The Eric Metaxas Show - #78 - Alison Cheperdak

Episode Date: March 19, 2026

Today On The Eric Metaxas Show, Eric talks with Alison Cheperdak about etiquette, awkward social moments, handshakes, dinner manners, weddings, and the simple habits that make people feel respected. He also checks in on the war in Israel with an update from Magen David Adom and shares how listeners can pray and support lifesaving emergency work. Subscribe for clips from The Eric Metaxas Show to hear politics and culture from a Christian perspective.

Hey there, folks. Welcome to today's program. I don't know about you, but I take etiquette very, very seriously. In a moment, my guest today is the author of a book on etiquette. She actually teaches etiquette at the White House. I'm not making that up. But before we go to my first guest, I want to remind you an important sponsor on this program, metaxusgoldira.com. These are friends at Genesis, Gold. I take this very seriously, not just the fact that they're a sponsor, but I believe in what they do. Please visit metaxis gold IRA.com. I don't need to tell you why I think you know metaxis gold IRA. com. Thank you. Hey there, folks. Welcome. I love etiquette. And so I leapt at the possibility of having today's guest on the podcast. Her name is Allison Shepardack. She's written a new book called Was It Something I Said, Everyday Etiquette, How to Avoid Upward Moments, Et cetera, Alison, welcome.

Thank you. I'm delighted to be here. I really do love etiquette. Now, you actually teach etiquette at the White House. I do. You do? Yes. How did you get a gig like that, Allison? I worked in the White House in President Trump's first term. I worked in the West Wing as assistant staff secretary, and etiquette was something I was always very interested in. It started when my husband and I were engaged to be married when I was 22 years old, and I had all these wedding etiquette questions that I didn't know the answer to. So I got myself my first etiquette book, thinking that I would just turn to the pages that had the answers that I was looking for. And I found myself reading that first book cover to cover and countless books since then. And at the time, I was working as a

television news reporter and anchor. And then I went to law school and I'm practicing law. and then I'm working in government, and I continued this independent study. I ended up getting a certification in British and North American etiquette just for my own personal growth. British and North America, that's extra credit etiquette. That's, I would think. That's really, that's an extraordinary idea. But so I'm interrupting you. So you got a degree in etiquette.

Yeah, a certification through a program that offers it in the U.S. and in Britain. And then I was around other people that had these thriving etiquette businesses. And so I saw proof of concept specifically on social media. And I started posting at the time I was working as executive director at the March for Life full time and very happy. And while I was there, I started posting on the side. And it started resonating with an audience pretty quickly to a point that I was getting speaking engagements and eventually got a book deal. You play your cards right. You'll get a shot on the Eric on Taxis Show podcast.

That's in the future. Keep in mind. That's it's not easy. No, but honestly, I love etiquette because it's sort of like, I guess part of the reason I love it is because in my lifetime, people have drifted away from the idea that there's right and wrong. And I think there's a renewed hunger for it. People want to know, why would I do this or why would I do that? So, I mean, what's the first thing you say to someone, because I think there's, to someone who is averse to the concept of etiquette, what do you say to somebody who's hostile to the very idea that they should, you know, know which fork to use, for example? So it's not all about forks.

It's about recognizing that there's dignity in every human person because of who you are and that we show that dignity through respect. And etiquette tells us how to show that respect in various scenarios. Okay, now my first real question to you is, are you pregnant? No. No, okay, good. You start your book with that chapter. Talk a little bit about that because I found it very funny.

So I talk about a mistake that I've made, and my first line is something like, if you remember nothing else from this book, do not ask a woman unless you are absolutely positively beyond a shadow of a doubt certain if she's pregnant, because it's one of those questions that no one really wants to be asked. And so it's an example of being considerate and realizing that our words matter and that we should really be thinking, especially before we're asking some of these more sensitive questions of someone, particularly about their bodies. Clearly, if they're not pertinent. Yes. Right. Yes.

