Orthodox Union facts for kids

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Orthodox Union
תורה ומצוות
Current logo
Abbreviation	OU
Formation	1898; 127 years ago (1898)
Founder	Henry Pereira Mendes
Headquarters	New York City, US
President	Mitchel R. Aeder
Chairman	Yehuda Neuberger
Affiliations	Orthodox Judaism
Formerly called	Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America

The Orthodox Union (often called OU) is one of the biggest Orthodox Jewish groups in the United States. It started in 1898. The OU helps many synagogues and runs programs for young people, like the NCSY. It also supports programs for people with disabilities and helps Jewish communities around the world, including in Israel.

A big part of what the OU does is its kosher certification service. You might have seen its special symbol, a circled-U Error using : Input "24CA" is not a hexadecimal value., on food labels. This symbol means the food follows Jewish dietary laws. Synagogues and their rabbis linked with the OU usually follow Modern Orthodox Judaism.

History
- How the OU Started
- Growing and Helping
Activities
See also

History

How the OU Started

The Orthodox Union began in 1898. It was first called the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. Rabbi Henry Pereira Mendes helped create it. The first members were mostly modern, educated Orthodox rabbis and leaders. They wanted to support Orthodox synagogues and Jewish life.

For many years, the OU worked closely with Yeshiva University. This university helped train American rabbis who spoke English. These rabbis then led OU synagogues. Some other Orthodox rabbis thought the OU was too "modern." So, they formed their own groups.

Still, the idea of a national Orthodox group grew strong. The OU became known as a main voice for American Orthodox Jews. By 1919, 150 Orthodox synagogues were part of the OU. They had about 50,000 members.

Growing and Helping

After 1924, the OU started to get involved in bigger issues. Rabbi Herbert S. Goldstein became president. Under his leadership, the OU worked to protect Jewish practices. For example, they pushed for a five-day workweek. This helped people observe the Shabbat (Sabbath). They also defended the right to kosher slaughter. The OU also helped Jewish soldiers and Jews in Europe.

Kosher Food Certification

In the 1920s, the OU started its kashrut (kosher) division. This made kosher supervision available to more people. In 1923, H. J. Heinz Company's vegetarian beans became the first product to get OU kosher approval. Heinz didn't want to upset non-Jewish customers. So, the OU agreed to use just the "OU" symbol instead of the word "kosher."

A chemist named Abraham Goldstein helped the OU's kosher program. He used his science knowledge to check if products were kosher. Later, Rabbi Alexander S. Rosenberg helped make the OU's kosher supervision famous. He set up good standards for modern food factories. This made OU-certified kosher products widely available across the US by the 1950s.

By the mid-1930s, the OU's kosher division was very strong. It changed how kosher food was overseen. Before, individual rabbis often handled it as a business. The OU wanted to make kosher certification more widely available. This helped lower the cost for people who kept kosher.

Mid-Century Developments

The OU also created a Women's Branch in the 1920s. This group encouraged women's involvement in synagogues. They supported Jewish education for women and helped Yeshiva University.

The OU became more organized in 1939. Leo S. Hilsenrad became its first full-time director. In 1946, Saul Bernstein joined the staff. He started Jewish Life, a popular magazine for Orthodox Jews.

In the years after World War II, the OU and Yeshiva University often shared leaders. The OU grew even more after Moses I. Feuerstein became president in 1954. Many talented leaders helped the OU expand.

A big step was taken in 1959. Rabbi Pinchas Stolper became the director of the OU's youth group, the National Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY). NCSY helped thousands of Jewish high school students. Many of these students went to public schools. NCSY inspired them to become more involved in their Jewish faith. This led to a big spiritual re-awakening among young Jews after the 1967 Six-Day War.

Since the mid-1970s, women have been on the OU's board of directors. By the late 20th century, most OU synagogues were led by rabbis trained at Yeshiva University. These rabbis followed Modern Orthodox ideas. Over time, the OU's general approach has become stricter in some ways. This shows a trend in American Orthodoxy.

The 21st Century

In recent years, the OU has seen new leaders. In 2014, for the first time, women were elected as national officers. They became vice presidents.

In 2017, the OU made a formal policy. It stated that religious leadership roles, like "rabbi," are only for men in its US synagogues. The OU also hosts important speakers at its events. For example, in 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke at an OU conference.

Activities

Working with Other Groups

For many years, the OU worked with the Rabbinical Council of America. They also worked with other Jewish groups in the Synagogue Council of America. This group included Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform movements. They worked together on many shared issues. The group stopped meeting in 1994. This was mainly because Orthodox groups disagreed with Reform Judaism's view on defining Jewishness.

Kosher Certification

Hechsher of the Orthodox Union

Expansion	Orthodox Union
Certifying agency	Kosher Division of Orthodox Union
Product category	Food products
Type of standard	Religious

The Orthodox Union's Kosher Division is the biggest kosher certification agency in the world. It is led by CEO Menachem Genack. As of 2023, it checks over 1.2 million products. These products come from 13,000 factories in 105 countries. About 200,000 of these products are found in the US.

The OU has many rabbinic field representatives. These are called mashgichim in Hebrew. They visit factories to make sure products follow Jewish law. They check both the ingredients and how the food is made.

National Conference of Synagogue Youth

The National Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY) is the OU's international youth group. It started in the 1950s. Under Rabbi Pinchas Stolper, NCSY became very successful. It reached out to Jewish teens who went to public schools. It inspired them to learn more about Orthodox Jewish traditions. Now, NCSY also includes many teens who already attend Jewish day schools.

Orthodox Union Advocacy Center

The OU Advocacy Center is the OU's public policy group. It works in Washington, D.C. and state capitals. Its job is to speak up for the Orthodox Jewish community. It talks to government leaders and the public. It promotes and protects the interests and values of the community.

Synagogue Affiliation

The OU requires its synagogues to follow Orthodox Jewish law and traditions. In these synagogues, men and women sit separately. They are almost always divided by a mechitza. This is a physical barrier between the men's and women's sections.

Many OU synagogues support Religious Zionism. This idea teaches that the country of State of Israel is important for the coming of the Messiah. It also believes all Jews will eventually return to live in Israel. The laws of Shabbat (the Sabbath) and kashrut (kosher food) are very important. People pray in Hebrew. They use the traditional siddur (prayer book) that has been used for centuries.

For many years, the most popular English prayer book in OU synagogues was Ha-Siddur Ha-Shalem. It was edited by Philip Birnbaum. More recently, the Artscroll siddur and the Koren Siddur are very popular. Similarly, the Pentateuch and Haftarahs by Rabbi Joseph H. Hertz was once the most common Hebrew-English Chumash (Torah text). Now, Artscroll Chumash is more widely used.

Yachad

Yachad: The National Jewish Council for Disabilities is a global organization. It helps Jews with disabilities. It makes sure they are included in all parts of Jewish life. Yachad wants to make sure people with different abilities have their rightful place in the Jewish community. It also helps educate and advocate for better understanding and acceptance of disabled people.