Monday, January 20, 2014
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Seder Table Not Unlike NFL Experience
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Camaraderie When All Family Members Are Seated
By Alan 'Shlomo' Veingrad
Passover is quite
possibly the most observed of all Jewish holidays. Jews with little affiliation
to their faith find their way to a Seder table. Being with family members in an
informal home setting, the tradition, four cups of wine, various customs and
rituals, all make the Seder a positive experience for those in attendance.
While the “four sons” differ from each other in their reaction to the Seder,
they do have one thing in common – they are all present and accounted for. Even
the “Wicked Son” is there – rebellious, disruptive, but nonetheless active and interested
in being Jewish. We then hope that the wicked son will become wise and that all
in attendance will become Torah observing Jews.
Today, however,
we have another son: the fifth son, the son who is absent from the Seder
service, the son who has no interest in attending, no interest in Torah, mitzvahs,
laws and customs and may not even know about the Exodus from Egypt. This
problem presents all Jews, especially parents, with a challenge to prepare before
the Seder.
The
responsibility is to ensure no Jew goes without a seat at a Seder. We should never
give up on the fifth son. We should all make an effort to save our children and
bring them to our Seder. The camaraderie found at a Seder is most meaningful. It
is a place where Jews with varied observant backgrounds, experiences and
interests are able to connect to one another and strive to develop and deepen
their growth in Judaism. With this focus we are all sure to have a Seder that
will last and enrich one’s life with more meaning and purpose.
Now how does the
National Football League connect to the Passover Seder?
The number one
question I get asked most often is what I miss most about playing in the NFL.
Having played for two of the NFL’s premier franchises, the Dallas Cowboys and
Green Bay Packers, my response is always the same: I miss Tuesdays and Sundays.
Tuesday is customarily payday and the standard day off around the league to
finally get a chance to rest and heal your beaten body’s soreness, aches and
pains. Also it’s nice getting paid for what you love to do. Sunday is “game day,”
the energy, the intensity, the smell in the air and the fierce competition.
Most players miss the games and, quite candidly, payday. But the number one thing
ALL players miss is the camaraderie.
You just can’t get this outside of being on a team.
Alan
‘Shlomo’ Veingrad, www.alanveingrad.com, has inspired thousands with his
candid, humorous, inspirational and spell-binding tales on life in the
ultra-competitive NFL, and how he took that fire to transform himself into a Torah-observant
Jew following his playing days. Veingrad lives with his family in Boca Raton,
FL and when he is not speaking works as a Financial Strategist. Veingrad has
traveled from New York to South Africa speaking at camps, Shabbatons, school programs,
yeshivas, scholar-in-residence programs, men’s clubs, as well as charity fund
raising events. He is often asked to speak to businesses and corporations
looking to inspire their employees, and is an inductee
of the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Veingrad can be reached
at alan@alanveingrad.com.
Friday, November 2, 2012
New York City Police Department's "Shomrim Society" Person of the Year
This past Sunday
October 28, 2012 I was honored as the New York City Police Department's
"Shomrim Society" 88th annual award "Person of the Year".
Thank you to the Shomrim Society for honoring me as "Person of the
Year" award. The first Shomrim Society was established in the New York
City Police Department in 1924. The goal of the society appears atop its
stationery so that Law Enforcement Officers of the Jewish faith may join
together for the Welfare of all.
A special thanks to my friend and
former San Francisco 49er John Frank (the other Torah-observant Jewish NFLer)
for accepting this award on my behalf since I was unable to attend.
This award means
a great deal to me. My older brother Steve is a 26-year veteran for the
Miami-Dade Police Department. In fact my brother Steve was instrumental in
getting me off the streets of Miami and involved with football. He also became
my workout partner and punching bag for years. It is also to his credit that I
became a speaker as he was a DARE officer in his early years often asking me to
speak at DARE graduations in my offseason from the NFL.
Thanks again to
the Shomrim Society for this recognition and thank you police officers
everywhere for the great work that they do, I’m a big fan!
Alan
‘Shlomo’ VeingradFriday, September 28, 2012
Embracing Change
Don’t Hold Yourself
Back From Growth – External and Internal
By Alan ‘Shlomo’ Veingrad
Reunions -
high school, college, jobs, family - are always times of challenge and stress. Will
I be recognizable? What will people think of me? Will I be embarrassed?
And yet,
it is almost essential to not only be prepared for change that can come with
time, but to seek and embrace it. Whether it involves your business, company,
career or inner-self, standing still, being stagnant, is not the best choice,
in good times or bad.
In my
case, it’s been 20 years since my fast-paced, 6-foot-5 285-pound offensive
lineman days on a Dallas Cowboys team that won Super Bowl XXVII with a roster of
Hall of Fame and NFL No. 1 Draft Pick players, household names like Troy
Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin.
Today,
instead of pointing at opposing lineman or trading barbs, I point out investment
products and provide motivational speeches related to personal transformation.
But what
has changed most is my inner-self through my decision to connect with my roots
-- to become a Torah-observant Jew. Following my pro football career, I traded my
No. 76 jersey for the daily prayer shawl, my helmet for a yarmulke and beard,
by English name for my Hebrew name.
I have
received publicity over the years with my internal transformation. And some of
my fellow teammates were aware of it when I went to Cowboys Stadium on Sept. 23
and attended the 20th anniversary of our Super Bowl winning team.
Still, you never know about a re-union, until you arrive.
“Shlomo!” yelled
out former defensive lineman Russell Maryland, boisterously addressing me by my
Hebrew name when I entered the special suite for the gathering of former
champion players.
Others in
attendance were not familiar with my transformation, or religion, for that
matter, until they saw me wearing a yarmulke.
“I didn’t
know you were Jewish,” said former teammate and defensive end Charles Haley.
“Yeah!” I
responded. “I was then and I am now.”
Half way
through the second quarter, we took an elevator down from the suite for a
special, on-the-field half time ceremony. We gathered with Hall of Fame
quarterback Roger Staubach and other players from the Cowboys’ Super Bowl XII winning
team.
Wrote CBS
sports blogger Richie Whitt after the game: “With 5 Super Bowl banners hanging
from the rafters, the halftime ceremony honoring the title teams of ’77 and ‘92
featured one player (Jethro Pugh) using a walker, and another (Alan Veingrad)
wearing a yarmulke.”
I was
self-conscious that almost 82,000 fans could have been watching me on the
world’s largest HDTV screen high above the field. But I was also proud to have
worn my yarmulke. After the game, obviously more recognizable than before it, I
was enthusiastically approached by fans asking me to sign their Cowboys hats,
programs and other paraphernalia. Later, Jason Garrett, my former teammate and
current Cowboys head coach, warmly greeted me at another
special gathering in the stadium. Garrett was already familiar with my
spiritual growth based on an article he read.
“You are a
legend around here,” he said, as we posed together for a photo. “How’s all that
wisdom?”
For all
the good ribbing and conversation, I was getting hungry for some kosher food,
as was my son, who had joined me on this special journey about my past. But I
certainly left filled intellectually and spiritually from the experience and
knowledge that I gained. The program had reinforced what I often speak about:
Don’t be afraid of change and what other people think of you; People are not
always laughing at you, but with you.
Alan
‘Shlomo’ Veingrad has inspired thousands with his candid, humorous,
inspirational and spell-binding tales on life in the ultra-competitive NFL, and
how he took that fire to transform himself into a Shomer Shabbat and observant
Jew following his playing days. Based in Boca Raton, FL, Veingrad has traveled
from New York to South Africa speaking at camps, Shabbatons, school programs, yeshivas,
scholar-in-residence programs, men’s clubs, as well as charity fund raising
events. He is often asked to speak to businesses and corporations looking to
inspire their employees, and is an inductee of the
National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. For speaking engagements,
Veingrad can be reached at alan@alanveingrad.com. To read more and see
videos about him, visit www.alanveingrad.com.
Friday, August 31, 2012
It’sKick-Off Time!
Rosh Hashana – A Time For A Winning Attitude, Transformation
By Alan Veingrad
As
an observant Jew and former professional football player, I am always struck by
the proximity of Rosh Hashana and the start of the NFL season.
The
month of Elul leading up to the Jewish New Year provides an opportunity to
renew, refresh and ready oneself for the start of another “season.”
And
while making the team was not “who shall live, and who shall die,” there is no
forgetting that adrenaline rush from home openers at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field,
where legendary Packer Coach Vince Lombardi once roamed
and was quoted as saying, “Winning isn't everything, it's the
only thing.”
I
played offensive lineman for one of Coach Lombardi’s disciples, Forrest Gregg, and
later, in Dallas under another from the coaching pantheon, Jimmy Johnson, as a
member of the Cowboys’ 1992 Super Bowl championship team.
Gregg
and Johnson preached discipline and improvement. Their assistants and I studied
successes and failures: Did I make the right block? Was I in the right place at
the right time? Did I follow instructions and prepare properly? Did I jump
off-sides or get called for holding – costing my team the game?
In
every sport and every endeavor there are fumbles, errors, misses and failures.
There comes a time when we have to say, “I blew a big chance to make an impact.
I forgot what you told me and it hurt the team. I accept responsibility and I
am sorry. Will you forgive me, coach? This season, I’m ready to start over and
be every bit the player you know I can be.”
