Adam Fox: My Illness May Kill Me - But It Brought Me Closer to Hashem
May 23, 2026
AI Summary
5 min read"I'm a Jew for Judaism": Facing Mortality with Faith
Adam Fox was a healthy 35-year-old who ran eight miles daily. On February 14, 2025, he finished his run, had a protein shake, and felt stomach pain. Two hours later, his father rushed him to the hospital. A CT scan revealed volvulus—his intestines had twisted. He needed emergency surgery. During the operation, he nearly died on the table. That was the beginning of a medical ordeal that would require multiple emergency surgeries, repeated hospitalizations, pneumonia, COVID pneumonia, feeding tubes, and a weight drop from 140 pounds to 95 pounds. By the time he recorded this conversation with Yaakov Langer, he was facing yet another surgery the next morning—one his surgeon told him he might not survive.
The Medical Collapse
Fox's condition unfolded in cascading failures. Three weeks after the first surgery, the volvulus recurred, requiring a second emergency operation and restarting a six-month recovery timeline. Forty hours after being discharged from that surgery, he was back in the hospital because air was trapped inside his body with no way to escape—his stomach had to be opened entirely to release it. Three emergency surgeries within a month.
Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.
Read Full Summary →Free • No credit card required
Never miss an episode of Inspiration for the Nation with Yaakov Langer
Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
What you'll learn
- 1 (00:00) **Opening: Identity and Mortality** - Adam Fox declares his commitment to Judaism as his defining identity, recorded the night before a high-risk surgery.
- 2 (02:10) **Childhood and Jewish Formation** - Adam describes his upbringing in Tucson, Arizona, where Jewish life was central from an early age.
- 3 (04:26) **October 7th and Shift to Advocacy** - The Hamas attacks transformed Adam from a Jewish professional into an independent advocate for the Jewish people.
- 4 (07:39) **Medical History: The First Collapse** - Adam recounts the sudden onset of his condition on February 14, 2025, beginning with a routine run.
- 5 (09:34) **The Cascade of Complications** - Three emergency surgeries in one month, followed by pneumonia, COVID, and multiple obstructions.
- 6 (11:44) **Present Crisis and Tomorrow's Surgery** - Adam explains his current dire situation: another obstruction has left him deteriorating, and emergency surgery is the only option.
- 7 (13:35) **Faith Tested: Leaning Into Hashem** - Despite the suffering, Adam describes how the crisis deepened his trust in God rather than breaking it.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
Adam Fox is a Tucson, Arizona native and he has worked with Hillel (U of Arizona, Colorado State) and Chabad at NAU in Flagstaff, deeply shaping Jewish life on campus and fighting antisemitism.
Since early 2025, he has battled a rare, life-threatening volvulus (twisted intestines), undergoing multiple emergency surgeries (at least four in 2026), infections, complications, and major lifestyle changes.
His illness has strengthened his Jewish journey - crediting Chabad for his growth, proudly observing mitzvos, and remaining committed to Torah, Jewish unity, and Am Yisrael Chai even from his hospital bed.
We filmed this before his last surgery. Adam did not know if he'd wake up from it.
Support his GoFund me here: https://gofund.me/c47b055f1
✬ SPONSORS OF THE EPISODE ✬
► BF Design: Designed for Reality
BF Design doesn’t just create beautiful plans. They create projects that work, get approved and get built.
→ 732-961-1202
→ https://bit.ly/4sEklMw
► Wheels To Lease: #1 Car Company
For over 35 years, Wheels To Lease has offered stress-free car buying with upfront pricing, no hidden fees, and door-to-door delivery.
→ CALL/TEXT: 718-871-8715
→ EMAIL: [email protected]
→ WEB: https://bit.ly/41lnzYU
► Not Stam Judaica: Mezuzahs Made Simple
The best quality. The best prices. The easiest process possible.
They also specialize in sifrei Torah, megillos, tefillin, mini travel tefillin, and all safrus needs.
→ Call or Text: 845-709-3173
► Rockwell Health: Mental Health Made Accessible
Life is stressful enough. Getting help shouldn’t be.
Rockwell Health offers telehealth therapy across New York with compassionate male and female therapists for anxiety, stress, depression, relationship challenges, and more. They accept Medicaid, have no waitlist, plus evening and Sunday appointments that actually fit your schedule.
→ Call: 718-307-5775
→ Email: [email protected]
✬ IN MEMORY OF ✬
This episode is in memory of:
• Miriam Sarah bas Yaakov Moshe
• Shimon Dovid ben Yaakov Shloima
#iftn
Lchaim.
More from this podcast
Inspiration for the Nation with Yaakov Langer →