w/ Rami Feinstein | The Artist's Way

Lio: I always ask myself how to start this thing to make it engaging enough to keep everyone on the show for longer than 30 seconds. Then I realized that people who are here are here for the same reason we are. They're trying to actually make a dent in this growing problem of antisemitism. But what I'm also realizing is that maybe people are just tired of talking about this every day. Maybe they just want to meet interesting people and hear interesting stories. And that's okay. I don't know if this is the podcast for them. But I think we've, along the way since starting The Jew Function, had some interesting characters on the show. Definitely people that you wouldn't meet anywhere else. So, that in itself is worthwhile. I would stay just to find out who's the next guest. What's he going to be like? What's their story? What makes them Jewish? What do they think a Jew is? And why is he still being hated after all these years? I think those are all worthwhile questions. And I realize, Seth, that many people don't ask these questions. They don't even search for a podcast on how to solve antisemitism because they think there's no solution. Now that they think there's no problem, everybody knows there's a problem. I think a lot of people think there's no solution.

Seth: It's not that I think there's no solution. I just can't stand the word anymore. It's just it's—

Lio: What word?

Seth: Antisemitism. No, antisemitism. It feels like having to go into an uncomfortable room that smells really bad, and there's nothing good to eat. Everything about it is going to be uncomfortable for the next few hours. I just don't like the word anymore. It feels like we need to reframe the whole thing we're doing. That's one thing, and I hope we should be able to do that since this is our field of expertise. So we should be able to reframe it away from that word toward something else. But something that has happened during the course of our podcast, which is absolutely fascinating. You know, the double slit experiment, right? Okay, so the end of the story in short layman's terms is that reality changes based on the observer. What's become so real, you know, yesterday they "released" the JFK files. The Trump administration released it—

Lio: Mossad did it.

Seth: Yeah, so that's the funny thing. All the accounts that are anti-Jew, anti-Israel, all found the places where it says that the Jews did it. And everyone else says, look, it doesn't say anything about the Jews. And now that's why they're all so quiet because it doesn't say anything about the Jews doing it. So everyone's got their own, even though you're looking at the exact same thing. It's become clear, I think, that's the world we ended up in now after this October 7th situation. After this whole thing, what's a boy, what's a girl, who's a terrorist, who's a good guy, who's a bad guy. This whole couple of years and the process of our podcast when it spits you out the other end. It turns out that there is no objective reality. Reality is just completely how you look at it. And what we need to do then is find people who have and speak to people who have really strong visions about a good future and how to build that. Because it's not just a fight as it was in the past. Here's our facts. Don't you see? We're actually good. You shouldn't kill us. No, here's the facts. Don't you see everywhere you go, you cause mayhem. We should kill you or get rid of you. This doesn't matter. It's just whoever has the most compelling story, the most compelling vision. And it's not going to be any one person like in the past, like there's a Da Vinci or there's a Shakespeare. We're going to have to do it as a community, as a Klal or something. So that's why it's awesome to me that we keep bringing people like Rami into our circle, people who are out there. Each one is a hero, doing something in a place. Together we create this new story. And let's forget about this word eventually—antisemitism when we can.

Lio: Let's call it Google Fighting or something.

Seth: Google Fest or something. Yeah.

Lio: Something else. Something spicy. I totally agree. I think. I don't know if we talked about it, but there's a relatively new scientist from this year, actually. There's a scientist, Federico Faggin, he's an Italian physicist. He's the guy who invented the CPU, by the way. Okay, so he knows a thing or two about stuff. But he talks about how, one day, he was lying in bed in Lake Tahoe. He went up to get a glass of water and came back to bed, hoping to fall asleep. Suddenly he felt this stream of light coming out of his chest and filled everything, it was just like love. It was him watching it and then him being it watching himself. It was this field of existence, and then there was his awareness inside of it but there was really no mass, nothing. He had this experience, it shook him up, and for the next 20, 30 years, he was trying to put the equations for that. How do I explain that feeling of love and that everything is really just fluctuations in the field? It's hard to reconcile the fact that you live in a very solid reality where people kill and get killed regularly, it seems nowadays. And at the same time, there's all just fluctuations in the field. So I'm just putting it out there. I don't know how it's relevant to our guest today. Maybe we're setting the bar, you know, very high. I don't think so.

