One of my favorite Broadway shows is Wicked. From the first time I saw it, I was captivated by the story, the songs, the music, the production, and the messages and lessons. The main, basic lesson is fairly simple – we only know the story we are told, not the truth. The Wizard of Oz told us a story about the land of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West (Elphaba) and the Good Witch of the East (Glinda who we learn was really named Galinda).
History is told by those who are victorious, hence we got the Wizard of Oz. Wicked tells the story before the story of the Wizard of Oz and we learn so much that changes the story, our impression of the characters, and what we think.
This is just like real life. We are told by the media, by the United Nations, by the International Court of Justice, and by leaders around the world one truth about the middle east. With some digging and effort, we can learn the real truth. We can learn the real story. When we learn the real story and the truth, things are very different, just like The Wizard of Oz and Wicked.
One of my favorite things about being Jewish is how we take pop culture and make it not just our own but also how we ensure there is Jewish content to it. The most famous of these is when Adam Sandler created and sang the Hannukah Song on Saturday Night Live. It was incredible to see and listen. It became an instant classic that everybody would sing. We loved knowing that Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock were both Jewish. Paul Newman and Goldie Hawn were half Jewish, so “put them both together, what a fine looking Jew!” It made people famous for being Jewish. It gave us a song to sing we could be proud of, not just the dreidel song. It truly was a game changer.
Since then, there have been additional versions of the Hanukkah song, none as popular as the first (and many of you may not know that there are officially 4 versions of the Hannukah song. There are other songs that have been made by many artists, nowhere close to the quality or fun of Christmas songs, but they exist. It’s basically been the Hanukkah Song and that’s it.
Until now. I discovered this version of songs from Wicked made by Six13. I love the way they use the music from Wicked to tell the Hanukkah story. I love how they made the music that I love into something Jewish. I have watched it multiple times because it gives me joy. Try to watch and not smile. Try to watch and not have your heart warmed. Try to watch and not feel proud to be Jewish.
After watching Six13 do this for Hanukkah, I decided to play around a little bit with AI artwork. I’ve never done it before so I figured, why not? I used a few different programs (you will see the quality differences) to make some pictures of Elphaba and Glinda/Galinda if they were Jewish and celebrating Hanukkah. It’s fun to explore Judaism and Jewish holidays with pop culture, technology and creativity. I wish when I was in Hebrew school many years ago, we had the opportunity to do this type of Jewish exploration. It would have made learning about Judasim so much more fun.
Here is Elphaba and Glinda/Galinda if they were Jewish and celebrating Hanukkah. Imagine them at your Hanukkah party. Imagine them lighting the menorah with you. How much fun would that be? Imagine a Hillel or Chabad Hanukkah with the Wicked theme. Making Judaism fun and cool isn’t that difficult as we saw with Adam Sandler and we see with Six13 and a little bit of AI graphic work.
I had the AI art generator put Elphaba and Glinda/Galinda fighting along with Judah Macabee against the Hasmonians. Imagine this in a comic book weaving Wicked into Hanukkah. How many of our Jewish children would fall in love with Judaism and Hanukkah without the presents? How many Purim costumes would this generate? How much better would Hebrew school be with this type of creativity?
I asked a different AI art program to create an image of Elphaba and Glinda/Galinda celebrating Hanukkah. It came out like Disney Princesses. How many little girls would fall in love with being jewish because they had Jewish Princesses celebrating Hanukkah? Lighting the menorah together? Sufganyot in front of them.
Imagine an entire kids movie with Elphaba and Glinda/Galinda being Jewish and celebrating Jewish holidays. Imagine a cartoon with them also being Jewish and including that in with what they are doing. Shabbat and Shabbat dinner. Inviting the Wizard to join them. Baking Challah (Elphaba’s could be a green Challah). How many children would fall in love with Judaism with this type of creativity?
Using a different AI image generator, I asked it to make Glinda/Galinda and Elphaba cook latkes. Unlike the Disney princess look above, it gave me an image that could belong with the Smurf cartoon. Look how much fun they are having. Imagine our children and grandchildren understanding how much fun being Jewish can be. I remember Hebrew school being boring and dry. My friends and I had fun with each other but the actual experience was not fun. Playing sports and doing theater at the JCC was fun. Bowling and swimming lessons and swim teams at the JCC was fun. Getting involved with BBYO was fun. We can change the narrative. We can make Judaism fun for our children and have it be desirable. Jewish smurfs and smurfettes!
