Weaving a Tapestry

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How does structure give your life freedom?  How do you balance chaos and order?

During a meditation trip to Bhutan, I couldn’t help but notice the conflict and coordination that exists between chaos and order.

When I was younger, I thought that order and chaos were diametrically opposite. But, as I have grown, I’ve learned the beautiful integration of order and chaos and how they can come together to form harmony and happiness. While structure gives you the freedom to operate, when a certain amount of chaos is thrown in the mix, it devolves into creativity.

When I was younger, my mom (of blessed memory) often faced chaos in her life. For instance, she’d cook a delicious dinner, only to find chaos in the kitchen: dirty dishes, used utensils, and melting butter left on the counter for days. My mom’s driving was terrible, and, as a result of this, she got in many, many accidents. I also remember my mom’s ubiquitous knitting bags. Even though she was creating beautiful works of craftsmanship, I’d constantly find yarn and knitting needles at every turn. In spite of the seaming chaos, my time with my mom was always full of love.

I lived my early life attempting to create a stable and structured framework so as to foster a sense of order. I knew that too much freedom can lead to chaos, but if it exists within a structured framework, it can lead to harmony. In an attempt to mitigate the inevitable chaos of life, I have tried to create a structure through which freedom can operate and harmony can emerge.

On my trip to Bhutan, I watched a Bhutanese woman weave the tapestry shown in this photo, and what I instantly noticed was the existence of a framework.

Each tapestry begins the same — simple straights and empty space full of opportunity. Straights and crosses. The plain white string strung top to bottom. On a loom, the straights make up the entirety of the structure.

Then, little by little, step by step, the crosses come together to create content. The beautiful colors of the thread weave across the straight to reveal a pattern.

Straights function as structure.

Crosses create the interest.

If a tapestry were made up of only straights, it would provide no interest. It would remain boring, plain, and simple.

If a tapestry were made up of only crosses, its beauty would be ephemeral and devoid of structure. Therefore, it would fall apart.

It was this epiphany that helped me recognize appreciate the harmony of chaos and order. When Chaos and order clash, chaos wins. When woven together, however, harmony emerges. A tapestry, such as the one shown above, can transport you, like a magic carpet, to a new time or place. The collaboration between the crosses and straights creates a beautiful representation of creativity.

In Judaism, there is a mystical tradition which discusses how chaotic energies can be woven together in a way that is productive, creative, and generative, rather than destructive. This concept is even alluded to at the very beginning of the Torah, when in Genesis 1 the creation of the universe is described as having come from chaos (“tohu” / תוֹהוּ). Order (also known as “tikkun”/ תִּקּוּן in Kabbalah)  then appears once light is created when God first declares: “Let there be light.” Upon this proclamation, order and chaos come together in a harmonious bond.

Just as order and chaos fused together to create the universe, the same process occurs, on a much smaller scale, in our own minds. In Hebrew, the verb to think (chashav) is derived from the root of “to weave.” Thus, in the biblical imagination, “thinking” is synonymous with “weaving.” When we devote time to thoughtful reflections, we allow ourselves to weave together the chaos and order of everyday life.

May you find the appropriate levels of chaos and order, create the balance necessary for freedom, and experience the joy of harmony.

Parenting: The Magic of the Anchor, the Feather, and the Bamboo

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As a parent, what really matters?

One summer, I was with a friend who had just become a father. I texted my daughter: “My friend just became a first-time father and now has a one-month old daughter. What advice would you give him?”

Within four minutes, my daughter texted me back.

“Make fun shaped pancakes. Baby jogger. Red light / green light learn how to walk down the street.”

I was filled with joy when I read my daughter’s text, because it perfectly summed up my personal philosophy of being a father. In general, I always tell parents they don’t have to spend 100% of their time with their children, but, when they are with them, to be 100% available. Now, I want to echo those philosophies to you. They go as follows:

  1. Make Fun Shaped Pancakes
    • Make it magical, not clinical.
  2. Baby Jogger
    • Float like a feather.
  3. Red Light / Green Light – learn how to walk down the street
    • Be like an anchor.
  4. Don’t bend like bamboo, or else you’ll break.

Make Fun Shaped Pancakes / Make it magical, not clinical

My daughter, Lucy, suggested my friend make “fun shaped pancakes.” When she was growing up, I never simply made regular circular pancakes for my kids. Instead, I’d fill an empty ketchup bottle with pancake batter, squeeze the bottle onto the pan, and “write” the letters of their names or create fun shapes in the form of pancakes. This little bit of extra effort I put into an otherwise mundane activity really did not take much more time, but certainly made breakfast a lot more fun!

