"They Told My Parents There Was a 50/50 Chance of Living or Dying, and I Can Only Imagine What They Went Through at That Moment"

Pleased to Meet You

"Asher Ben Abu, 39, married and father of three, lives in Mitzpe Dani, is a comedian and a member of the religious comedy group 'Underdos', an actor, and a stand-up comedian. In addition to this, I am also a musician, composer, and arranger, with a recording studio where I record families for family events and singers who want to release singles, etc. In short - never boring."

An Unforgettable Memory

"When I was in high school yeshiva, I became slightly ill around the month of Adar. At first, I thought it was nothing, but soon it became clear that I had meningitis and the bacteria really endangered my life. Due to the illness, I was hospitalized for ten days and then stayed at home for two more months. Although I missed the Purim events at the yeshiva and that saddened me greatly, when I returned, there was some comfort. During that time at home, I practiced guitar a lot — before, I was a real amateur player, but when I got back to yeshiva, all the friends saw how much I had improved and that I had become the best musician in the class. Moreover, this experience led me later in life to a rich musical career, and as a result, I studied music seriously. I saw firsthand how something amazing grew out of a crisis, something that probably wouldn’t have happened otherwise."

A Prayer I Won't Forget

"The prayers I prayed on the Shabbat of my Bar Mitzvah. I felt extremely festive, the whole event was focused on me, and I felt I was reaching a peak in my life."

A Longing I Won't Forget

"I have a strong longing for my grandmother who passed away while I was in the army. She symbolized home, comfort, and acceptance for me. We named our firstborn daughter after her. I sometimes imagine what my life would have looked like if she were still with us."

An Important Principle in My Life I Don't Forget

"In truth, it's a principle I tend to forget often, but I remind myself of it again and again, and I'm talking about waiting before reacting. Whether it's on social networks, in ideological arguments, on the road, etc., you just need to wait a moment before responding. I always need to remember that not all truth is with me, and that it's better to respond calmly and with a clear mind."

A Miracle I Experienced and Won't Forget

"As I said earlier, at age 16, I got meningitis, which truly endangered my life. At the time, my parents didn't tell me about the situation to avoid worrying me, but I later found out about it. Suddenly, one day I had a headache and vomited, and I thought it was nice because the next day I had a test and knew I wouldn't take it since I didn't feel well. This didn't go away even after the test, and I continued to feel weak, at some point I called home and informed my mother. Mom spoke to the counselor at the yeshiva who said to give me aspirin and take me to Hillel Yafe Hospital in Hadera, but with a mother's intuition, she felt something was wrong and came to take me to Tel Hashomer, where she worked."

"I remember being dazed on the way to the hospital and wasn't exactly sure what was happening, and after several tests, they decided to discharge me. Minutes before we left, a certain doctor saw us and said it didn't make sense for a guy my age to need his mother's help to walk, and he decided to keep me overnight for observation. At some point during the night, the vitals started dropping significantly, and my mom realized something was wrong and called the doctor who immediately took me to intensive care. After a few tests, they took a spinal fluid sample and told my parents I had bacterial meningitis, with a 50/50 chance of living or dying, and I can only imagine what they went through at those moments."

"I obviously had no idea what was going on with me, and I was still sure I'd take the test in yeshiva the next day as usual. Only later did I learn that I was in real danger, and so many people prayed for me to live, and thank Hashem, I recovered. I lost a lot of weight and faced several challenges for a period, like moving my body and having to rest for a long time, but thank Hashem, I got through it. Yes, for me, it was a miracle I'll never forget."

A Moment of Happiness I Won't Forget

When our firstborn daughter was born. I felt as though another room opened in my heart for love. It was something I had never felt before and didn't think I would feel. You feel as though you're expanding and a door to the love of a child opens."

Torah Study I Won't Forget

"I studied at the hesder yeshiva in Maalot, and the Torah studies there focused on deepening and revealing the inner layers of the Torah, which we call 'Torat Eretz Yisrael.' I remember it was something new for me, very applicable for the time and our generation. Kind of the call of the hour."

A Song I Won't Forget

'The King's Palace' by Bini Landau. I heard this song by surprise; I didn't know this singer or this genre at all. I didn't think I'd connect with a song titled 'The King's Palace,' but it swept me away and touched very deep points in my soul."

A Difficult Period I Won't Forget

"Not too long ago, the period of roadblocks and the shutdown of the economy in so many sectors due to their opposition to the reform, to the point where we were told to fill up our cars with gas because they were going to stop the supply from 'Pi Glilot.' This made me feel like the ground was simply slipping from under me."

A Dream I Haven't Fulfilled and Won't Forget Until I Do

"I have a dream I try to fulfill every day, which is to become as professional and good as possible in my fields. Both in comedy and in music. I always feel that I'm not there yet, that I can't rest on my laurels. I'm constantly looking for ways to learn more, to experiment, and develop in these areas to justify my work, and so I can be proud to justify the title 'musician and comedian.'"