Imagine if your safe haven suddenly turned into a war zone. That's the stirring reality of our guest, Yosef Lapko, an Israeli now residing in America. Yosef opens up about the frightening situation in Israel, shaking emotions as he details the devastating attacks by Hamas that have claimed over 1,400 lives and injured nearly 10,000. Growing up amidst the serene beauty and robust culture of Israel, he paints a vivid picture of the crisis, the incredible resilience of the Israeli population, and the ways we can lend a hand to the affected people in his homeland.
We will unpack practical guidance on identifying credible charities to support and how to safeguard oneself from fraud when making donations. This is not merely a podcast episode—it's a call to action. So tune in, let's rise together, become the carriers of change, and contribute in our own ways to reconstruct a devastated region. The world needs you. Will you respond to the call? Won't you be the change you wish to see in this world?
Connect with Josef Lapko on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
Season 1 Episode 6: Operation Christmas Child Here you’ll learn how to make an impact in the life of a child in need around the world as you hear from a child who was a recipient of such a selfless act.
Visit www.hollycurby.com for more information and to sign up for the monthly Holly's Happenings e-newsletter. Holly's Highlights podcast and the opinions and ideas shared within it are for entertainment purposes only. The advice should be confirmed with a qualified professional.
Imagine if your safe haven suddenly turned into a war zone. That's the stirring reality of our guest, Yosef Lapko, an Israeli now residing in America. Yosef opens up about the frightening situation in Israel, shaking emotions as he details the devastating attacks by Hamas that have claimed over 1,400 lives and injured nearly 10,000. Growing up amidst the serene beauty and robust culture of Israel, he paints a vivid picture of the crisis, the incredible resilience of the Israeli population, and the ways we can lend a hand to the affected people in his homeland.
We will unpack practical guidance on identifying credible charities to support and how to safeguard oneself from fraud when making donations. This is not merely a podcast episode—it's a call to action. So tune in, let's rise together, become the carriers of change, and contribute in our own ways to reconstruct a devastated region. The world needs you. Will you respond to the call? Won't you be the change you wish to see in this world?
Connect with Josef Lapko on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
Season 1 Episode 6: Operation Christmas Child Here you’ll learn how to make an impact in the life of a child in need around the world as you hear from a child who was a recipient of such a selfless act.
Visit www.hollycurby.com for more information and to sign up for the monthly Holly's Happenings e-newsletter. Holly's Highlights podcast and the opinions and ideas shared within it are for entertainment purposes only. The advice should be confirmed with a qualified professional.
Speaker 1:
Hi friends, welcome to Holly's Highlight, a podcast designed to encourage, inspire and equip you to intentionally live your life full of purpose. I'm your host, holly Kirby, motivational speaker, leadership cultivator, marketing strategist and personal cheerleader. Let's check out today's highlight.
Speaker 1:
We can live just about anywhere in the world right now and when we turn on the television, into the radio, read a newspaper or even see the covers of magazines while standing in the grocery store, checkout the devastation of what is happening in Israel to the Israelis and Palestinians. It's heartbreaking and, according to CNN, as of October 16th of 2023, the attacks by Hamas last week in Israel killed more than 1,400 people. Npr reported October 15th of 2023 that a little more than a week of war now in Israel and Gaza following the Hamas attacks in southern Israel are resulting in 2,500 Palestinian deaths and another 9,700 injured in Gaza. Now, to add to that heartache, 199 hostages were taken by Hamas, including the elderly and children. Cnn reports that the Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated places on earth 2 million people in a 140 square mile area. Reports from every news source speak the message that there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as the risk of starvation increases and yet the fuel to run power stations and therefore treat people in hospitals, decreases.
Speaker 1:
Now, of course, we pray for those who are under attack. I fully believe in the power of prayer, as we've unpacked this before on Holly's highlights in season three, episode five, but I also realized that, like many of you, we are longing for ways to practically help. Well, that brings us to our special guest today, yosef Lapko. And Yosef is from Israel. However, now he lives in Arizona and is a strategic consultant and locking visionary success and bridging knowledge gaps for effective strategic success. He has a global career spanning Russia, israel and the US. Yosef joins us today to share his heart for his people and help us get to know the people of Israel a little bit more, and then provide practical ideas and suggestions on how we can get involved in making a positive impact. Well, thank you, yosef, for being with us today and vulnerably sharing with us.