When my kids were young, I always looked for opportunities to turn an ordinary thing into an extraordinary thing. In other words, I looked for a way to make life magical, rather than clinical. One of my favorite activities during which to apply this philosophy was during meal-making. In addition to my fun pancakes, I’d always cut hot dogs in different shapes and decorate the plate in ketchup-art. Furthermore, I always involved my kids while I was cooking and looked for roles that would be safe, appropriate, and accessible for kids. For example, I asked them to pour pre-measured ingredients into a mixing bowl. By doing this, I gave them personal agency and responsibility, which made them feel respected. Additionally, by showing them how to make mundane activities into fun ones, I illustrated to them the importance of making every moment a little extra magical.

Breaking Matzo is based on making Jewish Home Holidays Magical, Meaningful, and Memorable so that people of all ages and backgrounds can come together in celebration. In particular, I have always tried to make the Jewish holidays accessible, exciting, and engaging for young children so they can have a role in traditions from a young age.

Baby Jogger / Float like a feather

Lucy also recommended my friend take his children out in a “baby jogger.” When she was younger, and the weather permitted it, I would take Lucy and Caroline outside in a baby jogger for a weekend adventure, getting my exercise in while they enjoyed the sights of the park. I had no schedule or route; I simply allowed them to direct me. We would run along the Charles River, explore the playground, sing their favorite songs, and their favorite snacks: goldfish, Oreos, and fruit. We always had a great time.

I call this child-led time “floating like a feather.” In this sense, I recommend acting like a feather and going wherever the wind blows you. Be open to every possibility. Life can be full of strict scheduling and rigid plans, so I tried to make sure my playtime with my children was easy going and free flowing.

Red Light , Green Light  – Learn how to walk down the street / Be like an anchor

Like every parent, I was always concerned with the safety of my children – especially when they were younger and didn’t realize the risks of everyday activities, like running into traffic. To prevent them from doing this, I utilized the “red light, green light” game. From a young age, my kids knew that when I said “red light,” they had to immediately stop.  Our home was four blocks from the neighborhood playground, so we always use this safety protocol.  This way, when we were walking through the busy streets of Boston, I knew I had some control over their movements. Then, when I said “green light,” they knew they were safe to go ahead. To this day, my daughters will instantly stop upon hearing me say “red light.” In this way, acting as an anchor kept my kids safe throughout their childhood.

Don’t bend like bamboo, or else you’ll break.

Bamboo is an incredibly flexible plant. As the wind bends it back and forth, it refuses to break. This ability to adapt to any circumstance, no matter how tumultuous, is an awesome symbol of resilience. The bamboo plant can literally bounce back from anything. People, however, are not bamboo; and in parenting, while a little bending is warranted, too much can make you break.

As a parent, especially as your children get older, it can be important to explain the reasoning behind your rules and decisions. But, if you “break” every time your child asks you to change your stance, they won’t respect your judgement. If you vacillate in every request and allow every rule to become a negotiation, you’ll tire yourself out and break.

I wanted to take the opportunity of this blog to share some learnings I’ve obtained from being a father to my two daughters, inspired by a simple text from my daughter Lucy. I hope these mantras will make your parenting experience a little easier and a little more rewarding.

Biblical Connections:

Being a good parent means having faith in God and faith in your children. The following are some examples from Hannah and Abraham.

 “And she made this vow: “O LORD of Hosts, if You will look upon the suffering of Your maidservant and will remember me and not forget Your maidservant, and if You will grant Your maidservant a male child, I will dedicate him to the LORD for all the days of his life; and no razor shall ever touch his head'” (Samuel 1:11)

Here, we see how Hannah is willing to make any promise to G-d in order to be blessed with a child. Her sacrifice illustrates the immense, innate value of parenthood and the awesome responsibility it entails.

 

Ordinary to Extraordinary Lives: Shlomo Hillel

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Shlomo Hillel was born on Aril 23rd 1923 in Baghdad, Iraq. His parents were Mizrahi Jews and he was the youngest of 11 children. In 1933, Iraqi soldiers massacred over 500 Christians in a nearby city. Shlomo’s father was fearful that the Jews would be next, so he moved the family to Tel Aviv, which was then part of Mandate Palestine.