Well, let's just start with, I'm fascinated with the idea that you teach etiquette in the white house. house. Yes. You know, when we, even when we think of that, what do we mean? What are the, what are the categories? It's not just which fork to use, although I do want to talk about that. But when you, you know, the idea of teaching it into White House, how does that work in a place like the White House that they would have?

Are there, I don't know, weekly briefings where you point things out? So the way that it works is they have a really robust internship program where in the first week or so, I teach a seminar, and it's largely focused on business etiquette, so everything from, like, how do you introduce yourself, how do you shake someone's hand, elements of protocol that they should know within an organization such as the White House? We do cover things like dining etiquette so that they can feel confident. Washington is also a place where there's lots of receptions and networking and things that happen along those lines. So we talk about, like, how do you talk about yourself or how do you express your interest in a certain area?

or subject matter, things like that, and just what it means to be a real consummate professional and be confident because while there may be some folks who join the White House that don't have a sense of decorum or composure, many of them, most of them are extremely earnest and they want to do a phenomenal job. And the White House internship program is such that many of them do go on to become full-time employees in the White House or other parts of the administration. So it's like teaching them from the very beginning when you start. Well, there's certain things like this that will carry you through your whole life.

It's not something that ever goes out of, you know, penmanship, typing. There's certain basics that you'll have them forever. Okay, so if I'm seated at a dinner and I don't know the people to my left or my right, what are my obligations what how how should I how should I approach that because I I do find I really have a very difficult time with what's called small talk you're not alone many people feel that way and if you're seated at a dinner you have a duty as a guest to be hospitable so everyone needs to be hospitable in some sense whether they are the host or the guest and if you are the guest or you're seated somewhere, you want to be talking to both of the people who are seated beside you

or everyone that you can see at your table. Sometimes you're at a very large table. And it's helpful to go to events or just go about life with some things that you're ready to talk about. So things that you generally want to stay away from when you're first getting to know someone are like money, sex, politics, religion, and health status. But that leaves plenty of room. Money, hell, let's go over this list. Money. Sex. Sex. Politics. Politics.

Religion. Religion. And health status. I would give you pushback on that a little bit, but as a general rule, I'll accept it. So what does that mean money, sex, health, did you say health status? Yes. So when I say health status, I mean like you don't need to tell everyone about your visit to the doctor or even like talking. talking about your diet over a meal. Like if you're, say, you're at someone's home and they make

a wonderful spaghetti dinner and then you go on about the benefits of your low-carb lifestyle, that's the kind of thing that you want to avoid. That's considered rude. But it's so funny though, because it's, it is a basic thing, right? I think what I, one of the things I like about etiquette is that there are principles involved. It's not random weird rules. There are principles involved. You mentioned hospitality, kindness. I mean, those are the principles behind it. And so it's not all, I have to memorize rules or this, I have to use the spoon in this way,

but there's a reason for it. So in the White House, you're dealing with interns mainly? Mainly, yes. Okay. Right. And young people, they may have grown up in a home where they didn't learn any of this stuff. Right.

So where do you start? I start by teaching them how. how to introduce themselves. I start by talking about the hierarchy within the White House and their role there. I also tell them to remember that their role models, even if they don't feel like it, because there's many people around the country that would love to have an opportunity like they're having today being an intern at the White House and having access to things. We talk about discretion and that just because something isn't classified or doesn't require a clearance doesn't mean that it's appropriate to be sharing with people that

don't work at the White House. So we talk a lot about dealing with sensitive, classified, or unclassified materials. And then we talk about just the basics in an office that you should know, like what is appropriate to be an email, when is it appropriate to knock on someone's door. Also, what does mentorship look like? What does it mean to be a good mentee? Things like, how do you reach out to someone for a letter of recommendation or how do you express an interest in a certain role without, you know, that balance between seeming too forward and not a seeming to true. That's very tricky. Balance between seeming too forward or how do you ask. So I've also noticed this with emails that I think informality has crept into the culture over the decades

