As many of our reader know, our friend — my friend — Dennis Prager injured himself in a fall and has been hospitalized ever since. We featured an essay from Rabbi Michael Barclay in our Headlines asking for prayers for Dennis’ recovery, but we did not have many details to report.
Earlier today, Dennis’ podcast partner and good friend Julie Hartman offered their viewers an update on Dennis’ condition. Dennis has undergone surgery and is showing some incremental improvement, but the road ahead will be difficult for Dennis and his family. “This is not a ‘he will be back next week’ situation,” Julie says in the segment below. “This is a long haul and a long recovery for Dennis.”
What I will say though, is that tragically, this is not a “he will be back next week” situation. This is a long haul and a long recovery for Dennis. And that is why I humbly ask you for your prayers. So many of you Dennis and Julie listeners, Fireside Chat listeners, Dennis Prager radio show listeners, people from all walks of life and all faiths, have written the most gracious messages to Sue, Dennis’ wife, to me, to Sean, to Allen Estrin, and to Dennis’ extended family members, with your support and your promises of prayer.
And I just want you to know how much all of us deeply appreciate those messages. And although the situation is quite somber, they do seem to be working. Since Tuesday, every single day, we have seen modest improvements. Modest, but nevertheless, improvements.
That’s all we know too, but we are keeping tabs on Dennis’ progress. We will share it with you when we get more information, and ask everyone to keep Dennis in your prayers.
On that point, I’ll finish this with the wise words of Rabbi Barclay:
Prayers for healing, like all prayers, are more impactful and meaningful when they are based on feelings rather than intellect. Too many people feel that if they just say the words of the prayer, it must be meaningful. But Judaism strongly teaches and emphasizes in multiple sources that “without strong intention (savannah), a prayer is not real.”
And so I ask that each of us take a few moments to feel how important Dennis’ work is to this nation and the world. To reflect upon how important it is for our younger generations to have honest and legitimate options to the leftist educational agenda found too often in this country. To feel how much each of us wants our children and grandchildren to be educated properly. And when we are in touch with that desire, when we really feel how important this kind of work is, to say our own personal prayers.
Amen.