Shlomo attended Hebrew University of Jerusalem where he studied economics and political science. From there he studied agriculture at several kibbutzs and then assisted the Hebrew Scouts in setting up their own kibbutz.

Shlomo joined the Haganah, a Jewish paramilitary organization in Mandate Palestine that would go on to become the bulk of the initial Israel Defense Force. He worked at a munitions factory that was cleverly camouflaged as a laundromat.

In 1946 Shlomo took part in Operation Michaelberg, an effort to bring Jews living into Iraq into modern day Israel. Shlomo lived undercover in Iraq for a year, spreading Zionist philosophy and laying the groundwork to safely transfer Jews out of the country. He then spearheaded the hiring of two pilots to smuggle a large number of Jews into Israel.

In 1948 Shlomo went to Iran disguised as a Frenchman. There he worked with a former French priest named Alexander Glasberg to get Jews from Europe into Israel. They would use bribes and connections to get Jews visas from France, then smuggle them past the Iranian border. They were able to shepherd over 10,000 Jews into Israel.

In 1950 the Iraqi government passed a law that allowed Jews to migrate out of the country during a one-year period. Shlomo traveled back to Iraq under the guise of a British man working for an American charter company. He was able to meet with the Iraqi prime minister and secure the exclusive rights to fly Jews out of Iraq. He used these rights to bring over 124,000 Jews from Iraq to Israel in what came to be known as Operation Ezra and Nehemiah.

In 1952 Shlomo married Temima Rosner. Together they had two children, one son and one daughter. That same year he ran for a seat on the second Knesset. He did not win, but he got a seat anyways as a replacement for a victorious candidate that died. He was re-elected to his position in 1955 but resigned in 1959.

After his time in the Knesset, Shlomo joined the foreign service where he served in a variety of diplomatic posts throughout the 1960s. These posts included being ambassador to a variety of African nations, serving as part of the Israeli delegation to the UN, and a stint as the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In 1969 Shlomo ran for the Knesset again and won a seat. From 1969 to 1977 he served as the Minister of Police and from 1974 to 1977 he was the Interior Minister. As part of his role as Interior Minister he oversaw Aliyah, the right for Jews around the world to immigrate to Israel. In 1977 he changed Israel’s immigration policy to allow Jews in Ethiopia to make Aliyah. This resulted in nearly 120,000 Ethiopian Jews moving to Israel. One of the immigrates that came to Israel thanks to Shlomo’s new policy was a young woman who would go on to marry his son.

In 1984 he was elected to serve as the Speaker for the Eleventh Knesset.  He would remain in the Knesset until he was defeated in an election in 1992. In 1988 he was awarded the coveted Israel Prize in honor of his contributions to the State of Israel and its people.

Shlomo Hillel died on February 8th, 2021.

You can read more about Shlomo Hillel’s extraordinary life here.

 

Music Makes Passover More Magical, Meaningful and Memorable

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At Breaking Matzo, we often talk about the 3 M’s: Magical, Meaningful and Memorable as keys to an extraordinary holiday experience. There is a fourth M that you should consider when planning your next holiday celebration: Musical.

Song and dance add an element of joy and cheer to any occasion. Music can touch our hearts, stir our souls and stimulate our minds. The history of the Jewish people has long been suffused with music. Music helps us remember the past, helps inspires us for the future and helps us enjoy the present.

Since time immemorial music has played a central role in Jewish tradition. What bar/bat mitzvah would be complete without dancing the Horah? How many celebrations are made all the more joyous by the playing of Hava Nagila? How many smiles have been caused by the timeless tunes of Fiddler on the Roof?

Music is not just for celebration; it is an important part of Jewish worship as well. During synagogue services a great many of the prayers are not simply said, but sung. Different temples have their own unique melodies and cadences to the same prayer songs. Across the Jewish diaspora and through the centuries the Jewish people have weaved a kaleidoscopic tapestry of music steeped in culture and history.

Music has a particularly important association with Passover. In Exodus after the children of Israel escaped from the Egyptians through the parted sea and arrived safely on dry ground, Miriam took out her timbrel and led the Israelite women in song and dance to celebrate. This celebration resulted in the bitter water becoming sweet for the children of Israel to drink. The power of music serves to unite and sustain the Jewish people during their hardships, a theme that has carried on through the eons.

