Orthodox Union (OU) executive vice president Rabbi Moshe Hauer passed away at his home during Simchat Torah at the age of 60 after suffering a heart attack, the OU reported Thursday.
A funeral service was held on Thursday morning in Baltimore, and the burial will take place on Friday at Har Hamenuhot Cemetery in Jerusalem, the OU said on Facebook.
“Rabbi Hauer was a true talmid chacham, a great teacher and lecturer, the voice of Torah to the Orthodox community and the voice of Orthodoxy to the entire world,” OU president Mitchel Aeder and senior vice president Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph said in the statement. “He was the embodiment of a Torah-true Jew and took nothing more seriously than his role in spreading the joy of Jewish life within our community and beyond.”
The OU described his leadership as defined by “boundless dedication, deep compassion, and a vision rooted in faith in God, inner integrity, and love of the Jewish people,” adding that “whether through his inspiring words, wise counsel, powerful activity, or quiet acts of kindness, Rabbi Hauer uplifted those around him and left a mark on every person he met.”
Hauer joined the OU in 2020 and served as the organization’s global chief executive since then, the statement said. Before joining the OU, he served for 26 years as senior rabbi of Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion in Baltimore, where he was active in communal leadership in many areas, with an emphasis on education, at-risk children, and Jewish social-welfare organizations.
OU Israel executive director Rabbi Avi Berman said: “With a pained heart and tearful eyes, I announce the passing of our teacher and rabbi, Rabbi Moshe Hauer, of blessed memory, the OU’s global chief executive, who devoted his life to the people of Israel and to expanding Torah in Jewish communities worldwide.”
Hauer had worked extensively in Israel with decision-makers, he said, “including the president of the state and government ministers, to advance the OU’s values by strengthening Israel’s Jewish identity and promoting unity among the Jewish people,” and he labored to “connect Diaspora Jewry with the Jews of Israel... We will continue in his path, in love of Torah, love of the people of Israel, and love of the Land of Israel.”
The OU said Hauer “was connected to many rabbis, leaders, and politicians in Israel and around the world,” and that he “knew how to bring everyone together and find common ground despite disagreements.”
Tributes to Hauer poured in from across the world, with fellow rabbis and political leaders offering their condolences and recalling the connection they shared with the man.
UK Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said Hauer’s passing came as a shock, and that it had been a privilege to engage with the American rabbi.
“A thoughtful talmid chacham and dedicated pastoral leader, he made the successful transition from local communal leadership to running a major Jewish organization look easy,” he wrote on X/Twitter.
Agudath Israel of America said Hauer’s death was an incalculable loss for the community, as he always sought to promote unity among world Jewry.
World Mizrachi said Hauer was a “gentle statesman of great stature and deep conviction” who “led with empathy, love and wisdom.”
American Jewish Congress CEO Ted Deutch said Hauer was “thoughtful and wise.”
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations CEO William Daroff said he was shattered by the passing of a “trusted advisor, cherished colleague, and wise counselor” who acted as a “bridge-builder.”
President Isaac Herzog offered his condolences to Hauer’s family.
“Each and every conversation I was privileged to have with him was so very meaningful and showed his warmth and kindness, and his unwavering love for Torah, Israel, Zionism, and the Jewish people,” he said.
Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer said Hauer was “one of the most extraordinary and inspiring figures I have ever met. I deeply admired his boundless love for the people of Israel.”
“Rabbi Hauer lived and breathed the pain of our people, the divisions, the anguish of the hostages, and our shared destiny,” he said. “A true leader, who through his faith and his deeds, built bridges between Diaspora Jewry and the State of Israel.”
Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli said Hauer had guided people with “wisdom, courage, and profound humility.”
“Nothing concerned Rabbi Moshe more than ensuring the Jewish education of Israel’s children, fostering a love for Torah, the Jewish people, and the Land of Israel,” he said. “It was a great privilege to work alongside him.”
Hauer's comments in the 'Post'
In recent opinion essays for The Jerusalem Post, Hauer argued that “fine and meaningful distinctions between opposition to Israeli policies and actions, anti-Zionism, and Jew-hatred are lost” in today’s discourse. He urged the community to “unmask” and confront distortions about Jews and Israel.
“As Jews, we should make sure our fellow Jews are safe before worrying about those who have fomented or acted with violence against them,” he wrote. He called on “Jews, Muslims, and Christians committed to Abraham’s legacy” to come together against terrorism.
In July, Hauer published an op-ed for the Post in which he spoke about the importance of the Abrahamic nations.
“Jews, Muslims, and Christians committed to Abraham’s legacy can and must come together to discard the sacrilegious methods and goals championed by the Iranian regime and its terrorist proxies, demand the immediate and unconditional release of the 50 remaining hostages in Gaza, and reaffirm Abraham’s commitment to life and loving kindness for all mankind,” Hauer wrote.
He concluded by saying it is “the only way to move from terror and violence to diplomacy and peace; to the true legacy of Abraham.”