Aish HaTorah
Encyclopedia
Aish HaTorah is a Jewish Orthodox
organization and yeshiva
. Aish HaTorah is actively pro-Israel and encourages Jewish people to visit Israel and connect to the land and its history. Some consider the organisation to reflect a more Religious Zionist philosophy in its attachment to Israel, promoting Jewish pride and by sending young American Jews to Israel. The organization's stated mission is "providing opportunities for Jews of all backgrounds to discover their heritage." Its headquarters are in the Old City of Jerusalem, opposite the Western Wall
.
The organization has branches in 35 cities around the world. Each branch has independent governance and funding.
In Jerusalem, the Aish HaTorah yeshiva
offers both beginners' drop-in classes and full-time, intensive study programs for Jewish men and women of all backgrounds and levels of knowledge. Areas of study include Hebrew Bible
, Talmud
, Jewish history
, Jewish philosophy
and Hebrew language
ulpan
. A US-accredited college, the yeshiva offers degrees to college
and university
age students. in 2010 the world's largest Replica of the Jewish Temple
was installed on the roof of the yeshivah. It is a 1:60 scale model of the temple as it is believed to have looked before its destruction by the Romans in the year 70. It weighs 2,400 lbs., necessitating the use of a construction crane in the installation.
The rabbi
nic ordination
program combines classical Talmud
ic training with intensive instruction in outreach and leadership skills. 250 men have graduated from its rabbinic program, some of whom have assumed leadership and religious roles in Jewish communities around the world.
Aish.com, the organization's home on the internet, features endorsements from a range of celebrities, including Steven Spielberg
, Mikhail Gorbachev
and Margaret Thatcher
. Aish HaTorah founder Noah Weinberg
was credited with taking a non-judgemental approach to outreach. He even welcomed atheists and non-believers to the organization's yeshiva
, saying he would make them better atheists.
Aish HaTorah has been described as right-wing and Jeffrey Goldberg
of The Atlantic Monthly
has described it as "just about the most fundamentalist movement in Judaism today." Adam Shatz of the London Review of Books
describes the group as having close ties to the Israeli settler
movement.
in 1974, after he broke away from the Ohr Somayach yeshiva
which he had previously co-founded. He died in February 2009 in Jerusalem at the age of 78.
Philosophically, Aish HaTorah has an eclectic approach that blends the traditions of the Ashkenazi
Lithuanian
yeshiva
s, as well as Hasidic Judaism
. Rabbi Weinberg himself was a product of Lithuanian schools but he was also a grandson of the Slonimer Rebbe. His teachings reflect influences of both schools as well as certain facets of the Kabbalah
of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto
, the Gaon of Vilna and others.
ic story of Rabbi Akiva
, the once illiterate 40-year-old shepherd who subsequently became the most famous sage of the Mishnah
. One day he came across a stone that had been hollowed out by a constant drip of water. He concluded, "If something as soft as water could carve a hole in solid rock, then how much more so can Torah
— which is compared to fire — make an indelible impression on my heart." (While the comparison to fire is reflected in the yeshiva's name -- "aish" means fire—the simile in this story is that of water and the Torah, which is frequent in the Talmud.) Rabbi Akiva committed himself to study the Torah
.
Elie Wiesel
said, "Aish HaTorah means to me the passion of teaching, the passion of learning. The study of Torah, the source of Jewish values, is the way to Jewish survival."
in an atmosphere of open inquiry and mutual respect.
Worldwide, Aish HaTorah operates about 35 full-time branches on five continents, providing seminars, singles events, executive learning groups, Shabbat
and holiday
programs, and community building.
In Jerusalem, it has built a high-tech main campus and outreach center that features a rooftop vista overlooking the Temple Mount
, and the Kirk Douglas
Theatre, which will house a dramatic film
presentation of the Jewish contribution to humanity
. An Explorium of Jewish History is scheduled to open in 2013, and anticipates one million visitors annually.
, Holocaust
studies, an "Ask the Rabbi
" service, and political articles. The site operates http://thewall.org, a 24-hour live Western Wall camera
. This webcam
faces the Western Wall
and has registered over 25 million visits. There are also spin-off sites in Hebrew http://aish.co.il/, Spanish http://aishlatino.com/, Portuguese, French http://aish.fr/ and Russian http://evrey.com/. It also has an Aish Audio site with recordings of classes and lectures about Judaism.
, which uses methods such as the Bible Code
to explore the authenticity of Judaism and its relevance to modern times. The four-hour seminar presents an overview of the entire gamut of Jewish history
, philosophy
, and attempts to answers questions such as, "Why Be Jewish?" "Does God
Exist?" and "Is Torah
True?"