Seth: I think it's actually people like Rami. I saw a video before we had this conversation. He came up in my feed, in front of the council, wherever. I think it's each of these little heroes, not little heroes, but each of these people doing things in all these places. Somehow, there's a network between all of us. That's the special thing about this Jew thing, that there's this network between all of us and the—

Lio: Jew function. The Jew function.

Seth: The Jew function.

Lio: Yeah, don't forget to drop the name of the brand. Anyways, all right, so I think we went on for just enough. Let's invite our guest. He's an Israeli singer-songwriter who lives in Ohio for some reason. He's going to tell us why. And he's also, like many Israelis abroad, a reluctant activist. in this unfolding campaign. So let's invite him. Rami Feinstein, please join us on The Jew Function.

Seth: Rami Feinstein.

Seth: Hi, Shalom.

Lio: Shalom.

Rami: And how are you? I'm okay. I'm okay. You know, every day is different. I've been on the roller coaster for more than a year and a half, but personally, I'm okay.

Lio: And you were there in where you are right now. Where are you right now? You're in Ohio somewhere?

Rami: Yes, in Akron, Ohio. So my story is that I've been touring the U.S. in Jewish communities and other venues for at least 10 years. I've been coming from Israel. I've been living in Tel Aviv for the past 20 years and have been coming to the U.S. to tour. Almost three years ago, I came for a radio station in Akron, Ohio, that was playing some of my songs. That led to a performance in front of the Jewish community. So I came, gave a show. And then they asked me, would you like to come here with your wife and two kids and be our shliach? Usually, that's something done through the Jewish agency, but I'm an American citizen, so they just asked me to come and do that. And obviously, I'm still performing, recording, and touring. But I also do this and am very proud to do whatever I can for this community and to strengthen the connection between this community and Israel.

Seth: So you've been here for two and a half years, and this is what I'm doing in Akron, Ohio right now.

Lio: Is there a big music scene in Akron, Ohio that we missed somehow?

Rami: There's a cool music scene in Akron, Ohio. You know, Chrissie Hynde from The Pretenders, and of course, LeBron James is from Akron, Ohio, too, right? They all left, you know. They left, but they came from Akron, Ohio. There are some amazing artists in Akron, Ohio. A few months ago, I took a group of six artists from Akron, Ohio. Four of them are not even Jewish. We came to Israel for eight shows in nine days to show support for the people of Israel. We performed for evacuees, in hosptals, before wounded soldiers. This is part of what I do. And right now, for me, being an artist and being a Jew are two things; everything is combined with being a Jew right now. My art is about this right now because this is what I live in and breathe, because there's nothing else, you know, for me. I think some respect for the music scene in Akron, Ohio.

Lio: Definitely respect. I mean, I have respect for musicians. I play, but I'm not a professional musician. I know the hardships. Is your music about being a Jew?

Seth: I think—

Lio: We'll have this scene of Borat singing "Throw the Jew Down the Well." So are you in that category?

Rami: I don't think I'm in that category, but thank you for the Borat reference. No, but obviously, when I came here two and a half years ago, here's something that I went through as an artist. When I came here, I thought, wouldn't it be cool if I do Coachella? As a musician, you always dream, right? As a singer-songwriter, you always have dreams. I have songs with a very universal message, and songs that deal with my experience as a Jewish Israeli Zionist in this world. But after October 7, my whole approach changed. My dreams have changed. My goal now is to stand in front of people who get it—Jews and non-Jews—and empower them and make them feel less alone with my art. This is what I've been doing, and this is what I want to do. I want to be with people like me, people who get it. If my dream comes true and I perform at Coachella, and there's a huge crowd that doesn't understand where I'm at, my heart is in a different place. I am aching, angry, and frustrated. I don't sleep well, I don't function well. I think a lot of Jews are in this place right now. I just want to be with people like me at this moment. I want to say October 7, and everyone in the crowd understands what I'm saying. I don't want to explain it. That's where I am at right now as an artist. I just want to sing to, talk, engage, and hug people who get it.

