Yehuda Lave, Spiritual Advisor and Counselor

Yehuda Lave is an author, journalist, psychologist, rabbi, spiritual teacher and coach, with degrees in business, psychology and Jewish Law. He works  with people from all walks of life and helps them in their search for greater happiness, meaning, business advice on saving money,  and spiritual engagement

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Many people make the mistake of saying they are "not religious" when what they mean is "I am not fully observant." (The truth is, no one is fully observant; we all try the best we can based on our knowledge, convictions and situations.) Even people who say they don't believe in God will in the "same breath" say that they pray. Ask people, "If you could talk with any being, who would you chose to talk with?" Probably everyone of us would choose "God" - if they felt it was a possibility.

___Traditionally, the Torah teaches us that if we want to connect to the Almighty we should: (1) learn Torah (after all, if you want to understand the Author, read His words...), (2) live according to the 613 Commandments (yes, there are more than 10 ... ), and (3) pray (pour out your heart and talk to God) or say Psalms. I think for many, there is still an unfilled desire to connect emotionally with the Almighty, to feel a sense of awe from His presence, to be surrounded by a feeling of holiness and spirituality -and even a wish to hear His heartfelt advice for our problem and situation.

Terrifying video on antisemitic conference at the University of North Carolina

Ami Horowitz, the investigatory filmmaker who often exposes campus madness, has produced a video that ought to terrify anyone familiar with the history of Weimar Germany.  Then, as now, universities were among the leaders in whipping up Jew-hatred and actually persecuting Jews.  One of the neglected aspects of the origins of the Holocaust is that the purge of Jews from Germany's famous universities opened up new career possibilities for those faculty and students who remained once their institutions were Judenrein.

We are not (yet) at the point of expelling Jews from faculties and student bodies, but we are at the point of violent attacks on Jews being justified by faculty members at prestigious universities, as a jaw-dropping interview in Horowitz's latest video (embedded below) shows.  We are also at the point where multiple academic departments at such a university — a publicly owned and funded institution of (purported) higher learning — are comfortable sponsoring an academic conference with open Jew-hatred, and government funds (nearly a quarter million dollars!) are allocated to sponsor it.

Horowitz was denied access to film the conference but snuck in sound equipment and somehow managed to get a clip of the crowd cheering when the speaker onstage complimented them: "You look beautifully antisemitic," to the accompaniment of loud music and strobe lights.

If you are not Jewish and think this doesn't affect you, think again.  Jews are only the first on the list of targets.

Hat tip: Geller Report.

Image credits: YouTube screen grabs.

The Piz Gat Zev gang comes to the famous Golan Wine Company. It is a cooperative of 8 families with 600 investors. The company makes 5,500,000 bottles of wine a year. I drink their most reasonable. Called Zion. It is a new wine, meaning it is not aged in barrels (aging in barrels, makes it cost three times as much and doesn't taste as good in my opinion). On my tour, we learn all their products and the differences (primarily how long you age the wine in barrels.

Why bodybuilding at age 93 is a great idea: Charles Eugster at TEDxZurich

Of the recent changes that the human race has experienced, the increasing population numbers are especially dramatic and worrying coupled with the frightening great and continuous increase in obesity and the resultant diabetes pandemic. A particular amount of attention has been given to the rapid and continuing growth of longevity. Yet our knowledge of the aging process is still very limited as what we observe is the result of a health-destroying lifestyle. Retirement creates invalids. Chronic disease is rampant in old age resulting in such enormous medical costs that should present trends continue, together with the diabetes pandemic, some countries could become bankrupt. Diabetes is already an international public health issue and inactivity is one of the biggest killers. The loss of wasted human potential and wealth is already immense. Successful aging requires work, diet and exercise. The huge mental and physical potential of the aged remains unexplored. Bodies can now be rebuilt at any age and a new life started. Beauty kings and queens in the 80-year-old category or a beach body at the age of 94 are not impossible. We will all, regardless of age, have to take greater responsibility for our own health in order to confront the immense challenges confronting the human race. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

Identical Triplets Born in The Holy Land

When you look at the photo of these recently born triplets, Kfir, Eitan and Lavi, there is a reason why it is so difficult to find the difference between them. Shlomi Dadon, the proud father recalls, “One night my wife asked me to bring Lavi.  I looked at him, then I looked at him, and then I looked at him.  Slowly, but surely I was able to differentiate between them.”

The chance of identical triplets being born without medical intervention is so rare, that accurate statistics don’t exist.  Even the doctors who have seen it all are standing in line to get a picture with the triplets. Professor Lea Sirota, head of the Prenatal Department of the Schneider Children’s Hospital, explains that the chance of natural identical triplets being born is somewhere between one in 60 million to one in 200 million. When Meital went for a routine checkup, she was shocked to discover that there were 3 heartbeats.

She was not the only one.  “The technician brought in various doctors to check and they couldn’t believe it!” The doctors were afraid that the triplets and the mother were in danger.  “They didn’t think that all three had a chance to survive,” she adds.  While three hospitals refused to treat them, the parents continued with the pregnancy and the triplets were born, each weighing less than 1 kilo.   “The family is very supportive and they come when they can to help, “Meital explains, “But it is very difficult.”  Difficult and expensive.   Everything costs 3 times as much — baby food, diapers.  The grandmothers immediately came to the rescue.  Shula Kamchagi happily helps with whatever she can. “We feed them, change them.  Whatever we can do to help. Every time we change their diapers, we have to put on a load of wash!!”

While Meital wished for twins, perhaps she wished a little too successfully. At present, the parents have no plans to expand their already expansive family.

The artificial pancreas | Robin Koops | TEDxTwenteU

At TEDxTwenteU, Robin Koops tells about his path to creating an artificial pancreas. First for his own body, now for everyone who is suffering from diabetes. Robin Koops studied in Enschede, before founding his own company, Inreda Diabetic. Nowadays, he is well known in the field of Technical Medicine and Biomedical Technology, as he and his team created the artificial pancreas. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

Im Eshkachech Yerushalayim - Joseph Malovany

Wedding Ceremony in Sao Paulo - Brazil, november 2008. Hazan: Joseph Malovany. Lyrics: Im eshkachech yerushalayim, tishkach yemini. Tidbak leshoni l'chiki, im lo ezkarechi. Im lo a'aleh es yerushalayim al rosh simchasi. ,אם אשכחך ירושלים .תשכח ימיני ,תדבק לשוני לחכי ,אם לא אזכרכי אם לא עלה את ירושלים .על ראש שמחתי "If I forget You, O, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill. Let my tongue adhere to my palate, if I fail to recall you, if I fail to elevate Jerusalem above my foremost joy." Samy's Orchestra: 8 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, 1 double bass, 1 flute, 2 keyboards, 1 horn, 2 trumpets, 1 trombone, timpani and percussion. I wish we had more time to rehearse.

See you tomorrow bli neder

Love Yehuda Lave