The seminar has been given in hundreds of cities throughout the world, at university campuses, Jewish Community Center
s, and Reform
, Conservative
and Orthodox
synagogue
s. More than 100,000 people worldwide have attended the seminars, including guest hosts Ed Asner
, Kirk Douglas
, Elliot Gould, Joel Grey
and Jason Alexander
.
The seminar has been adapted for presentation to Jewish day school
s, yeshiva
s, and Beis Yaakov schools as "Project Chazon."
("returnees to Jewish observance"). Aish HaTorah believes that the high rate of intermarriage between Jews and non-Jews has diluted the Jewish people’s vitality. Inspired was produced to encourage more observant Jews
to share their positive Jewish religious experiences of Jewish life with non-observant Jews, as a way to strengthen the baal teshuva movement and revitalize Jewish life.
In 2007 they released a sequel, Inspired Too. http://www.kiruv.com/forYourInspiration/movies/inspireToo.asp
These films paved the way for Project Inspire--an grassroots organization that helps inspire Orthodox Jews to reach out to non-affiliated Jews to teach them about their heritage. Once an offshoot of Aish HaTorah, Project Inspire is now an independent organization.
is popular in North America.
tape lending libraries
have been established in cities with large Jewish populations, with MP3 downloads available online at Aish Audio's website. http://aishaudio.com/
Many of Aish Audio's Jewish classes are also available as mp3 downloads at the Classic Sinai website. http://classicsinai.com/
. Its annual Partners Conference attracts hundreds of lay leaders who come together to exchange ideas and glean inspiration for expanding activities. The annual "Power of One Award" honors an Aish HaTorah partner who, it claims, personifies the goal of realizing his or her potential in the service of the Jewish people.
Aish Center in New York
has the largest group within the Executive Learning Program with over 40 participants. Board members include Seth Horowitz, CEO, of Everlast Worldwide, Neil Cole, CEO of Iconix Brands, Julie Greenwald, President of Atlantic Records
and Ronn Torossian
, CEO of 5WPR.
, U.S. Senator John Kerry
, Jeane Kirkpatrick
and Elie Wiesel
.
Professional women may also take short-term, customized learning programs at Aish HaTorah's Executive Learning Center on its Old City campus.
. This program has flown hundreds of student leaders to Israel for intensive training in pro-Israel activism training. In North America, Hasbara Fellowships guides and funds pro-Israel activities on over 100 college campuses.
Hasbara Fellowships groups have met with Prime Ministers
Binyamin Netanyahu, Shimon Peres
, and other prominent leaders from across the political spectrum. Nearly 2,000 students have participated in the Fellowships since the program's founding in 2001.
Fraternity
to run an official Israel trip for their undergraduate members. This three week trip combines Jewish education and touring Israel along with adventurous activities.
media bias. HonestReporting scrutinizes news agencies worldwide, and then alerts its subscribers to respond to the media directly.
While the Clarion Fund's founders apparently worked formerly with Aish HaTorah, and evidently hatched the idea for the Fund and the films while employed at Aish HaTorah, both organizations have denied any formal links. The Jewish Week
reported that "Clarion’s spokesperson, Gregory Ross — listed as an Aish HaTorah international fundraiser on a June 2007 federal election contribution form — denies any formal connection between its activities and Aish."
by the founder and former executive director of the Jerusalem Fund of Aish HaTorah, Irwin Katsof, in 2001."
According to The Jewish Week
, Honest Reporting "released Obsession in 2005, as well as a previous film, Relentless: The Struggle for Peace in the Middle East, in 2003. The group now denies any involvement in the production of Obsession. But its Web site promoted it as an Honest Reporting project in 2005, the year it was first released."
Posner reports that Raphael Shore
, the producer of all three Islam-related documentaries, is the twin brother of Ephraim Shore. Ephraim Shore "heads Aish’s operations in Israel" and "is listed on Honest Reporting’s 2006 tax forms as the group’s president."
over its close links with The Clarion Fund. The Spiritual Leader of Agudas Achim Congregation
, a Conservative synagogue in Alexandria, Virginia, described "Obsession", a film distributed by the Clarion Fund as "the protocols of the learned elders of Saudi Arabia." On the matter of the shared staff between Aish HaTorah and the Clarion Fund, Rabbi Jack Moline was quoted as saying "It is distressing to me that they [Aish HaTorah] would continue to have someone who has promulgated such awful, awful stuff sitting on their board or staff.”
