AISH MINNESOTA
A JEWISH EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE FOR MINNESOTA
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.
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 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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