I took a day or two to mull over the unbelievable conversations and accomplishments happening on this thread.

Yasher Koach R’ Eerie for being the fire, the heart and the blood pressure behind this powerful conversation!! You are a gift to us and to Klal Yisroel. 

Although I am late to the party, I would like to weigh in with some thoughts. And some take-away from this conversation, Halacha Limaasah. Hope yall don’t mind a drop of length here. 

Point 1.
My thinking is there doesn’t have to be a single proposal or plan of action as a take away . Everyone must and can make a difference in the way that he knows how. 

Seems like pretty much everyone  agrees that we want to try to reach the many people out there struggling who think they are the only lonely terribly twisted frum guy.

We want them to discover (GYE) the power of a community and the help they can get.

Each of us has ways to reach out. Not everyone has the capability to do or even should do what IWLR is doing. Or man a hotline. Or speak to a prominent Rav or Adam Gadol. Or talk to his talmidim or Rabbeim. But look what just a few guys have already accomplished!

The main question, I think, is for each of us to ask ourselves is “WHAT CAN I DO”. There is an answer that each one of us can learn. 

Point 2. 
Reaching the leaders. It has been surprising to many that some of the special people in Klal Yisroel’s leadership, who are sought after by many in crisis, don’t know what we do about how to help the many that (ought) to turn to them for help. Well, Chazal say אין חכם כבעל הנסיון , and for better or worse, that’s us.

So we need to share our experiences with them, so they can learn how better to help others. I think that’s a goal in and of itself. Each of us may have someone we are close to, who could benefit from us going out of our comfort zone and sharing some of what we know. This is  an independent proposal and a critical one. 

Point 3. 
Reaching the masses. 
I think that the aforementioned leaders, )if they truly are such) will have opinions and ideas about how to reach people within their communities. A hotline might be the greatest method for one group, while targeted advertising for GYE might be a better method for a different group. Retraining Chosson Madrichim and Mashgichim might be a third Mehalach… Change takes different forms when it’s awareness …

Point 4.
Thought of my own. Perhaps a (slightly rewritten and sensitized) version of IWLR’s sign be put on Yeshivaworld as a EFFECTIVE ad for GYE?!?

Fact is that I don’t really think their current ads are so effective.
And to address the crowd that has been discussed here recently - perhaps the GYE website can have a splash screen for people making initial contact that points people who don’t have regular access to a number to call, where someone can guide them, or to this hotline that’s being discussed….

Is there anyone here in talks with the “GYE top brass” ?

I personally think that  this proposal and approach is more important and effective than pushing  AI (which doesn’t talk to me at all) and the think it’s a lot more relatable in an advertisement… 

If GYE puts the letter as an ad in various places no one with be able to engage in the time-honored BMG sport of ripping down signs  

Looking for the breaking dawn, 
i am- 
Chaimoigen

eerie wrote on 16 Jul 2024 18:43:

There is a big difference between approving a sign and endorsing it. Did Rabbi Felder specifically say that you can write on the signs that he was asked and he approved?

An old man was walking along the beach one morning, after a wildly stormy night. As he was walking, he came across a young boy who was throwing starfish back into the sea one at a time. He asked the child, "my dear boy what are you doing"?
To which the child responded, "the sun is coming up and If these starfish don't get back into the ocean they will die. I MUST help them". The old man smiled, "My child, there are thousands and thousands of starfish strewn along the beach, you cant possibly make a difference, how many can you possibly save"? The child looked the old man in the eye, as he bent down and picked up another starfish. As he threw the starfish back into the sea, he said with a smile, "to THAT starfish I made a difference".

Moving on, Making progress.

I approached Rabbi Eliezer Gewirtzman this week and asked him how much he knows about guard your eyes. He responded very little. To which I said במחילת כבודך  that's nowhere near enough. ( To his credit he was very familiar with SA  ) I emailed him PY's Letter and IWLR's sign and we had a long conversation, which will Bez'h be continued. He is willing to get more educated about what can be done to help people who are struggling, AND he does know people who are struggling.

Make a difference in the world one starfish at a time!!

Today began a new edition of the BMG campaign...

It all began after I emailed מורי ורבי R' Hillel S. (the mechaber of TBOTG) about my signs in BMG. He was kind enough to send me back warm words of encouragement and I thought that that was the end of it. Recently, R' Hillel reached out to me with an offer. He was able to print up a stack of pamphlets which had the first two chapters of the book in them. He asked me if I'd like to try and put them out around BMG. After thinking about it a bit (mainly just making sure the BMG shaimos box wasn't big enough to hold that many pamphlets in case the "yanker" got any good ideas...) I agreed!

And so, this morning at about 7 AM, BMG was scattered with about 75 pamphlets. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera at home but had I brought it, it would've made for a nice picture in the Yated with the following caption - Large groups of Yungeleit and Bochurim in BMG deeply engrossed in a new kuntres.

Overall seems like there was quite an oilam checking 'em out!

WOW! JUST WOW!

iwannalivereal wrote on 09 Aug 2024 04:12:

What about The Mir?
We can't even BUY a copy here in EY!
I've printed out hundreds of pages on my home printer to give out to people who are calling me everyday , trying to get hold of a book....
Anyone able to help out please PM

Did anybody else notice the GYE add in some papers this week?

I had a great idea, if someone has $400 Maaser money lying around. Rabbi Orlofsky has a podcast that reaches around 20,000 people. It's called The Rabbi Orlofsky Show and it's on TorahAnytime, Youtube, and many other places, so it hits a wide range of audiences. If someone wants to put together a quick paragraph about GYE and then sponsor an episode for $400, it would reach A LOT of new people from all different places and types. I'm pretty sure they would run something about gye. (If anyone is interested in taking the zchus: www.rabbiorlofsky.com/sponsor)

Captain wrote on 12 Aug 2024 18:07:

Did you have the idea from listening to this episode, or is it hashgacha that he starts off (1:20-1:40) by quoting support groups "if I don't recognize that I have a problem, I'm never going to change it".
Tisha B’av - How Could It Be??? (Ep. 247) | Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky's Official Website (rabbiorlofsky.com)

GYE was on the back of the booklet from the Chafetz Chaim Heritage Foundation. Full page ad.
Great Coverage.

Captain wrote on 12 Aug 2024 18:07:

Any updates on this? 
I'd love to do it, but as a proudyungerman, money, ahem, isn't exactly so bountiful these days...
What if we would put an edited version of IWLR's letter?
chaimoigen wrote on 16 Jul 2024 21:52:


Any update on this?

Hoping these ideas don't just die...

Captain wrote on 12 Aug 2024 18:07:

Actually the Q and A can be sponsored for just $180. Near the end of each episode the Rabbi switches over to questions and answers and there is a new sponsor. Maybe someone could put one of the great letters we have seen on this and other threads (or a spin-off of IWannaLiveReal's sign).

Captain wrote on 20 Sep 2024 17:05:

any chance he can be shlepped on board yo do more than just 60 seconds?
R' meir simcha sperling maybe?

My best guess is that if someone sponsored a full episode he would talk about whatever they want

A quick update to the oilam:
We have been working on the phone line, met with rabbanim. We have a bunch of hurdles that we need to figure out how to surmount. Working on it. I'd rather not discuss here, so if anyone is interested in helping (no, no salary offered) feel free to reach out to the email in my signature.