of the decades of my lifetime. I've seen it more and more and more. And it ultimately leads to sloppiness. I mean, I guess that's how I would see it. It creates confusion. So, again, there's something about etiquette that it's helpful to everybody because you know what the roles are. There's a dance involved. And that's appropriate. It's like the rules of engagement, so to speak. So when you say how to introduce oneself, how should one introduce oneself, With their full name and then the full name of the organization or the office that they're a part of if relevant. So you don't want to be using shorthand or acronyms and assuming that people know what you're talking about. You want to use the full name.

I've noticed this a lot because I do a lot of speaking and I meet people. And so many times people come up to me and they don't give me their name. and I read it as rude because you're putting me in an uncomfortable position because I want to be polite and say, you know, thank you so and so, nice to meet you so and so. And I don't, they're not giving me the, they're not giving me the information. So that's, that's as basic as it gets, right? You introduce yourself, give the person your name. And I would even say, even if they know your name or even if they think they know your name,

do them the favor of reminding them what your name is. And refresh the recollection of when you last saw each other, when you last met. Alison Shepardat, great to see you. We met at such and such a place whenever that happened. So you're making it as easy as possible. What you never want to do is say,

you don't remember me, do you? And put them on the spot. Alison, I knew I'd like you. Because you're saying, I mean, if I were teaching at a kid, this is exactly what I would say. This happens to me all the time. People come up to me. and I think help me

because I've met so many people. Yes. And also I may be an idiot. Maybe I should remember you, but I just don't for some reason or, you know, and do me the favor of helping me by giving me that information. But a lot of people don't do that.

I'm fascinated in a way how many people don't know that. I think some people think that it's complimentary to say like you're so important or you interface with so many people that you can't possibly remember me, but is not received that way. Someone says, you don't remember me, do you? Yeah, you don't remember me, do you?

I mean, yeah, if somebody says that to me, I'd immediately think, well, I wish I did. I really, I wish I did. Maybe I don't, but maybe, but it is fascinating how when somebody begins to remind you of like it was in an event, it was in Dallas, and you think, oh my goodness, yes, yes. And it sort of, you know, it comes.

Yes. Okay, so that's basic, how to introduce yourself. If you're at a, here's a question, if you're at a cocktail party and you're having a conversation with someone, I've often felt that strange feeling of maybe I'm trapped in a conversation that either I don't want to be in or the other person doesn't want to be in or we don't either want to be in. How do you, how do you navigate that? Because to me, there's, I don't want to be rude and I won't be rude.

I'd much rather be trapped in a conversation I don't want to be in than be rude. But how do you, what are the rules there? Because I'd never understood that. Well, to begin with, you should know that most people wish the conversations ended sooner than they actually do. But people are afraid to be the one to end things. And then also remember that if you're going to a cocktail party, the purpose here is not to talk to the first person that you see for the rest of the evening. The purpose is to mix and mingle and to see a lot of folks. And so in a perfect world, you are very focused in the conversation.

You are giving the person the gift of your attention. There's nothing worse than feeling like someone is looking over your shoulder or you're like a placeholder and they're waiting for someone cooler and more interesting to talk to next. And even if that's true, which it can be, at least be polite enough not to make it obvious. Yes. Because I think that's really one of the rudest things you can do in a conversation. to someone, you might as well just walk away at that point if you make it obvious that you'd rather be talking to somebody else. I want to talk about table manners. Now, they're all different

kinds of dinners. I've been to a dinner at the White House, but most dinners aren't that formal. But what are the basics of dining etiquette? So whether you're going to, a private home or you're going to a restaurant or something like that, you want to put your napkin in your lap first. If you're going to a private home, you would wait for the host to do so first because you don't want to make it seem as though you're rushing the host along or you're extra hungry or your- Okay, now, hang on, that's important. So when you're at a restaurant, napkin goes in your lap immediately. We immediately put your napkin in your lap immediately, whether you're hosting the dinner or no. Yeah, no matter what, you put it in your lap immediately.

