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Aviva & Eliyahu! In depth discussion of Jewish Sacred Space with Meir Kolko (Unity Litt)
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all right we're going to try to add ELO
and Viva bear to this
live let's see it's already on this is
on we are trying to get yo and a via
let's see if you guys are there accept
request let's see go live with camani
let's see what we got will it work we're
trying to do it the other way before
we're trying to add them all me to their
chat when now we're trying the other way
let's see
accept this is not connecting yeah go
live let's see if this works if it
doesn't work we're have to do it a
different way so all Beginnings they say
are
hard let's see one more
hey around what's doing all right who we
got
here somebody joined I'm G to wave at
them for some reason they can't join my
live let's try one more time accepting
to go live with Cam is unable to join
we're gonna have to run some technicals
and figure out why the issue of
connection it's a connection issue we
must repair connections oh who well
there's Miracles happening already it
was not working you know my gosh
all Beginnings start off this was one of
them like to get it started took double
I mean you guys started the live and
didn't accept and then I started and
didn't you have been accepted or have
been answered
okaying amazing yay I love the subtle
metal mellow Vibes behind you guys right
there it's like mellow nice see what's
going on it's pretty awesome here one
second okay oh
wow got some art you got some lighting
it's all tricked out I I
likees Good Vibes uh so I'm here I'm
actually at home and uh I was wanted to
get on the live with you for a while um
hear more about what you guys are up to
and um I have a a list somewhere of bio
of you guys hold on one second I know a
lot about you off hand but I want to see
if I go off this live does anyone know
let's see in the comments sections if
you go I haven't really done lives so
this is my like first live welcome to my
live um the Bio Section if I go to look
at that right of that will this shut off
actually what do you think I don't think
it's worth risking
it okay you go one second I want to see
what happens one second it didn't go off
we're still there okay I made we're
still there
there we lost you we loost
them I'm still here I'm still here I'm
going to check something I'll be back in
exactly 10 seconds okay okay we're still
here
all right I am back I have arrived back
here we are wait so that did work yeah I
was able to go off and come back on and
it worked all right um yo okay amazing
so the uh you guys I know that you have
a a warm house and you have people over
and you do a bunch of amazing things
that you guys have been working on um a
via and Ellie both I know that you are
you are a teacher you're you're an
artist um you're guide a spiritual guide
you got so much going on like in terms
of like you're from Kass to
Massachusetts Brooklyn um I think art
combined with all the things you've been
doing um wow you've done a lot of art um
in terms of
and Casas and and just so much to offer
people in terms of knowledge and um
Ellie I know you a while as well as you
you you put some amazing music something
that people don't really know um there's
a song that I've heard in Israel sung by
like you have a walking through the M
arm like Friday night I'm walking and um
you have the song going in the
background and you know a lot of people
don't necessarily know this about the
song but you composed
like that's your your composition and
the one there's there there's two of
them there's one that goes with the old
song
okay that's a regular song mine
is but they also sing that
by they go they fade into each other
actually those two songs and um and I've
heard them countless times both of them
sung by everybody and few people know
that you actually composed that one I
don't think many people know that right
um it's incredible and um the fact that
you guys are joining forag I think is
going to lend an incredible amount of
like U just good energy Positive Vibes
and also spiritual um the energy that
you bring is very unique and in terms of
community and all that you know what
we're doing at Unity um do you guys do
you understand what it's all about doing
it Unity we I heard you talk about it
but maybe our viewers want to hear just
again a little little recap so we're
creating a a space that's spiritual and
fun for being at a place in our lives
because monor is yearly event it's not
like you know happened in the past it
did but we also as Jewish people
celebrate it yearly and I find that for
myself and other people it's not
necessarily the place I want to be when
it comes to hog like at mon Torah lot
times like I'm distracted and like I
won't learn all night as when I grow in
my youth and all that stuff but if there
was a place that is come as you are and
had all the elements from spiritual to
food and everything taken care of then
um I would show up and especially if
there was energy there that makes how
can I experience the experience of being
at Haren where I am right now because
that's what it is the early experience
for Jewish people as you experience mon
Taurus so that's one of the main things
and it's the main part is that it's fun
it's something that you can actually
relate to versus just an idea that
happened thousands of years ago but I
don't relate really um so that's the
sense what we're doing here is we're
creating a space for people to enjoy hog
where they're at um it's spiritual it's
kosher there's but at the same time some
people are keeping F fhog some people
are not it's a very much uni unification
of all different parts of Judaism
different peoples coming from different
directions all celebrating the same
thing
um the giving monor in a fun way and in
a unique way that youly find anywhere
else that's as far as I understood it
doesn't exist that's why we're trying to
create that
space it's beautiful and I feel like it
also has a lot to do with mat Tor itself
because right the the the you know every
there's I think what did they say
600,000 shamas Al together something um
and
every has a letter in the Torah so um
really really the Torah as a whole is
bringing all the nas together is is is
really actually inclusive in the
ultimate sense the ultimate sense the
ultimate thing of what M I mean you know
what you know what the thing is by the
way that we need to prepare ourselves
for it and the way we prepare ourselves
for it
is one one person with one heart um so
that's that's really what it is we're
all a part of this thing you know and
there's many different types many
