a
great uniter you know we could focus on
the things that divide us and we'll be
divided or we could focus on the things
that unite us and the things that unite
us far outweigh the things that divide
us far outweigh we have a whole history
we have a whole Destiny we have a
cultural language we have laws we have a
Torah there's so much that unites us
it's just a question of what we're
focused on
it really is it is everybody sacks we
had some great clips of him uh talking
about yeah very appropriate tonight
we're gonna have on Chief Rabbi Mervis
his predecessor the great Rabbi sacks I
will say that I'm so excited about Robin
Mervis he's a real scholar and he's a
true mention he also is a Visionary and
Robin Mervis is is amazing in his own
right but but hearing and watching Rabbi
sacks tonight I I really got emotional
because every time you think about how
so abruptly he was taken from us right
most of us didn't know
just how sick he was and and he had so
much more to say to share to articulate
he was such a unique Voice such a
scholar so beloved by everybody and and
you know it's such a loss to be bereft
of so many leaders better by sacks which
is such one of a kind and it just felt
like there was still so much more for
him to say and teach and inspire
it's a huge loss yeah and it's funny
because it's really been no one else
that stepped into that that space that
that you could imagine all these
different groups or organizations you
would invite him to speak because yeah
he brought everyone together that
doesn't exist right now there isn't
charging that person or there are people
there are leaders who really are in many
ways Irreplaceable and it's uh it's a
big loss and it's a big loss you're
getting pumped for shavuas you ready all
set no yeah well now I got to start
writing I'm gonna write I mean putting
together the Sheeran but yeah yeah class
it's a great Torah spurt right it's like
growth that's just Outburst of Torah
it's exciting because it really is I
can't I'm just I'm excited I'm excited
about you loose okay we made it through
actually I just don't you know what I'm
just wondering right now
count last night
did I miss on the last night
at the end of the program and that last
night when you count 49 days seven weeks
and you're like yes you did it it's like
the finish line of America um
it's super exciting yeah wow you excited
about Chevrolet I'm excited we got a
great theme in fact I got I got a bunch
of swordfish I got my first one done
I'll be a long night here Boca Raton
Synagogue our theme is love
Power of Love is the theme
power of love and all this year and we
got a ton of Shear not only through the
night but we got Day morning afternoon
evening we've got beginner Advanced we
got khaburas we've got women's shiram
we've got Farnam stay up all night we
got the Safari group doing their thing
and the and the shible doing their thing
and we've got teen and youth and and
we've got
um a boys program and a girls program
and family style learning and there's
just there's something for everyone the
question is not can you find your thing
it's it's are you are you looking
because there's there's something for
everyone and that's always exciting a
theme of Love or start out tomorrow
night my first talk is on on what is
love all the mitzvos what is Love Got to
Do With It Is Love involved in the tour
of the midst of love and then I'm
speaking about Ai and love because
you know anything about that
let me tell you chat gbt since you
introduced it to me on the show that was
the first time I ever heard of it and I
didn't understand this I started playing
around with it and I'm sure I'm probably
not even scratching the surface but in
my own very small way it has changed my
life I am I am an author I am the writer
I have ideas they're my original ideas
so no one can claim that I'm taking
certain ideas I have in my head I just
can't formulate them so well I throw
them into this machine boom comes back I
love it and I've used it time and time
again in the last few weeks I don't have
it I haven't downloaded it I don't want
to be tempted by it I'm not using it you
don't need it but I'm getting sure about
it well okay I'm just telling you
because in the amount of time that it
takes me to do the the come up with the
thought and and write it you're already
you've already written the entire
article I don't know about that but but
uh but my I'm actually a lot of people
are speaking about halacha and Ai and
I'm not going that angle at all I'm not
a very different angle which is how do
we relate to God's love of us and our
love for God
meaning they're all these articles you
could look into it of of people who fell
in love with Bots and chat gbt and AI
their programs I won't even mention the
names of these apps they had a romantic
notion to them in fact there were people
committed suicide and there was mental
health challenges that were introduced
by people who were texting back and
forth and really felt they fell in love
and and when the app changed the romance
feature of it and that was deprived of
them they got incredibly depressed so is
God just like Chachi BT is God is
like like AI because they talk about an
AI God AI could get to that point of
knowing everything there is to know
instantaneously and accessible and
available to everybody so again lahav
dilba the same way you could have a
billion people who all put into chat gbt
at the same time or use AI at the same
time and it can respond to all so is
that lahab deal God that all these
people can pray and he could respond to
all at once but then is there no emotion
is God just a robot so what do we learn
about love what do we learn about God
from AI that's that's the next talk then
we're doing one on how to love people
who are in your family or or your
friends who are on a different direction
than you which is I think more
increasing people are navigating that
how to love the people in your family
who are choosing a different Derek than
you so we've got we've got a bunch of uh
as well Firefly on the AI topic here
there are certain people that have been
given the gift that they understand how
to use grammar they know how to put
together sentences and and write there
are others and it could be because I you
know jec never fully prepared me I don't
know that's just the way I feel maybe
they did maybe they could have done a
better job maybe I could have done more
homework I don't know but
I've always had thoughts that I like I I
think I can express them verbally when
it comes time to put them in on a piece
of paper it never never works for me to
be able to see a nice finished product
there is a book coming out soon I'm
going to have a book on the Parsha
my original thoughts all right by Josh
Brody and Chachi we're gonna do a book
signing it's gonna be amazing also in
the news and then we're going to get to
our our esteemed incredible guest Chief
Rabbi sir Ephraim Mervis
um but I saw on the news today that our
friend former pandemic guest former
prime minister of Israel naftali Bennett
and his mother sued a rabbi who um
publicly and and went viral on that
person's social media 700 000 people
said enough Telly Ben it's this and that
he's anti-religious and he's miserable
he's not even Jewish his mother's not
Jewish so good for naftali and his
mother myrn about it and they sued this
Rabbi and they won today or yesterday
they won the rabbi at the end had to
apologize admittee was wrong the the
court is still going to decide the fine
Natalia said all that money will go to
Charities not interested in the money
that's the part I'm proud of he said you
can't just say whatever you want to say
it came with an internet connection and
a camera and a microphone just spew
rhetoric and hate and say whatever you
want to say say including falsehoods and
lies so he took down his first Rabbi and
I happened to know he's going after
another
who
yeah I'm not going to use any names
