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who we are...

AISH INTERNATIONAL

Aish HaTorah is a world leader in creative Jewish educational programs and leadership training, dedicated to answering the vital question, "Why be Jewish?"

Construction at Aish HaTorah World Center, across from the Western Wall

Aish HaTorah, founded in Jerusalem by Rabbi Noah Weinberg in 1974, is dedicated to revitalizing the Jewish people by providing opportunities for Jews of all backgrounds to discover their heritage in an atmosphere of open inquiry and mutual respect.

Aish HaTorah operates 26 full-time branches and on 5 continents
100,000 people attend Aish programs annually
Aish.com receives over 2 million visits each month, with 180,000 unique email subscribers
50,000 hours of Torah tapes and MP3s are listened to each year
4,500 people attend Aish learning programs in Israel every year
200 people have graduated from our rabbinic ordination program

Aish.com, the largest Jewish learning site, features articles and audio segments on spirituality, parenting, dating, weekly Torah portion, Holocaust studies, and Ask the Rabbi. The site operates a 24-hour live webcam from the Western Wall, which has registered 20 million visits. Spin-off sites in Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Russian are all leading websites in their respective languages.

Beyond Jewish education, Aish HaTorah is known as a staunch defender of Israel, and has launched various Israel advocacy programs. Aish celebrates Israel Independence Day and Jerusalem Day, and proudly flies the flag of Israel above its World Center at the Western Wall. Over 500 people have made aliyah directly through their involvement with Aish HaTorah.

The name Aish HaTorah, literally "Fire of Torah," was inspired by the talmudic story of Rebbe Akiva, a 40-year-old shepherd who could not even read the Aleph-Bet. One day, he came across a stone that had been holed 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 fire -- make an indelible impression on my heart. Rebbe Akiva committed himself to study Torah, and went on to become the greatest sage of his generation, with 24,000 students learning under him at one time.

As Elie Weisel 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."

Aish HaTorah's Educational Philosophy

Judaism 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 is worthy of profound respect, no matter their level of observance, knowledge or affiliation. We never know who is a better Jew.

Mitzvot (commandments) are not rituals, but opportunities for personal growth, to be studied and understood.

Torah is wisdom for living, teaching us how to maximize our potential and pleasure in life.

The Jewish people's history and destiny is to serve as a light unto the nations. The Torah's ideas have civilized the world and can continue to do so, if the Jewish people as a nation continues to accept the challenge.