different colors you know all beautiful
and all radiant and all just as much
needed yeah so that K you know being one
heart um a Unity factor which is Hashem
really is a unifying factor of
everything you can call it the higher
power you can call it Bedrock of reality
which Bedrock is itself is a creation
and godliness is beyond that in a way in
terms of I'm talking about Essence
that's that's calistic stuff but in
terms of we are as people is that
connecting to another person um the the
term of Hava in in love generally is in
from judic sources is more about giving
you're you're creating what can I
actually give to this other person it's
not what you take Taking is to give
generally so what we're formulating is
an event that yes there's certain you
know people are contributing to it but
the giving aspect trying to create a
space that people can actually be
themselves enjoy an environment and feel
comfortable while yet choosing what they
want to do over hog is something that um
we do our daily life we're living our
life literally every day under the opes
of reality we have a Shem in our lives
to an extent whatever we have and Sh is
just um place where we can actually get
in touch with ourselves and notice that
we every day we're experiencing
godliness and every day we're doing good
things and kind of in a communial sense
connect to spirituality but also in a
very fun and engaging way so what you're
talking about you know coming together
as people for um to spend it together
and a sense of community where you
whatever you'd like to get out of it
whatever your mindset coming is is
something you'll be able to get
something out of it and you might be
surprised with certain things that you
didn't necessarily know that you're
going to get but it's actually very
positive experience
so um I'm just focusing on that words
that you said is um that resonates
deeply with
me yeah and uh in terms of community
that I I know you guys you started to
build um a sense of community and you
have people that spend time at your home
and you do um different work with people
to benefit them um what what is what is
that that you're doing what is it that
you guys focus in on um and how do you
go about benefiting people and adding
value and and amazing parts to their
lives what are you guys up to what are
you do I just love how you ask that
question because that's really what it
is we are I always say we're a community
for the people we're for the people um
so Jewish Sacred Space was developed by
me yahu pretty much as soon as we got
married a few months after we got
married um because we didn't really feel
that we had Community to be a part of I
do want to give a shout out
to because they they had me for years
and I was a part of their Community for
years but um then we moved away from
Crown Heights and it became more and
more clear when we moved to Newberg we
were very isolated and then moving to
man and
Pomona um we were we really just were
feeling isolated even in Pomona where
there's so many Jewish people we
couldn't find our Jewish people people
um and this this uh sort of like problem
for me personally started back in high
school I I never really felt like I
belonged or like I felt I didn't feel
Kindred Spirits uh within J Judaism and
it actually caused me to go off the D as
they say for a decade um because if I
was only just accepted and loved for my
uniqueness as an arti artist and for my
freedom of expression if my freedom of
expression was accepted and loved you
know life would have been different for
me but um Hashem showed me that within
Orthodox communities there was no place
for 100% unconditional love and
acceptance there was only judgment and
it was extremely hurtful and shameful
and I didn't want to have anything to do
with it and so I spent a decade and
going from kab which is a mystical
tradition to being totally secular was
the most depressing time of my life and
that was lasted only one year before I
realized this isn't going to work and
that's when I started this decade long
journey into many different religions
looking for a spiritual path and it took
me a decade and I never really expected
to be hoser boua because I knew
something was missing from me in Judaism
as I experienced it
um and so I had to sort of bring the
modalities that I learned in these other
religions all basically learning how to
be in the body and that's what was
missing for me in Judaism is how to be
experience life in my body not in my
mind for me the Jewish experience was an
exper I was living up here and was
extremely anxiety-provoking and I just I
wasn't happy I didn't I didn't like
living up here so that was that decad
long journey and that was my journey
through all these different religions
but then of course Hashem guides you
home and barem guided me home and I
realized the reason I had to do that was
to incorporate these skills that I
learned um about the breath and about
breath work back into yish kite that's
the short of
it wow so you're saying that basically
you had experiences in your life that
led to
you coming to the point that you were
able to realize something that was
beneficial to you
meaning you has many there's sh there's
SE many ways to approach godliness and
you realize there was a missing aspect
one is from the love part mean just
acceptance where you feel the love and
you're accepted for who you are and then
also in y everyone has an nuda so you
found the one that it actually helps you
go ahead and live your life better and
also you bring that to other people
you're offering something that people
may not know about that that's part of
yish Kai too that is something that is
not necess separate because it's being
filtered through your kabad tradition
through judism that you learned things
you learned through your Journeys and
brought to a way that's tangible and
palpable to go and bring it into your
day your daily practice that can benefit
um anybody who's who's seeking meaning
that wants to benefit from that um that
breath work so I I haven't that much bre
I'm actually excited I've done a little
bit of breath work but to see what what
that entails because it sounds like
something deep and generated by you
personally it's a very personal
experience that you're letting other
people attach to and learn about and
then go ahead and use that for them s to
benefit benefit their life um and have a
much better experience emotionally um
and cognitively but it's it's um that's
wow that's very nice that that's I'm
glad I'm glad we're going to get to
experience that that's exciting yeah and
like we me mentioned today we talked
before this live
um I do think that indigenous Temple
practice Jewish temple practice the base