Seth: So, who does the message reach?

Rami: You know, my art is not just one message. There are a lot of things. But if I can take Jews and non-Jews that have the right sentiment or understand what we're going through right now, and I can empower them, and have them connect to feelings they feel in a different way—art can do that for you. I feel privileged, and this is what I want to do. To your question, I've released a few songs since October 7. One song is called "Please Don't Take That Away From Me." It's about trying to not lose faith in humanity. Please don't take that away from me. I want to stay a believer. I want to still believe in people because I think the crisis right now is so big. The crisis that I feel inside.

Seth: What is the crisis now?

Rami: Well, I think we were attacked on October 7, obviously. And then I think we all know that we were attacked again. At first, we said, "I can't believe that people could do those terrible things." And then we were like, "Well, obviously everybody should understand that this is terrible, right?" The other attack was realizing that people are actually cheering for those who did those terrible things. So that's the second attack, as far as I'm concerned. It's a problem that people don't comprehend it immediately. People struggle to distinguish between good and evil. Even beyond the pro demonstrations, just a regular person might say, "Well, both sides..." For me, if you say that, you are morally confused. That's how I feel.

Seth: Isn't this like when you shine a light in a dark room? You think the room is clean, but then with a flashlight, you find dust in the corners.

Seth: I saw a video this morning of some guy in New York City with a green bandana, saying, "We want to kill all Zionists."

Seth: The interviewer asked him why, and he replied, "Because they want to kill all the Arabs." He said, "I'm an Arab because I'm a Jew from Egypt and Lebanon. My parents are Lebanese." The kid interviewing him was dumbfounded, having no idea what he was talking about. He just heard something and wanted to be part of the "kill the Zionist" club or something. Isn't it just the nature of life that there are a lot of easily influenced people? Genghis Khan would go around and chop people's hands off. It's not a new thing that people are brutal.

Rami: Yeah, I don't necessarily engage with whether this is natural or not. I feel my role in this situation is to expect people to have a higher moral standard and a better understanding.

Seth: Because that's your role?

Rami: Yes, my role is to say, "Listen, you guys need to get this. You guys need to understand that this is the problem. The fact you're not getting this is a problem."

Seth: Let's say 30% of the world gets it and 70% doesn't. What do we do then?

Rami: I'm not sure about the numbers. Maybe it's 50-50. But I think my job is to portray moral clarity in this situation and be proud and unapologetic about who I am. In the long run, that's how we win.

Lio: Let me ask you something, Rami. Have you experienced antisemitism before October 7th?

Rami: I wouldn't say in a blunt way. I've heard people say politically incorrect things. In the States, some people have said things like, "Are you trying to Jew me down?" Or friends saying, "You have money." I say, "No, I'm not." And they say, "Well, you're Jewish." I had a serious conversation explaining I'm Jewish but also a musician. Before October 7, we knew that the anti-Israel sentiment, which I define as antisemitic 90% of the time, existed. The BDS isn't new. These delegitimizing attempts have been around for many years. It's just caught a wave now, but we've known this reality for decades.

Lio: But have you ever wondered why this is still a thing after all the cycles humanity went through?

Rami: It's not my focus. My Jewish identity isn't based on how much someone else hates me. For instance, if we're in a room and the next room over there's a group that hates us, it doesn't mean I have to belong to them. What matters is whether we have positive substance, shared values, ideas, and a connection between past, present, and future. As a Jew, I'm not focused on antisemitism. I'm focused on who I am.

