"All IN for Aish" Campaign featured on JM in the AM

Well, our wonderful friend David Cutler is with us live via telephone. He is now the executive director of the EFG, the Herber family guest share programs for both young men and young women in the holy city of Jerusalem. All this of course is part of a what we know as Aisha Torah. Um they got into the uh post high school education field a few years back and from what we hear things are going pretty well. Right now Aish has a matching campaign that they have entitled AllIn for Aish. Every dollar is tripled up to $6 million and they're about to hit their first million by the way in this campaign. So you're encouraged to give. You can go to causematch.com. Again, uh causematch.com ais and um contribute now. The executive director of EFG, the berber family guestshare programs for men and women, David Cutler, a pleasure to welcome you back to JM in the AM. Great to be here. How are you, >> Barak? Hashem, well, you we always knew it was no secret you always loved and continue to love spending time in Israel. And I'm assuming this new position affords you to be even more often in Jerusalem and the Holy Land. >> That is correct, Bar Hashem. I am very blessed. Uh you're absolutely correct. I love love love spending time here in Aritus and uh in the holy state of Israel here. where I get to go back and forth and I'm working for an organization that is based here in Israel um and does does things for Jews all over the world which we'll talk about but it's it's a tremendous privilege to be able to go back and forth to Israel and to work for an organization as special as this one that is based here in in Jerusalem. >> When did the I I just don't remember how long ago it was. When did Asian fact get into the arena of post high school education for those who are finishing 12th grade in the United States and other parts of the world? So, the girls seminary opened up. This is its fourth year. Uh, and they have a beautiful, beautiful new building, the Ivan and Susanna Kaufman Educational Center for Women, uh, right across the street from the Assurance on King George over there. And, uh, Karen and I sold King George. So, that opened, this is its first year in that building, but that program opened up four years ago. The boys program already started in a different uh reiteration if in different format if you will about 14 years ago. >> Oh wow. >> But they just really re I guess re uh redid themselves if you will four or five years ago. They kind of match the same idea. They were much more of a Kiru type organization and now they are they're still doing Kira. What's beautiful about ACE is that they love Jews of all backgrounds and so these two programs in particular are definitely getting modern Orthodox kids. Uh but we have a lot of kids from public school background as well. Uh and it's just a wonderful wonderful place where everybody can come and feel comfortable and get all their questions answered about Yiddish Kite, why, how, uh and not just assume that we you know we know why we do everything or how but every all their questions and their rebum and the staff are incredibly special and they're in the middle here of Jerusalem and everything that goes on and everyone that comes through our building which is uh really the most special place in the world steps away from the copel. So you so you are literally brought in to be part of that uh segment of a the segment that takes care of those who've just finished high school and are heading to Israel for their further education. >> Correct. Yes. I'm the executive director of those two programs of the boys and the girls program. Uh but I they they sit smack in the middle of the Atora world if you will. And their success is not you know only due to their wonderful staff and their their wonderful game and every everything that they do. Uh but it's it's part of the the Bali Chuba program that that's part of what they do. The Aspire program for the women, the essentials program, and the different programs that take place that interact with these gap year programs with these young young men and women uh are are a real reason why they're they're just totally different than than the other programs and for their incredible success. Uh they're they're baram both programs are doing wonderfully well, very popular, oversold with waiting lists. Uh but they're just I've been meeting with with families all over the country in the last I've literally gone to LA to Florida to Atlanta uh here in Israel over the last couple months. Um and we're just we're h we're hitting all different kinds of people from all different kinds of backgrounds. Uh and I just wanted to find out why, you know, why you chose a and and the answer is really the same. We we wanted a place that was not judgmental, that really was that loves all Jews. Um and would answer my, you know, my kids questions in terms of why and how we do things. you know, kids coming out of high school are not not not the most inspired bunch of kids as we well know and and uh they, you know, and uh and we certainly do did our part and try to do our part while they're in high school, but they this gap year in Eric Israel is is unbelievably important. uh spending the year in Israel is uh is life-changing and is very transformative and it's an honor to be part to work with Rabbi David Rossman uh and his staff here in Israel is is a tremendous >> David Cuddler is with us live via telephone executive director of the BER family guest programs for young men and women post high school in Israel specifically with Aish of course Aish has a matching campaign going on right now entitled AllIn for Aish every dollar is tripled up to 6 million and you are uh encouraging encouraged to give and support uh their work. uh causematch.com again that's causematch.com ais how are the students who are not used to the type of uh activity that I described earlier running in and out of shelters how are they adjusting to the current situation in Israel >> so they're really adjusting very well it's funny I was actually happened to be walking by the seminary the other day my the apartment that I stay in is really down the block from We my wife and son and I were walking by the seminary and there was an an alert. Uh so we we actually were going into the seminary anyway, but there was an alert which is followed by a siren and we end we we we experienced the siren with the girls uh and went into their safe room down a couple floors below for the main level. And everybody was very calm, very they even had they had exercise equipment in there and they had uh it was everybody was coming down from lunch so everybody had food and they were very everybody the staff is very calm very you know really know what they're doing and um the kids are adjusting very well you know it's uh in Jerusalem uh people are uh you know they're going about their lives but you know the mandate is now to be very close to the protected rooms