Oded Menashe: "Everyone Asks Eden for Blessings, Never Me"

Relationships are complex, especially when one partner consistently receives more attention than the other. This becomes even more challenging when dealing with public figures accustomed to public attention. Oded Menashe shares insights about this, offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse into his joint performances with his wife, Eden Harel. "Often, after our show ends, women approach us to talk about the performance and how much it helped and strengthened them."

"It usually ends with them asking Eden for a blessing, putting her in great embarrassment since she always insists she's not a rabbi and can't bless. The women don't give up, and at that point, I usually intervene, half-smiling, offering to bless them myself if they'd like," Oded adds.

According to him, only after much persuasion does Eden agree, but only if they also agree to bless her. "I really try and want to bless," Oded says with a smile, "but everyone asks Eden, never me. So, I don't end up giving blessings, nor do I receive any. But that's okay in a way because Eden ultimately receives all the blessings in the world for all of us."

Watch a short clip from the show:

"We Wanted to Stop and Understand What Happened Here"

There's no need to introduce Oded Menashe and Eden Harel. Both have rich careers in Israeli culture, and in recent years, they have become key figures in the thriving world of return to faith. The couple has six children and lives in Ramat Hasharon. They engage in various activities, together and separately. One of their main focuses over the past two years has been their joint show, which has gained popularity across many diverse audiences nationwide.

"Honestly, the story of how this show was born is quite interesting," says Oded. "Two years ago, someone was dedicating a Torah scroll in Ramat Hasharon. A nice, wealthy man I know from the synagogue approached me one day, asking if Eden and I would perform. I told him that while we host and do many things, we don't perform with our material, nor have we ever done that.

"He insisted, saying it shouldn’t be complicated. He suggested we just go up for half an hour and talk about ourselves and our experiences. It was all very strange, and I didn't see how it was related to a Torah scroll dedication, so I said it didn’t seem fitting. He asked if it was about money and assured me it wasn’t an issue for him. I said no and promised we’d think about it. In the end, we decided to go for it. I told Eden to talk about her grandmother, and I'd talk about things that happened to me, things that happened to us together, and just see where it takes us."

So, how did it go?

"We just wanted to get it over with, share a few stories, and move on. But Hashem apparently had other plans. Two minutes into the show, Eden and I were in shock. The show was on the lawn at the man's house. People were sitting on low beach or lawn chairs, and suddenly we noticed people before us just collapsing, quite literally, onto the grass with laughter. We did it as friends, voluntarily, but I suddenly felt like I was at least Israel Katorza. People stood up and clapped.

"When we got home, after a flood of compliments we received at the end of the event, we realized something happened. We experienced a shock like never before, and we wanted to stop and understand what had happened. We saw the potential for something big and good for others and ourselves, so we decided to take this thing, which until now was small, here a story, there an improvisation, and take it seriously and just write the show properly."

From there, according to Oded, things moved very quickly, developing into dozens of performances, most of them sold out, in many different places around the country. "Immediately after it happened, friends of ours who have a place called 'Shamayim' in Tel Aviv invited us to perform. We decided to go for it, saying maybe in Ramat Hasharon people laughed and enjoyed because most were friends who knew us, but it was worth seeing how the show fared in a more foreign place.

"And what can I say? The place was packed, and in terms of laughter and feedback, it was even more than Ramat Hasharon. The audience was in hysterics. From there, it took off even more. We were invited to perform in Uman, community centers, and for groups in Eilat. All happened by itself, in a wonderful divine providence. We really did nothing. We received orders for many shows in advance, and as time went on – naturally, the performance tightened and became better.

"When that happened, we felt it was the right time to move forward a step further, so we decided to open up a box office, meaning to publicize the show and invite people to buy tickets. For this, I spoke with one of the most talented and sought-after writers in the country. He writes stand-up for all the big names. We wanted to improve the show more, so I invited him and some close friends to watch the show and suggest what could be improved.