of mkes I believe that it was a lot more
of an embodied experience than Judaism
as it is today and I think that you know
when we think about entering the base of
mikdash we are senses were probably
overwhelmed because there was gorgeous
tapestries gorgeous Linens and wools and
silks of all different colors and then
you had the kores going so you had this
like crazy aromatic SP headyy spice
blend that was engaging your nose so a
lot of different things that were
keeping you in your body and grounded in
your body and then I my theory and I
believe this to be true is that over the
year so many years of persecution what
happened is that Judaism was not safe
safely able to be expressed in a
physical tangible grounded way and Jews
are so that they figured okay if we want
our religion to survive throughout time
we need to figure out a way to pass it
from you know father to son verbally and
so it basically made J Judaism be a
thing that lives in the mind and is
passed down through the Mind from father
to son right not not necessarily mother
to daughter but father to son and it has
survived so thank God it's survived and
we're one of the oldest religions but
what has survived what has survived and
me and El yahu are looking at that
closely what has survived and how much
Dogma has been laid on and the Torah and
the Torah we all know has such deep deep
Treasures but now it's all jumbled up
with a lot of dogma and we're trying to
strip away that Dogma from the truth
from the MS of the Torah so it's very
exciting work it really really
is so as a Ley from the tribe of Levi um
I internalize what you're saying because
um my manora for instance is something
that my dad curated for me he created it
I figured to flip the screen without
showing it it's just sitting right there
that is a car manura with my name on it
with beams of light coming at that says
the light of a Mitzvah that the
basically you want to know how to it's
basically format taking a concept that's
very abstract and turning it into um
something that is very much um real
because every time I L my manora on
kanuka it's something that my dad made
for me physical art that is a hsh it's
going back to the base of M there was a
monora there you're connected to the
past your name means something and just
figure it out every time you think about
it as a meditation so the parts of of
Judaism that are not talked about so
much or in practice um I find that a lot
of people are not knowing all the
details or focusing on specific details
and leaving us other parts of it to the
Wayside kind of like choose and pick and
or kind of like what about this other
whole part what about this whole other
part when it comes um other like people
are focused on one but not necessarily
everything else so I think what you guys
are doing is amazing that you're going
back to part of something that um Jewish
meditation is is profound if you go into
like R aats I'm sure you probably read
some of this stuff and um there is so
much depth to of Judaism and a big part
of that is the meditative part meaning
teila the
Ana the the rabbis from back in the day
who still had some sort of prophetic
they were able to um be able to
concretize certain Concepts into
meditation that lead to other states of
of being if you pray properly and you
internalize the words like a mantra they
affect emotional state exactly what
you're saying they affect your body and
you feel different after you're done so
there's something very real about um um
teila in general and Mantra like being
able to do breath work and being able to
put yourself in a head space that opens
up um from a constricted like mind space
like where you're like not able to be
emotionally okay to then go ahead and
open that up to expansiveness and it
sounds like that's what what you're
doing is like taking a lot of the
elements that people don't really F
focus in on there's a lot of anxiety
there's a lot of things in society that
especially when it comes to Judaism
parts of it people get anxious about
really being able
to like Cal C everything down through a
methodology that you've developed by
yourself obviously you've had a lot of
teachers and you have things that you
you've learned from but something you
internalized and you're youve creating a
space where you can teach um a lot of
parts of Judaism that not necessar
focused on so much that's what it sounds
like yeah and just to be really real
with you you know there we are an
inclusive community which means that
there's no part of me that for example
is um whatever like not accept someone
into our home who covers her hair and at
the same time you know someone who
doesn't should be fully accepted into
our community you know alah should be
able to take off his yamaka and he
should be able to hear words of Torah
come out of his mouth the same as if the
yamama goes on and Judaism has somehow
become so superficial and it's just at
the same time I'm not saying that I'm
renewal I'm not I'm observant and I have
such a r for H so it's like I think
that's what unites Us in doing this
together I feel that you have this
unconditional love and
acceptance um with who you want coming
to this Retreat and at the same time
there's a h standard so we're pushing
that we're pushing the the boundaries in
a very big way because Orthodoxy has
kind of stopped short of asking the
question of like what is the Hal in
modern day it because it stopped it
halted by the Holocaust the H process
halted so now we're re-engaging in it
and we're having agency in that H
process so I hear what you're saying
about the transition of time where we
had a a very big traumatic experience as
a whole nation literally we' not even
back to that it's a whole different
thing times we living in a kind of
profound we're not even back to the
point of before World War II um if
that's what you're referring to and did
affect a lot of things and um one of
those traumatic experience of people
going to a new land and all that which
affected the way people practice a lot
of people were hurt physically or
emotionally it's very hard to go into
the Next Generation and not have some
emotional trauma like that um there's a
lot of different aspects but what was
kind of left I I from understanding a
little about what you're saying is that
through the process of the generational
a lot of the children we're talking
about we're talking about eight million
Jews in America that would have been
connected to some sort of Judaism or
some level of spirituality that comes
from the source of Juda like when I say
Judaism I'm talking about the teachings
that are given generational we going
back to harena me we have knowledge that
