Sharaka Pt. 2

Episode 108: Modi and Periel are joined by Dan Feferman and Loay Alshareef of SHARAKA ("partnership in Arabic") - a non profit organization working to shape a New Middle East, built on dialogue, understanding, cooperation and friendship between Arabs/Muslims and Jews.

Modi's special "Know Your Audience" is available now.
For all upcoming shows visit www.modilive.com.
Follow Modi on Instagram at @modi_live.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:19

Welcome to and here's Modi. But you always find some creative I have to think about it.

Speaker 2 0:22

It hasn't come yet. Okay, okay.

Speaker 1 0:27

We are in the studio with Louis.

Speaker 2 0:30

Al Sharif.

Speaker 1 0:30

Al Sharif and Dan Pfefferman Pfefferman, dan Pfefferman. With part two, we've been going at it in the most loving way. In the most loving way, discussing Quran, rambam and the Torah and the work you guys are doing to change people's view of. Wow. I'm babbling like an idiot. I hate when I I should shoot myself right in the face.

Speaker 3 1:00

We're working to build peace around the Abraham Accord.

Speaker 1 1:02

Exactly.

Speaker 3 1:03

Thank you the region is going to be better when people talk to each other.

Speaker 4 1:06

Exactly Sit around a table, and if you want to see a model for that, you have to go to the UAE.

Speaker 3 1:12

Can I share something? Yeah, so you know I'm a Middle East affairs expert. That's my profession. Before all this. I flew to the UAE right when the Abraham Accords were announced and I should have known better, because everyone told me it's tolerances. But you know, we have in our heads what an Arab country looks like and it is truly. It is truly the most multicultural. I couldn't imagine an Arab Muslim country where you hear the call to prayer five times a day and when you see women dressed in the full thing to be so respectful of every religion or people who don't want to be religious. Women's rights, anything you want, I wear a kippah, I usually wear a kippah, not here in New York, I usually wear a kippah. And when I walk around the streets of the UAE in my kippah, speaking Hebrew, eating at kosher restaurants, so respectful.

Speaker 1 1:56

Really so respectful and they got it.

Speaker 3 2:00

There's a model for coexistence there.

Speaker 4 2:02

They got right. I have to tell you one thing adding to what Dan said Name me one Arab Muslim country that allowed Jews freely to celebrate Purim a week ago.

Speaker 1 2:13

Wow, name me one I don't know. Name me one I don't. We'll never be able to name one, the UEE.

Speaker 4 2:18

The Jewish, our dear beloved Jewish community, celebrated the Purim in Rambam synagogue, within the Abrahamic family house. Wow, that's a big wow, that's a big, wow, it's a deserved wow. And it's after October 7th. No one said, oh, we should hide, we should do this. And the Jew, but not only the Jewish community, also the Christians, and also the Hindus A big Hindu temple was inaugurated in the UAE. So the mentality of the leaders there is Islam has to be moderate, progressive, and this is why Islamists hate the UAE to the bone. It's true, really.

Speaker 1 2:59

It's true, of course, because they see a model of Islam that is progressive, that is successful and inclusive, and inclusive, inclusive, so just to line up my friends that went to the UAE and they came back and said, arthur, I just, brian, was telling me I can't believe how well manicured the men's beards are, can?

Speaker 3 3:17

I tell you a secret no, they laser it. They laser the beard lines. Right, Modi. I'm walking around this mall.

Speaker 1 3:23

I'm walking around this mall and these men are trimmed and like primped and the eyebrows and everything Is that a thing yeah.

Speaker 3 3:35

That's a thing. They're very well manicured there.

Speaker 4 3:38

Wow, well, good Living. There also is a blessing Baruch Hashem, thank God, it's like the most beautiful country, not only in the Gulf, to be very honest, I lived in the US. I studied here, by the way, in the US, the proud Nittany line. I lived in State College. I also lived in different areas of the world. The UAE is when you live there you don't want to leave. Really, it's amazingly beautiful. Amen, financially, religious freedom, what you can do, and also the sense of security and the way how the people are in big trust to the leadership is something very important. So it's a monarchy and people follow the leader and the leaders of the UAE want to take the country to the brighter version of the Middle East.

Speaker 4 4:28

We don't have one Middle East, we have two Middle Easts. We have a Middle East that wants to thrive, prosper, invest in AI, high tech, invest in the future, create the future, and a Middle East that wants to drag us into war and chaos and anarchy.

Speaker 3 4:42

Which Middle East would you choose? That's what October 7th showed us. Which Middle East would you choose? That's what October 7th showed us. Which Middle East would you choose? So when we reflect this message, by the way, on our speaking tour, audiences get that Because they're told the Hamas lies. And, by the way, I want to argue about one point. We meet a lot of American Muslims and I believe that they are overwhelmingly moderate. They just didn't brainwash on Israel because they have no clue. They think they believe the Hamas lie that October 7th was resistance against occupation. I explained to them, you know Israel left in 2005.

Speaker 3 5:15

But we had no idea right, they just don't know October 8th.

Speaker 1 5:19

I always keep saying this October 8th, everybody became a Middle East expert, everybody.

Speaker 1 5:24

all of a sudden, the Ottomanth, everybody became a Middle East expert, everybody all of a sudden, the Ottoman Empire, the Balfour Declaration, the English Mandate, everybody all of a sudden became a professor Of geopolitics, of a geopolitics Everybody started quoting. No one knows a thing. I know I don't know anything, but I admit I don't know anything. I, I admit I don't know anything. I'm open to learning. Teach me, I, I I massive in nil mode. You know I'm, I'm ready to learn, but but people all just are so. And then we see it with the, with the gay pro-palestinian. Oh my god, no idea what they again. I always say my favorite videos are the ones with the Palestinians yelling at the gays to go away from the protests. It's, yeah, it's a crazy world we live in.

