Rabbi Alon Tolwin is the founder of Aish Detroit and a prominent, now-retired educator who brought engaging, accessible Jewish adult education to Michigan in 1985. Originally from Jerusalem, he established Aish Detroit with a focus on building community through personal relationships and Torah study. His legacy continues through his son, Rabbi Simcha Tolwin, who currently leads the branch
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March 8, 2026
From Ford to Torah in Detroit - The Inside Story Of Jewish Outreach
In this episode Sanford Burstyn hosts Rabbi Alon Tolwin, founder of Aish HaTorah Detroit. Moved from Jerusalem in the early 1980’s, he worked as a computer programmer at Ford in Dearborn. In 1985, he opened Aish Detroit offices in Birmingham and Franklin, Michigan. These suburbs of Detroit both had strong Jewish demographics. With a $20,000,000 partner, 8 employees, and 10 volunteers, they did the same thing as Aish HaTorah Global — offering engaging adult Jewish educational programs that ...
Guest: Rabbi Tolwin, Alon