The group has also been criticized by Marshall Breger who served as the White House Jewish Liaison
from 1982-1984 criticized AishHaTorah for distributing the anti-Islamic film Obsession.
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
organization and yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
. Aish HaTorah is actively pro-Israel and encourages Jewish people to visit Israel and connect to the land and its history. Some consider the organisation to reflect a more Religious Zionist philosophy in its attachment to Israel, promoting Jewish pride and by sending young American Jews to Israel. The organization's stated mission is "providing opportunities for Jews of all backgrounds to discover their heritage." Its headquarters are in the Old City of Jerusalem, opposite the Western Wall
Western Wall
The Western Wall, Wailing Wall or Kotel is located in the Old City of Jerusalem at the foot of the western side of the Temple Mount...
.
The organization has branches in 35 cities around the world. Each branch has independent governance and funding.
In Jerusalem, the Aish HaTorah yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
offers both beginners' drop-in classes and full-time, intensive study programs for Jewish men and women of all backgrounds and levels of knowledge. Areas of study include Hebrew Bible
Tanakh
The Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
, Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
, Jewish history
Jewish history
Jewish history is the history of the Jews, their religion and culture, as it developed and interacted with other peoples, religions and cultures. Since Jewish history is over 4000 years long and includes hundreds of different populations, any treatment can only be provided in broad strokes...
, Jewish philosophy
Jewish philosophy
Jewish philosophy , includes all philosophy carried out by Jews, or, in relation to the religion of Judaism. Jewish philosophy, until modern Enlightenment and Emancipation, was pre-occupied with attempts to reconcile coherent new ideas into the tradition of Rabbinic Judaism; thus organizing...
and Hebrew language
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
ulpan
Ulpan
An ulpan is an institute or school for the intensive study of Hebrew. Ulpan is a Hebrew word meaning basically studio or teaching, instruction....
. A US-accredited college, the yeshiva offers degrees to college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
and university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
age students. in 2010 the world's largest Replica of the Jewish Temple
Replicas of the Jewish Temple
Replicas of the Jewish Temple are scale models or authentic buildings that attempt to replicate the Temple of Solomon, Second Temple and Herod's Temple in Jerusalem.-Scale models:...
was installed on the roof of the yeshivah. It is a 1:60 scale model of the temple as it is believed to have looked before its destruction by the Romans in the year 70. It weighs 2,400 lbs., necessitating the use of a construction crane in the installation.
The rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
nic ordination
Semicha
, also , or is derived from a Hebrew word which means to "rely on" or "to be authorized". It generally refers to the ordination of a rabbi within Judaism. In this sense it is the "transmission" of rabbinic authority to give advice or judgment in Jewish law...
program combines classical Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
ic training with intensive instruction in outreach and leadership skills. 250 men have graduated from its rabbinic program, some of whom have assumed leadership and religious roles in Jewish communities around the world.
Aish.com, the organization's home on the internet, features endorsements from a range of celebrities, including Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
, Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
and Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
. Aish HaTorah founder Noah Weinberg
Noah Weinberg
Rabbi Yisrael Noach Weinberg was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, rosh yeshiva, and a father of today's baal teshuva movement with his establishment of a global network of educational and kiruv programs for unaffiliated Jewish men and women...
was credited with taking a non-judgemental approach to outreach. He even welcomed atheists and non-believers to the organization's yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
, saying he would make them better atheists.
Aish HaTorah has been described as right-wing and Jeffrey Goldberg
Jeffrey Goldberg
Jeffrey Mark Goldberg is an American journalist. He is an author and a staff writer for The Atlantic, having previously worked for The New Yorker. Goldberg writes principally on foreign affairs, with a focus on the Middle East and Africa...
of The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic is an American magazine founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It was created as a literary and cultural commentary magazine. It quickly achieved a national reputation, which it held for more than a century. It was important for recognizing and publishing new writers and poets,...
has described it as "just about the most fundamentalist movement in Judaism today." Adam Shatz of the London Review of Books
London Review of Books
The London Review of Books is a fortnightly British magazine of literary and intellectual essays.-History:The LRB was founded in 1979, during the year-long lock-out at The Times, by publisher A...
describes the group as having close ties to the Israeli settler
Israeli settlement
An Israeli settlement is a Jewish civilian community built on land that was captured by Israel from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and is considered occupied territory by the international community. Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank...
movement.
