Ari Fuld Lion of Zion Award: Jeremy Gimpel's Speech

thank you all at the Ari fold project thank you Miriam thank you Stephen thank you Isha thank you everyone that put this night together it's just um it's the greatest honor I've ever received so thank you um overwhelming being here I don't really know how to absorb it but I it's an opportunity for me to give honor and thanks and appreciation and credit to all the people that really deserve it because everything that I've accomplished is only because of the people that surround me and so I didn't move to that mountain alone I've done nothing alone if I'm getting an award to Gila gimpel is getting it away my wife my best friend my partner and everything that we do um it's not that she allows me to do or face the sci in the world my mission in the world she is a full partner in everything that I do every plant that we planted every Torah that we teach every Mountain that we conquer everything that I've ever done tequila has been a full partner in everything and um where everyone knows that she's brilliant but she's also the most courageous the toughest the strongest the most giving the most self-sacrifice just just constantly giving Beyond herself a pillar of Integrity in truth just a model of how a Jewish woman should be in the world so thank you tahila for nothing in my life will be as it is without you um you'll see a little bit in Ronnie Moshe they're the other two partners at all of the Beauty and the style and the the architecture they were the first Jews on that mountain and uh if there's any credit given to us then they deserve the credit as well um I mean the list is so long and so I don't have all night to thank all of my friends and all of my family but um Ari and I there's a long list of people we call them the team and it's people all over the world and it's people that are all in this together it's like um they're our best friends they're our biggest supporters they are um our biggest encouragement with us every step along the way and it's like we're um A brotherhood we're a fellowship we are an army and Ari fold was a general in our army and we moved to the farm in just weeks later he was taken from us and it was such a trauma for all of us somehow his spirit continues to give us to continues to give us light and I think about this movement of people that are all working together to support each other to continue in furthering the story of the Jewish people continue to strengthen Israel what brings us all together what is that Common Thread that sort of ties us all in this amazing tapestry of this movement of people that are so committed to Heritage Israeli inspired like Ari fold and for me I've been trying to think of the answer of that what I've heard that we were going to get this and I tried to channel what with the message that Ari would want me to share tonight you know the first time where rni really became friends we were arrested together in a demonstration for kivate Tom we sat next to each other in the police car and that's when we realized oh we're on the team and at least for me and for my connection with Ari and for everyone here in this evening it's an unreasonable faith and belief in the destiny of the Jewish people we as a people were chosen we as the people who are chosen to live by the Torah we were chosen to raise families by the Torah to build communities founded upon the Torah to build a country based on the values of the Torah that would build a society that that will be so special and so unique so kadosh that God's presence will literally dwell Among Us in that Society will inspire the entire world and so today you know modern Society they're like do as little as possible and try to get as much as you can and I feel like Ari's message such a Torah message it was due as much as you possibly can carry the biggest responsibility that you can manage and carry the load for the Jewish people and keep on going and it's like when you're young you can just carry yourself learn to do that that's good get a little bit older and carry the responsibility for your family then maybe your community hopefully eventually for your country it's like pick up the biggest rock that you can find hoisted on your shoulders and start walking up the mountain and then when you get to the top of the mountain and you finally put it down you should know that you're building your salon you are building God's Kingdom on Earth and then when you're done go back down that mountain and find another rock and maybe this time it'll be bigger and the more responsibility each Jew takes to push the story forward the more Jerusalem is being built in our days and on that path you'll find your strength you'll find your growth you'll find your happiness you'll find a fire that still Burns that Ari clearly had that he was sharing with all of us if life is easy you're living it wrong a Torah from Ari fold that has resonated around the world Ari lived that ideal in his life there were times where the responsibility that he shouldered for Israel and the Jewish people was personally overwhelming for him and then in his death he became the Jewish idea he became the lion of Zion a warrior for Israel a defender of the Jewish people a guardian of the Torah a protector of the land of Israel he was one of Israel's greatest spokesman a teacher of Torah who lived the Torah who lived a shining example of what it is to be a proud Jew in herits Israel a light to everyone around him and so I only hope one day to be worthy of this award