The Story Behind Chayenu | Rabbi Yossi Pels

We're here with Rabbi Yasi Pel who's executive director of Cayeno, a publication which I personally make use of on a regular basis. So I'm a personal fan. Um tell us the origin story. How did how did this start? How did this all begin? >> So it started um some 18 years ago. Two Jews on a plane. That's how all good. It's not a joke. >> [laughter] >> So um [clears throat] Mendel Gleman who's a friend of mine from South Africa classmate of mine and his business partner Louis Pilman businessman Mendle's a lab guy and Louis not necessarily a fullon lab but they were traveling on the north coast of South Africa to do a a business deal in the oil business or something like that and Mendle being a good was reading was learning mus >> so which which everyone's familiar And um Louie said what is that? Mendle says I'm learning. And Louie says you know where's the English version of that? And Mendle says there is no English version. >> So Louie and Mendle um unanimously agree that with the process of with the proceeds of their soon to be successful business deal they'll fund the startup called Ceno. So they um >> they had a name for it or >> the soon to be called what would eventually become. Correct. But the concept of an we can say English >> English which doesn't necessarily is amazing and it's you know >> it doesn't really reflect today >> exactly which we can get into because when it comes to translating automatically you begin to interpret stuff but we can get into that >> okay >> but um >> I'm going to remind you to come back to like what's the diff not just in English to our but at any rate back to the original story that's the >> the original concept was >> on a plane exactly so so mendle um um spoke to his brother Mah Gman who um and he sort of commissioned him or or inspired him to to start this organization and Mah was the founder of Kenu and he put in the excuse me [clears throat] the hard work of of uh you know securing the first few publishers when wasn't on the map at all >> meaning getting permissions >> getting permission from the publishers to feature the content and he started you know the first week was actually this week purchases not not this week But this is the first Cena ever printed. 2009 something. >> Oh, that's the first one. >> That's the first one ever printed. Sure. >> Look at it. Give it back. But >> and uh and throughout throughout the the the following 18 months or so, he he put in a lot of work to get it started. >> That's great. >> And uh >> belongs in a museum, >> a collector's item. I'm going to sell on eBay. And uh that that's the original story of and um ML Goldman um when he started the organization he needed a it was a non forprofit very nonfor-profit so he he needed a board of directors he needed some people to be on the board so he approached uh myself and another guy another fellow by the name of um Hilfas Hill Matio he was recently nifter and actually on his on his caver it mentions the word that that Hill was was instrumental in in in starting Cayenu in in the early days. So that's the original genesis of of Cenu. >> Wow. I didn't realize it was 18 years. >> Yeah. About 18 years ago. Correct. Yeah. >> So the value in is definitely in the English translation. Um as soon as you start to translate stuff, you start to interpret it and you run into all sorts of challenges about what kind of translation you're going to use and include in that. um if it was just we could include anything without any kind of translation and then it appeals to the Israeli to the Hebrew speaking audience. But when you try to um translate and to interpret and to make it accessible and available for the English speaking communities, you have to be very careful of the way you serve the way the languages and way you serve the content. Uh as a result we've also started to translate original works that that that that never been accessible before to the English speaking communities like we debut it and feature in Cayeno which ultimately have become books in their own right. So >> that this is a perfect opportunity to mention that gate of trust is a Cayeno project and that's a book but that's way more than but that became a movement. >> Correct. Yes. >> That's my friend Gatsy Felic who >> Yes. >> and his wife Alisa. want to talk a little bit about gate of trust. >> Sure. So anything we include in is guided by a few principles and one of them is is the limuim that were inspired and encouraged by the reb by the labb. So all Torah is appropriate for all Jews. That's for sure. But the Reb did um give a special focus to certain parts of Torah. Um and Rambam which is in the core of is is a case in point how the Reb encouraged, inspired and and pleaded with people to study and Rambam every day. Um is a book the gate of trust which is part of written some thousand years ago by was a book that the Reb in encouraged countless of people countless of times to study not once but the Reb says you should learn it multiple times. So as a result of that directive um serendipitously and by just before co we started to serialize inu so every week we had a small portion and our editor-inchief editor and edin chief now is started to compile notes a plethora of notes ofidic classic andic commentary >> that's the unique thing that's the unique thing there's always been commentaries and there have been English translations with commentaries correct but to haveis especially so from the I don't think it ever existed. >> Not in English for sure. This is definitely the first time. And then we we had enough material after two years to publish it into a book. And we approached your good friends against Gates and Alisa Felg and also family in in Toronto, Howard and Cler Lewinsky, who agreed to to fund the the book, the Felic edition of Gate of Trust. Um, since then we've published, we've printed over 60,000 copies, which is a tremendous amount for a for a book, even in the non-Jewish market. It's translated into multiple language. We've done uh