Home › Forums › Yeshiva / School / College / Education Issues › Is Aish too Zionistic to be Effective? › Reply To: Is Aish too Zionistic to be Effective?
I’m became Torah observant partially through Aish HaTorah. I attended classes and Shabbatot in the US and studied in the Yeshiva in the Old City. Sometime later, I attended a truly Zionist Yeshiva in Jerusalem, that emphasized the teachings of Rav Kook, ZT”L. The differences between the two, were noticeable.
Aish is not Zionistic, but they are certainly not anti-Zionist, they’re basically “parve”. They view the State of Israel positively, but they’re not waiving flags on Yom Haaztmaut. That said, some students and teachers do (wave flags), and others do not. They don’t really care about one’s personal “hashkafa” as long as you learn well and behave decently. Keep in mind I was there thirty years ago, so things may have changed.
Regarding kiruv for liberal Jews that view Israel negatively. How would giving them an anti-Zionist viewpoint help bring these Jews back to observance?
Tshuva comes from Emuna in Hashem, together, with a deep love and connection to the Jewish people, and for some, not always in that order. Kiruv based on division does not sound very appealing, or effective.