But when you go to someone's home, you wait for the host or hostess to do anything. The only exception would be if a host says, please help yourself. Like, let's say it's a buffet and the host wants everyone to get started. The host generally means that if they say that and maybe they put a lot of effort into this meal and they don't want things to get cold. So a host says, go ahead and get started. You can feel free to do that. But in general, you wait for the host to put their knacking in their lap first. And then if Grace has said, if that's part of the tradition of the home, you want to wait for that.

before you get started as well. And then when you're looking at your place setting, you work from the outside in. So the outermost utensils and then you work in throughout the course of the meal. You might find some utensils at the top of your place setting. Those would be for dessert, your dessert cutlery. You'll find your glasses or beverages to your right. You'll find your bread plate to your left. In a way that I like to remember that is the acronym B-M-W. So B-4-B-B-4-B-B-4-M-E, water or W for water or beverages on the right. BMW. Yeah.

Okay. Have you ever, I always want to know, you know, like people say, people, you go to the races just to see the cars crash. I do, I'm always fascinated with etiquette disasters, like how funny it can be actually. Do you have any stories of disasters or things you've seen that are just embarrassing? You talk about embarrassing? Sure. I can talk about American. Absolutely.

I would say, and I don't like to make fun or anything, but things happen and sometimes things get broken or things get spilled. So red wine on a nice tablecloth or china or crystal that gets broken. Those kinds of things can happen. Or sometimes people don't know what to do. Like they don't know what a finger bowl is or they're not sure how to eat lobster and there can be some awkward moments. But who the heck would serve lobster? additive. That would be really, that would be tough. Yeah.

For somebody who loves lobster knows how to eat lobster, that would not be easy. Yes. And you make a great point. When a host is picking out a menu, they should pick out a menu. And this applies to canopays, finger foods, everything that their guests can enjoy and not feel embarrassed. Yeah. Like, if there's a sandwich on the plate, you shouldn't feel an obligation to use a knife and fork, I would guess. That's right. Right. Right. Okay, so since you have written a whole book, what are some of the things that are in the book that we can touch on? We have a whole chapter in there on manners for challenging times, so like around grief or loss and how to support someone.

Also, what to say if someone has a big achievement, so those kinds of things. Because I think a lot of times people are afraid to say the wrong thing, so they don't say anything. So we talk about that as well. What would the wrong thing be to say in, well, you mentioned grief and then you mentioned somebody's great achievement? So in the context of grief, saying things like at least, anything that starts with at least, like at least you have additional siblings or at least they lived a happy life or at least they're not in pain.

At least they weren't both decapitated. Yes, exactly. So anything that minimizes the experience is not something you want to say. like they're in a better place now. It was God's plan. Right. All of those kinds of things can be hard to hear for someone. And then regarding achievements, sometimes people don't know how to respond.

So they'll say something like, what's next, which seems to minimize the current moment. So like, next. Yes. What's next, big shot? That's interesting. What's next? Or like better you than me or are you sure you can handle that? And these are things that are often.

said with zero malicious intent, but they can deflate someone that's celebrating a big moment. Interesting. Yeah, what about just congratulations? I'm happy for you. Right? Yes. You said you got into this when you were engaged. You were, and so what, with weddings, I mean, what's some of the basic etiquette around weddings? I mean, it's an interesting thing because weddings do force most people to put on their best behavior. They don't say, eh, I'm not interested. There's something about a wedding that people know,

