Orthodox Union

Do you agree or disagree? 👇🏼 In his recent Jewish News Syndicate Op-Ed, “A Time for Comfort?”, our EVP Rabbi Moshe Hauer shares how rising antisemitism in the U.S., especially on college campuses, has left many Jews feeling unsafe and marginalized. He calls on American leaders to take a firm stand to reassure the Jewish community that they are protected and valued. Read his full article (link in comments) and tell us your thoughts below.

Today is National Financial Awareness Day and it's time to take control of your finances! In his recent Jewish News Syndicate op-ed, our Chief Financial Officer, Shlomo (Steven) Schwartz, expresses his concerns about the financial state of many Americans and highlights the importance of early financial education. "Most young adults don’t know how to properly manage their finances. Some are fortunate to have someone in their lives who proactively teaches them financial literacy, but many do not," he writes. "Fortunately, organizations exist to help fill this gap. One such organization is Living Smarter Jewish (LSJ), a project of the Orthodox Union dedicated to helping individuals, couples, and families achieve financial wellness by providing access to educational resources and guidance. To date, LSJ has trained more than 100 volunteer coaches and assisted some 4,000 individuals, couples, and families." Shlomo's advice for today: "This National Financial Awareness Day, I’d encourage those who are financially literate to take the initiative to educate someone in their lives who may benefit from their knowledge. For those who are not yet money-savvy, seek out advice and take steps to educate yourselves." Want to take control of your financial future? Learn how to evaluate the past, live in the present, and plan for the future. Link in comments

Maury Litwack: Transforming the Jewish Vote, One Community at a Time! Maury Litwack, founder and CEO of the OU's Teach Coalition, has redefined Jewish voter engagement. In an interview with author Jacob Kornbluh featured on the cover of City & State, Maury explained how his strategic efforts led to a record turnout in Westchester, in the critical Bowman v. Latimer election. “Antisemitism is an existential threat, and the community views their ability to vote as a priority,” he emphasized. “We’re not just turning out voters; we’re empowering a community to protect itself,” he added.    Maury's vision and passion is reshaping Jewish advocacy efforts nationwide, and American politics, at large. His voter engagement strategies are expanding across communities, showing that every vote can be a powerful tool against hate. But his work goes beyond elections. Teach Coalition advocates for increased security funding and educational resources for non-public schools, which greatly benefits our Jewish communities.    To read more about Maury’s impact, click on link in comments.

The Archbishop encourages all priests and parishes to stand with us in solidarity on Tisha B’Av. 👉🏼 Recently, our EVP Rabbi Hauer had the opportunity to meet with Archbishop Broglio, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, who clearly communicated his understanding of the challenges that we, as Jews, are experiencing during this time. On Friday, Rabbi Hauer received word that Archbishop Broglio shared with the Bishops of the United States to make them aware of the forthcoming Jewish observance of Tisha B’Av, “a day of mourning, fasting, and prayer in remembrance of the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, as well as of other pogroms and persecutions experienced by the Jewish community in their history.” The Archbishop noted that this year’s commemoration takes place ten months after the horrific attack by Hamas on October 7th and he encouraged priests and parishes to include a special prayer in the Universal Prayer at Mass this past Sunday, August 11. Although it often feels like we are fighting antisemitism solo, it is heartening to know that we are not alone. Slide 👉🏼 to see the sample prayer that they included.

"Despite Shapiro losing the VP nomination, his presence on the national stage as a proud Jew remains a source of light and faith." Read EVP Rabbi Moshe Hauer's OpEd in the Jerusalem Post on how Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s “veepstakes” loss was also a victory.  Link in comments

