Aish HaTorah (, lit. "Fire of the Torah") is an Orthodox Jewish educational organization and yeshiva. History Aish HaTorah was established in Jerusalem in 1974 by Rabbi Noah Weinberg, after he left the Ohr Somayach yeshiva, which he had previously co-founded. The organization worked to educate young Jewish travelers and volunteers in favor of Orthodox Judaism. It later expanded worldwide, and continues promotes its extensive adult education classes. After Noah Weinberg died in February 2009, his son Rabbi Hillel Weinberg served as interim dean for a few years. In 2019, Rabbi Yitzchak Berkovits was named rosh yeshiva. Philosophy Aish HaTorah describes itself as blending the traditions of the Lithuanian yeshivas with the doctrines of Hasidism. Weinberg himself was a product of Lithuanian schools but he was also a grandson of the Slonimer Rebbe. His teachings reflect influences of both schools as well as certain facets of the Kabbalah of Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, the Vilna Gaon and others. Aish HaTorah describes itself as pro-Israel and encourages Jewish people to visit Israel and connect to the land and its history. The organization's stated mission is "providing opportunities for Jews of all backgrounds to discover their heritage." The organization is politically conservative and its officials have stated they oppose a full hand over of the West Bank to the Palestinians. Programs Aish HaTorah operates about 35 full-time branches on five continents, providing seminars, singles events, executive learning groups, Shabbat and Jewish holiday programs, and community building. Jerusalem In Jerusalem, the Aish HaTorah yeshiva offers both beginners' "drop-in classes" and full-time, intensive study programs for Jewish men and women of all backgrounds and levels of knowledge. The offering extends through a 2-year semikhah (rabbinic ordination) program; previously, participants were tested by the posek Zalman Nechemia Goldberg. Discovery Seminar The Jerusalem yeshiva includes a high-tech main campus and outreach center, that features a rooftop vista overlooking the Temple Mount. The campus houses the Kirk Douglas Theatre, which houses a dramatic film presentation of the Jewish contribution to humanity. Aish HaTorah runs the Discovery Seminar. The four-hour seminar reviews Jewish history, Jewish philosophy, and Jewish philosophy questions. Films In 2005 Aish HaTorah produced a documentary film, Inspired which chronicles the lives of selected baalei teshuvah ("returnees to Jewish observance"). Aish HaTorah believes that the high rate of intermarriage between Jews and non-Jews has diluted the Jewish people's vitality. Inspired was produced to encourage more observant Jews