News & Events

Dear Aish Family, Greetings from Jerusalem!!! I’ve been waiting to write those words for a long time. I am one week into my two week quarantine. Fortunately, I’m staying in an apartment with a beautiful view of the Old City. It is hard being so close to

Dear Aish Family, One of the major challenges throughout Covid-19 has been how to inspire the thousands of millennials who were supposed to be in Israel this summer. While the lack of tourism has meant a staggering financial loss for Israel, there has been an even larger

Dear Aish Family, This week I was at an event and I experienced the same interaction that I have come to almost expect whenever I go anywhere. An alumnus approached me and told me that they studied at our Yeshiva. Whenever I am approached I first ask them

Dear Aish family, During the winter we have had thousands of guests come through the Aish HaTorah Dan Family World Center Building. Each group has walked away Judaically inspired and refreshed. To give you a flavor, I’d  like to tell you about four groups I spoke to one

Dear Aish Family, This week was extremely tough. While our institution is bursting at the seams and we are filled to capacity, we remembered that one of our staff is no longer with us. This past Tuesday was the first anniversary of the murder of our beloved teacher and mentor

Dear Aish Family, One of the perks of being the Director General of Aish Global is that I am able to travel to Aish branches around the world to get a firsthand look at the innovative, cutting edge programs that are strengthening the Jewish people. This past week

Dear Aish Family, I have often described the energy and power that fills Aish HaTorah around the world. This past week, in representing Aish HaTorah in California, I finally found something with equal energy and drive to our organization. I am referring to the Space Shuttle Endeavor which

Dear Aish Family, As I have said so many times, one of the greatest aspects of my job is the ability to travel the world and meet Jews who have been inspired by Aish HaTorah. This past week I had the pleasure of meeting a young man who

Dear Aish Family, One of the amazing things that I have come to love about Aish is the global reach of our organization. You can travel around the world and between the Aish branches and the Rabbis who have been trained by Aish you can scarcely find a

Dear Aish Family, This past week I had the opportunity to spend time with our outreach colleagues from across North America. I traveled to Baltimore to attend the AJOP (Association of Jewish Outreach Professionals) convention. I have attended AJOP many times but this was my first as the head

Dear Aish Family, This coming week is one of the most significant periods of time for the Aish family. Eight years ago this coming Tuesday we lost one of the most substantive and charismatic Jewish leaders of al time. Rabbi Noach Weinberg’s Yahrtzeit (anniversary of his death)

Dear Aish Family, This past week we welcomed members of the Aish family back to Jerusalem from all over the globe. We came together to mark the eighth Yahrtzeit (anniversary of one’s passing) of the founder of Aish HaTorah, Rav Noach Weinberg. It is very hard to put

Dear Aish Family, Generally, my communications are upbeat and passionate. This past week was extremely tough for the entire Aish Family. We suddenly and tragically lost one of our students who was learning at Yeshiva Aish HaTorah. Ethan Jacobson OB”M was a wonderful young man from Los Angeles

Dear Aish Family, This past week, my family and I experienced the closest thing I can compare to standing at Mount Sinai and receiving the Torah. We were guests at the 8th Annual Aish HaTorah Project Inspire Convention in the Poconos. All of Aish HaTorah’s philosophy and approach

Dear Aish Family, The holiday of Purim at Yeshiva Aish HaTorah is always a highlight of the year. For many of our students, Judaism is a new adventure and they put a lot of effort into their studies and prayer. Purim is a time for everyone to “let

Dear Aish Family, One of the issues that presses upon every Jew is that of Jewish continuity. Jews have carried the mantle of the Torah close to our hearts for thousands of years. We have passed it onto our children as a family heirloom for tens of generations.

Dear Aish Family, There is a story told of some families of Kohanim (Priests that served in the Temple) that had special abilities they used to serve the Almighty. Some of them refused to teach others how they performed their special skills. The Rabbis, of blessed memory, were

Dear Aish family, This past week was Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel. It is a day of sadness where Jews around the world remember the greatest massacre in our history. It is an important day in Israel because so many Jews wanted to flee Europe and were shut

Dear Aish Family, This past week was Yom HaZikaron – Israel’s Memorial Day where all the fallen soldiers and terrorist victims are remembered. It is a day where we are all truly reminded of the high stakes of being a Jew. As is the case every year, there

Dear Aish Family, This week has been nonstop at Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem. May and June are our busiest months due to the thousands of University students that come to Israel during this time. This coupled with many adult learning mission leaves the Aish HaTorah Dan Family World

