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September 2012

Gary Yourofsky’s inspiring speech touched the hearts of thousands of people in Israel. Many of them sent a thank you note to Gary.

Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2012 5:38 AM
I work for “City Mouse”, Tel Aviv, that belongs to Haaretz magazine. Towards the new Hebrew year that’s coming up soon we are creating a project including the people that made this last year special in Tel Aviv. And since one of the most important events was the fact that so many people in the city became vegan, so much thanks to you, we would gladly like to include you in this project. What does it take? Only a picture. But since the title of the project is “the people that turned this year upside down”, the 10 people photographed will be standing on their heads. But with all the humor involved, this is really for a serious cause. As a matter of fact, you are the only person known by the readers regarding this subject and if we cant take your pic, then there will be no one else since the editors are looking for known and famous people. So I will be sincerely happy if we can make this happen.

Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2012 6:10 AM
I’ve watched your lecture and it hit me very hard! Now I can see clearly through the mist. I know that all the things that we learned about animals over the years was ONE BIG LIE! I love animals and think we need to protect them from the Holocaust.

Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2012 8:31 AM
I watched your lecture about 6 month ago.I didn’t know the meaning of the word vegan. I watched half of it and had to take a break. I knew I would watch the rest but needed some time to digest it all. You said that there is more cruelty in a milk glass than in a steak and I didn’t understand why. When I was watching the part about the milk industry, I cried. I could not believe my eyes. It had such an impact on me. I would think of it days after and my eyes would start crying. I was ashamed that I didn’t know that cows only give milk after having a baby! Or maybe it’s best to say that I never really stopped to think about it.I thought cows just give milk and we people drink it. I am so embarrassed. I’m an educated person, and it never occurred to me. I knew then that I could never again touch animal products. I had no idea what I was supposed to eat, but I knew down deep that things could not be the same anymore. This is coming from a person that used to love milk products so much that when I needed to stop consuming them, because of a medical reason, I refused. If somebody would’ve told me a day before, that tomorrow I will stop eating milk and meat, I would’ve probably laughed. I thought you’d be glad to hear that. You are making a difference. I want to tell you “kol hakavod” which means “way to go” in Hebrew. Thank you for trying to make this world a better place.

Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2012 3:27 AM
i am from Israel, living in Munich with my Austrian wife. she was a vegetarian for the sake of the animals. i was a hardcore meat eater and a big fan of cheese. two months ago my big brother in Israel told me that he is vegan. i immediately started to laugh. i said, “what the fuck?” he saw your lecture and because of that i watched it and changed. changed forever. i am proud that because of your words and honesty, i will no longer harm an animal. and the change was not even hard. vegan food is very tasty. the only difficulty that i need to deal with is my friends and family. I’m sure that if there were 1,500 Garys around the world – veganism would be coming much sooner.

Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2012 3:09 PM
I’m from Israel. Two months ago my boyfriend, Rafi, told me about your youtube lecture, and suggested we see it together. Needless to say we were a bit afraid to see it, so it took us 2 weeks. When we saw your speech, that was it. We became aware. It doesn’t hurt to not eat animal products. It hurts when other people that you try to share it with tell you “it’s bullshit”. The suffering of innocent animals is bullshit. It really makes me upset and sometimes cry. Your lecture opened my eyes. I never made the connection that what I ate used to have a really hard life, and terrible death just because I wanted to eat it.I know that sometimes you may feel like people don’t have a heart, but please keep doing what you do because some do have one. Some do change their lives and they help others change theirs. So please do no give up. So dear friend, I wanted to say thank you. You changed my life, and I will work hard to make other people see the world like I see it now.

Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2012 10:33 AM
I am 15 years old from Israel. I’ve been vegan for three months now thanks to you. Your speech changed my life.

Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2012 4:04 AM
i really liked your lecture on youtube. i’m a veggie of 5 years and now i’m going vegan. you inspired me. and i’m inspiring others right now.

Sent: Friday, September 07, 2012 3:01 AM
greetings from Israel. you really opened my eyes from the moment i saw your speech. from this moment on i will not eat any products from animals.

Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2012 4:22 AM
Me and my girlfriend saw you lecture on youtube a couple of days ago after a good friend of mine recommended it. I’m very thrilled and excited to say that after 24.5 years of meat, eggs and cheese, we both became VEG! You really influenced us.

Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2012 11:31 AM
Until about a week ago, I was a meat eater for 35 years. I sometimes questioned the cruelty of the meat industry but always had counter-arguments too. About a week ago my wife (vegetarian since childhood and recently converted to veganism) showed me your Georgia Tech lecture. Bang! I am now proudly vegan and never looking back, and trying to spread the message. May the awesome work you are doing carry on gaining strength.

Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2012 4:33 AM
I’m 25 years old from Israel. I’ve ALWAYS loved animals SO much that I was afraid emotionally to be a vet or someone that volunteers in order to help them. I guess being told that “meat is healthy” just didn’t let me stop and think. But YOU did! And I’m grateful for that. Those who know me,know I got my own my own way and that I never get carried away with other people’s ideas. Unless I believe in them of course. I believe in whatever you say. Watching your youtube lecture was astounding. Unfortunately, all of the tickets to your lectures here in Israel have been sold out. I can assure you that I’m NEVER EVER gonna touch meat EVER again.

Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2012 2:37 PM
i’m 15 years old and i’m from israel-jerusalem. i wanted to tell u that i saw your lecture on youtube. it affected me and now i’m vegan.

Sent: Monday, September 10, 2012 7:42 AM
I hope you still remember the woman from Boulder Colorado, We met at the market in Tel-Aviv and we spoke in front of the cameras for a few minutes. I am one of your biggest admirers and I try to spread your word where ever i can. I am the second generation to the Holocaust survivors and I personally don’t give a shit when you compare the animals to the Holocaust victims, in fact, i love your compassion.