Portuguese, Spanish, um, we just sent French to press and Hebrew to press and we're working on Russian, >> Hebrew. >> Hebrew. Yeah, the >> Don't forget about Hebrew. >> Don't forget about Hebrew. And it it definitely did start a global movement in bakan awareness. This came out just during co um in fact a very good friend um started to give a I believe it was a weekly class in Rabbi Shaab has the entire shaken beautiful classes which are available on his channel and our channel which go into in depth. Yeah, that was uh well you see the ripple effect massive ripple. I'll tell you something interesting um that >> I did a search on you know you can search Google trends about um when words are mentioned over time >> right >> in Google and if you search and trust in God so over a period of time it spikes in the last 20 years it spikes twice >> okay >> once is during 2008 >> during the financial crisis >> financial crisis >> it flat it kind of flat lines until now 2024 2025 I believe we're living in mamish unpre unprecedented times and people are searching for for good reasons to strengthen their trust in the Aisha >> and you and you you were mim >> right 100% 100%ish provided that opportunity and I believe the same is true with we can get into that if I don't know which direction you want to go but the same is true withas >> yeah let's talk about kitas I mean as you mentioned before kitas is the core you call it the core of kayenu >> correct so yeah >> so hayenu I We can say what I guess we could say whatu is. >> Yeah. >> I'm not sure if your audience is familiar with it, but it's an all-in-one um solution for daily Torah study. So, we take the guesswork out of out of your daily study by taking the the core tracks of daily study like for example and Rambam putting it together into one easy to use booklet. It's all in English and easy English and Hebrew. So it makes it available for the scholar and for the layman alike. It's a subscription based so it gets mailed to your home or to your office. It has we have digital and print. And as one subscriber succinctly put it. It's it's the Swiss Army knife of Torah study. >> I like that. Swiss Army knife of Torah study. But by the way we're using the word kitas like everybody knows what it is. Not necessarily does everyone know. >> Maybe a little background. What is this word? >> Where does it come from? What? How do we know that it's a thing to do? >> So, and we mentioned, and I'll tie that into in a bit. So, is a is an is an acronym for the ish study. The t is and the other is Tanya Tanya study. >> So, it's it's a track instituted by the Fredba and heavily promoted by the Reb to study a little bit of Tahim and Tanya every single day. Mhm. >> And that being a tremendous source of brahas both in material and a spiritual sense in our lives and also as a way to connect ourselves to to to the rabbi. >> How far back does it go referring to these three studies as because that's a word from like >> very good. So I mean obviously Jews have been learning for since since Moses right >> and and Tanya since the since the alterb and tell him Jews have been learning saying right >> but the Fredba um when when he sort of asked the labba to compile a compendion known as with daily quotes inspiration hagim so he included included in that he asked him to include the mirror how do you translate the mirisher the >> daily schedule >> daily schedule for kitas. Okay. >> So that on Monday on or today Sunday on the on the 3 of kislave this is the schedule you learn for. So the reb compiled that in >> by the way hayyam is also in >> is part of exactly. So this was I guess the start of kittas which was in around about 1943 1944. >> Okay. The start of it as a program of study >> as a formal program of study. Okay. >> Correct. And then since then the Reb has encouraged you know thousands and thousands of Jews >> as as a study track that is as relevant for every single Jew and through I'd like to say that it's become accessible for every single Jew. You mentioned you hinted to the story in in in the the story and the mention of in the Torah. So you know when people ask when did start right really it started from the balv which is surprising and counterintuitive because how could start with the bal is before the >> before the [laughter] so so I'll tell you the story and this is I think the story you were you were mentioning you you're referring to before is when was going to go on a mission to Petersburg >> so [clears throat] he had a very important mission to to because theidus in general and yedish guides was being threatened. So it was a very important mission to the dignitaries in Petersburg. So it was a perilous mission. So on his way he went by leazna to Daven at the grave site of his mother verair [clears throat] >> and she was moish for she actually died early because she gave up her life for the alter rabba for her father >> and he davened for for some kind of sugula to be successful in his mission. And he had a vision of his mother going into because she was Mov she went into the inner chambers of the of the Balmp. >> And the Balm said to her that because your son being the Seek was Movesh had self-sacrifice for um is having self-sacrifice for and he's also fluent in all parts of Kish to Hilim and Tanya. This is what the BMP have told her. >> Okay. um he should recite those chapters in his mind or he should say them while he's on his mission and that'll act as a sugula as a sort of like a remedy as a help for his mission and it'll protect him and it's and and the BM told her that it says in the parish which is actually what we read next week in it says when when Jacob was fleeing with his children after the after the molestation of Dina the says when they were traveling Harim and Rashi translates as the fear the fear of the of Hashem will be upon the nations and they won't molest Jacob and his sons at all. So the kitas acted as like a divine protection is traveling but it could also be and it it helped them it protected them. So that's the the vision that uh the