We are excited to bring to you a new and powerful way to experience the musical nature of Passover: Teiku!

Teiku is a musical collaboration created by Josh Harlow and Jonathan Barahal Taylor. In keeping with the theme of Passover, their music is organized thematically around liberation and deeply connected to their ancestral roots. Teiku performs creative music arrangements of unique family Passover melodies, setting them in a modern context dedicated to exploring texture and improvisation. Teiku features Jonathan Barahal Taylor (drums and arrangements), Josh Harlow (piano and arrangements), Peter Formanek (saxophone and clarinet) and John Lindberg (bass).

Josh Harlow is a talented composer, pianist, keyboardist and music teacher. He has collaborated with numerous musicians and is a part of  variety of musical groups including Teiku and the instrumental psychedelic band Submerser.

Josh grew up singing unique Passover melodies with his family at the seder table every year. His ancestors were Jewish-Ukrainians that had passed their holiday music through the generations and brought it across the Atlantic ocean with them. One day he was talking to his bandmate Jonathan Barahal Taylor about these songs. Jonathan explained that his family were also of Jewish-Ukrainian descent and they too had unique melodies they sang for Passover. They decided to research their ancestry and their family’s music. They were able to find their ancestral villages in modern-day Ukraine, but the songs were unique to their respective families.

Josh and Jonathan were so inspired by their families’ heritage and music that they decided to form a project to document, perform and breathe new life into these beautiful old melodies. They named the project Teiku, which means “Unanswered question” a symbol of how both musicians and Jews are always striving to learn and discover new things, combining old traditions with new ideas and concepts.

You can experience the magical, meaningful and memorable music of Teiku for yourself from the comfort of your own home. Teiku is hosting a live virtual spectacular to celebrate Passover on In Live. This one-of-a-kind performance will feature a mix of livestreamed music, music video, interviews, and dialogue to create an enriching and uplifting experience. This event has it all: beautiful music, inspiring history and spiritually fulfilling cultural content. There are opportunities for you to participate in the performance directly and possibly even sing with the band live!

This unique celebration of Jewish heritage, music, family and Passover traditions new and old is happening at 8:30PM (EST) on March 20th2021.

This blending of classic music with modern twists is a wonderful way to celebrate Passover together with the broader Jewish community during this time when we must be physically apart.

You can buy tickets to this remarkable event here.

You can learn more about Teiku here.

The Teiku live stream is powered by In.Live, a company focused on helping creators like Josh connect live with their communities worldwide. In.Live’s co-founder Eswar Priyadarshan is a 20-year friend and collaborator with Andy Goldfarb, through many personal and professional endeavors. Eswar is also a Breaking Matzo blog author  you can read his 2018 dispatch from Salonica, Greece here.

Abraham Accords Creates a New Format for Memorializing Holocaust Remembrance Day

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International Holocaust Remembrance Day is held each year on January 27th. The holiday was created by the UN as a way to honor the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust and to spread awareness and education to ensure that such a horror never happens again.

The historic Abraham Accords peace deal created a new opportunity for memorializing the victims of the holocaust. On 2021’s Holocaust Remembrance Day a virtual gathering of over 100 young leaders from Israeli, Morocco, the UAE, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabi took place. Young leaders from all of the attending countries shared messages of love, understanding, and togetherness. Over 100 hands wrote “Never Again” in Arabic and Hebrew, a beacon shining the light of peace and hope for the future.

The highlight of the event was a talk given by Auschwitz survivor Vera Kriegel. She talked about her harrowing experiences living through the Holocaust and the nightmares she faced being experimented on by Dr. Mengele. Vera Kriegel’s story deeply affected and moved participants from across the world.

This historic gathering was organized by a group called The Gulf-Israel Centre for Social Entrepreneurship. The group was founded in response to the Abraham Accords and seeks to normalize relations and build dialogues between Israel and the other Abraham Accords nations. The participants in the Holocaust Remembrance Day zoom call were part of a trip to Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum that the group organized in December 2020.

One of The Gulf-Israel Centre for Social Entrepreneurship’s priorities in hosting events like this is to push for education about the Holocaust and antisemitism to be included as part of the standard school curriculum in Middle Eastern nations. Part of building ties with other countries is to understand each other’s history, culture, and struggles. With Holocaust denial and antisemitism on the rise, educating people about the horrors and prejudice the Jewish people have faced throughout history is more important now than ever before.