Speaker 2:
My pleasure, Hello everyone.
Speaker 1:
Now, what brought you to America and how long have you lived here?
Speaker 2:
So I've been living in the state in different places almost 10 years. We moved from Israel about almost 10 years ago, mostly because of a job opportunity. I mean, most of my wife's side are American, but I had a new job opportunity so we moved.
Speaker 1:
And tell me about your country and perhaps the area that you have come from.
Speaker 2:
As a you know generally, we raised our kids, our little kids, and I grew up in the center of Israel, not too far away from Jerusalem. You know, as we say, history, so imagine you're walking in streets that are 3,000 years of history. I mean it's funny to reference American history of 200 and 300 years. My car was parking and you know my class as a kid was 2,500 years ago structured. So it's definitely built you up in a little bit different perspective, knowing that you walking and the paths you know, you take a Bible or the Torah in your hands and you literally walking through the streets when our fathers and mothers used to walk. So it gives a little bit different perspective to any corner and any street that you live by. Israel has four seasons, has the most diverse country in the world, the most diverse food from all and taste and smells, and that's the beauty of this tiny place.
Speaker 1:
I love how you put that in perspective for us. So I get chills and goosebumps when you mentioned, you know, walking down the pathways and thinking that's where your forefathers were walking, and you're right comparing the two. It definitely puts it in perspective. So, thank you. Now you have friends and family still in Israel, Is that correct?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, israel is under a big shock and I think no Israeli that I know is not currently in a complete devastation. I don't think any Israeli right now doesn't know someone, or someone who knows someone, who been kidnapped, raped dead or I mean, imagine in the past three days you have over 1300 ceremonies. I mean it's not enough tears. I have hundreds of my friends are commanders or soldiers or reserves in the army. Being here is just spending your day between checking the news, which we're trying to avoid because it's just endless and trying to save and protect our kids from the footage that are out there in the social media, and just texting our friends. It's become a little bit funny, but you know it's been every few hours. I have like a group of my friends don't tell you still alive, still kicking right and knowing that at the same time, great friends of ours are falling down, and inheritably, but they are falling down.
Speaker 1:
Now, you mentioned that you are able to text, so there is communication pathways that are open for you to be able to reach your loved ones.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I mean, it's kind of in a very interesting position right now when, in one hand, we suffered, you know, like, imagine, we can compare. But imagine 9-11. It took the Americans almost six, seven months until they started and prepared their attacks against Bin Laden, and they took massive troops. So we kind of, in that area, imagine, for the population of Israel, this is 10, 20 times bigger than the 9-11. It's a tiny population, it's a tiny country, everybody knows each other. It's like the size of a small city here in the United States. Here Israel is just less than the size of the state of Arizona. So everybody has an uncle, who knows an uncle, and in one hand, a lot of people are shocked and the other hand, you can see amazing, amazing wake up call and amazing gathering together and amazing found raising globally, internationally, and we can speak more about it. But it's amazing to watch how hundreds of airplanes are flying in. I mean, that's probably the only country who, when you have a war, people are fighting to get back in, versus the other way.
Speaker 1:
So what are you hearing from? I mean, you shared with us the text message, but what are you hearing from your loved ones there in Israel?
Speaker 2:
People are. People are grieving, people are angry, people are sad, but it's beyond any sadness and people finally understanding, no matter which side of politically you are, people understanding that it cannot reach beyond this. That's the end game, more than that evil could not reach. So we in the very historical point of time, and the world is watching us, and it's time to choose side. If you are on the evil side or if you want light side and some people taking a very slow time to wake up. I think we all need to wake up, cold and be proactive, and each one can be proactive in many ways.
Speaker 1:
I think there's so much that we can impact in that white statement right there. What we can touch on specifically, though, is that last statement of different ways we can help, and there are so many listeners that are feeling helpless and wondering how they can help. So what are some areas that you suggest that you hear, either from your friends and your family, your loved ones that you're speaking with, who are there, or as well as just the connections you have that you're hearing? How can we get involved?