Judaism is a religion based on food. Imagine, as I did with AI image generation, that Elphaba and Glinda/Galinda were eating sufganyot at Hanukkah. The hanukkiah is lit. The delicious fried jelly donuts, sufganyot, are in their hands and on their plates. How many children would want to hear the story of Hanukkah and the miracle of oil so they could eat their delicious sufganyot/jelly donuts? How much fun would they have making them with their parents?
It’s time for us to be creative in what we are using to inspire that love for Judaism in our children. It’s time to think like Adam Sandler or Six13. It’s time for us to be like Cantor Azi Schwartz of Park Avenue Synagogue, who used the tune of ‘You’ll be Back’ from Hamilton to create an unforgettable version of Adon Olam that many of you have seen and loved.
He didn’t stop there though. With the popularity of Wicked, he took advantage of the opportunity to create yet another memorable version of Adon Olam to the tune of “You’ll be popular” from Wicked. I can only imagine how excited people are to hear him sing this, to join along with him, and to fully engage Jewishly. His creativity works. We all can be that creative in what we do to make Judaism fun and inspiring.
At a time when being Jewish is a challenge. When Jew hatred and antisemitism is incredibly prevalent. When the question of why be Jewish is a real one for many people, let’s remember how Adam Sandler, Six13, and Cantor Azi Schwartz used their creativity to show us why to be Jewish. Let’s all take a step back and think what we can do to highlight not just the beauty of Judaism but also the fun and joy.
It’s almost Hanukkah, one of the most fun holidays (along with Purim) in Judaism. I have my Hanukkah PJs from last year and my new Hanukkah shirt, sweatpants, and sweater should arrive this week. I’m committed to bringing the joy to Judaism. How about you?
There is something special about being in Israel. For those of you who have been here, you know. For those of you who have not been here yet, I can’t explain it. It’s the air, the sounds, the smells, the energy that exists. Even in the middle of a war, I feel peaceful.
I got my frozen Aroma (the best coffee drink ever) and went to get a taxi to my hotel. My driver was former military (like most people in Israel). As we discussed the war, he shared that when he was on active duty and reserves, his unit was like the one in the TV show Fauda. If you haven’t seen the show, it is a must, especially with what is going on now with the Hamas-Israel war. It might provide some insight into the challenges that exist to finding peace. He showed me a picture of him undercover. It was incredible to see. As we pulled up to the hotel and got out of the car, the 8 pm siren went off. I have been here for Yom HaZikaron two other times and know what the siren is like, however this year was different for me. As I stood outside my taxi with everybody else around, standing proud, silent, and thinking about all those who have lost their lives in defense of the Jewish people and Israel, I got emotional, and tears came to my eyes. The minute was over far too quickly, and it made me long for the two-minute siren today and to be in a large group like I will today. There is something about being a Jew and being the majority especially during significant times like this that is indescribable until you experience it. It is something that you can’t comprehend and can’t even imagine until you experience.
I went for my walk on the beach, sat there enjoying the sound of the Mediterranean Sea, the fresh Israeli air, and the sand between my toes. My friend Matthew finally arrived after spending 30+ hours traveling after United cancelled his flight a few days ago and we hung out before crashing for the night.
Monday was the full day of Yom HaZikaron. It also meant Israeli breakfast. For those of you that have never been here or had Israeli breakfast, it is simply the best meal of the day. The options are endless, the fruit and vegetables fresher than anywhere at home other than your own garden, the dairy product incredible, and the best way to start the day. The hotel had one of the best breakfasts I have had and I sat with friends eating and drinking coffee (lattes and cappuccinos not Nescafe like my first trip in 1989!)