I need to try to get it right or to try to do the right thing. Yes. So with weddings, there's so much we could talk about. But one thing that I see is especially tricky is guest lists and how if you are inviting someone to, let's say, a bridal shower or an engagement party, you need to invite them to the wedding. So that's something that comes up sometimes. Wait, say that again. If you're inviting somebody to... To like any sort of wedding-related party, then you should invite them to the wedding. See, that's so basic. I would think you wouldn't even need to mention that. And it actually,

it happens more than you might think because people are having, let's say they're having a destination wedding or they're having a small wedding, but then they want to be inclusive. And so they invite lots of people to the shower. And showers are about showering a bride or showering a couple with gifts and so it comes across like you're more interested in having someone be there to give you gifts but you don't want to have them for your actual big day. Hmm. Wow. Um, and what is, is there any receiving line etiquette? I never understood receiving lines in particular. What, what, you know, you clearly want to keep it moving because there's a long line. You definitely want to keep it moving. And there is a traditional order if you want to follow it where the couple and the

parents and the siblings and the bridal party, you can certainly be traditional in that way. But in general, you want to be respectful of everybody's time and keep receiving lines moving, especially if they're happening immediately after a ceremony before a reception, which is typically when they happen. So what are some huge no-noes generally that you see in the culture that people do and they should know better? Not acknowledging gifts. Not acknowledging gift.

Like not sending thank you notes. Well, you mean for weddings we're talking about? In general. In general. I think so often I hear from people who send a gift to someone, they have the tracking information, and they have a picture of the box at their front steps, and they never heard anything. So they don't know if the package was swept or if they're enjoying the gift and they feel awkward reaching out. That's a big one.

Yeah, that just seems rude because. the person, I mean, that's actually happened to me where you send something and then you simply don't even know did they get it. So you want to just know that they got it. So that's, that's kind of basic. Yeah. So what are some other, some quick things before we go? I just want to make sure that we, we throw some things out there because everybody's hungry for etiquette tips, you know. I would say if I were to give any tips, most people are not sure. if they have a good handshake, that's a good thing to practice. So to practice your handshake?

Yes, and to get some feedback. With whom would you practice this hand? It could be with your colleagues. It could be with your friends. It could be with a professor if you're still in school. To just get some feedback because most of us go about the world shaking hands all the time and we don't really know what people think about the handshake. I guess that would never occur to me.

The only time I have ever, the only awful experience is when somebody hands you like a dead fish handshake. Yes. So that's the only way I think to handshake could go wrong is when somebody does not actually shake your hand. They just kind of give you this dead fish. It's like, you know, greeting a corpse. It's creepy. It's creepy.

Yes. And it's very memorable and it's not a way to make a strong first impression. And handshakes are so much a part of our life in the way that we greet. So when I'm giving recommendations, I say shake with your right hand only in terms of the appropriate force. I think about like if you were opening a refrigerator door, that's about the amount of force that you need. For the squeeze, it's like if you were squeezing a piece of fruit, like a peach or a plum to see if it's ripe enough to eat. That's about the amount of pressure you want to apply. I never thought a handshake could be dissected to that level.

But I guess it does make sense. And then another thing is you want to stand whenever you can. It's more respectful to stand and shake someone's hand rather than reaching across a table or a desk, something like that. That's a big one. the standing. And also, too, you know, when a woman comes to the table to know to stand. Now, that's not always possible, but it's often possible. And it's just polite and wonderful that when a woman comes to the table, that men should stand up. A lot of people don't know that. And I think, I think a lot of women are very insensitive about this. In other words, they will come to a table

and instead of sitting, they will continue to stand unaware that a polite man doesn't feel that it's right to sit while the woman is still standing. She has the obligation to be aware that it's her job to sit down. Otherwise, polite men won't sit. They will feel stuck standing. Right. Right. And you bring up a great point that I don't like to use the term bad etiquette, but it's bad etiquette to point to point out someone else's bad etiquette, like unless you are a mentor or it's your child, you know, you don't want to be

pointing out other people's flaws. Well, no, definitely. I mean, that's the thing is that you can't say anything about it. You can't say, would you please be seated because I'd like to be seated? Right. Or maybe you can hint at it. I guess I've hinted at it. But yeah, you definitely don't want to be, that that would be rude to point it out. Okay, so what else that can we talk about? that is there's so much, I mean, there's so much to etiquette. Not RSVPing or not RSVPing in the means that's requested. So follow the rules. If somebody sends you something, fun.