In
my transformation to a Torah-observant Jew and commitment to make my G-d, family
and community proud of me, I carry the same attitude and willingness to learn
and be better, to not raise a voice or step on a toe, to be capable of scoring
a touchdown by meaningful mitzvah, to forgive and seek forgiveness.
The
holiday of Rosh Hashanah gets us back in the game. It’s our time to seek
forgiveness, make adjustments, to let G-d know that we’re going to learn his
playbook, the Torah, like never before, and that we are going to make Him
proud.
Alan
‘Shlomo’ Veingrad has inspired thousands with his candid, humorous, inspirational
and spell-binding tales on life in the ultra-competitive NFL, and how he took
that fire to transform himself into a Torah-observant Jew following his playing
days. Based in Boca Raton, FL, Veingrad has traveled from New York to South
Africa speaking at camps,
Shabbatons, school programs, yeshivas, scholar-in-residence programs, men’s
clubs, as well as charity fund raising events. He is often asked to speak to
businesses and corporations looking to inspire their employees, and is an inductee of the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and
Museum. For speaking engagements, Veingrad can be reached at alan@alanveingrad.com. To read more and see videos
about him, visit www.alanveingrad.com.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
The Munich Massacre Must Not Be Forgotten
Demand A Moment Of Silence At The London Summer Olympic Games
By Alan Veingrad
The start of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London will undoubtedly be a magnificent pageantry of thousands of entertainers, heads of state, national flags, and marching athletes before a sea of cheering stadium fans.
But the traditional torch lighting will be splashed with darkness should the International Olympic Committee choose to ignore calls for a moment of silence, at the opening ceremony, in memory of the horror of the 1972 Munich Olympics.
Is it too much to remember 11 Israeli athletes and their coaches, kidnapped and murdered in the Olympic village dorms and on a German airport tarmac, individuals who came in the spirit of sport but who died because of their religion and nationality?
I was a mere 9 years old growing up in Miami when the tragedy of the games took place, and given my age probably better grasped the Miami Dolphins pursuing and achieving the first and only perfect season in professional football.
By high school, however, besides being a decent lineman in football, I also was a high level discus and shot put thrower. By that age, I could understand the magnitude of preparation and effort to get to an Olympic level in track and field.
The Israeli athletes murdered in 1972 trained many hours at something they loved, and then they go to compete and don’t come home. I could never imagine the type of horror that these athletes succumbed to, let alone the pain inflicted on their families.
Forty years since Israeli fencing coach Andrei Spitzer was murdered, his wife Ankie is leading a petition drive urging the IOC to remember the spirit in which her husband and other Israelis came to Germany four decades ago, and the tragedy that ensued.
I am glad to say I am one of 86,000 people to have signed the petition and hope others will do so as well. The U.S. Senate has passed a similar resolution. But the Olympics seem unwilling to place a memorial in its proper place, instead choosing a separate off site ceremony. It angers me and makes me wonder why? Is it because they were Jewish?
I played seven seasons as an offensive lineman for the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, and I am proud to say the NFL over the years has found ways to address sadness and tragedy. On September 19, 2004, every team wore a memorial decal in honor of Pat Tillman, the former Arizona Cardinals safety turned Army Ranger killed in Afghanistan. On Sept. 11, 2011, NFL teams used a video, taps and a moment of silence to memorialize the 10th anniversary of the attack on America by terrorists.
The London Olympic begin July 27 and we must speak up soon on this issue. Besides the IOC, individuals should consider contacting corporate sponsors of the games. At a minimum, sign the petition from Ankie Spitzer. www.change.org/petitions/international-olympic-committee-minute-of-silence-at-the-2012-london-olympics
Alan Veingrad, www.alanveingrad.com, is a transformational speaker based in Boca Raton. An inductee of the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, Veingrad was a member of the Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl XXVII championship team.
By Alan Veingrad
The start of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London will undoubtedly be a magnificent pageantry of thousands of entertainers, heads of state, national flags, and marching athletes before a sea of cheering stadium fans.
But the traditional torch lighting will be splashed with darkness should the International Olympic Committee choose to ignore calls for a moment of silence, at the opening ceremony, in memory of the horror of the 1972 Munich Olympics.
Is it too much to remember 11 Israeli athletes and their coaches, kidnapped and murdered in the Olympic village dorms and on a German airport tarmac, individuals who came in the spirit of sport but who died because of their religion and nationality?
I was a mere 9 years old growing up in Miami when the tragedy of the games took place, and given my age probably better grasped the Miami Dolphins pursuing and achieving the first and only perfect season in professional football.
By high school, however, besides being a decent lineman in football, I also was a high level discus and shot put thrower. By that age, I could understand the magnitude of preparation and effort to get to an Olympic level in track and field.
The Israeli athletes murdered in 1972 trained many hours at something they loved, and then they go to compete and don’t come home. I could never imagine the type of horror that these athletes succumbed to, let alone the pain inflicted on their families.
Forty years since Israeli fencing coach Andrei Spitzer was murdered, his wife Ankie is leading a petition drive urging the IOC to remember the spirit in which her husband and other Israelis came to Germany four decades ago, and the tragedy that ensued.
I am glad to say I am one of 86,000 people to have signed the petition and hope others will do so as well. The U.S. Senate has passed a similar resolution. But the Olympics seem unwilling to place a memorial in its proper place, instead choosing a separate off site ceremony. It angers me and makes me wonder why? Is it because they were Jewish?
I played seven seasons as an offensive lineman for the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, and I am proud to say the NFL over the years has found ways to address sadness and tragedy. On September 19, 2004, every team wore a memorial decal in honor of Pat Tillman, the former Arizona Cardinals safety turned Army Ranger killed in Afghanistan. On Sept. 11, 2011, NFL teams used a video, taps and a moment of silence to memorialize the 10th anniversary of the attack on America by terrorists.
The London Olympic begin July 27 and we must speak up soon on this issue. Besides the IOC, individuals should consider contacting corporate sponsors of the games. At a minimum, sign the petition from Ankie Spitzer. www.change.org/petitions/international-olympic-committee-minute-of-silence-at-the-2012-london-olympics
Alan Veingrad, www.alanveingrad.com, is a transformational speaker based in Boca Raton. An inductee of the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, Veingrad was a member of the Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl XXVII championship team.
Friday, May 11, 2012
No Quick Fix To NFL Concussion Saga
As a rookie offensive lineman on the Green Bay Packers in 1986, I was awe struck by our coach, Forrest Gregg, a Hall of Fame offensive tackle whom the legendary Vince Lombardi called “the best player I ever coached.”
An imposing figure at 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, Gregg had a commanding presence with his black piercing eyes and deep Texas drawl, a Super Bowl ring dangling from a crooked finger gnarled from professional football’s trenches.“This is a violent game,” Gregg would tell us players.
But there was no additional warning that a career in the National Football League could physically, mentally and financially affect our post playing days.
After seven years, I finished my pro football career with a Super Bowl ring from the 1992 Dallas Cowboys championship season. I walked away from the game – while I could still walk. Unfortunately, the same can not be said for many other NFL players.
Some, financially broke or deeply depressed, have taken their own lives, the most recent being the tragic ending of All Pro linebacker Junior Seau at age 43, in San Diego. His ex-wife said Seau suffered concussions in his long career, and researchers at Boston University have asked to study his brain.
Seau’s death comes on the heels of an assistant New Orleans Saints head coach being caught on video urging his players to injure, for money, opposing players, using shots to the head. The bounty scandal has the league in a public relations scramble, and rightfully so, despite levying heavy suspensions and fines to Saints coaches, management and players.
Health warning labels are placed on products like alcohol and cigarettes. Maybe it is time to put a sticker on player helmets warning of the game’s hazards to health and life.
When I entered the NFL as a 23 year old free agent from East Texas State University (now Texas A&M Commerce), I was 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds. I ran the 40 yard dash in 4.9 seconds and bench pressed 500 pounds. My mind at the time said I was “Superman.” It is hard to know what I might have done if I learned the full risks of playing pro football.
For sure there were moments where I saw black after delivering a block for teammates like Dallas Hall of Famers Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith. I also suffered “stingers,” a burning, tingling, painful sensation that radiates down your arms when nerves are compressed near the spinal cord. Today, my back has plenty of stiff moments. Other times I suffer an extended dull headache. I am one of hundreds of former players suing the NFL for failing to adequately warn us of dangers they knew or should have known.
I do hope the league has clamped down on prescription drug and alcohol abuses common during my days in Green Bay. Following games, Packer players lined up to see the doctor and received a hand full of pain meds and a sleeping pill the size of a quarter that we called “The Green Bomb.” On charter flights home, players washed pills down with as many as a dozen ice cold beers provided by the flight attendants on the tarmac.
It has been well documented that alcohol and prescription drugs taken together can injure your heart, liver or even kill you. Players addicted to pain pills were forced to enter drug rehabilitation centers -- only to become depressed on becoming clean. Anti-depressants in some cases made them further depressed, leaving them in a deep, dark place.
Besides warning labels on helmets, maybe the league should go retro, replacing hard plastic helmets with padded leather ones, football gear circa 1920. Eliminating face masks might also cut down on jarring hits by players propelling their bodies head first like missiles.
All that seems unlikely.
Pro football is a business. Hard hits sell the NFL, bringing $9.5 billion to the league during the regular season. Seats are filled by plays like a wide receiver being walloped after catching a ball while crossing the field, the quarterback being sacked, or kick off teams unloading high speed blocks on each other. Eliminating thunderous collisions, for fear of brain damaging concussions, would not fill seats. And the NFL wants to sell seats.