This historic and magnificent gathering is one of many steps in building a beautiful and lasting peace. Together we will never forget history as we blaze a path forward to a future full of light and love.

Further Reading:

You can watch a video about this incredible event here:

 

You can learn more about The Gulf-Israel Centre for Social Entrepreneurship their mission here.

 

Whiskey with a Chaser of History

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People often put a lot of thought into what they eat, but it is rarer that they think about where they eat. Be it a beautiful view, a frequent family spot, or a historical landmark, eating in a special place can elevate the experience and make it more magical, meaningful, and memorable.

Once such place is The Whiskey Bar and Museum in Tel Aviv which combines the deep traditions and history connected to food and drink with the fascinating and complex history of the space the bar occupies. The bar boasts an impressive collection of over 1,000 whiskies and top-notch food to go with it. Even more savory than the bar’s superb offerings is the incredible tale of the building.

The Whiskey Bar and Museum is located inside the Templar Tunnel. The tunnel was built by the German Templars, a sect of German Protestants that were forced out of the Lutheran Church. These templars believed that they had to move to the Holy Land in order to bring about the second coming of Christ. These templars established an agricultural colony in the land that became modern day Tel Aviv. They constructed a variety of businesses and buildings including a winery. In 1871 the Templar Tunnel was constructed to store barrels of wine for said winery.

In the wake of World War I, the British occupied the holy land. Some of the Templars willingly left, the rest were eventually deported due to the Templar’s support for the Nazi party during World War II.

In 1947, the British government handed over control of the region to the Israeli government and the state of Israel was born. The Israeli government took possession of Tel Aviv’s Templar Tunnel. During the War of Independence, the Israeli military used the tunnel to reassemble deconstructed airplanes they had stolen from the British. Later the tunnels were given to the Mossad, Israeli’s intelligence agency, for use as a hideout. It was also used to build some of Israel’s first bank vaults. In 2009, the Israeli government sold the tunnels to be used for private business. For several years it was a wine bar before becoming the Whiskey Bar and Museum.

Much like the rye they serve, the bar itself has been carefully aged to perfection. Like whiskey absorbing flavor and color from the barrel it is stored in, the Whiskey Bar Museum has been elevated by the incredible events that have transpired there. The next time you find yourself in Tel Aviv be sure to stop by to enjoy a strong glass of history with some excellent whiskey on the side.

You can learn more about the Whiskey Bar and Museum here.

 

Ordinary to Extraordinary: Rabbi Wolfe Kelman and Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg March with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (left) and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (center). At right is Kelman’s father, Rabbi Wolfe Kelman.

On this Martin Luther King Jr. day, I take pride knowing that my relatives, Rabbi Wolfe Kelman and Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg, marched with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I’d like to share with you the extraordinary stories of these two members of my family.

Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg

My relative, Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg, was among the religious leaders who participated in the March on Washington in 1963 when Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. As an early and fervent ally to the civil rights movement, Rabbi Hertzberg used his platform, influence, and community to enact good in society at large. He also chaired the first Jewish Delegation to meet with the Pope. Rabbi Hertzberg became a “light unto all nations” by joining with other leaders to promote equality.

Martin Luther King Jr. (center) marches in Selma, Alabama, alongside Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (second from right).

My other relative, Rabbi Wolfe Kelman, marched with Dr. King during the 1965 Selma-Montgomery marches. Kelman went from being the youngest member at the Goldfarb/Fish Family seder in 1930 Dynow, Poland, to playing an important role in a nation-wide movement for civil rights. As the executive vice president of the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly, he was able to mentor and guide the paths of hundreds of rabbis. He worked tirelessly to support his fellow rabbis, lead them in study, and act as a role model. By supporting the dreams and passions of individuals, Rabbi Kelman left a positive impact on the world.

In biblical tradition, we believe in the calling of “אור לגויים” (or la-goyim). This term refers to a responsibility to be a “light unto the nations.” As such, we have a moral obligation, handed down from God, to inspire the world by fostering a global standard of righteousness and love.

“I the Lord, in My grace, have summoned you,

And I have grasped you by the hand.

I created you, and appointed you

A covenant of people, a light of nations –

Opening eyes deprived of light,

Rescuing prisoners from confinement,

From dungeon those who sit in darkness.” (Isaiah 42.6-7)

The transformation from ordinary to the extraordinary is one that has always been particularly intriguing to me. Throughout our lifetimes, we are continuously given opportunities to make real, lasting differences.

