Participants gain resources, training, and support to navigate the unique responsibilities of synagogue operations
Behind the smooth functioning of every synagogue stands an administrator balancing countless details, expectations, and demands, engaged in tzarchei tzibbur that is deeply meaningful, even as it requires navigating pressures that often go unseen. Thanks to the Orthodox Union’s Pepa and Rabbi Joseph Karasick Department of Synagogue Initiatives, shul administrators can now find support and community through a new curriculum designed to cultivate excellence and leadership growth.
“Shuls are run by people with tremendous mesirut nefesh, focus, and passion,” says Synagogue Initiatives Director Rabbi Adir Posy, who also serves as the associate rabbi at Beth Jacob Congregation in Beverly Hills, California. “While they often have significant experience in business, volunteerism, or nonprofits, shuls are unique institutions, requiring their own playbooks. Synagogue Initiatives aims to help shuls thrive, by providing resources, best practices, and leadership support and development.”
Launched in December, the new curriculum includes monthly, daylong regional conferences through June and will culminate in a three-day National Shul Professionals Conference in Baltimore in November 2026. About 250 shul professionals are expected to benefit from the yearlong program. Each regional conference spotlights a core theme relevant to shul administrators, while also creating a forum to network and grow professionally. Topics include time management, event planning, leveraging technology, and financial planning, among others.
The conferences are being hosted in major cities with significant numbers of shuls — New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Florida, Los Angeles, and Toronto — to enable wide participation from synagogues with different budgets. For those unable to attend in person, all sessions are recorded and accessible online.
“Being able to benefit from professional development in your own city, without having to fly or worry about accommodations, opens the door for more shuls to participate regardless of their budget,” says Synagogue Initiatives Operations Coordinator Rebecca Levy.
“A big part of these conferences is the valuable networking opportunities between sessions,” says Rabbi Posy. Levy adds, “Beyond practical skills and scalable resources, the programming offers a sense of community.”
The feeling of being among peers was especially impactful for Esther Frankel, the director of Administration at Congregation Beth Jacob, which counts about 600 member units. In partnership with the Rabbinical Council of California, Beth Jacob hosted this month’s regional conference, entitled “Human Resources in Today’s Shul.”
“I really appreciated being in a room with other professionals who completely understand the work that we do — with all its amazing perks, but also its difficult and stressful aspects,” Frankel says. “It really makes one feel supported.”
The conference explored nurturing a culture of volunteerism, as well as various aspects of human resources, including halachot, legalities, and effective communication. Presenters included Chicago Rabbinical Council Av Bet Din Rabbi Yona Reiss, attorney Jeremy Mittman, a specialist in labor and employment law, OU Assistant Director of Human Resources Rachel Joffe, and Rabbi Aryeh and Sharon Kaplan, co-directors of the JLIC community at UCLA.
Among the conference highlights for Frankel was Rabbi Reiss’ session on the halachic guidelines of HR and learning practical ways to recognize and thank volunteers to advance a shul’s culture of volunteerism. She also appreciated a session that presented strategies for having clear and courageous conversations in difficult situations. Frankel is looking forward to attending future sessions.
Elissa Yurowitz also appreciated the chance to connect with peers at the December regional conference at OU headquarters in New York. Yurowitz is the executive director of Congregation Rinat Yisrael in Teaneck, New Jersey, which has 4 15 full member units and 190 affiliate member units.
“Connecting with colleagues is as important as the content of the sessions,” she says. “It is there you get to brainstorm and learn. Building these relationships is critical to developing a sense of camaraderie and support. Often the job can feel solitary, but with colleagues just a text away, you are never alone.”
Steven Myers also attended the December session. As the Executive Director of the Young Israel of Woodmere (YIW) — one of the largest Orthodox synagogues in the U.S. with 1,200 member families — Myers appreciates the valuable insights and takeaways he gains from Synagogue Initiatives programming. He says the latest conference he attended was no exception.
Reflecting on the curriculum’s impact, Myers is grateful to the OU for its ongoing commitment to shul administrators and the strength of synagogue life.
“It is clear how much time, effort, and resources the OU invests in supporting shul administrators,” he says. “The organization recognizes how critical the role is to the success and stability of our shuls, and their commitment to continually improving these programs is deeply appreciated.”
About the Department of Synagogue Initiatives
The Pepa & Joseph Karasik Department of Synagogue Initiatives aims to elevate the level of spiritual connection in the Jewish people by supporting the shul as a core institution of the community. The department works to empower rabbis and shul leaders by providing them access to experts, best practices and one another.
About the Orthodox Union
Founded in 1898, the Orthodox Union (OU), or Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, serves as the voice of American Orthodox Jewry, with over 400 congregations in its synagogue network. As the umbrella organization for American Orthodox Jewry, the OU is at the forefront of advocacy work on both state and federal levels, outreach to Jewish teens and young professionals through NCSY, Israel Free Spirit Birthright, Yachad and OU Press, among many other divisions and programs.