Speaker 2:
Sure. So there's many ways to get involved and I can touch quickly on some of them. First, to understand the situation that Israel is fighting on so many battles that are parallel at the same time. You know, compared to Pearl Harbor or comparing to 9-11, again America had no cap or limitation to act. On the other hand, unfortunately, israel has a very short time to act because the global impact and the global pressure are huge in any aspect, both in the international law, both in the social media fight, both in the universities and protesting and so on. So Israel is kind of stuck in a very complicated situation and there's thousands and hundreds of amazing people and we're doing their job in every areas that they could.
Speaker 2:
I personally involved with communication team that have a war room zone between Miami, new York, las Vegas, la and Israel. We have hundreds of volunteers 24-7. Since it started We've been transporting as far as I know that is was connected to me directly I think we reach over $7 million of donation and goods. We're talking about amazing hug and you can possibly think about from medical supply, tactical equipment, life-saving equipment and so on, anything that you can think about warm clothing, the odorans, I mean. We talk about 360,000 soldiers that stop their lives, their businesses, their wives, their kids, their startups in any stage, and they just understanding that this is the time to protect Not only for Israel exists, but it's it's. We've never been in that situation, probably not since the Holocaust.
Speaker 1:
Right.
Speaker 2:
So how we can help. We can help first to to be aware and not be silenced, and raise the awareness. I think just be there, understand the facts and and choose the sides of light. We can raise our voice. I mean some companies that are still still silenced. I mean, if a terror is holding is in his hand, as he's protesting on TikTok, as he's doing stuff that I don't want to mention here because of the age of our audience, but you go to TikTok and watch for yourself. If he's holding in his hand a zero Coke, then we raise our voice against Coca-Cola, and I have nothing against Coca-Cola or against Starbucks.
Speaker 2:
But again, if companies are not taking big corporations not taking a side I'm talking to so many influencer, I'm talking about the biggest corporation that we all know they need to step in and take a side and be proactive about their voice, same as they did with Ukraine, same as they did again and again. That's the time. Don't wait, don't sit on the sidelines and anybody who I think they're big, if you are part of corporation, don't let it pass by. Raise your voice and ask from your HR department or if your management or your leadership team to raise their voice. Second of all, I think people are in shock and it's time to embrace that, understand that people need support and everyone has a different tolerance level and we need to embrace that. As far as donations, it's going to be unfortunately a long journey and Israel acting in so many levels, I mean we can support Israel on the army facility and tactical gear and warm clothing and medication. We can support building up dozens of cities that been burned to ashes and destroyed.
Speaker 2:
I mean, again, people are we talking about thousands of people right now in hotels? It cannot sustain forever. They need to go back and rebuild their houses. And we're talking about tremendous expense and time. And I'm in touch with a hospital for special need who just collected another 300 kids in 24 hours. I mean, imagine what happens to a special need hospital that just taking one night special need. Who've been suffering from all that?
Speaker 2:
I don't want to mention here, but the stories are heartbreaking and on one hand, but on the other hand, we have you know, I don't know if you guys saw it online, but you have one guy sitting in the New York airport with Platinum American Express and he's paying for every guy or person who's showing proof that he's gone back to his unit I'm talking about already almost half a million dollars spent and he's keeping himself anonymous and he probably filled up with I don't know a few airplanes of people. So that's a story of one person and it's hundreds and thousands of them out there and again, I can recommend you know direct way to support. But it's so many great cause and so many great organizations that are out there and I think everyone should find the best way that suits his sole purpose.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely Now, abc was sharing that. According to an interview with ABC News, the executive director of UNICEF, katherine Russell, with her name, was sharing that they're deeply concerned right now with the lack of running water and electricity. So, as you're mentioning, hospitals and medical equipment and all of that, such an urgent need to be able to have things that are able to meet the needs without that electricity and be able to help those that are suffering right now in so many different ways, so many different ways. I love also how you speak of knowing the facts and knowing that each one of us is going to take things a little differently, interpret things differently, but finding the facts and then going from there and getting involved, that's great. Now some other practical things. I would add to that, if you don't mind. Is you mentioned donating to groups, to just different areas that can help support? And a note for our listeners the Federal Trade Commission does suggest typing in whatever nonprofit that you're looking at donating to, because again, times like this, unfortunately. I mean you nailed it when you mentioned Joseph that people choose the light or the dark, right, and it's been so interesting that you say that, because I'm just now doing personally my own Bible study in the book of John in the Bible, and it's talking about that how Satan is the prince on earth and yet God is the light. Hearing, you speak of needing to choose the light or the dark and what that looks like. I think that goes beyond in so many different ways, but again, we could get onto just so many different tangents, but I'm glad that you brought that up. And one thing that we look into, these different charities, is so many use this darkness, use these opportunities to hurt other people and in frotting them back to the Federal Trade Commission, they do recommend typing in complaint, review or rating or fraud or scam or something like that, along with that nonprofit, just to make sure that it is legit and see if anything pops up.