We left the hotel for the ceremony with the Machal soldiers. I didn’t know we were going to be with Machal soldiers, and this was very meaningful to me. When I was running UF Hillel, I learned about Machal and Aliyah Bet from Ralph Lowenstein z’l, who in 1948 was the second youngest North American to volunteer to fight in the war of independence. Those who volunteered from other countries were part of Machal. The museum for Machal and Aliyah Bet was included when we constructed Norman H. Lipoff Hall, the home of the Hillel the University of Florida. Ralph would regale me with stories of his time on the boat traveling to Cypress to immigrate to Israel, his time driving a halftrack in the war, and the conditions they had to fight in. When we dedicated the museum in 2005, most of the living members of Machal from 1948 came. They kept thanking me for my part in the museum happening. I told them that all I did was say yes to a great idea and that they were the true heroes. It was one of the most humbling moments of my life as these true heroes, who risked everything including being arrested and losing citizenship to fight for Israel and the Jewish people.
I had been asked to bring some things with me to give to individual soldiers that I met during the trip and was able to hand them out before the ceremony. I shared this opportunity with some friends on the trip so they could share in the joy of doing something nice for the soldiers. As I spent time talking to them, most of them from France, I was struck by a few things.
How young they are. These were babies. They were younger than my own children.
They shared how bad it is in France for Jews. I knew it was bad from reading the news, but they shared much more.
How happy they were to be in Israel, serving in the IDF, protecting Israel and the Jewish people. In the middle of a war where they could lose their lives at any moment, they were happy to be able to serve.
Two French IDF soldiers in the Machal unitA French IDF soldier serving in the Machal unit
They thanked me for coming from the depths of their soul. I have had this happen in Israel two other times. The first was during the second intifada when Jews weren’t coming to Israel. The only ones coming were Christians. When a Jewish group came, they thanked us profusely because they hadn’t seen American Jews coming to Israel in a long time. It made me sad then and makes me sad now. The other time was when I came in 2021 just before Israel was reopened due to Covid. Tour groups hadn’t been allowed to come until ours and the looks we got wearing our badges were incredible. People came up to talk to us, ask questions, and thank us for coming. We brought a sense of relief and support once again that had been missing. It reminds me of our obligation as diaspora Jews to come to Israel, to support of brothers and sisters all the time. How much they need us even though they appear to be tough and can take care of themselves. They need to see us, to hug us, to talk with us, and to laugh and cry with us.
During the ceremony, which was very moving, there were a few things that stuck out to me. First, as Jews we always live with hope. We always have. We always will. Hope for the future. Next year in Jerusalem at every Seder for generations. My Ethiopian Israeli friends often talk about their hope when living in Ethiopia to one day return to Jerusalem.
An originial Machalnick from 1948 speaking at the ceremony. May he live to 120.
Secondly, the impact of North American Jews in the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. Ralph would always share the role we played with the air force in 1948, with getting the planes, weapons, and equipment needed to fight the war. It was illegal for Americans to help provide Israel with any of this at that time, yet so many brave people did. My friend Ann Bussell would tell me stories about her father, Shepard Broad, and how he provided the funding to retrofit the ships in the Miami river. She loved telling me stories about how as a little girl she would play on the deck of the ship, Exodus, in the Miami River. How American Jews took incredible risks to give Israel a chance to survive. If they could risk everything on a state fighting with an army that was overwhelmed in numbers and equipment, what are we prepared to risk today for the incredible State of Israel. It made me think deeply.
As the ceremony ended and we gathered for lunch, our trip leader, Saul Blinkoff, shared some wisdom with us. I took three things to heart.
One, “if you don’t stand up, you can’t survive.” It sounds so simple, yet it is very true. We are not the Jews of the 1930s and 1940s who went to the gas chambers. We are not the Jews who stood by during the pogroms in eastern Europe. We are not the Jews who converted during the Spanish Inquisition to avoid prison, deportation, or death. We stand up today. We fight back today. After Hamas violently invaded Israel and murdered 1200 people on October 7th, we didn’t sit back and apologize for existing. Those days are no longer. As Jews we are proud of who we are and will fight for our survival. NO MATTER WHAT. We have Israel to thank for that.
Two, one of the reminders of the horrors of October 7th was that the Sukkahs were still standing for a long time afterwards. The attack came on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, the end of the holiday of Sukkot. There wasn’t time to take the sukkahs down as people were reporting for reserve duty immediately. Many had been murdered in the Gaza envelope so there was nobody to take those sukkahs down. The sukkah, a reminder of the temporary nature of life, designed as temporary structures, stayed up for weeks after they should have been taken down. Temporary had become more permanent. But they were temporary and came down. Just like the horrors we are dealing with right now are temporary and will end. The IDF will succeed. Israel will be kept safe. We won’t be in Gaza forever, just longer than anybody would have hoped to ensure Israel and the Jewish people are safe.