I hope the extraordinary contributions of my family rabbis inspire you to go the extra mile and seek out opportunities for righteousness. I hope you too will strive to be a light unto the world. Even if the light of your goodness shines on only one person, you have done good in the world. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. declared his own dreams for the whole world to hear and his message has reverberated through generations.

Further Reading

You can learn more about the extraordinary life of Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg here.

You can learn more about the extraordinary life of Rabbi Wolfe Kelman here.

You can watch Rabbi Levi Kelman talk about his father Rabbi Wolfe Kelman in this video:

I am proud to say that through the Pelican Peace Project I have been able to bring about that           previously unrealized peace between Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain.

This is a picture of my family’s Passover Seder held in 1930 in Dynow, Poland. My grandfather Max Fish was present as was a young Rabbi Wolfe Kelman. Those individuals with hearts next to their names are my relatives who were murdered in the Holocaust.

In 2012, Rabbi Wolfe Kelman’s son Rabbi Levi Kelman led my daughter Lucy’s Bat Mitzvah in Jerusalem.

Appendix

Martin Luther King Jr. was a fierce supporter of Israel and Judaism. Here are some of his quotes showing his great respect and support of the Jewish people:

“Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all of our might to protect its right to exist, its territorial integrity and the right to use whatever sea lanes it needs. I see Israel, and never mind saying it, as one of the great outposts of democracy in the world, and a marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy. Peace for Israel means security and that security must be a reality.” – 1968 interview at the sixty-eighth annual convention of the Rabbinical Assembly.

“When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews. You’re talking anti-Semitism.” -1967 dinner with Harvard University students.

“There are Hitlers loose in America today, both in high and low places… As the tensions and bewilderment of economic problems become more severe, history(‘s) scapegoats, the Jews, will be joined by new scapegoats, the Negroes. The Hitlers will seek to divert people’s minds and turn their frustration and anger to the helpless, to the outnumbered. Then whether the Negro and Jew shall live in peace will depend upon how firmly they resist, how effectively they reach the minds of the decent Americans to halt this deadly diversion” -1958 address to the National Biennial Convention of the American Jewish Congress.

“Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself. The Bible tells the thrilling story of how Moses stood in the Pharaoh’s court centuries ago and cried, ‘Let my people go’. This is a kind of opening chapter in a continuing story. The present struggle in our country is a later chapter in the same unfolding story. Something within has reminded the Negro of his birthright of freedom, and something without has reminded him that it can be gained.” -1963, Letter from a Birmingham Jail.

“It was ‘illegal’ to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler’s Germany. But I am sure that if I had lived in Germany during that time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers even though it was illegal.” -1963, Letter from a Birmingham Jail.

Ordinary to Extraordinary Lives: Eddy Goldfarb

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What was your favorite toy growing up?

Eddy Goldfarb was born on September 5, 1921 in Chicago to Jewish immigrant parents. When Eddy was just 12, his father passed away. Eddy and his 2 brothers had to work in order to support the family. Eddy worked a variety of jobs including delivering newspapers, being a tailor at a garment factory, selling goods from a pushcart, and working as a soda jerk in a drug store.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Eddy signed up to join the navy. He enrolled in a special program that trained officers to specialize in radar. He was sent to the University of Houston to study electrical engineering and then completed his training as a radar technician at the Naval Station Treasure Island. He served active duty on the submarine the USS Batfish. While onboard he invented a specialized radar antenna. Eddy had always dreamed of becoming an inventors, but during his time on the submarine he decided to specialize in a single field: toys.

After returning from the war, he moved to Chicago and began pursuing his dream of becoming an independent inventor specializing in toys. He also met and married his wife Anita.

The first toy Eddy invented where the Yakkity Yak Talking Teeth

The talking teeth became a huge success and Eddy was able to find business partners and promoters for his toys. In 1949 Eddy showed off the talking teeth and 2 other toys at the toy industry’s annual showcase in New York. This debut went over very well and served as a launching point for a wildly successful career.

In 1952 Eddy moved with his family to California. He set up a new workshop in their house’s garage. Though the business wasn’t an immediate success, it grew quickly through the 50s. By 1957, Eddy owned 3 buildings and had nearly 40 employees. He and his wife had 3 children during that decade.

