Plus, check out the video recording of Monday night’s Weekly Torah-tainment class “The Omer: Empathize or Die”:

Check out the video recording of Monday night’s Jacobs’ Ladder class “Beastie Beliefs: Jews, Buddhists and Adam Yauch”:

Wissotzky Raises a Cup to The Jewish Mother
“Tribute to The Jewish Mother” video is just in time for Mother’s Day.

Wissotzky has released a “Tribute to the Jewish Mother” video on Youtube. The Israeli company hired Brooklyn-based marketing firm The PTex Group to create the campaign, and Shmuel Hoffman of Hoffman Productions produced the video. Hoffman chose Charlie Harary to play the father in the video, and Michal Weinstein to play the mother. Hoffman’s own son, and Weinstein’s kids play the children in the video.

Wissotzky Tea, which was founded in Moscow in 1849, is now headquartered in Tel Aviv, and is still run by the Wissotzky family. They reached out to the PTex Group, which has a history of marketing to the Jewish population in Brooklyn. PTex, in turn, reached out to Shmuel Hoffman, whose videos for the OU, Nefesh B’Nefesh, Aish, Chabad and others have made him one of the most well-known video producers in the Jewish world.

“This project was perfect for me and what I believe in,” Hoffman stated. “Too often we take our wives and mothers and all they do for granted. Those who know me are familiar with my efforts and focus on my marriage and my family, and they know that my wife and I work together. She and I were thrilled when PTex asked us to make this video, because we think it’s about time that somebody did.”

A Tribute to the Jewish Mother, which saw over 100,000 views in the first week of its release, follows the Jewish mother throughout her day, in her many roles as mother, wife, hard worker, homemaker, “a spiritual force, and a revered role model.” The voice-over text goes on to read:

Yours is the only occupation on earth that can’t be retired from,
or taken leave from,
or delegated to anybody else.
Yet incredibly, you wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Working with Shmuel is a dream,” Charlie Harary stated. “His professionalism is excellent. His eye for the right shot is amazing, and his attention to detail is superb. It was an honor to be a part of this project.”

For Editors:
Further information can be found at http://owl.li/axY5f, or email Margelit Hoffman at margelit.hoffman@gmail.com. You can watch and embed the video from here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD-p59hzOC4

###

The main characters are always a family of cute animals whose names happen to be those of my kids.  The plot always involves them being agents in the triumph of good, with a certain amount of slapstick (cute animals biting bad guys, etc).  Stories can last 15 to 50 parts.

Needless to say, the plot and character development are not award-winning as I generally don’t know where the story is going until I’m literally sharing it.  But the kids love  them.   And, it’s helpful bedtime control (“hurry up to bed; the story’s starting!”)

Still, tale weaving can be draining.  Sometimes G-d’s story pipeline misses my brain altogether (“Tatty,” my eldest sons will say, “this is boring!”).  I think to myself, “Let ‘em hear a book instead.”

But then I’m reminded of how much they want the live wire.

Last night, as I related an important plot twist in the otter story, my seven-year old interrupted.

“That can’t be,” he said excitedly.  ”The otter kids split up last night.  They weren’t together.”

He was, of course, right.  He knew his otter story.

We  learn in this week’s portion the world-changing directive to love your neighbor as yourself.  The sages ask, What is the meaning of “as yourself”?   Are we to regard the needs of others as literally equal to our own?  Impossible.

Our sages explain:  In my own life I consider all my needs and give precedence to the most important; the verse is telling me to add my fellow’s needs in to the mix.  Two people want the same taxi.  Where are they going?  One to a sports bar to watch the Knicks; one to pick up his kid from daycare.  The sports fan realizes, if I had both tasks to fulfill, I would pick up the kid first.  Parent gets the taxi.

My kids crave live stories more than I crave the comfort of passive reading.  Long live the otters!

Shabbat Shalom,

Henry Harris

PS: Join me  Monday night at Aish, 7:15pm for Torah-tainment.

