From the CEO

Our sages teach us that the Second Temple was destroyed because of sinas chinam, baseless hatred and division among Jews.

This week, I witnessed the opposite.

I saw Chabad and Aish learning from one another. I saw outreach professionals from every corner of the Jewish world sharing ideas instead of competing. I saw rabbis, educators, lay leaders, and organizations united by one mission: strengthening the Jewish people.

Our sages teach us that the Second Temple was destroyed because of sinas chinam, baseless hatred and division among Jews.

This week, I witnessed the opposite.

I saw Chabad and Aish learning from one another. I saw outreach professionals from every corner of the Jewish world sharing ideas instead of competing. I saw rabbis, educators, lay leaders, and organizations united by one mission: strengthening the Jewish people.

One of the accomplishments that means the most to me during my eleven years as CEO has been watching Aish dramatically expand opportunities for women’s Torah learning. This has never been the work of one individual. It has been the work of an entire movement that believes with complete conviction that every Jewish soul deserves access to Torah wisdom.

My week began at the Jewish Agency Board of Governors meetings in Tel Aviv, where I joined Jewish leaders from around the world who dedicate their lives to strengthening our people.

Everywhere I travel, regardless of the community or denomination, someone inevitably pulls me aside to share a story about how Aish changed their life or the life of someone they love. Those conversations never grow old. They remind me that the true impact of Aish cannot be measured simply by the number of students who have walked through our doors.

This week, we celebrated two graduations in the Erber Family Gesher programs. On Sunday evening, we held our banquet for the young women. On Monday evening, we celebrated the young men before they returned home. These programs have become an essential part of Aish over the past decade.

This week, we celebrated two graduations in the Erber Family Gesher programs. On Sunday evening, we held our banquet for the young women. On Monday evening, we celebrated the young men before they returned home. These programs have become an essential part of Aish over the past decade.

Rabbi Elliott Mathias, Rabbi Daniel Rowe, and Rabbi Isaac Oziel led AISH’s Living Legacy Experience through Poland, bringing participants to the Warsaw Ghetto, Treblinka, Majdanek, the Krakow Ghetto, and Auschwitz Birkenau. Most participants came expecting to learn about the Holocaust. They left with something much deeper. They left with Jewish pride.

Over the past several months, Aish has also been facing significant financial pressures due to the strength of the shekel against the weakening U.S. dollar. The impact has been substantial. During this time, I have witnessed something incredibly moving: the overwhelming generosity and partnership of our community.

On Shavuos night, Jews across the world stay awake learning Torah, some throughout the entire night until sunrise. Here at the Dan Family Aish World Center, the building will remain open all night long. Classes will be taking place throughout the night.

I recently saw an online commentator reminiscing about the old days when children played in the streets, and neighbors knew one another, contrasting it with today’s world, where everyone stares endlessly at their phones. Someone responded that this still exists every Saturday in traditional Jewish communities.

I spoke this week with my dear friend Rabbi Warren Goldstein, who founded the Shabbat Project and has inspired so much of the world to reconnect with Shabbat. We both agreed how unprecedented and meaningful this moment feels.

This week, I had the privilege of attending the JEIC conference in Atlanta. It is one of the most inspiring gatherings in Jewish education. The work being done in day schools is critical to the future of our people. The vision of the Mayberg Foundation, now partnered with the Aronov Foundation, continues to shape that future in profound ways.

For eleven years, I have made it a priority to be in Israel for Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut. Those two days, side by side, capture something essential about the Jewish story. They remind us who we are, where we have come from, and what it has cost us to stand here today.

This week, as I send greetings from Jerusalem, I found myself thinking deeply about Yom HaShoah, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day. As the siren sounded across the country and an entire nation stood still, a powerful and painful thought echoed.

Over Pesach, I had the privilege of speaking with so many people, and I kept hearing the same thing. The story no longer feels distant. It no longer feels like something that happened thousands of years ago. It feels immediate. It feels personal.

The message of Pesach is not theoretical. It is the story of a people who stood up to tyranny, who faced Pharaoh, a ruler willing to murder Jewish children, and who walked out of Egypt and out of slavery into freedom with God guiding them.

Missiles over Israel. Rising antisemitism across the world. A constant awareness that there are those who seek our destruction. The current confrontation with Iran feels like a moment where everything is coming together, a culmination of forces that have been building for decades.

Three weeks into this current escalation, Jewish hearts are pulled in many directions. Fear, strength, exhaustion, pride, unity, and longing all exist together. Yet in the midst of everything, something extraordinary continues to reveal itself.

The Jewish people are coming together.

Earlier in the week, we ran our annual campaign called “All In for Aish.” For the past several years, this campaign has been built around a matching challenge. This year we had a three-to-one match. Our goal was to raise six million dollars.

This week, the world witnessed a powerful moment. Israel and the United States stood together and moved decisively against a regime that has threatened both nations and destabilized the region for decades. The timing was striking as Jews everywhere celebrated the story of Purim.

I was on my way to Israel this past Sunday, and throughout Shabbos, I was with many dear friends of Aish. One after another, they asked me whether I was planning to fly the next day. My answer was consistent. Absolutely, barring issues from snow or war. That statement alone captures the moment in which we are living.

This week also included a meaningful and important meeting that connects directly to these themes of unity, relationship, and standing proudly for Israel. Rabbi Meyer May, our Executive Vice President, and I had lunch with the Falic family, together with former Vice President Mike Pence.

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.

I am incredibly energized by where Aish is heading. The work being done with AI, online learning, and social media is extraordinary. I feel very fortunate to be heading back to Miami for several days of meaningful meetings next week. Aish will be holding a special summit with partners, where we will be unveiling exciting developments.

Through the Erber family, who dedicated a Torah in Ran’s memory this past Sukkot, I had the privilege of getting to know the Gvili family. I was recently with Ran’s mother, Talik, and sister, Shira. They are extraordinary people, filled with dignity, strength, and love. Witnessing their reunification with Ran brought everything into focus.

This week, three of our incredible scholars, Rabbi Dov Ber Cohen, Rabbi MZ Dubov, and Rabbi Mathias, traveled to Tel Aviv. A modest venue was arranged in Rabbi Scarr’s apartment, space for seventy people. Registration had to be closed due to overwhelming demand.

Cross River dedicated the Essentials wing of our new women’s building. Cross River is an institution rooted in powerful values. Under the leadership of Yaakov Gade, they helped save more than five hundred thousand businesses during Covid.

This week was filled to the brim with activity. Every single day, I met with elected officials and leaders. I sat with Yaakov Hagoel, chairman of the World Zionist Organization. I met with Minister Mickey Zohar. I spent time with MK Zev Elkin.

This week, we hosted two dozen soldiers from the elite units of the newly formed Chashmonaim Brigade who made a special request to come spend the morning studying in our men’s Yeshiva. We were very happy to accommodate this request and we look forward to more partnerships with IDF soldiers who wish to spend time studying Torah.