Orthodox Union

For many teens, Shavuot night is a highlight of the Jewish calendar — an all-night experience of engaging shiurim, discussions, and communal Torah learning. But once yom tov ends, that excitement can be hard to sustain. Here are five ideas for inspiring teens to continue their Torah learning well beyond the holiday: ou.org/beyond-shavuot…

No house of worship should be unsafe w/ parishioners & schoolchildren subjected to threats. Freedom of worship must come w/ freedom from fear. We @OUAdvocacy condemn this attack and call for govt to do more to roll back hate & protect the faithful in the USA.

We're deeply disappointed by Mayor Mamdani’s decision to veto Intro 175, legislation that would require clear safety plans around schools. Our statement with @JCRCNY, @ADL_NYNJ, @AJCGlobal, @OrthodoxUnion, @Teach_NYS, @RabbiAssembly, @StandWithUs, @Conf_of_Pres & @URJorg.

A historic gift. A lasting impact. Through the largest gift in Orthodox Union history, the Katz family is helping expand JLIC programs at Tel Aviv University and Bar-Ilan University—supporting students, strengthening Jewish life on campus, and carrying forward the legacy of Mordecai D. Katz, z”l for generations to come. Read more in @eJPhil: ejewishphilanthropy.com/ou-to-expand-j…

Today, we pause. To remember the courage. To honor the sacrifice. To carry forward the legacy. May the memory of Israel’s fallen soldiers never fade from our hearts and minds.

Those who live in Israel sacrifice daily for the dream of Jewish Peoplehood. We, who do not yet live there, have a greater obligation to demonstrate that nothing, not ideology or geographical distance, can hold us apart. Let us double our efforts to not only feel that connection but to demonstrate it to our beloved other half in every way we can. Let us send our chizuk from one side of the ocean to the other and let us all nitchazek. Let us echo the true mother’s calling.

“Do American Jews really care?” This is a question that has haunted us over the past two months. No one questioned American Jewry’s commitment and concern for our brothers and sisters in Israel after October 7th. We rallied, marched, packed bags, went on missions, and sent more money than ever to causes big and small; the Israeli slogan “b’yachad nenatzei’ach, together we will overcome,” resonated fiercely across the Atlantic. But on February 28th, when the war with Iran resumed, the call for unity was barely heard. While we ran around delivering Mishloach Manot, our brothers and sisters ran into their safe rooms. While we scrambled to get our teenage children to safety outside of Israel, our brothers and sisters were sending their teenage children into war. While we made Pesach plans around proximity to kosher food, our brothers and sisters made Pesach plans around proximity to bomb shelters. When the OU launched a pre-Pesach campaign to support those who were affected by the war, the response was not the same as it was after October 7th. Yes, we resumed our recital of Tehillim, but if I am being honest with myself, my kavannah was lacking. I don’t think it was just me. More embarrassingly, this question is not just in my head, it’s been posed to me by my friends in Israel. They too have noticed the muted response on social media, they too have observed how distracted we seem to be. They are starting to wonder if we really are our brother’s keeper. In Orot, Rav Kook invokes the famous tale of King Shlomo and the baby fought over by two mothers. One wholeheartedly agrees with his suggestion to split the child and the other loudly protests, willing to give up her motherhood to save the child. Rav Kook sees in this story a long-standing debate within the Jewish world. There is one view that is comfortable with splitting the nation. Be it on ideological grounds or geographic, they feel that there are differences that cannot be bridged and in order to survive, we may sometimes have to go our own way. The other view does not resolve the tension, it acknowledges that there are insurmountable differences, and yet is willing to forego those differences, even with grave results, for the sake of keeping the nation together. “She is the true mother!”, proclaimed Shlomo Hamelech. The one who recognizes that the essence of our nation is found in the unity of our nation, and our togetherness must be maintained at all costs, she can rightfully lay claim on Am Yisrael. On Yom Ha’atzmaut tomorrow evening, the people of Israel will celebrate how this small plot of land has turned into a flourishing country, housing the majority of Jews, with a thriving economy and military dominance, and the source of unprecedented Talmud Torah. Naturally, we will join them in celebration. But this evening on Yom Hazikaron, the State of Israel will come to a grinding halt. Every man, woman, and child, will pause to remember loved ones who gave up their lives for this dream of peoplehood. We may not have sirens, but the blood of our brother calls out to us. Can we pause and reflect on these heroes? Can we carve a moment out of our very different American reality to acknowledge the sacrifice of these brave men and women? It is not just this week of ‘Yoms’ that demands our attention. When was the last time I reached out to friends and family letting them know that I was thinking of them? One friend downloaded the app that lets him know when there is a siren alerting an incoming missile attack. Another friend told me how he sent a short text check-in message to everyone he knew in Israel over Pesach - including a WhatsApp to his last taxi driver. These small gestures made a deep impact. We all feel that sense of unity, but it behooves us to express it in actions, demonstrating our nesiat ol with our brothers and sisters.

