As many of you know, I have never shied away from speaking to the press. One of the important jobs of a leader within the Jewish community is to speak out about issues that affect our communities. While I have been doing this for years, one of the media articles from this past week moved me tremendously. I was asked by Greg Wehner of Fox News to join a conversation regarding the attack on Israel by Iran. This was coordinated by our incredible Senior PR Manager, Raphael Poch.
In the conversation, I said the things that I have said to all of you so many times. That the Almighty has and will protect Israel and the Jewish people from its enemies. It was a long and thoughtful conversation. After the interview, I moved on to my many other tasks and waited for Raphael to send me the article when it came out. When I saw the headline, I was surprised and overjoyed. It read: “Jewish Organization Leader Says Israel Will be Protected by G-d, Despite Attacks by Iranians or its Proxies.”
Although I have always cited the Almighty’s support and protection for His nation, I had never had it displayed as openly as this. I truly believe that what we witnessed this past weekend was Biblical in proportion. One of the largest sponsors of terrorism in the world, which has declared its mission to destroy Israel, finally attacked Israel openly. Up until now, it funded and used its proxies to attack Jews around the world. Its cowardice was unparalleled.
The result, as we all now know, was that after hundreds of missiles and drones were launched against Israel, not one of them hit its target. The only serious injury was a 7-year-old Bedouin girl hit by falling shrapnel who we continue to keep in our prayers. In my mind, there was no greater proof of the Almighty’s protection of Israel than what happened Saturday night.
What I was not prepared for was how many other news outlets would take my comments and repeat them over and over again. I was even featured by an ultra-Orthodox website in Israel under the title Kiddush Hashem (Sanctifying G-d’s Name). While I was amazed at the traction my comments had received, I realized it was because so many of us have a strong personal belief in G-d but don’t share that as publicly as we should.
When someone is in love, we can’t stop talking about the person. We want the world to see what we see. Our love for the Almighty should be the same. We must keep saying out loud that we know that the Almighty loves us and that He defended us against the evil, tyrannical regime in Iran. Join me in expressing our thanks in the most public ways for the miracle that occurred this past week. We thank the IDF for their commitment to ensuring the safety of the Jewish Nation. We thank our many allies led by the United States who joined the fight to protect us. We thank the Almighty for remembering our bond with Him and defending us.
As many of you know, in the last three years Aish has become the leading Jewish social media company. We are averaging over a million video views a day on our platforms. We have achieved this by working hard on our content and making sure it is easy to understand, thought-provoking, and true Judaic content. As an example of that, I am proud to share three new pieces of content for the Passover holiday.
The first is part of our famous “Jew Know It” series. This brainchild of Rabbi Elliot Mathias is made up of a series of videos done by young Jews that explain all kinds of Jewish topics. This is perfect to send to young Jews with a limited connection to their heritage. I shared this particular video with an amazing Christian politician in Washington who wanted something to share with young Jews he knew who were not connected to their Judaism.
The second video is done by three of our all-star educators. Rabbi Dov Ber Cohen, Rebbetzin Shiffy Silverstone, and Rabbi Tzvi Sytner, each of whom provide beautiful insights into the Passover holiday. This can be shared with any Jew of any age. Whether they have a background or not it is designed to help one appreciate the beauty of the Passover.
The final video is one that frankly makes me very emotional. One of the most dynamic speakers and leaders within the Jewish people is Mizrachi CEO, Rabbi Doron Perez. His family made aliyah from South Africa and he had two sons serving in the IDF on October 7. His son Yonatan was injured but was still able to get married 10 days later. Rabbi Perez’s second son, Captain Daniel Perez, commanded a tank unit on October 7 which defended against the terrorists for as long as they could before they were overrun. Daniel was taken into Gaza and recently was declared as having been killed. I have no words to express my condolences and gratitude to this heroic family. They chose to come to Israel and sent their sons to defend the Jewish people. We should all send this video far and wide to remind us all of what a modern-day hero looks like.
My friends, we enter this Passover with many modern-day stories of salvation to tell. The Jewish story has never been more important for the world to hear. There is an ongoing battle between good and evil in the world and the Jews are on the frontlines. No matter how our enemies try to threaten us, we will always strive to bring Godliness to the world. The Jews know who we are. We are the Almighty’s emissaries in this world striving to bring light into the darkness. All of you possess that ability. I urge you to circulate these videos to those you think will appreciate them. This is how we build the world. This is how we spread love.
I want to wish all of you the most joyous and inspirational Passover holiday.