Dear Aish Family, This past week was a pivotal moment in the growth of Aish HaTorah. It was also the long-awaited fulfillment of a promise made eighteen months ago. I traveled down to Buenos Aires for a thirty-six hour emotional roller coaster ride. Rabbi Meir Rosenberg, Director

Dear Aish Family, It is almost impossible to describe what this past week has looked like in Aish Jerusalem. From welcoming President Trump to the Western Wall on Monday, to running a $1,773,032 fundraising campaign on Tuesday, to welcoming tens of thousands of participants in the 50th anniversary of the

Dear Aish Family, This week we celebrated the holiday of Shavuos. This literally is the holiday which most represents Aish HaTorah. On Shavuos, we commemorate the giving of the Torah by the Almighty to the Jewish nation. What made the Jews distinct and ultimately form a strong nation

Dear Aish Family, This week has been one of the most special weeks of my tenure. I managed to make it to 4 cities in 5 days. (That is why I am currently writing this on a plane.) Amongst those cities I was able to visit, there were three amazing

Dear Aish Family, Amongst my travels the past two weeks to many of the branches, I have also met with many members of the Board of Governors of Aish HaTorah. This group of people is really one of the brightest and most special that I have ever had the

Dear Aish Family, When I mentioned that we were working on a long-term strategic plan and I asked for suggestions, I had no idea the response would be so overwhelming. Thank you to the many members of our Aish community who took the time to reach out and

Dear Aish Family, The heart and soul of the Aish HaTorah network is the Yeshiva. Our Yeshiva hosts on average of over 250 students. These students are not your average Yeshiva students. They are usually well educated young men who have been brought up with zero Judaic

Dear Aish Family, One of the privileges that I get to have week after week is meeting members of the Aish family around the world. For a few days this past week I was able to spend quality time with the lay and professional leadership of Aish Toronto.

Dear Aish Family, This past week a major blow was struck against the antisemitic Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement in Canada by Aish HaTorah’s Hasbara Fellowships. Over a year ago Hasbara Fellowships was banned from attending social justice week at Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute

Dear Aish Family, One of the most exciting aspects of Aish is the fact that although we are a Jerusalem based organization our reach literally covers the globe. Our branches are like embassies that can bring Aish to Jews everywhere. It was in this spirit that we gathered in

Dear Aish Family, Traditionally the week leading up to the fast of Tisha Ba’av (9th day of the month of Av) is one filled with mourning and sadness. This week was an especially sad week for all Jews. It started when three terrorists, using weapons that had been smuggled

Dear Aish Family, This past week we commemorated the saddest day on the Jewish Calendar. The ninth day of the month of Av, which is also known as Tisha Ba’av, is the day when we remember the two Temples that were destroyed by antisemites. In effect when we

Dear Aish Family, The word partner could mean so many different things. In a law firm, it exudes respect. The term “howdy partner” in the Wild West of old was a term of friendship. In Aish HaTorah, it means so much more. An Aish partner is someone who

Dear Aish Family, Every week I write this note to all of you to give you a glance into the fast-paced and inspirational world of Aish. This week I felt the need to take a step back and talk about something which should be on every Jews mind.

Dear Aish Family, One of the refrains that I have heard often since coming to Aish HaTorah over two years ago has been the question of how much of a priority outreach should be in the community. Many feel that the real priority of the Jewish community should

Dear Aish Family, Everyone always asks me what it means to truly be a global organization. This week I learned that lesson. Earlier this week I attended the Toronto Aish HaTorah gala dinner. Aish Toronto, one of the first branches established, has long been a shining beacon for

Dear Aish Family, One of the roles that Aish HaTorah has played for many years, has been that of defender of Jews and Israel in the political arena. Moses uplifted the Jewish Nation spiritually by delivering the Torah to the Jews as a gift from the Almighty. Yet

Dear Aish Family, The stream of famous visitors to the Aish HaTorah Dan Family World Center is sometimes overwhelming. Yesterday we hosted multiple Israeli Ministers including Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman. It seemed like the security brought their own security! Earlier this week we hosted a famous American

Dear Aish Family, One of the core philosophical concepts of Aish HaTorah is “Taking Responsibility.” We believe that all Jews have to look at the world around them and take responsibility for the problems that they see. That is why Aish has so many different programs that have flowed out

Dear Aish Family, These past few weeks have been the start of a new year for our beloved Yeshiva Aish HaTorah. Traditionally, Yeshivas (Academy of Talmudic Study) start a few weeks before Rosh HaShana (The Jewish New Year). There are many reasons for this start date. One prominent