Six million lives stolen — each one a name, a face, a story that deserved a future. The pain of their loss echoes through generations. We remember them not as numbers, but as worlds lost. We carry their memories forward and we refuse to let the world forget. #YomHaShoah

What does it take to build a school where every student is truly seen—and set up to succeed? Rabbi Michoel Druin, IVDU Head of Schools, joins our EVP & COO, Rabbi Dr. @joshjoseph00, on the Oh, You? Podcast to share his journey to @YachadNJCD and IVDU—and how he and his incredible team are creating an environment where students with learning and developmental disabilities are empowered to thrive. With the right tools, support, and belief in every child, students grow into independent, capable adults who navigate life with confidence. 💬 See how the right environment doesn’t just educate—it transforms lives. 🎧 Watch now 👉🏼 ou.org/ohyou

As those of us outside Israel prepare to celebrate Pesach, our thoughts and tefillot remain with our brothers and sisters in Israel. While we gather in our shuls and sit comfortably at our Sedarim, many of our family and friends may be moving in and out of bomb shelters. As we share Yom Tov meals with our families, please take a moment to reflect and express gratitude for our family in Israel, whose strength and sacrifice make it possible for us to have the gift of a Jewish homeland. May we all merit the ultimate redemption, with the coming of Mashiach, speedily in our days.

As antisemitism rises across the U.S., Jewish teens are asking difficult questions. In his recent @dcexaminer op-ed, our EVP and COO Rabbi Dr. @joshjoseph00 offers a powerful response rooted in Jewish history and the timeless lessons of Pesach, reminding us that the strongest response to hatred is to build deeper Jewish identity, strengthen our community, and bring more light into the world. Read the op-ed: #google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-amer…

We stand in solidarity with the London Jewish community in unequivocally condemning the terrorist arson attack that destroyed four lifesaving ambulances. We are deeply grateful that no one was physically harmed. Hatzola Northwest, which provides free emergency medical transport to all, exemplifies the very best of a Jewish community dedicated to caring for others. Targeting emergency medical services underscores the gravity – and depravity - of the threats we face, from Bondi Beach to Thornhill to West Bloomfield to Belgium to Golders Green. We call on political leaders and security authorities, and people of good faith, in all countries to unequivocally condemn this attack and to provide the means to protect Jewish institutions worldwide.

We @OUAdvocacy thank @ArchbishpSample @USCCB for this important & strong statement. In times such as these, people of good faith - of all faiths - must stand together.

Once again, a house of worship has been shattered by an act of violence intended to kill Jews. We are outraged and shaken by the attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Our prayers are with the security guard who was injured while protecting the community, and we pray for his full and speedy recovery. The swift actions of those on the scene helped prevent what could have been a far more tragic outcome. This incident is a stark and frightening reminder that Jewish institutions across the United States continue to face serious and persistent threats, and the escalating hateful rhetoric in the public discourse puts a target on the backs of all Jews. Enough is enough. The time has come for our elected officials and people of good conscience to stand up and demand action, including sufficient funding for security at Jewish institutions. We express gratitude to federal and local authorities and private security guards across the country for standing between us and those that intend to harm us. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Detroit Jewish community today.

Today, our EVP and COO, Rabbi Dr. @joshjoseph00, and Chief of Staff, Yoni Cohen, had the privilege of meeting with Ambassador @OfirAkunis, Consul General of Israel in New York, to strengthen our shared commitment to Israel and the values we stand for. Thank you, Ambassador Akunis, for the meaningful conversation and your leadership.

This one hits close to home. *Maayan, an active teen at our OU Teen Center, is in the hospital recovering from a direct ballistic missile strike on her home in Beit Shemesh. In one instant, she lost her mother, sister, and friends. When she recovers, our teen center will be there as her support system. She is one story of many of our teens who have been dealing with grief from recent attacks. Our teen centers are there to stand steady. To surround teens in crisis with trusted adults. With structure. With strength. With hope. Today, we are counting on you to help protect teens like Maayan across Israel. Please donate: ou.org/iranemergencyr… *Name has been changed for privacy.

We @OUAdvocacy continue to pray for the safety of the brave @usairforce @USNavy soldiers fighting Iranian tyranny. We mourn the loss of these valiant fighters and wish their families sincerest condolences.

Our hearts and prayers are with those who were murdered and injured in today’s attacks in Israel and their families. Please continue to daven for our brothers and sisters in Israel and for the safety of all of Am Yisrael.

Purim in Our Time: Standing up to Iranian Tyranny This week, Jews around the world will celebrate the holiday of Purim. We will read the Bible’s story of Esther and Mordechai overcoming the genocidal plans of Haman who sought to destroy the Jewish people. Today, in coordination with Prime Minister Netanyahu and the IDF, President Trump and the US Armed Forces took decisive action to silence a modern threat from the same ancestral land of Haman. For decades, Iran’s Islamic regime has sown death and destruction including the murder of American citizens, the murder of Jews and Israelis globally, and the murder of their own citizens who dare stand up for freedom. Iran’s insatiable aspirations to become a nuclear power cannot be tolerated and today’s action in eliminating the Ayatollah is an important step in ensuring it doesn’t happen. God bless President Trump. God bless the United States of America and its courageous military servicemen and women conducting this noble mission, may you all return home in peace. To the brave women and men of the IDF: We support you. We pray to the Almighty to keep you safe and aid you in prevailing over our enemies. May God protect the people and defenders of Israel. We call upon all members of our community to increase your tefillot in the coming days and hours and do all we can to support our brothers and sisters in Israel.