is thousands of years old contained
within us as people if you're studying
and the books and if you're asking
somebody that they can if you're seeking
you will find knowledge um but what
you're saying of the Hal aspect that
something's got focused in so focused in
on so much that other parts fell by the
wayside and it's not really talk about
or focused in as much and if we go back
to the basics go back to what it means
to be connected to higher power what it
means to go throughout your day with
that knowledge and to do actionable
steps in your day that benefit yourself
obviously because we're here to do for
ourselves but to also work on what is
taken all along which is not necessarily
meaning let's go fix the atmosphere or
fix um you know physical buildings it's
also very much what you were saying um
El before but but under a being able to
step into the other person's shoes
empathy for what they're going through
being able to experience them for who
they are not who I perceive them as I
never asked the question of hey who are
you um those kind of aspects and being
able to connect to someone on that way
and then see what kind of experience
would actually benefit them because some
people are totally turned off to going
to sh because as a child they were
forced to do that they don't want to be
seen and Sh but if there's something
musical going nearby they'll be drawn to
us it because it's spiritual enging and
it's positive mean it's a positive you
can wear whatever you want you can wear
a shorts you can wear a t-shirt you can
wear a suit you whatever you choose
whatever you're you know you don't have
to come a certain way um point is that
the each part of I guess a spiritual
engagement um some people don't know
much about it because they just not
study anything related to spirituality
or Judaism and some people have trauma
with it so on all angles the people that
have come to our event
I'm standing I'm so much probably your
house is that some people never really
experienced an actual
spiritual what it means to sit down at a
table with no phones out right to be
connected to other people be present
because you're honing in on yourself and
some people have experience that no why
you can't do that stop stop everything
was just you can't do you can't do as a
child so they're wanting to pull their
phone out because why not there's no
spiritual connect it's an emotional
trauma but there real no one else is
doing here around me let me find out why
what are we all doing here so all people
are accepted on meaning I'm assuming by
you as well is that correct meaning
anyone who who wants to um uh I guess
take from what you're offering in terms
of nurturing certain part of uh a person
that um may not had the experience of
closing down getting into the Mind
breath work getting out of your mind
actually and getting I I I didn't get
experience I really can't say what it is
but getting into another state without
having to take a substance necessarily
without having to go anywhere else other
than themselves and find the an so to
speak within themselves meaning getting
able getting to a point that they're
able
to um connect profoundly to themselves
and and if not Divinity but that's a
different that's a side once you
connected to yourself somewhat you are
able to connect to Divinity as well
which is another con I mean that's
probably much more deeper conversation
but um so that that's amazing that you
you you've done that work you've gone
through the processes of of of working
on yourself to that point and you have
that to offer to people and I found that
amazing and also that you guys are doing
as a team that's that's also exceptional
as like you have different energies I
know both of you from you know and you
bring together a Synergy of energy which
I'm I'm looking forward to seeing it's
um like Shalom bias I we always say like
that's the most important thing because
first of all it's shom Bas is important
but in our work it's important people
are so touched by you know the conscious
relationship that we work so hard to
make sure is conscious all the time um
and I also just wanted to say like when
did Judaism become a place that's not
artist friendly like when did it become
shut down to creative expression when
did we get scared of faces you know
looking at faces like when did the fear
start creeping in and um I guess that's
the main thing that I want is is a like
a place that people can feel free to
express themselves creatively you know
so I agree on that in terms of artistic
expression it's it's incredible um
certain places um have incred of art
some have none at all and if you go into
art some place are like no that's
wasting time don't do that like you
should be doing something else than that
but um just from in children and and
seeing certain people that do work with
ch like like it's called K meaning
giving people the ability to grow in
their own personal potential um it's
huge to be able to take what you're good
at and your innate skills or things you
appreciate and go and use that to
elevate and art is a big part of that
taking art and using that to elevate
situations um and express yourself and
give an environment that that's that's
one of the main things I do personally
in my life is I create art for events
that are weddings bids all that stuff
and that's a huge part I think of of
Judaism and yeah I think feel that some
way it's been left on the way side for a
lot um we do have pathora of art within
Judaism dating back to the Bas of the
way it was created
even salon's Temple was incredible it
was the epicenter of an edifice of art
at that time and and doesn't exist in
the form right now but it was beautiful
so I totally agree on that that's
amazing that um that you see it that way
and um yeah I'm wondering uh if there's
any artists out there that actually is a
plug right now any artists that actually
want to showcase what they're doing that
they love doing in their own way they're
welcome to bring their art and we can
display it at the event either in the
dining area and or outside if it's
waterproof so feel free to curate
something or or create something um
because that expression of your personal
connection to Arena or or connection to
other people or there something you want
to get out there to get to see um feel
free to create art yeah that's
beautiful
so El in terms of of Music um I've seen
you in action and you get into this like
it's like you're literally in the music
when you sing um it's your energy go you
you feel the energy in the music and
I've experienced that um what do what is
that like how does that
how do you like when you're doing it
what's the feeling like what are you
