After fifteen years on the scene, I wasn’t exactly sure what it was that Project Inspire did. But after spending a Shabbos weekend in Connecticut with close to a thousand people along with some of Israel’s leading personalities, I think I now have a better idea.
This is one of the things I learned while sitting in a room that was converted into a shul, staring up at the very attractive banner. And that is that Project Inspire was founded with the mission to empower committed Jews to take responsibility to create a vibrant and unified Jewish people by sharing the beauty of our heritage with fellow Jews. A division of Aish HaTorah, Project Inspire now inhabits the most coveted spot in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Aish HaTorah was founded by Rabbi Noach Weinberg, a visionary of the kiruv movement, with the mission of bringing Jews closer together and more comfortable with their Judaism. Amongst the founders are Rabbi Chaim Sampson and Yossi Friedman, along with others, who are determined to bring us together as a people under the rubric of Torah, which at the end of the day is really the only way to unite us.
The riveting keynote speakers at the Shabbaton were former Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel, Yisrael Meir Lau, and one of Israel’s greatest contemporary personalities, Sivan Rahav Meir.
It was important for both us and them to spend this Shabbos together. In fact, both the Rabbi and Sivan—who writes a weekly column for the 5TJT—arrived in New York on Friday morning and left to go back to Israel on Sunday afternoon.
Like so many other Jewish organizations these days, the central focus of what they do concerns the events of October 7 in Southern Israel and today—four months later—its aftermath.
For the past few months, it seemed as if the targeting of Jews and Israel brought us together as a people. Rabbi Lau said in his Friday night address that no, Israel and Jews are not amply united yet, despite what took place.
Certainly, compared to the activities that were dominating the country prior to October 7, you can say that as a whole, the country has come together and is more unified, but the rabbi said we are not there yet.
As Yossi Friedman explained in his opening remarks, the theme of Project Inspire today was borrowed from the U.S. security apparatus that says, “If you see something, say something.” The Project Inspire version of this clarion call is, “If you see something, do something.”
That is, of course, a great slogan. But as I sat there listening, I wondered, what does it really mean and how is it applied?
The bottom line, according to Project Inspire, is to reach out to Jews of all ages and invite them to your home to experience a slice of Jewish life that, due to no fault of their own, they have never seen before.
To that end, we heard from people who worked with unaffiliated Jewish colleagues and took the initiative to invite them to their homes for a Shabbos or yom tov dining experience. In some cases, it was an invitation to learn a section of Torah on the phone one or two times per week.
The result of their achievements is a remarkable tally of success in bringing Jews closer to an authentic, Torah-based Jewish life, changing the lives and futures of countless families.
Rabbi Lau’s point was that the possibility exists that after the war in Gaza concludes and Lebanon is dealt with accordingly, the divisiveness over the redefined judiciary has a good chance of resurfacing and that would reflect poorly on the Jewish state.
Rabbi Lau (who is the father of the current Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi, David Baruch Lau), is convinced that the only way to heal the split in the country is through the warmth of Torah, reaching out to those who were denied a proper Torah education.
Rabbi Lau told a fascinating story about an encounter he had with Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, more than a half century ago. He explained that Ben Gurion was confronted by a British diplomat about how he, a young Jewish man from Płońsk, Poland can claim that the land of Israel rightfully belongs to the Jewish people. Ben Gurion summoned Rabbi Lau to discuss the Torah’s reference to the fact that it is His will that the Jewish people’s ultimate destiny is in Eretz Yisrael.
In response, Ben Gurion presented a copy of the Torah to the British Ambassador, saying that the Torah was the official “contract” between the Almighty and Am Yisrael regarding their rights to the land. Rabbi Lau said that conversation with Ben Gurion lasted more than three hours.
It was at this point that Rabbi Lau summoned the courage to ask the then-retired Prime Minister about other things in the same holy book, the “contract” between Hashem and the Jewish people; specifically, the subject of Shabbos and how it was to be observed along with numerous other neglected mitzvos. Rabbi Lau said that Ben Gurion was a very smart man, smart enough not to respond.