Yes, and it's much better to say we regrettably can't make it immediately versus giving a maybe or waiting until the last minute to worry that you can't. And if you say you're going to be there, then actually show up. Exactly. And if you can't be there, let them know. Yes. Yeah, that we put on so many events over the years and there's so many people that just they don't get.

Again, this has become, you see the erosion of the culture and we need to get back, but where people just don't, they're, maybe they're looking for something better, so they're kind of hedging their bets or something like that, which just comes across as rude. Yes. All right. Final etiquette tip before we. go. What else can you share that people might not know? I would say especially for people who have

anxiety and conversations, a common mistake I see is that they focus too much on what they're going to say next and not enough on listening to what the other person is saying. And if they give themselves permission, even if it might be scary to listen and let their creativity flow and inspire what they ask next, the conversation will flow much better. I'm sorry, I was just thinking about what I was going to say next. What do you just say, Allison? The other thing that goes along with that, I think, is so often because I personally meet so many people that not being shy about saying to somebody, I'm sorry, please forgive me, tell me your name again. Yes. Rather than exist in this limbo of, you know, but just put it out there and be honest and transparent.

Absolutely. And really, you're being gracious because you're letting them know, I actually care. I don't know what your name is. So if you didn't know that, Allison, there's a tip for you. Thank you. No, it's just, I love this. Congratulations on the book. The title is, was it something I said, Allison Shepardak?

Congratulations. Thank you so much. Hey there, folks. I want to tell you about a coffee company. I genuinely admire 10 Boom Coffee, inspired by the faith and courage of the 10 Boom family. This isn't just great coffee. It's coffee with a mission. Ethically sourced, expertly roasted, and rooted in Christian values.

If you care about what you consume and who it supports, this is coffee you can feel good about. Go to 10 Boomcoffee.com. Use promo code Eric for 15% off your order. That's 10boomcoffee.com. Code Eric. Hey the folks, welcome back. If you watch this show, you know that one of our friends on the show or some of our friends on the show are with Magin David Adom, saving lives in Israel. I have as my guest today, Uri Shacham.

Did I pronounce that correctly? Uri, Uri Shacham. Definitely, you did very well, Eric, especially when I'm always saying that my name is unpronounounoun. in English, but you excelled. So this is really great. I actually didn't pronounce it in English. I had to, I had to, the Uri is not just, you can't pronounce it. Yeah, we would say Uri, Uri, but it's not the same.

Uri, Uri Shacham. So listen, for folks who don't know anything about Magin David Adom, I've spoken with you on the program before, but tell my audience what it is. And where are you now? I mean, I know you're in Israel, but where are you in Israel right now? So Magin David Adom is Israel's, national emergency services system. That means that we provide ambulance services throughout the country for anybody who is in need, anybody who is in medical distress, if there is a terror attack,

if there is a natural disaster, if there is a war, which we get occasionally in the Middle East, Maganda Vida-Dome is responsible to provide medical attention to whoever one in need. Magenda Vida-Dome is also the blood services for the state of Israel. That means that we collect, process, and provide blood to the entire hospitals, more than 250,000 units of blood on an annual basis. And lastly, Magenta Vita-Dome is the National Society for the people of Israel. That means that we are affiliated with the Red Cross, similar to the American Red Cross or Canadian Red Cross,

but we deal with emergency preparedness and response. I'm now speaking to you from Maganda Vita Domes National Emergency Center, which actually oversees the entire activity of the organization, and especially throughout the recent two and a half weeks. We just concluded an event where doesn't zone, of missiles were shot from Hizbalah in the northern border towards civilians in northern city of Israel. Thank God there were no injured, but we are doing this for the last two and a half weeks just on a daily basis. Well, it's one of the reasons we wanted to check in with you