braha that the ver gave to the in terms of and this is the story that the reb told at a fragen on on I think more than one occasion but um yeah so that's the original of that's the original of the of the story of kittas but it was formally introduced by the reb and encouraged by the encouraged over the years to to to study kitas again not for only labaves and [snorts] not for only or nonf religious or not religious or or any kind of Jew, it's it's applicable to every single person. >> That that's a term that the Reb used so many times, but like you said, not just for lab, not young or old or men or women, but >> really every single Jew, right? This >> and the part of it is the Reb also mentioned this and that is that is almost like a a remedy for the generation. So he gives the example of of you he says nowadays that we've come up with all kinds of technological and medical advancements in the last 50 80 100 years and with that comes the challenges of modern society and as a remedy for that remedy for all the challenges we have to find a new refur a new kind of remedy and is the refur of this generation >> wow powerful >> very powerful >> wow >> and I think no I haven't heard anybody mention this but this was said while Nebach the the the Jews were were were burning in were being slaughtered in Awitz in Tremlinka and during that exact time the Reb mentioned that this is the the generation mentioning what you said is Maktaka that this is sort of the remedy and the help to get us through these dark and very challenging times. >> Okay. So, Gate of Trust like we said was like a movement um but it's not your only book. You want to talk about some of your books put out. So um we many years ago I think I don't know if a lot of people are aware is again because we started to serialize a section called it's something from it's called it's from the balv so after a couple of years we had enough material to print a book so we printed something called portions of light and this is actually a copy for your >> oh >> yeah sure it's the least I could do let's >> see this >> so we've taken snippets from from that work um from the balsham >> it's it's portions on It's it's weekly its portions on the on the weekly Torah and on festivals and just a beautiful vert from the BMPto in that week. >> Beautiful. >> And then more recently because we we know that again relevant for everybody and heeding that call we wanted to make even more accessible for everybody. So thanks in in in large part to our good friends who I know they're good friends of yours and good friends of who's the paper >> David Edenstein correct >> who who saw this vision >> by the way I I have my own copy of that get the wide shot >> you can see over there I have my own the shotenstein uh I even have the white one cuz Manakim told me that the white one is more aesthetic. I I wanted to get the purple one. He said get the white one at anyway. Okay. Yes. So show this off. >> Sure. So David and and Shottenstein you know appreciated the vision of of making accessible for everybody everybody including from nonf no matter where or how they are. So we we we spent a few years you know this is 2,000 over over 2,000 pages of very carefully meticulously edited and co and types set um content. It includes all translated beautifully into English. It has it has a yam. It has the the haftura. It even has a sitter which by the way was was the brainchild of Davidid when he started when he got involved in the project. He David they suggested why don't you make it even more useful and more functional have have a sitter inside that people can pray for it from it. >> So we recently printed the the Shenstein edition of daily studies and >> beautiful >> um again with intent >> and it's gorgeous aesthetically >> beautiful. >> Who designed it? So it was designed by our dear friend Spotlight Design headed by our friend Mosian Witchnik and I think they did a fantastic job. >> All their stuff is gorgeous. >> It's very it's beautiful. >> Expensive but [laughter] >> worth every penny. It sits beautifully on the bookshelf. It's like you said it's aesthetically pleasing. It's a book you're proud to to to own and to share and to display. >> As long as you're showing off gorgeous work. Can you show us the uh gate of trust? >> Sure. Gate of trust. Um >> it's also spotlight designed. It's also Spotlight Design is our go-to for for our books and and a lot of other >> Hold it up to the camera so everyone see >> this is a beautiful This is actually the pocket edition. >> The pocket edition. Yes. >> So carry it with you. >> You know we have soldiers um in the idea of the lone soldiers on the front lines >> carrying this carrying. Yes. Who? Yeah. Carrying this. Yeah. >> Yeah. Beautiful. >> Yeah. >> And we we we really went to town with the idea of and we made we have a website gateofrust.org. We published also a workbook for children because children, >> you know, somebody said to me, children don't need to have the betaken that the adults need to have. And I think I'm sure you would agree with me being an educator that that's not true at all that children from an early age need to be in taught the ideas. >> Think about how much time that spent speaking of. Yeah. >> And so you have a beautiful workbook that teaches, you know, children can go through the ideas of in a very friendly way. They can make pictures and and fill out different different things. >> Beautiful. Now, we're speaking a lot about kitas and uh there's so many instances, so many stories of the rabbi encouraging kitas and imploring if I could even use that word. People should learn kitas. Um I also want to talk about Rambam because Rambam's a huge part of Cayenu. But maybe before we move to Rambam, maybe help me if I wanted to be inspired to really take seriously like what what's the elevator pitch you could give me tell me like the importance of so I mean the importance of as we mentioned that is literally the remedy for the generation coupled with and Rambam somebody who's subscribing to is literally going