Seth: Let's move to that. When your music hits, who's listening? What message do they need to hear? What energy is growing because of your work?

Rami: The most basic thing is I want that person to not feel alone. I'll say what you're feeling is okay because I'm feeling it too. A singer on stage expresses it, maybe in a way you didn't, but it's the same emotion. I'll give you two examples. I had a show in Fort Myers, Florida, on the day the B'Yad coffins came back. That day wasn't standard. The state of mind was different from my usual shows. But the show became a platform for people to come together and express their feelings. We cried and hugged together. Another time in North Carolina, near Asheville, I was performing at a friend's place. Someone sent me an article about Jews being beaten up at a pro-Palestinian rally. One of those who was beaten was hosting me. It made the show significant and full of tears and hugs. These moments are worth more than a thousand words.

Lio: We have it on tape. We have to end the show. Done.

Rami: That's where I'm at right now, as an artist.

Lio: What you're describing is beautiful, but it sometimes feels like a drop in the ocean. We're up against something big. Like a tidal wave, it's not something you can easily navigate. In our last show, a friend mentioned feeling uncomfortable going out. Recognized as a Jew, he faced hostility. It feels like something big is happening. What are we doing with these gestures of intimacy at concerts? Are we just creating safe spaces, or can we change the tides?

Rami: So I think, first of all, a safe space for victims is important. But also, I think that when we stick together, we empower each other. Every one of those Jews that was in this room or another has to go tomorrow to mingle with people, and some of them will be saying terrible things. Maybe at your workplace. Maybe your best friend is now posting disgusting things about Israel and denying October 7th. That's what people are going through right now. Now, to be facing that, you need a lot of energy and a lot of strength. You need fuel to do that. You need to fuel your car, put gas inside, so you can go out there and face whatever you need to face and not be apologetic about who you are. So you're looking at this one side, saying, well, the fight is actually outside. But I say, yeah, of course it is. Obviously, I think I'm here because you saw my speech, right? But it's also about us giving gas and fueling each other and giving each other strength to go out there and inspiring each other.

Seth: You know, that's great. So, what's the big vision?

Rami: So if I can, I don't put the entire faith of the Jewish people on my own shoulders. I'm not that vain to think that I can actually do that. What motivates me is that when my grandson asks me, "What did you do in those times?" I just don't want to be ashamed. So I'm trying to do the best I can so I can look in the mirror and say, "I really, really tried to shine more light in such a dark time." If that's standing up and speaking at a Summit County council meeting, or just having coffee with a Jewish friend who is confused right now and doesn't know what to do, or using my songwriting skills to express where I am and where other Jews are as well. Those are my tools, and I'm just going to do the best I can because I want to look into my grandson's eyes and not be ashamed. That's pretty much what motivates me.

Lio: You're a grandfather?

Rami: Not yet, but my dream is to go. Okay, I feel like a grandfather would be a nice life achievement. And I feel like when you're a grandfather, you've created a clan. I am a father, though. I have two kids, and I hope to be a good role model for them. And that's what I want. When we went to Israel, the Akron for Israel tour, the thought, and there's a documentary that's going to come out about that and everything.

Seth: My thought is what's it called?

Rami: Well, right now the temporary name is the Akron for Israel Tour, but probably something else that sounds better. My hope is that if I do something, that will inspire you to do something. I really believe that our way out of this is by being loud and unapologetic about who we are and about how right we are in this situation. This is our way out.

Seth: Okay, cool. Who are we? So, who we are, and what was the other thing you want to do? Show who we are, and—

Lio: Be—

Seth: Proud, un—

Lio: Unapologetic. Okay, so who we are, and—

Seth: If I was a Navajo Indian, right? Let's suppose there's a Navajo Rami Feinstein. So he just wants to be unapologetic about being Navajo. Or is it just being unapologetic about being who you are in this body? Or is there some inner thing that you're talking about?

