פון ר' וויינבערגער'ס שול וועבסייט (ער קוקט נישט בכלל אפן אינטערנעט אבער זיין גבאים האט געמאכט א סייט פאר די שול)
http://www.aishkodesh.orgThe Dream
It was sometime before Succos in 1992 that two of our founders began to discuss their mutual dream to create a Makom Tefilah (a place of worship) that would also be a center of Torah study and Kiruv (Jewish outreach). They were driven by their yearning to infuse more spirituality and a new energy into their davening (prayer) and learning, and they were confident that others in the Woodmere community shared this desire. To some, this might have been an "impossible dream". In addition to the fact that no congregation or facility yet existed, let alone the funds to pay for them, they knew that a Rav, a spiritual leader and Talmid Chacham (learned Torah scholar) was absolutely essential if their plan was to succeed. They believed, however, that they knew just the right person for the task - an inspired and inspiring young Rav, named Moshe Weinberger.
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The Seeds That Had Already Been Planted
Little did Aish Kodesh Institute's founders know that the seeds of their success had already been planted a few years earlier by a most remarkable man - truly a messenger of the Almighty - in a most remarkable meeting. This man was Rav Shlomo Freifeld zt"l, the charismatic and extraordinary Rosh Yeshiva (head of academy) of Yeshiva Sho'or Yashuv. The fateful meeting took place during one of Rav Weinberger's visits to be mevaker the choleh (visit the sick). Rav Shlomo, now in the final stages of his grave illness, mustered up the strength to say to his young visitor, "Go to Woodmere, Woodmere needs you." While Rav Weinberger often reflected on this unusual but impassioned instruction, he was at a loss to know how to comply. Part of him knew precisely what needed to be done, but how, and when, and exactly where? He had no immediate answers.
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Rav Weinberger Meets His Founding Congregants
The first meeting between Rav Weinberger and the founders confirmed to them that Rav was, indeed, the young Torah leader who could make their dream a reality. In a word, they were enchanted. Rav Weinberger, in turn, knew that the time had come for Rav Shlomo's vision to be fulfilled. There was no question in his mind that the Divine Shadchan (matchmaker) had engineered this union. The new congregation had two members, no place to meet and no name but, baruch Hashem, it did have a Rav!
On December 4, 1992 (Shabbos Parshas Vayetzei) the founders and a few individuals who responded warmly to the deion of plans for the new congregation, met for Shabbos davening (prayers) at their temporary home at Woodmere Academy.
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The Name
Rav Weinberger chose the name Aish Kodesh to honor the memory of the holy Rebbe of Piazeczna, Harav Kalonymous Kalman Shapiro, zt"l, who wrote the inspirational sefer, "Aish Kodesh" during his all too brief tenure as the Rebbe of the Warsaw Ghetto. Shortly before he was murdered by the Nazis and the Ghetto was liquidated, the Rebbe buried his writings beneath the Ghetto's ruins with the hopeful plea that, after the war, the manu be taken to Eretz Yisrael. Congregation Aish Kodesh exists, therefore, to carry on the work of a generation whose lives were extinguished, but whose holy flame will never die.
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Rav Weinberger's First Defining Words
Between Kaballas Shabbos (prayer to welcome Shabbos) and Maariv (the evening service), on Shabbos Parshas Vayeitzei, Rav Weinberger rose to address his new congregation for the first time. His unforgettable words were:
"It is the natural tendency of a Jewish soul to yearn to cling to Hashem. Life, however, places many obstacles in our paths. Our task will be to remove these obstacles one by one. In doing so we will be emulating Yakov Avinu (Jacob, our forefather) who (in this week's Torah reading) removed the stone from the be'er (well). You should know that the word be'er, in Chassidus, is very significant. Its letters correspond to the roshei teivos (initial letters) of "B'yodcho A-fkid R-uchi" - "In Hashem's hand I will entrust my soul." May Hashem help us remove all of the obstacles so that our souls can grow closer to Him."
These words define the raison d'être of Aish Kodesh Institute and the thrust of its activities under the passionate leadership of its Rav.