through the entire Torah in a in either a one-year cycle or a threeear cycle. So, Cayenu itself um includes every part of Torah, your your entire corpus of daily and weekly Torah study in one easy to use publication. Originally um started with just when it was just being born just a few sections, right? It had the Rambam sea mitzvah and and and and gul Mashiach and I think a letter from the Reb just a few sections. Since then because of the responsibility that we have because we know that that for for Jews and I can tell you for thousands of Jews around the world is their primary if not only source of Torah study for that week. So without they wouldn't be studying any Torah for that week. Therefore we have a responsibility to include as much as we can >> of the entire Torah. So that's why over the years we've included um sections like halaka Talmud Mishna stories and of course the core sections of Kas and Rambam. Now Rambam is core to I would say at the very heart of is is a study of the tracks of Kas and Rambam and as you know Rambam has got garnered a lot of attention lately. If you look on social media people are speaking about Rambam. >> Yeah it was trending was trending recently. >> Rambam was definitely trending. Yeah. >> Um the Reb instituted this track in in PES in 1984. >> Okay. So just to get the history straight theas from the Fredba from the 40s. >> Correct. >> And the Reb not only continued it but gave it extreme prominence and spoke about it as uh believe the term that we spoke about. Okay. And then we have the Rambam which is also a daily study and that's from the Reba and that's from from the 80s. Okay. All right. I'm just I want everyone to sort of understand the timeline and and and so we can you know understand how this all comes together. Sometimes you know can you believe there are people who are born in a year that secular year that starts with a two. [laughter] They could be listening to this right now. They're born after 2000 and they don't necessarily know when all of this started, how it came to be. Okay. So, talk let's talk a little bit about the takona about the Reb's uh establishing daily Rambam. >> Good. You use the word takana which is which is also relevant by the way to kas and the reb mentions about >> that it's a takana and when something becomes an established takana an enactment of the rebba of a of a of aik >> it it has the it bears the same weight a gravitas as like a mitz and wow >> so we really have a big responsibility in ourselves to study and therefore every day so yes the reb came up with a takana that all Jews should unite together and this is was one of the prim primary focuses of of of his dakana to to learn Rambam every day is that it's uniting all Jews in uniting them in the very same subject. So every all Jews are united in limit and Rambam itself is is a uniting of all of Torah called Rambam was the only sage until then that that took the entire Torah and and made a compendium made a compilation of the laws that are um not only relevant now but also in the times of Msiah um in one safer. So he goes through all of the 613 mitz and he lists and he lists them and he enumerates them and he explains them in safam in yadaka. So in 1980s 1984 Pesak the Reb launched this global campaign speaking about these ideas of uniting Jews and taking and and giving the ability for Yidden around the world to be literally on exactly the same page of learning Torah uniting all Jews in Lima Torah that they should study because we all have a responsibility to learn the entire Torah right >> you go through a year's worth or three years worth of because there's two distinct tracks which we can talk about you'll literally finish the entire Torah. Finish learning the entire Torah. >> Now, let's talk a little bit about the one chapter a day and the three chapters a day because started with only the one chapter and now there are two editions. There's the Oh, you have it >> the regular Cayenu. This is the the one chapter a day, right? >> And you study this every single day. You'll finish the entire Rambam in three years. And then you have recent three which is [snorts] in three chapters a day. You finish this you finish the entire Rambam in one year. Now I don't know if you're comfortable with me saying this but I'm going to say it. U [laughter] you could object or protest people who appreciate or perhaps even rely on the English. one thinks of that demographic more as people who would take the one chapter a day track but obviously that's not the reality because there is an audience for the three chapters. I think that's such an amazing concept that people who either need or benefit from having the English are going for that highest track which is you know rather demanding and I think it's amazing that that that that sub segment uh of of uh of the Jewish people who are who appreciate having English are doing something which is really a demanding track of Torah study and and It's a significant enough group of people that there's a whole weekly publication for it. To me, that's pretty cool. >> 100%. So, I won't I won't protest object. When we launched 3, it was sort of unknown about how many people would adopt 3 cuz it's a big intense track. Three chapters of Ramdam every single day. It could take it could take a good hour or more if you're paying attention. >> Yeah. Um and the surprising part was was 3 is is is sustain is sustained and we will continue forever is we're giving the ability for every kind of Jew to study three chapters of Rambam every single day and it is surprising that yeah for sure you have like regular not regular but you have the baviches who who who are born into this who who appreciate the depths of it so they're studying three chapters of Ramad but all kinds of Jews we have you know conservative Jews all kinds of Jews who are studying three chapters of Rambam every single day because of the Reb's taka and because now it's accessible through >> you're saying this just from your subscribers you know this is going way beyond labage >> the 100% this is actually the surprising part of in general I would say that if you ask me a question what isu's biggest challenge >> okay >> to to >> what is cu's biggest challenge [laughter] >> I'm so glad you asked >> okay >> so so obviously we have um what's it called B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H A A big hairy audacious goals, right? We have big hairy audacious goals of having every single Jew in the world learn and Rambam every single day. >> And why not mean exactly? In fact, I was I was listening to some of the about Rambam. He we know that the Rebb said it's relevant for every single Jew in but also the Rambam the the Reb did mention that as relevant for every Jew and the Reb did launch it with intention that everybody should be learning Rambam. >> So >> one of the three tracks >> one of the three at least one of the three tracks. Exactly. >> So we know that every kind of Jew is Shia to Torah. Torah was given to everybody and it's it's our internal inheritance and all Jews all types of Jews are subscribers. It's not only for the for the scholar but for the novice. >> That's your dream or how much >> that is the reality. No, that is a reality. I know I know um >> like give me an example like without telling me names and addresses I can tell you we we I put out a monthly newsletter to to donors as appreciation report and every month we feature another subscriber. >> Okay. And we feature every single type of Jew. Jews who are I don't know how I can say how much to say this, but Jews who are are strayed from the path. Jews who are intermarried, Jews who aren't close to Judaism necessarily, but they appreciate the value of studying Torah 100%. I know this not from one or two people, but from dozens if not hundreds of maybe thousands of Jews who have gravitated to Torah study throughu. But I would say that the one of the challenges you call it the the the the Torah keepers, the gatekeepers of Torah so to speak. >> So in the times of the Balshmp, what the Balshumpt came to do was to bridge the gap between the scholar and the layman, making Torah accessible for everybody, right? In a sense is trying to do that is to make Torah accessible for everybody. Now everybody can take a book off the bookshelf, but the reality is we're making it convenient, accessible in nice translated Hebrew. It gets mailed to your home, to your office. You can carry around with you. >> You do everything for the person but learn it for them. >> Exactly. Exact [laughter] Exactly. There there are some communities when we first started many years ago when when we first started we we would attend the annual conference and promote introduce to the came over saw says no one aunt to >> Okay. >> Right. So >> regular kabad house, regular kabad house, >> not from people but not necessarily keeping shabas. >> Correct. So he's like this more of a from thing. >> Exactly. Right. Exactly. So we thought like what does it mean that his but what aren't they shy to? They aren't shy to a little bit of Torah, a little bit of a little bit of um so we thought to ourselves maybe what this was actually saying was he himself wasn't sh to it. In other words, he himself hadn't committed bleffish to study kitas and ram every day. Um, over the years when Schlim began to adopt this and realize the tremendous benefit it offers to the people of the community from and non-f alike began to adopt it more readily and the himself came round and >> this is a real story a case study. The himself gets gets [snorts] about a dozen copies mailed to his >> the guy who told you he doesn't need it. So I surmise that he himself began to study and ra more. >> Oh your theory was right. Yeah. He was struggling with that. >> That's what I think. I think he was struggling >> when he strengthened his community in that area. He strength >> That's correct. That's correct. >> Yeah. >> But um no, there's no question that is it's not only anecdotal. It's actual evidence that it appeals to such a broad demographic. >> Can can you tell like un unexpected places where you have a reach? >> So I was I was um last summer. It's actually the last summer which is which is in July which is the I traveled to South Africa to visit my parents. Okay. >> July is the winter in South in South Africa >> and I went with my daughter >> and we went to the Krueger National Park. Right. >> I know you're a big fan of animals Krueger National Park. You see Kala Sabura. Beautiful, >> right? The safari. >> Safari. It's called safari. Yeah. Yeah. They call it safari. >> What do they call it there? They call it safari. >> It's the Kruger National Park. They call it a >> there's a word for it cuz that when I went to South Africa they were oh you going to go to Krueger and do the >> the night drive you go you go on a drive through the night see the elephants or whatever you saw the elephants all the animals [laughter] >> so in one of the stops in the park the park the Kruger national park is is huge it's they say it's the size of of Israel so you can drive for many many hours before reaching the end >> one of the the the rest stops >> uh I went to you get into the park very early in the morning because you want to catch the animals as they're waking up. Mhm. >> So, we got into the gates at like 5:00 in the morning. At about 7 8:00, I stopped in one of the the pit stops to Dav Shak. [clears throat] >> There I was with my with my Twillin and I actually um recorded a Hayim like on my phone. I was like, "Hey, this is Yasi Pels, the director of coming to you from the safari from the Krueger National Park. Today's Hayy." And I saw a fellow like walking past me. You know, he's wearing a hat. I didn't I couldn't surmise if he was even Jewish, let alone I didn't know who he was. Mhm. >> When I finished the video, finished davening and wrapping up my he came up to me and introduced himself and he says, he says, "Wait here one second." He goes to his little he's his dayack and he brings out from like 3 years ago. And he says, "When I leave the house, I take this