Rami: No, I'm talking about my Jewish identity. What is that? We've got a lot of people.

Lio: We get a lot of people. Hold on. This is an important moment. We got a lot of people on this show. Most of them are Jews. And we ask most of them, "Who is a Jew? What is a Jew? How would you explain what a Jew is to an alien, right, who comes down here?"

Seth: And is it just one of another million variations of you got a Navajo, an Apache, and then a Jew? Or are we talking about that there's some unique thing here?

Rami: No, I don't come from a place where I say that being Jewish makes me unique or definitely not better than any other nation in some way. Any other nation in the world? But I do have a right as a human being to belong to a group. The word I would use to describe my own Jewish identity is dialogue. My Jewish identity is built of the dialogue I'm conducting with the past, present, and future of this group and all the things we have created as a group. That dialogue doesn't mean that I necessarily accept everything. On the contrary, part of being Jews is to not accept a lot of things and argue. But I am having a dialogue with it. My dialogue with everything that was created by this group is different than the dialogue I would have when I read about Christianity or Islam or Buddhism. It's the same as the relationship you'll have with any person you meet. You may like them or not, but your brothers and sisters, you treat them differently. The dialogue is different than with a stranger. So I'm having a dialogue with different components of the group I'm part of, my family. And that dialogue is all I can say. It doesn't mean that I accept this idea or that idea, but I feel that we are bound together in this connection of past, present, and future. I'm interested in being a part of this. I'm proud of being a part of this. And I'm looking forward to how we can keep talking with each other like family talks to each other in the future. Does that make sense?

Seth: Yeah, it does.

Lio: 100%.

Seth: I'm thinking, you got something, Speaker?

Lio: I got something. Okay, go ahead. Would you be surprised to learn that exercising just this thing that you just said, trying to relate to other strangers within the Jewish family as parts of your family, not just speaking to them this way but really relating to them, like really caring for them like you care naturally for your children, if you could make efforts in that direction above any differing opinions and points of view, you would open up a powerful dimension, a deeper layer of reality.

Rami: You're talking about the connection I have with non-Jews?

Lio: No, first of all with Jews. I'm not saying you can't extend it anywhere. It will eventually have to reach the whole world. I'm saying, for now, that there is actually something Jewish sages have been talking about. History and patterns show that. Looking at network science, which is what we do here on The Jew Function, shows that there's a natural quality, a higher quality that's strong, good, empowering. It can cover things, it can hold...

Rami: Opposites. Of course. And I can say that as an artist, for me, it's all about making that connection. With Jews and non-Jews, by the way. Since I came here to Akron, I have many friends who are not Jews that I'm very proud of. Part of what I do here is reaching out to people who are not Jewish. As a musician, we've had Unity concerts here in Akron. For me, it's all about the connection. The connection is everything.

Lio: So now, follow-up question. Would you be equally surprised to learn that if we don't make efforts toward that, we awaken almost an opposite reaction from the system of nature? Just like putting opposites together, like plus and minus in an electrical circuit, we create light. If we don't do that, we invite from the system the opposite quality.

Seth: Maybe even say, we talked before about the dust you find when you shine the light. If you're not uniting, because there's people who will just follow anything. The first people are like you with the vision and making efforts. If you're not doing it in full force, not to put any pressure on you, but that absence is just darkness.

Rami: It comes back. It just comes to pressure us to do it, really. I'm trying to understand what you're saying. Are you talking about antisemitism and saying that we were, in a way, to blame because we were not reaching out?

Lio: Blame is a hard word, but—

Rami: If I don't exercise and I get fat, you could say I'm to blame. But we're saying it's a consequence. A consequence of us not being united, a consequence of us not bringing all the people together.

Lio: If you jump out of a plane without a parachute, are you to blame for gravity? No, but there are consequences to acting a certain way in the face of natural laws.

Rami: You can also walk in the street and follow all the rules and get hit by a car.