May 23
7:30pm Light Dinner
8pm Wedding at the Mountain: The Power of Shavuos, Yoni Gershan
8:45 The Mechanics of Creation: A Mystical Look at Genesis, R. Adam Jacobs

REGISTER HERE for May 23rd! ($10)

Cost: $10 by 5pm day of; $15 at door

For YJPs in their 20s/30s

The Challenge of Inspiration
Maintaining and Enhancing Awe, Love, and Joy in a World of Distraction
Featuring some of today’s most dynamic speakers and Jewish leaders

Friday, May 25-Monday, May 28
Cost: $45 until deadline Tuesday, 5/22
(includes hospitality, 3-day program, and all meals; partial stay optional)

For YJPs in their 20s/30s

CLICK TO APPLY

CLICK FOR FULL SCHEDULE

Topics to include:

• Repairing Our Broken Tablets
• Point of Connection: Mitzvas as Means to Realness and Relationship
• The 10 Commandments as Principles for Actualized Relationships
• The Secret of Commitment to Unleash Inspiration
• Anti-Virus for Your Mind: How to Live in the World and Not Get Infected

Speakers include:

• Rabbi Yitz Greenman, Executive Director, Aish New York and Discovery Productions
• Harry Rothenberg, Managing Attorney, Allen Rothenberg Injury Law
• Rabbi Chaim Sampson, Director, Project Inspire
• Rabbis Jacobs, Harris, and Shiff

Plus, check out the video recording of Monday night’s Weekly Torah-tainment class “The Mandate to Love”:

Check out the video recording of Monday night’s Jacobs’ Ladder class “The Art of NOT Doing What You Most Want”:

The result is ReWalk, a machine-skeleton that attaches to a person’s frame and allows paraplegics the ability to walk, sit, stand, climb stairs and rethink their lives.  (It got its  first media moment on the popular TV show Glee last December).

The irony is that Amit, a quadriplegic, cannot use his invention because it requires upper-body movement.  No matter, he explained, I become so aware of the benefit to others that I forget my issues.

In this week’s portion we encounter the metzorah, one of four individuals the Talmud identifies as “dead” even if he’s living.  What is a metzorah?  He’s a gossiper whose consequence, measure for measure for his act of divisiveness, is to be exiled from the community until he reforms.  He’s considered like dead,  says the Talmud, because all alone he has no one to give to, and giving is living.

May we merit, like Amit, to live and walk in the shoes of others.

Shabbat Shalom!

Henry  Harris

PS: This Sunday! Mystical Fireworks – 3 Master teachers of Kabballah: http://www.aishcenter.com/mystical-fireworks

We spent Passover at a hotel which hosted numerous, consecutive morning services.  I started in the 7:30am service, settling in to the spiritual flow, until suddenly I noticed that the entire room of men was gathering their belongings and exiting.

What’s going on? I thought to myself.  We’re not  even halfway through.   I couldn’t imagine the reason for the interruption and I was a tad annoyed.

“Where are we going?” I asked one man.  No answer.  ”Hey,” I motioned to another, but he was preoccupied.

Ok, I thought.  There’s no use protesting; go with the flow.  Maybe there’s something I just don’t know.

I settled in to our new room and then I saw it: the ark.  There’s only one ark in the hotel.  But in order to accommodate  more schedules, services start every 45 minutes in two locations and shift when the room with the Torah scrolls becomes available.

So many times in my life I can’t imagine the reason for a  delay, an interruption, a detour, or a “no,” and my first response  is upset.  While it’s  always appropriate to be proactive, question or intervene, it’s always helpful to remember that I might  be  doing so with limited vision.

Hence the request of King David, “Open my eyes that I may see Your wonders.”

Shabbat Shalom,

Henry Harris

PS: 3 exciting events coming up NEXT week (details: www.aishcenter.com)
1) Thurs. 4/26 – Israeli Indep. Film/Speaker
2) Fri. 4/27 Shabbat Dinner – India to Israel
3) Sun. 4/29 – Mystical Fireworks – A day of Kabbalistic Exploration