So the unanswered question remains, what can the NFL do to keep the game popular, but safe? There appears to be no quick fix to the dilemma.
The NFL should do a better job educating players on dangers of playing the game. It must also continue to lay down severe penalties if players – on their own initiative or at the direction of coaches -- intentionally try to hurt other players.
Alan Veingrad was raised in Miami and resides in Boca Raton. Following his professional football career, Veingrad has worked in financial services. He is also a motivational speaker.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Shluchim and the Lay Leadership Conference
What an experience! I spent the weekend in Brooklyn (Crown Heights), NY with 4,000 Chabad Rabbis. With that size crowd it reminded me of my playing days. Chabad Rabbis are offensive lineman in disguise. The greatest pushers in the world, better the NFL Lineman. That’s what NFL Lineman do, push another man against his will-back, to the side and not get pushed back themselves. Really! I have never been with such a positive group of people all striving to help people, push people to be their greatest and help them uncover there Jewish identities in a non-judgmental meaningful way. I had one of the greatest pleasures as a speaker, I was asked to share my own journey in front of such a esteemed group, the Rabbis and Lay Leaders of Chabad who are the financial supporters assisting Rabbis in communities all over the world. What a group, with various back grounds who have been inspired by these Rabbis to grow, change and make a positive difference in this world. To see some of what I experienced go to www.chabad.org/kinus. Watch the video of the Key Note speech from Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks How the Lubavitcher Rebbe Changed My Life. Monumental! I could totally relate, however I never met the Rebbe but his teachings changed my life. What a coach!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Shabbaton at Chabad at KU (University of Kansas) Lawrence, KS
I just returned from an awesome weekend speaking and hanging out with the students all weekend at the University of Kansas - Chabad. I also spoke to the community Shabbos day. I am grateful for the warmth I received from all I met and from Rabbi Zalman and Nechama Tiechtel. I also received the greatest testimonial from Rabbi Tiechtel:
This past Shabbos we had Alan Veingrad join our Chabad House. In the past 6 years we had brought in quite a few speakers, but this guy was absolutely unbelievable! From the moment he came he was totally devoted to do whatever it takes to make this Shabbaton a success, speaking and farbrenging with our students and community again and again. He is ready and open to be there for whatever is needed, and very tuned in to the needs and sensitivities of the local place. He is also a great articulate speaker!
He is an inspiration to everyone he meets, as a very balanced person with both feet on the ground with an amazing story of athletic success on one hand (the students loved his super bowl ring...), with a very spiritual and religious connection as well. His message is clear out Yiddishkeit, motivating more growth and Kiyum of Torah and Mitzvos.
Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel
The Rohr Chabad Center for Jewish Life
Serving the University of Kansas
and the surrounding Communities
This past Shabbos we had Alan Veingrad join our Chabad House. In the past 6 years we had brought in quite a few speakers, but this guy was absolutely unbelievable! From the moment he came he was totally devoted to do whatever it takes to make this Shabbaton a success, speaking and farbrenging with our students and community again and again. He is ready and open to be there for whatever is needed, and very tuned in to the needs and sensitivities of the local place. He is also a great articulate speaker!
He is an inspiration to everyone he meets, as a very balanced person with both feet on the ground with an amazing story of athletic success on one hand (the students loved his super bowl ring...), with a very spiritual and religious connection as well. His message is clear out Yiddishkeit, motivating more growth and Kiyum of Torah and Mitzvos.
Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel
The Rohr Chabad Center for Jewish Life
Serving the University of Kansas
and the surrounding Communities
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Don’t get locked out…of Judaism
by Alan Shlomo Veingrad
Another season in the National Football League is now underway but it almost never happened. For months, players were locked out of their jobs, as owners and players failed to reach an agreement. This happened to me as a player, but even worse.
Imagine what this is like: you’re playing professional football – your dream for most of your life. You just start your second year in the NFL, everything is going really well for you, and then all of a sudden, right in the middle of the season, the collective bargaining agreement between owners and players breaks down and the season grinds to an immediate halt.
You are locked out: you can’t even get into the locker room, weight room, or stadium. Your season is over just like that. You are not even sure what the whole thing means but you know this: there are no more games, no team, no job and no paychecks. But the worst part is that the owners bring in replacement players to fill their rosters and all you can do is watch on TV as your own “team” plays every Sunday. This is what happened in the last strike.
This was not how my career was supposed to go. I didn’t even know what to do. Should I keep working out, expecting this to be over soon? Should I go try to find another job?
I felt terrible. I worked so hard to get into the NFL. I had built my life around this – why did this happen? All because the two sides couldn’t agree – because they were unwilling to compromise on their demands. In the end, they didn’t really get what they wanted anyway, but to fight for it, they could have ended up with nothing meaning no season.
This almost happened again this year with even more at stake. The NFL now brings in more than $9 billion in revenues each year and the whole season was jeopardized because the principles were not getting exactly what they wanted.
Sadly, this refusal to compromise, this rigid approach to insisting on our own terms, is not limited to the NFL. It almost took down our whole country in the recent debt-ceiling fiasco. And it is one of the most common reasons people pass up on invaluable opportunities for meaningful Jewish experiences.
“That synagogue is not my favorite,” “this rabbi seems too religious,” and “those classes make me uncomfortable” are just some of the reasons we just stay home, locking ourselves out of our Jewish communities – and ultimately out of our own Jewish lives. We set high expectations for the Judaism we want, which may even be appropriate, but when they are not met we give up.
In the NFL, few games go according to plan. The passing game you were counting on gets thwarted by a great defense, or even by bad weather. A key player gets hurt and someone has to take over a job they’re not suited for. When that happens, it’s time to embrace “Plan B.” Nobody likes to accept Plan B but if that’s what it takes to win, there’s no time to fret over it. You make the adjustment and get right back out there.
In Jewish life, Plan A’s can be hard to come by. But Judaism is too valuable to lose out on. $9-10 billion is nothing compared to what there is to gain from investing yourself in Jewish living and learning. You just have to be willing to give a little here and compromise a little there. The truth is, that’s when the game really begins and that’s when winners prove themselves.
This New Year, don’t let anything lock you out of the stadium. The payoff is just too great. Have a healthy, happy and sweet new year.
Another season in the National Football League is now underway but it almost never happened. For months, players were locked out of their jobs, as owners and players failed to reach an agreement. This happened to me as a player, but even worse.
Imagine what this is like: you’re playing professional football – your dream for most of your life. You just start your second year in the NFL, everything is going really well for you, and then all of a sudden, right in the middle of the season, the collective bargaining agreement between owners and players breaks down and the season grinds to an immediate halt.
You are locked out: you can’t even get into the locker room, weight room, or stadium. Your season is over just like that. You are not even sure what the whole thing means but you know this: there are no more games, no team, no job and no paychecks. But the worst part is that the owners bring in replacement players to fill their rosters and all you can do is watch on TV as your own “team” plays every Sunday. This is what happened in the last strike.
This was not how my career was supposed to go. I didn’t even know what to do. Should I keep working out, expecting this to be over soon? Should I go try to find another job?
I felt terrible. I worked so hard to get into the NFL. I had built my life around this – why did this happen? All because the two sides couldn’t agree – because they were unwilling to compromise on their demands. In the end, they didn’t really get what they wanted anyway, but to fight for it, they could have ended up with nothing meaning no season.
This almost happened again this year with even more at stake. The NFL now brings in more than $9 billion in revenues each year and the whole season was jeopardized because the principles were not getting exactly what they wanted.
Sadly, this refusal to compromise, this rigid approach to insisting on our own terms, is not limited to the NFL. It almost took down our whole country in the recent debt-ceiling fiasco. And it is one of the most common reasons people pass up on invaluable opportunities for meaningful Jewish experiences.
“That synagogue is not my favorite,” “this rabbi seems too religious,” and “those classes make me uncomfortable” are just some of the reasons we just stay home, locking ourselves out of our Jewish communities – and ultimately out of our own Jewish lives. We set high expectations for the Judaism we want, which may even be appropriate, but when they are not met we give up.
In the NFL, few games go according to plan. The passing game you were counting on gets thwarted by a great defense, or even by bad weather. A key player gets hurt and someone has to take over a job they’re not suited for. When that happens, it’s time to embrace “Plan B.” Nobody likes to accept Plan B but if that’s what it takes to win, there’s no time to fret over it. You make the adjustment and get right back out there.
In Jewish life, Plan A’s can be hard to come by. But Judaism is too valuable to lose out on. $9-10 billion is nothing compared to what there is to gain from investing yourself in Jewish living and learning. You just have to be willing to give a little here and compromise a little there. The truth is, that’s when the game really begins and that’s when winners prove themselves.
This New Year, don’t let anything lock you out of the stadium. The payoff is just too great. Have a healthy, happy and sweet new year.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
The Ultimate Preparation
Could you imagine knowing that you are being videotaped at work every single day? Knowing that every time you perform any action at work, you are being watched? That is what I experienced as a player in the NFL. Each time I put on a uniform, I was either being videotaped or watched at a football drill, practice or game. Players were constantly graded. The grading scale was simple: you got either a plus or a minus. Did you make the play or not? That’s it. The coaches reviewed the videos and then went over it with you in front of your teammates. They saw it all - the good, the bad and the ugly. Many times you dreaded going to those meetings after a bad day because, let’s face it, no one likes looking at their mistakes (especially when they are shown to you on a big screen) in front of their teammates.