Seth: That's true.

Rami: If that's an analogy for antisemitism, I would strongly disagree with that approach. Sometimes, I feel that this is something Jewish that we do. We always kind of seek control. We're saying, okay, if I only did this, then I wouldn't be hated, right? And we tend to sometimes—

Seth: Let's refine what you're saying.

Rami: If we're constantly looking at, but if we just would have done this differently, maybe they would not hate us so much. Many times the answer is no, there's nothing you could have done.

Seth: Let's refine what we're saying.

Lio: Before you refine it, I'll just say this is not some theory from Lio and Seth, right? We're looking at 3,000 years of Jewish sages, historical patterns of the past 2,000 years, and network science. There's a lot that supports this idea. It's not about being special. No, we're talking about a system with laws of interaction. You behave one way, you invite one reaction; you behave another way. It's not about inventing something, but about human relationships.

Rami: How—

Seth: We relate to one another. So in a philosophical way, your—

Rami: Premise is that if someone is a victim, it doesn't have to do with Jews. There's always a part they played in that?

Seth: No, hold on. Slow down. We're not throwing everything into one basket.

Seth: If the milk spills, there are consequences. If you allow Qatar to be the number one funder of universities and something happens, it can't just turn around. There's lots of laws of nature operating and things that have been set into motion.

Lio: But you do have to tend the tree, right?

Seth: Something else can fruit in a year, and there's other things that only come once every 17 years. No, we're not saying some things happen because of you. The thing that happened could have been set in motion years ago, and it's just coming to fruition now.

Rami: It's a closed system. Everything—

Lio: That's the point. That's the...

Seth: It's a closed system. So, meaning that I can't say I dressed provocatively, and that's why some guy attacks me. No. However, just like the tree that's going to take three years to fruit, and another thing that's going to take 12 years to fruit, it's incumbent upon us to keep investing into the system correctly so that at the natural intervals things will come out. We shouldn't think that all of these things are happening randomly and for no reason. That's the point. Not that I didn't love him enough. You know, we always think if only I did this, then that wouldn't have happened.

Lio: Let's just—before you—you can speak first, for sure. Again, not to beat about the bush too much, what we're saying is that, yes, in this crazy world, things move and evolve. There are all kinds of forces at work, laws set in motion. In human species, the way we relate to each other influences what's happening between us. If you're an egoist and I'm an egoist and we can't get along, we may eventually get into friction. If our interests don't meet one day, we may fight. We may even kill each other. But we see that.

Lio: I love what you guys do on this podcast, The Jew Function. It's not just identifying the problem, it's how we combat it, is to come closer to the LER.

Seth: We're trying to do something good for everyone, and we're gonna find each other. We're connecting the dots now, and then the light will grow.

Speaker 11: The podcasts you two are doing have a far greater impact than you can imagine. You're creating angels.

Lio: But if we could find a way to rise above this growing ego animosity and narrow interests, if we can ensure we have things that work for both of us, we may agree to cooperate. That's usually with humanity. I'm not even putting religion into this. There are additional laws you can't see, just like other forces. One of those things has to do with how a certain group in humanity behaves toward itself first and foremost. We need to be the example, the pilot program, and we're just not doing this. The result is unconscious pressure that comes from outside. You call it antisemitism, Jew hatred. I just don't like you. I don't know what it is. Whatever name you want to give it doesn’t matter. But it sits on this feeling that somehow the next level in my evolution depends on these people behaving a certain way.

Rami: I was rambling. Go on. No, no, it's okay. I feel like you were generous letting me speak for a long time. So that's the least I can do. Of course, we have some influence, and there are things we can do here or there to plant a tree like this or like that. But there's a part where we don't have influence. It's hard for some of us, for instance, dealing with a group that doesn't share our will to reason and coexist. If we only did this, if we only did that, maybe we could reason with some of those people. Some can be reasoned with, but some cannot. It's hard for a Western mind to accept that sometimes.