wasn't you someone who spoke about you
and me but he's going after another I
want to do a class action suit how do I
get in on this because I'd also like to
hold them accountable but you know what
good for enough Telly I love that you
could look the other way and who cares
and he's just feeling nonsense but
apparently these two rabbis spewed such
hate and Venom and nonsense that it
changed the search algorithm that if you
put in like naphtali Bennett's mother it
automatically like adds like Christian
or non-jew meaning people can really
negatively impact things through lies
like Words matter all Sticks and Stones
whatever that song Or rhyme is about
Sticks and Stones it really does matter
and good for enough Telly and you know
what one by one anyone who says if all
of our listeners right now start saying
that I'm let's say a cheap Rabbi then in
a few months they will come up on Google
that I'm the chief rapper yeah okay
let's try this give it a shot
it's all by the way America right now go
for it let me just tell you something
somebody's very prominent who might be
celebrating a simcha this weekend in our
community told me for x amount of money
any Rabbi can be made the most famous
Rabbi in the world
with with
um I forgot the number he said was like
like a million followers and be the best
known and change yeah for money
absolutely do anything which is which is
really disheartening to think that what
you are consuming is not really by your
choice like there's not free will the
whole thing is programmed and you know
we have an air conditioning issue we're
looking at and replace one of our air
conditioners I was talking about my cell
phone about it and then I go on my
computer and I see an ad for air
conditioning
because it's listening oh it's so weird
it's not weird it's listening it's not
even debatable anymore your devices are
listening to you and then they are
selling you based on you
and when you walk into Target there's
facial recognition of the store camera
studying which aisle you went to and
products you looked at and then they're
selling that data so that you're then on
your computer your phone and you're
being
trying to be sold something else I'm
gonna go into Target with a disguise I'm
gonna get like a fake beard and
just showed up put on a mask of somebody
else some tissues check some interesting
aisles anyway a lot going on bottom line
is we got more shooting to prepare we
got a lot going on what a privilege and
honor it is recently was the coronation
we spoke about a little bit last week
you mentioned you didn't watch any of it
but a lot of Pomp and Circumstance and
tradition and ritual and we don't really
relate to that here in America but it's
very interesting for the UK jury and no
one better to share about that than
Chief Rabbi Mervis I've come to know him
we've partnered on a few things and
really very special it's got to be big
shoes to fill to follow Lord Jonathan
Lord Rabbi Jonathan sacks but he's more
than Phil dumb he's found his own pair
of shoes and he's making his own
footsteps and making his own difference
and he's really a special person in his
own right and it's a real honor to have
a mom without any further Ado what an
honor to be joined by Chief Rabbi Mervis
what a privilege and pleasure it is to
welcome the chief Rabbi Chief Rabbi sir
Mervis thank you so much for allowing us
to go behind the bema with you from
across the pond to spend time together
again thank you for joining us
lovely to be with with you and lovely to
have this opportunity to have a nice
chat so Chief rabbit there's so much we
want to talk about and discuss in terms
of your incredible work and vision and a
vision for the future of of UK Anglo
jury but before we do very much still
fresh in everyone's mind of course is
the recent coronation of the king in
which you played a unprecedented role in
participating and certainly we all
watched and were enamored I quoted you
here in our shul and celebrated the
difference between so many centuries ago
that what happened to the Jews at a
coronation versus your hospitality that
you were offered and your participation
could you share a little bit about what
what that whole weekend meant to you I
saw from havedella the little video you
made but are you still are you still
beaming with pride and were you touched
and inspired and how do you think the
experience of being present at that
Carnation will impact next Rosh Hashanah
for you when we gather to coronate the
King of Kings
actually there was a joke circulating in
our circles and that is people were
saying well at what point in the
coronation will will the chief Rabbi Ed
and they said well he'll try to get
there by hamillis
so so that's safely yeah but um thank
you for asking me uh Baruch Hashem I had
an enormous Hut to represent Jewish
communities of Great Britain and the
Commonwealth at the uh coronation
and any cupboard which was given to me
did not relate to me personally but
rather it was me on behalf of Jews and
to Judaism and we are blessed to be
living at a time when in 21st century
Britain it is important that all Faith
should be recognized and respected and
we are particularly blessed to have a
king and queen who go out of their way
to ensure that members of all faiths
have the freedom to practice their
religion openly and with pride
and it was in this particular context
that the king and queen extended the
invitation to my wife and myself to stay
with them in Saint James's Palace part
of which is Clarence House where the
king and queen themselves resided to the
same complex and to provide facilities
for us to keep Shabbat so that it would
be in walking distance for me over
Shabbat to get to Westminster Abbey and
of course there had been a precedence
because in 1902 Chief Rabbi Hermann
Adler walked from a synagogue to
Westminster Abbey honor Shabbos for the
coronation of king Edward VII that was
the last time that a coronation had been
held on Shabbat and of course for us
there are issues in halacha relating to
attendance at a church service and of
course how Shabba stick was this
particular experience but certainly
abating and I had gone into the matter
in great detail
when there is an invitation from the
Melech himself to attend and very
interestingly you if you look at the
actual gearsa of the invitation it's
King Charles the Third commands and then
your name to attend so that you have an
actual civil of the Melech that's
something which we accept and in
important Mission Ava that one should be
present and also on Shabbat it was
important that I'd be present and as you
mentioned they respected our Shabbat
regulations in a most extraordinary way
it really is it really is incredible and
it is reinforcing for people who keep
Shabbos and are inspiring others that
you shouldn't have to compromise we live
in a world which is willing to if we
respect ourselves other will respect us
too as high up as the king and queen who
allowed the chief Rabbi to participate
without a microphone and offering
hospitality and kosher food and I think
it wasn't only extraordinary about the
king and queen it's extraordinary about
you and the statement that to reach
those levels or participate one need not
compromise Shabbos and hopefully that
will give the confidence and courage to
others to embrace Shabbos without
compromise because we can participate
anywhere if we're if we take pride and
we respect ourselves others will respect
us too the the chief Rabbi have a
relationship with with Charles now King
Charles before the coronation what what
was that personal relationship like when
when the cameras are off and the
newspapers aren't covering is there a
warmth is there a relationship that that
precedes the actual coronation
so um the first time I met him was at my
installation as chief rabba on the 1st
of September 2013 we invited him to
attend as Prince of Wales heir to the
throne we didn't expect him to be
available
um September is a time when the royal
