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From the CEO

From the desk of Rabbi Steven Burg, AISH CEO

Nuseir Yassin with Rabbi Dov Ber Cohen on the roof of the Dan Family Aish World Center
Rabbi Burg

An unexpected partner in bittersweet times

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.

Rabbi Steven Burg together with Bari Erber at the U.S. National Holocaust Museum
Rabbi Burg

Never Again

This past week the entire Jewish world commemorated Holocaust Remembrance Day, also known as Yom HaShoah. For so many years the Jewish community has focused on this date to remember our six million murdered brothers and sisters.

Western Wall
Rabbi Burg

This is not the end of our story

This is not the end of our story. This is a challenge to be sure, but the Jewish people are resilient. We will find our way through these difficult times and will emerge stronger than ever. We must continue our efforts to stand by one another.

Article quoting Rabbi Steven Burg on Fox news
Rabbi Burg

Thank You, Almighty

While I have been doing this for years, one of the media articles from this past week moved me tremendously. I was asked by Greg Wehner of Fox News to join a conversation regarding the attack on Israel by Iran.

Rabbi Steven Burg on the news
Rabbi Burg

Responding To Iran’s Attack Last Night

Already for more than half a year Israel has been at war. Last night something unprecedented took place. Iran, for the first time in history, directly attacked Israel.

Aish staff showing their support for IDF soldiers prior to their deployment to Gaza in October
Rabbi Burg

United As a People We Will Get Through This

The headlines are full of declarations by Iran and its proxies to attack Israel in horrific ways that have not yet been seen. Many are asking me what will be with the future of Jewry and Israel. It is within this spirit that I want to depart from my regular style of reporting on the important work within Aish and tell you what’s in my heart.

Dr. Avishai Neuman, MK Ben Barak, and Rabbi Steven Burg
Rabbi Burg

Standing Strong

Later in the week, I attended the Hertog Forum for National Security war briefing by American and Israeli political and military leaders in Washington with my good friend Dr. Avishai Neuman.

Jamie Geller speaking with Rachel and Jon Golberg-Polin
Rabbi Burg

Storming the Gates of Heaven Together With 5 Million Jews

We reached out to the group that is representing the families of the hostages to suggest how important it would be to try to get the entire Jewish world to pray together for their loved ones. The result was a program that brought Jews from every corner of the globe to say the Shema prayer, the central prayer of the Jewish people, together.

Rabbi Burg with Avi Jorich and Shai Romirowsky
Rabbi Burg

Old Friends and Rekindling Relationships

Reconnecting with old friends is one of my favorite parts of my job. There is nothing like revisiting someone or a group from your past to see how they’ve grown and where they are today.

Floyd Mayweather and Rabbi Burg at the Aish building
Rabbi Burg

Thanking Those Who Stand With Us

Aish eagerly offered to host the former boxing champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr. at the Dan Family Aish World Center when we were approached regarding his visit to Israel. We had hosted the “Champ” once before and have come to know him as a staunch supporter of Israel.

Aish leaders at the Shiva house of Yosef Gedulia
Rabbi Burg

Nothing is Stronger Than the Broken Heart of a Jew

The founder of the Aish movement, Rav Noach Weinberg, was often quoted as saying “ If you don’t know what you are willing to die for, you haven’t really begun to live”. So many Jews have demonstrated that they are willing to die for one another. We are a family and family defends one another when attacked.

Aish students at the site of the Nova music festival
Rabbi Burg

Shattered Hearts and Heartfelt Hugs

It was quite a week. It was a week of hugs and tears. It was a week of recommitting to the leadership of the Jewish people. It was a week of remembering what it means to be a Jew.

Aish staff at a wedding
Rabbi Burg

Shedding a Light Unto the Nations

One of the highlights of working at Aish is attending the weddings of our students and staff. This past Sunday night our dynamic Aish New York Project Manager, Jessica Eckstein got married to Yudi Schechter.

Rabbi Burg with Rabbi Mayer Schmukler and Dr. Matt Hintze
Rabbi Burg

Think Jewish. Live Inspired.

Everywhere I go, people are taken by our efforts to bring Jewish wisdom to the masses. I was blessed to be in Los Angeles for a brief trip where I got to meet Rabbi Mayer Schmukler and Dr. Matt Hintze, two phenomenal educators.

