Any week that one gets to attend Jewish weddings is a special one. I had the honor of going to the wedding of two incredible Aish families whose children married each other. Rabbi Adam Jacobs is very well known among the Jews in Manhattan as he has studied with so many of them and assisted them in their journey toward Jewish wisdom. He had studied at Aish himself decades ago and has led a beautiful life with his wife Penina inspiring so many Jews. Rabbi Jacobs is also a member of the Aish Global online educational staff and is literally helping to deliver Jewish wisdom to millions of Jews.
Over ten years ago Rabbi Yosef David took over Aish St. Louis which was our first branch in the United States. He and his wife Mimi have built it into one of the premier Aish educational centers in the world. It was such an honor to attend the wedding of their children. The most inspirational part of the wedding for me was meeting so many Jews who told me their story of how they became closer to their heritage as a result of their connection with these two beautiful families.
I was also able to attend on the same night the wedding of Rabbi Aryeh and Rochel Markman’s son. Rabbi Markman, the long-time head of Aish LA, was one of the closest students to Rabbi Noach Weinberg. Again it was so beautiful to see the next generation of Jewish couples who will undoubtedly change the world.
I had a fascinating conversation with a leader who heads one of the largest international Jewish organizations. He called to ask me to explain our new party called Aish Ha’am which is running for seats in the next World Zionist Congress. I immediately started to explain that this would give us a voice in a room filled with delegates from around the world so we could try to advance our core agendas of creating a literate Jewish people and fighting for the Jewish Nation to be treated with dignity and respect around the world.
He said that I misunderstood his question. He understood the reason a powerhouse movement like Aish would want to be included in the WZC. He just couldn’t understand the makeup of our candidate list. Most lists consisted of proven older Jewish leaders who had “served their time”. Ours was filled with influencers and collegiate who were “unknowns”. He went on to decry the “social media generation” as being too superficial to lead any movement let alone the Jewish people.
I listened politely and then told him he had it all wrong. Not only did he have it incorrect but so many of us did not understand this generation. We looked and saw a generation glued to their phones and decided that this made them weak or superficial. This generation has proven to be warriors who when called upon understood how to fight like Lions of Judea.
After October 7th occurred, the Jewish people were devastated and broken. This generation put their phones in their pockets, picked up weapons, and fought in the IDF like King David and his men that we read about in the Bible. They have spent over a year making the vile evil antisemites who attacked Israel understand that Jewish blood is never cheap.
After October 7th, when sick antisemites spread lies across the internet falsely accusing the Jews of being Nazis and carrying out acts of genocide, these young Jewish influencers went to battle for their Nation online. They fought the false narratives being spun around the world about our people by shining the light of truth throughout cyberspace.
After October 7th, when Universities went insane with students and professors attacking Israel and praising Hamas young Jews stood up across the United States. These young Jews showed bravery in the face of violent intimidation. They went on to sue their Universities which had taken their tuition dollars but were refusing to defend Jews against blatant and violent racism.
I told this “leader” that I was proud to stand with these young Jews and make them a central part of Aish Ha’am. They are our future. They will ensure that the Jewish people will stay strong eternally. Every generation for over 3,000 years has been called upon to rise up to defend the Jewish people. This generation, the TikTok generation, has proven to be stronger and more resilient than any of us suspected. I stand proud with these young warriors shoulder to shoulder on the Aish Ha’am slate and I urge all of you to support us by going to aish.com/vote and filling out the short form. If you would like to get involved by actively helping us strengthen the Jewish Nation email us at vote@aish.com.
My friends, in a post-October 7th world we must stick together. We are stronger than anyone understands. Aish Ha’am will help to strengthen and unify the Jewish Nation. Join us and help celebrate the power of the next generation of Jewish leaders.
“Aish is a movement rooted in the idea that if you know something, you have an obligation to teach it. If Jewish wisdom – even something basic, even a simple idea – has impacted you or made a difference in your life, you need to share that wisdom with someone else. …Rabbi Noah Weinberg (the founder of Aish)… understood that when you hear something and it makes sense to you, you must tell it over. If you discover something like the secret of happiness, the definition of love, or the tools to infuse your life with purpose and meaning – which comprise some of Rabbi Weinberg’s core teachings - how can you possibly keep it a secret? In effect, it is our job to share.”
We have the truth! The Jewish people know the secret to living the best life possible and we should not be embarrassed to share it with the world!
Finally this week, we had the most beautiful kickoff event for the launch of our World Zionist Congress party Aish Ha’am. It was an online event attended by over 1000 people. It was so beautiful to see all the different faces that make up our slate. Expertly hosted by Rabbi Elliot Mathias and Jamie Geller, (who had the most incredible energy for being on the air at 3 am Israel time!!!), the diversity that is Aish Ha’am was breathtaking. Every featured candidate was asked why they joined Aish – and I encourage you to watch the video. Every single leader said that to fight the hate you MUST know who you are. Aish does that every day with love and passion. I would encourage all of you to join Aish Ha’am at aish.com/vote and be part of this dynamic movement.
My friends, I started my week at the Jewish Agency board meetings in Israel. I stopped off at the Jewish Wisdom Society dinner in New York. I continued into Florida and then joined thousands of you online at the Aish Ha’am kickoff event and my message stayed consistent and clear. To fight the hate you must know who you are. Aish is here to teach what it means to be a Jew. Help us spread this message. So many young Jews don’t understand the greatness of their heritage. As a result, they have chosen to attack our people and Israel.
We watched lost Jews in the United States Senate this week attack Israel and try to stop the US government from sending weapons to our brothers and sisters that they need to defend themselves. We cannot hate these Jews. We must reach out to them and offer to study with them. Show them the beauty of Torah and they will realize how special we are. They will realize that morality and goodness are with our Nation. Let us all commit to making the Jewish People Great again by ensuring that Jewish wisdom finds its way to everyone’s heart.