family is always on holiday in Scotland
you might recall that that was the
problem at the time when Diana died in a
car crash it was the end of August it
was during their holiday period and they
were up in Scotland and with the queen
come back to London and and so on there
was that entire drama
yet Charles at the time said I will
break off my holiday and I will come
back to London for a day for the
synagogue service it was the very first
time that a member of the royal family
attended a school service for the
installation of a chief Rabbi and from
that moment onwards we established a
very close report
um I visited Israel twice with him once
was when he went to the funeral of
Shimon Paris and the other which was
more significant was a visit in its own
right
uh when he came on the 27th of January
2020 for the 75th anniversary of the
liberation of Auschwitz and uh I
accompanied him on various uh very
significant visits within yerushalayim
on that occasion
um and I've got to know him enormously
well you asked about his character yes
there's great warmth uh and by the way
Camilla as well both of them show
enormous warmth and we've had some very
special and Precious Moments together
and literally just three days before the
coronation my wife and I were guests of
the king and queen at their garden party
in Buckingham Palace where we we had
great conversations in anticipation of
the coronation and um but it's not
special relating to me myself it's the
way he relates to all people and the way
in which he wants to genuinely be the
defender of all faiths and with regards
to the impact
of the coronation and Shabbos what you
said before is absolutely correct
a lesson that I've learned time and
again in my life is that the more that
we respect our Traditions the more
people will respect us and we had a
reception last week
that I hosted
um for all the couples who have got
married during the past year uh under
the auspices of my office because all
couples getting married in the UK need
to register their message their
marriages through our office so we had
an enormous crowd
and there was only one subject they
wanted to discuss with me and that was
the coronation
um and I picked up on a number of really
wonderful comments for example one
couple said when it comes to Winter we
won't hesitate asking our bosses to
leave early in order to get home for
Javas another person said I've got an
examine University on shovel art and I
was going to just go and ride it thanks
to seeing the consequences of respect
for Yiddish kite I'm going to ask for
special dispensation people have been
empowered
and you know people are standing tall as
you do today and it's not just within
the UK I'm getting that impression that
it just has a global impact so let's
take advantage of that in order to
enable people to know we've got so much
to be proud of and when we're proud of
it other people are supportive of us oh
for sure now the question is did the
chief Rabbi invite Charles or command
Charles to come to the installation
that's the that's the first question but
I I'm curious actually as an American
um who admires and and has enjoyed
several trips to the UK to to England
um you know our our experience of
watching the royal family is
Unfortunately today in our time and for
this generation a little bit of a
reality show and and headlines and the
celebrity culture of of the royal family
and the challenges in it very different
I'm sure than the the British experience
and and we have Brits in our community
who I see the way they their excitement
over the coronation and anything
surrounding the royal family I wonder
whether and originally you know from
South Africa also is a different
perspective that you come with do you
think that British jury does the fact
that there's a monarchy for the country
impact their religious experience in a
way that we're missing in America and I
mean that throughout the Torah and
tanach and throughout Camara one of the
metaphors of Hashem is a malach is a
king and for us in America you could say
president certainly we haven't seen
presidents in that dignified light of
late but we don't see presidents as a
monarch as a king pump and Circumstance
and royalty and tradition and ancient
traditions and and and England does have
that in the UK does have that one of the
things I saw about the Carnation that I
think is very good is the coronation was
surrounded by tradition and ritual and
ceremony much of it we don't relate to
it's unfamiliar we don't understand but
the world was admiring and that can only
be good for the Jewish people that are
traditions and ritual and ceremony
should should earn the same admiration
so do you think I'm sorry for the
long-winded question but the question is
do you think that the average Jew in the
UK has a different experience with
Hashem because they have the metaphor of
melach in a way that if you don't have
exposure to royalty in a royal family
and you're not a subject that you're
lacking
so it's I think it's a great question
and the way I put it is there is greater
potential for a stronger connection with
the military it won't necessarily be the
case but there is that potential
you know
um being able to to behold the presence
of this of a sovereign of Flesh and
Blood
reminds us of the godlet of
and also there is an aura surrounding a
king of flesh and blood
um and I have felt it on a number of
occasions we were speaking earlier about
the occasions in which I got to know
Prince Charles as he was then
um and I remember the very first time
meeting him when he was King and there
was a very different atmosphere so the
queen had died and uh it was on the
Friday between her death and the funeral
that the new king
because he became the Monarch instantly
he invited Faith leaders to Buckingham
Palace and this was part of the schedule
that had been pre-planned for decades
before because everything is planned
well ahead of time
um and it so happened that it fell at
the time when Shabbos was coming in and
he rescheduled this event to take place
before Shabbat so that I would be able
to get home for shutters wow so that he
could attend and I'd always remember the
moment he walked into the room there
were just about 30 of us
and he came into one of the great Halls
of Buckingham Palace and when he stepped
inside there was an aura you could feel
it you know
who was blind
and there was an occasion where the king
went past and Russia knew the exact
moment at which to say the bracha
because he felt the presence of malhot
and that is real and I felt it at the
coronation I wasn't waiting for it to
come it suddenly hit me when I had that
of seeing the king and the queen right
in my line of sight with their crowns on
their heads I just felt something
extraordinary and then you say Allah
that we've got three times a day plus
eight additional moments we want
so certainly our experience of the king
of flesh and blood can magnify our
connection to hakadoshburgu and with
regard to monarchy in general it's a
system that does work you know people
ask is it a good system and as you
questioned you know what about certain
standards of morality and and life and
schlumbai that they might or might not
have within their family Circle but
let's have a look at the national
leadership of other great countries
today how well are the leaders shaking
over there and I'd say given all the
assistance that exist in the
performances of various leaders
I settle for the one we've got here in
Great Britain and certainly it provides
an opportunity to set a tone for the
people
and also what you were saying earlier is
absolutely correct we see Timeless
Traditions making an impact on timely
opportunities and the fact that the
coronation is steeped in Tradition
that's something that everybody picked
up on and it was a great advertisement
for not inventing right now for the
needs of the moment
but digging deep into our past to gain