Third, time is the one thing we can’t get more of. We never know how much we have, and we can’t make more. Yet on Yom HaZikaron, time stops. This was my third time being in Israel for Yom HaZikaron and time does stop. Things are much slower. It’s a day of thoughtfulness, of mourning, of reflection. The contrast between Memorial Day in America is profound. There are no sales. There are no barbecues. Stores and restaurants are closed. The siren goes off for a minute at 8 pm as the holiday begins and then for 2 minutes at 11 am the next morning. The nation stops and stands at attention.
When we got back to the hotel after the ceremony, we had some free time, which was greatly needed. My friends Matthew, Michael and I went to the beach to sit, talk, relax, connect, and then go for a swim in the Mediterranean Sea. The water felt incredible, the wind making us a little cold, but it was refreshing. In some ways it was like a dip in the mikvah (ritual bath) that refreshes and renews you. We headed back to the hotel for some time in the steam room to relax before getting ready for our final speaker and then dinner.
Our final speaker of the night was my friend Yaron. He was a commander in the IDF in Gaza for the first 4 months. He responded on October 7th. He had an incredible military career and I have written about him many times. He is a true hero and a real badass. He is also one of the nicest and humblest people you will every meet. He and I gave each other big hugs and caught up a little before his presentation. Brothers. Friends. Judaism is so much more than a shared religion; it is a shared family. Yaron is like a brother to me and I worry about him during this war.
Hanging with my brother Yaron
As he talked about October 7th, ‘a day of hell’ as he described it, the day came to life for me in a way it never had before. His commander ended up at the Nova festival by accident, fighting terrorists and trying to save lives. Yaron had to defend his military base which was under attack. He had to defend another military base that was under attack. He had to fight his way to get from one place to another as terrorists were controlling the area. The frustration in his voice as he talked about all the phone calls he was getting from people who needed the IDF to save them was palpable. For some reason, his cell number was given out to people, and he was getting calls from all over, trying to figure out logistics and how to attempt to save people from the terrorists that were committed to murdering, raping, and kidnapping Israeli civilians. When Yaron decided that he was going to go back to the main base to better help defend Israel, he was questioned about the risk to his own life in trying to get there. He responded that he had to do it to save lives. As he went to go alone, one of his friends who served under his command jumped in the jeep with him. When Yaron told him to get out and not risk his life, his friend told him that he was in the reserves, so Yaron wasn’t really his boss, and he was going. Two young female soldiers in their early 20s jumped in the back. Yaron ordered them out and they gave the same answer his friend did. That’s Israel. Saving lives was most important, even at the risk of their own lives. When they got back to the base, they began searching for people to save. I’ll never forget Yaron telling us that ‘there was nobody to save’.
One of the things that tied together the sadness of October 7th and the way the Jewish people focus on the future and on hope was a picture and story Yaron told us. He has 7 children and not too long ago his 6th child had his Bar Mitzvah. They held his Bar Mitzvah at Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the places that was devastated by Hamas terrorists on October 7th. Despite the death. Despite the sadness. Despite the loss. The Jewish people will live on. We will celebrate joy. We will not just survive, we will thrive.
Yaron with his son at the Bar Mitzvah at Kibbutz Be’eri
Yaron had to leave after the presentation because he had to back to Gaza. He said it to me the way I would have said, “I have to go back to the office” or “I have to go to the grocery store.” That struck me as well. He was going back into harm’s way as if it was no different than going to the store. He understands what is at stake is the future of the Jewish people. I’m hoping to see Yaron again today or tomorrow before he has to fly to the US but neither of us in charge of that. It depends on what is needed in Gaza. What a strange sentence to type and thought to have.