📢 Last month of summer, check out the August open roles at the Orthodox Union📢 See something that interests you? Let's set up a time to talk. Reach out to me at [email protected] or DM me here. I'll post our career site in the comments to see full job descriptions and salaries for the below-mentioned roles. 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 & 𝐄𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 🕍: ⚪Denver NCSY City Director (NCSY) - Denver ⚪NCSY Atlanta City Director (NCSY) - Atlanta ⚪Assitant Teachers and Paras (Yachad - IVDU) - Brooklyn, In-person ⚪Program Director (Yachad) - Boston, MA, Hybrid 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐋👨💼 👩💼 : ⚪Florida Regional Director (Yachad) FL, Hybrid ⚪NY Regional Director (Yachad) – NY, Hybrid 𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋👩⚕️: 🔵Day Hab Program Assistant (Yachad) – Brooklyn, NY, In-person 🔵Direct Support Professional (Yachad) – Brooklyn, NY, In-person 𝐅𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓💸: ⚪ Maryland Director (Teach Coalition) - MD, Hybrid ⚪ Greater New York City Director (Teach Coalition) - NYC, Hybrid ⚪ Mid-Atlantic Director (Teach Coalition) - PA or MD, Hybrid ⚪ Director of Sephardic Engagement (Teach Coalition) - NYC, Hybrid ⚪ Boca Raton and Palm Beach County Director (Teach Coalition) - FL, Hybrid ⚪ Yachad Chicago Director of Development (Yachad) - Chicago, Hybrid ⚪ Teach Director of Development (Teach Coalition) - NYC, Hybrid

Infuse Your Tisha B'Av with Meaning. Join us on Tisha B’Av for a day of meaningful and inspiring programming, featuring kinot with renowned speakers, on demand programs, including Holding on to Faith - Sharing hope Amidst Heartache, B’Yachad Lanetzach- Memorializing IDF’s Fallen Heroes, and NCSY’s kumzits of the world live from the kotel. Sign up for updates and more information: Link in comments

Our EVP Rabbi Moshe Hauer and Executive Director of OU Advocacy Nathan Diament weigh in with the The New York Times on Kamala Harris’ choice of Tim Walz over Josh Shapiro for VP. Article link in comments. Weisman Jonathan

At the Orthodox Union, we don’t give 100%.    We give 110%. Or in this case, 110 professional development opportunities.   Have you ever heard the phrase BHAG? It stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goal, a term from the book Built to Last by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras.   We recently sat down with Shai Kopitnikoff, our Assistant Director of Talent Development, who shared his BHAG for the past year: Creating 100 professional development sessions on topics related to employee development, productivity, and best practices for thriving organizations to help team members learn and grow in their careers.    Here’s what he had to say: As the driving force behind the goal-setting process at the OU, I knew I needed to go BIG with my own goals. Honestly, I didn’t know if this particular goal would be successful or even possible, but it really propelled us to take our professional development to the next level.   We elevated this goal further by building a website where employees can access these trainings and sign up for future sessions. What’s that phrase? Success breeds success. The more trainings we put out there, the more requests for specific training sessions we received.    So, what’s Shai’s BHAG for the year to come?    Goals aren’t due just yet, but our focus this year is on internal mobility. Talent development isn’t just about gathering knowledge or attending a training. It’s about taking proactive steps towards growth, advancement, and personal fulfillment in your career.   What’s next? Stay tuned to find out how Shai and our HR team will continue to push boundaries and create even more opportunities for growth here at the OU. If you participated in any of the 110 trainings, share your thoughts with us in the comments. 

300 days. 300 days of innocent people, men and women, babies and the elderly, held hostage by a monstrous enemy. 300 days during which loving mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, spouses, close friends, and relatives live every moment with unimaginable questions: is my loved one alive or dead, whole or wounded, healthy or ill? When was the last time they saw sunlight, inhaled fresh air, had a meal? Will they return? Will they ever recover from the trauma of captivity? 300 days of soldiers on the front lines, fighting a monstrous enemy. 300 days during which they have placed their own lives on hold to fight for their nation, for us. 300 days away from home and family, from education and career, from calm and income. 300 days during which loving mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, spouses, close friends, and relatives live every moment with unimaginable questions: is my loved one alive or dead, whole or wounded? Will they return? Will they ever recover from the trauma of this horrible war? 300 days of tens of thousands of families forced from their homes, compelled to abandon their communities by the terrorizing attacks and rocket fire from north and south. 300 days of disrupted income and education, of life suspended, removed from the privacy and intimacy of the family home and from the connection and support of neighborhood and community. 300 days during which parents and children constantly ask themselves if they will ever be able to return to those homes and communities, if they will ever feel safe there again. 300 days. We must not just take note and move on.  Link to Rabbi Hauer’s full message in the comments.