because we're aware, of course, that we're in the midst of war. And I say we, because we Americans are involved, not nearly at the level that you, Israelis are involved. But it's one of the things that you all do is that there are rockets coming in and you are driving ambulances and helping people. And I wanted my audience to know, folks, if you want to do something to help the folks in Israel. We recommend you go to saving lives in Israel.com. If you go to saving lives in Israel.com, you are helping the work of Muggen, David, Adom. It's so important. It's hard for us to realize because you realize yourself, Uli, that we're in America.

We're not used to this. We don't have rockets flying overhead. What happened to us at 9-11 is a tremendous outlier. We're not used to being attacked on our soil by God's grace. But you, in Israel, I would say you're as used to it as you can get because it keeps happening. And of course, now it's happening intensely. What's it been like in the last few weeks? So unfortunately, the people of Israel are being attacked from Iran and from Lebanon. In Lebanon, there is the terrorist organization, Hezbollah, which is actually a proxy.

Iran. So the Iran terrorist regime actually have an arm in Lebanon and they are both shooting missiles and rockets on civilians in Israel. Now when we're talking about a ballistic missile that is being shot from Iran and we are talking about 10 or 15 missiles a day, we are talking about a war herd that has about 1,000 pounds of explosive. This is actually like a a bus, the length of a missile is a bus. So think of a bus full of explosive that is targeted towards

civilians. And this is going on for 18, 18 days. Chisbalah is also targeting us with rockets. Maybe they are smaller, but they still can cause real damage. The thing is, when you think about

kids in Israel, young, young babies and kids and women that have to run to the shelter 10 times a day or 15 times a day in some of the areas they have as as many as 15 seconds. Now what would the mother do? If she had two kids,

she heard the sirens and now she has 15 minutes to run to the shelter. Which one of them will she grace? How can she defend her kids? And indeed, we've been attacked by Hamas from Gaza for many years, but you never get used to it. You never really get used to it, especially nowadays when the danger is so great. I would add one more thing that I think that the people of Israel,

I would say, are willing to face this, this challenge because the hope is that at the end of this war our enemies would no longer threat our existence in this war. CERIC, the Iranian regime

only mission is to annihilate Israel. This is what they do. This is what they want to achieve. And at the end of the day, the U.S. and Israel right now are actually protecting my family.

my people in Israel to not go and live under constant danger. And Magendafita Dome role is to make sure that if God forbid something happens, we will be there for the people. Well, for me, this is a moral issue. Anybody who doesn't care whether Israel is wiped off the face of the map is immoral. This is something we have to care about. And I know there are many people listening who want to help. So folks, it's why I'm talking to Uri.

Savinglifeisrael.org. That's Saving Life with an F. Saving Life Israel.org. Folks, please write that down. Savinglifeisrael.org. Savinglife Israel.org. Ui, God bless you. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much. The people in Israel are not aware how much support we get from Christian communities. My personal obligation is to tell the story to spread the world and God bless you all for being partners for saving lives in the Holy Land. Thank you. It's our privilege. Thank you. Hey, folks, before we get back to our guests, I just want to say a lot of people donate when there's a headline, but MDA, Magin David Adom doesn't get to slow down when the news cycle moves on. MDA is Israel's national EMS system. That means emergencies don't stop today, tomorrow next month, heart attacks, accidents, trauma, surgeries, blood shortages, they're constant.

Keeping that system strong requires ongoing support. When you give to the American friends of Magin David Adom, you're funding the basics that make everything else possible. Ambulances on the road, blood banks for trauma and surgery, training for first responders, and equipment that's used every single shift. This is not symbolic giving. This is practical, life-saving support. If you want your donation to have direct measurable impact. This is one of the clearest ways to do it. Go to savinglifeisrael.org. That's savinglifeisrael.org.