Speaker 2 6:10

It's a crazy yeah, but there's a hope. There's hope.

Speaker 1 6:15

Seeing you guys.

Speaker 4 6:15

It brings hope into it and I'm very optimistic when this war ends, inshallah, that there will be a true, genuine peace in the region, that there will be a true, genuine peace in the region, because I believe the leaders of the Middle East and even the intellectual people, they realize that what's happening cannot go on. For and what Hamas did on October 7th? It hijacked the political decision of all the Arab countries and started a war that no one wanted. And then why don't you stand with us? You went into a war and now you are desperately asking for a ceasefire. And then what we can do is… why did you start in the first place? Why did you start it? Why did you start in the first place? Why did you start it? Why did you? I know for sure that this war wanted to prevent other peace treaties with Israel.

Speaker 3 7:10

There was a coming deal with Saudi Arabia. Yeah.

Speaker 2 7:12

Yeah, I've heard that.

Speaker 3 7:14

That's what they wanted to take, yeah.

Speaker 2 7:16

They wanted to take that. So I don't know if you can answer this question, but I am curious of what you think. Is there pressure on Hamas to end this, like from in the region? Like, what do you see as the way out of here Behind the scenes Is anybody saying.

Speaker 1 7:37

First of all, a big question that has been coming up is anybody really able to communicate with the head of Hamas, With?

Speaker 3 7:45

Zidwar, qatar is.

Speaker 1 7:47

They are 30 meters. You know what that is Underground I actually don't.

Speaker 2 7:53

I can't convert the math, I can't do it either, but it sounds so dramatic.

Speaker 1 7:56

It's so dramatic. Anything with meters sounds so dramatic, it just sounds really, they're five meters away. Meters, not meters, but they're 5 meters away meters. 5 basketball fields, not meters, but they're 30 meters below ground. How far is?

Speaker 4 8:07

30 meters, 3 times meters. A yard a yard yeah, so there are negotiations is someone communicating with him? There are negotiations happening between the Egyptian side and also the Qatari side the Qatari also, I want to you like how he pronounces that.

Speaker 3 8:22

amazing, I want to Do you like how he pronounces that Amazing.

Speaker 4 8:24

I want to reflect one important thing that Qatar has great relationship with the rest of the GCC countries and especially that Al-Ula agreement happened in 2021. So the problem with Qatar in 2017 was resolved and and Qatar said it that it has Hamas leaders on its soils to communicate, to facilitate the communication with Hamas in order to reach a better deal for the hostages. And I believe the problem is is is not in the communication with Hamas. I believe the problem is with Hamas itself. In the communication with Hamas. I believe the problem is with Hamas itself. Senwar wants to sacrifice the last.

Speaker 4 9:14

Palestinian child until he destroys.

Speaker 3 9:14

Look at what he did. Okay, let me ask you one thing, senwar and the Iranians, let me ask you one thing Of course they're behind this If I am a responsible leader.

Speaker 4 9:21

Okay, let's say I'm a responsible leader. I decided to go into this crazy war. Let's just and now I see the chaos happening right, I would. I would, if I was responsible, and care for the rest of my people. I would let's stop the war, lay down the arms and let's find if you are a responsible reader, but these people are not responsible.

Speaker 1 9:42

It's not, it's a. It's a different war. So I've told this story before. But you know, my father was telling me his war stories. My father was in three wars in Israel, the Six-Day War, he was telling me he was in a battalion that was these half trucks, half tank, it was three or four of them and he was the driver of the front one and the officer was there. But and then they ran into. They didn't run into they. They see a similar battalion of I think it was jordanians, okay, and they see each other with the binoculars and this and that my father is driving the the front truck tank and my father, just without any instructions from the captain or whatever, just makes a hard left and drives that way. They make their hard left and drive the other way. It was, it was a battalion of reservists. These are men that have children, businesses, houses, all back in Israel, back in Jordan. They're not looking to fight and kill each other. Now they were in a uniform Israel, jordan. It was a real, it was something substantial and it just at the moment they decided there's no need for them to start shooting each other. Now I got to get, get home. I have a wife and kid.

Speaker 1 11:08

My father had two daughters, a business he just opened up and a house he just bought. He what's he starting a war here? So so he went. They went, and because it was, it was it was governments that that started that war. It wasn't now we. Now they came in there on ecstasy. Whatever they flew in there, they're on a different mission. They are on meth. They are ready to rock and roll and scream and shoot. But that's the difference between the war with Jordan.

Speaker 3 11:34

That's the difference between the wars. Jordan was, by the way, Jordan didn't want to get into the 67 war. They were pressured by the Egyptians and the Syrians and Jordan was like, okay, we have to get into this war. That's why they were never really invested in that war.

Speaker 4 11:46

And no one wants to go into war with Israel now If you read the geopolitics, even Egypt. By the way, the 1977 peace agreement with Israel had some sort of restrictions on the Egyptian army in Sinai. But when Egypt had to fight extremists in Sinai, it took the permission of Israel. It had to yeah the coordinationai. It took the permission of Israel. It had to yeah the coordination with Israel and Israel allowed it. So even President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi when he talked about Israel, he talked positively, that these people are very reasonable people you can easily understand. You can have an understanding with them.

Speaker 3 12:22

According to the peace agreement, we should never be there.