with me. This is my Torah study. I was my mind was blown. Here in the Krugal National Park in the middle of nowhere, we find a subscriber who isn't even using this week's. He's using from from many weeks ago. you refreshed his uh subscription. [laughter] >> So we we got him set up. We refreshed his subscription >> and your daughter was impressed. >> Daughter was impressed. It was good to go. But Cayeno surfaces in all types of interesting places. Um one of the demographics that we service heavily is are the inmates of the the people who unfortunately for one reason or another are locked up and who who are living in a very dark >> and uh terrible place. Unfortunately, um thanks to me many gener few generous donors um who typically these kind of donors are remain remain anonymous. You're not going to see them on the back pages of but they fund this program. >> Um so we send out about 510 Cenos every single week to inmates across the country >> prison system >> to the to the state and federal penitentary system >> and the the influence and the effect that it's having on them is unfathomable. you hear reports, you know, >> so we have so they can't many of them don't have access to email for sure not phone calls but some of them have access to email many of them don't they send us handwritten letters we have hundreds if not thousands of handwritten letters from inmates how this is mammish saving their lives every single day in fact >> really 100% yeah >> one of the inmates wrote us a letter this stands out as a story is that he was serving a sentence for like 20 or 30 years for something the day he was informed formed he was going to be released. He wrote that day he wrote a letter to telling him that was with him and helped him sustain himself during those dark times. >> Wow. >> Interesting. Um it's just a fundraising story. I know we were going to talk one day about fundraising. >> Yeah. I want to do another whole podcast just about fundraising. >> Let's do it. I'm I'm no professional, but I think that we both of us represent a product in something >> that that that sells yourself short. Don't don't say you're not a professional. You do an amazing job. >> So this is >> you should have even more. >> Amazing. Thank you. [laughter] >> And it's not cheap. And by the way, you can do a fundraising pitch right now. >> Sure. I mean, do it. Yeah. >> If you talk about I don't know I don't know what the pitch is going to be, but we have big >> Okay. >> We have big audacious goals. >> Okay. >> Um in fact, you know, with the growth of our organization presents its own challenges. So recently we instituted something called um EOS entrepreneurs operations. >> Yes, I've heard of this. My friend Ley Shmp from Michigan is very into EOS. >> So, so Mendel Shmpov, I believe he must nephew his nephew. Yes. Yes. Yeah. Mento. Yes. >> Is our is our EOS guide and introduced us to the concepts of EOS. >> He's been trying to get me to do EOS at Soulwards for for years. >> It's an unbelievable thing. And I think that if used correctly, it can transform. >> We clarified some goals. >> We clarif clarified some core operating principles. helps the entire organization being aligned, pulling the same direction that everything that we do is aligned with our mission and our vision and we're going towards some very audacious goals. Um, so we do have those kind of documented what our visions and our goals >> and you mentioned one is to get every Jew learning. >> So that's not an documented in part of our system. That's extremely aggressive and that's almost like a dream and a message we will get there. >> Okay. But we do have for example a 10-year goal of hundreds of thousands of subscribers of of printing x amount of books over 500,000 books. So we do have a structure. So if any one of anybody listening to this would like to help us fund these big audacious goals by all means. >> Um so I mentioned that to say as a pitch. That's our pitch. >> Yeah. >> Um I was talking about in the inmates and and fundraising. So I have a I have a story with fundraising where Hashem literally put the words in my mouth that about eight years ago and it was Kaneka time. So it's this time of year Kaneka, the time of light. Um a subscriber emails us and said the subject line of the email is like please cancel my subscription. >> I I I don't have enough time. That was the whole email. Like he he fit the whole email into one subject line. It was just like >> he was busy. He didn't have enough [laughter] time. >> Exactly. Then this is actually going to be core to the story. He was busy. So I actually there was at the time when I was um I was I was able to look at every email that came to Cayenu info.org they came to me I was able to look at all the subscribers. Now we have a a department a customer service department because when you have thousands of people who rely on Cainu for their very life and they need it today. It's unlike National Geographic that if you get National Geographic late it's okay it's still relevant but people rely and they need this week is parishes fet Sunday morning if they don't have theiru people call email us in a panic you know I need myu this is my life this is my subscription in fact >> you picked a good name it really is >> not a joke >> in fact their freudian slip will always be um I'm missing my subscription my prescription sorrycription prescription [laughter] >> so so I was able to see all emails that would come in and I and I I looked at the fellow who had emailed us and I and I Googled him and I saw that he was quite a successful hedge fund guy, >> right? >> Um so I wrote back to him. I said that you may have the resources but no time. We have hundreds of inmates who have time >> but no resources. >> Why don't we make a connection? That's the put that word. That's why I'm the professional. >> [laughter] >> So, so he liked that approach and we went back and forth by emails and and the last day of Kaneka he sent us a check and that really was like sort of the seed funding for the inmate program. Wow. >> Which