Being Jewish, the Almighty has done us a big favor by establishing a certain time of year when we take spiritual inventory of ourselves. If we do this the right way, it should be painful, like watching a video of all of our actions. However this process allows us the opportunity to fix ourselves and become better. Isn’t that what we want, after all?
You wait for this time of year. You repeat to yourself over and over, “This will be the year.” You use this time to re-examine where you are and where you would like to be. To explore so you will truly know what changes you need to make. Are you aware of who you really are and who you really want to be? Are you open to changing to realign your behavior and your values? Although we know it’s certainly easier not to change, but we also know that tremendous growth comes with making change and meeting challenges. This year we can finally get out of the old and into the new, to make those meaningful changes and to finally have what we want. How can it be, though? It’s so hard to change since, after all, its taken quite some time to get this way.
That is what is so great about the upcoming Jewish month of Elul. It is the month that gives us a wake-up call. It’s preparation time, to start the process of preparing ourselves for the changes. To soul search and ask questions such as, where did I fail and where was I successful? We all have this ability; the ability to be the accountant of our own life and take the time to reflect on the previous year. As a former NFL lineman, I used to sit in the “cold plunge” (ice-cold water tank) to prepare myself for the upcoming game. Football is all about preparation and the last thing you wanted was to feel your legs weighed down on game day as you ran out of the tunnel because you didn’t prepare your body properly. My teammates and I would often say the word preparation during this process. It is an intense visual: a bunch of lineman in the cold plunge saying preparation? We all wanted to get out of the gate fast and do it right to start the game. My former football Coach, Jimmy Johnson, expected his players to be 5-10 minutes early for team meetings. He would often scold players if they showed up on time by saying, “How can you be ready for a team meeting without a few minutes of extra time to get mentally ready?” Trust me, you didn’t want to have that conversation! Right now is the time to get a head start, to get into the cold plunge, show up early and to insure a year filled with unbounded success, peace and joy in all you do.
About the author Alan Shlomo Veingrad
Alan Shlomo Veingrad had a seven-year career as an offensive lineman in the NFL, first with the Green Bay Packers and then the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he won Super Bowl XXVII. He has been the subject of features on NBC, NPR, JM in the AM, and the Jewish Channel; and in the NY Times, NY Post, Dallas Morning News, and the Miami Herald. In a one-of-a-kind presentation, Alan shares with audiences around the world the story of how he became aware after retiring from professional football that his lifestyle was more style than life. It left a void in him that ultimately led to his becoming an Orthodox Jew.
For more information about hearing his uniquely entertaining and valuable perspective, please visit www.alanveingrad.com.
Being Jewish, the Almighty has done us a big favor by establishing a certain time of year when we take spiritual inventory of ourselves. If we do this the right way, it should be painful, like watching a video of all of our actions. However this process allows us the opportunity to fix ourselves and become better. Isn’t that what we want, after all?
You wait for this time of year. You repeat to yourself over and over, “This will be the year.” You use this time to re-examine where you are and where you would like to be. To explore so you will truly know what changes you need to make. Are you aware of who you really are and who you really want to be? Are you open to changing to realign your behavior and your values? Although we know it’s certainly easier not to change, but we also know that tremendous growth comes with making change and meeting challenges. This year we can finally get out of the old and into the new, to make those meaningful changes and to finally have what we want. How can it be, though? It’s so hard to change since, after all, its taken quite some time to get this way.
That is what is so great about the upcoming Jewish month of Elul. It is the month that gives us a wake-up call. It’s preparation time, to start the process of preparing ourselves for the changes. To soul search and ask questions such as, where did I fail and where was I successful? We all have this ability; the ability to be the accountant of our own life and take the time to reflect on the previous year. As a former NFL lineman, I used to sit in the “cold plunge” (ice-cold water tank) to prepare myself for the upcoming game. Football is all about preparation and the last thing you wanted was to feel your legs weighed down on game day as you ran out of the tunnel because you didn’t prepare your body properly. My teammates and I would often say the word preparation during this process. It is an intense visual: a bunch of lineman in the cold plunge saying preparation? We all wanted to get out of the gate fast and do it right to start the game. My former football Coach, Jimmy Johnson, expected his players to be 5-10 minutes early for team meetings. He would often scold players if they showed up on time by saying, “How can you be ready for a team meeting without a few minutes of extra time to get mentally ready?” Trust me, you didn’t want to have that conversation! Right now is the time to get a head start, to get into the cold plunge, show up early and to insure a year filled with unbounded success, peace and joy in all you do.
About the author Alan Shlomo Veingrad
Alan Shlomo Veingrad had a seven-year career as an offensive lineman in the NFL, first with the Green Bay Packers and then the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he won Super Bowl XXVII. He has been the subject of features on NBC, NPR, JM in the AM, and the Jewish Channel; and in the NY Times, NY Post, Dallas Morning News, and the Miami Herald. In a one-of-a-kind presentation, Alan shares with audiences around the world the story of how he became aware after retiring from professional football that his lifestyle was more style than life. It left a void in him that ultimately led to his becoming an Orthodox Jew.
For more information about hearing his uniquely entertaining and valuable perspective, please visit www.alanveingrad.com.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Check out our latest Newsletter posted today
BRAND NEW TALK:
Same guy, different hat and more Jewish - How do you know when it's time to change?
Why do some people change? Why did the doctor, CPA, Sports Agent, Lawyer and Pro Football player make a transformational life change to become Torah Observant? Shlomo details his 3 point-plan that serves as the play book to score big; no matter how challenging the formation or how long the odds to make the change, get out of the old and into the new. Hilarious Entertaining and Non-Threatening
Other talks available:
My Teshuvah Journey: Steps to Self-Discovery in Size 14 shoes - Shared with hundreds of audiences around the world the story of how Shlomo became aware after retiring from professional football that his lifestyle was more style than life. In this very personal presentation, Shlomo shares the steps that have led to his own spiritual journey where he has found a deepening sense of contentment and a renewed sense of purpose.
In Overdrive at OverTime-Consistently Doing More Than What's Expected
Excellence begins with doing more than what's expected more than what the terms of the contract specify. The NFL is not for the faint -hearted, you must do more be over-the-top crazy, hyper-intense, super-focused and totally dedicated. Doing more than the minimum; never focusing on the language in the contact or strict construction of the suggested workout. It's all about doing more-run more, lift more, and study more. In Overdrive at OverTime Shlomo relates the discipline of being a professional athlete who became a leader of high-performance sales teams - and then an observant Jew.
Alan's Upcoming Events:
May 26 Yeshiva Torah Ohr - North Miami Beach, FL
May 27 & 28 NCSY Central East Regional Shabbaton/Convention - Detroit, MI
June 1 - Torah Academy - Jacksonville, FL
June 5 Chabad of Plano, TX
About the speaker Alan Veingrad
Alan Veingrad, the transformational speaker, had a seven-year career as an offensive lineman in the NFL, first with the Green Bay Packers and then the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he won Super Bowl XXVII. He has been the subject of features on NBC, NPR, JM in the AM, and the Jewish Channel; and in the NY Times, NY Post, Dallas Morning News, and the Miami Herald. In May 2010, Alan was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and invited to the White House to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month. He speaks to businesses, colleges, universities and religious audiences around the world, bringing his inspirational messages of transformation, excellence, leadership, team play, and spiritual connection. For more information about hearing his uniquely entertaining and valuable perspective, please visit www.alanveingrad.com. For Inquiries and bookings, contact alan@alanveingrad.com or 954 205 6369.
Same guy, different hat and more Jewish - How do you know when it's time to change?
Why do some people change? Why did the doctor, CPA, Sports Agent, Lawyer and Pro Football player make a transformational life change to become Torah Observant? Shlomo details his 3 point-plan that serves as the play book to score big; no matter how challenging the formation or how long the odds to make the change, get out of the old and into the new. Hilarious Entertaining and Non-Threatening
Other talks available:
My Teshuvah Journey: Steps to Self-Discovery in Size 14 shoes - Shared with hundreds of audiences around the world the story of how Shlomo became aware after retiring from professional football that his lifestyle was more style than life. In this very personal presentation, Shlomo shares the steps that have led to his own spiritual journey where he has found a deepening sense of contentment and a renewed sense of purpose.
In Overdrive at OverTime-Consistently Doing More Than What's Expected
Excellence begins with doing more than what's expected more than what the terms of the contract specify. The NFL is not for the faint -hearted, you must do more be over-the-top crazy, hyper-intense, super-focused and totally dedicated. Doing more than the minimum; never focusing on the language in the contact or strict construction of the suggested workout. It's all about doing more-run more, lift more, and study more. In Overdrive at OverTime Shlomo relates the discipline of being a professional athlete who became a leader of high-performance sales teams - and then an observant Jew.