Speaker 4 12:25

The governments want to see there, no military presence should be in Sinai. But we talked with them with reason that we have to go after extremists and it was approved. Egypt doesn't want to have war with Israel. I believe also the Jordanians are very reasonable. They don't want to have war with Israel. Everyone wants… I told you the the thriving and prosperous Middle East right, there's two Middle East, the two Middle East.

Speaker 4 12:51

That's the name of your title of this thing the two Middle East, the two Middle East, by the way the two Middle East was was a video that was released two days ago by the head of the Sky News Arabia. His name is Nadeem, and that video went viral and made Islamists and pro-Hamas activists go crazy.

Speaker 1 13:09

In a bad way.

Speaker 4 13:10

In a bad way.

Speaker 1 13:11

In a bad way.

Religious and Political Tensions

Speaker 3 13:12

Oh, they want this to be the whole narrative. There's one Middle East, and that's what they want people to think. I don't know.

Speaker 2 13:16

Maybe I'm being naive, but when you say you know the majority of Muslims don't think what you think, I have a hard time believing that, in the same way that I have a hard time believing that the majority of Israelis and I think the majority- of. Muslims want peace. It's just that, the extreme voice and the horrible things that you hear, even and I think it's disgusting, by the way, what they say about Palestinians and that they group everyone together that I think that those voices are louder.

Speaker 4 13:54

Yes, I think I agree. But the majority of Muslims want peace, that's for sure. But the majority of Muslims are not thinking positively about Israel.

Speaker 3 14:00

They don't accept Israel.

Speaker 4 14:02

Because of education. We know.

Speaker 2 14:05

Okay, so that's the other thing. Don't brainwash children. Education yes.

Speaker 4 14:12

This is why I'm telling you social media, education through social media is very important. And when you said that, when you went to France and you said I control the media, I'm a Jew, I'm going to control this.

Speaker 3 14:22

They believe that, they really believe that. Believe me the 18-year-old.

Speaker 4 14:26

I believed in that because one of the books that really influenced my childhood was the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. I have the copy from Egypt and it says on the first page this is the book that the Jews don't want you to read. Have you heard about it? The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

Speaker 1 14:46

This is the book that.

Speaker 3 14:49

A fictitious book. The Russian Tsarist secret police put this out in the 1800s.

Speaker 1 14:55

I'm so surprised you haven't heard of it. To inspire hate against the Jewish people, I'm not that smart, I'm not a big intellectual. I tell jokes on a stage. I'm not a professor, I'm not a rabbi. I have a podcast but that. But I, but when you said I control the, because this is the this, what the book says as a joke, as a in comedy, that's, that's the irony the book says this right, this was a book written by the secret police of tsarist russia to inspire hatred against jews, to stoke antisemitism.

Speaker 3 15:24

Okay, and around the world today, white supremacists and Islamists read it, believing it's real and true. And this is the plan.

Speaker 4 15:34

And it says the same things you're making fun of. The Jews want to control the media, the Jews control the money. The Jews control the world. The Jews control the politics, the weather.

Speaker 1 15:43

Not yet. But the end of that joke is so be nice to us. That's how the joke ends, so work with us. What are you shooting us for?

Speaker 4 15:56

What's wrong with you? No, that book says avoid. This is why you should avoid them. This is why.

Speaker 3 16:00

In the Middle East. They breed it, they believe it still.

Speaker 4 16:02

You know, there was an Egyptiangyptian uh tv show called faris bilajawat. A horse, uh, a night without a horse, it's, it's. It revolved around this book, really, and it was. It was published 2002. It was one of I'm sorry to say this, I don't mean to offend, it was one of my best shows because you see, oh, this is the jews evil one. God was right when you said the fierce enemies of the believer.

Speaker 1 16:29

Well, today we have today we have curb your enthusiasm. And it shows with humor though I'm I'm not the biggest fan of the show, but the whole world loves it, and it because it's showing you jews kvetching and trying to get an extra egg on their omelette or whatever. He does in every episode with a joke and a punchline, which is great. But the whole world looks at Larry David and thinks this is what a Jew is. You know they don't see a guy like this, with muscles, and this To him Larry David, that's what a Jew looks like, and they're okay with it. And you know what I think when. And this to him Larry.

Speaker 4 17:06

David, that's what a Jew looks like, and they're okay with it. And they're okay with it. And you know what I think? When I heard this, when I started to do the inner battle in 2010 with a Jewish family, when I lived with them and I tried to and I reconciled, I told myself, if 15 million Jews would take over 1.5 billion Muslims, chapeau, I would raise the hat. You're saying that 15 million are controlling 1.5 billion? Where are the 1.5 billion? Then 15 million Jews are taking over the world. What the 1.5 billion Muslims are doing, then Chose weakness.

Speaker 2 17:43

Yeah, shows weakness yeah, well, there are racist tropes and stereotypes for everyone.

Speaker 4 17:55

But please get your copy. Well, maybe of the protocols of the.

Speaker 1 17:56

No, no, I'm serious, I'm gonna get it, I'm really more between looking your your name up and getting this book that the fbi is going to show up at my door. The FBI is not. Hello, hello, hello.

Speaker 2 18:07

I really want some English subtitles on your night without a horse.

Speaker 3 18:12

Yeah, so that. These Egyptian shows are ridiculous.

Speaker 4 18:14

Night. A night is like a night, like a K.

Speaker 2 18:17

Yeah, I figured that out A night without a horse.

Speaker 4 18:20

You can look it up. And, by the way, israel at that time filed a complaint against the Egyptian TV authority because it was so anti-Semitic and that made it so popular. Ah, this is why even the Jews don't like it, because it's telling the truth.

