Rabbi Yaakov Glasser addressing Synagogue Executive Directors
at the annual conference
COMMUNAL ENGAGEMENT
PARTNERSHIPS THAT
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
While the rewards are priceless, living an observant lifestyle can be costly. Many community members need help understanding how to manage their money and plan wisely for the future. Living Smarter Jewish (LSJ) provides expert advice, informative content and personalized coaching — for free. In 2024 alone, LSJ helped more than 3,000 clients.
Our resources include introductory and advanced high school financial curriculums, a sophisticated website that features an array of relevant content, active social media accounts and — coming soon — a monthly newsletter.
Ashiva addresses the oft-overlooked needs of singles, divorcees, widows and widowers in the family-oriented Orthodox community. This new program is the next generation of several previous OU initiatives that successfully served this demographic: meetings of national leaders to discuss the challenges facing divorcees; marketing campaigns that encouraged families to host those who are alone for Shabbat and Yom Tov meals; and a traveling panel that explored the experiences of single men and women, and more.
These projects now coalesce in Ashiva, whose mission is to foster collaboration among local and national organizations to ensure singles, divorcees, widows and widowers receive the support they need and friendships they deserve.
We began OU Relief Missions in 2005, offering service-learning, globe-spanning trips to Jewish teens. The purpose? To support communities struck by disaster while deepening participants’ appreciation for essential Jewish values: chesed, tzedakah, tikkun olam.
Since Relief Mission's inception, we have conducted 275 expeditions in more than 20 locations. Notable iterations include a young professionals’ trip to India, excursions to help Jewish orphans in Romania and numerous relief missions to Israel.
We recently extended our outreach both geographically and demographically, establishing new domestic and international destinations and broadening our participant base to include college students, community leaders, shul members and retirees. Last year alone, OU Relief Missions hosted more than 1,000 individuals. The work is drawing attention: Outside disaster relief groups now come to us for advice and assistance, and Jewish organizations around the world seek our help in running programs that make an impact.
More than 2,600 people — singles, young couples, families, empty nesters — participated in the OU’s biennial home relocation fair in March. Participants had the opportunity to visit virtual booths showcasing more than 60 Orthodox communities in 23 U.S. states and Canadian provinces and received detailed information about a variety of options.
The Savitsky Home Relocation Fair has been renamed in honor of former OU President Stephen Savitsky and his wife Genie, who created the event in 2008. The program was coordinated by Rebbetzin Judi Steinig, OU senior director of community projects and partnerships. “We aim to highlight affordable geographic alternatives that offer the amenities for an Orthodox lifestyle and an enhanced quality of life,” she said.
Keeping Israel front and center, the fair also highlighted sponsors that help with aliyah, such as Nefesh B’Nefesh, CapitIL Realty and OU Israel.
The Savitsky Communal Growth Initiative also maintains a website — communities.ou.org — that highlights the amenities and Orthodox infrastructure in hundreds of communities.
We help parents bond with their children as they raise them to be committed Jews. Our in-person class, Guiding Good Choices, has been taught in Cincinnati, Houston, Boca Raton and Hollywood, Fla., and we’re currently scaling up in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and elsewhere.
In addition, our online courses, articles, podcasts and weekly emails provide parents with a trove of useful guidance.
Recognizing that retirees, empty nesters and seniors have distinct interests and needs, SPIRIT offers a full schedule of programming for older adults — activities, classes and trips to provide them with spiritual, educational, social and intellectual stimulation. For example, participants across the U.S. and dozens of other countries convene in hybrid and virtual sessions to cover topics such as aliyah after retirement, retirement-related financial issues, medical concerns and tips for navigating relationships. In a different but related vein, a unity mission to Israel this year combined volunteering, shiva calls and bikur cholim. In all this year, SPIRIT programs hosted more than 3,000 participants.
Our Halacha Initiatives effort has become a valuable resource for communities nationwide as they navigate the intricacies of observant life. Following the launch of the OU's Eruv Software — which inventories all the components and details of a community eruv and tracks issues and repairs in real time — and at our first City Eruv Conference, we found ourselves fielding questions such as:
• "Our eruv materials are cracking and need replacement. Can you recommend an eruv builder?”
• "Our HOA board has refused our request to build an eruv, citing legal reasons. Are there any lawyers who can help us through this?"
• "Our eruv is down because local transit workers accidentally removed it. We need government permissions. Can you help connect us to local authorities?”
The OU has also begun certifying mezuzahs for consumers who want to be sure to fulfill the mitzvah properly. Mezuzahs with an "OU" are now available at select Judaica stores and online at kosherstam. com.