History
Aish HaTorah was established in Jerusalem by the late Rabbi Noah WeinbergNoah Weinberg
Rabbi Yisrael Noach Weinberg was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, rosh yeshiva, and a father of today's baal teshuva movement with his establishment of a global network of educational and kiruv programs for unaffiliated Jewish men and women...
in 1974, after he broke away from the Ohr Somayach yeshiva
Ohr Somayach, Jerusalem
Ohr Somayach was founded in 1970. It is a yeshiva based in Jerusalem, Israel, catering mostly to young Jewish men, usually of college age, who are already interested in learning about Judaism...
which he had previously co-founded. He died in February 2009 in Jerusalem at the age of 78.
Philosophically, Aish HaTorah has an eclectic approach that blends the traditions of the Ashkenazi
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
Lithuanian
Lithuanian Jews
Lithuanian Jews or Litvaks are Jews with roots in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania:...
yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
s, as well as Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
. Rabbi Weinberg himself was a product of Lithuanian schools but he was also a grandson of the Slonimer Rebbe. His teachings reflect influences of both schools as well as certain facets of the Kabbalah
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto
Moshe Chaim Luzzatto
Moshe Chaim Luzzatto , also known by the Hebrew acronym RaMCHaL , was a prominent Italian Jewish rabbi, kabbalist, and philosopher.-Padua:Born in Padua at night, he received classical Jewish and Italian educations, showing a...
, the Gaon of Vilna and others.
Educational philosophy
- JudaismJudaismJudaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
is not "all or nothing"; it is a journey where every step counts, to be pursued according to one's own pace and interest. - Every Jew and human being is worthy of profound respect, no matter their level of observance, knowledge or affiliation. No one knows who is a better Jew or human being.
- Mitzvot613 mitzvotThe 613 commandments is a numbering of the statements and principles of law, ethics, and spiritual practice contained in the Torah or Five Books of Moses...
("commandments") are not mere rituals, but opportunities for one's personal growth, to be studied and understood. - TorahTorahTorah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
is the "wisdom for living", teaching people how to maximize their potential and pleasure in life. - The Jewish people's historyJewish historyJewish history is the history of the Jews, their religion and culture, as it developed and interacted with other peoples, religions and cultures. Since Jewish history is over 4000 years long and includes hundreds of different populations, any treatment can only be provided in broad strokes...
and destiny is to serve as a light unto the nationsJews as a chosen peopleIn Judaism, "chosenness" is the belief that the Jews are the Chosen People, chosen to be in a covenant with God. This idea is first found in the Torah and is elaborated on in later books of the Hebrew Bible...
. - The Torah’s ideas have civilized the world and can continue to do so, if the Jewish people as a nation continue to accept the challenge.
Meaning of name
The name Aish HaTorah, literally "Fire [of] the Torah", was inspired by the TalmudTalmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
ic story of Rabbi Akiva
Rabbi Akiva
Akiva ben Joseph simply known as Rabbi Akiva , was a tanna of the latter part of the 1st century and the beginning of the 2nd century . He was a great authority in the matter of Jewish tradition, and one of the most central and essential contributors to the Mishnah and Midrash Halakha...
, the once illiterate 40-year-old shepherd who subsequently became the most famous sage of the Mishnah
Mishnah
The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
. One day he came across a stone that had been hollowed out by a constant drip of water. He concluded, "If something as soft as water could carve a hole in solid rock, then how much more so can Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
— which is compared to fire — make an indelible impression on my heart." (While the comparison to fire is reflected in the yeshiva's name -- "aish" means fire—the simile in this story is that of water and the Torah, which is frequent in the Talmud.) Rabbi Akiva committed himself to study the Torah
Torah study
Torah study is the study by Jewish people of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts...
.
Elie Wiesel
Elie Wiesel
Sir Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel KBE; born September 30, 1928) is a Hungarian-born Jewish-American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He is the author of 57 books, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a prisoner in the Auschwitz, Buna, and...
said, "Aish HaTorah means to me the passion of teaching, the passion of learning. The study of Torah, the source of Jewish values, is the way to Jewish survival."
Organizational goals
Aish HaTorah's self-declared objective is to revitalize the Jewish people by providing opportunities for Jews of all backgrounds to discover their heritageJudaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
in an atmosphere of open inquiry and mutual respect.
Worldwide, Aish HaTorah operates about 35 full-time branches on five continents, providing seminars, singles events, executive learning groups, Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
and holiday
Jewish holiday
Jewish holidays are days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. In Hebrew, Jewish holidays and festivals, depending on their nature, may be called yom tov or chag or ta'anit...
programs, and community building.
