ABOUT THIS EPISODE Growing up as a teenager in Toronto, Nechemia Coopersmith was always a truth-seeker. So when his older brother Eric went off to study in Israel, he naturally determined to learn more, and ultimately discovered a similar path, counter-cultural for its time but authentic in its fidelity to ancient roots. The Internet era dawned as Coopersmith was in the middle of a career in Jerusalem of formal and informal education and outreach. Though completely ignorant of its inner workings, he intuited its immense potential to reach Jews worldwide on a scale and in a scope never before possible. Educating himself, gaining the blessing of legendary Aish HaTorah founder Rabbi Noach Weinberg, assembling a small team, and securing a half-million-dollar seed grant from a Los Angeles philanthropist, Coopersmith began building what became one of the highest trafficked Jewish sites on the World Wide Web. Today Aish.com services over 1 million visitors each month, and Coopersmith harbors ambitious designs to bring this "lean and efficient" media staple to the next level. -------------------- ABOUT THIS PODCAST Jews You Should Know introduces the broader community to interesting and inspiring Jewish men and women making a difference in our world. Some are already famous, some not yet so. But each is a Jew You Should Know. The host, Rabbi Ari Koretzky, is Executive Director of MEOR Maryland (www.meormd.org), a premier Jewish outreach and educational organization. MEOR operates nationally on twenty campuses and in Manhattan; visit the national website at www.meor.org. Please visit www.JewsYouShouldKnow.com, follow us on Twitter @JewsUShouldKnow or on Facebook. Have feedback for the show, or suggestions for future guests? E-mail us at JewsYouShouldKnow@gmail.com. Want to support this podcast? Visit Patreon.com/JewsYouShouldKnow. A small monthly contribution goes a long way!!