Every once in a while, I pause and think about what it really means to be a part of AISH. Not just to support it, not just to watch it from the sidelines, but to live inside of it, to breathe its mission, to be swept up in its energy. There are moments when I look around and I say to myself that this is not just an organization. This is a movement. This is the beating heart of the Jewish people in our generation.
Over the last few weeks, I have had the privilege of working on projects that I know are going to shake the world in the very near future. One of them is the Jewish American Summit, the brainchild of AISH Los Angeles. What a lineup of speakers. Bill Maher, Senator John Fetterman, General Yoav Gallant, Jamie Geller, and so many other extraordinary voices. To stand in Los Angeles next Sunday, just a week away, and to be on that stage representing AISH, representing all of us, is something that humbles me deeply. It is powerful to begin the year hearing from people of such influence. It is even more powerful to see how the Jewish people are coming together in strength and unity.
The very next evening, AISH will be hosting Douglas Murray in New York City. He is a voice of clarity and courage in a time when the stakes could not be higher. With an anti-Israel and antisemitic mayoral candidate actually leading the polls in New York, what could be more urgent than this conversation? It will be led by Rabbi Daniel Rowe, whose brilliance and passion have ignited our organization since the moment he joined. Then, in Jerusalem, we are preparing for an incredible holiday season that will be overflowing with events, inspiration, and opportunities to connect. I cannot wait for so many of you to join us and to see and feel the power of what we are building together.
Behind the scenes this week, two moments defined for me where AISH is heading. The first was a two-hour meeting with our Executive Board about the future of AI. Many of you know that five years ago, we set ourselves the audacious goal of reaching three million Jews with Torah wisdom. We surpassed it in less than five years. Today, more than four million people are engaging with our content online. At AISH, “good enough” is never enough. Our mission is not three million. Our mission is to reach every Jew. Every single one. That is why I have shifted my language, because AISH exists to bring Torah to every Jew on this planet.
How do we do that? By going deeper. Social media reaches millions, but it cannot be the endpoint. I turned to Noah Levine, who has taken on the challenge of creating what I call our Yeshiva Without Walls. Imagine a global classroom where any Jew, anywhere, can learn deeply, seriously, and meaningfully. We don’t want Jews to simply scroll through Jewish Wisdom; we want them to study and go on a journey of transformation. To make this possible, we brought on Dr. Akiba Covitz, once the Associate Dean of Harvard Law and a giant in online education. With his wisdom and our team’s passion, we are building something that will carry Torah learning into the future with the power of AI and the intimacy of real education.
The second defining moment this week came through a conversation with two very dear friends and partners, Phil Lieberman and Lori Miller. I met them years ago at a White House Hanukkah party, and from that moment, a partnership was born. What has always struck me about Phil and Lori is that they are not only philanthropists. They are advisors, mentors, and visionaries. Phil once introduced me to the concept of the Sales Kickoff, the SKO, which we adapted into a transformational gathering for our fundraising team this week. His advice not only helped us run a better event, but it gave us a framework to strengthen the very lifeblood of how we share AISH with the world.
This is exactly what our sages teach us about true philanthropy. The Rambam in Hilchot Matanot Aniyim explains that the highest level of giving is not simply handing someone money. It is enabling them to stand on their own so that they can regain their own strength to build a better future for themselves and their families. Phil and Lori embody this. They are not just writing checks. They are giving us wisdom, perspective, and strategy. They are ensuring that AISH is not only sustained but is positioned to grow and thrive for generations. It is the kind of giving that empowers.
The Midrash tells us that when Moshe saw the Jewish people in slavery, he did not simply pray for them from afar. He bent down and placed his own shoulder under their burdens. He lightened their load so that they could keep going. That is what Phil and Lori have done for AISH. They have carried the burden with us. They have given their strength to our mission. They have been partners in the truest sense of the word.
It is therefore only fitting that I take this opportunity to publicly thank Phil and Lori for becoming major contributors to the Suzana and Ivan Kauffman AISH Institute for Women’s Education. Their generosity is not only building walls and programs. It is building dignity, empowerment, and an eternal legacy for Jewish women everywhere. In fact, their vision connects directly to AISH’s Vision 2030. If our dream is for every Jew to be learning Torah, then we know that women are at the heart of this dream. They are the ones who shape homes, inspire families, and transmit Jewish values to the next generation. By strengthening women’s Torah education, Phil and Lori are strengthening the entire Jewish people. They are ensuring that the voice of Jewish women, infused with Torah wisdom, becomes a cornerstone of our future.
I cannot begin to describe what it felt like to watch our world-class educators and program directors share their work with our fundraisers at our SKO, the people who carry our message to all of you. It was electric, it was inspiring, it was AISH at its very best. Every single one of our staff could be anywhere. They could work in countless organizations or industries. They are here because they want to change the world. That is what AISH does. We do not just run programs. We change lives. We do not just raise money. We build a future. We do not just have donors. We have partners. Partners like Phil and Lori. Partners like you.
This is what gives me strength. This is what keeps me going. The knowledge that I am not alone. The knowledge that we are not alone. Together, through your unity, your passion, and your belief in what we are doing, we are shaping the Jewish future. As I look to the coming weeks with the American Jewish Summit, with Douglas Murray, with the holidays in Jerusalem, with our AI revolution, with our SKO energy, I want to say from the deepest place in my heart, thank you. Thank you for standing with us. Thank you for believing in us. Thank you for being our partners in this holy mission. May we continue together to make the Almighty proud and to bring His Torah to every Jew, everywhere, until the job is done.
