How the activism of a Jewish mother, Roseanne, and her son, Jake, inspired me

In less than three days, the clock will strike “Jewish Midnight,” and the annual lease for the existence of the Universe will come to an end. At that point, The Creator will once again sit on his Throne of Judgment to decide whether to renew the lease for the coming year. During this time, The Creator will have all of humanity pass before him and be reckoned. It is the Birthday of MAN and WOMAN. On this day, which marks the same day when Adam and Eve disobeyed The Creator by eating from the fruit of the Tree of Good and Evil—a substance, a “drug”, that forever changed the makeup of humanity—the Jewish People, representing all of humanity, coronate The Creator as the King of all Creation. They plead for ten consecutive days, asking the Master of the Universe to renew the annual lease, thereby continuing Creation and infusing the world and humanity, both collectively and individually, with a happy, healthy, and sweet New Year and Year.

Hence, it is the nature of the Jewish nation to be involved in the world, continuously saving, maintaining, and bettering the universe. This inherent nature to change the world, to fight for Justice, Truth, and Decency, has manifested itself within the Jewish Nation as a whole and within Jewish individuals. A quick Google search of Jewish contributions to humanity reveals astounding innovations in morality, ethics, religion, philosophy, science, politics, technology, and the arts.

The nature of the  Jewish man, woman, and even child is to refine the world, improve it, and enhance it—to bring G-dliness to the world. Two such Jewish individuals are a mother and son, Roseanne Barr and her son, Jake Pentland. Over the past seven years, I have had several opportunities to discuss various issues with them, including G-d, Torah, Jewishness, Truth, Politics, and the drive to overcome the hurdles that block one from making the world a better place.

(Courtesy)

Jake Pentland and Rabbi Avi Schwartz (Courtesy)

For instance, I have been on a mission to help improve the bedrock of society: the family. As a teen and young adult when Roseanne first aired her show, I unknowingly was influenced by her sharp wit, characters, and portrayal of the working class, which brilliantly demonstrated how family and its proper functioning or “dysfunctioning” can make or break society.

Both Roseanne and Jake are fearless. Their past projects are now upgraded in their current podcast, “Roseanne.”

My movie/show, “The Quest – Get Back Your Ex,” aims to incorporate the Jewish concepts  of self-awareness, self-responsibility, familial loyalty, repentance, and redemption. Thanks to G-d, my show has achieved critical recognition in film festivals and has won awards. It’s a show about six broken lives, featuring three divorced couples who must undergo The Path Changer to come to terms with their weaknesses in order to become the person that The Creator had originally planned.

Roseanne and Jake’s drive to change the world inspires me to do the same. This drive aligns with one of the goals of Rosh HaShannah—the Birthday of Humanity—where each person reviews their past deeds or misdeeds and takes stock of themselves. They embark on their personal “Quest- “Get Back Your Ex“—their Ex-Self. This is the Self before the corrupting fruit of the Tree of Good and Evil invaded our mindset, before we lost our innocence, nobility, dignity, and our way.

Let Us recommit to ourselves, our families, our world, our mission, and, most importantly, to Our Creator.

May all of us be inscribed for a New Year and Year of Health, Wealth, Actualizing Our Potential, Peace, Sweetness, and Making the World a place where The Creator will decide to reside.