In Jerusalem, it has built a high-tech main campus and outreach center that features a rooftop vista overlooking the Temple Mount
Temple Mount
The Temple Mount, known in Hebrew as , and in Arabic as the Haram Ash-Sharif , is one of the most important religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. It has been used as a religious site for thousands of years...
, and the Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas is an American stage and film actor, film producer and author. His popular films include Out of the Past , Champion , Ace in the Hole , The Bad and the Beautiful , Lust for Life , Paths of Glory , Gunfight at the O.K...
Theatre, which will house a dramatic film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
presentation of the Jewish contribution to humanity
Jewish history
Jewish history is the history of the Jews, their religion and culture, as it developed and interacted with other peoples, religions and cultures. Since Jewish history is over 4000 years long and includes hundreds of different populations, any treatment can only be provided in broad strokes...
. An Explorium of Jewish History is scheduled to open in 2013, and anticipates one million visitors annually.
Internet presence
Aish HaTorah's website, Aish.com http://aish.com/, features articles, videos and audio segments on spirituality, parenting, dating, weekly Torah portionParsha
This article is about the divisions of the Torah into weekly readings. For this week's Torah portion, see Torah portionThe weekly Torah portion |Sidra]]) is a section of the Torah read in Jewish services...
, Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
studies, an "Ask the Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
" service, and political articles. The site operates http://thewall.org, a 24-hour live Western Wall camera
Western Wall camera
A Western Wall camera, also known as a wallcam, is a live webcam that displays action at the Western Wall live as it is taking place.Some cameras operate all the time. Others refrain from operating during Shabbat and Jewish holy days.-Operators:...
. This webcam
Webcam
A webcam is a video camera that feeds its images in real time to a computer or computer network, often via USB, ethernet, or Wi-Fi.Their most popular use is the establishment of video links, permitting computers to act as videophones or videoconference stations. This common use as a video camera...
faces the Western Wall
Western Wall
The Western Wall, Wailing Wall or Kotel is located in the Old City of Jerusalem at the foot of the western side of the Temple Mount...
and has registered over 25 million visits. There are also spin-off sites in Hebrew http://aish.co.il/, Spanish http://aishlatino.com/, Portuguese, French http://aish.fr/ and Russian http://evrey.com/. It also has an Aish Audio site with recordings of classes and lectures about Judaism.
Seminars
Aish HaTorah runs the Discovery SeminarDiscovery Seminar
The Discovery Seminar was developed in 1985 by a team of Israelis. The seminar presents a scientific rational evidence for the Divine authorship of the Bible, particularly the "Five Books of Moses"...
, which uses methods such as the Bible Code
Bible code
The Bible code , also known as the Torah code, is a purported set of secret messages encoded within the text Hebrew Bible and describing prophesies and other guidance regarding the future. This hidden code has been described as a method by which specific letters from the text can be selected to...
to explore the authenticity of Judaism and its relevance to modern times. The four-hour seminar presents an overview of the entire gamut of Jewish history
Jewish history
Jewish history is the history of the Jews, their religion and culture, as it developed and interacted with other peoples, religions and cultures. Since Jewish history is over 4000 years long and includes hundreds of different populations, any treatment can only be provided in broad strokes...
, philosophy
Jewish philosophy
Jewish philosophy , includes all philosophy carried out by Jews, or, in relation to the religion of Judaism. Jewish philosophy, until modern Enlightenment and Emancipation, was pre-occupied with attempts to reconcile coherent new ideas into the tradition of Rabbinic Judaism; thus organizing...
, and attempts to answers questions such as, "Why Be Jewish?" "Does God
Names of God in Judaism
In Judaism, the name of God is more than a distinguishing title; it represents the Jewish conception of the divine nature, and of the relationship of God to the Jewish people and to the world. To demonstrate the sacredness of the names of God, and as a means of showing respect and reverence for...
Exist?" and "Is Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
True?"
The seminar has been given in hundreds of cities throughout the world, at university campuses, Jewish Community Center
Jewish Community Center
A Jewish Community Center or Jewish Community Centre is a general recreational, social and fraternal organization serving the Jewish community in a number of cities...
s, and Reform
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
, Conservative
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
and Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
s. More than 100,000 people worldwide have attended the seminars, including guest hosts Ed Asner
Ed Asner
Edward Asner , commonly known as Ed Asner, is an American film, television, stage, and voice actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, primarily known for his Emmy Award-winning role as Lou Grant on both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off series, Lou Grant...
, Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas is an American stage and film actor, film producer and author. His popular films include Out of the Past , Champion , Ace in the Hole , The Bad and the Beautiful , Lust for Life , Paths of Glory , Gunfight at the O.K...
