There are so many things I have learned since coming to Aish. Many of those lessons trace back to Rav Noach Weinberg zt’l, the founder of Aish HaTorah. I never had the honor of knowing him well, as he had already passed away years before I arrived. Yet in a very real way, I feel as if I have come to know him through his students.
One thing always strikes me when I meet a true student of Rav Noach. Rav Noach may have passed many years ago, yet his students still feel that they cannot disappoint him. They still feel accountable to him. His presence continues to guide them. That type of influence is extraordinary. It reflects the deep impression he left on everyone around him.
Among the many lessons that have come down from Rav Noach, one of the most powerful is the way he related to those who supported the mission of Aish. Over the years, Aish has been blessed with remarkable supporters who believed in the vision of strengthening the Jewish people.
I recently had the opportunity to spend time with Mr. Leslie Dan, one of the great supporters of Aish, together with the Hytman family. Leslie was not only a major benefactor. He was a close friend of Rav Noach and a true believer in his vision.
We spent time together in Florida, and he sat me down for what I would call a very passionate lecture. He spoke about the responsibility to grow, to expand our reach, to bring more partners into the mission, and to constantly raise the bar for what Aish can accomplish. Throughout the conversation, he repeatedly returned to Rav Noach’s teachings and expectations.
One of the most important ideas Rav Noach taught about fundraising was remarkably simple. He never referred to anyone as a donor. He never referred to anyone as a funder. He referred to every person as a partner.
That language matters. That perspective changes everything.
Aish does not have donors. Aish has partners.
People sometimes ask me about the fundraising side of my job. A significant part of my responsibility is making sure we have the resources to pursue the bold vision of strengthening Jewish identity around the world.
Truthfully, I feel incredibly blessed in that role.
The people who support Aish are far more than financial supporters. They are partners in a shared mission. Many of them have become close friends. Sitting together with them is far more than simply a discussion about budgets or projects. We think together. We plan together. We dream together about the future of the Jewish people.
That connection runs deeply because it is rooted in something much larger than any one institution. These are people who genuinely care about the destiny of the Jewish people. Those conversations are inspiring. They remind me constantly that we are building something meaningful together.
This past week powerfully captured that spirit of partnership.
Earlier in the week, we ran our annual campaign called “All In for Aish.” For the past several years, this campaign has been built around a matching challenge. This year we had a three-to-one match. Our goal was to raise six million dollars. Four million dollars were pledged by generous partners who committed to match the campaign, and the goal was to raise two million dollars within forty-eight hours.
The most remarkable part of the campaign is who leads it.
Our students.
Our students have taken the lead in this effort for several years now. Teaching Torah is only part of our mission. We want to develop leaders. Leadership requires vision, courage, and also, the ability to raise the resources necessary to bring big dreams into reality.
Every year, when this campaign takes place, I think about the old Jerry Lewis telethon. I know that reference probably dates me a bit, yet the image is perfect. People giving everything they have, pouring their hearts into the cause, calling friends and family, encouraging everyone to step forward and help.
This year, we added something new and very special.
Dani Waxman, our CTO, came up with a brilliant suggestion. Dani oversees our technology, our AI initiatives, and the systems that power so much of what Aish does around the world. Dani suggested that while we run the campaign, we should also run a “Shasathon.” His idea was simple and profound. While raising funds together, we would learn the entire Talmud Bavli.
That moment captures the spirit of Aish.
The Chief Technology Officer is suggesting a major Torah initiative.
The campaign transformed into something extraordinary.
The learning was dedicated to the memory of soldiers who have fallen and in merit of the brave soldiers currently defending the Jewish people. We thought about the pilots flying dangerous missions. We thought about the soldiers standing on the northern border and throughout Israel.
Their courage filled the room with purpose.
Throughout the day, students would call supporters and partners to invite them to join the campaign. Between calls, they sat down and learned Gemara. The room was alive with Torah learning and passionate commitment.
Watching it unfold was incredibly moving.
During the campaign, I had a powerful interaction while traveling. I was in Miami paying a shiva call to one of the great Jewish leaders of our generation, Jay Schottenstein. The Schottenstein family has had an immeasurable impact on Jewish learning through the ArtScroll Schottenstein Talmud, which opened the world of Talmud study to an entire generation.
