I often have the privilege of attending extraordinary occasions in Jerusalem, but this week I experienced three moments that, in many ways, felt like living symbols of the Jewish people and the remarkable times we find ourselves in.
I landed in Israel on Monday morning, just in time to attend a very special wedding. My dear friend David Milstein, who came to Aish as a student many years ago and has since gone on to accomplish extraordinary things, married a wonderful young woman from Australia, Miriam Feiglin. David is now a senior advisor to Ambassador Mike Huckabee at the United States Embassy in Israel, and I’ve watched with tremendous pride as he has grown into a principled, courageous, and remarkable leader.
The wedding took place at a beautiful venue overlooking Jerusalem, surrounded by family, friends, and an extraordinary gathering of people celebrating this new Jewish home. As I looked out over the magnificent city, I couldn’t stop thinking about the words of the prophet Jeremiah: “Od yishama b’arei Yehuda uvchutzot Yerushalayim, kol sasson v’kol simcha, kol chatan v’kol kalah.” Once again, in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem, the sounds of joy and happiness, the voices of bride and groom, will be heard.
For thousands of years, Jews dreamed of returning to Jerusalem. They prayed for the day when Jewish life would once again flourish in our eternal capital, when the streets would be filled with weddings, celebrations, and new beginnings. Here I was, sitting at a wedding overlooking Jerusalem, watching two wonderful young people begin their lives together in the Jewish homeland. No hiding. No fear. Just Jewish joy, Jewish love, and Jewish continuity in the heart of Jerusalem.
We spend so much of our time confronting antisemitism, defending Israel, and responding to the seemingly endless challenges facing our people that sometimes we forget to appreciate the extraordinary reality unfolding before our eyes. The Jewish people are not simply surviving. We are building, celebrating, and flourishing in the very places our ancestors could only dream of seeing.
The following day, I visited our Suzana and Ivan Kaufman Aish Institute for Women’s Education and spent time with the remarkable educators who are transforming women’s Jewish education. I met with the staff of Aish Aspire, our program for young women with limited Jewish educational backgrounds, which in just a few short years has become the largest program of its kind. I also spent time with our high-school-gap-year program efg@Aish, which has begun another exciting year of educating and inspiring young Jewish women.
What struck me most was the extraordinary dedication of our educators. These are women who pour their hearts and souls into their students, helping them discover their heritage, develop their connection to God, and build lives rooted in Jewish wisdom and values. In just a few years, Aish has become a major force in women’s Jewish education, helping raise the standard of education around the world. Once again, I found myself thinking about the incredible privilege of living in a generation when young Jewish women from across the globe can gather in Jerusalem to study Torah and prepare to build the next generation of Jewish homes.
Then came Wednesday evening, and an entirely different kind of extraordinary experience.
I was invited by Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar, to attend a state dinner celebrating Colombia’s decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem. Gideon has become a close friend and an important partner through our work in the World Zionist Organization, and I have tremendous respect for his commitment to the Jewish people. It was a remarkable evening, and I had the pleasure of spending time with our dear friends and longtime Aish partners Bob and Michelle Diener, along with an eclectic gathering of Israeli officials, international leaders, diplomats, and supporters of Israel from around the world.
Foreign Minister Sa’ar spoke about the significance of Colombia becoming the tenth country to establish its embassy in Jerusalem. Think about that. Ten countries recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital through the placement of their embassies. We hear so much about countries condemning Israel, international pressure, and efforts to isolate the Jewish state. Yet here, in the middle of Jerusalem, I was witnessing something entirely different. Countries drawing closer to Israel, relationships being strengthened, and new partnerships being built.
The Colombian foreign minister spoke beautifully about the relationship between the two countries and the importance of deepening those ties. It was particularly moving to reflect on the changing landscape of Latin America, where we have seen governments distance themselves from Israel while other leaders and nations are now working to strengthen those relationships. Step by step, the Jewish state is building friendships and partnerships that will shape its future.