Dear Aish Family, I write this to you as we all prepare to enter into the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur. Last night I had the privilege to attend Selichos (forgiveness prayers said on the days leading up to Yom Kippur) at the Western Wall with

Dear Aish Family, I hope all of you enjoyed the recent Jewish holiday season. We could not have been busier in Jerusalem and around the world. The Jewish community has come to rely on Aish, whether it be online or through our classes, to enhance their knowledge of

Dear Aish Family, As I travel the world the question I get from so many people is what is the secret of the success of Aish HaTorah. Often I’ve spoken of our values such as taking responsibility for the Jewish people and making sure that every Jew

Dear Aish Family, There are times when I honestly think I have the best job in the world. This past week certainly was one of them. In preparation for the upcoming Aish HaTorah Partners Conference, I visited with one of my heroes, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau. As

Dear Aish Family, I write to you each week to talk about what Aish has done and where we are going. Each week we have accomplished so much around the world that I am forced to focus on one accomplishment or another to tell over. This week

Dear Aish Family, This week has been a busy week for us in Jerusalem. We have had many missions coming through. Jews from around the world descend on the Aish HaTorah Dan Family World Center every day to attend our unique and passionate Torah classes. It really

Dear Aish Family, One of the questions that I am asked constantly is whether I ever wake up and am unsure what Country or State I am in. While that seldom happens, this week I found myself in a rental car and I could not figure out

Dear Aish Family, Week in and week out I spend time writing about some aspect of Aish or the Jewish people. I generally steer clear of politics because at Aish HaTorah we are focused on the growth of one’s soul regardless of political affiliation. This week I

Dear Aish Family, There are many festive holidays that are celebrated by Jews around the world throughout the year. None strikes more of a cord for Aish than Chanukah. Chanukah in the Old City of Jerusalem is packed with Jews coming to see the spot of the

Dear Aish Family, Thank you so much for all your support and participation Aish programs.  We simply could not accomplish what we do without you! As you get ready for the last Shabbat in 2017, please consider making an end of year donation to help us continue to reach

Dear Aish Family, I always refer to the Aish HaTorah Dan Family World Center as the United Nations of the Jewish world. Every day people come from all around the world to spend time with Aish and get answers to their questions. The questions vary from is there a

Dear Aish Family, As I have mentioned many times, the crown jewel of Aish HaTorah is our Yeshiva (Talmudical Academy). Forty years ago our founder and teacher Rav Noach Weinberg, of blessed memory, founded our Yeshiva on the premise that every Jew has the right to study

Dear Aish Family, At Aish HaTorah, we have been blessed to extend our presence to so many countries. You would be hard-pressed to find a Jewish community around the world that has not been touched by our efforts. This past week I spent some time in a

Dear Aish Family, This Shabbos is very special. It is the ninth Yartzeit (anniversary of the passing) of Rav Noach Weinberg of blessed memory. Many of his students and friends will spend this Shabbos reflecting on his teachings. At Aish, we are about to embark on a

Dear Aish Family, It is hard to put into the words the thoughts and emotions from this past week. Last year, on the eighth yartzeit of our founder and visionary Rav Noach Weinberg, we made a decision to create a week-long learning seminar called Yarchei Kallah. The

Dear Aish Family, Every week I write to all of you to discuss something amazing that happened the week before. On any given day in the Aish family, awesome things are happening. Whether it is a Jew learning aleph beis for the first time or saying their first prayer,

Dear Aish Family, I am writing to you from the airport in Denver, Colorado. Thank you to all of you who supported Aish HaTorah this past week for our online matching campaign. Over 2.1 million dollars were raised thanks to you. Immediately following the conclusion of the campaign

Dear Aish Family, What a week this has been. I started out this past Shabbos at the Project Inspire Convention. It is hard to put into words the power of sitting with over 1000 Aish partners who spent the entire weekend discussing how much they care about

Dear Aish Family, This week the Aish family suffered a tragic loss after the passing of the Tzadik (righteous man), Rabbi Eric Most. As it is Purim and according to Jewish law this is a festive time, I will wait until next week to write more about this

Dear Aish Family, I mentioned to someone in the United States that Aish HaTorah lost one of the pillars of our movement when Rabbi Eric Most passed away at the young age of 46. A few hours later he called and said that he googled Rabbi Eric Most but

Dear Aish Family,                                                                                       Although I

