Every year around this time, my heart is a mix of sadness and excitement. Sadness, because we begin to say goodbye to so many of the students who have been with us over the past ten months. They return to America and head into their next chapters, summer plans, internships, jobs, or other meaningful pursuits. It’s always hard to part with these young men and women who have become part of the Aish family.
And yet, there’s excitement because a new wave is arriving. Students from secular universities are coming for the summer, many through internships or simply to dive deep into Jewish wisdom. We welcome them with open arms and open hearts. The cycle continues, and with it, our mission.
At a recent farewell banquet, I couldn’t help but sing aloud both metaphorically and literally. One young woman stood up and spoke so eloquently about our values: wisdom, love, and responsibility.
To hear these ideals, our ideals, reflected so naturally in the voices of our students moved me beyond words. It affirmed that we’re not just teaching ideas, we’re shaping the leaders, the changemakers, the future movers and shakers of the Jewish world.
That’s why if you looked at the youth-dominated list we submitted to the World Zionist Congress, you’d understand: we believe in youth. We believe in the power of every Jew. Yet we believe the future is something we must actively build.
The same student shared a story from her father that beautifully encapsulated our core value of wisdom:
“A young man once approached a rabbi and asked for a blessing to study Torah well.
The rabbi replied, “For that, you don’t need a blessing. You just need to pick up a book.”
Simple. Profound. Empowering.
That’s the message I want to share with all of you: Jewish wisdom isn’t locked away. It’s in your local bookstore, it’s online at Aish.com, it’s accessible now. Most importantly, it’s transformative. This is not just information. It’s wisdom for life. It’s what Rav Noah Weinberg, zt’l dedicated his life to, and it’s what we must carry forward.
Recently, I wrote an op-ed in the Jerusalem Post about unity, about our need, especially now, to come together in love. The World Zionist Congress results are in for America, voting continues across the globe, and we must seize this moment.
The overwhelming response to that article has been deeply moving. So many of you reached out and yes, when you write to this email, it goes directly to me. I may not reply to everyone (please forgive me), but I read your stories, and they fuel me.
One reader even brought me a full proposal for advancing Jewish unity. We’re moving forward with it. Why? Because we believe in building bridges. That’s the power of ideas shared and acted upon.
Let me share one more story, this one about our neighbors.
Over the past few years, Aish has developed a warm relationship with the Armenian community in the Old City. Recently, they invited me to a symposium at Hebrew University about the Armenian Genocide. I couldn’t attend, so I asked our incredible global spokesperson, Jamie Geller, to represent us. She went and it meant the world to them.
When we show up, we show we care. And we do care. We care about humanity. We care about suffering, about injustice, about people. It’s not politics. It’s love.
That’s what being a Jew means. That’s what being part of Aish means.
So as this new season begins, let’s recommit:
Pick up a book.
Learn something that transforms you.
Fill your heart with love.
Take responsibility.
Let’s change the world together!
One day soon we will reunite with the Almighty on the Temple Mount. Until then, we keep building, loving, learning, and believing.