Throughout the years Eddies invented over 800 toys and held over 300 patents. He made a variety of toys and games for many different companies. He was one of the few toy designers to experiment with video games early, but preferred working with physical toys. Some of his most notable toys were Kerplunk, The Bubble Gun, Battling tops and the Spiral Designer.

In 1998, Eddy partnered with his son Marvin to form a new company: Eddy & Martin Goldfarb and Associates. They have been designing toys together ever since. Eddy has received a variety of prestigious toy industry award including the Chicago Toy and Game Group’s Innovation Lifetime Achievement Award, Induction into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame, and being the first American to receive the London Toy Fair’s I.D.I.O.T. (International Designer and Inventor of Toys) award.

Even though he is 98, Eddy has never stopped inventing. He has turned his garage into a workshop where he continues to work on creating new toys. He has also added making devices for seniors to his repertoire.

Eddy Goldfarb is a man who has spent his life literally turning his dreams and visions into reality. His drive, ingenuity, and creativity are a powerful source of inspiration.

Further Reading:

You can learn more about Eddy Goldfarb’s extraordinary life here and here.

You can watch a brief message from Eddy here.

 

Ordinary to Extraordinary Lives: Baruch Shub

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Baruch Shub was born in 1924 in Vilnius, Lithuania. He was the second child of six in a Hassidic family. In 1940 he attended university in Vilnius, studying mechanical engineering.

In 1941 the Germans conquered Vilnius. Shub was able to put his engineering skills to use and was assigned a job making repairs to military vehicles. Later that year the Germans began forcing the Jews of Vilnius into a ghetto. Baruch and his older sister fled the city and began living in the town of Radoszkovice.

In Radoszkovice Baruch once again found work in a German garage. On March 11th, 1942, the Jews living there were ordered to gather in the town square. The Germans rounded up and murdered over 800 Jews including Shub’s sister. Shub hid in the garage where he worked, sparring him from this awful fate.

The surviving Jews of Radoszkovice were forced to live in a ghetto. While living there, Shub joined forces with other Jewish youths to start an underground resistance movement. They obtained weapons and planned to escape from the ghetto. Their efforts were abandoned when the Germans threatened to kill everyone in the ghetto if anyone went missing.

In 1943, Shub returned to his hometown of Vilnius. There he joined up with a group of resistance partisans. They launched several armed clashes with German forces that were attempting to round up Jews to bring to the concentration camps. Shub and his partisans enlisted with the Russian army. There he became a paratrooper and participated in many missions, including liberating towns conquered by the Germans.

In 1945, Shub was discharged from the army and emigrated to Israel. He was recruited by the Israeli military and served as an airplane technician during the War of Independence. He then worked at El Al airlines for 33 years where he achieved the rank of chief flight engineer.

Baruch Shub was an active proponent of Holocaust commemoration until the day he died. He gave many lectures about the dangers of antisemitism and Holocaust denial. He was the chairman of the Israel Organization of Partisans, Underground Fighters and Ghetto Rebels, and a member of the Yad Vashem Directorate. Baruch Shub died on December 20, 2020 at the age 79.

Further Reading:

You can listen to Baruch Shub talk about his experiences surviving the holocaust in this video:

You can read more about Baruch Shub’s extraordinary life here.

A Symphony of Light

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Accomplished Jewish composer, producer, songwriter, singer, and musician Gabriel Mann composed a deeply moving song for Hanukkah.  His song “Or Zarua/We are the Light” is about the powerful and brilliant ideals embodied in the light of the menorah. Please take a moment to listen to this inspiring piece of music.

What a beautiful song! In addition to being a musical treat, the song’s message is multifaceted and inspiring. The chorus says, “We are light, we are love, we are hope, we are one,” a perfect mantra for the many magical meanings of the menorah.

Lighting the Menorah allows each of us—adults and children—to participate in the ongoing miracle of renewing the light of Judaism, generation to generation. In doing so we recognize that today we are blessed to be able to do so freely, without fear of persecution. Saying that “We are light” and “We are one” talks directly to how each Hanukkah we celebrate how we as a people continue to thrive and brighten the world.

This does not apply only to Jews, but to everyone. We are all brothers and sisters, all part of a beautiful community called humanity. “We are one”

Furthermore, “We are love, we are hope” embodies how the shining light of the Hanukkah menorah is a symbol of hope and peace. These inspiring ideals blaze in both the candles’ light and in our own hearts and souls.

In a year full of darkness, this song is a beautiful blessing shining bright with light.