AISH
MINNESOTA
A
JEWISH EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE FOR MINNESOTA :
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.”
In the words of Rabbi Noach Weinberg,
founder of Aish International:
“Tie
every Jew to a pride in his heritage, to a confidence in our
future, and an appreciation of how precious his involvement
with the Jewish people can be for himself, his children, grandchildren,
and all of humanity.”
Aish HaTorah’s
Educational Philosophy
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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.
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Every Jew is worthy of profound
respect, no matter their level of observance, knowledge or
affiliation. We never know who is a better Jew.
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Mitzvot (commandments) are
not rituals, but opportunities for personal growth, to be studied
and understood.
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Torah is wisdom for living,
teaching us how to maximize our potential and pleasure in life.
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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 continue to accept
the challenge.
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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. Hundreds of people have made aliyah directly through
their involvement with Aish HaTorah.
Rabbi Berel and Sara Simpser
Born and bred in the New York
area, Rabbi Berel and Sara Simpser migrated first to sunny Florida,
and then to the Midwest (Des Moines, IA), working in Jewish communal
work for almost two decades. Sara and Berel moved here in
September with their seven children to start AISH Minnesota.
Berel, who has a Masters in both
Communal Leadership and Talmudic Law, has taught a wide variety
of inter-denominational classes – ranging from Basic Judaism,
Hebrew language, Kabbalah, to ten years at the Florence Melton
Adult Mini School. He has also developed educational programs
for teachers, parents and students.
They have impacted the lives of
hundreds of people across the country with their infectious enthusiasm
about Judaism, love of Jews of all backgrounds and affiliations,
communal bridge-building, and their commitment to inspire others
to create meaningful Jewish lives for themselves and their families.
Join them for a SHABBAT MEAL or a lively discussion/class and you
will see why the entire community is “abuzz” about
AISH–Minnesota.
Aish HaTorah International Mission Statement
To urgently awaken and empower the Jewish people to end assimilation and to fulfill their destiny of Tikkun Olam. (fixing the world)
1. To Urgently
The activities Aish HaTorah is undertaking must be done with a sense of urgency because the problems facing the Jewish people are both very serious and spreading quickly.
2. Awaken
The Jewish people need either to be reminded that we have a mission or taught for the first time what the mission of the Jewish people is. Furthermore, we need to instill within people the confidence that we can succeed at making our mission a reality.
3. Empower
Once the Jewish people understand their mission and believe it can be accomplished, they need to be given the education, skills and tools to fulfill this mission both as individual Jews and as leaders or teachers helping others to understand and appreciate our mission.
4. Their Destiny
The mission of the Jewish people is most accurately described as a destiny because our purpose will ultimately be fulfilled, either as a result of our efforts or in spite of them. Ultimately, the Jewish view is that G-d's plan for the Jewish people and humanity will be fulfilled. The only question is what role each of us will play.
5. Tikkun Olam
Literally translated as "fixing the world". The vision of the Jewish people has had over the millennium a Utopian vision for all mankind, as the prophet Isiah writes…
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