"Besides seeing them tear up at large parts of the show, the writer approached me at the end and said: 'This is my livelihood. I don't like skipping work. But there's just nothing to touch. I can write you more material, but you don't need it.' Even the friends we invited, whose opinions were important to us because they are secular, and the show deals a lot with topics related to Judaism, loved it greatly. The first show was at Beit Zioni America, then in Ra'anana, Givat Shmuel, and more. Every show was sold out a week in advance. Since then, there have been ten open performances.

"Beyond this," adds Oded, "the show is a great joy for both me and Eden. We've performed so many times in our lives, but it was always with other people's material. I don't remember enjoying something I did so much in my life, and it's really a surprise for us. It was a gift from the heavens. Incidentally, at first, most of the audience was religious or returnees to faith. When we thought of opening a box office for a secular crowd, Eden said it wouldn't work, that it wouldn’t speak to them. But we were surprised to see secular people actually enjoyed it even more. That's why it's so important to me that it succeeds, that people come. Before every show, I'm very concerned about how it will go. It has become such a strong part of my life that I can't understand how we managed without this show." 

The Truth? It's Not For You

Naturally, as expected with a well-publicized return to faith of one of the country's most famous and beloved couples, their transition became well known to many. It's precisely for this reason that it's interesting to hear about the deeper processes happening within. "In this story, Eden leads, without a doubt," Oded confesses. "She is the spiritual leader, and I follow her."

How do the children experience the process you are going through?

"In this matter, you need to divide it up. Eden and I have five children together, and Eden has another son, Noam, from her previous marriage. Noam is now 15, and I can definitely say his life is split. Noam was ten years old when we started getting closer to faith and indeed lives in two worlds. He leads both a religious and secular life parallelly. For instance, he has both secular and religious friends. However, I believe he will eventually make the right choice.

"In any case, with the other kids it's a completely different story. They were born into this, so all five are very much inside of it. I'm very happy about the childhood we can offer them. The first time I saw a page of Gemara was at 45. To me, religious people were weird folks from Bnei Brak throwing stones. Black, crazy, primitive people who believed in a god who says no-no-no. I mostly pitied them. I didn’t understand the depth. I didn't see the beauty. Once I read 'Path of the Just'? A 'Letter from Elijah'? Maimonides? Nahmanides? Today I see both worlds, and I can choose.

"By the way, I believe even our younger kids will know in some form about the world we came from. Life different from what they were raised with. Even if they don’t fully know, then more or less. After all, we live in Ramat Hasharon, and there will be no choice. I believe that in any case, we must choose light and goodness."

By the way, has the return to faith prevented you from roles you wanted or other professional development?

"Honestly, not at all. We performed, for example, on Channel 24 and Keshet, and I actually saw there was a lot of embrace and acceptance. It's also very interesting to see a colorful couple connecting to Judaism. However, we were very worried about how it would look on TV. We didn't know how an audience not connected to Judaism would relate to our content, and we're happy to discover repeatedly that most people connect and love it.

"Beyond that," Oded adds, "not only does it not block us, it actually opened new channels for us, both literally and figuratively. I'm not just talking about Hidabroot and Channel 20. It brought us many things I didn't plan. Besides, what does it matter to my employer that I observe Torah and mitzvot? If I'm hosting a quiz show on a Wednesday, why does it matter that I have six kids at home and observe Shabbat? My employer needs from me is the quiz development, the idea, the good hosting. Why would it matter to them if I go to the synagogue on Shabbat?

"More so, I can say that many people are interested in Torah and mitzvot, and they ask me, for example, 'What happens during your Shabbat? Tell me how it goes, how it really is.' And I often tell them: Forget it, it's not for you. It's suitable for me, not for you.' And it lights them up. They ask over and over. I keep saying it's not for them. Of course, they ask again, and when I see they're really interested, I start to tell them how wonderful, special, and good it all is. Then these things penetrate the heart, and thank Hashem they have an amazing impact."

The next show of Eden and Oded will take place on Sivan 19 (June 2), at 21:30, at the Cameri Theater in Tel Aviv. For tickets, call: 03-5745005