Alan's Upcoming Events:
May 26 Yeshiva Torah Ohr - North Miami Beach, FL
May 27 & 28 NCSY Central East Regional Shabbaton/Convention - Detroit, MI
June 1 - Torah Academy - Jacksonville, FL
June 5 Chabad of Plano, TX
About the speaker Alan Veingrad
Alan Veingrad, the transformational speaker, had a seven-year career as an offensive lineman in the NFL, first with the Green Bay Packers and then the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he won Super Bowl XXVII. He has been the subject of features on NBC, NPR, JM in the AM, and the Jewish Channel; and in the NY Times, NY Post, Dallas Morning News, and the Miami Herald. In May 2010, Alan was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and invited to the White House to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month. He speaks to businesses, colleges, universities and religious audiences around the world, bringing his inspirational messages of transformation, excellence, leadership, team play, and spiritual connection. For more information about hearing his uniquely entertaining and valuable perspective, please visit www.alanveingrad.com. For Inquiries and bookings, contact alan@alanveingrad.com or 954 205 6369.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Super Bowl Champion loves The Simply Bar as part of his post-NFL kosher diet
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Cathy Richards
CEO, Wellness Foods Inc
cathy@wellnessfoods.ca; 1-800-547-5790 x4
Super Bowl Champion loves The Simply Bar as part of his post-NFL kosher diet.
TORONTO, Ontario, May 6 2011
As a former NFL star, Alan Veingrad knows a thing about the struggles of eating well. Fuelling himself to play in seven NFL seasons as an offensive lineman, first with the Green Bay Packers and then the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he won Super Bowl XXVII, required a lot of determination and knowledge.
After his time in the NFL, Alan became increasingly aware of blankness in his heart and an emptiness in his soul. He reacquainted himself with the teachings and practices of Jewish life. Alan, who had been the only Jewish player on the Super Bowl Champion Dallas Cowboy Team in 1992, soon embraced Judaism. He now goes by his Hebrew name Shlomo, and says he has a deepening sense of contentment and a renewed sense of purpose.
Along with Alan’s adoption of the orthodox Jewish religion has come a new struggle: how to continue to eat well while constantly on-the-go and, more importantly, maintaining a strict kosher diet. He is discovering just how hard it is to find healthy, kosher foods:
“The Torah tells us that we need to eat healthily, but overeating at Shabbath and holiday dinners makes that hard to do. Furthermore, some traditional foods in our culture are not always served in the healthiest manner. In the last couple of years, I have noticed that many of my family and friends have been cutting back:
• low fat instead of full fat mayo in salads and sandwiches,
• less oil usage and reduced consumption of traditional greasy foods (like latkes, kugals),
• lean meats instead of full fat kishkes and chicken liver,
• reduced consumption of breads and cakes.”
Alan has recently discovered The Simply Bar, a kosher protein bar from Canada, which is low in fat and only 160 calories or less per bar.
“The Simply Bar is great when I am on the go. It gives me the energy I need, without junk ingredients. If I cannot find a suitable food choice when I am travelling, I know that I have a healthy, portable option that tastes great too. I always make a point of telling others about it, especially if they follow specific diets. I want everyone to have a healthy option available, regardless of the diet they follow or how hectic their schedule is.”
About The Simply Bar:
The Simply Bar was created by Cathy Richards. With Crohn’s disease since she was 12 years old, and a hectic work schedule, she wanted a high protein, low fat, low glycemic bar that had only a handful of all natural ingredients she could pronounce and no chemicals or ingredients she couldn't. In addition to being healthy overall, the short list of natural, kosher, gluten/casein free and vegan ingredients makes The Simply Bar especially easy to digest for those with food sensitivities. The Simply Bar is now loved not only by athletes, vegans and celiacs, but also everyday healthy people who want to make better eating choices. Contact info: cathy@thesimplybar.com 1-800-547-5790 x4
About Alan Veingrad:
Alan Veingrad, the transformational speaker, had a seven-year career as an offensive lineman in the NFL, first with the Green Bay Packers and then the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he won Super Bowl XXVII. He has been the subject of features on NBC, NPR, JM in the AM, and the Jewish Channel; and in the NY Times, NY Post, Dallas Morning News, and the Miami Herald. In a one-of-a-kind presentation, Alan shares with audiences around the world the story of how he became aware that his lifestyle after retiring from professional football was more style than life. It left a void in him that ultimately led to his becoming an Orthodox Jew. For more information about hearing his uniquely entertaining and valuable perspective, please visit www.alanveingrad.com. For Media Inquiries and bookings, contact alan@alanveingrad.com 954 205 6369.
Contact: Cathy Richards
CEO, Wellness Foods Inc
cathy@wellnessfoods.ca; 1-800-547-5790 x4
Super Bowl Champion loves The Simply Bar as part of his post-NFL kosher diet.
TORONTO, Ontario, May 6 2011
As a former NFL star, Alan Veingrad knows a thing about the struggles of eating well. Fuelling himself to play in seven NFL seasons as an offensive lineman, first with the Green Bay Packers and then the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he won Super Bowl XXVII, required a lot of determination and knowledge.
After his time in the NFL, Alan became increasingly aware of blankness in his heart and an emptiness in his soul. He reacquainted himself with the teachings and practices of Jewish life. Alan, who had been the only Jewish player on the Super Bowl Champion Dallas Cowboy Team in 1992, soon embraced Judaism. He now goes by his Hebrew name Shlomo, and says he has a deepening sense of contentment and a renewed sense of purpose.
Along with Alan’s adoption of the orthodox Jewish religion has come a new struggle: how to continue to eat well while constantly on-the-go and, more importantly, maintaining a strict kosher diet. He is discovering just how hard it is to find healthy, kosher foods:
“The Torah tells us that we need to eat healthily, but overeating at Shabbath and holiday dinners makes that hard to do. Furthermore, some traditional foods in our culture are not always served in the healthiest manner. In the last couple of years, I have noticed that many of my family and friends have been cutting back:
• low fat instead of full fat mayo in salads and sandwiches,
• less oil usage and reduced consumption of traditional greasy foods (like latkes, kugals),
• lean meats instead of full fat kishkes and chicken liver,
• reduced consumption of breads and cakes.”
Alan has recently discovered The Simply Bar, a kosher protein bar from Canada, which is low in fat and only 160 calories or less per bar.
“The Simply Bar is great when I am on the go. It gives me the energy I need, without junk ingredients. If I cannot find a suitable food choice when I am travelling, I know that I have a healthy, portable option that tastes great too. I always make a point of telling others about it, especially if they follow specific diets. I want everyone to have a healthy option available, regardless of the diet they follow or how hectic their schedule is.”
About The Simply Bar:
The Simply Bar was created by Cathy Richards. With Crohn’s disease since she was 12 years old, and a hectic work schedule, she wanted a high protein, low fat, low glycemic bar that had only a handful of all natural ingredients she could pronounce and no chemicals or ingredients she couldn't. In addition to being healthy overall, the short list of natural, kosher, gluten/casein free and vegan ingredients makes The Simply Bar especially easy to digest for those with food sensitivities. The Simply Bar is now loved not only by athletes, vegans and celiacs, but also everyday healthy people who want to make better eating choices. Contact info: cathy@thesimplybar.com 1-800-547-5790 x4
About Alan Veingrad:
Alan Veingrad, the transformational speaker, had a seven-year career as an offensive lineman in the NFL, first with the Green Bay Packers and then the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he won Super Bowl XXVII. He has been the subject of features on NBC, NPR, JM in the AM, and the Jewish Channel; and in the NY Times, NY Post, Dallas Morning News, and the Miami Herald. In a one-of-a-kind presentation, Alan shares with audiences around the world the story of how he became aware that his lifestyle after retiring from professional football was more style than life. It left a void in him that ultimately led to his becoming an Orthodox Jew. For more information about hearing his uniquely entertaining and valuable perspective, please visit www.alanveingrad.com. For Media Inquiries and bookings, contact alan@alanveingrad.com 954 205 6369.
Monday, April 11, 2011
LOMBARDI - A New American Play on Broadway last minute price discount
LOMBARDI is able to offer a last minute price code to my friends, followers and supporters. Those who visit www.broadwayoffers.com and use code VINCDE40 will receive $40 tickets to tomorrow night's show April 12 or call Sarah Hutton at 212-554-3430 for best available seats. I look forward to seeing you at the show tomorrow night!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Former Packer and Super Bowl Champion Shares His Days as a Green Bay Packer at Broadway’s LOMBARDI on Tuesday April 12
April 4 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alan S. Veingrad
President, Alan S. Veingrad Inc.
954 205 6369, alan@alanveingrad.com
Former Packer and Super Bowl Champion Shares His Days as a Green Bay Packer at Broadway’s LOMBARDI on Tuesday April 12
Alan Veingrad, former NFL offensive lineman, will share his story of being the only Jewish player on the Super Bowl Champion Dallas Cowboy team XXVII next Tuesday April 12 following the performance of LOMBARDI at Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theatre, 50th Street, west of Broadway. He will share his riveting personal account of self-discovery following his retirement from the NFL. In this one-of-a-kind presentation Alan vividly relates the discipline of being a professional athlete and leader of high-performance sales teams to the process of becoming an observant Jew. His story is one of Jewish pride in the least likely of places. He relays his personal breakthroughs and accomplishments during his five years as an offensive lineman with the Green Bay Packers and two years with the Dallas Cowboys playing for legendary coach Jimmy Johnson playing alongside hall of fame quarterback Troy Aikman and record-breaking running back Emmitt Smith. With remarkable candor and alacrity, Alan keeps his audiences spellbound with his accounts of the intense training, ruthless competitive atmosphere, and performance requirements of professional football life. Since his retirement, Alan has used his championship experience to score big in his business career where he has consistently exceeded the revenue expectations for his divisional responsibilities by three-digit percentages and exceeded the performance goals of his sales teams.