Speaker 2 18:34

Listen, this stuff is really dangerous. I mean, you can see when Hamas took over the education system of Gaza in 2005.

Speaker 1 18:46

Ilan had that book. Yes, you can see the books. It's horrible.

Speaker 3 18:50

They have Hamas, Barney. What I don't understand is you know they do. It's like a funny looking dinosaur.

Speaker 2 18:58

Yes, I've watched it and the mouse.

Speaker 3 19:00

They have like a Mickey Mouse copycat also.

Speaker 4 19:03

And the Mickey Mouse copycat was inciting to kill the Jews.

Speaker 3 19:05

It was on a tv called the aqsa tv it's horrible if, if, if egypt and these countries started putting out positive shows showing jews and israelis in a normal light, imagine what that would do.

Speaker 2 19:17

That's what hold on.

Speaker 4 19:19

That's incredible hold on that but hold on that, I know I'll be very honest. That's what Sadat wanted to do.

Speaker 2 19:25

Yes.

Speaker 4 19:33

A person or a leader who went into war with Israel and then had peace with Israel realized how peace is so important. Yeah, and he was so honest. He made a joke with Golda Meir when he met her, when he gifted her a gift and she gifted him back. And Golda Meir said Sadat is the only leader who's calling me the old lady and I'm calling him a father. And they did jokes. Sadat was so sincere in doing this to Egypt and that's why he paid his price.

Speaker 2 20:04

Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 4 20:05

He paid a price for peace. But he, he was a leader that, uh, to be very honest, preceded his time. He came way before he came from the future. He had war with Israel, yeah, but he understood that he could never take Sinai with war. He took Sinai with negotiations, negotiations butotiations, yeah, but he was so serious. He never missed opportunities to miss opportunities. He took the first opportunity, flew to the US, met with Carter, did so many rounds and guess what? He took what he wanted. But he was so serious in negotiations.

Speaker 1 20:40

What Jews would do for peace is unbelievable. What they would give. They gave away kushkatif. We gave away so many things, anything in hopes of peace. But that's changing now. It's changing. Now. The Jews are like no, no, no, no, no. This is what the situation is. It's it, and I always keep mentioning this too. Now you know that that the expression never again everybody's saying.

Speaker 3 21:08

It's now, again, but we forget too fast. We do forget too fast.

Speaker 1 21:12

Never again means. Never again doesn't mean we're not going to have a Holocaust, we're not going to have people attacking us. That's going to be always. The never again is you're going to feel the repercussions of it. You attacked Israel. You do not have Gaza anymore. It is one big parking lot. You lost whatever you had. You lost it. You're against the Jews. You speak against whatever, harvard and MIT and that they lost their jobs. It's the never again is that we are not the jews of 1930. We, the jews in america, are buying cannons. Are you've met you? There is a phenomenon they're all buying guns and they're arming themselves and they're preparing. They see the writing on the wall. They see the writing on the wall and that's the never again. Terrifying here. That's that you will feel. It.

Speaker 4 22:05

You will feel it, but you will survive it, because the Jews survived Pharaoh Akhash, farosh, the Seleucids, nazi Germany and now Hamas. You left out Haman, you left out Amalek Akhash Farosh is Haman, akhash Farosh is Haman you left it all there and you know we survived that.

Speaker 1 22:26

Yeah, you left it all there. They're all, yeah, and you know, and on the, we survived that.

Speaker 4 22:31

But I meant those who wanted to exterminate, because the Salutes wanted to exterminate, haman wanted to exterminate, pharaoh wanted to exterminate, nazi Germany wanted to exterminate.

Speaker 3 22:41

You forgot a big one. We survived. Ashkenazi food Ashkenazi food yeah, it's bad.

Speaker 1 22:47

I'll do the jokes on the podcast. Do me a favor, please do me a favor here. I had to, but you're Ashkenazi, half half my kitchen's, very Sephardi all right he said, iraqi aren. Iraqi. They cook with dynamite. Oh my God, my sister was married to him. They sit there with garlic and they're chopping it, that's good it burns your face up. It's delicious. You can't. You don't have anything. There's no senses in your mouth anymore.

Speaker 4 23:21

We visited his family, by the way, two days ago in Indianapolis Amazing people and his mother is very informative on the torah I. I enjoy religious uh studies or religious how to say this uh dialogues, because I believe for people who are still, who are searching for god would engage in these kind of.

Speaker 1 23:40

so I had good time with his mother no, I, I I'm telling you I would, I've nothing. I'm learning the quran through through radicals at least I'm learning I'm learning what was what is written in there. I understand that their interpretation is insane, yes, but uh, today I learned that there are reformers.

Speaker 3 23:58

They just don't use that terminology yet, but there are the moderate voices need to be louder.

Speaker 2 24:05

Speak up.

Speaker 4 24:06

Yes, this is why I said in one of the interviews I said we don't have really two groups of Muslims. We have three Radicals, moderate Muslims and brave moderate Muslims.

Speaker 2 24:18

Yes.

Speaker 4 24:18

You should have people who speak up and, trust me, you should not only listen to people from the region. Dan is from the region, but I mean, like he's an Israeli Jew, you know he has to defend Israel, but take it from people from the region and from people who are recovered from that idea. Listen.

Speaker 2 24:40

I have a very close girlfriend who is Muslim Egyptian and she grew up here. Her mother grew up in Egypt and what she says is very similar to what you say, because people who have an actual understanding can take this position, because they know how dangerous extremism is on both sides.

Speaker 1 25:06

So one thing we picked up between the two podcasts is that jihad could be interpreted as in your own inner battle, the inner struggle, your inner struggle. Give us one more, one more Dvar Torah, one more, something like that that we don't understand. About the Quran.

