Rabbi Hauer’s Unity Legacy

Rabbi Moshe Hauer and Israeli President Isaac Herzog
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I never thought I’d be talking about the former head of the OU - a man I have never met – a year after he died on the anniversary of his death. But in the case of the late Rabbi Moshe Hauer, who was the Executive Vice President of the OU, it’s hard not to.

That is in large part because of the outsized impact this humble giant had on just about the entirety of Klal Yisroel. From ultra-Chassidic Rebbes to BMG-type Roshei Yeshiva, from Charedi rabbinic leaders in Israel to Modern Orthodox rabbis, from Religious Zionist rabbis in Israel to the head of Reform Judaism. An impact that was all positive.

I don’t think there is any other individual who could have received the tributes he did from all those segments of the Jewish world. Those tributes came from the powerful as well as the common man, from colleagues who had one-on-one relationships with him that they thought were uniquely theirs, yet later discovered that he was the same with everyone he encountered. A man who spent valuable time with the downtrodden and forgotten even though he was often involved with the powerful and wealthy

This kind of care and dedication to all - regardless of station or how far removed from their religious perspective he was seems unimaginable. And yet that is who he was. Reading last week’s edition of Jonathan Rosenblum’s Mishpacha column reminded me why Rabbi Hauer was such a towering figure.

One of the things Jonathan pointed out was Rabbi Hauer’s desire for unity among the Jewish people, a desire I share. But as I noted recently, and on more than one occasion, the prospects of that happening are about as likely as my becoming president of the United States. We have grown too far apart factionally for any rapprochement to seem possible.

Imagine a meeting between American rabbinic leaders from both the Chassidic and Yeshiva camps and Religious Zionist rabbis in an effort to find common ground. A fool’s errand, one might surmise. But Rabbi Hauer was undeterred. His mission of unity among Klal Yisroel was not limited to mere words or wishful thinking, as mine often are. He acted on those ideals…

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