Aish HaTorah

Aish, formerly known as Aish HaTorah (Hebrew: אש התורה, lit. "Fire of the Torah"), is a Jewish Orthodox educational organization. The focus of Aish is the spread of traditional Jewish religious teachings and culture to Jews around the globe, utilizing a significant online presence made up of its website, Aish.com, and various social media channels.

In addition to the educational organization, the organization's main campus in Jerusalem also includes a yeshiva and a women's seminary, as well as several other in-person programs. In the late 1990s, the Los Angeles branch of Aish pioneered the speed dating concept as a way to promote marriages between Jewish partners.

In 2001, as part of its outreach and advocacy, Aish set up the Hasbara Fellowships, an initiative designed to combat anti-Israel ideas on North American college campuses, in collaboration with the Israeli Foreign Ministry.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref>

History

Aish, founded in Jerusalem in 1974 by Rabbi Noah Weinberg after leaving the Ohr Somayach yeshiva, which he had co-founded, aimed to educate young Jewish students, particularly travellers and volunteers, in the history and traditions of Orthodox Judaism.<ref name=MishAishR_NoachW>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It later expanded worldwide and established 30 branches; each is currently run as its own entity. Aish continues to promote an extensive array of relevant in-person courses and online educational material.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> After Weinberg died in February 2009, his son, Rabbi Hillel Weinberg, served as interim dean for a few years.<ref name=kikar>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2015, Rabbi Steven Burg was named CEO of the organization,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and, in 2019, Rabbi Yitzchak Berkovits was named rosh yeshiva.<ref name=aish>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Politics

The organization is ideologically conservative. Its officials have stated they oppose a full hand-over of the West Bank to the Palestinians.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref> In 2012, Aish HaTorah officials were linked to the Clarion Fund, publishers of the controversial film The Third Jihad, alleging a muslim strategy to infiltrate and dominate America.<ref name=":1" />

Activities

Aish operates roughly 30 full-time branches on five continents, providing seminars, singles events, executive learning groups, Shabbat and Jewish holiday programs, and community-building. Its Jerusalem headquarters includes a high-tech main campus and outreach center featuring a rooftop vista overlooking the Temple Mount.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The organization operates a website at Aish.com that attracts a global audience.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Among the services offered are live chat sessions with Rabbis who are available to answer questions.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In the late 1998, Rabbi Yaakov Deyo, then Educational Director of the Los Angeles branch of Aish,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> invented the speed dating concept.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":3" /> Speed dating events under the auspices of Aish have continued to the present, designed to promote marriages between Jewish partners and thus continue the Jewish tradition.<ref name=":3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2001, the Israeli Foreign Ministry worked with Aish HaTorah to create the Hasbara Fellowships, an initiative designed to combat anti-Israel ideas on North American college campuses.<ref name=":2" />

In December 2013, Aish HaTorah of New York filed suit against its former chief financial officer Jacob Fetman to enforce a Beth Din ruling that Fetman had stolen $20 million in funds from the organization.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Notable faculty

• Noah Weinberg (1930 – 2009), founder
• Chaim Malinowitz (1952 – 2019)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Rabbi Steven Burg, CEO
• Rabbi Yitzchak Berkovits, Rosh Yeshiva

External links

• Template:Official