Speaker 4 25:27

Like, for example. Also like I told you about Islam and the way of submission, but I also told you about, for example, the word mujahid is the one who does the jihad Right, so he should be someone who would never target women and children and the elderly. And there's a companion by the prophet. His name is Abu Bakr, the first caliph, who, when he sent leaders to have jihad, he told them never attack women, children, and never attack churches, synagogues. But that doesn't exist. So it's good on the table, it's good in books, but the actions don't really reflect what's written.

Religious Reform and Cultural Engagement

Speaker 1 26:17

So they found a way to.

Speaker 4 26:19

so the extremists found a way to take that, to take that and do the do absolutely the opposite, and and, uh, I met people I met people, christians, who fled iraq in 2015 and now they are living in the uee and they told me when, when isis came to musul, they the uh. They put a big sign in our houses noon, noon, it's, it's. It's the first letter from the word nasara not stream, not stream like christians. Yes, wow, so that when people come, uh like you're a shame on you, you are a christian so that they know that they would be ashamed. That is not in islam, but, of course, there are texts that would give these people an excuse to do so.

Speaker 4 27:05

I'm being very honest and blunt. Yeah, I don't, I, I I don't mean to speak uh, uh wrong about my religion, because I love my religion, but I have to say that there are things that need to be reformed. I don't like Muslims who hide these facts from people like you or from the West and say no, no, we don't have any problem. Then what are the bases? What is the basis that these people are committing their atrocities come from? You have to be very honest in saying that Islam has to go through a reform, just like any other religion. Absolutely, and, and and, and. I'm telling you there is a reform in the. The UAE is doing this.

Speaker 3 27:44

Thank God, baruch Hashem you think Saudi Arabia is on that same path?

Speaker 4 27:48

Yes, I agree, I totally believe so, but they are doing it silently.

Speaker 1 27:55

You know, and it's wonderful when you see it. I was at a bar mitzvah of my friends, Steven and David I can't believe 13 years ago. They had a child, however. They had their kid with a surrogate and this and all that stuff that goes into having a child. They had two and they had a bar mitzvah, and that bar mitzvah was in a Chabad house.

Speaker 1 28:20

A Chabad is one of the you know Chabad, and the rabbi was unbelievable and the rabbi was unbelievable and the rabbi was so sweet. And that's their community. They go there every Shabbat and they are friends with the rabbi and they're friends with his wife and they treat them like they treat them like love your neighbors yourself. They treat them the way they would want their kids to be wherever they go, and this is ultra religious. This is Chabad, but they understand that this is a Jewish soul. You don't tell them you can't come in. Invite them, it's still. This is a soul that can reveal Moshiach energy, and so could this podcast. And again I want to thank you guys for coming into this and staying for an extra session and for this end of podcast. How do they get to?

Speaker 3 29:12

how do they reach you, uh, online facebook? If anyone still uses that? No, but give them how. How, shiraka, shiraka, s-h-a-r-a-k-a-n-g-o. Dot. Ngo, ngo, shiraka, ngo. One word dot com, dot com. That's the website, and then, of course, uh go to any of our social media accounts. You can reach out to us, okay, and we'll then, of course, go to any of our social media accounts.

Speaker 4 29:30

You can reach out to us, okay, and we'll of course, post and go to Instagram L Al-Sharif. That's Lima Alpha. Spell it out Lima Alpha, lima, sierra.

Speaker 1 29:40

He's landing airplanes Runway 5. Lima Alpha.

Speaker 4 29:46

Lima, alpha Lima Sierra Hotel Sierra. Lima, alpha, lima, alpha Lima Sierra Hotel Sierra. What that's right.

Speaker 2 29:55

L-O-A-Y.

Speaker 4 29:56

L-A-L, s-h-a-r Double E. That's all you. Echo, echo, foxtrot, okay, foxtrot, foxtrot, that's the alphanumeric used in ADC. I know but no one does that. I do lots of flight simulators no one does that.

Speaker 1 30:14

It's so funny.

Speaker 4 30:14

I do lots of flight simulators. It's hilarious.

Speaker 1 30:17

Okay, I'm at Periel.

Speaker 2 30:21

on Instagram, type in my first name, you'll find me.

Speaker 1 30:25

Exactly, modilivecom for shows near you. Find a show near you. We're going to be announcing a lot and always, as I say, be the friend that brings the friends to the comedy show I've been giving calling people out in the audiences lately. You said one person brings 10 people. That's Mashiach energy, not just mine. Any comic you see coming into your area, buy six, ten tickets. By the time the comic gets there, you'll see your friends are looking for tickets and those that really need a laugh will be there and you'll see it's you creating mashiach energy, modilifecom and uh shows everywhere. Anything else the special?

Promoting Comedy Special on Various Platforms

Speaker 1 31:05

oh my god the special wow, wow like huge news. We didn't even mention it what happens in the past couple of weeks modi what happened the last couple, but first of all, we had two. We had two episodes with these amazing, amazing mashiach energy-driven people. I completely forgot. My special is out. I can't believe this is happening. Leo is going to kill me. My special is out. It's available on Amazon.

Speaker 2 31:45

Prime Video.

Speaker 1 31:46

Prime Video. Prime Video, and it's available on modilivecom as well. What's it called? It's called Know your Audience. I am wow. I can't. This is happening. We're going to have to do it and we just got. We got. That's it. Moshiach Ha'anon Jesus is what happened. We got into this and we have another guest coming on. This episode, my special, is out. Everybody, share it with everybody. It's Prime.

Speaker 2 32:16

Prime Video.