what are you feeling when you do
that it's like um it's just for I can
tell you what I'm feeling like the
energy that comes over is fire it's like
an energy in a good way not in a bad
like it just you know how like you take
a a match and you Rite another match
with it you didn't really take anything
away from the first match but the second
one's lit so I feel the energy and like
it just it's just absorbed and it that
makes me want to be in that same SP also
which was ever which was what I'm
thinking is that it's he's like
literally meditating while he's singing
is is that correct
or yeah well I I'd say like for me it's
it's you know I've been notorious for um
not always taking
requests and there's a reason for that
because my my nature is that I can't
really sing what isn't authentic to me
so like I'm I'm
I when I'm when I'm singing I I'm I'm
singing My Truth you know even though
it's somebody else's song it's somebody
else's words but it's it's something
that resonates with me I I can only see
what resonates you know I'm not I'm not
the guy that goes to a gig anymore and
I'm like I'm like their jukebox you know
this song can you do this one can you do
that one um I I I really have a very um
strong connection to the songs to the to
the prayers that I pray to me it's
prayer it's not just
song
um I I I'll really feel out I think
about it like I I'll sing I'll sing a
and I'll sing the words and people
get into it then I'll stop the song in
the middle and and say like a thought
that just came to my mind with you know
about about these words that we're
singing Whatever it is whatever it might
be
and you know because I'm I'm really
trying to channel that I'm really trying
to channel prayer with these with these
words
um it's it's not always the case I I I
don't always feel that
um are many though that that really that
do sing authentically but it's not
something that I always that I that I
always feel and I think that's what
that's what you might be sensing is kind
of unique
so um it used to also be uh something
which
was as you said fire
so there there could there could be a
fire that you know there could be a fire
that destroys there could be a fire that
builds there could be a fire that you
know that that myish lights people on
fire that that that creates light
creates meaning and um as I'm getting
into that fire into that
light it can it can also happen that
that fire of destructiveness can kind of
creep in and it's like someone is if the
if if if let's say people are talking or
this or that if there's a
little you know I I used to have this
very strong reaction to that I would try
to hold myself back and try to be
whatever you know but that's something
that I have to work on over time because
again there really is a fire there
there's a fire of of T
and it's it is
um that is also something to be noted
and and and to be and to be wary of like
I did I did sense this a lot like with
you know growing up people that I you
know whether it was family or people
that I saw saw that doin lets it with a
certain intensity but that intensity is
also orderline it's like very close to
anger as
well in an instant they could turn to
anger
um
and that takes a lot of self-awareness
and whatever I've been I'm saying I've
just been I've just been on this journey
for a very long time and finding that
Within Myself finding you know how do
how to kind of how to kind of sing and
pray with heart but
also at the same time sort of like sort
of like I need to be it needs to be with
heart and without heart at the same time
because if you're too in it oh my
God you know so it's like sort
of watching myself do
it some way but yeah yeah it really is
an experience I don't I've said a lot
but yeah yeah
so many many years so there
justy it's a journey of expression of I
mean getting know yourself and then also
how you when you're singing different
times and as you grow over time and like
how you express andila is incredible the
Fire part of you know could be creative
constructive I mean it could be used to
warm something the food or it could be
used to destroy it could burn something
down and um and interesting how at
something called burning man
right The Duda of all this started at
Burning Man basically before 2020 before
covid right so it's uh it's a fire event
they burn a man Effigy at the end and
also there's a bunch of propane
canisters shooting everywhere and like
um in TOA there's not much TOA per se
going on there there are meditation Doms
with a lot of meditation going on and
there are a lot of spiritual kind things
but um the thing that I got of it was
that fire as
um en is honed and pointed a direction
can create so much positivity if it's
just channeled it just has to be done
the right like channel the energies so
what that did to me is based on some
other you know people have learned under
and taught me different things that just
do the next good thing with that how do
I go ahead and manifest you know
experience where um out in the desert
with all these different people turn
into something positive where something
spiritual will come out of it I didn't
know at the time it would happen when I
shama had Sunrise there was like oh wish
should connect to God right now it's a
manra shama if you think about it and
that caused the outcome later it just
burst into existence manifested itself
that oh I should put put some people
together kind of like that experience of
community but make it real meaning let
people experience a sense of community
for AOG that they feel like they belong
feel connected and the energy is one of
constructive fire energy where it's
you're using the energy to form do
something positive you're cooking food
you're elevating the situation you're
creating energy um that's positive and
has an ultimate purpose versus just a
party where parties are fun and we're
making a party that's what this this is
going to be fun at the same time it's a
thought out logistical thing behind it
to go ahead and create something that
energy-wise uplifts it's not like the
end of the night when you're ready to go
home and like H like I have to go back
to my room now it's like you don't want
to go back back to go to sleep because
you rather just hang out these people to
the
bonfire seeing these nunam with these
Tes or like um happens to be cheesecake
or or food wherever you like everything
take you could just Vibe out and have
that place if you didn't have that
growing up in a positive environment at
a at a sud a meal on you have it here
with other people if you didn't have it
a sh experience if you never had it um
this positive vibe or you experienced it
or it here it is you can be there or not