inspiration from the past for the sake
of our future
absolutely wow yeah first of all thank
you so much it's great great a big honor
to have you on the show you know here in
Boca Raton we place actus Unity as a as
a priority we really try our best to
bring different rabbis and Jewish
Community leaders together but we don't
have a rabbi a chief Rabbi that's on the
top doing it and and making sure that
that it happens as as the chief Rabbi of
the United Kingdom do you do you place
that as a priority after all you're not
a rabbi of a Shoal you're the rabbi of
of the entire United Kingdom and you
represent every Jew so are there things
perhaps that we could learn from what
you do and how much of a priority is it
to to try and unite the United Kingdom
so we referred earlier to my
installation ceremony in 2013 and in my
address that I gave at the time I
highlighted the importance of Jewish
Unity for me that is Central it is
absolutely crucial there is a lovely
little idea it is simple but for me
enormously powerful which I use often
and that's the origin of the Hebrew word
for had
so why is hand a yet the reason is in
each hand you've got 14 joints three in
each finger and two in the thumb that's
a total of 14 14 is your Dullard and
that is the answer that's the origin of
the term handed it's not a cute little
idea it's mummish the origin and when
two you didn't come together and they
shake hands or they hold hands you've
got Yad and Yad and that's the origin of
the word you did a friend and you did in
turn 14 and 14 adds up to 28 which
spells which is so the greatest source
of color of strength for amisrael comes
from our you did comes from out
togetherness
um and you know the person says
why the word gum
explained the gum refers to our who
because when we are dwelling together in
unity and in Amity and in Friendship is
within our racks
and
you know interestingly for us we're
still in the Omer that's our minha
Anglia we go from rush to roscoodes
and if one thinks about it there's
nearly two months of the Jewish calendar
devoted to teaching us about the ills
and the poisonous nature of sinach the
whole Amer period where to tell me that
Kiva didn't learn from what happened at
the urban abide the three weeks some
gedalia and yet after closer to
Millennia we still as a nation haven't
yet learned that lesson and what is
happening right now in Israel I think is
exceptionally worrying and throughout
the Jewish World so yes Jewish Unity
must be a top priority for us all
how do we practically pursue that how do
you bridge the gaps of the things that
divide right the the different
denominations within Judaism and
different levels of observance or
different hashgraphic approaches and and
how does one navigate the principles is
beautiful and we agree but in in
navigating it in practice are there are
there programs or exercises or projects
that the chief rabbis initiated that we
can learn from and replicate
so I'd say two things first of all
family
if everyone with in their own family
circles would have Shalom bite and would
engage
with
then the world would be different
but my second point I have developed a
particular approach
which I I announced publicly from the
moment I became Chief rabbi
um I don't know if you and your
listeners are familiar with the sport
called cricket
um and the way I presented is we all
need to be batters and not Bowlers so I
suppose in a baseball context but
correctly if I've got it wrong we need
to be the Batters and not the pitchers
would that make sense yes okay
so
we need to score runs for our team
as opposed to trying to get the other
team out
so in this context when I became Chief
Rabbi I declared no one would ever hear
from my lips a public condemnation of
other streams of Judaism not to my right
nor to my left
nobody will hear me publicly criticizing
Reform Judaism
in private I would make my views clear
and we have had indeed
a lot of very horrific conversations
but something wonderful happened as a
result of my statement because once I
made that statement the others stopped
condemning Us in public
and my point of view is we need to be
proud for what we stand for we need to
Define ourselves in terms of
what we're proud of within ourselves and
not to Define ourselves according to
what we are against that's a weakness of
human character and through scoring runs
for our own team through magnifying what
we stand for for saying we believe that
we have the authentic true religious
tradition that academic who has gifted
us without referring negatively to
others that's the best way to move
forward and if others want to present
themselves in that way
and there is a particular model that I
use it's attributed to her of cook but
my my
research reveals that perhaps he didn't
say it but it's it's the example of the
symphony orchestra so in the symphony
orchestra you've got different
instruments each one makes its unique
sound but under the Baton of the
conductor
they produce beautiful Harmony together
and that must be the way that uh
the way Shalom is not by not having
arguments
so we need to leave the space for others
to be able to express themselves in
their way we need to respect them for
that and under the Baton of human
coexistence we can produce Harmony
mariben shallow the Shalom we have is
through math locket it's not to agreeing
to everything that others say that that
is because we respect the people
concerned and and respect their right to
express themselves in the way they
wished it
well in the same way that Israel has a
Sephardic Chief Rabbi and Ashkenazi
Chief Rabbi has there ever been a push
in the United Kingdom to say well you're
the Orthodox Chief Rabbi but we want to
have a more liberal Chief Rabbi as well
so I am officially the chief Rabbi of
the United Hebrew congregations of the
Commonwealth so officially That's Great
Britain and another 52 countries okay
enormous Mega right so basically
identity my authority in Australia New
Zealand and Canada and and India and
Pakistan to to various others and each
has its own mindset and I only hear from
these countries when they're in real
trouble at one point the United States
correct I mean we were were we part of
the United States
so and by the way I I'm not asking for
it
more than enough absolutely but in
reality at a practical level I'm
responsible for
um United Hebrew congregations of of
Great Britain and that amounts to
mainstream Orthodoxy so many within
haredi circles would have their rabbis
and they would not look to me to be
their official RAV and certainly in the
non-orthodox world they don't look to me
and I genuinely believe that with the
rav we need to earn respect we need to
show that it's not just because we've
received something as a hereditary
factor or because we have a title
that we need to have that respect we
need to earn it we need to show that our
leadership is something worthwhile to
follow
and uh Baruch Hashem what we've always
had in the United Kingdom has been
towering Chief rabbis who have gained
the respect of all sectors of Judaism
because of the leadership that they have
shown and I've been particularly blessed
to be a fly on the world to see the
wonderful leadership of Chief Rabbi
Emmanuel chakovitz and also Chief Rabbi
Jonathan Sachs both of whom were
outstanding ambassadors of kalalisro
now of course there's politics and of
course there are those who are applying
for positions and equal opportunities of
leadership
but there are ways of dealing with it
and when one engages in situations uh
with tarike Shalom I think that we can
actually achieve a harmonious way of
moving forward and Baruch Hashem that's
what we've been blessed with
is first of all it's a perfect segue
because I wanted to ask the chief Rabbi
follows this distinguished line of Chief
rabbis which I imagine when when
recruited and installed in that position
can be somewhat intimidating we had the
privilege of having a very wonderful
