One of the greatest joys of being part of Aish is witnessing the incredible growth of our alumni. Over the past decade, our Yeshiva and Seminary programs have expanded tremendously, with thousands of students passing through our doors each year. Beyond gaining a deep understanding of Torah, they absorb our values and embrace their responsibility as Jewish leaders.
This past Shabbat, I had the privilege of participating in an Alumni Shabbaton in Bergenfield, NJ. Unlike hotel-based events, we specifically host these gatherings within thriving Jewish communities, allowing our students to experience the warmth and vibrancy of Jewish life. As our Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Yitzchak Berkovits, often reminds us, our mission is for Aish students to return home and strengthen their communities.
Initially, we planned for around 50 young men to join us for the weekend. To our delight, over 100 signed up! Adding to the excitement, one of our students had just gotten married, allowing us to celebrate their Sheva Brachot together. This young couple is heading back to Baltimore, eager to inspire the next generation of Jewish youth.
A personal highlight for me was introducing my Rebbe, Rabbi Tzvi Sobolofsky, to our students. As I reflected on my journey, I shared that two moments in my career stood out. The first was when I helped facilitate Rabbi Sobolofsky’s role as the Posek (Halachic authority) of NCSY, ensuring Torah wisdom would guide its decisions. The second was when I played a part in Rabbi Berkovits becoming Aish’s Rosh Yeshiva, securing Aish’s future with unwavering Torah leadership.
During Mincha, I had a chance encounter with Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, President of Yeshiva University. We spoke about the crucial role Aish plays on the global stage. I invited him to share words of Torah with our students, and he graciously delivered an inspiring message. The energy of the weekend continued on Sunday night, as Rabbi Rosman, the indefatigable head of our educational institutions, spoke at a packed gathering of our seminary alumni hosted by Azi and Rachel Mandel.
But the inspiration didn’t stop there.
On Sunday morning, I attended a remarkable event in Englewood, at the home of Robert and Shari Alter. Rabbi Dov Ber Cohen had traveled from Jerusalem to speak at a reunion for our Mominary program. This initiative has continued to thrive through weekly study sessions, expertly coordinated by Rachel Spinner and Rachel Burg. Given that the original program had about a dozen participants, I anticipated a small group, especially since it had just snowed.
I could not have been more mistaken.
As I walked into the Alter’s home, I was stunned to see nearly 100 women gathered to soak in Rabbi Dov Ber’s words of Torah and inspiration. Looking around at so many new faces, I felt compelled to share a bit of my own journey. You can watch my talk here.
When I was approached ten years ago to become CEO of Aish, I knew very little about the organization except that it had one of the best Jewish websites in the world. But what I discovered at Aish moved me so profoundly that I made it my life’s mission to help every Jew incorporate Aish’s core values into their lives:
Responsibility – Taking responsibility for each other and for humanity.
Wisdom – Immersing ourselves in Jewish learning and growing in Torah knowledge.
Love – Infusing our lives with love for our fellow Jews and for the Almighty.
These three values are as vital to a Jew as the air we breathe.
I shared with the group that this is our mission, and I was thrilled to welcome them into the Aish family. I also spoke about our newest initiative, Aish Ha’am, a new political movement in Israel dedicated to spreading Torah values through wisdom and love. I quoted Rabbi Elliot Mathias, who is coordinating the campaign for Aish Ha’am. On Shabbat, he told our students that earlier in the week he had two meetings for Aish Ha’am. One was with a group of Hasidic women who wanted to help us in our campaign. The other meeting was with an unaffiliated Jewish actor who was so moved by the events of October 7 that he has joined Aish Ha’am to support his people. Only Aish could bring together so many Jews from all over the Judaic spectrum. I urge you to join us and register at aish.com/vote today!
Aish is growing. Every single day, more passionate Jews like you are joining our movement. We were placed in this world to uplift it. Aish is the vehicle through which we can strengthen our people and draw closer to the Almighty.
Let’s change the world together.