you could choose you're an adult um just
using um our personal energies in a way
that benefits other people and that's
really what this is all about ultimately
it's when we do things that are first
self and to pull out whatever we can
from something we're taking when we do
things where we're creating spaces for
people to be their best self and give
the
opportunity just to have fun and just
chill then we're creating um I guess
godliness because that's the point we're
supposed to build the world we're
supposed to go ahead and use our
personal energies our potentials what we
can do to go ahead and benefit other
people so that's what sh is to me is
like how else do I celebrate mon Torah
it's a time where how's my relationship
with go what I celebrate it by creating
space that I would appreciate to be at
for Shu so I'm understanding that you're
much about that in terms of what you're
creating kasti is you're creating a
space that people can go ahead be
themselves tune into themselves but also
just exist and Elevate and I think
that's what you're um what you guys are
doing is you're trying to elevate people
and and I'm on board for that so that's
that's really it's really nice
yeah yeah all right so so it was so
you're saying it was really a trip to
burning men that conceived this whole
idea yeah actually because I Bally I
went to burning man um in
2019 and I was there to explore because
I'm an artist and there's crazy amount
of art installation that people spend
their entire year trying to build like
literally in their garage they're
building art cars that cost them like
20K of materials that they spent all
their hours building on so they can go
ahead and drive this thing around for a
week in the desert and have other people
hop on and off and have a party with
them they'll give them a bear or a
bottle of booze or or like or something
and they'll just like hang out with them
on their art car and the people get on
and off and they meet people they core
friend higs out they're part of a camp
but like that's just one thing people
are building entire camps and it comes
and goes in a matter of a month totally
built and then do appear us entirely um
kind of like you know back to chaos it's
like literally worshiping the cycle of
like we're here we're not here and
things just go and don't exist and then
exist and not exist not for a reason
necessarily but we're humans and we can
do this let's do it but not really for a
cause the cause is Art music comes out
of that the music comes out of art
really so it's the Music is More melodic
and very like there's all types of music
but the the genre is interesting to
listen to a lot of different
International music beats in it um
different instruments but the the idea
of of the festival is that there's a
sense of community they build uh an
effigy that they Camp around very much
so like the Jews in the desert so much
so that when I came home to my mom who
is grew up Orthodox background and she's
like um so you just went to the igaz in
the desert with the AR Rob I'm like whoa
talking about judgment right but that's
that's her experience of it because she
saw some footage she like oh that's what
it looks like to me because that's her
upbringing and like meaning what she was
saying to me is like I don't appr proove
of this one that's the first thing she's
saying and second she's saying like huh
I'm connecting to something but it might
have been her who actually put me on the
trip is like huh so what does that even
mean who would they so brings up
thoughts in my mind who the people she's
describing were in history like but uh
it did something else for myself when I
was sitting on my bed at Tish abov on
that summer of 2020 right after and I'm
I'm thinking like hey what's up what am
I doing the summer I'm I'm staying
homework I want be the whole crazy trip
about the the co thing like I don't want
to go out to hurt my parents like so
like I'm basically um segregating myself
because of all the crazy things that are
going all the media it's being fed to me
I'm like sitting a little depressed on
my bed I'm like what could I do that
benefits people and it's the summer of
2020 like I'm not really connected I'm
used to events I'm in the event
production industry I'm running around
I'm connecting with people socializing
and I feed off that um introvert
extrovert and um basically I'm not a to
do that now so I'm starting to get sad
and sadness when you get sad a lot of
time is the concept of IM like there's
literally the Torah says about the
aspect of godliness is that don't think
that God's far from you when you're in a
sad depressive State you're in a tar
you're constricted there's a way to get
out of that there's a way to expand
yourself there's a pic that says I I
call at you from the depths answer me
with expansiveness it means tar
literally and answer me Wasa like
expansiveness so what that started a
process was that I formed a logo of 12
people in a circle which also
represented the sun which also was a
like a fesal thought like um I didn't
know what I was going to do with it um
and the concept Unity because I set sha
at Sunrise because when everything was I
was at burningman and I'm in an
environment where I I asked myself a
question it's like hey where you at like
it's shabas it's Sunrise it's burningman
where are you like n as they say in in
in the and where are you you so like
talking yourself um and I just covered
my eyes as the sun of rose and said
Shaman everything faded away kind of
like that meditation state where you
just go above the environment and that
led me to a point it's like hey how come
I could do this here too I don't have to
be there anywhere I could do this where
I am right now present I'm present here
now so that launched later when I was
creating the logo it was a few it was a
year almost a summer later already but
2020 I created a logo and it was Unity
aspect of shama that's the aspect of
unity connectivity which is a
connectivity of God and divine but also
people because the people around it it
also a sun because if you think about
the Sun and you ask someone who's an
atheist what is the Sun or agnostic
they'll say it's a fusion bombing space
if you ask ask an ancient Egyptian what
is the son they'll refer to it as a god
they say that's something that's a God
and to them that's a cognant system of
systems of Mazo star systems whatever
zodiac they're able to say that that's
if you talk to um somebody who studied
some of um that more depth you'd get to
the sun is the fusion bomb possibly but
there's a light behind that and the
radiation comes from when you think
about that higher point the radiation on
your face becomes more not just a