, Elliot Gould, Joel Grey
Joel Grey
Joel Grey is an American stage and screen actor, singer, and dancer, best known for his role as the Master of Ceremonies in both the stage and film adaptation of the Kander & Ebb musical Cabaret. He has won the Academy Award, Tony Award and Golden Globe Award...
and Jason Alexander
Jason Alexander
Jay Scott Greenspan , better known by his professional name of Jason Alexander, is an American actor, writer, comedian, television director, producer, and singer. He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld, appearing in the sitcom from 1989 to 1998...
.
The seminar has been adapted for presentation to Jewish day school
Jewish day school
A Jewish day school is a modern Jewish educational institution that is designed to provide Jewish children with both a Jewish and a secular education in one school on a full time basis, hence its name of "day school" meaning a school that the students attend for an entire day and not on a part time...
s, yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
s, and Beis Yaakov schools as "Project Chazon."
Films
In 2005 Aish HaTorah produced a documentary film, Inspired, http://www.kiruv.com/forYourInspiration/movies/inspireOne.asp which chronicles the lives of selected baalei teshuvahBaal teshuva
Baal teshuva or ba'al teshuvah , sometimes abbreviated to BT, is a term referring to a Jew who turns to embrace Orthodox Judaism. Baal teshuva literally means, "repentant", i.e., one who has repented or "returned" to God...
("returnees to Jewish observance"). Aish HaTorah believes that the high rate of intermarriage between Jews and non-Jews has diluted the Jewish people’s vitality. Inspired was produced to encourage more observant Jews
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
to share their positive Jewish religious experiences of Jewish life with non-observant Jews, as a way to strengthen the baal teshuva movement and revitalize Jewish life.
In 2007 they released a sequel, Inspired Too. http://www.kiruv.com/forYourInspiration/movies/inspireToo.asp
These films paved the way for Project Inspire--an grassroots organization that helps inspire Orthodox Jews to reach out to non-affiliated Jews to teach them about their heritage. Once an offshoot of Aish HaTorah, Project Inspire is now an independent organization.
Dating
Designed to help Jewish singles meet each other, Aish HaTorah's SpeedDatingSpeed dating
Speed dating is a formalized matchmaking process or dating system whose purpose is to encourage people to meet a large number of new people. Its origins are credited to Rabbi Yaacov Deyo of Aish HaTorah, originally as a way to help Jewish singles meet and marry. "SpeedDating", as a single word, is...
is popular in North America.
Audio Center
The Aish HaTorah Audio Center is a collection of recorded Jewish lectures, with over 5,000 titles on every subject in Judaism. Hundreds of TorahTorah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
tape lending libraries
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
have been established in cities with large Jewish populations, with MP3 downloads available online at Aish Audio's website. http://aishaudio.com/
Many of Aish Audio's Jewish classes are also available as mp3 downloads at the Classic Sinai website. http://classicsinai.com/
Conferences
Aish HaTorah stresses volunteer leadership involvement, and thousands of active partners teach, organize, promote and fundraiseFundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
. Its annual Partners Conference attracts hundreds of lay leaders who come together to exchange ideas and glean inspiration for expanding activities. The annual "Power of One Award" honors an Aish HaTorah partner who, it claims, personifies the goal of realizing his or her potential in the service of the Jewish people.
Learning programs
Aish HaTorah's Executive Learning Program is geared towards successful Jewish men and women of all ages to participate in individually-designed personal study programs.Aish Center in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
has the largest group within the Executive Learning Program with over 40 participants. Board members include Seth Horowitz, CEO, of Everlast Worldwide, Neil Cole, CEO of Iconix Brands, Julie Greenwald, President of Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
and Ronn Torossian
Ronn Torossian
Ronn D. Torossian is an American public relations executive, author, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of New York City-based 5W Public Relations , which as of 2010 was the 24th-largest PR firm in the US. A crisis management specialist, his agency's clients include celebrities, hip-hop musicians...
, CEO of 5WPR.
Philanthropic fund
The Jerusalem Fund of Aish HaTorah has brought important political, business and entertainment leaders on private missions to Israel to increase their support for the Jewish state. The Theodor Herzl Mission, co-sponsored by the Mayor of Jerusalem, has brought international leaders to Israel such as Lady Margaret ThatcherMargaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, U.S. Senator John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
, Jeane Kirkpatrick
Jeane Kirkpatrick
Jeane Jordan Kirkpatrick was an American ambassador and an ardent anticommunist. After serving as Ronald Reagan's foreign policy adviser in his 1980 campaign and later in his Cabinet, the longtime Democrat-turned-Republican was nominated as the U.S...
and Elie Wiesel
Elie Wiesel
Sir Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel KBE; born September 30, 1928) is a Hungarian-born Jewish-American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He is the author of 57 books, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a prisoner in the Auschwitz, Buna, and...
