I have shared this with you many times, but it remains true every single time I step onto a plane. One of the hardest things I do, and also one of the most important, is going on the road. Being out there gives me the privilege of sitting face to face with so many of you. I meet partners, donors, educators, and leaders who care deeply about the Jewish people. Every conversation gives me food for thought. It challenges me as a professional, humbles me as a leader, and pushes me to grow as a person.
I feel incredibly blessed by the caliber of people I get to learn from. The men and women I meet are some of the smartest, most thoughtful people I know. Their insight, honesty, and wisdom constantly push me to rethink how I lead Aish, how I think about our future, and how we can continue building something that truly matters. Those conversations stay with me long after the meetings end.
This past week, I was in South Florida for numerous meetings with longtime friends and new ones. What made the trip especially meaningful was traveling together with Aish Executive Vice President Rabbi Meyer May. Many of you know that Rabbi May has been my mentor for decades. Today, we work together as partners. Sitting in meetings, listening to our supporters, and then turning to hear his insight and perspective is something I treasure deeply. It reminds me that leadership is never built alone, and that continuity matters.
Among the many powerful meetings, one that touched me deeply was with Marc Goldman, a longtime board member. Hearing him speak about his relationship with Rabbi Noach Weinberg, zt’l and the early history of Aish together with Rabbi May was incredibly moving. Moments like that reconnect me to the soul of this institution and remind me that everything we are building today stands on the shoulders of people whose vision and sacrifice came before us. We also had a phenomenal dinner with Elliott and Robin Broidy who are longtime friends I want to thank them publicly for increasing their commitment to our movement.
Traveling also comes with a real emotional cost. Being in one place often means missing something extraordinary somewhere else. While I was in South Florida, Aish held what I truly believe was one of the most meaningful moments of our entire year. We dedicated the Cross River Aish Essentials wing at the Suzana and Ivan Kaufman Aish Institute for Women’s Education in Jerusalem.
At that same time, I was in Florida meeting with Ivan Kaufman, who with his wife are two of the most remarkable people I know. Suzana is among the most passionate advocates for Jewish women’s education I have ever encountered. She learns weekly with my wife, Rachel, and Jamie Geller, embodying what serious, committed Torah learning looks like. Suzana and Ivan have consistently pushed us to expand our vision of women’s learning and to understand how central it is to the future of the Jewish people.
Years ago, Aish had a women’s learning program called EHYAT led by the late Rebbetzin Weinberg, z’l. It was exceptional, though limited in numbers. Inspired by that legacy, we made a bold decision. Women’s learning needed to be revived in a meaningful, expansive, and visible way. That vision gave birth to the Erber Family Gesher program and Aspire for women.
Three and a half years ago, we opened with eighty beds and filled them immediately. Suzana and Ivan challenged us to think bigger. That challenge led us to the Batsheva Hotel, which we transformed into a living, breathing home of Torah. Today, nearly two hundred women from around the world, who are learning, growing, and discovering their Jewish voices in the heart of Jerusalem fill those beds. Seeing that reality fills me with pride and emotion every single time I think about it.
While in Florida, I also had the privilege of visiting Leon and Toby Cooperman with Ivan Kaufman to express our deep gratitude for their extraordinary generosity. Their support, along with the recent visit of their daughter in law, Jodi Cooperman, who leads their foundation and spent time with us in Jerusalem, reflects a shared belief that Jewish education can and must change lives.
At that very same moment in Jerusalem, something truly special was unfolding. 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. Yaakov’s connection to Aish goes back decades. For twenty years, he taught the Discovery Program Seminar on understanding antisemitism, proof of G-d and Torah while shaping Jewish minds and hearts around the world.
The dedication ceremony was deeply moving.
Aish Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Yitzchak Berkovits spoke about shared values and responsibility. Jamie Geller served as emcee, reminding me once again that bringing her into the Aish family was one of the most impactful decisions of my career. Rabbi Daniel Rowe, president of AishU, spoke with depth and brilliance about the legacy of women’s learning, connecting it to Sarah Schenirer and to the courage of women who preserved Judaism when it was most fragile.
Yaakov Gade’s words stayed with me long after the ceremony ended. He spoke about Shifra and Puah, the women who defied tyranny and saved Jewish life in Egypt. He spoke about courage, leadership, and moral clarity. He also shared something deeply personal. He said that one of his great regrets was not having spent more time learning in person from former UK Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks zt’l while he was alive. Sitting with Rabbi Rowe, learning from him, and engaging with him made him realize that Rabbi Rowe is a leader of that same caliber. A thinker, a teacher, and a moral voice at that level. He shared his intention to build a close relationship with Rabbi Rowe, recognizing the rare opportunity to learn from someone of such depth while he is here. Hearing that moved me profoundly.
One of our Aspire students then spoke about how Aish changed her life. Moments like that bring everything into focus. This is why we do the work.
I want to share something from the heart. Aish today is nearly ten times the size it was a decade ago. Leading an organization of this scale carries enormous responsibility, pressure, and weight. What fills me with the greatest pride is not the scale of what we are building, but the strength of the foundations. The fact that this mission continues to thrive even when I am not in the room tells me that Aish is bigger than any one individual. That realization is both humbling and deeply reassuring.
Leadership is not about control. Leadership is about trust. Leadership is about building something so rooted in values and purpose that it continues long after any one person steps aside. My hope has always been to help build an institution that the Jewish people can rely on, generation after generation.
Seeing Rabbi Berkovits, Rabbi Daniel Rowe, Rabbi Dovid Rosman, Mrs. Michal Dubov, and so many heroes of Aish carrying this mission forward fills me with gratitude that is hard to put into words. It tells me that Aish has crossed a threshold. We are no longer just an institution doing important work. We are a global movement, built on wisdom, responsibility, and love for every single Jew.
Everywhere I went in South Florida, one topic kept coming up. People are excited about AishU and about moving Jews from inspiration into serious, accredited learning. People are energized by how we are using technology and AI responsibly to deepen Jewish education rather than dilute it. That excitement is why I urge so many of you to join us on Wednesday, February 11, in Miami, for the Aish Legacy Partner Summit, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Shul of Bal Harbour. Partners from around the world will gather to learn, to share, and to help shape the future of Jewish education together.
