November 22, 2000

NCSY Special Commission Statement
and OU Response

The NCSY Special Commission issued the following statement on November 21:

The Chairman of the Orthodox Union's NCSY Special Commission, Richard M. Joel, stated today: "The Special Commission has completed its investigation and has prepared its report to the President of the Orthodox Union. The report, which exceeds 325 pages, details our factual findings, conclusions and recommendations. The Special Commission has been waiting for the Orthodox Union to conclude certain administrative arrangements and to fulfill certain conditions that were established in July when the Special Commission was created. As soon as those arrangements are made and those conditions met, all of which are unrelated to the substance of the report, the Special Commission will deliver the report to the OU's President." 

"Other than the members of the Special Commission, no one at the OU has seen the report or had any input into its contents," Mr. Joel said. Two to three weeks after delivering the report to the OU, the Special Commission will release directly to the public a summary of its findings, conclusions and recommendations.

OU President Mandell I. Ganchrow, M.D., issued the following statement on the NCSY Special Commission on November 21:

"The OU is deeply grateful to the NCSY Special Commission for its tireless efforts over these past months on our behalf. The Commission members have conducted their investigation with integrity, despite the stress of public scrutiny. 

"When the OU convened the Special Commission in July, the Commission members outlined certain administrative requests. We have been working to meet these requests in the hope that the Report can be released as soon as possible."