Dear Aish Family, As I have mentioned many times, one of my favorite pastimes is meeting members of the Aish HaTorah family all around the world. This past week I bumped into someone in one of the most Jewish venues that exist on the planet. I was

Dear Aish Family, Often I share uplifting stories and experiences in my weekly email. This week I would like to humbly request that we turn the “tables.” I have a request for you and I would like you to share it with the world. The Lubavitcher Rebbe used

Dear Aish Family, I hope everyone had a meaningful Passover. After the holiday, I spent time speaking with many members of our community to find out how everyone enjoyed the Chag. Many of you told me moving stories about how you used the Seder as a tool

Dear Aish Family, I have often referred to the Aish HaTorah Dan Family World Center as the embassy of the Jewish people. This week it really was an embassy! We were honored and privileged to host over 40 UN Ambassadors from around the world for a tour

Dear Aish Family,  I generally try to make sure that my weekly emails are not political. This week I am making what some may view as an exception because I feel strongly about all of us being aware of issues that relate to the safety of Israel.

Dear Aish Family, Usually, I talk about what happened the past week in Aish around the world. This time, I’d like to give you a peek at my week to come. While I would love for all of you to come with me on my travels, I

Dear Aish Family,  I just landed back in New Jersey after a whirlwind tour of four Aish Branches on two continents in seven days. There is so much I want to tell you about my trip. To summarize I would say that Aish is strong and getting stronger. We

Dear Aish Family, What an incredible week in Jerusalem. I arrived at The Aish HaTorah Dan Family World Center this past Sunday night in time to see 75,000 Israeli teenagers celebrating the 51st anniversary of the liberation of Jerusalem at the Kotel (Western Wall). There was singing and dancing

Dear Aish Family, One of the great thrills that I experience is spending time with the boards of Aish branches around the world. To be a board member at Aish HaTorah means that you care about the Jewish Nation. When we refer to the Jewish Nation we are

Dear Aish Family, Many times at Aish we engage in all types of discussions. Some are about Torah concepts while others are about the challenges facing the Jewish people worldwide. This week I learned a new concept which I believe was created by Aish New York. As

Dear Aish Family, Inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes as a Jew. Sometimes it comes from the joy of attending a wedding or Bar Mitzvah. Other times inspiration comes from a funeral or Shiva and hearing how an amazing Jew spent their life. This week the

Dear Aish Family, The Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland has been famously paraphrased as telling Alice, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.” This is especially true of Jewish organizations. We must know what our goals are or we will

Dear Aish Family, We are so blessed that we live in a time where it is so easy to just get on a plane and go to Israel. Literally, we can book a flight to Tel Aviv on our phone and go straight to the airport to

Dear Aish Family, Greetings from a packed Aish HaTorah Dan Family World Center! All week long people are coming to learn, be inspired and grow with Aish. Tonight we will have eight different groups for Friday night dinner! It is truly a sight to see. During my time here this week, we have been

Dear Aish Family, What a week this has been! I have mentioned that we have increased from 30,000 visitors a year to an average of 10,000 visitors a month at the Aish HaTorah Dan Family World Center. Last week we set a new record. We hosted over

Dear Aish Family, Regards from Aish Toronto! It has been an exciting week here in Canada. I have been spending time meeting with so many of the pioneers of Aish HaTorah. Aish Toronto was one of the first and most successful branches outside of Israel. As a

Dear Aish Family, This weekend marks the start of the new educational year for all Yeshivas (Academies of Jewish learning) around the world. On the first day of the Jewish month of Elul, we start to blow the Shofar heralding in a time for introspection and a

Dear Aish Family, This past week I was lucky enough to spend two days with sunny Aish San Diego. It was part of a 10 day trip with our indefatigable Executive Director Ariel Kotler. We covered a lot of territory within the Aish system and we wound up

Dear Aish Family, This week has been outstanding. We have opened our doors to a new semester with the strongest enrollment we have had in years. I want to personally welcome a longtime hero of Aish HaTorah, Rabbi Yaakov Palatnik, who has joined the Rabbinic staff of

Dear Aish Family, As I was traveling this week in Pennsylvania, someone made a well intended comment about Aish that fell short of its mark. Many people recognize me from this email and when we start up a conversation they almost always tell me about their history

Dear Aish Family, This week our family suffered a tragic loss with the passing of Dr. Elliot Hahn. Dr. Hahn, along with his wife Lillian and his wonderful family dedicated the beautiful Chihuli sculpture which hangs at the entrance to the Aish HaTorah Dan Family World Center.