physical sense but you start to have a
light in your mind so that was the
starting point of this is that I should
do something that I will create an
environment that people can be at where
I throw like I'm going to go create this
and I'm going to spend my time and
energies on it and whoever want to
benefit off it can benefit off of it so
that's that's the connection to doing
the next good thing trying to be um a
giver and create an environment that I
would appreciate and likely other people
would appreciate too for a lot of
different factors so that's the the
burner aspect of this and yeah fire is a
big thing that's why I brought it up and
um you know that's um a big part of I'm
drawn towards it I don't know why I'm
drawn I'm drawn towards fire I am yeah
um yeah so that's one aspect um so I'm
I'm excited that you guys are on board
for for Shu it's going to be absolutely
epic and we have so many things come we
have the amount of musicians and and and
a couple just more G DJs are joining up
in other other spiritual um so people
who are going to contribute a vast
amount of of fun and and uh engaging
classes actually some people come along
to do that as well um it's going to be
absolutely amazing and I'm so happy you
guys are on board for it and uh yeah
this is exciting um as a like I know
you've been to some before um it's
starting to get a little more formed up
and organized and I'm so happy that you
guys are coming back and this is great
news it's absolutely epic yeah we're
really really really grateful to you for
thinking of us and just like emotionally
I'm just touched because as I said it's
so rare to find a community where
there's true acceptance and I feel that
from you and that's everything it's
really everything for us it
is we are like an island here more and
more On The Fringe you know we're more
and more like Counter Culture yeah just
we're just very much our own thing I
mean you know more recently I've just
been more colorful and just been more
free with what I post on social media I
mean like videos of my wife and I
singing I mean like you know for
somebody czy right there somebody who's
like in the very firm world as a singer
so obviously because of that I'm more
out of the scene but I I didn't want to
be untrue and be in the scene like it's
just not worth it for me so I'm really
committed to the work that we're doing
together yeah we're we're Paving a new
way and um we have some opposition but
as they say you know that's how you know
you're doing something so I'm like oh
great okay so now I got the message
we're doing something because we got to
be careful because you know people that
are in the old way take it as
antagonistic it's not really
antagonistic really like people come to
our house we have very sweet little
kumit you know we're singing We're
breathing there's nothing feel like yeah
people people feel it as a may maybe
even as a threat or something to their
to their way of life or something which
we're not threatening anybody in any
kind of way of course we're accepting of
whatever it is we're a nice sweet couple
yeah but but the thing is what what I
feel actually
is I think that there are many people
that have at one time or another dream
their imagin of something something
different you know like is this all
there is you know everybody knows I
don't know where you're going to the
same show you're hearing the same style
you know sheer lecture or or or daving
or whatever it is there a little
variations but like you know where are
we actually going where where are we
taking this where are we taking this and
I think that many people have dreamed of
it at some time or have had such a
thought at some time but they're like ah
whatever but but for my community or for
my wife or for my husband usand or
whatever you know me really yes I'm
colorful but I don't do it
because whatever reason right and I
realiz that I was this way too I I still
am actually to some degree
um and it's the part of us that makes us
small yeah it's and and and and and that
that kind of feeling like lingers and
you see somebody else who's just
deciding to be a little bit more like
creative more open a little more more
bold if you will
actually then like that that old that
feeling it creeps up there's something
inside of them that like they they can't
stand it
because there some there it's almost
like a like like an insecurity I don't
know what it is but but I mean people
know know that that this is what they
want they they they can't see it though
they can't they can't face up there not
I don't blame them because I I couldn't
for a long
time so we know that this is not it's
not it's it's not the Messiah way when
we just keep on doing things over and
over by route and you know just keep on
doing the same things and like I I'm
just I want this to go bigger and
broader what you're doing what we're
doing doing I I want it to be bigger and
broader because you know I I
just I it never resonated with me really
that um God is here just for the Jewish
people what always resonated for me is
God is there for the world and we may be
the messenger is we may be at the top of
the
whatever it is the top of the chain
whatever but I'm
saying God is here for the world there's
no doubt God created The World God is
coming back for the world
um we initially come from Abraham that's
that's that's really initially the
Jewish Nation comes from and and Abraham
is chosen because Abraham is giving is
is inviting the world to see you know
um things got more touchy after that got
more got more complicated after that but
in my heart I'm going back to
Aram I want to be I want to be more like
that more open more inviting um and just
showing people the light showing myself
the light I see the light through
others that's beautiful and what you're
saying is is Not Like A New Path
necessarily of existence because what
you're saying is actually all Concepts
that I've heard before in different ways
um it's amazing that there's many ways
to do things and the approach of knowing
that just the words that we say in the
morning of mod an which means I the
process is just we're saying that go God
wants me here present and everybody
who's in the world for whatever reason
God wants them here present the universe
is AOG system like an engine different
gear is doing different things but that
one part it's not functioning so
something are painful and some things
are joyous and some things are very
positive experiences some seem seem
negative but overall all the experiences
are part of like so what you're saying
is yeah the world should we don't try to
convert people we're not just we're
trying to say you could be exactly who
