It has been a roller coaster week for the Jewish people. As the Gaza ceasefire took effect we all held our collective breath as we waited to welcome our sisters home. I don’t think there was a dry eye in any Jewish household around the world as we welcomed them home.
I was particularly moved as I watched a clip from Aish’s Global Day of Unity and Prayer where Romi Gonen’s mother, Meirav Leshem Gonen spoke so movingly about her daughter and the need for the Jewish people to stay united and to pray. Our prayers have been answered as the hostages have started coming home.
There is much debate in the street about the price we are paying to get our brothers and sisters back. There is no doubt that watching the Jewish people trade murderers and terrorists for innocent young women screams volumes about our values versus our enemies. There will be much time for debate as time moves forward. For now, we should focus on the fact that we are welcoming home true Jewish heroes.
We must also acknowledge the courage of so many heroes in the IDF over the past 15 months. Their sacrifice for our Nation defies verbal description. They stepped up in a way that is truly reminiscent of King David and his army. As we watched the transition of government in America this past week we are hopeful that many pro-Israel appointees will continue to support our people. Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman the President of Yeshiva University spoke beautifully at the inauguration. It should not be lost on any of us that simultaneously antisemitic attacks occurred on the Columbia University Campus. We must stay vigilant because the work of fighting Jew-hatred is still critical.
This past week our Executive Team held our quarterly meetings. This is where we evaluate our accomplishments and serve agendas for the next three months. This meeting was significant because we have hit the halfway mark towards our ten-year AISHVision 2030 plan. The good news is that we gave ourselves 10 years to reach 3 million Jews and we crushed that goal by hitting our target after only a few years. Since we are Aish, we refuse to sit on our laurels and believe we can do much better.
As a result, our focus has now shifted from quantity to quality. We are investing heavily in facilitating a deeper dive into Jewish wisdom on all of our platforms. We are creating cutting-edge educational tools for all ages. In short, we are focused on creating a user experience that will help all Jews fall hopelessly and passionately in love with our heritage. We will constantly be sharing more details so please stay tuned.
As we just finished our fiscal year, I held a Town Hall meeting for all of our staff. During that meeting, I spoke about the need for Aish to truly become a movement. In that way, it is not just about what we do as an organization. We must inspire a generation to become passionate leaders. To create multiple vehicles that would make the Jewish people stronger. I emphasized the three core values that lie at the heart of Aish.
The first value is “Responsibility”. Every Jew must take responsibility for our people. That is why an educational institution like Aish fights against antisemitism. We take responsibility for any issue that needs to be tackled. The second value is “Wisdom.” Every Jew must know and understand our heritage. Torah is the North Star for our lives and enhances our existence. The third value is “Love.” Without love and sincerity we cannot have a relationship with one another. Love is also the key to keeping our people unified. I may not agree with every Jew, but I absolutely love every Jew These three values are core to Aish’s philosophy and are crucial in connecting us to each other and the Almighty. You can watch my talk here:
In short, my friends, we have a lot of work to do. Aish is becoming the fastest-growing Jewish movement in the world. I urge you to join us by signing up at Aish.com/vote to become a part of Aish Ha’am. If we take responsibility for one another; if we study and truly understand what it means to be a Jew; if we passionately love one another; and if we hold fast to these three values, then nothing will be able to stop the Jewish Nation as we spread goodness around the world.