relationship with Chief Rabbi sax who
came to our community several times and
lady jacobowitz came to our community
and spent a Shabbos here it can be I
imagine intimidating and of course Chief
Rabbi Mervis has has contributed in
extraordinary ways in no way do I mean
to compare or diminish but I wonder for
you as you were installed and took the
office is it intimidating to say where
will I make my contribution how can I
distinguish myself minimally how can I
continue the wonderful work they did
given how extraordinary they were
so it's an enormous effort for me to
occupy the position that I occupy and
extraordinarily since 1704 I'm only the
11th Chief Rabbi wow so that's quite
amazing and here on the wall alongside
me but you don't see it I've got the
either photographs or portraits of my
ten predecessors and that's it
um and and the weight of of History
rests very heavily on my shoulders but
you know every generation needs its own
leadership and its own style
um I don't finding it find it
intimidating at all I find that I'm
enormously blessed uh to have have them
in Search and for me to have the
opportunity to build on uh their
successes and you know there's a
thriller which I continuously save and
investors
first we have to find Grace in favor
and only afterwards we should seek to be
popular
in the view of people and if everything
we do
then we'll be able to take the
courageous decisions that we need to
take
um to have uh hopefully responsible
leadership and conviction leadership
that that one needs in a position such
as this so we need an enormous amount of
uh Seattle and those who came before me
bless me always because I'm able to
learn from their experiences
does how does the chief Rabbi deal with
you know in a much smaller scale as as
rabbis and and public leaders we also
deal with this and always can use physic
how does the chief Rabbi not become
distracted or brought down by criticism
there's so little criticism of the chief
Rabbi but for the denominations or
segments and it's hard to navigate we
live in such complicated times and
people wish you were more outspoken
about this or less outspoken about that
or showing more leadership on this
controversial issue or taking a position
on that and I'm sure the chief Rabbi
gets emails or texts or personal uh
encounters where people offer their
unsolicited feedback and criticism how
does the chief Rabbi not allow that to
bring him down weigh him down or be
distracted from the the mission
I think that's an ongoing issue for all
rubber name in whatever capacity we we
serve our communities and certainly for
me and my position I live in one of the
world's biggest uh
fishbowls and uh you know constantly
people are talking and commenting and uh
and it's fine it's okay because actually
such a stage provides us with an
enormous opportunity for the potential
of kids
that if one is being noticed then you
may say Hashem may we be blessed to have
a positive impact on others
um I think when it comes to criticism
the first question we have to ask is are
they right or are they wrong and we need
to be courageous enough often to
acknowledge maybe we didn't make the
best decision or maybe we did uh
um nobody is perfect
and when one reaches a decision
and we reached the decision not just at
when but because one is consulted
one has read up one has taken their
advice
um
in order to teach us even though he
didn't need to so too whatever the
decisions we take we need a consultant
that's a crucially important matter and
particularly with very important and
critical decisions one needs to know
that one is hopefully doing the right
thing and and to act with humility
certainly courage but also humility and
when one feels that one is doing the
absolutely right thing for clally Israel
it's absolutely fine any criticism that
comes one's way okay it happens
obviously one shouldn't be foolish to
take decisions where the criticism will
come from the majority of claudi Israel
you know we have to bear in mind
outstanding and and also there's a
lovely lesson that I always bear in mind
and that is to be a great leader you
need to be one step ahead of your
followers to be a poor leader you will
be two steps ahead of them
be one step ahead
says an example don't
sit in your seat to occupy the positions
that they want you to don't allow your
followers to lead you you must be there
to lead them be one step ahead but if
you are two steps ahead if you're too
far ahead and they can't grasp what you
are about and they don't get it and you
haven't brought them into your
confidence then they're going to
criticize they might even Rebel so one
needs a lot of Seiko and most of all one
are you able to be in touch with the
other Chief rabbis in around the world
because they are in similar
circumstances As You Are I don't think
that any two Chief rabbis are in are in
some of the circumstances some of us are
in quite comparable circumstances
um so for example I do have some very
close connections uh Chief rabaheim
Corsair of France is a close friend and
colleague of mine and and we're in touch
regularly uh Chief Robert recorded the
seni of of Rome
um there are many others whom we engage
with continuously together with senior
rabbis who don't have the title Chief
robot
and and others from whom we always have
to gain knowledge advice and inspiration
how did how did not only the chief
rabbi's life change from going from a
local Rabbi to the chief Rabbi but the
family of the chief Rabbi is it hard for
for the family to now have that level
Spotlight or be exposed to that
criticism and in what ways did becoming
Chief Rabbi in what ways did they meet
your expectations in what ways did they
surpass meaning did you discover things
about being Chief Rabbi that you never
dreamed of in other parts of Chief Rabbi
that that you didn't know and you wish
wouldn't be
so I've been blessed because I'm now the
chief Rabbi for a second time when I was
28 years old I was elected to become
Chief Rabbi of Ireland
um and I had arrived in Ireland at the
age of 25 was the Rev of a Kiki La there
which was my first position in the
rabbin it and the chief Robinette of
Ireland is a very historic one Chief
Rabbi Herzog had been the chief Rabbi
Chief Robert that's had been the chief
rabbit together with other distinguished
rabbis and our Island at the time when I
was Chief Rabbi was a relatively small
but still Dynamic Community with a full
infrastructure
um of Jewish institutions
um and there was an absence of an
Israeli representative because uh there
were there were no political ties
between Ireland and Israel at the time
as a result of the influence of the
Vatican over Ireland at the time so I
had an enormous amount of experience of
representing the Jewish community of
Ireland at the highest possible
political level and also representing
Israel's interests
um and therefore that experience of
being
Chief Rabbi Island for eight years
prepared me well for my current
experience
and I think most of all as being Chief
Rabbi it's very much like being a rough
you've got responsibility
you've got people you need to work with
you've got the nutmegs and having an
Asic connector is a crucially important
element of everything that we do and I
owe so much to my rabbanate who is a
wonderful partner of mine in everything
that we do she's somebody in her own
right she works full-time as a senior
social worker and at the same time she
and I are are very much Partners in in
the spiritual leadership of the
community and we're blessed by Russ
Hashem with us wonderful children who
are a great support to us at all times
wow you know I'm just wondering when it
comes to to Aliyah you know as rabbis
here in the United States so we
encourage people to make Ali Goldberg
always says if you're not making Aliyah
for any legitimate reason should at
least struggle with the with the with
not if but when not if but when so so
the question is we don't have any