.
Essentials program
The "Essentials" introductory program, for Jewish men ages 18–29, offers an understanding of the core concepts of Jewish thought. The educational goals of "Essentials" are to examine the relevance of being Jewish in today's world, define major tenets of Jewish thought from a rational perspective, and explore major themes and practices in Jewish spirituality. Students can participate for one class, a day, a week, or a month. Students live and study in the heart of Jerusalem's Old City.Women's programs
Aish HaTorah also operates three women’s programs in Jerusalem for university and professional women from all backgrounds.- EYAHTEYAHTEYAHT , is a full-time college for advanced Jewish learning for women in Jerusalem, Israel.Geared to unaffiliated, college-educated and professional women aged 22-30 from English-speaking countries, EYAHT introduces women to the basics of Torah Judaism and encourages them to integrate Torah values...
College of Jewish Studies for Women, a full-time college based in the Kiryat Sanz neighborhood, is headed by RebbetzinRebbetzinRebbitzin or Rabbanit is the title used for the wife of a rabbi, typically from the Orthodox, or Haredi, and Hasidic Jewish groups...
Denah WeinbergDenah WeinbergDenah Weinberg is an Orthodox Jewish Rebbetzin and founder and dean of EYAHT College of Jewish Studies for Women in Jerusalem. EYAHT has over 2,000 alumnae...
. Due to increased demand, the college is in the process of building its own campus.
- "Jewel", a 3½-week introductory program for young women, operating in the Ramat EshkolRamat EshkolRamat Eshkol is a neighborhood in north-eastern Jerusalem. It was built on land captured from Jordan in the Six-Day War and was the first neighborhood built in East Jerusalem after the Six-Day War in 1967...
neighborhood.
- "Gem", a 10-day program of learning and touring for women over age 30.
Professional women may also take short-term, customized learning programs at Aish HaTorah's Executive Learning Center on its Old City campus.
Hasbara Fellowships
When the Israeli Foreign Ministry sought to combat anti-Israel ideas on college campuses, it called on Aish HaTorah to develop the Hasbara FellowshipsHasbara Fellowships
Hasbara Fellowships is an organization that brings students to Israel and trains them to be effective pro-Israel activists on college campuses. Based in New York, it was started in 2001 by Aish HaTorah in conjunction with the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs...
. This program has flown hundreds of student leaders to Israel for intensive training in pro-Israel activism training. In North America, Hasbara Fellowships guides and funds pro-Israel activities on over 100 college campuses.
Hasbara Fellowships groups have met with Prime Ministers
Prime Minister of Israel
The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel . The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem...
Binyamin Netanyahu, Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres
GCMG is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Peres served twice as the eighth Prime Minister of Israel and once as Interim Prime Minister, and has been a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years...
, and other prominent leaders from across the political spectrum. Nearly 2,000 students have participated in the Fellowships since the program's founding in 2001.
Jerusalem Road Trips
Aish HaTorah partnered with the Alpha Epsilon PiAlpha Epsilon Pi
Alpha Epsilon Pi , the Global Jewish college fraternity, has 155 active chapters in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Israel with a membership of over 9,000 undergraduates...
Fraternity
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
to run an official Israel trip for their undergraduate members. This three week trip combines Jewish education and touring Israel along with adventurous activities.
Honest Reporting
HonestReporting.com was established with the assistance of Aish HaTorah, and has existed as an independent organization since 2001. It is the largest organization in the world fighting what it describes as anti-IsraelAnti-Zionism
Anti-Zionism is opposition to Zionistic views or opposition to the state of Israel. The term is used to describe various religious, moral and political points of view in opposition to these, but their diversity of motivation and expression is sufficiently different that "anti-Zionism" cannot be...
media bias. HonestReporting scrutinizes news agencies worldwide, and then alerts its subscribers to respond to the media directly.
The Clarion Fund
The relationship Aish HaTorah has with The Clarion Fund generated some criticism of the organization, due to several reported linkages between Aish HaTorah and the Clarion Fund, including:- The Clarion Fund, according to incorporation papers, "currently shares an address with Aish International, Inc., the fundraising arm of Aish HaTorah, and the Aish HaTorah Jerusalem Fund in New York."