ער אליין שטאמט פון אונגארישע אידען. זיין אלטערן, זאל געזונט זיין, קומט פון שטאט מונקאטש. ער האט עפעס א קשר מיט ברסלב און חבד, אבער ער איז זייער נארמאל. דא איז א ביסל ביאגראפי:
Rav Moshe Weinberger, shlit'a, is the founding Morah d'Asrah of Congregation Aish Kodesh and the Aish Kodesh Institute. Rav Weinberger received smicha (Rabbinic Ordination) from Yeshiva University (REITS) in 1980. He also earned an M.A. from Yeshiva University (Revel) in Jewish
Philosophy as well as an M.S. from Columbia University (Teachers' College) in Education Administration.
For over twenty years, Rav Weinberger was a Rebbe at Ezra Academy in Queens where he touched the lives of hundreds of young men and women and drew so many back to yiddishkeit. Many of his former students are moving to Woodmere with their families to continue their relationships with Rav Weinberger at Aish Kodesh.
Rav Weinberger is a frequent contributor to such publications as RJJ's Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society and OU's Jewish Action. Rav Weinberger is the author of Jewish Outreach - a Halakhic Perspective, K'tav Press, 1990. He is also a sought-after lecturer, speaking and serving as scholar-in-residence all over the United States and Eretz Yisrael.
Rav Weinberger has also been intimately involved in Jewish Outreach with such organizations as the Jewish Renaissance Center, Jewish Heritage Center, Hashevaynu, Ohr Samayach, NCSY, and JEP.
Rav Weinberger has developed a library of more than 820 Torah Tapes on T'filah, Chassidus, Hashkafah and the Aish Kodesh, among others, that are heard by men and women all over the world.
Rav Weinberger's Message
Our Bais Medrash (house of learning) is named "Aish Kodesh Institute" (holy fire) after the last sefer (writings) of the holy Rebbe R. Kalonymous Kalman Shapiro of Piazeczna. The Rebbe was truly a holy fire sent to warm the hearts and illuminate the minds of a broken generation. In the depth of the darkness, he remained firmly loyal to his unshakable faith in the immortality of Knesses Yisroel (the Jewish people) and the exaltedness of the Jewish soul. This great man wrote:
"…As the Jew continues to give of himself over to G-d, then G-d's yearning for us is aroused, and that divine yearning is more than just reciprocal, more than measure for measure; it's greater than I am. Since G-d's yearning for me is in a measure larger than me, I grow to become a greater human being, I now overshadow my essence… We must imbue every aspect of our lives with this sense of "I am my beloved's." This means, first of all, that we must fulfill the Torah and Mitzvos (commandments) in thought, word, and deed. We should realize that G-d created us for that purpose. Even the person who is forced to engage in business or labor for most of the day…can still view his divine service in Torah and Tefilah (prayer) as his reason for being…"
Our generation has been resurrected from the ashes of Auschwitz and Treblinka, yet we have fallen into a state of spiritual numbness, a life of cold prayers, empty Mitzvos, rote learning, and an overall sense of spiritual alienation. The Baal Shem Tov spoke of a time when there would be "double concealment." In the Holocaust, Jewish bones were crushed under the weight of Hester Panim - Divine concealment. In our "enlightened" times, Jewish souls are deceived by the delusion of "double concealment." We offer lifeless prayers in the midst of animated personal conversation and drag ourselves through the details of Orthodox Judaism. We have forgotten the purpose of life, while observing its regulations. We have lost our sense of divine yearning and subsequently have stopped yearning ourselves. We proceed cheerfully with the business of establishing more Jewish institutions and supporting more Jewish causes, not realizing that the essence of Judaism eludes us. Rav Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev once gathered all the Jews of Berditchev in the main synagogue, rose to the bima (center platform) and called out: "Jews, do not forget, there is a G-d in heaven!!!"
To this end our Bais Medrash was established - to stop the inertia of apathy, to tear away at least one mask of concealment and call out "There is a G-d in heaven!" May Hashem help us remain faithful to the noble ideals of our namesake - the Aish Kodesh - and to witness together with all Israel the final redemption, may it come speedily in our days!1