Speaker 1:
And then, of course, listeners. You've heard here before on Holly's Highlight, season 1, episode 8, giving Tuesday with Huntsman Cancer Institute was the title of that one and they talk about how to look for charities and watch for things that just kind of help you know if it's the right place to give to, a credible place to give to. And then, of course, there's Charity Watch or Charity Navigator that can help you learn about charities also. A few more things that I'll mention is CNBC reports that American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee they provide emergency services to victims in Israel. That would be a great one.
Speaker 1:
American's Friends of I'm going to probably say this wrong Megan David Adam, that's Israeli's Red Cross, and then Doctors Without Borders, of course, has its own medical program in Gaza for more than 20 years now, and Israel Aid, according to NPR, is the largest humanitarian aid organization in Israel. So forgive me for mispronunciating any of those, but some other great organizations that have been fully vetted and provide some different relief and support there as well. I also like Yosef, how you touched on rebuilding and how important that is. When life hits, when destruction hits, how important it is to rebuild. Last question that I'd have for you is our signature question, and that is if you could go back and encourage, inspire or equip yourself as a child, what would you say?
Speaker 2:
I think as a child, I encourage myself and I would definitely will if I had a chance to do it more and that's why I'm trying to do with my kids is understanding the facts, understanding the diversity being very large, educating of yourself and have a very strong shoulder and very strong back and know your identity, when you're coming from and, when you have a strong back, you know how to spend for yourself and for what you believe.
Speaker 2:
Good things to pass on to your kids, joseph, oh yeah, I think, if I can recommend, I think Jewish National Fund have a lot of summarizing, a lot of organization that can. That can really take you to different directions. And I think, lastly, you know less news and more facts. Is so many great people out there and is so many, unfortunately, fake news and propaganda that our people are playing with our minds and our nerves and our feelings and using any any way to take us to not hear the voice. That are between the cracks and the truth.
Speaker 1:
Yes, I appreciate how you're using your voice, as you mentioned earlier, encouraging all of us to do. I appreciate you taking the time to use your voice to share with us and inform us, share some of those facts and help us to know where to go, what to do, how many people connect further with you.
Speaker 2:
I think you can look me at josephlapkocom. The website is under some maintenance, but we'll be up again soon. Or LinkedIn again, Joseph Lapko, J-O-S-E-F-L-A-P-K-O. That will be the best way to connect me.
Speaker 1:
Great, perfect. Thank you again, yosef. I'm grateful for this time together and learning more and, of course, tangible ways to be able to help and be that change that we wish to see in this world.
Speaker 2:
Thank you, Thank you. Hopefully we'll be out of this situation and bring more lights in this world.
Speaker 1:
Amen. I'll leave us with a quote to ponder by former United States of America President George Washington, and that is to be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.
Speaker 2:
Thank you.
Speaker 1:
Thank you for joining me on this journey of life. I hope that today's highlight has been encouraging, inspiring and equipping so you can go out and live your life full of purpose. I'd be honored if you'd take a moment to leave a review or, better yet, subscribe. We can also stay in touch by joining my email list at hollycurbycom. That's H-O-L-L-Y-C-U-R-B-Ycom. Until next time, make it a great day for a great day.