Lio: Sorry, I'll add complexity to what you're saying. That's another whole other path we won't get into. But yes, it also means if you have to kill someone, you kill them. It has nothing to do with how loving you are, right? It's hard for a Western mind to grasp, and the rules of the neighborhood, so to speak, that are happening here in the Middle East. But put that aside. Keep going.

Rami: So I guess the question is, when you're generalizing like this, I can partly agree, depending on the case. My question would be, what are you actually referring to? Because then I can understand if I agree or not. Does that make sense?

Seth: I think at the end of the day, it's love, which sounds naive and simple. Also starting with the small circle and increasing the power from there. We're not trying to reason with a murderer or some idiot on the street who's supporting Hamas. Not at all. But if we can understand who we are in our mission—to increase love and connection and goodness in the world—and we can spread that in our circle. For example, you're able to reach people's hearts, make them feel connected, make them feel they're not alone, and then that circle becomes stronger. Then that will radiate into the system enough if we do it within the Jews. We have to do it to everyone eventually. It needs to reach everyone, but there's such a thing with Jews that it's such a tiny little group, and whatever happens in that group radiates through humanity.

Seth: So, you know, reaching Coachella may be small potatoes compared to how this thing can radiate through hearts. You might not see your name in lights because of it, but you may be affecting millions of hearts and changing those people. Through this network, that's what we're saying. We're saying we have a responsibility to bring unity and connection. Basically, that's what we're saying. If we don't, we shouldn't be surprised that darkness and violence and hate and death fill the void.

Lio: I'll use Rami's words, because you said beautifully in your definition of a Jew when you talk about the dialogue and the ability to entertain opposing views. It feels natural to you maybe, but it's not an easy thing for everyone to do. Some people in humanity—not everyone with a Jewish passport—learned how to do it many years ago and got dispersed among the nations. Now it's time to show everyone else how to do it. It's not just this quality. There are other things, like our ability to see a few steps ahead in every situation, see the system, sit around a table—dare I say, a Shabbat table—with people you don't share views or preferences with and have a good time. This is not natural. People who are not Jews make a whole movie about how it took them 40 years to finally sit together around the table. It doesn't happen. The world needs to see that example. And the problem is, when we stop showing that example, there's a counter-reaction.

Rami: So I would definitely share your concern for the discourse that we're having, especially in Israel. I can talk about Israel as an Israeli. The discourse with people we disagree with and the amount of demonizing each other is very painful. Sometimes it's more painful than things coming from outside. The way that Jews talk to each other and demonize each other, we sometimes provide weapons to our haters by doing so. I would definitely agree with you if I understand you correctly. It's very hard for me personally. I try to make it my business to be friends and conduct a dialogue with people I strongly disagree with. It's important, even though it could be painful to sit and hear. Sometimes I just want to talk to someone that I can vent to, but I have close friends I strongly disagree with about Israeli politics and identity. The place we may differ is it feels like you're putting everything on that.

Seth: And also a good army. Love is everything, and a good army.

Rami: And a good army. There is sometimes evil that you cannot control in this world. I believe it's important for human beings to accept that. We are not responsible for all the evil in the world. We are responsible to fight it, to show the light, to be an example for something else.

Seth: But...

Rami: We are not responsible for all the evil that was created in this world.

Seth: Rami, Leo, and Seth didn't make all of the evil in the world, that's for sure.

Rami: Neither did the Jewish people.

Seth: The Creator did it, and there's a reason. There has to be a part two. We can't. No, no, no.

Lio: We have to wrap, but we invite people to read a little quote from our sages. But I want you to just say a couple words on this premise because you said, why assume that? I say the opposite. Why not assume that you have the power to change everything? Everything is on you. Why do you feel so...

Rami: Hold on, because I'm not that vain.

