OU LAUNCHES NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR THE UNEMPLOYED; WELCOMES MICHAEL ROSNER TO HEAD JOB BOARD
After two years of considerable success in helping to place unemployed or underemployed members of the Jewish community in the New York area in meaningful jobs, the Orthodox Union has taken its expertise nationally, with the establishment of the OU Job Board initiative. The OU has hired former businessman Michael Rosner to direct the program.
Mr. Rosner brings over two decades of business acumen to help secure the financial future of Jewish men and women who are looking for employment or to go from part-time to full-time jobs.
For the past two years, ParnossahWorks.org, a partnership of the Orthodox Union and the FEGS Health and Human Services System has found jobs for more than 530 individuals, many of whom have been out of work for extended period of time and were in deep financial distress. The New York program functions through a highly sophisticated website, www.parnossahworks.org, hosted by FEGS and available as well as a link on the home page of the OU website, www.ou.org. The website offers a wide range of job categories backed up by a wealth of information on the job search process.
Behind the website at FEGS is a staff of employment professionals who evaluate and counsel each job applicant, providing pre-screening before the candidate is passed on to an employer. The OU and FEGS will continue their joint efforts in New York and work with Jewish organizations nationwide to share their expertise in job development with them.
The Jobs Program Goes National
Its great success in helping to find jobs in the New York area has given the Orthodox Union the expertise to expand its program nationwide. The OU has taken its place, not only as a religious organization, but as a major source of job search and recruitment in America.
In a relatively short period of time, through the Job Board, Mr. Rosner has secured more than 600 job listings, which allow applicants to contact human resource staff of various firms and institutions directly. He has expanded the employer network, which now ranges from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses and professional firms across the country.
The Job Board can be found on the OU website, www.ou.org.
“The OU Job Board website will soon have new and exciting features,” Mr. Rosner said. “These will include the ability to post a resume, search jobs by zip code, and many others. We’re also building partnerships with local community service organizations so that they will help job candidates in their search,” he added.
As a former businessman, Michael Rosner is fully aware of the meaning of the term, parnossah, which in both Yiddish and Hebrew means “earning a living.” For the past 23 years Mr. Rosner ran a successful business in which he traded consumer commodities with China and Europe.
His business enabled him to learn a vital skill, which he considers crucial for his new role — the art of communication. “By working with people from different cultures, I learned how to approach life in a totally different way. I am comfortable with people from all walks of life and Jewish paths,” Mr. Rosner said.
Mr. Rosner joined the OU staff to follow his desire to help those around him and thus to spread Torah this way. “I feel the kesher (connection) with people who are going through a hard time, and I am happy I can be of help to people in need,” he said.
“The Orthodox Union is much more than kosher certification,” Mr. Rosner declared, “It is a partner with communities and individuals in providing social services in a professional way.”
Job categories on ParnossahWorks and on the OU Job Board websites include: accounting/finance; administration/office; art/ media/design; business/management; customer service; education/teaching; human resources; information technology; legal/government, marketing/public relations/advertising/sales; medical/health care; miscellaneous; non-profit sector; retail/food/hospitality; and skilled trades/crafts.
Mr. Rosner attended Yeshiva Torah V’Da’at in Brooklyn, NY and earned his Bachelors degree in Business Administration and Judaic Studies from Brooklyn College. He currently resides on Staten Island with his wife Judy. He has two children and two grandchildren.
Parnossahworks.org is a trademark and the property of F.E.G.S Health and Human Services System.