Good evening, everyone. Thank you for being here tonight.

It's an incredibly special opportunity.

What an honor, what a privilege.

Ellie, thank you for being here.

It means so much to us, to our community.

Thank you, Maagali, Massaf. Thank you, Rabbi Mascoats, for putting all of this together.

It's an incredibly special night. It's an incredibly special way to get ready and prepare for Pesach together. Pesach a holiday that will celebrate from slavery to freedom, from darkness

to light. And most of my life, we spoke about slavery, certainly Holocaust survivors, what

they went through. But in our modern times, contemporary times, in my lifetime, I didn't know people.

And L.A. You represent. You were a symbol for us of somebody who was held hostage, the name of your book.

Somebody who was enslaved against your will. And it was found this freedom and you're using it to bring light.

Light to Israel, light to the Jewish people everywhere,

light to decent and good people everywhere.

And that choice that you've made to do that,

it means the absolute world to us.

It's an inspiration.

We are in awe, we admire, and we so deeply, deeply appreciate.

So first and foremost, if nothing else,

just thank you for being here tonight. Thank you.

Thank you for having you.

Like so many others here, as soon as you published your book, I got a copy.

I first opened it as most of my reading is on Friday night.

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