Sent: Monday, September 10, 2012 9:04 AM
You probably don’t remember me but you changed my life. A year and an half ago I sent you a message that I went vegan but was afraid because I was sick with mono and had an ulcer and was going into surgery. I was overweight by 55 kg, You said to try it to see how I felt. I went vegan and lost 45 kg. I have a new way of life.

Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2012 3:06 PM
I’m a student in Israel and I just heard your lecture at Ben Gurion University. I was eating meat, milk, eggs, etc. for 27 years. “WAS” is thanks to you. You made me cry today, not only because of what you said, but for the videos you made me see that I haven’t had the courage to confront.

Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2012 5:01 PM
Thank you for being so incredible. I can’t believe I got to shake your hand today after your lecture in Jerusalem. You are one of the strongest forces for Good in human history. You don’t know how much hope this gives me,that one person can make such a huge difference to better the world. Thank you for being the loudest and most powerful voice for compassion, and the strongest defender of the weak. Don’t ever stop, the world needs you.

Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2012 6:32 PM
I saw your lecture today and was shocked! you effected me so much that from today I’m a vegan. I swear on my life. I love animals with all my heart and I’m going to do every thing that you say.

Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2012 10:48 PM
I am vegan for over a year after seeing your lecture on a screen in a Tel Aviv park last summer.

Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2012 2:31 AM
You are a great awareness creator.

Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2012 12:23 AM
My boyfriend and I watched your lecture 6 months ago and turned vegan. I know you probably get emails like this one all the time but i think it’s important that you do so that you have proof everyday that what you do is effective and important. I came to your lecture in Be’er Sheva- Israel, and the best tip I got from you was “speak for them like you would want to be spoken for”. This is what I was missing when I was debating meat-eaters. When I argue with them now I just don’t give a fuck about their feelings, only the animals. So thanks to you, I don’t take part in this monstrous industry. My dogs and cats are vegans too, and I can handle meat eaters better than I used to. Thank you for existing.

Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2012 10:35 AM
For many years I’ve wanted to stop eating meat for health reasons but I just liked the taste to much. After coming to your lecture in Israel, I stopped eating meat. I am appalled by the thought of eating it. I’ve started enjoying vegetable dishes much more. I hope to regain my health from an illness I have for many years. Thank you for all the your work for the animals and humans. You changed my life.

Sent: Friday, September 14, 2012 1:40 PM
Thank you for changing my life. One more person has gone vegan thanks to you. You have opened my eyes, and I understood what was missing in my life. The only thing that I feel sorry for is that I didn’t watch your lecture a year ago when my facebook friend posted it. I hope you will come to visit again our tiny country. We all love you very much.

Sent: Friday, September 14, 2012 7:40 PM
I am 16 years old from israel. I am now vegan. You are an amazing person. I am just so happy to know that there are people like you.

Sent: Saturday, September 15, 2012 4:37 AM
I’m from Israel and still in high school. I saw your lecture from 2010. It is amazing. I could see your honesty while you were talking and you got me.

Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2012 5:07 PM
I’m from Israel and I’m 22 years old. I’ve seen your lecture and you changed my life. Thanks for everything!

Sent: Monday, September 17, 2012 8:29 AM
your lecture was amazing! it changed my life! you are my role model! thanks for everything you do for animals, for revealing to my people in israel the horrible truth and for helping people become aware of what;s happening in our world. you truly are inspiring!

Sent: Monday, September 17, 2012 8:58 AM
I’m sixteen years old, and I was in your lecture at Haifa University. All of my life I loved animals. I thought that if I put water for out for stray cats then this is a real love of animals. I found all of my answers to every questions in your lecture. You really change my life. I wanted to thank you for opened my eyes. By the way my teacher is vegan and she showed your lecture in one of our classes.

Sent: Saturday, September 22, 2012 5:21 AM
I wanted to thank you for coming to Israel. I was at your lecture at Ben Gurion University (Ber Sheva), I didn’t really see the lecture because as you asked I left the tickets for the non-vegans. I, along with many people in Israel support your statements. I even know meat eaters who acknowledge the animal Holocaust (why they take part in it is a sad lesson in human selfishness and inherent evil). I am not one to argue with results and clearly you get amazing results. You have also empowered those of us in the “radical” abolitionist groups by giving the other groups proof that the best methods are not sugarcoated. In order to change someone, you must make them uncomfortable. Change is not possible through sweet talking. Many will hypocritically continue to disagree with your methods even though some of them became vegan because of them. I love the parts in your lecture where you speak from the heart, when you are talking about morality.

Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2012 1:22 PM
I have been moving toward veganism BUT your lecture has done it for me. No more animal products. Thanks for the push.

Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2012 7:04 PM
I saw you video in youtube and was so amazed by your disquisition. I want to change the world and make the animals happier.

Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 9:31 AM
I’m from Israel. Yesterday I saw your lecture. I was shocked to know how little I knew. You really have opened my eyes.

Sent: Saturday, September 29, 2012 5:26 PM
I’m 15 years old from israel. I heard your lecture for the first time, and since then I’m not eating meat at all. My family won’t let me be vegan.

Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2012 3:24 PM
I’m a 22 year old living in Israel. I just saw your speech.You literally punched me in the face with the horrible truth. Just before I watched your lecture I was gonna make a chicken breast dish which I like very much and now I just can’t do it. You really show the world a different way of life You’re truly blessed for doing what you do! I must say you look very good for a 40+ year old. I thought you were 25! You are a living proof that the vegan way of life is healthier. Thank you for showing me the truth!