Lio: It's not vanity. Even quantum physicists say that every person is a center of reality. There's no reality but the one you perceive. That's even what we started on the show. Talking about the power of the observer, and the more scientists dig, the less they can explain it.

Seth: I...

Rami: Think I'm the center...

Lio: Of the world.

Seth: I know. You are.

Lio: No, no, no. You're being a nice guy. Every person thinks they're the center of the world.

Seth: My point is...

Lio: Imagine you had this power, this quality. I'm the center of my world. I'm not the center of everyone's world, and I'm definitely not the cause of everything good or evil in the world. We may not agree on the philosophy of all those things, but if we had a practical discussion about how we should act, we would probably quickly agree. The things you want to achieve, I'd probably be a good partner for that. And I think this is the most important part.

Seth: Yes. We're looking to build circles, smaller and bigger, and inject into that this sense of responsibility that our good future is in our hands. We have to spread love and good connection. We can talk for hours and back it up with what the sages say and what network science shows. It's not relevant right now. The conclusion is the absence of that leaves darkness. Not that Rami, Leo, and Seth screwed up and therefore all this happened in the world. That's not what we're saying. But we're all parts of this integral system.

Rami: You're putting my name first. You say Rami, Leo, and Seth.

Seth: You're the one out there.

Rami: I just joined this podcast for one episode.

Lio: Maybe Leo said and Rom. No, there are no coincidences, my friend.

Rami: I feel like it's a little bit not so pol.

Lio: It's not Rami's fault.

Seth: Look, I gave you an easy quote.

Lio: Because our sages say that no calamity comes to the world if not for Israel. And also, no good comes to the world but for Israel. And the guidance of all the worlds is given to Israel. So that's it. Wise people have said those things in many ways, and for no financial gain. They have a deeper reason:

Seth: The vitality, sustenance, and correction of all creation are by people of differing views becoming included together in love, unity, and peace.

Rami: I would agree for the most part. I think some views should not be part of this. But in general, if you are for co and you're just different, I would reach out to you and try to be your friend. But if you are not for co, we may have a problem.

Lio: Leave those guys out for now. Let's deal with that all the way at the end.

Seth: Yeah, first, we're looking for people who are willing to call it.

Rami: I feel like in the sense of urgency, we need to deal with it right now. But sure.

Lio: True, there's more work to do, more stuff to talk about. Definitely, if I'm in Akron, Ohio, I'll stop by. I will.

Seth: Check the music.

Lio: Can people listen to your music somewhere? Is it on some platform?

Rami: Spotify, YouTube. I have three albums in Hebrew and one in English, and some new songs now after October 7 as well. So, Spotify, YouTube, and I have a website.

Lio: Wherever you go,

Rami: You can just Google my name.

Seth: Right.

Lio: And

Rami: Of course, social media. And yeah, I appreciate you having me here. I look forward to discussing those things some more with you guys. Maybe when you come to Akron for a cup of coffee.

Lio: We'll make it a date. Send us the links, by the way. We'll put them in the chat and in the description. It will be there. Do you have a guitar? Can you play us something?

Rami: I don't have a guitar here right now.

Lio: See, another chance to be famous, and you blew it. That's it. Rami, thank you so much for being here, for entertaining our crazy ideas.

Seth: Absolutely.

Lio: And for really showing that you do have a great heart and you're willing to back it.

Rami: We don't have to agree about everything, but we are in this together. That's for sure. We need to support each other and be loud together. And that only comes if we are united. It only comes by us understanding that we have the same fate, and I strongly believe in that.

Lio: Amen. This is The Jew Function. That's what we do here. We add friends to our circle, and eventually, we're going to be able to run for Congress or something. Like, comment, share, subscribe to The Jew Function. We'll see you here next time. I didn't make a pitch, but if you want to support us on Patreon, because it's such a—

Seth: Send all money. Okay, okay, we know. Send me money.

Lio: Yes. You know what the deal is. Thank you, Rami. Have a great day. We'll see you next week. Thank you so much.