Perhaps most compelling is Alan’s account of finding himself and his religious identity following his NFL career as he became increasingly aware of a blankness in his heart and an emptiness in his soul. As Alan reacquainted himself with the teachings, values, and practices of Jewish life he began to get a glimpse of what was missing. In this very personal presentation, Alan shares the steps that have led to his own spiritual journey where he has found a deepening sense of contentment and a renewed sense of purpose.
Alan was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, Class of 2010, Texas A&M, Commerce Athletic Hall of Fame class of 2006 and invited to the White House this May 2010 for the first ever reception honoring Jewish American heritage month.
LOMBARDI opened on Broadway in October 2010; both theatre critics and sports writers weighed in:
“Eric Simonson has given us an extremely well-crafted piece of intelligent middlebrow theater, a regular-guy equivalent of Frost/Nixon. A good one for the guys. It is both tasty and filling. I know nothing about football and less about the Green Bay Packers, but LOMBARDI held my attention from start to finish, and when it was over, I went home feeling properly entertained.” Terry Teachout, The Wall Street Journal
“There’s a place for LOMBARDI in the Broadway huddle… It is theatrical catnip for husbands or boyfriends otherwise reluctant to see most Broadway shows: Football! Vince Lombardi! The legendary Packers!” The Associated Press
"Even if you never cared about Lombardi, you will enjoy LOMBARDI. And that really is everything." Mike Vaccaro, New York Post
"I loved LOMBARDI" Fox Five
"A rare Broadway drama that's also a real crowd-pleaser." AOL
“Sports fans will get a huge kick out of the it, but there's plenty for the uninitiated as well. As entertainment, LOMBARDI scores points.” Roma Torre, NY1
“With its uniformly good cast, tight direction and frequent flashes of humor, Lombardi is solid playing in every sense of the word.” David Cote, Time Out New York
Directed by Tony Award nominee Thomas Kail, LOMBARDI is an original play by Academy Award-winning playwright Eric Simonson, based on the best-selling biography When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi by Pulitzer Prize winner David Maraniss. The production opened in October at Circle in the Square Theatre.
Starring Dan Lauria as the legendary Hall of Fame football coach Vince Lombardi and Judith Light as his wife Marie, LOMBARDI also features Keith Nobbs as Michael McCormick, Bill Dawes as Paul Hornung, Robert Christopher Riley as Dave Robinson and Chris Sullivan as Jim Taylor. Joining producers Tony Ponturo and Fran Kirmser as special producing partner is the National Football League, marking the organization’s first foray on Broadway.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.telecharge.com, by phone at 212-239-6200, or in person at the Box Office (50th Street, West of Broadway).
www.lombardibroadway.com
Follow LOMBARDI on Twitter: @LombardiPlay or on Facebook.
Follow BBB on Twitter: @BBBway or on Facebook.
For the most up to date press releases visit our Blog.
For sports inquiries, please contact Joe Favorito: 917-566-8345 / fatherknickerbocker1@yahoo.com.
About Alan “Shlomo” Veingrad:
Alan Veingrad, the transformational speaker, had a seven-year career as an offensive lineman in the NFL, first with the Green Bay Packers and then the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he won Super Bowl XXVII. He has been the subject of features on NBC, NPR, JM in the AM, and the Jewish Channel; and in the NY Times, NY Post, Dallas Morning News, and the Miami Herald. In a one-of-a-kind presentation, Alan shares with audiences around the world the story of how he became aware after retiring from football that his lifestyle was more style than life. It left a void in him that ultimately led to his becoming an Orthodox Jew. Today Alan is the National Marketing Director with CJA and Associates, a consulting firm specializing in tax elimination strategies, tax free retirement and estate planning options for business owners. Alan speaks to businesses, colleges, universities and religious audiences around the world bringing his inspirational messages of transformation, inspiration, business and personal planning, excellence, leadership, team play, and spiritual connection.
For more information, please visit www.AlanVeingrad.com. For Media Inquiries and bookings; please contact alan@alanveingrad.com 954 205 6369.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alan S. Veingrad
President, Alan S. Veingrad Inc.
954 205 6369, alan@alanveingrad.com
Former Packer and Super Bowl Champion Shares His Days as a Green Bay Packer at Broadway’s LOMBARDI on Tuesday April 12
Alan Veingrad, former NFL offensive lineman, will share his story of being the only Jewish player on the Super Bowl Champion Dallas Cowboy team XXVII next Tuesday April 12 following the performance of LOMBARDI at Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theatre, 50th Street, west of Broadway. He will share his riveting personal account of self-discovery following his retirement from the NFL. In this one-of-a-kind presentation Alan vividly relates the discipline of being a professional athlete and leader of high-performance sales teams to the process of becoming an observant Jew. His story is one of Jewish pride in the least likely of places. He relays his personal breakthroughs and accomplishments during his five years as an offensive lineman with the Green Bay Packers and two years with the Dallas Cowboys playing for legendary coach Jimmy Johnson playing alongside hall of fame quarterback Troy Aikman and record-breaking running back Emmitt Smith. With remarkable candor and alacrity, Alan keeps his audiences spellbound with his accounts of the intense training, ruthless competitive atmosphere, and performance requirements of professional football life. Since his retirement, Alan has used his championship experience to score big in his business career where he has consistently exceeded the revenue expectations for his divisional responsibilities by three-digit percentages and exceeded the performance goals of his sales teams.
Perhaps most compelling is Alan’s account of finding himself and his religious identity following his NFL career as he became increasingly aware of a blankness in his heart and an emptiness in his soul. As Alan reacquainted himself with the teachings, values, and practices of Jewish life he began to get a glimpse of what was missing. In this very personal presentation, Alan shares the steps that have led to his own spiritual journey where he has found a deepening sense of contentment and a renewed sense of purpose.
Alan was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, Class of 2010, Texas A&M, Commerce Athletic Hall of Fame class of 2006 and invited to the White House this May 2010 for the first ever reception honoring Jewish American heritage month.
LOMBARDI opened on Broadway in October 2010; both theatre critics and sports writers weighed in:
“Eric Simonson has given us an extremely well-crafted piece of intelligent middlebrow theater, a regular-guy equivalent of Frost/Nixon. A good one for the guys. It is both tasty and filling. I know nothing about football and less about the Green Bay Packers, but LOMBARDI held my attention from start to finish, and when it was over, I went home feeling properly entertained.” Terry Teachout, The Wall Street Journal
“There’s a place for LOMBARDI in the Broadway huddle… It is theatrical catnip for husbands or boyfriends otherwise reluctant to see most Broadway shows: Football! Vince Lombardi! The legendary Packers!” The Associated Press
"Even if you never cared about Lombardi, you will enjoy LOMBARDI. And that really is everything." Mike Vaccaro, New York Post
"I loved LOMBARDI" Fox Five
"A rare Broadway drama that's also a real crowd-pleaser." AOL
“Sports fans will get a huge kick out of the it, but there's plenty for the uninitiated as well. As entertainment, LOMBARDI scores points.” Roma Torre, NY1
“With its uniformly good cast, tight direction and frequent flashes of humor, Lombardi is solid playing in every sense of the word.” David Cote, Time Out New York
Directed by Tony Award nominee Thomas Kail, LOMBARDI is an original play by Academy Award-winning playwright Eric Simonson, based on the best-selling biography When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi by Pulitzer Prize winner David Maraniss. The production opened in October at Circle in the Square Theatre.
Starring Dan Lauria as the legendary Hall of Fame football coach Vince Lombardi and Judith Light as his wife Marie, LOMBARDI also features Keith Nobbs as Michael McCormick, Bill Dawes as Paul Hornung, Robert Christopher Riley as Dave Robinson and Chris Sullivan as Jim Taylor. Joining producers Tony Ponturo and Fran Kirmser as special producing partner is the National Football League, marking the organization’s first foray on Broadway.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.telecharge.com, by phone at 212-239-6200, or in person at the Box Office (50th Street, West of Broadway).
www.lombardibroadway.com
Follow LOMBARDI on Twitter: @LombardiPlay or on Facebook.
Follow BBB on Twitter: @BBBway or on Facebook.
For the most up to date press releases visit our Blog.
For sports inquiries, please contact Joe Favorito: 917-566-8345 / fatherknickerbocker1@yahoo.com.
About Alan “Shlomo” Veingrad:
Alan Veingrad, the transformational speaker, had a seven-year career as an offensive lineman in the NFL, first with the Green Bay Packers and then the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he won Super Bowl XXVII. He has been the subject of features on NBC, NPR, JM in the AM, and the Jewish Channel; and in the NY Times, NY Post, Dallas Morning News, and the Miami Herald. In a one-of-a-kind presentation, Alan shares with audiences around the world the story of how he became aware after retiring from football that his lifestyle was more style than life. It left a void in him that ultimately led to his becoming an Orthodox Jew. Today Alan is the National Marketing Director with CJA and Associates, a consulting firm specializing in tax elimination strategies, tax free retirement and estate planning options for business owners. Alan speaks to businesses, colleges, universities and religious audiences around the world bringing his inspirational messages of transformation, inspiration, business and personal planning, excellence, leadership, team play, and spiritual connection.