The group of us went out to dinner at a great meat restaurant. They fed us like at a Brazilian steakhouse and we ate and talked. The sun set over the port of Tel Aviv and we shifted from Yom HaZikaron to Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day). Normally this is an incredible transition with sadness erupting into incredible joy. I’m still processing how different it was last night and will write about that in my next blog post. It’s too much right now, especially with the entire day of Yom Ha’atzmaut ahead. As Saul was talking to us about the transition, he talked about pain and suffering and the difference between them. He told us a story about a woman giving birth and her husband was there with her. As she was in excruciating pain, he began making faces of pain. She stopped, mid push, and asked why he was making faces when she was in pain. He told her he didn’t like to see her suffering. She took a deep breath, paused again between pushing, and told him she was in pain, not suffering. Saul, and the story, reminded us that suffering leads to nothing. Pain leads to growth. As we deal with the pain of October 7th, the pain of the war in Gaza, the pain of the loss of life, we can also grow. Suffering is useless. It leads to nothing.
Today was filled lots of pain but no suffering. I’m so glad to be here in Israel, my homeland, with my brothers and sisters. I can feel the healing beginning.
October 7th and the aftermath is very personal to me and to many other people. I have friends who had family members murdered at the music festival. I have friends that had relatives kidnapped by Hamas and taken to Gaza as hostages. I have friends who raced into danger to fight the terrorists. I have met with people who were attacked on October 7th and fought back. I have spoken with people who were at Kfar Aza two days later and saw the massacre in person. I have friends on the front lines in Gaza and in the north of Israel. I have friends who have their children on the front lines as well. Every day when the casualty report comes out, I take a deep breath and read the names of those who lost their lives, hoping and praying that I don’t know any of them.
I don’t know that I can adequately express the impact this has had on me. The deep pain. The feelings of loss. Watching the 47-minute Hamas video of their atrocities was difficult and there are images burned into my brain that will never leave. I check on family and friends in Israel regularly. The time they spend in bomb shelters remains shocking. I message and audio message with a friend who was in the reserves and is now in charge of logistics in Gaza. The gratitude in his voice that I reached out was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. When the war is over, he plans to come to visit and I look forward to seeing him and hearing what he is able and willing to share.
A beautiful piece of art by the amazing Joanne Fink
With all of this going on, it’s hard to find positive things to focus on. But not impossible. And when I do, it’s incredibly uplifting. During the short ceasefire when hostages were released, the four hostages that are related to my friends were released. One of them, Hila, turned 13 the day after she was released. Her mother Raaya was released two days after Hila. My friend who is related to Raaya and Hila began raising money to purchase birthday and Hanukkah gifts for Hila after she was released while her mother was still held in Gaza. When I saw this, I reached out to see how I could help.
Hila and Raaya
We ended up creating an Amazon wish list for Hila and sharing it. People began purchasing the items so quickly that more and more were added. And people kept purchasing them. So we added more and more. And people kept purchasing them. Everything that was added was purchased. The list was empty at the end.
One of the things Hila loves is Rare Beauty. A friend works for them and so I reached out. She was happy to help and the response from them was amazing. An amazing package was put together by them for Hila. Another friend reached out to help. Hila loves closes from Gary V’s and he has a contact there. They also put together a great package for Hila. She also loves lululemon clothes. I get a nice discount there and we used it to buy her the clothes she wanted. People and companies stepped up to help this 13-year-old girl who had been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. It felt good to do something to help her.
Today my friend sent me pictures and video of Hila with the gifts we got for her. The joy on her face is palpable. It’s infectious. The videos are in Hebrew, but you can understand her joy and excitement. On a day when Israel eliminated significant leadership of Hamas and an escalation from Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran is expected, this joy was unexpected and appreciated.
Hila opening her birthday and Hanukkah gifts from her worldwide Jewish family. Her excitement is infectious.
More gifts for Hila. Listen to the excitement in her voice.
It doesn’t take much to change the world. We do it one step at a time. Random acts of kindness. Being there for friends. Doing just a little more than is required. Today’s world is filled with challenges. Your small effort has rippling and long-lasting effects. If you don’t believe me, listen to Hila’s excited voice. Look at the joy on her face. A lot of people did a little bit to make a difference for this 13-year-old girl who was held hostage by terrorists. We made her birthday and Hanukkah special this year. You can do the same for others.
The look on her face melts my heart
That smile for the makeup is precious
How can you not fall in love with her?
You can feel her excitement and awe at the gifts
The gifts from Rare Beauty with the note to her from them. Such a class act.
It’s hard to imagine this sweet child kept in captivity by Hamas. Those are the sneakers she wanted so much and got for her birthday/Hanukkah because of our collective generousity.
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