official connection to to the government
in the United States but does does the
chief rabbi's relationship to the
government does that become a little
complicated I represent the Jews living
United Kingdom how do I encourage them
to leave the United Kingdom
so it's a great question it's an ongoing
dilemma and it and it's a dilemma which
comes from a good place Baruch Hashem
that we have the opportunity to make
earlier in our time and that we have
midi natives to be a great source of
inspiration
and we're also in a better position than
you are because to hop over to Israel
it's four and a half hours as opposed to
a much longer journey and we've very
much take advantage of that and within
our communities we are blessed to have
children and grandchildren who are
living in Israel we're exceptionally
proud of that many of us myself included
have children who've served in sahal and
um Israel is is very much a central
element of our Jewish faith and of our
Jewish life within political circles my
experience is that those who are not
anti-semites get it they understand we
have a special action with the country
called Israel and at the same time we
are fully fledged integrated British
citizens
proud of our British identity and there
is no conflict of identity
Those Who start off at the starting
point of not being
well disposed towards us find problems
with that
um but certainly we are blessed to be
able to be British enjoy British Society
to be fully included within British
Society we have had British Jews at the
highest possible level of British
Society
um and uh you know we need on a few
occasions we nearly had a Jewish prime
minister they lost the elections next
time round
if labor wins the election next year
then we'll have a Jewish prime
minister's wife
and the nation doesn't add an eyelid
over it and and is fully inclusive of
people and currently we've got a Hindu
prime minister
um and it's not an issue with regard to
his leadership
we're spoken about the past and we've
spoken about the present let's talk a
little bit about the future
um none of us have a crystal ball but
but for for a significant amount of time
already I remember many have been very
pessimistic of the future of of UK or
British jury the rise of anti-Semitism
Jeremy Corman even even within
Parliament factors factions of it
um are is the chief Rabbi optimistic
pessimistic are we seeing a spike in
anti-Semitism I will say as an American
for a long time we felt safe and secure
and pointed our finger at Europe and
England wondering why any Jews would
remain there on their their mind there's
no future to Jews in France and in
England what are they still doing there
why don't they see that and now we've
seen these last couple of years of
course this spike in significant rise
not only in anti-Semitism on the streets
but in our own equivalent of parliament
in our own congress with Rashida talib's
recent uh nakpa event and and so on so
it turns out you know when you live in a
glass house don't don't throw stones and
don't point fingers there's several
pointing back at you so is the chief
Rabbi optimistic pessimistic of the
future for jury in the UK and in America
for that for that matter
well let me speak about the UK I leave
America
um
I'm very optimistic
we've got a great Jewish Community here
um the UK is one of the only countries
outside of Israel which is seeing a
growth in the Jewish population year
round year
is extraordinary we now have reached the
70 Mark of all Jewish children attending
schools wow um
across the board primary school and
secondary school are in Jewish Education
um wonderful schools representing all
the different hashgraphers uh great
khashrut facilities social and cultural
facilities
um anti-Semitism is a growing problem
and you'll be aware of the years of the
Jeremy corbyn leadership of the labor
labor party and how that problem became
exacerbated in the UK and Baruch Hashem
we were able to contribute
to the neutralizing of that problem it
hasn't gone away but certainly Baruch
Hashem we have been blessed that it
didn't enable labor at the time to lead
the country
so we are here with our eyes open
um and with all that Baruch Hashem we
are blessed
um
and it we are so blessed to have
madinati Israel today and to be able to
receive inspiration and guidance and to
have that question as well and and we
always encourage Aliyah but for those
who choose to live in this country Bas
rat Hashem may we have a great future
wow wow that's great is there any
special initiatives that you're working
on right now for the for the future of
the Jewish community
many
um so I I don't know where to start and
what to highlight we are very active in
the area of interfaith activity
hello you're still with me I'm still
with you
my screen has changed yeah um so boric
Hashem at Interfaith level
um I am proactively involved at the
highest Global level in terms of Jewish
Muslim relations and the Abraham Accords
have opened Windows of opportunity for
us within the Middle East which we are
grasping hold of with both hands and
there are some very exciting
developments in that uh entire area
within our own communities we uh
developed what we call Project welcome
post pandemic to guarantee that our
numbers of people coming to our
mainstream shows should be at the very
least as many as those who are coming
pre-pandemic and we're doing Baruch
Hashem well in that regard it's an
enormous challenge as I know is the case
in communities right around the world
but
we are indeed doing well we have
numerous specific programs relating to
education that's informal education I
have a department in my office called
the center for Community excellence
for which I've raised significant sums
so that my office can fund uh programs
ensures to qualify for the funding it
has to be something that has never been
done before so for example coming up to
Shavuot we have 25 communities in the UK
who are putting on Chevrolet programs
that they've never put put on before
and we need to be makhadesh all the time
we have to be creative
um
you know the Hebrew word for yours I
don't have to tell you this you know
comes from shinun being repetitive
because you're in and you're around the
calendar is the same that's the channel
but within the Shana you've got the the
months which is an opportunity
it's Timeless it's from academic who
eternally relevant but within our Torah
way of life we have to have that element
of in terms of our presentation making
it fresh making it relevant it's exactly
what you've been doing in Boca Raton
um and which I I applaud you so much for
your world leaders at a programming
level how you have transformed a
community and we're trying to emulate
what you have achieved here in the UK
and we must never ever be complacent
um you know I always speak about the
three great challenges of the Jewish
people today and they are the three A's
they all start with the letter A
anti-Semitism assimilation and apathy
the first two are visible the third one
is hidden apathy is the top challenge we
have we cannot be complacent we need
Hitler we need passion we need to be
proactive
dreaming up and actually activating new
systems new activities new programs in
order that emits Hashem we should move
forward
Chief Robert has been a tremendous honor
and we're grateful for your not only
conversation today but your leadership
and vision which spreads far beyond the
UK and and the responsibilities the how
many countries are in the Commonwealth
52 at the last count it changes and does
the chief Rabbi travel does does he
visit the other direct interactions and
responsibilities to those 52 countries
so I I can only do what I what I'm
humanly capable of as I mentioned before
we delegate and each kahilla has its own
Dynamic and I know which I've baked in
and which Rabbi and which authority
looks after things on on our behalf and
some of the communities take our
leadership very seriously particularly
