This week was a tough week in Israel. Every year we commemorate Yom HaZikaron, the day when we remember the heroes of the IDF and the security forces who lost their lives in defense of the Jewish Nation, as well as those who were killed in terror attacks. This year there were too many fresh graves. So many young Jews who gave their lives to protect their families. The pain of our people is almost unbearable.
Yom HaZikaron always leads into Israel Independence Day, and usually that is a joyous celebration. This year it felt bittersweet as hostages still remain in Gaza and we are still at war. I was honored to join our students as they had a traditional BBQ to mark the day. I spoke to them about what it means to be a hero. Ultimately, the Almighty gives us all the chance to rise up and lead and it is our choice whether to seize the moment. I told our students that they are the future leaders of the Jewish people and we are all counting on them.
As we march forward toward AISHVision 2030 our presence online continues to amaze. With almost 4 million followers of our content, we have become the largest Jewish social media movement online. Yet there is still so much more to do. That is why we have focused on partnerships. By teaming up with those that have massive followings we can spread the light of Judaism so much further.
Our incredible PR Director, Raphael Poch is always looking for more opportunities. So when he heard that Nas Daily was looking to do a video on Judaism he reached out. The product has proven to exceed our wildest expectations. Nuseir Yassin is an Israeli-Palestinian vlogger. He has become world famous for his videos and has a following of over 66 million people.
Nas came to film at Aish and featured Rabbi Dov Ber Cohen giving pearls of wisdom throughout the 11-minute video. My favorite part was the focus on how Jews argue when they study Torah. Our students did a great job in helping him explain how the concept of Chavruta (Study Partner) works.
Given the hate that we are seeing in the streets and on campus, it is such an amazing moment in time to have a young Muslim help Aish convey the beauty of Judaism to tens of millions of people. The friendship that was built between Nas and the staff at Aish was inspiring. May the Almighty speedily bring peace to the world.