Sivan Rahav Meir struck a similar theme as well. Today, Sivan is one of Israel’s most popular personalities. As a scholar with an intriguing personal history as a baalat teshuvah, she eloquently shares her insights into Jewish life from a large array of directions.
The Project Inspire Shabbos was exactly that: educational and deeply inspiring.
Senator Joni Ernst In 5 Towns
This past Sunday night, Iowa Senator Joni Ernst was in Lawrence at an event hosted by NORPAC, the most active grassroots PAC promoting the critically important U.S.-Israel relationship. Ernst is the fourth-ranking Republican in the Senate, and critically important to those assembled at the meeting is Senator Ernst’s staunch support of Israel. That is fascinating, when one considers that the total Jewish population of Iowa is about 5,000 people.
Like many of the other Republican senators, Ernst acknowledges that Israel is an important ally of the U.S. in the Middle East. She does not view Israel’s battle in Gaza as an obstacle, getting in the way of President Biden’s re-election bid.
Unfortunately, that is where the U.S. is today with Vice President Kamala Harris demanding a ceasefire which would allow Hamas a respite in the fighting from which to rebuild. As Caroline Glick said this week on the Jewish News Syndicate: If you’re fighting a fire, would you extinguish only 80% of it?
Ernst is articulate, and makes a very strong impression. She served in the Iowa National Guard from 1993-2015, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. During the Iraq war, she served as the commanding officer of the 1168th Transportation Company in Kuwait, and later commanded the 185th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion at Camp Dodge, the Iowa National Guard’s largest battalion.
Ernst is a strong supporter of Donald Trump and was considered in 2016 as a possible vice-presidential candidate.
Ernst is not up for re-election until 2026, but it is important to support her financially so she is ready to face any opposition the Democrats might put up against her.
Sen. Joni Ernst is impressive and most importantly, a great friend of Israel.
Pro-Hamas Comes To Five Towns
On Monday night at a Village of Cedarhurst regularly scheduled trustee meeting, about 30 protestors piled into the meeting room, with at least two of the protestors speaking during the public comments part of the meeting.
The two activists voiced their objections to the fact that there will be an Israel real estate show in one of the village’s shuls this week and next week. The group was a faction of the pro-Hamas, anti-Israel gatherings and near riots that you’ve seen on the news since the terrorists attacked southern Israel on October 7.
So, what drew this group to Cedarhurst on Monday night? Well, it was the fact of the real estate show. And if you’ve seen the flyer they circulate online, you will see they are requesting that people come out to join their protest, stating that, “There are four locations for upcoming Zionist real restate shows to sell stolen Palestinian land, including illegal settlements, that will take place across Canada and the U.S…”
The flyer refers to similar shows that have already taken place in Canada and New Jersey, and several that will take place next week. The first real estate event in the Five Towns will take place after we go to press, with a second one scheduled next week.
The Cedarhurst Board of Trustees usually has the presence of two or three police officers, but after it became clear what was happening in terms of the protest on Monday at the meeting, the local precinct sent six patrol cars so there would be enhanced security coverage for the upcoming real estate events.
None of this should be a surprise to anyone in the Jewish community since our neighborhoods are well-known and have been in the crosshairs of the pro-Hamas anarchists since long before October 7. Over the last few days, the 5TJT learned that George Soros, the financier of these protests, recently opened up an office in Rockville Centre here on Long Island.
The Soros group is known for hiring and paying protestors, most of whom have no idea what they are protesting, and simply repeat the chant, “From the river to the sea…” etc.
No, we are not on the front lines fighting Hamas in Gaza, but we all have friends or relatives whose kids are there in the thick of the fight. In this war, however, the front lines have been extended, and as you see, they have been brought right to our doorsteps.
Read more of Larry Gordon’s articles at 5TJT.com. Follow 5 Towns Jewish Times on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates and live videos. Comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome at 5TJT.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
