I am writing to you from Israel after days that have filled my heart and soul to the brim. This past weekend, I was in Florida then I flew to Israel for several intense and meaningful days. Now I am on my way back to New Jersey. I feel especially blessed to be attending an alumni Shabbaton from our yeshiva in Bergen County this Shabbos, surrounded by people who represent the very best of what our mission can create.
This is the second alumni Shabbaton I have been privileged to attend this year, and each one leaves me deeply moved. Seeing our alumni, witnessing the lives they are building, the leadership they are showing, and the impact they are making across the Jewish world is extraordinary. This is living Torah that is shaping real people who are, in turn, shaping the future.
Over these last few days in Israel, I had the opportunity to speak with our students and see their growth up close. Watching young men and women step into clarity, confidence, and responsibility reminds me why this work matters so deeply. Every conversation carried weight. Every encounter reinforced the urgency and beauty of Jewish wisdom.
I met some tourists who said they’d never really had the opportunity to study Jewish.When I explained that our belief is simple, that every Jew deserves to be knowledgeable, something visibly shifted. When I shared what we are building through Aish, through online learning and social media platforms that meet people where they are, as well as the free Essentials walk-in classes, the excitement was unmistakable. There was real hope in realizing that Jewish wisdom is accessible, relevant, and alive.
I spoke to one young woman who once found herself deeply immersed in radical movements far removed from Jewish life. She told me that she desperately wanted to come back to the Jewish people but had no idea how to begin. She felt embarrassed by her tattoos and could not imagine walking into a synagogue. She explained that Aish online became her teacher and her mentor. Through content she could access quietly, without fear or judgment, she found her way home.
Stories like this reveal something essential. For many unaffiliated Jews, returning feels overwhelming. Entering a synagogue can feel intimidating. Reaching out to a rabbi can feel impossible. The ability to open a phone, encounter Jewish wisdom, and learn with dignity on one’s own level is transformative. This is the power of what we are building together.
There is a teaching that has been echoing in my mind over the past week. Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks of blessed memory, the former Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, once said, “To defend a civilization, you need education. You need educators. You need schools.” Those words feel almost prophetic today.
This moment is not only about the Jewish people. We are witnessing the unfolding of a battle between good and evil across the world. The battle between moral clarity and moral confusion, between wisdom and chaos, is taking place right now. Civilizations do not fall first through violence. They fall when truth erodes, values weaken, and people forget who they are and why they matter.
The Jewish people have always stood at the center of this struggle, through the power of ideas, learning, and responsibility. Jewish wisdom has never been only about survival. It has always been about elevating humanity.
That is why education matters. That is why educators matter. That is why schools matter. Today, our schools are not limited by walls or geography. They are online. They are accessible. They meet people exactly where they are, offering knowledge, dignity, and meaning in a world that often offers none of those things.
This is how civilization is defended. This is how light pushes back against darkness. Good confronts evil with the truth.
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. More details will follow soon.
During the Shabbos in Miami, my wife, Rachel, and I had the privilege of spending time at Young Israel of Bal Harbour with Rabbi Gidon and Rebbetzin Malka Moskovitz. Rabbi Moskovitz received his semichah from Aish Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Yitzchak Berkovits shlit’a at The Jerusalem Kollel, where Rabbi Moskovitz is still well known, having authored the study guides that semichah students continue to use today. The warmth of the community was immediate and genuine. Over the course of the weekend, I was honored to speak eight times. Each opportunity reinforced how vital it is to be in synagogues, sharing our values directly with people. If you would like to help arrange a visit to your synagogue or your town, please reply directly to this email. We want to get to as many communities as possible and bring this message wherever Jews are searching for meaning and connection.
I delivered two extended talks focused on responsibility. One explored individual responsibility through the book of Genesis, tracing a path from Abraham to Judah. The next addressed national responsibility through the book of Numbers. These values were not invented in modern times. They are rooted deeply in our history and our sacred texts. Responsibility is part of who we are, and it calls every one of us to step forward.
During Seudah Shlishit, I spoke about love, the foundational value introduced by Abraham, who built our faith on compassion and care for others. Jewish wisdom, love, and responsibility form a complete vision. Our belief that every Jew must be knowledgeable is beautiful, empowering, and capable of igniting a soul and spreading light across the world.
I want to thank all of you. Your partnership makes this work possible. Supporting Aish means standing on the front lines of the battle for wisdom, meaning, and moral clarity in a confused world. Together, we are not only strengthening the Jewish people. Together, we are helping defend the very foundations of civilization.
The past few years have made something unmistakably clear. We must be knowledgeable. We must know our roots. We must understand our connection to Israel. Torah does not work without Israel, and Israel does not work without Torah.
While in Israel, I also participated in meetings connected to the World Zionist Organization. Aish is now playing a significant role within the Zionist movement, and we are deeply proud of that responsibility. We are the only yeshiva-seminary with delegates in the World Zionist Congress who are active every single day, strengthening Israel and shaping its future.
Our values of wisdom, love, and responsibility are a guidebook for meaningful living and for defending the moral core of civilization itself. I feel profoundly blessed that every day we are able to share these values with the world.
