A few words
About us
A Personal Journey by the Founder
The Power of Asher Yatzar: Creating Something Meaningfully Beautiful
Asher Yatzar is one of those tefillos that comes in many forms. Some know it by heart since kindergarten, saying it quickly before moving on. Others read it from posters hanging outside bathrooms. And some feel compelled to carry pocket-sized cards wherever they go.
For many years, beginning in my teens, I sensed deep within that Asher Yatzar held profound importance. Yet, like many others, I would say it hastily outside the bathroom, often without proper kavannah. Over time, I pushed myself to close my eyes and focus, but more often than not distractions interrupted my concentration. I knew I could do better, but I wasn’t sure how to achieve it.
A Divine Nudge
During a post-high school visit to a seminary in Tzfat, I discovered a bookshelf where students told me they placed letters seeking guidance from the Lubavitcher Rebbe. I was intrigued and decided to try it myself. Navigating the emotional rollercoaster of my teenage years, I had much to pray for. I wrote a question that had nothing to do with health. It was most likely about finding the right shidduch, though I don’t recall exactly. What remains vivid, however, is the answer. The page discussed the importance of reciting Asher Yatzar with kavannah. I read over it several times to ensure I understood correctly, I felt Hashem was giving me a thumbs up.
Life continued afterward. The message remained dormant in my heart until last year, when a health scare awakened a renewed connection to this wondrous bracha. I decided to channel my artistic side into designing cards and magnets, creating beautiful reminders that would keep this prayer top of mind. Yet self-doubt intervened, and the project languished in the deep recesses of my computer.
A Mother’s Legacy
A few months later, my mother suddenly passed away. I received the devastating news while on an airplane, two hours before my first flight landed. (The fact that I had free internet on that flight was a nes in itself, it has never happened before or since.)
My mother was a person who championed others’ health causes throughout her life. During the shiva, my uncle recounted how her determination was instrumental in getting him onto the heart transplant list. As a child, I remember my father going through a challenging health situation, during which my mother was on the phone with doctors almost daily. Even during her final weeks in the hospital, she insisted everyone look after their health, insisting I not make the trip to visit her until my own medical tests were completed.
Birth of Yid in Sync
Through this Asher Yatzar tefilla project, I hope to inspire more people to take life and health seriously. To pause and express gratitude for what makes everything else possible. When creating the store, I chose the name “Yid in Sync” because that’s the essence of this bracha and the collection I’m building. It’s central to our spiritual lives as Jews.
Asher Yatzar stands unique as the only thanksgiving bracha where we thank Hashem for something within our bodies. The miraculous processes occurring inside us every second of every day are beyond comprehension. We proceed through daily routines unaware of what enables us to function. Only when something goes wrong do we stop in awe. But it doesn’t need to be that way. Daily focus on this gratitude helps us feel lighter and healthier.
When the Shulchan Aruch explains the halachos of saying Asher Yatzar, and how this practice helps maintain good health, a vital part of it is that we should understand what we say. What we are essentially saying is that Hashem has created us with an amazing system that He ensures operates properly, He heals us when needed, and we express gratitude for this constant miracle.
Moreover, this bracha connects our physical body to our neshama, highlighting the profound relationship between body and soul as we acknowledge their divine source.
The Physical Connection
For my collection, I created pieces you hold in your hand, as science confirms the value of physical touch while praying. This mind-body connection improves attention and helps maintain proper kavannah. Having a magnet one can reach for or a card creates this physical connection, maximizing the spiritual benefit.
Holding the words before you also frees your mind from recalling the correct text, allowing deeper focus on its meaning. This multi-sensory experience activates multiple neural pathways, enhancing retention and connection. The physical, visual reminder helps establish consistent practice.
As I love to say, ‘Try it and see how something amazing shifts within you.’
Stories of Transformation
This project has connected me with remarkable people and their moving stories. Like “Chava,” a young pregnant mother who suddenly couldn’t use the bathroom, requiring multiple emergency room visits when something so basic stopped functioning. When normalcy returned, she wept while saying Asher Yatzar, discovering new appreciation for those powerful words.
Or “Debbie,” who focused on this prayer after her baby was born with a colorectal malformation. Baruch Hashem, the child now thrives with only a small scar remaining. These testimonials and others appear anonymously on the website, with some detailing their challenges, while others offer a glimpse that inspires further reflection. (I’m always happy to hear from anyone who’d like to inspire others with their personal stories).
What’s clear is that Hashem gave these precious moments of prayer a great purpose, and having something beautiful specifically created for this mitzvah makes the experience both easier and more meaningful. Each card and magnet serves as a dedicated tool for enhancing our connection, transforming a routine blessing into a meaningful ritual that resonates deeply throughout our day.