For more information, please visit www.AlanVeingrad.com. For Media Inquiries and bookings; please contact alan@alanveingrad.com 954 205 6369.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
The Ultimate Playbook is The Haggadah
By Alan “Shlomo” Veingrad
At the start of training camp each year, every player gets handed a playbook the size of the yellow pages. He is expected to study it and to know every single play backwards and forwards. Each play is strategically designed to use all eleven players to achieve a specific objective. The playbook provides the spacing, directions, timing, objectives and techniques required for every player for each play.
At times, every player will come up short in his execution but as long as he wins his share of the battles, all is well. The worst thing, though, is to get the play wrong because you did not study it well. Pro Football Hall-of-Famer and legendary Coach Forrest Gregg, who coached me in Green Bay, once told the team “if I open up your playbook on Sunday before the game and don’t find ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, coffee and maple syrup stains all over it you didn’t study your plays well enough.” More than anything else, our success would depend on how well we would execute our plays.
But if you don’t know who to block or where to go or what to do, the play breaks down and you have no excuse. Can you imagine running the wrong play because you didn’t know what to do? And worst of all – worse than knowing you messed up on national television – is that you, your teammates and your coaches will all watch the whole thing together the next day – in slow motion. Talk about embarrassing!
I have been there, and you dread going to that team meeting. And it can get worse – you may even get a visit from the Turk, delivering those ominous words: “Coach wants to see you and, uh, bring your playbook.” [NFL Lesson: The “Turk” is the messenger who informs a player that he is about to be cut from the team.] Can you imagine that happening to you? Again, I have been there.
In Judaism, we have several “playbooks” that describe how we can achieve our various spiritual objectives. One of my favorites is the Haggadah – the playbook for the Passover Seder. We have a lot to accomplish on this special night and we’ve got to do what it takes to make the most of it. It is our best opportunity of the year to break out of our own personal limitations, symbolized by the slavery of ancient Egypt. We can “gain more yardage” towards ultimate freedom at the Seder, and throughout Passover, than at other time of the year, moving downfield towards our “promised land.”
Like a playbook, the Haggadah is full of specifics: Make kiddush and lean in luxury as you drink the wine, wash your hands, take a vegetable and dip it in saltwater, break the middle matzah, ask and reward questions, etc. Each of these “plays” is strategically designed to achieve an objective, enhancing our identities, deepening our freedom. But if you want to be successful, you have to study the playbook. And, you have to understand it.
Success in football, and in Judaism, is about more than x’s and o’s. You also have to know what it takes to win. If you just follow the arrows on the chalkboard, you might get the play right but you’ll never be a winner. Great players don’t just study the playbook to memorize it but to understand it.
As a former offensive lineman coming out of the huddle to the line of scrimmage, I can assure you we didn’t focus on the instant success of crossing the goal line; we focused on making progress and “moving the chains.” How often do we see the referee holding up his fingers motioning to the head coach you just need an inch for the first down? We have to do the same thing, making our way down the field, away from the “Egypt” keeping us down.
The Hebrew name for Egypt is Mitzrayim, which means boundaries or limitations. These boundaries and limitations that exist in the realm of our relationship with God cause us to serve with limited commitment. We need to ensure that we don’t get taken down by our inner Egypt by taking out that playbook and studying it before the big night. That’s what it takes to execute our plan, making an unbounded commitment to Godliness. We just need to keep moving those chains, inch by inch, yard by yard and Mitzvah by Mitzvah.
Ready? On three – Blue 18 Blue 18 hut, hut - hut!
Have a happy, meaningful and kosher Passover.
About Alan Veingrad, the transformational speaker, had a seven-year career as an offensive lineman in the NFL, first with the Green Bay Packers and then the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he won Super Bowl XXVII. He has been the subject of features on NBC, NPR, JM in the AM, and the Jewish Channel; and in the NY Times, NY Post, Dallas Morning News, and the Miami Herald. In a one-of-a-kind presentation, Alan shares with audiences around the world the story of how he became aware after retiring from football that his lifestyle was more style than life. It left a void in him that ultimately led to his becoming an Orthodox Jew. For more information about hearing his uniquely entertaining and valuable perspective, please visit www.alanveingrad.com. For Media Inquiries and bookings, contact alan@alanveingrad.com 954 205 6369.
At the start of training camp each year, every player gets handed a playbook the size of the yellow pages. He is expected to study it and to know every single play backwards and forwards. Each play is strategically designed to use all eleven players to achieve a specific objective. The playbook provides the spacing, directions, timing, objectives and techniques required for every player for each play.
At times, every player will come up short in his execution but as long as he wins his share of the battles, all is well. The worst thing, though, is to get the play wrong because you did not study it well. Pro Football Hall-of-Famer and legendary Coach Forrest Gregg, who coached me in Green Bay, once told the team “if I open up your playbook on Sunday before the game and don’t find ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, coffee and maple syrup stains all over it you didn’t study your plays well enough.” More than anything else, our success would depend on how well we would execute our plays.
But if you don’t know who to block or where to go or what to do, the play breaks down and you have no excuse. Can you imagine running the wrong play because you didn’t know what to do? And worst of all – worse than knowing you messed up on national television – is that you, your teammates and your coaches will all watch the whole thing together the next day – in slow motion. Talk about embarrassing!
I have been there, and you dread going to that team meeting. And it can get worse – you may even get a visit from the Turk, delivering those ominous words: “Coach wants to see you and, uh, bring your playbook.” [NFL Lesson: The “Turk” is the messenger who informs a player that he is about to be cut from the team.] Can you imagine that happening to you? Again, I have been there.
In Judaism, we have several “playbooks” that describe how we can achieve our various spiritual objectives. One of my favorites is the Haggadah – the playbook for the Passover Seder. We have a lot to accomplish on this special night and we’ve got to do what it takes to make the most of it. It is our best opportunity of the year to break out of our own personal limitations, symbolized by the slavery of ancient Egypt. We can “gain more yardage” towards ultimate freedom at the Seder, and throughout Passover, than at other time of the year, moving downfield towards our “promised land.”
Like a playbook, the Haggadah is full of specifics: Make kiddush and lean in luxury as you drink the wine, wash your hands, take a vegetable and dip it in saltwater, break the middle matzah, ask and reward questions, etc. Each of these “plays” is strategically designed to achieve an objective, enhancing our identities, deepening our freedom. But if you want to be successful, you have to study the playbook. And, you have to understand it.
Success in football, and in Judaism, is about more than x’s and o’s. You also have to know what it takes to win. If you just follow the arrows on the chalkboard, you might get the play right but you’ll never be a winner. Great players don’t just study the playbook to memorize it but to understand it.
As a former offensive lineman coming out of the huddle to the line of scrimmage, I can assure you we didn’t focus on the instant success of crossing the goal line; we focused on making progress and “moving the chains.” How often do we see the referee holding up his fingers motioning to the head coach you just need an inch for the first down? We have to do the same thing, making our way down the field, away from the “Egypt” keeping us down.
The Hebrew name for Egypt is Mitzrayim, which means boundaries or limitations. These boundaries and limitations that exist in the realm of our relationship with God cause us to serve with limited commitment. We need to ensure that we don’t get taken down by our inner Egypt by taking out that playbook and studying it before the big night. That’s what it takes to execute our plan, making an unbounded commitment to Godliness. We just need to keep moving those chains, inch by inch, yard by yard and Mitzvah by Mitzvah.
Ready? On three – Blue 18 Blue 18 hut, hut - hut!
Have a happy, meaningful and kosher Passover.
About Alan Veingrad, the transformational speaker, had a seven-year career as an offensive lineman in the NFL, first with the Green Bay Packers and then the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he won Super Bowl XXVII. He has been the subject of features on NBC, NPR, JM in the AM, and the Jewish Channel; and in the NY Times, NY Post, Dallas Morning News, and the Miami Herald. In a one-of-a-kind presentation, Alan shares with audiences around the world the story of how he became aware after retiring from football that his lifestyle was more style than life. It left a void in him that ultimately led to his becoming an Orthodox Jew. For more information about hearing his uniquely entertaining and valuable perspective, please visit www.alanveingrad.com. For Media Inquiries and bookings, contact alan@alanveingrad.com 954 205 6369.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The Ultimate NFL Shabbat Experience
SUPER BOWL CHAMP HOSTS FIRST-EVER
NFL SHABBAT EXPERIENCE
Join Alan Shlomo Veingrad, former Green Bay Packer and Dallas Cowboy, on a four day, three night trip to legendary Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI. Home of the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers!
This Ultimate NFL Shabbat Experience will include:
Local Ground transportation
Hotel Accommodations
Excellent Glatt Kosher Food
Tour of Packer Locker Room
Tour of Lambeau Field, Packer Hall of Fame
Amazing Shabbos with inspiring Rabbis
"Chalk Talk" motzei Shabbos with Alan and another veteran Packer player
The ULTIMATE Kosher Tailgate party
Exceptional location seating to watch Packer game
Cost, Opponent and date to be finalized pending release of NFL league schedule*
Ultimate NFL Shabbat Experience reservations will be limited. To place your name on the list for priority positioning and further information, please email alan@alanveingrad.com.
