Like all movements, Orthodoxy has its right, center, and left wings. These are reflected in the rise of new yeshivot for training rabbis, a multiplicity of rabbi-serving organizations, and resource organizations such as Edah. The present is a period of great creativity and ferment; the changes that abound across the spectrum of Jewish practice are seen here as well. As an Orthodox congregation defines itself, it will find the resources needed to help it flourish.

Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America

Founded 100 years ago as the primary coordinating agency for North American Orthodox Jewish Congregations, Orthodox Union provides educational, outreach, and social services in a variety of arenas: kosher supervision (through the Kashruth Department), youth work (through the National Conference of Synagogue Youth), advocacy for those with developmental disabilities (through the National Jewish Council for the Disabled), political action (through the Institute for Public Affairs), ethical and moral education (through the Pardes Project), Jewish outreach in the Ukraine and Israel (through Project Reunite and the OU Israel Center), synagogue support services, and its extensive Web site. On the Web site one can find a local synagogue; learn about Judaism, Torah, and Jewish holidays; and place a note in the Western Wall. In addition, the Web site features a publications page, through which one can order books and tapes. Leaders and members of Orthodox Jewish congregations and those wanting to learn more about Orthodox Judaism will find much information and support through this organization and its Web site. Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersch Weinreb is Executive Vice President.

Aish HaTorah

Aish HaTorah has its headquarters in Israel but maintains branches in numerous U.S. cities. The organization concentrates on adult learning, focusing on immersing students with little or no Jewish background in a traditional Jewish education.

Edah

The mission of Edah is to give voice to the ideology and values of modern Orthodoxy and to educate and empower the community to address its concerns. Fully committed to Torah, halakah (Jewish law), and the quest for kedushah (holiness), Edah values open intellectual inquiry and expression in both secular and religious arenas; engagement with the social, political, and technological realities of the modern world; the religious significance of the State of Israel, and the unity of Klal Yisrael. Edah is a relatively new organization and has claimed the high ground for modern Orthodoxy in its engagement with the rest of the Jewish world as well as with the secular community.

Joseph Soloveitchik Institute

The institute’s teacher training program is intended for young men and women who have made a commitment to day school education. The program represents an effort to provide these students with the support and education necessary to help them find fulfillment in this field. The Soloveitchik Institute also sponsors summer and year-long Professional Enhancement Sabbatical Programs for young rabbis, educators, and outreach professionals who have already distinguished themselves in their own schools and communities.

National Council of Young Israel

Located in lower Manhattan, NCYI is the coordinating body for nearly 150 Orthodox congregations in North America. The council, which is expanding its services, works mostly with rabbis and does some congregational consulting. Much like the Orthodox Union, NCYI offers synagogue support services and rabbinic placement. The summer program for teenagers in Israel, ACHVA, is run by Roger Braverman.

National Jewish Outreach Program

The National Jewish Outreach Program seeks to re-engage Jewish adults in their religion. It sponsors such programs as a yearly Shabbat Across America and intensive Hebrew teaching seminars (Read Hebrew America/Canada) for adults.

The Rabbinic Council of America

Serving over 1100 Orthodox rabbis internationally, the RCA offers a full range of services to rabbis serving as chaplains, administrators, educators, and congregational rabbis, as well as in allied fields of Jewish communal work.

Yeshiva University

Internationally famous for its Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, YU is also the premier training ground for mainstream Orthodox rabbis in North America. Founded in 1886, its graduate programs include social and communal service and cantorial studies.