you are we accept you just do that keep
doing what you're doing do that good
thing um we have more responsibility now
because we're supposed to actually
literally hold the world
out that's the job of every every Jew
every person in the world we're supposed
to be building the world together as a
team that's what ideally what's supposed
to be going on and unfortunately we
don't see that all the time we see
people going back to their personal
interests of their own desires or their
own um part or whatever it is that
they're not able to see the other person
and help them build rather take see what
I can take so going back to that is that
your saying that you're trying to do the
next good thing and uplift people
regardless meaning just build the world
and and and help people and there's not
one way to do that because there's so
many facets um different ways you can be
beneficial and help people so I say that
Kudos that you're doing good it's nice
it's nice to see people doing good work
and and taking the effort one to work on
yourself that lifetime of working on
self which obviously if you're trying to
do good for other people in Elevate
situations you have to work on yourself
it's just not going to happen unless and
then take that whatever you do learn and
translate it over to how can I benefit
the next person so um it's absolutely
epic that you're taking the time to do
that and you're settling you're actually
building your lives around that and it's
incredible to see you thank you so much
thanks for seeing us and um I do wanna I
I wanna like kind of get my kids up to
bed and stuff but I'd love to just send
everyone off with with a little sampler
of Jewish Sacred Space if you
will that sound good sure it sounds
actually I was looking forward to this
part so yeah okay great so everyone can
just get into their body and into their
breathing and we'll do a song
together you could like move your
or however you need personally I feel
like you know I've been sitting well so
I'm just stretching and
smiling I always say smiling is a symbol
that we we are our own best friends it's
a reminder to be our own best friend
sure yeah this is a really nice um
song uh those really
gr sh Alma is it Al it might be from
Alma actually yeah it's one of those new
Israeli
groups putting out good music I don't
know but if but you can always message
us after and we'll the name is just
skipping skipping our minds but I'm
happy to find out what that name is
[Music]
of to
[Music]
[Laughter]
more a
[Music]
are
[Music]
shall
love healing
[Music]
[Laughter]
[Music]
Al
[Music]
Mery adore
[Music]
all I need
[Music]
for there are
h
[Music]
and now that you soak in that
vibration so I felt that
Timeless it's ENT we like we like to
also sometimes I do it even more I like
to take a little breath in the middle of
a song which is kind of a unique thing
to do usually you keep going you know
the Rhythm demands that you
gotta
but we like that concept it brings us
more you
know it helps us get back into the body
get back into Consciousness yeah we're
building space it through the song so
like that's the difference between this
and singing it in the kumit we're
bringing more
Consciousness to the process of singing
and more breath to the process of
singing and you're using Timeless words
um connected to Divinity but it's it's a
meditative state of breath work that
combines the two um I felt more I felt
the energy is more than like you could
listen to people sing and you were in
like in the music was one the same it's
incredible exactly exactly exactly
that's the groundedness of you know
that's what it means to be grounded
you're not in a story about things that
are happening as they're happening
you're actually in them as they're
happening and that's the practice I'm
not saying it's easy I actually have a
tendency towards being in the mind and
Hashem did that so that I can you know
teach other people how to get back in
the body if I was good at it you know
then it wouldn't have been such a
learning curve I wouldn't be able to
teach it um and I my phone is telling me
low battery so I wouldn't want to get
cut off from this beautiful live and end
it without you know just saying thank
you so much really it's been a pleasure
to
converse yeah it's really nice to talk
and share with some people you know
people who hopped on and it's um I'm
really glad that you're you're bringing
yourself your energies and contributing
to make is an absolutely
um say incredible experience but it's
it's not the words it's more than that
it's just we'll see what it becomes and
I think that the fact that you guys are
coming to bring your energy is already
there's there's so many different people
um but everyone has their own unique and
you guys have something that it's a
short I see I started to see what what
you're doing and it's incredible um
using music that way and also bre breath
work and in a way that elevates
um and brings back to the present that's
a key factor you have to be out of your
mind into your body and be able to be
present that's incredible and utilizing
something that's a healthy super healthy
way of doing it and I love that thank
you for seeing us yeah thank you Mary
this has
been so Del life the life I hope this
isn't like corny but you know I really
sense sense of light in you as well and
your name is Mayor which is light which
is but mayor is not just light itself
it's it's it's the the ability the
ability to illuminate for others being
mayor thank you I have a secret second
name it's a first name first name is
Abraham second name is May oh
amazing the more hidden part but yeah
well we're looking forward to for
Branding with you more over yeah same
super excited so happy you guys you're
joining up and for the community and
making this actually even more enjoyable
thank
you else join yeah and join us in real
life this is also real life but sh be
present be present when there's no PHS
out and and just be there it's just to
be that I'm looking for that alone just
like I'm not gonna have my phone on I'm
be with other people in positive
environment I'm so so excited for that
besides everything else just one of the
main one I'm like not like no longer on
my phone which would be incredible for
me um but in terms of of what we're what
we're doing together I'm so glad you
guys are coming and and you're making
this happen and and thank you very much
and every people thank you know people
are some people are on right now and
people later will thank you and uh some
thank you beforehand already what you're
contributing thank you all right see you
soon see you guys soon so so get to chat
do it again see you guys bye have a good
night bye good night