The Publicist Who Embraced Judaism: "I Lived a Lie"

When the wife of former party promoter Chaim Green started using a hot plate for Shabbat, he was still deeply involved in the showbiz of Eilat. However, it seemed that this was one of the significant steps pushing him to leave nightlife for a life of holiness. Today, known to the partygoers of the southern city as 'Lawrence', Green is a Torah-observant Jew who will soon publish a book - 'Choosing Life' - in which he tells the story of his life. "I lived a very big lie," he admits, "but I didn't understand it then. I thought I was 'having a good time'."

Green was once at the helm of grand productions in the city - a blend of livelihood and entertainment. On Shabbat, he would religiously watch Manchester United games, generally living the nightlife of Eilat. So, what led him to pause everything and try something different?

Chaim Green. Lives in Jerusalem and studies Torah

"It's all thanks to my wife's mother and her husband, who themselves turned to Judaism," Green recalls with emotion, "to this day I am grateful that from the moment they embraced Judaism, they never stopped 'nagging' us to keep Shabbat. My wife and I constantly tried to avoid it, until one Thursday, we heard a knock at the door. When we opened it, we were surprised to find that someone had left us a strange gift at the doorstep: a box with various Shabbat necessities, including a hot plate. Later we realized it was a thoughtful initiative from my mother-in-law."

How did you react when you saw the 'gift'?

"I told my wife, 'Let's keep one Shabbat, just to honor your mother'. I will never forget that Shabbat. Before, I wasn't interested in anything related to religion. I was born in London, and I lived for the Manchester United football team, so during that time, everything revolved around entertainment, parties, and nightlife."

His wife set up the hot plate, but the club life continued as usual. Days turned into nights, until the decision was made decisively: start seriously observing Shabbat. No television, no phones, no parties, nothing - just a lot of quiet.

And what prompted the change of perspective?

"Anyone familiar with nightlife knows that at some point, like it or not, the emptiness strikes you so hard and so unexpectedly that it forces you to ask questions. There's no escape. I lived a very big lie - but then I didn't understand it. I thought I was 'having fun'. When I organized huge parties of 3,000 people, I thought everyone came because of me, filling me with pride. Today I understand what a lie it was. No one really came for me. They came to see what perks they could get from me - 'give me a drink, let me in for free'. When you realize this, you understand you're alone in the battle. When it hits you in the face, it's like a blinding light. You can't see anything except the lie."

You Will Never Walk Alone

Green was born and raised in England. He moved to Israel and married Natalie (now Esther) from Eilat. Today the couple has five children, aged between ten and seven months. In his teenage years, he experienced tragedy when he lost his mother to cancer. His father, who remained alone and never remarried, still lives in London. "It's interesting to note that every time my father called me from London, I would ask him briefly about his well-being and then immediately switch to talking about football," Green recounts. The relationship with his father was for many years centered around their mutual support of the Manchester United football team. "For 40 whole minutes of our conversation, we would talk only about football. That was all that interested me then."

Chaim Green before his journey to Judaism.

After keeping one Shabbat, Green felt he wanted more. It did his heart so much good that he decided to start putting on *tefillin* every day. Of course, over time, this only intensified. One day it just happened - I erased all my admiration for football. In an instant, I suddenly grasped myself and realized it gave me nothing and was worth nothing. Who cares if the ball goes into the goal or not? People who knew me closely and knew how into it I was pat me on the back and say, 'Well done'. But I see no honor in it. Does anyone say 'well done' to a person for being honest and not stealing? No. Why not? Because that's how it should be. It's your duty as a good citizen, it's your morality. It's my obligation to keep my soul from things that aren't good for it. Today, when I talk to my dad, the same 40 minutes I invested in talking about football, I invest in talking about Torah and reinforcement."