today we actually have somebody dedicated in which is part time but is dedicated to making sure that every single inmate if they want have access to >> amazing >> and I'll speak about values. So EOS helped us clarify like what are the core principles that we operate from >> right? So we have a few and one of them is every every human being every Jew is a mole is a complete world and how does that translate into action >> right >> if you're dealing with thousands and thousands of subscribers right and uh and a subscriber emails you and says listen I didn't get my for this week and Sunday right um can you please help us out so typically a regular magazine would what they would do is they would just extend their subscription and say you didn't get it this week it's fine don't worry We'll extend your subscription. So then >> we'll make up for it. We'll make up for it. >> You won't lose out. You'll get what you paid for. >> Exactly. >> But if you're talking about life, >> if you're talking about life, >> you can't defer life. >> You can't defer life. What do you mean your the the the medication that you have, >> we're going to say, well, tack it on to the end. You can't do that. >> Correct. So we'll go to every length that we can to make sure that they can get within humanly possible. Like for example, a subscriber who he's a group subscriber, so he gets about 10 or more every single week. Sunday morning at like 6:00 in the morning, he calls my phone. >> He says, "We didn't get our shipment for this week." >> Okay. >> So, I I live in in Pomona next to Moni. So, I drove to the Crown House shipping center, picked up the box of drove to the Five Towns, dropped it off, and [laughter] came home because really, if they don't have, we can't tack it on to them. >> That's a long I know. Monty to Five Towns is a long drive. >> There you go. And back. >> And back. [laughter] Wow. >> That's a half a day. >> That's half a day. >> Yeah. So, >> but they had their toy and they had it on Sunday and they didn't miss a day, >> right? And and our core principle is every every person is Allah Mallay. If this person in in in jail doesn't have access to it's our responsibility to make sure they get it as soon as quickly as possible. >> Wow. >> So, you know, people will call us all the time for replacements and literally because we're distributing around the world morning, noon, and night. We operate in every single time zone. People are contact us and get Now, we rely on USPS which has a a margin of error. Let's say it's 04% whatever it is. That means there going to be people who don't get the but we'll go [clears throat] out of our way on our expense to make sure that they get >> and you also have the app. >> We also have the app. Very good. So so so digital we can give them access to the app. They can get it instantly. >> Um >> doesn't help for Shabas. >> Help for Shabas. >> Yeah. We've had requests to make a Shabas version of which is a product we might consider one day. >> So you use the app during the weekday and then just paper just for Shabas. >> Exactly. Just the shabas portions of kitas and ram and the other stuff. Okay. Yeah. >> And yumpt too. You could do >> there you go. Yeah. >> All right. Maybe maybe there's a new sponsor wants to >> There you go. So this is a new product. >> Okay. New product. Just shabas and yumpt. >> Correct. >> Paper shabas and are there any like unexpected uses for obviously people use it for daily study. We've speaking a lot about ram daily study. Any like ways that people are using the cayenus that you didn't expect and you know people told you about it. I'm like, "Oh, wow. That's >> right." So, the expected part is is like you said, I mean, definitely pe people are using it on mass. So, a rabbi would give a shir to a class or would you read hay to to a larger audience? Um, recently a friend told me that that um in his one of his remedial classes, he's a teacher that um some of the teachers use olden from, you know, from archives, previous years. They're not throwing them out or putting into Sheamus. Sheamus is a whole other conversation but they're not throwing them out. They use um the the the weeks of par of of the parachute that are relevant for children bes to teach them because lays it out in a very nice easy to use format. What do they say? The the the medium is the message. >> Yeah. Yeah. So you know Torah is should be accessible to everybody but there might be a barrier because the way it's presented right makes it relevant and easy to use and that and therefore makes it easy for people to access. Something I I should mention also is is the core success of is the is the amount of publishers who participate in the publication of >> you have a lot of partners. >> So we have Barak Hashem I would say we have all the major Torah publishers in the world. Um just like Rambam unites everybody the limit of Ram unites every Torah study unites all Jews in limud and all the publishers as well. So from you know art scroll and stein and karem and feldime and naim and and kohas and sikas in English all publishers participate in a give graciously in giving us content yeah >> to feature in kayenu. So it's also a big um aus of Jews of liberator and publishers as well. It's not just the learning that brings claws together. It's even just putting out the publication is a >> Exactly. Exactly. >> It's beautiful. I didn't even think of that. >> It's true. Yeah. >> Yeah. No, we do rely um on the publishers and I think they they found value over the years that again reaches Jews in interesting places, >> right? >> And and you know, some some publishers would actually debut future publications in Kenu. So they'll we'll serialize it for a bit >> and eventually that becomes a book that they go and publish. We've given them the exposure to tens of thousands of Jews as as we're publishing it. >> So we put out a pitch for fundraising. If anyone wants to sponsor a new project, also if you're a publisher of Torah material, >> this is like the premier forum to uh test new uh