Dear Aish Family, Many feelings race through my mind as we are about to embark on a new year according to the Jewish calendar. We have accomplished so much this past year. We have expanded our reach worldwide and our Jerusalem headquarters is bursting at the seams.

Dear Aish Family, The period between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur is one of the most significant times of the year in terms of reaching out to the Almighty. Tens of thousands of Jews are flocking to the Old City of Jerusalem every night at Midnight. The night

Dear Aish Family, What a Sukkos it has been!! There is so much to say and describe. We had an amazing Birkas Kohanim (blessing from the Jewish Priests) event with our Aish Partners on the roof of the Aish HaTorah Dan Family World Center. A sunrise Minyan

Dear Aish Family, I had the pleasure of hosting an amazing couple for a Shabbos meal recently. In every way they are my real life heroes. Over the past few years, they have become committed and serious Jews. It started with a trip to Israel and has

Dear Aish Family, This is an exceptionally busy week in Jerusalem. We have been welcoming so many branch heads and Aish staff who have been visiting the Aish HaTorah Dan Family World Center. I am looking forward to spending Shabbos with so many of them. Today we had

Dear Aish Family, This week we had a special guest join us at Aish HaTorah. We welcomed the Secretary of Treasury, Steven Mnuchin to the Aish HaTorah Dan Family World Center. Due to the special relationship which Aish HaTorah enjoys with the United States Embassy in Jerusalem, we were able

Dear Aish Family, This past week was a hard one for the Jewish people. We lost eleven angels in Pittsburgh. Eleven Jews who woke up last Shabbos morning with a desire to reach out to the Almighty. I spent many years working with the Squirrel Hill Jewish

Dear Aish Family, One of the most amazing stories of Aish HaTorah’s growth over the past few years is that of our beloved Yeshiva (Talmudical Academy). Situated next door to the Aish HaTorah Dan Family World Center, it is an amazing place where young men enter not

Dear Aish Family, It is hard to put into words how amazing the Aish HaTorah Partners Conference was this past weekend in Newport Beach, California. It was like one big family reunion where everyone got along!! In all seriousness, the camaraderie and closeness of everyone in attendance was very

Dear Aish Family, As it is Thanksgiving in the United States and so many are focusing on thanking the Almighty, I thought I would come up with a list of ten things I am personally thankful for at Aish HaTorah. 1) Rabbi Noach Weinberg zt’l: AISH HaTorah

Dear Aish Family, Every week the Dan Family World Center is filled with many different trips to Israel. Literally, you can come on any given day to Aish and you will find numerous languages spoken by participants from all over the world. Aish HaTorah invented the mission

Dear Aish Family, I want to share one of the most moving Shabbos morning experiences I have ever had. This past Shabbos I was in Baltimore for an Aish HaTorah Project Inspire Shabbos of Inspiration. We spoke in over 17 Shuls over the course of Shabbos about

Dear Aish Family, I hope all of you had an amazing Chanukah holiday last week. In many ways Chanukah is the holiday of Aish HaTorah since it commemorates the fight against assimilation and the continuity of the Jewish Nation. Many thousands of Jews visited the Dan Family Aish HaTorah

Dear Aish Family, Three years is not a long time but it seems like an eternity. This past Wednesday night was the third anniversary of the cold blooded murder of beloved Aish Rabbi Reuvan Biermacher HY”D. It seems like only yesterday that I received a call that

Dear Aish Family, Last week, I had the honor of visiting the most vibrant branch in the Aish HaTorah network. Aish UK has been at the forefront of Jewish life in England for the last two decades. Started by Rabbi Naftali Schiff, a brilliant visionary, Aish has been

Dear Aish Family, Trying to quantify the success of an institution that promotes spirituality and inspiration is a daunting challenge. How does one truly measure closeness to the Almighty? It is something that we have wrestled with at Aish over the past few years. Aish.com has done an excellent

Dear Aish Family, This coming week is a solemn one for the Aish family and the entire Jewish nation. Wednesday night and Thursday is the tenth Yahrzeit (anniversary of the date of passing) of one of the greatest Rabbis of the last century, HaRav HaGaon Rav Noach Weinberg

Dear Aish Family, What an amazing week it has been. Three years ago, we made a decision to commemorate the Yahrzeit (anniversary of passing) of HaRav HaGaon Rav Noach Weinberg zt’l with a week long learning program. Each year the program has gotten better and better. This has been