Speaker 1 32:16

Prime Video.

Speaker 2 32:17

On Amazon Prime.

Speaker 1 32:19

Amazon Prime and on Modilifecom. It'll bring you to where you can download it and it's been getting such great feedback, especially if you have a parent, a grandparent that can't get to a show. Set them up as millennials, as Gen Z. Your function in life is to help older people with technology. Make sure that your family and your friends get to watch this amazing comedy special. I'm so proud of it, the work we did me and Leo and 800-pound gorilla, our partner in this yeah.

Speaker 2 32:53

I've gotten so many messages from people telling me that they've watched it.

Speaker 1 32:59

It's been great.

Speaker 2 33:00

I'm like I don't know what you want, but probably because they can't get through to you.

Speaker 3 33:04

Do you do shows?

Speaker 1 33:05

in Israel. Yes, I will be announcing soon.

Speaker 4 33:09

We're closing some dates in Israel. Yes, and we'll be announcing soon we're closing some dates in.

Speaker 1 33:11

Israel soon. Thank you very much. Thank you to Weitz and Luxembourg, the law firm that is our friends period Arthur Perry this is a friend of the podcast the law firm that not only does well, they do good, very philanthropic and help us get the message out. Thank you all for listening and be in touch.

Speaker 4 33:34

Oh, Okay, I really enjoyed it.

Speaker 1 33:38

Thank you very much. I want to put Danielle on before we go. Hi, yeah.

Speaker 4 33:46

When can we have the video? Because I want to do snippets on my Instagram. I will, and can I collaborate the video Because I want to do snippets on it on my Instagram I will. And can I collaborate?

Speaker 1 33:51

of course, yeah, yeah, yeah, hold on, let me pop, I'm going to do a special guest I have Okay. And I'm going to do it with her, and then you just pop this at the end yeah, do we get a picture together?

Speaker 2 34:03

Yeah, yeah, absolutely, wait, let's get her on. Can you guys hang out for like 10 minutes? 10 minutes, yeah, okay.

Speaker 1 34:10

Yeah, hang out for 10 minutes, give her the seat and then we'll do some pictures and stuff at the end. Okay, okay, bring the hats. Hold on, I have yarmulkes.

Speaker 4 34:33

Okay, can I have yarmulkes? Ok, do yarmulkes hi.

Speaker 5 34:35

Thank you so much thank you, it takes all my willpower not to like jump in no, sit, sit there, you go hi yeah, yeah, you can stay, hang out, we're going to do 10 minutes.

Speaker 2 34:56

Nice to meet you too. Are we still rolling?

Speaker 1 34:58

Okay.

Speaker 2 34:59

Okay, so you just go to the mic. Put the mic in front of you Would you rather sit there?

Speaker 1 35:06

Where's the best place for her to sit? Yeah, the bathroom, if you need. Let me see what she looks, okay.

Speaker 2 35:17

Don't tell them.

Speaker 1 35:18

Don't tell them, let them go yeah.

Speaker 2 35:25

Do you have another show after this? Is this better At 2.30? So can we maybe extend for.

Speaker 1 35:33

I have a thing at 2.30, after the beer.

Speaker 2 35:35

Oh, okay. Okay, but let's I don't know, we might have to do this just as a clip.

Speaker 1 35:40

Yeah, as a clip.

Speaker 2 35:41

Oh, separately.

Speaker 1 35:41

You can attach it to the other episode.

Luxury Judaica Brand Launches Talit Bags

Speaker 2 35:44

Yeah, maybe, okay.

Speaker 1 35:45

We have an extra special guest visiting us today Danielle Danielle La.

Speaker 5 35:54

We're doing it for a fire.

Speaker 1 35:58

We have an extra special guest today visiting us. Danielle, what's your last name now?

Speaker 5 36:03

I haven't changed it.

Speaker 1 36:04

You haven't changed it, okay. Daniellea Kahana she is a friend of mine for years. When we shot the clip Changing Hollywood or Chasing Spielberg, when we were just as hostage running around LA looking for Spielberg, she helped make that happen. She's like we're going to go to LA. We're going to shoot a teaser for the script. It went super viral. People clipped it everywhere. It was so much fun. It wasashiach mashiach energy and she is, uh, it's so good to see you. First of all, you look amazing. You look amazing. You have kids.

Speaker 5 36:40

No, I have three girls three girls.

Speaker 1 36:42

Can I know her and look how great she looks, wow, um, and your hair looks good and you're good and you, you have a passion project now.

Speaker 5 36:49

Yes, I do.

Speaker 1 36:50

So she called me up. She said what's the name of the project? Atoof?

Speaker 5 36:55

Atoof, which means he actually pronounces it right.

Speaker 1 36:58

Atoof.

Speaker 5 36:59

It means to wrap. No, yeah, yeah, atoof.

Speaker 4 37:02

Exactly that you know, but massive initial.

Speaker 1 37:04

You couldn't get that one in. Okay, so I'm making bags for the tallest Talit. What?

Speaker 2 37:16

I get a text message from Modi saying can you reach out to so-and-so, she's coming to the studio and she's bringing me the tallest bag.

Speaker 1 37:35

I speak all my things.

Speaker 2 37:37

The tallest bag.

Speaker 5 37:38

Is it going to fit through the door?

Speaker 1 37:40

She calls me up and she tells me that she's. What was your reason for doing this?

Speaker 5 37:46

Because the tallest it was born out of a need. Essentially. My husband, who we had been married for probably seven years at the time, lost his Talit bag and I was like, how do you lose a Talit bag? I don't really understand.