projects in English. >> Sure. and and you know either in print or now we're building out our website to include if you've got our website we have classes we have a podcast of a daily >> we've started to serialize Samov which is available on the website um and the app has all bunch of different sections that aren't featured in the print as well >> before we wrap up here um I know you're doing a subscription drive and there's a big sale going on so you want to like give the pitch to like person sitting there at Maybe they are doing kitas. Maybe they could use a boost in their kitas. Maybe they like you said, you know, you make it so much easier for people. >> Um, give me like parting words to inspire me. >> Right. So, and Torah is relevant for everybody and we want to make it accessible to everybody. There shouldn't be any barrier to entry, right? Uh there is a subscription cost to Kenu. So we do you know we do charge a subscription price. Actually it reminds me of a joke that I I like to tell from time to time. Um that a guy comes to his rabbi David comes to his rabbi and he says rabbi I'd like to learn Torah. Sure. Rabbi how much will you charge me? Are you joking charge? >> Torah was given by Hashem on Mount Si. You know those you know the story there's there's no charge to Torah was given in the desert. It's open for everybody. come, come and learn. So he comes to his rabbi's house and uh 5:00 at that point of time, rabbi sits down, pulls out a kish from the bookshelf, opens it up, and he says, "Okay, David, go ahead, read." Said, "Read, rabbi? I I can't read Hebrew." He says, "Oh, Hebrew lessons, $50 an hour." [laughter] So there's a charge. We We try to make accessible to everybody, whether it's through our free app. We actually have a >> We're not charging for the Torah. >> We're not charging for the Torah, >> but there there's expenses. the whole staff and there's the physical printing managing the subscriptions or prescriptions >> prescriptions there's a type setting there's the printing >> which is which is half a million dollars a year there's the shipping which is another half a million dollars a year >> and we do actually have a grant program so somebody legitimately can't afford a subscript prescription to Cayenu they can apply and we'll we'll give them a either a subsidized subscription or something at no cost to take away the barrier to entry >> we want to [clears throat] make sure it's accessible to everybody no matter their their resources available to them. So a generous donor has come forward um and from the week of that's next week the 13th to the 20th of Kislave overlapping with your testlave incidentally >> when we start Tanya and Hayy >> exactly okay >> so she's agreed to subsidize any new subscription 50% off >> so you can get subscription for yourself if you haven't started for your friend for your family member at a very deeply He's discount the price and that that will take down that barrier to entry that that makes it affordable for everybody literally. So during the week of is 50% off anywhere in the world. >> The subscription >> a subscription mailed to your home or office wherever you prefer. >> Wherever you want and you could buy a subscription as a gift. >> You you can buy a subscription as a gift. Sure. Sure. You I mean we have people who have >> I'm very into parenting. You know I have a parenting course and I'm very into parenting and I believe in parenting. My son is sitting over there doing the controls and whatever. I used to I want to suggest right now parents get all your kids their own subscription. They feel great. At least your kids who are not living at home. Maybe for the house you could have one copy and uh thank you for the leatherbound copy that you gave me to give to my wife. She's going to like it. She's going to appreciate it. But I'm thinking now maybe for my kids who don't live at my house, get them a subscription. >> I think that's a beautiful idea. >> That's great. But if I do it between Yudgl and Kisliff, I'll save 50%. >> You'll save 50%. You know, you know, it's also a prescription for shalom bias because um we haveve, you know, been told by by many a husband or spouse that they have one subscription to and they fight over the so get another subscription and we'll solve your bias issues. I have a father and son who um he reaches out to me every 3, four, five, six months or so with a typo in because what he does is he takes the app, his son takes the the print and they live in different places. He sends off in Yeshiva and they go through the the the daily Rambam every day. He's reading from the app, he's reading from the print and he he sends in some corrections when we've made errors. So typos etc. So definitely for your kids I think that's a beautiful idea. >> Amazing. Personally I use Cayeno. I it make it does make things easier like you say it removes the barrier for entry. Um [clears throat] anything else we can tell the world about this? So I think that again this is demar de what's how do you pronounce the word demariz demarcetizing >> democratizing >> democratizing Torah study. >> Yes. >> Thank you man of words. [laughter] Um making Torah accessible for everybody. And you might think that there's somebody in your life who is a bit of a stretch for them. >> Oh I like this. I like this. Think of someone >> That's that's right. who you don't think >> exactly >> who you don't think is actually right and I guarantee you from from more than anecdotal evidence that this person in your life because they have an ashama are indeed in fact >> and get them a subscript prescription >> get them the prescription and as the the Reb says um the of that I think it's aw that daily Torah study is vital for life itself because it illuminates your your your home and the people around You subscribe to you know learn terra every single day and just see the brahas in your life and your house become an illuminated place. Thank you Ysi. >> Thank you very much Rabat Ta for for having me. I really appreciate it. >> My pleasure. My pleasure.