* Estimated mid-April pending labor negotiations
About the author: Alan "Shlomo" Veingrad
Alan had a seven-year career as an offensive lineman in the NFL, first with the Green Bay Packers and then the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he won Super Bowl XXVII. Alan’s presentation style and post-retirement experience in business have made him a much sought-after speaker by many organizations whose management seeks to lead their organizations by exemplifying a culture of personal and professional achievement blended with a higher purpose. Alan has captivated religious audiences around the world, bringing his inspirational messages of transformation, personal excellence, leadership, team play and spiritual connection. Today Alan is the National Marketing Director with CJA and Associates, a nationwide consulting firm specializing in tax elimination strategies and estate planning options for business owners and professionals. For more information, please visit www.alanveingrad.com. For Media Inquiries and bookings, please contact alan@alanveingrad.com 954 205 6369.
NFL SHABBAT EXPERIENCE
Join Alan Shlomo Veingrad, former Green Bay Packer and Dallas Cowboy, on a four day, three night trip to legendary Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI. Home of the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers!
This Ultimate NFL Shabbat Experience will include:
Local Ground transportation
Hotel Accommodations
Excellent Glatt Kosher Food
Tour of Packer Locker Room
Tour of Lambeau Field, Packer Hall of Fame
Amazing Shabbos with inspiring Rabbis
"Chalk Talk" motzei Shabbos with Alan and another veteran Packer player
The ULTIMATE Kosher Tailgate party
Exceptional location seating to watch Packer game
Cost, Opponent and date to be finalized pending release of NFL league schedule*
Ultimate NFL Shabbat Experience reservations will be limited. To place your name on the list for priority positioning and further information, please email alan@alanveingrad.com.
* Estimated mid-April pending labor negotiations
About the author: Alan "Shlomo" Veingrad
Alan had a seven-year career as an offensive lineman in the NFL, first with the Green Bay Packers and then the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he won Super Bowl XXVII. Alan’s presentation style and post-retirement experience in business have made him a much sought-after speaker by many organizations whose management seeks to lead their organizations by exemplifying a culture of personal and professional achievement blended with a higher purpose. Alan has captivated religious audiences around the world, bringing his inspirational messages of transformation, personal excellence, leadership, team play and spiritual connection. Today Alan is the National Marketing Director with CJA and Associates, a nationwide consulting firm specializing in tax elimination strategies and estate planning options for business owners and professionals. For more information, please visit www.alanveingrad.com. For Media Inquiries and bookings, please contact alan@alanveingrad.com 954 205 6369.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Crown Heights, NY Speaking Engagement
Thursday evening, February 10, 2001 8:30 PM
Reim Ahuvim shul 1614 Carroll Street (corner Schenectady).
Crown Heights, New York
Fathers/son, Boys age 10 and older, all men are welcome
"Tackling Life's Daily Challenges on the Right Playing Field"
Refreshments will be served
Reim Ahuvim shul 1614 Carroll Street (corner Schenectady).
Crown Heights, New York
Fathers/son, Boys age 10 and older, all men are welcome
"Tackling Life's Daily Challenges on the Right Playing Field"
Refreshments will be served
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Speaking Schedule
Wednesday Feb 9 7pm Chabad of Orange County
1170 Route 17M Suite I Upper Level Parking Lot• Chester, NY 10918 845.782.2770
Thursday Feb 10 6pm Yeshiva of Flatbush
919 East 10th Street Brooklyn, NY 11230 718.377.1100
Thursday Feb 10 Father/Son Farbrengen
Crown Heights, NY (location TBD) please check back
Friday Feb 11/12 The Roitman Chabad Center @ Cornell University
102 Willard Way Ithaca, NY 14850 607.257.7379
Sunday Feb 13 6:30 PM Chabad of S. Mateo
Marriott Hotel 1770 S. Amphlett Boulevard in S. Mateo, CA 650.341.4510
1170 Route 17M Suite I Upper Level Parking Lot• Chester, NY 10918 845.782.2770
Thursday Feb 10 6pm Yeshiva of Flatbush
919 East 10th Street Brooklyn, NY 11230 718.377.1100
Thursday Feb 10 Father/Son Farbrengen
Crown Heights, NY (location TBD) please check back
Friday Feb 11/12 The Roitman Chabad Center @ Cornell University
102 Willard Way Ithaca, NY 14850 607.257.7379
Sunday Feb 13 6:30 PM Chabad of S. Mateo
Marriott Hotel 1770 S. Amphlett Boulevard in S. Mateo, CA 650.341.4510
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Why I Love the Green Bay Packers?
Having had the opportunity to play for the Green Bay Packers for 5 seasons would be the most logical reason. Of course I have to mention the history of the team; so many great players, all those championships, and who can forget Vince Lombardi, the famed head coach of the Packers in the 1960s?
As a high school kid I used to listen to Vince Lombardi’s motivational cassette tapes to pump me up before football games and track meets. Lombardi had claimed that Forrest Gregg was the finest player he’d ever coached. Amazingly, I was coached by Forrest Gregg for 2 of my 5 years as a Packer! Those that have had the chance to visit Green Bay and/or take in a Packers game at Lambeau Field would concur, the fans and the people are truly real, genuine and just so loyal to those Packers. These are all very sound reasons why I should love the Packers, however, there is another reason – the main reason.
During my rookie year, when it was officially announced that I made the team, I received a phone call from Lou Weinstein, a local Green Bay businessman. Mr. Weinstein invited me out to his country club for lunch. I accepted not knowing what or why this man wanted to meet me and buy me lunch. During our lunch Mr. Weinstein said he read about me the previous week in the Jewish Press in an article listing the 5 jews that were in training camp that summer. He also read about me in the Green Bay Press Gazette as it announced the final Packer roster for 1986. Mr. Weinstein went on to ask me if I needed anything. I was taken aback, did I need anything? I was 23 years old at the time, living in a motel across the street from Lambeau Field with $9.00 dollars in my pocket and a suitcase of clothes. Who picks up the phone and asks a perfect stranger out to lunch and ask if he needs anything? Mr. Weinstein, that’s who. He also invited me to synagogue for the upcoming Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) holiday. Mr. Weinstein knew what the Torah says about the obligation and the privilege for one to reach out to another and ask, “Do you need anything? How can I help you?” When was the last time you asked a perfect stranger, “do you need anything, how can I help you?”
That’s why I love the Green Bay Packers. Go Pack Go!
About the author: Alan “Shlomo” Veingrad
Alan Veingrad had a seven-year career as an offensive lineman in the NFL, first with the Green Bay Packers and then the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he won Super Bowl XXVII. Veingrad’s presentation style and post-retirement experience in business have made him a much sought after speaker. Many organizations whose management seeks to lead their organizations by exemplifying a culture of personal and professional achievement blended with a higher purpose call on Veingrad to speak to their employees. Veingrad has captivated religious audiences around the world, bringing his transformational, inspirational messages of positivism, personal excellence, leadership, team play and spiritual connection. Veingrad is also the National Marketing Director with CJA and Associates – specialists in tax elimination strategies and estate planning options for business owners and professionals. For more information, please visit www.AlanVeingrad.com. For Media Inquiries and bookings; please contact alan@alanveingrad.com 954/ 205-6369.
As a high school kid I used to listen to Vince Lombardi’s motivational cassette tapes to pump me up before football games and track meets. Lombardi had claimed that Forrest Gregg was the finest player he’d ever coached. Amazingly, I was coached by Forrest Gregg for 2 of my 5 years as a Packer! Those that have had the chance to visit Green Bay and/or take in a Packers game at Lambeau Field would concur, the fans and the people are truly real, genuine and just so loyal to those Packers. These are all very sound reasons why I should love the Packers, however, there is another reason – the main reason.
During my rookie year, when it was officially announced that I made the team, I received a phone call from Lou Weinstein, a local Green Bay businessman. Mr. Weinstein invited me out to his country club for lunch. I accepted not knowing what or why this man wanted to meet me and buy me lunch. During our lunch Mr. Weinstein said he read about me the previous week in the Jewish Press in an article listing the 5 jews that were in training camp that summer. He also read about me in the Green Bay Press Gazette as it announced the final Packer roster for 1986. Mr. Weinstein went on to ask me if I needed anything. I was taken aback, did I need anything? I was 23 years old at the time, living in a motel across the street from Lambeau Field with $9.00 dollars in my pocket and a suitcase of clothes. Who picks up the phone and asks a perfect stranger out to lunch and ask if he needs anything? Mr. Weinstein, that’s who. He also invited me to synagogue for the upcoming Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) holiday. Mr. Weinstein knew what the Torah says about the obligation and the privilege for one to reach out to another and ask, “Do you need anything? How can I help you?” When was the last time you asked a perfect stranger, “do you need anything, how can I help you?”
That’s why I love the Green Bay Packers. Go Pack Go!
About the author: Alan “Shlomo” Veingrad
Alan Veingrad had a seven-year career as an offensive lineman in the NFL, first with the Green Bay Packers and then the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he won Super Bowl XXVII. Veingrad’s presentation style and post-retirement experience in business have made him a much sought after speaker. Many organizations whose management seeks to lead their organizations by exemplifying a culture of personal and professional achievement blended with a higher purpose call on Veingrad to speak to their employees. Veingrad has captivated religious audiences around the world, bringing his transformational, inspirational messages of positivism, personal excellence, leadership, team play and spiritual connection. Veingrad is also the National Marketing Director with CJA and Associates – specialists in tax elimination strategies and estate planning options for business owners and professionals. For more information, please visit www.AlanVeingrad.com. For Media Inquiries and bookings; please contact alan@alanveingrad.com 954/ 205-6369.
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