Speaker 1 38:00

Those of you who don't know, talit is the Jewish prayer shawl, and after you use it, you fold it up and put it into a bag.

Speaker 2 38:06

But not like a plastic bag.

Speaker 1 38:08

It's like a beautiful… oh don't do that.

Speaker 2 38:11

Some people put it in a bag.

Speaker 1 38:12

I'll go hell da, da da. You don't have to put it into a bag, but you put it into a bag. Okay, you want to protect it?

Speaker 5 38:19

essentially, yes. So after I got over my annoyance at having that he lost this bag which I had gifted him on our wedding night, I went looking for a new one and I couldn't find it?

Speaker 1 38:30

Did he lose the tallest too?

Speaker 5 38:35

Yeah, and I couldn't find. Did he lose the tallest too? Yeah, okay, he lost it. He lost it. Oh okay, and I could not find anything. Nice, really like. I scoured the internet, could not find anything and I'll bring you back on this again, okay.

Speaker 1 38:44

So now the tallit bag usually is this blue, dark blue bag, and it has the, the Hebrew name of the, of name of the man whose bag it is, or maybe the woman, now who knows. It's embroidered on top so it says Mordechai ben Bezalel and underneath it'll say in English Steve or David, and it's two lions facing each other, or the Ten Commandments. It's embroidered, it's like 12 by 12. Machine embroidered. It's embroidered, it's like 12 by 12. Machine embroidered, yeah, machine embroidered, with a zipper, dark. And, by the way, one of the funniest stories I once heard somebody tell me, somebody from Crown Heights, it was a person who's black and he used to see all the Jews walking every day to the synagogue with this bag and he said that's when they they carry all their money with them to the synagogue and back.

Speaker 1 39:40

It's a great target it's a great no, but they just thought that that's what that was anyway. Now, now, on top of this bag, which is the usually blue and this, and that when you get it, you also get a plastic bag that goes on top of it to protect it god forbid this bag should have a spill on it or the sun. Now, most times of my friends that I've discussed your project with, we use the plastic bag as the bag We've all thrown away our. First of all, I told you this on the phone. I travel nonstop, so when I'm grabbing my tallest bag, I need to make sure my sitter's in there, my yarmulke's in there, my reading glasses are in there, my filling are in there, and that's four things have to be in there. If I see through it, X-ray.

Speaker 1 40:28

So I said, I said I'm not your target audience, I'm not your target audience. And then I remembered in synagogue is where I have my tallest bag, All my stuff, my candy, my yarmulkes, my whatever I need in synagogue. Over there I said so you know what? Maybe that should be a nice bag.

Speaker 5 40:48

So now you take it so you have two. Now you're getting an upgrade.

Speaker 2 40:51

Yeah, you have your travel one, my travel one, which is like a.

Speaker 1 40:54

Ziploc. Literally it's a Ziploc. It's a Ziploc A little bit thicker and the zipper is already completely done. But I'm not the only one. Elon Gold says the same thing. All my friends say they just use the plastic bag. Okay, but now you've taken on yourself. You're making it very yourself for the extra. And there there there is text in the torah that you should have beautiful things for your judaica and this is my husband has.

Speaker 2 41:22

My husband also puts on fill in every day and he also has this blue velvet bag with, like machine embroidered gold. I'm 100% sure it's still from his bar mitzvah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 41:38

Yeah, so I'm dying to see, I'm dying to see. So she said what would you?

Speaker 5 41:44

So, fast forward, seven years and we just launched myself and one of my best friends, maya Cohen, launched a beautiful company to elevate your Judaica, and we started with Talib bags, tefillin bags, challah covers, matzah cover, afikomen sets and a Havdalah candle, and everything is hand embroidered, handmade.

Speaker 2 42:03

Wow.

Speaker 5 42:04

Artisanally made. I love that.

Speaker 1 42:07

So can we see.

Speaker 5 42:08

Yes, we can see.

Speaker 2 42:09

We can see. Let's see the tallest bag, the tallest bag.

Speaker 1 42:14

So first of all, Well, tell us how it's made, and all that.

Speaker 5 42:17

Yeah, so our tagline luxury heirlooms enveloped in high vibrations, very Mashiach.

Speaker 2 42:22

Wow.

Speaker 5 42:25

And you have a handwritten note over here. You can read it later. You have an about card which explains the ethos of the brand and why we are existing and what we hope to bring out into this world.

Speaker 5 42:36

And then you have a really special blessing card that comes along with this bag. So our collection this is our flagship collection is derivative of each of the children of Jacob. So in its entirety it represents the full gamut of the Jewish people and the unity and beautiful diversity of the Jewish people. Jewish people and the unity and beautiful diversity of the Jewish people. So when you see the design, every design is basically representative of the blessing that that child received from Jacob.

Speaker 2 43:03

Wow, From Yaakov, and so if somebody would like to order this, where can they go? They?

Speaker 1 43:07

can go. Do you understand how powerful that is? It's all no.

Speaker 2 43:12

Not really, but but I'm with it. I like the wrapping. I mean mean so you're getting a custom you're getting a special um blessing card.

Speaker 4 43:21

That corresponds to asher.

Speaker 5 43:24

Oh whose label we we wrote, as the blessed asher was actually in the verse that we read in the torah about. You know what yakov says to his son? He's actually blessed above all of the other children Not the greatest parenting tip, let's say, but he's almost favored, in a way, and so represented by, visually, the olive tree, because the olive tree is just full of blessings in terms of what it's used for, the sourcing, the richness of it. So do you want me to read the card?

Speaker 1 43:58

No, but You'll read it later. Yeah, yeah, it's very special, okay, and I'm dying to see this. I'm so excited.

