On Sunday night, February 2, the leadership, staff and members of OU Israel, and many prominent supporters from across Israel, gathered to celebrate the OU Israel’s move to spacious new headquarters at 7 Hartum Street in the Har Hotzvim section of Jerusalem.
The event, entitled “Achdut V’Tzemicha” (Unity and Growth), featured a roster of respected community leaders who came out for the occasion. Ofer Hadad, a news anchor on Israeli television, served as master of ceremonies. A video prepared for the event by Israeli President Yitzchak Herzog was presented, in which he stated that “the OU has long asserted a strong presence in Israel,” and commended the organization for responding so constructively to “this moment of Hineni in Israel.”
Mitch Aeder, president of the Orthodox Union, recited the tefillah for the Medina (State of Israel). Stuart Hershkowitz, president of OU Israel, recited the tefillah for chayalei Tzahal. Rabbi Doron Perez, the head of World Mizrachi, recited the tefillah for the hostages.
Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph, executive vice president and COO of the Orthodox Union, offered greetings in Hebrew and English. His talk was followed by remarks by Esti Moskovitz, OU director of anglo engagement and programming in Israel; Rabbi Avi Berman, executive director, OU Israel; Moshe Lion, mayor of Jerusalem; and Alon David, mayor of Sderot.
The formal program concluded with a placement of mezuzah on the entrance to the office suite by Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Chief Rabbi of Tzfat, followed by an elaborate dessert reception and Maariv.
The move of the OU headquarters in Israel was prompted in part by the marked growth in their programming and services.
As Rabbi Dr. Avi Berman articulated in a recent column (November 29) in Torah Tidbits: “Based on feedback we received, construction, traffic and limited parking near our Keren Hayesod building have recently been limiting attendance. While the construction of new buildings in Yerushalayim is a tremendous bracha and illustrates the prophecies coming to fruition, we did not want it to limit Torah learning and the sense of community we strive to create.”
The new office suite at 7 Hartum Street provides office spaces for 50 staff, in contrast to the 22 seats in the offices on Keren Hayesod Street, and an event space that seats 70 people comfortably. The offices also include a podcast studio and a few larger offices that can accommodate small group meetings.
The acquisition of new headquarters is also part of a larger strategy by the OU to build its presence and programming in shuls and cities in Israel.
As Rabbi Berman explained in the November 29 column: “This move is being accompanied by a goal of offering expanded OU Israel shiurim and programs in multiple locations in Yerushalayim and beyond—bringing the OU programs you know and love directly to you! We are partnering with Beit Knesset Nitzanim in Baka, Beit Knesset HaNassi in Rechavia/Shaarei Chesed, Beit Knesset Shai Agnon in Arnona, Kehillat Hashivenu in Ramot and our new Har Hotzvim headquarters.
“In addition, OU Israel’s Women’s Division has a new Women’s Hub every Monday night at 2 Radak Street, Rechavia. Our monthly Women’s Rosh Chodesh Seminar is now taking place at the Yeshurun Central Synagogue, with the additional special feature of the shul’s musical Hallel with Ricka Razel and Sivan Rahav Meir. And this is only the beginning. We are already working on answering requests from so many of you all across Israel to come to your communities.”
Rebbetzin Dr. Adina Shmidman, director of the OU Women’s Initiative, told The Jewish Link: “Tonight’s event was so uplifting—to join together to celebrate this next stage of OU Israel. I recall being in the Strauss location as a young adult and then on Keren HaYesod, both as OU staff and celebrating our son’s aufruf there. To see this next stage unfold in the Har Hotzvim location was both personally and professionally meaningful. I felt like a close cousin at the family simcha—celebrating the joy of this wonderful life-cycle event.”
For more information on the growing range of programs and services of OU Israel, please see their website www.ouisrael.org or call their headquarters at 02-560-9100. You can visit their social media pages at youtube.com/@theouisrael and instagram.com/theouisrael
Harry Glazer is the Middlesex County editor of The Jewish Link. He can be reached at [email protected] and he welcomes reader feedback. He thanks Jeffrey Korbman and Laya Bejell for all their help with this story.
