אש התורה | |
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 Aish HaTorah World Center in Jerusalem | |
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| Nickname | Aish |
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| Established | 1974 |
| Founder | RabbiNoah Weinberg |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Purpose | Jewish education |
| Headquarters | Jerusalem, Israel |
| Services | Online educational content,Yeshiva, classes, seminars |
| RabbiYitzchak Berkovits | |
| RabbiSteven Burg | |
Key people |
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| Affiliations | Orthodox Judaism |
| Website | aish |
Aish, formerly known asAish HaTorah (Hebrew: אש התורה, lit. "Fire of the Torah"), is aJewish Orthodox educational organization. The focus of Aish is the spread of traditionalJewish religious teachings andculture 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 inJerusalem also includes ayeshiva and awomen's seminary, as well as several other in-person programs. In the late 1990s, the Los Angeles branch of Aish pioneered thespeed dating concept as a way to promote marriages between Jewish partners.
In 2001, as part of its outreach and advocacy, Aish set up theHasbara Fellowships, an initiative designed to combat anti-Israel ideas on North American college campuses, in collaboration with theIsraeli Foreign Ministry.[1]
Aish, founded inJerusalem in 1974 byRabbiNoah Weinberg after leaving theOhr Somayach yeshiva, which he had co-founded, aimed to educate young Jewish students, particularly travellers and volunteers, in the history and traditions ofOrthodox Judaism.[2][3] 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.[4] After Weinberg died in February 2009, his son, Rabbi Hillel Weinberg, served as interim dean for a few years.[5] In 2015, Rabbi Steven Burg was named CEO of the organization,[6] and, in 2019, RabbiYitzchak Berkovits was namedrosh yeshiva.[7]
The organization is ideologicallyconservative. Its officials have stated they oppose a full hand-over of theWest Bank to thePalestinians.[8] In 2012, Aish HaTorah officials were linked to theClarion Fund, publishers of the controversial filmThe Third Jihad, alleging a muslim strategy to infiltrate and dominate America.[8]
Aish operates roughly 30 full-time branches on five continents, providing seminars, singles events, executive learning groups,Shabbat andJewish holiday programs, and community-building. Its Jerusalem headquarters includes a high-tech main campus and outreach center featuring a rooftop vista overlooking theTemple Mount.[9]
The organization operates a website at Aish.com that attracts a global audience.[10] Among the services offered are live chat sessions with Rabbis who are available to answer questions.[11]
In the late 1998, Rabbi Yaakov Deyo, then Educational Director of the Los Angeles branch of Aish,[12] invented thespeed dating concept.[13][14] 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.[14]
In 2001, theIsraeli Foreign Ministry worked with Aish HaTorah to create theHasbara Fellowships, an initiative designed to combat anti-Israel ideas on North American college campuses.[1]
In December 2013, Aish HaTorah of New York filed suit against its former chief financial officer Jacob Fetman to enforce aBeth Din ruling that Fetman had stolen $20 million in funds from the organization.[15]
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