This week has truly been a whirlwind for me. As we approach Rosh Hashanah, a time when I deeply yearn to be home, to feel the embrace of family and community, and to enter into the awe of this sacred season of drawing closer to the Almighty, I find myself reflecting on these past couple of weeks which have been filled with so much travel, even more than my already busy schedule usually demands. Throughout it all, I have felt an overwhelming sense of blessing. I have had the honor of being in so many places where AISH is not only present but is playing a profound role in shaping the Jewish future, in strengthening Jewish pride, and in making a difference at a time when the world so desperately needs it.
This past Sunday I traveled to Los Angeles for the Jewish American Summit, an extraordinary program put together by AISH LA under the incredible leadership of Rabbi Aryeh Markman and Az Aharon. Hundreds of Jews from across Los Angeles gathered together, from all different walks of life, to confront the pressing issues facing our people today. It was a day filled with energy, filled with dialogue, filled with the pain of our challenges and the hope of our resilience.
One of the highlights was hearing Senator John Fetterman and Bill Maher sit on stage together in conversation. Here were two men, both proudly rooted in the liberal tradition, yet unafraid to stand tall as allies of the Jewish people. In a time when so many voices in that space have turned against us, they spoke with moral clarity. They spoke about the impossible situation into which Israel was forced by Hamas, about the dignity with which our people have carried themselves, and about the closeness they personally feel to the Jewish community. It was refreshing, courageous, and deeply moving.
Immediately after their dialogue, I was invited to address the crowd and share words of Torah. I spoke about the core values that define us at AISH: Jewish wisdom, love, and responsibility. That day I chose to highlight love. I reminded the crowd that Abraham, our father, founded monotheism not with arguments or aggression, but with love, and that is why his message endures 3,500 years later.
I pointed out that if you go to a pro-Israel rally today, you see people singing, celebrating, and embracing life and joy. At anti-Israel rallies, you see rage, venom, and hate. The contrast is undeniable. The timing of this struck me even more as nearby at the Emmy Awards, one awardee felt compelled to stand up and scream “Free Palestine,” with no context, no acknowledgment of the Jews who were raped and murdered on October 7th, no recognition of the hostages still suffering in Gaza, and no awareness of the longing for peace that we, the Jewish people, carry in our hearts. The juxtaposition of our gathering, filled with wisdom and love, against such blind hostility, could not have been clearer. I left Los Angeles proud of our community, proud of AISH LA, and proud that we are leading the charge to bring Jewish wisdom and values into the public square.
From there, my path led back to Israel, though my heart was pulled to New York, where an unforgettable event was unfolding. Douglas Murray, one of the strongest and most articulate defenders of Israel in the world today, sat in conversation with Rabbi Daniel Rowe, one of the most brilliant rabbinic personalities alive today. Together, they filled a packed house with Jews hungry for inspiration and clarity. There was even a massive waiting list of people who could not get in. That in itself speaks volumes. Jews want to connect, they want to understand, they want to feel proud again.
The stakes in New York could not be higher. The looming possibility of a mayor like Zohran Mamdani, who has made openly antisemitic and anti-Israel statements, who refuses to condemn those who promote violence against Jews, and who aligns himself with organizations that drip with hatred toward our people, is nothing short of terrifying. New York is ground zero for Jewish life outside of Israel. What happens there reverberates across the globe. The words of Murray and Rowe, affirming the beauty of our heritage, the strength of our identity, and the truth of our cause, were like oxygen to a suffocating community.
Soon after, I had the honor of participating in the Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference. To sit on stage among diplomats and world leaders and to be invited to give voice to the Jewish perspective was profoundly humbling. The reason I was there is because there is now a growing realization that AISH is not just another Jewish educational organization. AISH is now the beating heart of Jewish communication worldwide. With millions of people engaging with our content daily, through articles, videos, and classes, we are reaching more Jews than anyone else. Governments, organizations, and leaders recognize this, and they are turning to us for guidance, for partnership, for vision.
At the conference I was asked about AISH’s pioneering use of artificial intelligence, including the world’s first AI rabbi on our website, and about the ways we are using new tools to bring timeless wisdom to the next generation. We also spoke about what I call the “October 8th Jew.” October 7th changed everything. On October 8th, Jews around the world began to make choices. Some leaned into their identity, asking why we were attacked, strengthening their pride, their faith, and their connection. Others, tragically, pulled away, embarrassed by their Jewishness, even joining the chorus of voices against us.
This is precisely why we must double our efforts to reach every single Jew. The secret to Jewish survival for 3,500 years has always been unity. Unity of purpose. Unity of spirit. Unity of destiny. AISH will not stop until every Jew has access to wisdom, responsibility, and love.
A reporter recently asked me, as we approach two years since October 7th, how can we possibly dance on Simchat Torah? How can we sing and rejoice after so much loss and so much pain? My answer was simple. Jews have always danced. Through exile, through persecution, through tragedy, we dance. There is nothing stronger than the broken heart of a Jew.
I shared something deeply personal. Our tradition, recorded in the Zohar, teaches that at weddings the souls of departed loved ones attend. I know this well. My Father, who passed away on Rosh Hashanah years ago, was my mentor, my role model, my hero. At every wedding of his grandchildren, his tallis hangs under the chuppah, and his presence is felt. His soul is there.
I told her that when we dance on Simchat Torah in the Old City, the souls of those we lost on October 7th will be dancing with us. They will be there, not physically, but spiritually, as part of our eternal nation. That is what it means to be a Jew. We carry our loved ones forward. We do not stop singing. We do not stop dancing. We do not stop living.
I also explained that for centuries, whenever Jews entered a country, we always kept an exit strategy. From Spain to North Africa, from France to England, from exile to exile, we were always looking for the next place to go. Today, the world must understand. We are not leaving Israel. There is no exit strategy. This is our home.
From 1948 to 1967, the Old City was closed to us, and as a Jew, if I had been standing at the location where AISH is now, I would have been killed. Since 1967, Jews have guaranteed that Jerusalem is free and open to every human being who seeks G-d. That is our commitment. That is what we will fight to preserve.
As we enter Rosh Hashanah, my message is clear. We must recommit ourselves to our mission. To spread Jewish wisdom to every Jew. To take responsibility for one another. To love each other fiercely. We are not just an organization, not just a community. We are a nation. The AISH Nation. Together, united, we will continue to be strong, to bring light to the world, and to ensure that the next generation of Jews stands taller, prouder, and closer to the Almighty than ever before.
I pray that this year, the Dan Family Aish World Center will stand proudly as the second most beautiful building in the Old City, second only to a rebuilt Beit HaMikdash, may it be speedily in our days. I pray that all of you, my dear AISH family, my AISH nation, will be blessed with a sweet, uplifting, and deeply meaningful Rosh Hashanah.
