Rabbi Manis Friedman of Brooklyn, New York – author, counselor and YouTube presence – made a sold-out appearance in Wilmette for two consecutive days starting on Friday, Feb. 9.
Friedman spoke at the Chabad Center for Jewish Life and Learning in Wilmette. Friday was the Shabbat dinner event which included a candle lighting and prayer service as a welcoming Shabbat.
Friedman’s Friday address was “Is There Any Hope To The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict?” A children’s program was also provided during Friedman’s Friday night speech.
Ruth Gilbert of Evanston, a Friday night attendee said about Rabbi Friedman, “I’m excited to hear him…and I’m excited to come.”
Joseph Jaeger of Lincolnshire, also a Friday evening attendee, said about Friedman, “I’m very interested in hearing his take on the world in Israel.”
On Feb. 10, Friedman’s 11 a.m. sermon explored ways to fulfillment and peace with oneself in the pursuit of a sustainable meaning of life.
After Saturday lunch, Friedman discussed the Jewish identity in a post Oct. 7 world. Last Oct. 7 was the date recognized by many to be of the dire Hamas invasion past Israeli borders.
Friedman started his visit with attendees on Friday with personal greetings in the atrium of the Chabad Center.
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, Friedman’s message about love and intimacy resonates with a belief that true intimacy lies within marriage.
“The relevance of intimacy today is that it’s missing, painfully missing,” Friedman told Pioneer Press.
This includes emotional and physical intimacy, Friedman said.
“You can’t really have one without the other. Either you go beyond the surface, or you don’t,” Friedman said. “Whether it’s emotions, or intellect or physical.”
He theorizes that intimacy is a natural part of humanity.
“It’s not idealistic, it’s not religious, it’s not pious, it is simply a human need whereas artificial relationships are not,” he said. “Sex is not a need, unless it’s intimate because it’s the intimacy that is necessary.”
The breaking down of intimacy has been occurring for decades and has been worsened by the onset of social media, Friedman advocates.
“It killed it, it killed it,” Friedman said, about how social media impacted intimacy.
He argues with things shifting virtually, relationships and love have gone in the same direction.
“We’re very alone,” Friedman said, sounding worried. “We’ve been trained, we’ve been brainwashed into thinking that free love is sophisticated.”
Friedman argues sex without intimacy and emotional intelligence degrades the human being and loneliness is more dangerous than even COVID-19.
“It goes against our truest nature, because, as God said, it is not good to be alone, and if you don’t have an intimate connection, you’re alone,” he said. “Whatever it takes to not be alone, we have to achieve that.”
Regarding last Oct. 7 when the ongoing conflict began, Friedman said committing to a “we’ll do anything” to get hostages back mentality only encourages the further taking of hostages.
“You’re not safe when you take hostages. You’re in more danger,” Friedman said. “The more good information we can get out there, the better the world will be.”
Senior Rabbi at Chabad Center Dovid Flinkenstein of Wilmette said gathering together and bringing joy to the world is what’s most important.
“Joy comes from doing good,” Flinkenstein said. “Joy comes from inspiration. Joy comes from a better perspective. Finding the goodness, it’s important to do that.”
Associate Rabbi at Chabad Center Moshe Teldon of Wilmette believes the world is hungry for timeless messages like those of Friedman.
“I think people are ready to hear truth,” Teldon said.
Marsha Cohen of Glenview, an attendee, offered this perspective.
“The only thing that I can tell you is, we need peace in this world,” Cohen said. “We need to all get along as one and not worry about racial tensions in this world. We need to all get along.”
Karie Angell Luc is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.
