This past week, I had the incredible blessing to be in Israel. After traveling extensively this summer across the world, there was something deeply grounding and moving about returning to Jerusalem, especially at this moment in the Jewish calendar.
From my office at AISH, I have the privilege of looking out over the Western Wall. What I saw was beyond inspiring: wave after wave of Jews, from every walk of life, coming to the Kotel, pouring out their hearts to the Almighty. It hasn’t stopped. Day and night, around the clock, our brothers and sisters have been streaming in, beseeching Hashem for mercy, for comfort, and for redemption. We are in the final days of the Three Weeks, leading into the Nine Days, and now approaching Tisha B’Av, the day of mourning for the destruction of both Holy Temples.
Yet, amid the sorrow, there is something remarkably uplifting happening. These thousands of people aren’t just crying over the past; they are yearning for the future. They are pleading with G-d for the rebuilding of the Third Temple, for the ultimate healing of our people and our world. Their tears are not only about what we’ve lost, but about what we still believe is possible.
This coming Saturday night, as Tisha B’Av begins, AISH will premiere one of the most powerful and emotional projects I’ve ever been involved with: our new film, “After October.” This project sits at the very core of our mission, connecting the Jewish past to the Jewish future through stories that stir the soul.
The film tells the stories of four families who suffered unimaginable pain on and after October 7th. These are stories of tragedy, but not stories of despair. After October is a film about hope, about resilience, and about the boundless strength of the Jewish spirit. These families were everyday people. Through their courage, their dignity, and their unshakable commitment to Am Yisrael, they’ve become true Jewish heroes. We look up to them and we draw strength from them.
I want to especially thank Jamie Geller, who poured her heart into this film as its interviewer, director, and producer. Jamie’s brilliance and sensitivity permeate every frame. I must also thank Rabbi Yaakov Kalla, who has been the visionary force behind the Tisha B’Av films. Our AISH Studio team’s dedication over these past few years has made it possible for us to build a world-class film division, one that tells stories that move the Jewish world.
This week also brought a very personal moment of celebration at Aish: we honored Jamie Feinmesser, our longtime CFO, with a heartfelt and well-deserved tribute. When I arrived at AISH over a decade ago, the organization faced significant financial challenges. Jamie arrived at the very same time and I truly believe he was sent to us by G-d.
He began as our comptroller, but it quickly became clear that he had the leadership, insight, and integrity to help guide us to stability and growth. I promoted him to CFO, and over the years, he has helped steer AISH through a complete financial turnaround. Our budget has since quadrupled. Our operations have matured and our dreams have expanded.
At the siyum in his honor, Rabbi Nechemia Coopersmith, Editor in Chief of Aish.com, conveyed a beautiful Torah thought, and Rabbi Yitzchak Berkovits, Rosh Yeshiva, shared heartfelt words about Jamie’s dedication. We presented Jamie and his family with a beautiful artistic portrait of the liberation of the Old City of Jerusalem, a symbol of redemption that mirrors his impact on AISH. Jamie, thank you for being such a loyal partner for over a decade. We simply could not have done it without you.
One of the great joys of being in Israel during the summer is that so many remarkable people come through. I had the opportunity to have dinner on our porch overlooking the breathtaking view of the Kotel as day faded into evening with a woman who is in the process of establishing a major Jewish foundation. Our conversation was different from most. While we did speak about Aish’s accomplishments and operations, she challenged me to look beyond, to consider how we are preparing for the future.
She asked: What does AISH see coming? How are we getting ready for the Jewish world five, ten, fifteen years from now?
I was so moved by this line of inquiry that I ended up sharing a piece of Torah with her on the spot. I told her about the moment at the Burning Bush, when God sent Moses back to Egypt to redeem the Jews. Moses was afraid; he said he didn’t know which of God’s names to use. And God replies, “Ekyeh Asher Ekyeh,” “I will be what I will be.”
The great rabbi, Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, zt’l, known as the AISH Kodesh, writing in the Warsaw Ghetto before he was murdered by the Nazis, explained that this exchange was God’s way of telling Moses: You may not yet see yourself as the leader you need to become, but you will become that leader. And the people, broken as they are, will rise to become the nation they are destined to be. The Jewish people must always look toward the future.
That message resonated deeply with this conversation. We spoke about AI, about brain augmentations, about how people receive and process news and information, and how quickly the landscape is shifting. At one point, Raphael Poch, our head of PR, excitedly pulled out his phone to show her our latest innovation: the AI Rabbi, a revolutionary project that allows anyone to interact with Torah wisdom in a conversational, digital format. It was a “wow” moment, but more than that, it was a proof point that we are not only responding to the present, but preparing for what’s next.
The digital revolution is changing the world. People are no longer searching for information the way they used to. AI is increasingly replacing traditional search engines. That’s not a threat, it’s an opportunity. At AISH, we are committed to infusing these technologies with Jewish wisdom, love, and responsibility.
This is also why I was so proud that AISH had the largest group of collegiates as candidates for the World Zionist Congress. It’s not just about what we’ve built, it’s about who will build next. It’s about them. It’s about the future.
Perhaps that is the most profound truth about the Jewish people that the world still does not understand. Our strength is not in the past alone; it is in our vision of the future. That is why, even as we mourn the destruction of our Temples this Tisha B’Av, we do so with hope. Because we have always known, for over 2,000 years, that we would come back. That we would rebuild. That we would reconnect, and we have.
The world may have doubted us. But we never doubted ourselves.
Every Torah scroll in every synagogue across the globe is the same. Every Jew, no matter how far, is a brother or sister. And every generation carries the responsibility for the next.
At AISH, we pledge to continue carrying that responsibility with passion, clarity, and strength. To build, to grow, to elevate, and to prepare for a future that reflects the greatness of our past.
Wishing all of you a meaningful and easy fast. May this Tisha B’Av be the last one we ever have to mourn.