Aish staff with Michelle and Bob Diener at their home
Rabbi Burg

Climbing the Summit

There is nothing more satisfying than seeing work that has taken years to accomplish come to fruition. I had such a moment this past week when nearly nine years of dedicated efforts at Aish seemed to come together in the most magnificent way at the first annual Aish Legacy Summit in Miami.

Rabbi Burg & Rabbi Mathias at the Brooklyn Nets
Rabbi Burg

From the Brooklyn Nets to the White House

From Brooklyn I headed to Washington DC for a long overdue trip. I have been traveling to DC for the past few decades to represent the Jewish people on varying levels of political engagement.

Rabbi Burg

Aish and Chabad United

As I have said often, Aish cannot accomplish our important work alone. So I was overjoyed to get a call from my close friend and Aish Executive Board Member, Louis Mayberg.

Bibas family hostage posters
Rabbi Burg

Praying for Kidnapped Babies

A few nights ago I was asked by a local group in Bergen County New Jersey to share words of Torah on a zoom for a group that recites Psalms together for the soldiers and captives in Israel. I was honored by the request and immediately accepted. A few hours later, one of the organizers informed me that Maurice Shnaider, the uncle of Shiri and Yarden Bibas who were brutally kidnapped with their small children Kfir and Ariel, would join us on the zoom.

Captain Ron Afrimi
Rabbi Burg

Captain Ron Afrimi

This week we lost a member of our Aish Israel community. Captain Ron Afrimi grew up as a secular Israeli. In high school Ron majored in music and after graduation enlisted in the IDF.

Aish social media content
Rabbi Burg

Investing in the Jewish People

Our goal was to make the acquisition of Jewish wisdom, which has been responsible for the establishment of ethics and morality across the globe for the past 3500 years, part and parcel of the definition of what it means to be Jewish.

Aish student dancing with Torah at IDF base
Rabbi Burg

Tears Flowing in the IDf

At the base, the Torah was completed and every student had a chance to dance with the new Torah. Our students brought tremendous spirit and joy to the event.

Rabbi Reuven Biermacher
Rabbi Burg

A Precious Soul

Eight years ago on 11 Tevet on the Hebrew calendar, we received a call that one of our dearest faculty members, Rabbi Reuven Biermacher HY”D was slaughtered as he left the Old City of Jerusalem.

President Biden and Dougass Emhoff at the White House
Rabbi Burg

White House on (Hanukkah) Fire

At the end of the night we had a chance to hear from President Biden who expressed his support for Israel and the Jewish Nation.

Rabbi Berkovitz speaking with Aish student
Rabbi Burg

Engaging (even anti-Israel) Young Jews

We must make a strong case for the fact that Judaism brought morality and ethics to the world. We must recapture their passion and utilize it to make the world a better place.

Rabbi Burg and the Israel Economic Forum
Rabbi Burg

Sleepless Nights

This past week I traveled to seven cities in five days with Aish’s indefatigable Executive Director, Rabbi Ben Gonsher.

Aish partners packing food for soldiers
Rabbi Burg

300,000 Jews

300,000 Jews traveled to Washington to tell the world that they stand shoulder to shoulder with the Jews of Israel. The spirit of the Jewish Nation can never be broken. Am Yisroel Chai!

police officer receiving award at Aish ceremony
Rabbi Burg

A 13 year old Proud Jew

As this unprecedented situation continues with over 200 of our Jewish brothers and sisters in captivity, we are quickly learning who our friends are around the world.

girls shopping in a grocery store
Rabbi Burg

Love Has No Borders

One of the highlights amongst all the sorrow has been the incredible amount of kindness that has come as a result of so many Jews being displaced from their homes.

Rabbi Burg

Prayers Heard Around the World

With the help of a small group of dedicated partners who care deeply for the Jewish nation, the heads of Aish Israel, Rabbi Eitiel Goldwicht and Rabbi Shimmy Kaufman leapt into action coordinating a “Global Day of Prayer for the Hostages and the Missing.

Welcome to “Mominary”

Welcome to “Mominary”

Assisted by Aish curriculum expert Andrea Schulman, a schedule was formed that would allow the Moms to immerse themselves in…
Young Warriors

Young Warriors

Any week that one gets to attend Jewish weddings is a special one. I had the honor of going to…
Who am I?