in Australia and New Zealand in India
now we have a strong connection and in
various other commonwealth countries
some of which are in Africa which have
some teeth issues at the time but if you
take a commonwealth country such as
Canada they don't need me it's only the
UK barakas in there they're terrific but
we still have connections and and uh
formal activities
um so it's an enormous and and a great
Scott
well we thank you for for that vision
for the leadership for the efforts we
learned so much and much we'll continue
to put into practice so thank you for
sharing with us about the coronation and
about and about so much more
great pleasure and a huge circle to you
and for everything you're doing thank
you
so the product that is
the current chief Rabbi of the United
Hebrew congregations of the Commonwealth
and you heard how many countries are
under the Commonwealth it's really
pretty extraordinary
thank you my brother there
Rabbi bro day Rabbi Brody there can you
hear
we are back where my brother's mic is
still not on he's muted but he's coming
back any second right now he has changed
locations
in the Commonwealth he is back oh my
gosh how many countries how many Jews
how many people and and what a vision
and what a mention what a sweet sweet
nashama the chief Rabbi is I don't know
if I'm allowed to say that but it comes
across the sweetness and how genuine he
is so it was real honor to have him
we love him and he's an incredible
inspiring uh character he's uh he's
definitely doing some great things can't
wait to see me interested in the country
is Chief rabbis right United
Commonwealth and uh I spoke recently I
met with her by uh Goldstein of uh South
Africa Chief Rabbi South Africa exciting
things to come we're gonna hopefully
partner on something really excited
about so you got South Africa's got a
chief Rabbi and the United Kingdom's got
a chief Rabbi Ireland's got a chief
rabbi
France has a chief Rabbi does Australia
yes they did United States actually had
a chief rabbi
it had for a very short time in Chief
Robin Francis
yeah and it basically killed him being
the chief Rabbi right yeah but maybe
it's time to bring it back
but those countries are are all the
Orthodox Community has an infrastructure
like he was talking about all the
couples who got married under his
auspices who opened a file with his
office I saw you were excited
no I'm saying it's all centralized and
there's something to be said about that
the intermarriage rates are so much less
and the assimilation you could speak
about South Africa South Africa where I
think the majority are not observant but
the non-observants they'll identify with
the Orthodox or observant community and
they still function in terms of their
marriages and registrations and
conversion and everything is still done
in that way so because of all that the
intermarriage numbers are much much
lower aren't they yeah it is and it's
funny because I remember going to school
in South Africa growing up with my
father we'd go Friday night we'd go I
was in the choir back in the day he was
in the choir in the garden school and uh
we would go to school there but most
people would wouldn't wouldn't uh walk
most people were driving
but it was an orthodox
they were Orthodox there was nothing
there was really nothing else structure
entirely differently they're very very
different and but what he said about 70
of the children in his community are in
day schools I mean that's incredible
yeah what is a huge number by the way I
want to say from a member of our
community
look what she writes Could Teach the
World about artists I lived in France
and England the Passaic in New Jersey
and Lakewood and finally Boca I never
saw such actors and balanced places our
BRS in Boca so levana thank you thank
you for watching Livonia thank you for
writing that appreciate it thanks the
world to us
that is so special I just saw something
you know you were talking about your
shearing for uh for Swiss and the theme
of love and
you know and I just saw I would hit the
the wire right now it's kind of timely
with a lot of your top with the names of
your topics yeah yeah certain singer who
passed away so the singer just passed
away a lot of a lot of the names they
share you know might have been
just
talking about that do you know that do
you know that orthodoxies are 0.02
percent of the population sorry point
two percent of the population Orthodox
are 0.2 percent of the population but 20
of altruistic kidney donors in America
that's great yeah I remember that
statistic that's passion we had a great
job
we celebrated the many members many I
say many many because more than one is
many who've generously donated their
kidneys to clean strangers what a
weekend and we have a member a couple
members who received kidneys whose lives
were saved they're only alive today
because they got a kidney would you do
it if you got matched like if I thought
about this already I can't I tried I
tried to get swabbed I've got certain
health issues I know I know I look like
I'm the perfect specimen of health and I
feel great I got to tell you but the
rabbit has given me wonderful gifts
including them things that preclude me
from being kidding but my wife was so
blown away by the weekend so excited by
it she's in mozay Shabbos when one of
our own Dr Danny agyon brain surgeon
donated his kidney and had never met the
recipient and mote Shabbos at the a-time
cats concert at our shul the parents of
his recipient came up and expressed
their endless gratitude and what a
moment brought everyone to tears was
unbelievable so my wife when she swapped
Sunday morning and you know what she
said to me I actually wrote about it in
my article this week everyone could
check it out on our website but she said
to me she comes and she goes I said
what's the matter she goes you know I
never win anything I never get picked
for anything I'm sure I'm not going to
be a match and I was like wouldn't that
be great like you're swabbed you did
your pardon if you don't match you don't
have to have surgery and give up a
kidney and I don't have to drive carpool
for a couple weeks so like you'll feel
you did your part she's like are you
kidding me I desperately want to match
like how long do you thinking within a
couple days maybe they'll call but I
never win so probably not they never
pick me that's what makes her special
but but she's also not special she's
very special but she's not special in
that the whole weekend was so inspiring
that I think that was the sentiment so
many people had which was like I thought
you're gonna say she got called no no no
not yet but um I did ask renewal whether
they would cover the carpool if she if
she was a match
it's actually really funny because I
think Danny again the doctor said that
he's not by Nature a giver I think by by
Nature a lot of us are selfish and he
did it because he just wants to to kind
of make him the type of person that
wants to give I love my article this
week and I told a few stories in there
about who's really the donor and who's
the recipient because the donors will
tell you they got more than they gave
and the recipients they gave the donor
the opportunity to find this meaning and
purpose so kidney donation or transplant
is an extreme example but the truth is
every time we do something nice or kind
or share our resources our time who's
the giver who's the taker who's the
donor who's the recipient it's a big
chivalist lesson from Russ in that
really interesting check out the article
there are other parts of our body that
we can donate or kidneys are like really
the only thing I'm saying while we're
alive I'm saying like why we're liver
you can donate cornea is a retinas
um yeah I think there are other there
are other there's the whole question of
brain death is brain death and therefore
live no I'm saying if I'm alive right
now and I match can I can't give someone
my heart because I'm gonna die
definitely the kidney is the major one
