OU Blogs

Meet yOUr Colleagues – Jim Moore

Rabbi Steve Burg — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:08:11 +0000

In our continuing feature, we present a series of interviews between OU Managing Director Rabbi Steven Burg and members of the OU staff. This week, we present the following discussion between Rabbi Burg and our Director of Security, Jim Moore.

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Meet yOUr Colleagues – Rabbi Chaim Goldberg

Rabbi Steve Burg — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:41:26 +0000

In our continuing feature, we present a series of interviews between OU Managing Director Rabbi Steven Burg and members of the OU staff. This week, we present the following discussion between Rabbi Burg and the OU’s resident fish expert, Rabbi … Continued Download Audio

Meet yOUr Colleagues – Scott Shulman

Rabbi Steve Burg — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:33:37 +0000

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Meet yOUr Colleagues – Stephen Steiner

Rabbi Steve Burg — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:32:35 +0000

In our continuing feature, we present a series of interviews between OU Managing Director Rabbi Steven Burg and members of the OU staff. This week, we present the following discussion between Rabbi Burg and Stephen Steiner, Director of Public Relations … Continued Download Audio

West Coast’s City NCSY began an initiative called GTS (Go To Shul)

Rabbi Steven Weil — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:14:31 +0000

After Succos, West Coast’s City NCSY began an initiative called GTS (Go To Shul). Their idea was to take high school students to Cedars Sinai Medical Center once a month to run the Shabbos morning services for patients and their visitors. Together with Rabbi Jason Weiner, Senior Rabbi and Manager of Spiritual Care at Cedars Sinai, they have successfully brought this program to fruition, providing a minyan for those in need and bringing shul to the sick. Yasher koach to all involved in this tremendous act of chesed!

Batya Jacob, Director of NAJSSSCran a sensitivity workshop in Torah Day School in Atlanta, GA

Rabbi Steven Weil — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:08:51 +0000

Batya Jacob, Director of NAJSSSC (The National Association of Jewish Schools Serving Special Children, a division of Yachad) ran a sensitivity workshop in Torah Day School in Atlanta, GA, showing participants what it is like to have certain disabilities. One parent wrote:

My 6th grader informed me that Mrs. Jacob from Yachad visited her class. She organized activities to demonstrate how individuals with different disabilities like autism, dyslexia and speech or motor problems experience the world. What an incredible experience for the students to be given the gift of developing sensitivities to students who may have these problems in their classrooms, to have an opportunity to ‘walk in their shoes.’ I am impressed that Torah Day School of Atlanta is connected to Yachad and thought to bring one of their programs to our students. Thank you so much for this experience.”

Our thanks go to Batya and to all of NJCD/Yachad for the exemplary work they do every day!

Guess what time of year it is?

Rabbi Dave Felsenthal — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:58:57 +0000

Guess what time of year it is? No it’s not Yeshiva winter break or the end of the round of Birthright or even Tu B’shvat. It’s time for the annual Ben Zakkai scholarship reception this Sunday 5pm at the Bohemian Hall in Manhattan http://www.ou.org/bzdinner !

For those who can’t make it, we will be inaugurating the Rav Ahron and Rebbitzen Ella Soloveichik Memorial Award in appreciation of their historic contributions to NCSY and all Jewish youth. A special thank you to Dr. Rivkah and Rabbi Yesef Blau, Dr. Judy and Rabbi Jack Rajchenbach, Harriet and Barry Ray and Dr. Laurie and Rabbi Milt Wakschlag for leading the way in this and many other wonderful projects.

Sometimes I look at the all time great athletes and wonder if they had it easy or had to earn their success. Usually upon investigation you learn there were many more failures than successes along the way but they just kept the ball in play practice after practice, game after game and season after season. Our chairs Vivian and David Luchins have once again pulled off a tremendous success through an amazing amount of daily personal effort and when you look at all the years of dedicated and consistent work on behalf of our NCSY’ers our sincere gratitude cannot possibly begin to measure up to the reality. Congratulations to both of you and the events lead professional Elaine Grossman on another tremendous success.

How ironic is it that the first time I met Rabbi Shimon Kurland was through a David Luchins introduction. I am forever grateful that the two of them invested in my future over 20 years ago and I hope they are happy with the return! Mazal Tov Sheri and Rabbi Shimon Kurland on a well deserved honor, the Ezra Ben-Zion Lightman award.

Mazal Tov to Marilyn (Rabhan) Swedarsky on receiving the Enid and Harold H. Boxer Memorial Award. They say that if you really want to see a persons accomplishments look at their children and I am a huge fan.

Mazal Tov to Rabbi Shraga Gross. This is a well deserved recognition of your leadership role with two different Chapter of the Years in the 70’s in two different regions and continuing that leadership to thousands of Jewish kids through RPRY.

Mazal Tov to Judy (Kunofsky) Rieser. Judy and I have worked behind the scenes on many very successful NCSY joint projects with Touro. Even though she was not officially my student, since her husband Elan was one of my student leaders way back at Cooper Union I feel a special nachas at this well deserved award.

Mazal Tov to my colleagues Nechama and Jon Ackerman, Todd Cohn and Marc Fein. We have been in the trenches together and you all represent the best and the brightest of todays NCSY leadership.

Acharon Acharon Chaviv, each Ben Zakkai member represents thousands of alumni as their former leader and friend. We need your continued help reaching out to the NCSY’ers from your circle of influence and reconnecting them through NCSY Alumni to take a role in the Jewish Future through NCSY. Thank you to all of you for showing your support in the past, tonight and in the future.

Have an Awesome Shabbat,

Rabbi Dave Felsenthal

OU Community Weekend in Florida, February 3-5

Rabbi Steven Weil — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:57:41 +0000

OU Community Weekend in Florida, coming up on Parshat Beshalach, February 3-5. In this exciting event, nine OU representatives will be presenting at ten synagogues in seven communities. Scholars-in-residence include Rav Hershel Schachter, Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, Rabbi Steven Burg, Charlie Harary, Rabbi Avi Berman, Rabbi Jonathan Gross, Rabbi David Felsenthal and Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin.

In addition to the Shabbos programming, Rabbi Berman will address “Will the Jewish State Stay Jewish?” on Thursday night at Congregation Torah Ohr in Boca Raton. On Sunday, Rabbi Schachter will speak on “Segulas, Superstition and the Ayin Hara” at the Boca Raton Synagogue, while OU Kosher will present an ASK OU event featuring Rabbi Yosef Grossman, Rabbi Chaim Loike and Rabbi Dovid Jenkins at the Young Israel of Hollywood. Finally, on Tuesday, February 7, the OU Job Board will present their first Florida job fair, also at the Young Israel of Hollywood.

For more information, contact the Department of Synagogue Services at 212-613-8155.

YouthCon Video Shared by NCSY Alumni

Rabbi Steven Weil — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:52:16 +0000

NCSY Alumni has shared a video taken at YouthCon entitled “Spirituality: The Missing Ingredient,” presented by Charlie Harary. You can enjoy it here.

There is an Eruv in Omaha

Rabbi Steven Weil — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:49:35 +0000

Rabbi Jonathan Gross of the Beth Israel Synagogue, an OU-member shul in Omaha, wrote about his experiences in building the community’s eruv. This project was high on his agenda since he arrived in Omaha seven years ago and it is no small undertaking. An eruv is essential for a community to attract young families, as without one, strollers cannot be pushed to shul or to friends’ houses for meals. The eruv is now complete! (OU Executive Vice President Emeritus Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb is expected to attend the dedication.) You can read the story in Rabbi Gross’ blog here.