While visiting, we spoke about Jay’s grandson, Jacob, who is a student at Aish. Jacob was deeply involved in the campaign and gave it everything he had. At the same time as the shiva was taking place, he was participating in the learning of the Talmud during the Shasathon.
I shared with Jay how powerful that image was. His grandson sitting in the Old City of Jerusalem, learning Talmud while also carrying forward the family tradition of Jewish philanthropy. That moment captured the beauty of generational continuity.
Our students across the yeshiva rose to the occasion.
The Spanish program led by Rabbi Klor was phenomenal and raised an incredible amount. Our seminary students were fully engaged and calling supporters throughout the campaign. Every part of the institution was involved.
The energy lifted the entire organization.
I am proud to share that we raised well above our six-million-dollar goal.
More important than the number was the spirit of partnership that filled the day.
The Rambam teaches a powerful idea about giving. In Hilchot Matanot Aniyim, he explains that the highest forms of giving are not simply acts of charity. The highest level is when a person strengthens another and becomes a true partner in helping them stand on their own. The Rambam describes a form of giving that creates dignity, friendship, and shared responsibility. That type of giving transforms a simple donation into a partnership.
That is exactly the spirit that drives Aish.
The entire institution feels on fire right now. So many people deserve recognition and gratitude. Our staff worked tirelessly alongside the students. Torah learning filled the room. Phones were ringing constantly. The sense of mission was unmistakable.
It was a remarkable moment for Aish.
Later in the week, I traveled from Miami to Cleveland to attend the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland dinner honoring a dear friend of mine, J. David Heller. Over the past several years, I have come to admire David deeply. He is a national Jewish leader and an extraordinary person.
I wanted to be there to celebrate him.
David received the Mendy Klein Award. Mendy Klein was one of the great philanthropic leaders of the Cleveland Jewish community and a towering figure across the Jewish world.
David shared something fascinating in his remarks.
He explained that he actually has a personal policy of not accepting awards. I know that to be true because this is one of the very few honors I have ever seen him accept.
He explained why he made an exception.
Mendy Klein had been his mentor. Mendy taught him how to lead, how to give, and how to serve the Jewish community. Accepting the award in Mendy’s name was a way of honoring that mentorship.
Listening to David speak about his mentor made me think about something fundamental to Jewish life.
Mentorship.
The Jewish people are built on mentorship. Every generation learns from the generation before it. Our tradition describes this as the unbroken chain of Mesorah that stretches back through history all the way to Sinai and even earlier to our patriarch Abraham.
Parents guide children. Rabbis guide students. Teachers inspire disciples. Mentors shape the leaders of tomorrow.
That chain defines who we are.
My own life has been shaped by extraordinary mentors. I often think about my father, who served as a pulpit rabbi for nearly fifty years and touched countless lives. His example continues to guide me.
Lately, I have been thinking about this even more deeply now that I have two granddaughters. A new question emerges in my heart. Will I be the mentor they deserve? Will I be able to guide them and pass forward the values that were given to me?
Rav Noach Weinberg built Aish around that very idea.
He created a place where people could discover Judaism with warmth and love. Many students arrived without strong Jewish backgrounds or deep knowledge of Torah. Rav Noach welcomed them with open arms.
Our institution today is built around three core values. Wisdom. Love. Responsibility.
Mentorship lives at the intersection of those values. True mentorship requires love. A mentor must care deeply about the person they are guiding. Students must feel that love in order to grow.
That spirit was visible throughout the campaign. Students called people and spoke from the heart. They shared their passion for Aish and their belief in the mission. They invited others to join them as partners.
Jay Schottenstein expressed pride in his grandson continuing the legacy of Torah learning and philanthropy. David Heller spoke with gratitude about the mentor who shaped his path.
That is Judaism.
If someone asked me to summarize Judaism in a single idea, I would say this.
Judaism is an unbroken chain of mentorship and transmission. One generation passes the Mesorah to the next.
That is what Aish does every day.
We do it online. We do it in person. We do it in cities around the world.
As long as we continue mentoring the next generation, the Jewish people will remain strong and unstoppable.
The enemies of the Jewish people may throw everything they have at us.
History has shown that again and again. Our strength has always come from something deeper. We respect one another. We learn from one another. We build together and grow together.
That is the power of our people.