kidney's major okay and we yeah and
we've taken over that like the the the
Jews wow
there's an interesting question though
one of our members stopped me on Sunday
at a wedding Sunday forgot when and he
said you know it's beautiful the weekend
blew me away super amazing he's a
physician too he said but there is one
thing that troubled me and he said you
know we're taking care of our own like
maybe all these Orthodox Jews done any
kidneys
because they essentially go to Jews so
maybe they should be giving to non-jews
but I wasn't bothered by it as much
because I felt
you know we we donate money to Jewish
causes disproportion of the non-jewish
because this is a right I give my
brother a kidney but maybe not a
stranger so the Jewish people are a lot
of brother I like that so I think people
take care of their family and their own
and it's sort of reflective of how we're
supposed to feel again going into
one people Unity
and all that I love it actually really
excited about and by the way I really
okay I just counted uh sphere and I'm
pretty sure I can't I remember last
night I counted so I just finished
Hashem so yeah you got it 49 seven weeks
and I do want to give credit this year
to the OU the OU's nightly email
reminder definitely helped
nice well speaking of the OU I'm going
to New York for a wedding next week one
of our great teachers everybody
sugarman's making another wedding and
the next line I'm staying because I'm
very excited with the OU we're
partnering Boca Raton Synagogue again
our podcast behind the shot be out of
the Shadows poker let's try that again
Boca Raton Synagogue and Out of the
Shadows are partnering with the OU and
we're doing a mental health maze mental
health month and we're doing in in
Lawrence in the five towns with Rabbi
Trump at young as well Lauren Cedarhurst
uh Dr Norman Blumenthal and I will be
doing a panel discussion on mental
health and I think others as well so I'm
looking for this next Wednesday night to
our Global community in the New York
area you are it's not being streamed but
you're more than invited in person we'd
love to see you there and if you want us
to bring behind the bema to Lawrence
Cedarhurst to some fun place we'll bring
behind the beam on the road too
could do that we could do that Brody
closes out any thoughts are you teaching
what subject are you teaching and
shivers oh so I'm actually talking about
what happens when you have in-laws that
become either a become or they're just
not religious they're not from so what's
the the obligation to to honor them as
your uh
yeah
or even your parents I said they're not
religious what's the
where you'd say it's obviously your
parents give it off aim but okay there's
questions it's not so simple and let's
try and understand what the
what the challenges are what do you want
to be teaching in so I I love it I am to
me it's a favorite slot it might not be
a lot of people at the 5 a.m slot or 4
30 whatever it might be but the people
that are there
are there for a reason mostly the
coveted 430 it is not but yeah there's a
good chance that the half of the you
know let's say there's five people so
two might be sleeping but no but you are
giving it this year for the first time a
second time into a second exactly we're
doing an 8 A.M slot on the second day so
we get a rerun and anyone can come and
join that Global Community if you want
to come hang out in Boca for Swiss we
got a lot of great stuff happening we
did that several of the Moscow do you
mean we're we're teaching the subject a
couple times some people can't make it
up through the night so you know we've
got learning night Day Afternoon Around
the Clock yeah but I'll do I will say
that I mean when you start out first
night at 11 p.m or midnight I think even
11 8 11 p.m 11 15. let's say it's a
pretty popular sheer gotta get a couple
more than just a handful of people there
but um
what was I gonna say
A.M
but uh yeah
there might not be a lot of it might not
be a lot of people but you know we get
it going oh I was gonna say oh I know
what it is you when you when you do it's
probably a little bit of pressure
because there's a lot of people there
let's just say the 430 shoots here it's
not a lot of pressure and you know let's
just say not a lot of questions there
are some some advantages to that slot I
guess like okay I'm preparing I'm
preparing his luck it would be 50 people
there but whatever it is it is what it
is it's quality not quantity it's
quality exactly all about the quality
well congratulations I want another
beautiful Unity night Unity program
tonight really proud of our community
come together Jews of every type on the
eve of chivalus Jews of every background
sitting together no politics no
disagreements just Torah just total who
produced that Torah that we learned
can't tell you oh I did in partnership
with others yeah it's a it's a it's a
closely guarded it's like the coke
recipe but all traditional Toro sources
all exactly and that's the key is just
if you keep it traditional there's no
one's going to argue on the on the
original no pushing the envelope there
wasn't there was no push you don't need
to you don't need to push the envelope
it's so funny because one lady actually
called me last night and she said it's a
little put off because on the
questionnaire there's three questions in
your age bracket
um how you identify as a as a Jew reform
conservative Orthodox unaffiliated
because I felt a little uh a little put
off I said well how else do you want me
to be able to understand who who's
coming to the table I gotta I said I
want to ask if you're politically real
you know conservative or liberals though
the Yankees are the Mets yeah so I'm
just trying it's the only way I can do
it and then someone else called me later
and they're like they're like yeah but I
don't think any Orthodox Jews are going
to show up at a program like this so
they said that's all going to be you
know the the Orthodox aren't interested
in joining with another another
denomination and and other Jews so I
said actually it's about 50 Orthodox I
said how can you prove that I said
because I could have reforms everyone
filled out who they are is I know it's
it's a lot of Orthodox it's unbelievable
to know that back in the day back in the
day Dr J Keane and I a handful of people
we ran singles events we called it the
Jewish singles Network and we ran all
from Florida from Palm Beach all the way
down to Keys remember you know instead
of each Community just traveling things
for singles by itself let's bring the
community together and one of the things
we did we rented out the Diplomat
Ballroom the Diplomat Hotel and we had a
massive speed dating and we made it two
age groups
and I remember 30 to 50 and 51 see seven
I don't remember exactly the age groups
and then three denominations which we
made up better names like tradition but
essentially reform conservative Orthodox
to so six groups of speed dating
and they got closed out unbelievable
huge turnout was incredible so I
remember this woman called and she's
like I want to sign up for the um for
the Reform Group in this age group I'm
like I'm so sorry that's closed out she
goes you know
I really grew up more conservative so
put me in the conservative yeah and so
I'm so sorry that one's also closed out
she goes you know I've always seen
myself as becoming more observant I'm
hoping to be you know what put me in the
apartment one right so you know for the
sake of dating you never know what
people are willing to do it's amazing
it's amazing so Mazel Tov Network we
want to wish all of our uh our wonderful
listeners and uh people on this fun
Journey behind the Beamer stay happy
stay healthy stay holy should be a
beautiful sure it's a beautiful Kabbalah
Satora we should receive the Torah and
we should do it hand in hand United
together yeah plus yard equals you did
which is unbelievable
take care everybody have a happy
beautiful