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The rest of the time, I'm having fun. Now I have time to study.
If you remember, my mother, who named me Tiberius, She is Romanian. I'm Tiberius, King of the World. But if I have no academic degrees, I'm just a total waste. Not even worth talking to.
Auntie Punia has a son up there who knows.... Anyway
As I have time now, I find in La Jolla, a charming borough of San Diego,
a special executives program, as I did not have the patience for a 4-5 years long program anymore
a special program for a Masters degree, which I am not sure that exists in Israel, a Master of Science in Financial Services
The difference between this program and the CLU is just one course
and with the fire in my belly burning for Israel
and it's just one other course different from the CFP. They have anything in the world.
The difference is that this is really a Maters Degree and is awarded as such.
I had the chance to do my Masters Degree in 2 years and it was great, as it went very well.
My personal Israeli reversal happened in 2006
At that point, when my mind was at ease
During these 5 years I settled down, got married, divorced. Everything was in its right place
This is when God sends the Lebanon war. As for every other Israeli, all my emotions flare up and the feelings of having a mission in life.
I don't know what to do. I can't come to serve in the reserves, but I need to do something.
My dear wife makes the connection to the "shaliach" (emissary) at the Jewish Federation.
We meet, and I tell him: Eyal, his name is Eyal Dagan, Eyal, what do I do?
What can I do to help you? Tell me what to do. How can I help Israel? Let's do something.
Oh, he says, we stared without you, but you can join us: we're raising money.
I join him, and we begin to tour the area and meet all the crème of the crop, the richest and most wonderful people in San Diego.
We raised about $7.5 millions that went straight to Israel!
Just so you understand, there is a section here; do you know Qualcomm?
Qualcomm is the company that invented the CDMA technology for cellular.
It's located in San Diego, and was established by two Jewish engineers; one that owns the patent, and the other; one is Vitebi and the other is Jacobs.
Vitebi stands up at this fund-raiser and says: my family, and me we will match any sum that is raised here.
Another man stands up, pay attention to this, and he says: you hosted me three years ago, when I arrived in San Diego, and I owe you for your hospitality.
I am not sure you will be happy about this. He took out his checkbook, wrote a check for $1 million, and handed it to him.
We had $2 millions before we even got started. So that was fun.
What followed from that point on is what usually happens when you start to give.
What happened was that I, with the free time God gave me
from there, as we say in English:
(translates into Hebrew) You can't see the picture, if you're in the frame.
I had to get to San Diego, angry at Israel, to suddenly have all my emotions surface
We raised money, and since we were such a good team, he said they have an Israel Committee at the Jewish Federation
In every large city there is a Jewish Federation.
I was asked to join the Israel Committee. I said: Fantastic! Let's do it. I joined.
Here comes the "Israel at 60", and the Israel Committee members elected my wife. Tami, and me to chair the committee.
We worked with the whole community the whole year. About 60 events
We get acquainted with everyone, and we're pushing forward for Israel
I stand on various stages, and I tell those people that in Judaism when we talk about a life span, it's until 120
We're talking here about a 60 years old state. It's not a teen ager yet. Can you even understand?
I ask, and the American Jews say they do. Do you know what a teen ager is? Someone who acts as if he is already independent, who also kicks a bit
But look at his grades! Look at the grades! He is a genius.
And he judges himself. Stop passing judgment on him. He knows how to do it on his own.
I go around like this, and all of a sudden it seems I represent Israel, the Israel I was angry at.
I go around giving them the marrow of my bones on this issue.
What you see in this picture is the flag event, the concluding event for all the 60th year events in San Diego.
At that time I also served as the Vice President of the Jewish American Chamber of Commerce in San Diego.
This event combined both the concluding event, our Gala event, and for the 60th year. We invited Jacobs, one of the partners at Qualcomm, to receive a "Corner Stone" Award.
As it was also the event for the 60th anniversary, we invited my good friend, Tal Brody, to come from Israel and receive the same award as an Israeli.
Indeed, he came and we gave him the pleasure and he did us the honor and the pleasure to have him with us.
At this same event I was elected, actually I was not elected there, but this was where it was conferred on me - the Chairmanship and Presidency of the Jewish American Chamber of Commerce in San Diego.
This is a chamber of commerce like any other. It assists business people to develop their business and their potential, to communicate and network
All in a Jewish atmosphere. It's not strictly for Jews. We have quite a number of non-Jews.
They come in order to work with Jews, to get acquainted with Judaism.
We have events in connection to the Jewish Holidays
Sometimes we have events at Synagogues, where the Rabbi will give a talk about business and Judaism, and how business appears in Judaism.
It's very nice.
This is just funny, as they printed the following day
That was before Obama. I don't think he is Jewish.
We got to the point where I am so respectable, and God is spoiling me all through it
In the process, I forgot about my own body and myself.
As I told you, I quit smoking in 2001, in order to become a real Californian.
and I started eating like the Americans. Those of you, who have visited America, know what I mean.
The All American breakfast consists of a pile this high of pancakes, covered in syrup, and topped with eggs and bacon
And it never ends. You can get as much as you wish. Your prize - you can die of it.
You can see me here. The story has a happy end. This is a picture taken last year.
What you see here is at the Israel Independence Day in San Diego. At one of the stands I meet the Oceanside Chabad Rabbi.
What a nice guy. He asks me to put "tefilin" with him.
It's just one week since the doctor has called me in to tell me that my diabetes is out of control, and I should start pocking my finger twice a day.
and I have to double my medication. He changed my medication each year.
I started with Cholesterol, and then blood pressure, and then diabetes, then doubled the diabetes medication, now pricking my fingers
The moment he said that, I always say:
I was ready. Just like Maslow's pyramid, about his hierarchy of needs
I fall hard from the highest spiritual level and crash on the floor. I tell the doctor I think I'm going to die.
Good morning, he says. If you continue the same way, it will be insulin next year.
What do I do? He put me on a certain program, talked to me, explained that I will like it
You will never be hungry, and you do not need to exercise at all at the beginning.
It really works this way. I'm not going to speak about it now; this is a different story 00.08:30 The interesting part is that my wife became a coach on the program. She also lost about 38 lbs and I lost 70 lbs.
I did it. Even that. I'm telling you all this because at the end of the day, you are those in charge of your life.
You know it. You can do anything, but everything is done through pain.
Even this hurts. This was last May, gentlemen. It was through pain. Just last May.
By November I reached my weight goal.
One month ago, look; exactly one month ago, I was sitting on the smallest island of Hawaii
Lanai. the least known. There are 3000 inhabitants that work only in the hotels
The center of the city looks like a village in 1922. I sit there, I get up on the stage, and these people you see here in those Hawaiian shirts are the President and 2 Vice Presidents of the company
They bestowed on me an award as one of the top producers, as it says on the logo
I step down, and I say to Tami: Tami, behold where we are and where we came from.
Behold. I would not have been able to do all this, had I not grown up there on the beach of Haifa.
Had I not met Ram, and climbed on his shoulders
and on Sherman's shoulders, and Kahal's shoulders, and all these great mentors' shoulders