Prime Minister Netanyahu also spoke and shared a fascinating story. He recalled realizing that no sitting Israeli prime minister had ever traveled south of the Rio Grande. He decided to change that, embarking on a historic diplomatic journey to Latin America. Sitting in that room, listening to the leaders speak about the relationships being built today, it was extraordinary to see how decisions made years earlier could eventually bear fruit.
During the evening, I had a fascinating conversation with an evangelical supporter of Israel who described the extensive work being done throughout Latin America to strengthen relationships with the Jewish state. Looking around the room at the remarkable collection of people who had come together in Jerusalem, I turned to someone and said something that I genuinely believe.
We are watching history being written. At times, it almost feels as though we are witnessing another chapter of Tanach unfolding before our eyes. I do not say that lightly.
Think about what I had experienced in just three days. On Monday night, I stood at a wedding overlooking Jerusalem, watching the words of the prophets come alive as another Jewish family was established in our eternal capital. On Tuesday, I walked through a thriving center of women’s Torah education, watching young Jewish women from around the world prepare to build their futures. On Wednesday, I sat at a state dinner where foreign leaders were celebrating their growing relationship with the Jewish state and recognizing Jerusalem as its capital.
All of this in a world still struggling with the aftermath of October 7, where antisemitism has reached frightening levels, and Israel continues to face enemies determined to undermine its very existence.
We cannot ignore the dangers, and we must never minimize the challenges. Yet we also cannot allow the darkness to blind us to the extraordinary light.
I believe we are living in times of enormous historical and spiritual significance. There is something almost messianic about witnessing the Jewish people return to their homeland, rebuild their institutions, strengthen their connections around the world, and create new generations of Jewish life in Jerusalem. We cannot know God’s plans, but we can recognize the extraordinary blessings unfolding before us.
Throughout this week, I kept coming back to the three values that guide everything we do at Aish: Wisdom, Love, and Responsibility.
What overwhelmed me most was the love.
The love between David and Miriam as they began their new life together. The love of their families and friends who gathered to celebrate them. The love our educators have for their students and the love those students are developing for their Jewish heritage. The love expressed by international friends of Israel who are willing to stand proudly with the Jewish people. The love of our land, our people, and our God that continues to unite us across generations and continents.
That love demands wisdom to understand our place in history and responsibility to do our part in shaping the future.
I was also deeply proud of Aish’s role in these extraordinary moments. Throughout the state dinner, I spoke with Latin American leaders, both Jewish and non-Jewish, who told me that they regularly visit AishLatino.com to learn about Judaism, Israel, and the Jewish people. Aish is helping educate not only Jews seeking to reconnect with their heritage, but also leaders and friends of the Jewish people who want to understand who we are and what we stand for.
That is exactly what Aish is meant to do. Whether through our yeshiva, our seminary, our digital platforms, or our relationships with leaders around the globe, we have an extraordinary opportunity to share Jewish wisdom, inspire Jewish pride, and help shape the future of our people. I felt a tremendous sense of pride and responsibility representing all of you at these events, and I never take that privilege for granted.
At the conclusion of his remarks, the Colombian foreign minister declared, “Am Yisrael Chai.”
Hearing those words from a foreign minister, in Jerusalem, at an official state dinner celebrating his country’s relationship with Israel, was profoundly moving.
Am Yisrael Chai. The nation of Israel lives.
Those words are not simply a declaration that we have survived. They are a declaration that we are alive, that we are growing, that we are building, and that our greatest chapters may still lie ahead.
No matter how grim the headlines become, no matter how loud the voices of hatred grow, and no matter how difficult the challenges we face, we must never lose sight of the extraordinary strength of the Jewish people. In so many ways, we have never been stronger.
This week reminded me that the story of the Jewish people is not ultimately a story of persecution or suffering. It is a story of faith, love, resilience, and an unbreakable commitment to life. It is the story of a people who, after thousands of years, are once again celebrating weddings in Jerusalem, educating their children in the land of their ancestors, and welcoming the nations of the world to their eternal capital.
I am profoundly grateful that Aish gets to play a role in that story, and even more grateful that we get to write the next chapters together.
We will continue to build. We will continue to grow. We will continue to share our wisdom, our love, and our sense of responsibility with the world.
Am Yisrael Chai!