- The Jewish Week reported that "at least six top Aish HaTorah officials are tied to “Obsession” via Aish spin-offs, including Clarion's president and two vice presidents."
- Rabbi Raphael ShoreRaphael ShoreRaphael Shore is an Canadian-Israeli film writer, producer, and rabbi. He is the founder of The Clarion Fund, a non-profit organization that seeks to advance the idea that the United States faces a threat of radical Islam....
, the executive director of The Clarion Fund was an employee of Aish HaTorah. - The Clarion Fund is distributing films produced by HonestReportingHonestReportingHonestReporting is a non-governmental organization that monitors the media for what it perceives as bias against Israel. The organization has affiliates in the United States, UK, Canada, Italy, and Brazil...
, an independent group started with support from Aish HaTorah.
While the Clarion Fund's founders apparently worked formerly with Aish HaTorah, and evidently hatched the idea for the Fund and the films while employed at Aish HaTorah, both organizations have denied any formal links. The Jewish Week
The Jewish Week
The Jewish Week is an independent weekly newspaper serving the Jewish community of the metropolitan New York City area. The Jewish Week covers news relating to the Jewish community in NYC and has world-wide distribution.-Editorial staff:...
reported that "Clarion’s spokesperson, Gregory Ross — listed as an Aish HaTorah international fundraiser on a June 2007 federal election contribution form — denies any formal connection between its activities and Aish."
Islamic terrorism documentaries
"Formal or informal," Sarah Posner (of the Jewish Week) reports, "the ties between Aish HaTorah and the production of the films appear to date back to the launch of the media watchdog group Honest ReportingHonest Reporting
HonestReporting is a non-governmental organization that monitors the media for what it perceives as bias against Israel. The organization has affiliates in the United States, UK, Canada, Italy, and Brazil...
by the founder and former executive director of the Jerusalem Fund of Aish HaTorah, Irwin Katsof, in 2001."
According to The Jewish Week
The Jewish Week
The Jewish Week is an independent weekly newspaper serving the Jewish community of the metropolitan New York City area. The Jewish Week covers news relating to the Jewish community in NYC and has world-wide distribution.-Editorial staff:...
, Honest Reporting "released Obsession in 2005, as well as a previous film, Relentless: The Struggle for Peace in the Middle East, in 2003. The group now denies any involvement in the production of Obsession. But its Web site promoted it as an Honest Reporting project in 2005, the year it was first released."
Posner reports that Raphael Shore
Raphael Shore
Raphael Shore is an Canadian-Israeli film writer, producer, and rabbi. He is the founder of The Clarion Fund, a non-profit organization that seeks to advance the idea that the United States faces a threat of radical Islam....
, the producer of all three Islam-related documentaries, is the twin brother of Ephraim Shore. Ephraim Shore "heads Aish’s operations in Israel" and "is listed on Honest Reporting’s 2006 tax forms as the group’s president."
Criticism from American Jewish community
Aish HaTorah has been criticized by Rabbi Jack MolineJack Moline
Jack Moline is an American Conservative rabbi who has served as rabbi of Agudas Achim Congregation in Alexandria, Virginia since 1987 and Director of Public Policy for the Rabbinical Assembly since 2009, and is a past Chair of the Board of the Interfaith Alliance.In 2008, he was named by Newsweek...
over its close links with The Clarion Fund. The Spiritual Leader of Agudas Achim Congregation
Agudas Achim Congregation (Alexandria, Virginia)
Agudas Achim Congregation is a Conservative synagogue located at 2908 Valley Drive in Alexandria, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, DC. The synagogue was founded in 1914, and its cemetery was founded in 1933.-History:The synagogue was founded in 1914...
, a Conservative synagogue in Alexandria, Virginia, described "Obsession", a film distributed by the Clarion Fund as "the protocols of the learned elders of Saudi Arabia." On the matter of the shared staff between Aish HaTorah and the Clarion Fund, Rabbi Jack Moline was quoted as saying "It is distressing to me that they [Aish HaTorah] would continue to have someone who has promulgated such awful, awful stuff sitting on their board or staff.”
The group has also been criticized by Marshall Breger who served as the White House Jewish Liaison
White House Jewish Liaison
The White House staff position of Liaison to the Jewish Community is a role charged with serving as the Administration's voice to the American Jewish community and gathering the community's consensus viewpoint on issues affecting it for the benefit of White House policymakers...
from 1982-1984 criticized AishHaTorah for distributing the anti-Islamic film Obsession.