This past week was truly exceptional. I feel deeply blessed to have been with so many of you at the Aish Legacy Partner Summit. There are moments in the life of an organization that feel significant, and then there are moments that feel defining. This was one of those defining moments.
The more Aish grows, the more I realize how essential it is for us to come together, not only as colleagues, partners, and supporters, but as a family. Aish is no longer a small organization with a small reach. Aish is a movement. Aish is an engine of Jewish education, pride, responsibility, and love. Movements do not sustain themselves on momentum alone. Movements endure when people gather, look one another in the eye, open their hearts, and recommit themselves to a shared mission.
Two years ago, we held a Summit that brought many of our donors together. This year, the first day of the Aish Legacy Partner Summit was a high-level briefing for many of our most integral partners. Special thank you to Bob & Michelle Diener for graciously opening their extraordinary home for us to hold the first evening of the summit. It was an incredibly special event thanks to their generosity. There was a celebration in the room. There was pride in the room. There was gratitude in the room. What mattered most, however, was not simply what we have achieved. What mattered most was what is emerging right now at Aish and where we are headed next.
One of the most significant breakthroughs we shared at the Summit was the emergence of Aish-U. Even as I write these words, I feel the same sense of awe that I felt in the room. We were able to give a glimpse of something historic, something that has the potential to transform Jewish education in our generation.
We now have a curriculum pathway for Aish-U online that is structured, rigorous, authentic, and deeply personal. This is not content floating in the digital world. This is Torah presented in a guided journey that meets people where they are and walks with them forward.
The example shared was deeply moving. Imagine a Jew who has just lost a parent for the first time. They are confronted with saying Kaddish. They do not know Hebrew. They do not know how to pray. The synagogue feels intimidating. It feels foreign. It feels overwhelming.
Now imagine that same person sitting in their home, holding their phone, learning the Hebrew alphabet slowly and carefully. Imagine them understanding each word. Imagine them practicing the prayer. Imagine them gaining confidence privately before ever stepping into a synagogue.
That changes everything.
The pathway continues beyond that first moment of vulnerability. It opens the door to the deeper questions that live inside every human being. What happens after we die? What is the soul? What is the purpose? How does Judaism understand grief, eternity, and connection?
The platform also speaks to another type of Jew. Someone with a background. Someone with memories of Jewish holidays. Someone who may have attended Jewish school, yet never experienced real textual learning.
Aish-U gives them depth. It gives them substance. It gives them a pathway into serious Torah study that is accessible, engaging, and profound.
The personalization made possible through AI is breathtaking. Two students can take the same class and encounter examples and metaphors that resonate uniquely with each of them. A musician will encounter language that speaks in rhythm and harmony. A writer will encounter examples drawn from literature and storytelling.
This is a revolution in the delivery of timeless Torah wisdom.
The reach is equally astonishing. Because of AI, these classes can be taken in virtually any language.
A Jew in Russia can learn in Russian.
A Jew in Latin America can learn in Spanish.
A Jew in France can learn in French.
A Jew in Canada can learn in English.
A Jew in Israel can learn in Hebrew.
All at the same time. All connected to the same Torah.
This initiative carries particular urgency for young Jews. Many young Jews today are searching. Many are confused. Many are exposed to environments on campus that are openly hostile to Israel and often hostile to Jewish identity itself.
We want to offer them something authentic. We want to offer them wisdom that is not diluted. We want to offer them accredited learning, rooted in Torah truth.
The reaction in the room made one thing clear. We are building something that meets this moment in Jewish history.
The Summit also provided a window into our Yeshiva and Seminary, into the tens of thousands of students who come through our doors, and into the care and mentorship that shape their journeys. Director of the Aish Yeshiva and Dean of the Erber Family Gesher program, Rabbi David Rosman, gave a powerful presentation on the scope of the learning our students undertake.
Two students embodied that impact in a way that moved everyone present.
Ellie Zeiler stood before the room and shared her story. With over ten million followers, she has built a career traveling the world promoting brands and shaping culture. October 7 awakened something deeper. She felt a pull toward her Jewish identity. She did not know where to turn.
