Impressions of the 15th Annual Project Inspire Convention

By C.B. Weinfeld

When Avrumi Schonfeld took a flight to Miami on November 9, 2022, he could never have imagined the ramifications of his seating arrangements.

Turns out, his seatmate was a rugged Israeli ex-pat named Alon Tal, who, despite his size, was having a panic attack about the sudden bout of turbulence that tossed the airplane to and fro like an oversized rag doll.

Avrumi turned to his quaking seatmate, who had ‘bageled’ him earlier, and offered to pray for their safety, in return for an unusual request. “Have you ever wrapped tefillin?” he asked. When Alon admitted that he hadn’t worn his tefillin in years, Avrumi asked for a pledge that he would do so the following morning—and send him a selfie to prove that he did. Alon readily agreed, and as they davened together the turbulence abated.

True to his promise, Alon sent a selfie to his newfound friend the following morning, showing him wrapped in his tefillin, absorbed in prayer. In response, Avrumi sent him another tefillin selfie, with the promise to repeat the deal the following day.

“For four months, we kept exchanging tefillin selfies,” said Avrumi to a rapt audience at the Motzoei Shabbos program of the Project Inspire Convention. “And then something interesting occurred. A friend heard of my tefillin chat and invited an unaffiliated friend to join. The four of us exchanged tefillin selfies each morning for a couple of months as the tefillin chat grew.”

And then one day David Sharabi of Baltimore discovered the tefillin Whatsapp group and decided to join as well, in a domino effect.  Though raised in a religious home, David, an artsy young man with multiple piercings, had undergone a journey of his own. Now, for the first time in many years, he wrapped his tefillin each day and shared a selfie. 

The tefillin group became so popular that before long it had mushroomed to nearly 1,000 members, and the original group was no longer adequate. Today, four years later, there are three separate Whatsapp groups, with over 3,000 members, many of them formerly unaffiliated Jews, who are proudly wearing tefillin and sharing their daily selfies with their brothers. And to think it all began with a ‘chance’ conversation on a plane.

After Avrumi shared his story, he apologized, saying that Alon had been unable to join them for Shabbos. And then the curtain opened, and the hero of the hour—Alon Tal in the flesh appeared on stage, joining a surprised Avrumi for a bear hug to sustained applause.

“Is there a mike in the room?” Deadpanned Yossie Friedman, the Executive Director of Project Inspire. This was David’s cue to emerge, having driven in from Baltimore, to join his mentor Avrumi on stage. The two had never met before, and only exchanged selfies on the group. Would Avrumi recognize his surprise guest? Not to worry; it only took a moment, and the two embraced like old friends.

Yossie and the dedicated staff at Project Inspire had done it again, highlighting the ripple effect of a kind word and generous gesture toward a fellow Jew during a ‘random’ encounter, with everlasting results.

When you see something, do something. 

These iconic words—and their timeless message, was the theme of this incredible weekend, which, as the 1,000 plus participants can attest, was one of the most magical and poignant ever.

Under the dynamic direction of Founding Director Rabbi Chaim Sampson and Executive Director Yossie Friedman, Project Inspire has delivered their most successful convention yet. 

Participants were treated to several riveting talks by Rav Yisroel Meir Lau, the distinguished former Chief Rabbi of Israel, who miraculously survived Buchenwald as a little boy, rebuilding from the ashes. Rabbi Lau shared his impressions of the war in Eretz Yisroel and the achdus it engendered upon Jews from every walk of life.

Another special guest was the iconic Mordechai Shenvald, an injured tank commander who, despite having broken most of his ribs during the October 7 massacre, passionately played the violin before a rapt and cheering audience. 

One of the most moving surprises was the appearance of Shalom Shitrit, a heroic soldier who tragically lost his leg in a grenade attack during the battles on October 7. Shalom, who flew in from rehab in Eretz Yisroel to address the attendees, stood tall on his crutches to sustained applause that lasted several long minutes.

As Shalom expressed, “I am willing to sacrifice my right leg if this is what it takes to unite all of Klal Yisroel.” He stressed that the only way our nation can endure through these horrific times is through achdus, through caring for one another. 

Sivan Rahav Meir, and her husband, Yedidya Meir, a beloved Israeli power couple with their own radio show, addressed the crowd several times, sharing her journey of return, which she called the “most boring baal teshuvah story.” It began with a casual request from a stranger in Beer Sheva, a girl she met at a convention, who asked her to “come for Shabbos.” That first Shabbos was the harbinger of many more, and today she and her husband are raising their beautiful family who impacting tens of thousands of secular Israelis. 

When you see something, do something. 

This call to action, to see opportunities to connect with our fellow Jews at every opportunity, was repeated, over and over again, by some of the most fascinating and articulate speakers from around the world.  

Rav Ephraim Eliyahu Shapiro ‘knocked it out of the ballpark’ with his enduring message about the Asian woman who kept searching for herself—because she had no idea who she was! As always, Rabbi Steven Burg gave us a powerful rundown on the state of our fellow Jews, who, in the aftermath of the October 7 massacre, want to connect as never before. Mrs. Dina Schoonmaker and Mrs. Yaffa Palti inspired the women, while Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky and Rav Gav kept us laughing all weekend, spurring us to greater awareness. Rabbi Joey Haber’s concluding message about the three ways to connect with our fellow Jews summed up a spectacular weekend.

And of course, the overriding theme, “Take responsibility and take action,” has already created an impact, with a newly formed WhatsApp group where participants have begun sharing stories and successes. 

If you see something, do something. Never has this message been more relevant than this year, when our fellow Jews are yearning to connect, their hearts and emotions wide open.

What can we do that will make an enduring difference? For the over 1,000 people who attended last week’s Project Inspire convention, the answer is clear. All it takes is a smile, a kind word, a Shabbos invitation.  Your actions can have a ripple effect, not only on your newfound friend, but on his or her generations for eternity.

Project Inspire empowers committed Jews to take responsibility to create a vibrant and unified Jewish people by sharing the beauty and wisdom of our common heritage with fellow Jews. To learn more, visit www.projectinspire.com and to be a part of the movement of “When you See Something, Do Something,” sharing stories with other participants making a difference, and receive inspiring clips from the convention, join the WhatsApp group here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/Lyfc4mLfMjVEd5c23waSyW