and people are definitely listening you know to the rules and and uh keeping next to their you next to the protected space but every The spirits are very good. Uh both boys and girls, they're they're continuing with their program. They have very very nice pur uh all all across. You know, a little bit different than usual in terms of the gatherings and that kind of thing and being allowed out. Uh but really the spirits are high and everyone is everyone's very blessed to be here and understands what a privilege it is to be here. >> So David, you mentioned earlier that a has quite an impact around the world. It's not just post high school students, it's many other categories and of course as you mentioned and as we know uh their world their global presence is pretty significant. Um so tell us what it is about this. What is it about ACH that makes their impact around the world so impactful and why it's worthy of support from our listeners? So ACE has a within the last couple years has adopted three values which I really think sums up exactly what we do so perfectly and lends itself as to you know why we're such a wonderful organization. The three values are wisdom, responsibility, and love. We believe that everybody, every single Jew in the world should be learning Torah. Torah is our blueprint. Torah is is the light of our lives. And everybody should be learning Torah. No matter what your background, no matter where you're from, no matter what your your educational background, no matter what your capabilities, everyone should be learning Torah. Responsibility. We're all responsible for each other. We are responsible to make sure that people are finding their way back to Judaism. Over 70% of the Jews in America are either unaffiliated or assimilated. Um there's a ton of work to do as far as that's concerned, but we we we believe it's our responsibility to make sure that every Jew is learning Torah and finds their way to Yiddish. And then and then responsive and then love. We we really we love all Jews. We don't we're not judgmental. We love all Jews. We love each other. Uh and these three things really are are what Aish is all about. We have over 4 million followers on a.com on an annual basis. Uh and prior prior to co Ace was all about the in in-person experience. Come to Jerusalem. Come experience our discovery seminars in the in the old world the dance center right in the heart of Jerusalem right across from the hotel. When COVID hit, we shifted to online to online education. Like I said, we now have over 4 million followers on a.com. Uh, and the beauty about about about a is that it's it's for everyone. There's things whether you're again less affiliated, more affiliated. We want everybody learning Torah. Um and there are again those classes if you do want to drop in but our we're starting now I think a thing called ACU which is an accredited university uh online which is driven by AI an educational platform driven by AI which is no matter what your background is you can literally if you have zero background in Yiddish kite you want to go learn about how to say kadesh that's there for you if you want to has a background you want to just learn more about husma hus whatever you want the classes will be there for you as well >> wow >> uh and literally driven by AI I a is driven by technology is always cutting edge. Uh but we're for every single Jew out there and we believe it's our responsibility to put their every single Jew on their journey uh back to Yiddish Kite and obviously the center of it all is your Shaim which is amazing. you can support all the amazing work of a everything David Cutler just described and all that they're doing around the world uh for Jews all over. Um and certainly uh for the the people that stop by their center in Jerusalem, it's an experience like none other. That's something that we can attest to. The A matching campaign is on. It's allin for Aish. Every dollar is tripled up to $6 million. They're almost at the $1 million mark. Go to causematch.com/causmatch.com. And David, this campaign goes until when? Goes through Monday. It's up live now. It starts the official two days are Sunday and Monday. And uh we are in your line to uh to see we're doing it with the students and with the staff and with everybody together here in your line. But like you like you said, it's important. We have a Latino, a Spanish program, speaking program. They're they're also smack in the middle of this. Uh, and this is global. As ACE is a global global global global program that affects every single Jew in the world. Thank God. >> Well, you must be happy because you're off to an amazing start for a two-day campaign that's officially next week. >> Yeah. Thank God. Listen, I mean bar we're really we're working it and uh we have an in look I'm only I'm with a several months and I have been so inspired and so impressed by what a does. Uh it's their their work is so far reaching and the the people that it's so wonderful to see the different kinds of people that come through our doors. The diversity and the the purity of all the reame and the staff and the the wonderful people. I just I've just been so thrilled and so inspired by everybody that I've met. I mean so many of the different names we don't have to know of Abdul Bear and Rav Gav and Rabbi Steven Berg who's our CEO and all the different people um who work at ACE they're all such phenomenal phenomenal people and Rabbi David Rossman who's our you know the leader the leader of all of our educational platforms it's a big big and it's really uh it's it's a very worthwhile organization for everyone to support especially again with their with their base here here in Israel uh it's a very special and a very critical time I don't need to tell you what's going on here in Israel right now and It's a very it's a time for everyone to literally be all in uh to support to make sure that Jews uh that are Jews are learning Torah and finding the Yiddish that they richly deserve. >> Oh, no question about that. Ryan Berg was in this studio just a few weeks ago. It was always a pleasure to speak with him and he's doing a great job in his leadership role uh at a All right, everybody. It's very simple. David Cutler, old friend of this radio show, somebody you've heard many times before. He is with an amazing organization, one that's very well known, and that's a and they're in the middle of a uh they're in the middle of the start of their campaign, which officially is Sunday and Monday of next week. Uh contribute what you can and help them continue to grow in Jerusalem and with their program, their post high school program, and of course with everything they do around the world as well. Causematch.comcausmatch.com. David Cutler, I thank you. Best regards to everybody in you shalim and stay safe my friend. >> Thank you Doros to uh thank you so much for all that you do for me. Take care. Be well. >> A pleasure. More coming up. If you're listening to JM in the AM