Who am I?

Finally this week, we had the most beautiful kickoff event for the launch of our World Zionist Congress party Aish…
Time To Activate

Time To Activate

As a result of the events of October 7 and all that followed, Aish decided that we needed to organize…
The Election

The Election

This has been a historic election as there are now six Orthodox elected officials serving in New York State. So…
Time to Come Home

Time to Come Home

At this point in history, the right place for Jews is to be back home in Israel. I don’t say…
How can we Dance this Simchas Torah?

How can we Dance this Simchas Torah?

This week Aish had the honor of hosting the celebration of the completion of three Torahs written in memory of…
Love Never Dies

Love Never Dies

Yesterday I joined our Yeshiva at the site of the Nova Festival memorial where the Erber family finished and donated…
The Tweet Heard Around The World

The Tweet Heard Around The World

I do think we have an obligation to every Jew in the world to embrace and love them, even Jews…
Standing Strong ~ Shana Tova

Standing Strong ~ Shana Tova

Last year so many of us gathered in synagogues to pray on Rosh HaShana for a sweet, healthy new year.…
Crucial Conversations

Crucial Conversations

Inviting General Tibon to Aish, I did not know what to expect. The General identifies as a secular Israeli Jew…
Reaffirming Our Commitments

Reaffirming Our Commitments

One of the reasons that the Jewish people have survived and thrived for so long has been our ability to…
Holy Weddings

Holy Weddings

September is wedding season. I have been to many weddings over the last few weeks and all of them have…
Storming the Gates of Heaven

Storming the Gates of Heaven

It is hard to remember a week that has been this difficult. The entire Jewish people feel broken. I feel…
The Leaders of Tomorrow

The Leaders of Tomorrow

One of my favorite tasks at Aish is meeting with our students to hear their ideas about how to change…
From Austria, With Love

From Austria, With Love

I am writing to you from Austria where I have had the honor of being the scholar in residence for…
The Secrets of Jewish Longevity and Survival

The Secrets of Jewish Longevity and Survival

I was so proud of our Aish team for producing the groundbreaking documentary “Voices of Pain, Hope, and Heroism.” It…
A Nation of Heroes

A Nation of Heroes

We are a Nation of heroes. From Ambassador Gilad Erdan to the Aish students we all must step forward and…
We Are All Druze

We Are All Druze

I was particularly crushed by the horrific slaughter of the 12 young Druze adolescents murdered by Hezbollah while playing soccer.…
Family

Family

The hate we are encountering is unprecedented in our lifetime. Yet, if we stand together united by the bonds of…
I am My Brother’s Keeper

I am My Brother’s Keeper

We have a dynamic couples Aish Destiny mission which has come to spend time in Israel connecting with each other…
DMing my rabbi: Aish's live chats see spike 300% post-Oct. 7, antisemitism surge

DMing my rabbi: Aish's live chats see spike...

Aish.com, post-October 7, saw a 300% surge in live web chat use, aiding Jews worldwide to reconnect with their heritage…
Building a Movement in Ashdod

Building a Movement in Ashdod

This past week the executive team of Aish, together with many members of the senior leadership team, gathered in Ashdod…
The Importance of Being Eternally Optimistic

The Importance of Being Eternally Optimistic

I had the honor of spending time in the Knesset this week. I spoke with my longtime friend, MK Yitzhak…
Humility and the Path to the Jewish Future

Humility and the Path to the Jewish Future

This past week we met in person to talk about how to bring more partners into our circle in an…
Joy and Inspiration on the Home Front

Joy and Inspiration on the Home Front

My wife and I have been blessed to marry off our second child in six months. The experience has been…
Addressing Young Heroes and Future Leaders

Addressing Young Heroes and Future Leaders

October 7th has redefined us as a people. Our Aish Rabbis on campus have had to retool and deal with…
The Next CEO of Aish is…

The Next CEO of Aish is…

Between the thousands of young Jews dancing in the Kotel plaza this week and the thousands of young Jews studying…
The Crucial Role of Love

The Crucial Role of Love

Aish Israel has been bringing groups of Israeli entrepreneurial millennials to the United States for the past few years. Fresh…
Inspiration from Washington

Inspiration from Washington

My day in Washington was truly a day of love. It was a day of focus on how to inculcate…