Green recalls a particularly moving situation he experienced with his father: "At the beginning of my journey of return, even my father, who doesn't keep Torah and commandments, said to me: 'Only good can come from it', regarding the path I chose. After some time of my strengthening, he visited the country. We were sitting in the living room, the whole family in full composition, and then I turned to my father and said: 'Dad, do you know what I learned today? That my repentance credits my late mother and raises her to better worlds. I'm happy I can do something for her'.

To my surprise, my father replied in a thoughtful and serious tone: 'The question is, what is she doing for you?' I didn't understand what he meant until he bothered to explain it to me. It turns out that on one of his visits to me before I returned, he realized I was in terrible distress and discovered that his son had turned from a strong and knowledgeable man to a broken vessel. 'I really wanted to help you,' he said to me, 'but I didn't know how. So when I returned to London, I went to your mother's grave, cried like a child, and asked her to help you'. When I heard my father's words, I was deeply moved, but I didn't want to cry in front of him so as not to sadden him, so after a few moments, I slipped into a small room and began to cry."

From Party Publicist to Holy Book Publicist

It's unclear what preceded what, whether the father's prayers at the mother's grave or an internal clear process, but a month after the father's prayers, Lawrence began to approach Judaism at the age of 39. It wasn't easy. Initially, he continued with nightlife, parties, and clubs. "I would come to a party with a kippah on my head and a hat over it, so as not to draw unnecessary attention," he recalls, "so no one would discover my secret. I didn't have the patience for people's questions". Over time, not only did he decide to remove the hat and reveal the secret beneath it, but he even completely abandoned his involvement as a party promoter, much to the surprise of his colleagues, who predicted a bright future for him in the field.

How did your wife react to this step?

"Luckily, she decided to support me and even took it upon herself to cover her hair on Shabbat, although she prepared me in advance that there's no way she's getting close to Judaism. After a few months, she suddenly decided she didn't want to cover her head, not even on Shabbat. I was furious and started arguing with her. I didn't understand then that such things, which are so essential to a person, have to come from within, with joy and personal desire. Only when I learned to let go, and it wasn't easy, did she wake up one day with her head covered. I was sure she was confused, as it wasn't Shabbat, but she wasn't. She made the decision courageously after dreaming about her grandmother. It turns out that the grandmother had great sorrow in the upper world because she wasn't covering her head, and the dream left a significant impact on her. From that day, thank God, that head covering hasn't left her head."

Currently, Green leads a strictly Orthodox lifestyle. He left Eilat, moved his family to Jerusalem, and divides his time between Torah study and working as a holy book distributor while writing his debut book, 'Choosing Life', in which he recounts his fascinating life story.

When asked if he doesn't have any 'little escapes' to the past, any longing for people or things from the world he left, he answers resolutely: "Since I live today the ultimate truth, it's not even a challenge for me. At the start of my return, maybe. There was a period when I received calls from the press and radio asking me for interviews, and it was very tempting. However, after consulting with my rabbi, the matter was completely off the table. Only later did I see that my rabbi's advice was for my good, but making the decision was very difficult for me because I lived on that fame."

His book 'Choosing Life' is slated, b"ezrat Hashem to be published on Chanukah. "There were and still are many obstacles to writing this book," he shares, "amid all the good I've been blessed with, there are also significant challenges that every Jew is tested with in one way or another. Whether in livelihood, in marriage, or health. Not long ago, I unfortunately experienced a stroke that affected my vision to such an extent that I lost skills I was used to, like driving. Since then, I suffer from lack of balance, dizziness, and other side effects.

"I think my book is intended for everyone. I've been writing it for almost two years now, and I feel it can strengthen many people who are in places I was in or experience what I felt. It's not just a pure biography but hints related to everyone, touching everyone's deepest and most private places. The book isn't meant to serve as a tool for me to offload the experiences I went through but as a tool to empower others through those experiences. And even if only one person is strengthened by my story and derives even one small lesson from the book that helps in their life - that is my reward. I do not need anything more."