Through Divine providence, she found herself studying at the Suzana and Ivan Kaufman Aish Institute for Women’s Education. She came to Jerusalem. She documented her journey. She faced hate. She lost followers. She endured criticism simply for choosing to come to Israel and learn Torah.
She said something unforgettable. She said she found purpose. She said she was becoming who she was meant to be.
She described a moment in a restaurant when she saw a visibly observant Jew mistreat a member of the waitstaff. That moment forced her to reflect on what it means to represent Torah in the world. Impact is not measured only in millions of followers. Impact is measured one soul at a time. One act of dignity at a time.
Watching her speak, I felt the dream of Aish alive in front of me. This is why Aish was founded fifty years ago. To shape souls. To awaken identity. To build leaders of character and conviction.
Shabbos Kestenbaum brought another powerful dimension. A former Aish student, now a fearless pro-Israel advocate, he spoke about Rav Noach Weinberg’s influence on his life. He shared how he visits Rav Noach’s grave whenever he is in Israel, even though he was only 10 years old when Rav Noach passed away.
He described teaching The 48 Ways at Camp Moshava and celebrating with campers who completed it. Torah learned with joy. Torah transmitted across generations. A legacy that continues.
Rav Noach’s presence was felt throughout the Summit. Current Aish Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Yitzchak Berkovits’ presence was felt as well, as he appeared in numerous videos, although he has not left Israel since making Aliyah over 59 years ago! Their message continues to guide us. Every Jew matters. Every Jew counts. Every Jew is family.
Rabbi Daniel Rowe reminded us that living a beautiful, observant life is not enough if we ignore Jews who feel distant. Judaism is responsibility. Judaism is love. Judaism is wisdom.
These are the values that have defined Aish for 50 years. These are the values that will define us for the next fifty years.
Wisdom that teaches.
Love that embraces.
Responsibility that acts.
Following two full days of vision and strategy, we moved directly into Torah. We gathered at the new residence of Ivan and Suzana Kaufman in Bal Harbour for the first event ever held in their home. Rabbi Daniel Rowe delivered a powerful Torah class for the women who have participated in Mominary, also known as Aish Ignite, one of our premier programs for adult women. These mothers have come to Israel to recharge, to reconnect, and to rediscover themselves through Torah learning. We are expanding these adult learning programs for men as well, strengthening opportunities for adults to spend real time immersed in serious Torah study.
Many people come to Israel and tour. They visit the sites. They eat falafel. They feel inspired. Something deeper happens when a person sits for a week and learns Torah seriously. Something shifts. Something strengthens. Something heals. The Summit concluded not with applause, but with learning. Vision flowed directly into Torah. Strategy flowed directly into action.
Before closing, I want to express heartfelt gratitude to those who made this Summit what it was. Rabbi Meyer May, our new Executive Vice President, brought extraordinary wisdom, refinement, and leadership to every conversation.
Rabbi Elliot Mathias and Aryeh Deverett worked tirelessly to shape the educational content with depth and clarity. Jamie Geller elevated the entire program with her warmth, professionalism, and ability to communicate our vision so powerfully.
Randi Azoulay and Moriah Hershowitz ensured that the countless logistical details were handled seamlessly and with care. Dr. Stuart Hytman, Chairman of the Executive Board of Aish, stood by my side throughout, offering encouragement and steady leadership alongside his legendary father-in-law and close confidant to Rav Weinberg, Leslie Dan.
Ivan and Susanna Kaufman opened their new home with generosity and love, creating a sacred space where strategy turned immediately into Torah.
I also want to express deep thanks to so many of our staff who came from Israel and from all over to help coordinate this and make it happen, often behind the scenes, with dedication and heart.
Aish is built on partnership. Aish is built on leadership. Aish is built on people who care deeply about the Jewish future.
We will continue to plan. We will continue to innovate. We will continue to build. Most importantly, we will continue to learn and to teach. We will continue to reach every Jew we can with wisdom, love, and responsibility.
This is our mission. This is our privilege. This is our calling.