Speaker 5 44:05

Okay, so each of our designs comes in Wow. Beautiful.

Speaker 1 44:08

Yeah, this is your bag, the bag it comes in, by the way. I mean you could use that as a bag on its own.

Speaker 2 44:13

Yes, uh how do you? Figure out who's what, though, like? How do you decide that this one is jacob or asher?

Speaker 5 44:22

asher. So we I mean it's all textual based. It's like a lot of research into what sources we have in the torah um, what the scholars and stages and who's bad with the bag is for. And then, obviously, well, when you say who the bag is for, you mean like, how do you decide which one to buy, or how did we determine?

Speaker 2 44:43

the designs. How did you decide that this one is Asher?

Speaker 5 44:47

Based on the blessing that Asher received, and so the only one that was really challenging we took a little creative license was Dina. We wanted to be inclusive and so obviously Dina is. The only one that was really challenging we took a little creative license was Dina. We wanted to be inclusive, and so obviously Dina is the one daughter that's mentioned in the Torah of Yaakov. She didn't receive a blessing. We didn't know. We don't know if she received a blessing because it wasn't recorded in the Torah and what is known about Dina is, unfortunately, very challenging.

Speaker 1 45:14

Yes, she had a very difficult yes.

Speaker 2 45:17

What happened to Dina? She was raped. Can we get back to the point?

Speaker 1 45:22

This is when you decide to learn Torah On this episode. On this episode, you decide I'm going to learn Torah. This is when you're going to do it.

Speaker 2 45:30

What happened to Dina? I don't want to talk about that right now.

Speaker 5 45:35

It's like an elementary school.

Speaker 1 45:35

We kind when you're going to do it. What happened to Dina? I don't want to talk about that right now. It's like it's not cute, but she grew from it.

Speaker 5 45:39

Okay, and there's different ways of reading it, oh sure.

Speaker 2 45:42

Now there's different ways of reading it For Dina we chose.

Speaker 5 45:46

It's interesting. She like some texts. If you read it literally, it Literally it's almost like she fell in love with this man who is not approved.

Speaker 1 45:55

Don't. You are really with the wrong audience right now.

Speaker 2 45:59

That already on its face is so problematic, could you not?

Speaker 5 46:03

I want to see this bag, but anyway so for Dina, we got creative and we represented it by the universal symbol of the Khamsa, and the Khamsa is one of protection, and so, anyway, I digress.

Speaker 2 46:15

Okay, okay. Yes, we might have to do a separate episode for Dina.

Speaker 5 46:18

There's a lot to talk about with Dina. Okay, so this is the after.

Speaker 1 46:23

Wow, look at Wow. I just got goosebumps. I got goosebumps. That's beautiful. May I see?

Speaker 5 46:31

Yes, and then inside you have your gorgeous chameleon bag, which is Wow.

Speaker 1 46:37

Oh my.

Speaker 5 46:38

God, so I will pass this over to you, oh wow.

Speaker 1 46:43

First of all, thank you, thank you so much. Look at this beautiful energy. The fabric is insane.

Speaker 2 46:49

Hold it up to the camera for everybody who can't see. There are two bags.

Speaker 1 46:53

Leah will post a nice picture of this. Look at this beautiful bag. And this is embroidered in what everything's hand embroidered but it's got like silk and gold silk and gold, wow, wow and beads wow, and my name already unbelievable beautiful I can't thank you enough. My pleasure and and I wish you the best of luck and let the people know where they can get this for themselves, for their….

Speaker 5 47:17

Yes, you can buy Atoof at our website. Atoof Collective. Can you?

Speaker 1 47:23

spell it A-T-O-O-F, a-t-o-o-f.

Speaker 5 47:25

Yes, double O-F A-T-O-O-F Collectivecom.

Speaker 1 47:29

Okay.

Speaker 2 47:35

You can follow us on Instagram at atoofco. Okay, a-t-o-o-f, that's F like Foxtrot.

Speaker 1 47:38

Yes, f like Foxtrot. Oh my God, thank you so much. I really appreciate it. This is going to be a beautiful thing in our synagogue where I'm going to keep all my stuff, and I'm so moved. It's so beautiful. I'm so happy you're doing this thank you, congratulations.

Speaker 1 47:58

In good health, and you should feel more atuf, yes, yes, atuf, atuf, I mean the bag is super important but, as I always say, the talit has the energy of all makif surrounding light. When you put that on and it's something that the wife gives the husband Leo bought me mine and it's the energy you know you have it. And when you're in a synagogue you hold your tallit, you can almost feel like a hug from your spouse.

Speaker 2 48:25

Leo's okay being the wife in this scenario. He's my husband.

Speaker 1 48:28

My husband gave it to me. Oh yeah, you said what?

Speaker 2 48:31

Maybe I should get Guy one.

Speaker 1 48:33

You should, you should, yeah, and put good energy into it. I'm going to have to find someone who has good energy. Nagging energy, put nagging, nag Okay.

Speaker 4 48:44

Thank you so much for coming.

Speaker 2 48:46

Thank you, great to see you Okay Again.

Speaker 1 48:52

Atoof Atoof Collection Collective Atoofcollectivecom. Atoofcollectivecom. Atoofcollectivecom. At atoofco, yes, and modilifecom. The special is out, it's on Amazon Prime and it's also on modilifecom. Know your audience, find a show near you, bring some friends, be the friend that brings the friends to the comedy show. Thank you, danielaa, so much for coming and thank you for this beautiful presence.

Speaker 5 49:18

I look forward to our next collaboration.

Speaker 1 49:19

Amen Ginger Colliewood. Yes.