From the desk of Rabbi Steven Burg, AISH CEO
This past week I had the great honor of joining over one thousand Jewish leaders from around the world in Basel, Switzerland, on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the first World Zionist Congress. The conference left me thinking a lot about the state of the Jewish people.
Countless inspired Jews today owe their journey to Jack Gindi and Zev Wolfson, zt”l. Even though they are gone physically, they are still impacting the world around us. As we enter into the Jewish month of Elul, we all must think about our ongoing contributions to the Jewish people.
As I mentioned one of the true thrills for me is to get to know the members of our movement wherever I travel.
In general I don’t discuss my personal life. Not on social media or here. I want to make an exception in the case of sharing with you my journey through the kaddish prayer.
There were even more meetings, introductions and visits that happened in between all of these events, but this gives you a sampling of the unique intensity of what just twenty-four hours looks like here at Aish.
My friends, Judaism is about sharing a journey together. It’s not just about Rabbis and Rebbetzins. Every Jew can make a difference. You can make a difference.
I spent the past week meeting with the Aish Lay Steering Committee and executive professional team. So many thoughtful conversations took place revolving around Aish’s exponential growth.
For a Jewish wedding everyone was able to take a break from political battles to celebrate the continuity of the Jewish people.
Aish Israel has just moved into new headquarters in Tel Aviv! So many of the participants in our affiliated programs including Mothers with Meaning (MWM) and the Triumph Leadership Initiative (TLi) live in the greater Tel Aviv area, that we need a permanent location.
Aish Israel has just moved into new headquarters in Tel Aviv! So many of the participants in our affiliated programs including Mothers with Meaning (MWM) and the Triumph Leadership Initiative (TLi) live in the greater Tel Aviv area, that we need a permanent location.
To receive a message from the son of the individual who got Aish started in the United States over 40 years ago, sharing that he thinks our vision is the most exciting approach he’s heard in over 30 years, was an affirmation of everything towards which we are working.
I can’t begin to describe the excitement within the halls of Aish. We are expanding constantly in Jerusalem and in the metaverse.
“Don’t misunderstand me. I think it’s great that you’re insane. Only Aish can be so insane to think they can go bring 20% of the world Jewish population to Jewish wisdom. The Jewish world needs to think big. We need more insane thinking.”
Gratefully our guests have begun to return to Israel and to the Dan Family Aish World Center. In the coming days we will be officially reopening the Dan Family Aish World Center to the public… I want to share some of the changes going forward.
Gratefully our guests have begun to return to Israel and to the Dan Family Aish World Center. In the coming days we will be officially reopening the Dan Family Aish World Center to the public… I want to share some of the changes going forward.
Gratefully our guests have begun to return to Israel and to the Dan Family Aish World Center. In the coming days we will be officially reopening the Dan Family Aish World Center to the public… I want to share some of the changes going forward.
Gratefully our guests have begun to return to Israel and to the Dan Family Aish World Center. In the coming days we will be officially reopening the Dan Family Aish World Center to the public… I want to share some of the changes going forward.
In every generation they try to snuff out the love in our hearts. In every generation they hunt us and hurt us. In every generation the Jewish people emerge stronger. In every generation the Jewish Nation grows stronger physically and spiritually.
Yesterday afternoon, over 50 Ambassadors attended our Seder. It was truly one of the most meaningful experiences I have ever had. Listening to the different Ambassadors read from the Haggadah was truly a unique experience. At one point Rabbi Goldwicht asked us all to join hands and sing the traditional song of Dayenu together. Everyone swayed and joined together. It was a true moment of unity.
The bottom line is that as Jews we always want to do the right thing. Unfortunately, life gets in the way and we get distracted. Let us learn from the Jews of Cleveland.
How does a Rabbi with no official role or title become the Rabbinic leader of a generation?
Truly, there is no better experience than being in Jerusalem and studying Torah at Aish. I would like to invite you all to come spend time with us.
He was there to discuss how to become a leader. I told him that at Aish our philosophy revolves around taking responsibility to solve issues facing the Jewish people.
What I would like to share with you is why I joined Aish. This was the one organization that I had been to in my long career where all day and night they thought long and hard about how to help their brothers and sisters.
What I would like to share with you is why I joined Aish. This was the one organization that I had been to in my long career where all day and night they thought long and hard about how to help their brothers and sisters.
This is why I am able to travel as much as I do and spend time with all of you. This is the very definition of teamwork. To paraphrase John Maxwell – “Teamwork makes the dream work,” but to keep a vision from becoming a nightmare, a leader must have a great team to match his big dreams.
The only way Aish will be successful is if we fully support and work to connect the Jews we interact with to the greater Jewish community. We must be loud and clear that we are all in this together. We must all work together.
To help make our Jewish brothers and sisters aware that by attending a Jewish wisdom class online they can become a better spouse, parent, friend, etc. This all starts with data. I think this explains why Aish is such a special place. We can take something as mundane as a database and make it holy!
We decided to shift our International Meetings to New York. What an amazing few days it has been! We spent nearly the entire first day reviewing AISHVision 2030. Aish Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Yitzchak Berkovits spoke about the origins of the plan and he described in intricate detail how we arrived at our ten-year vision.
