Steven Weil
Encyclopedia
Biography
Steven Weil grew up on a cattle farm in upstate New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He attended Ohr Torah High School and Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh
Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh
Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh is a major yeshiva in Israel near the city of Ashdod and adjacent to Kvutzat Yavne.-History & Ideology:Founded in 1953, Kerem BeYavneh was the first Yeshivat Hesder. The first Rosh Yeshiva of Kerem B'Yavneh was the renowned scholar Rabbi Chaim Yaakov Goldvicht...
in Israel and Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University is a private university in New York City, with six campuses in New York and one in Israel. Founded in 1886, it is a research university ranked as 45th in the US among national universities by U.S. News & World Report in 2012...
in New York. He was ordained at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary
Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary
Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary , or Yeshivat Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan, is the rabbinical seminary of Yeshiva University, located in Washington Heights, New York. It is named after Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor, who died the year it was founded, 1896...
and earned a Masters in Business Administration from New York University Stern School of Business
New York University Stern School of Business
The Leonard N. Stern School of Business is New York University's business school. It was established in 1900 as the NYU School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance. In 1988 it was named after Leonard N. Stern, an alumnus and benefactor of the school...
.
Weil became rabbi of the Young Israel of Oak Park Michigan and then at Beth Jacob Congregation in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
. In both synagogues, he substantially increased membership and expanded programming. He has delivered invocations for President H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
, Vice President Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
, Governor Schwarzenneger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
, and Beverly Hills Mayors Webb
Stephen H. Webb
Stephen H. Webb is a theologian and philosopher of religion.Webb graduated from Wabash College in 1983, earned his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago, and has been teaching at Wabash College as Professor of Religion and Philosophy since 1988. Born in 1961 and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, he...
and Delshad
Jimmy Delshad
Jamshid "Jimmy" Delshad is an Iranian-American politician in the state of California. He became Mayor of Beverly Hills on March 21, 2007 and again on March 16, 2010. He is the first Iranian-American to hold public office in Beverly Hills.-Biography:...
. He has served internationally as scholar in residence while visiting congregations
Local church
A local church is a Christian congregation of members and clergy.Local church may also refer to:* Local churches , a Christian group based on the teachings of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, and associated with the Living Stream Ministry publishing house.* Parish church, a local church united with...
across the country and strongly advocating for Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Jewish Education. He has worked closely with leaders in AIPAC and has worked with the Beth Medrash Govoha
Beth Medrash Govoha
Beth Medrash Govoha is a Haredi yeshiva located in Lakewood Township, New Jersey. It is commonly known as BMG, or Lakewood Yeshiva....
of Lakewood Township, New Jersey
Lakewood Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 60,352 people, 19,876 households, and 13,356 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,431.8 people per square mile . There were 21,214 housing units at an average density of 854.8 per square mile...
.
In his term as Rabbi of Beth Jacob Congregation, Weil increased membership by over 250 families to 750 families. He increased the congregation's endowment fund by over $5,000,000 and was considered the most successful fundraiser in Southern California.
Weil currently resides in Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, and a suburb in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 39,776, making it the second-most populous among the 70 municipalities in Bergen County....
with his wife Yael, their three boys and four girls.
Executive Vice President of Orthodox Union
In May 2008, the Orthodox UnionOrthodox Union
The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America , more popularly known as the Orthodox Union , is one of the oldest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. It is best known for its kosher food preparation supervision service...
announced that Weil would succeed Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb
Tzvi Hersh Weinreb
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb is an ordained rabbi, a qualified psychotherapist and the Executive Vice President Emeritus of the Orthodox Union, the largest Orthodox Jewish organisation in North America; a position he has held since 2002....
as Executive Vice President. Weinreb, who held the position since 2002, went on to assume the position of Executive Vice President Emeritus. The transition took place in July 2009.
As chief professional officer of the Orthodox Union, Weil’s daily responsibilities include oversight of the Orthodox Union's vision, staff and programs, network member synagogues and fiscal well-being.
Weil’s appointment at the OU followed an eight year term of leadership at Beth Jacob Congregation in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
, the largest Orthodox congregation outside of the metropolitan New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
area. Prior to this, Weil served as Rabbi of the Young Israel of Oak Park, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
Before his departure from Beth Jacob in April 2008, Weil wrote to the congregation
Local church
A local church is a Christian congregation of members and clergy.Local church may also refer to:* Local churches , a Christian group based on the teachings of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, and associated with the Living Stream Ministry publishing house.* Parish church, a local church united with...
regarding his concerns for Jewish individual and communities worldwide:
- “…there are untold numbers of JewsJewsThe Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
all across the map in the smaller cities who are missing out on a real connection to the richness and beauty of Jewish life because they don’t have resources, critical numbers, or tools for growth. It is my dream that this position (at the OU) will afford me the opportunity to help these isolated shulsSynagogueA synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
and schools build the kinds of programs that we have built and experience the opportunities that we have experienced.
- There are hundreds of idealistic men and women serving the smaller communities across North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, sacrificing the comforts of larger Jewish populationJewish populationJewish population refers to the number of Jews in the world. Precise figures are difficult to calculate because the definition of "Who is a Jew" is a source of controversy.-Total population:...
centers, and they need our support and our mentoring because the responsibility of taking care of Klal IsraelKlal Israël"OJG Klal Israel" was in 2005, based in Delft, the Netherlands. OJG Klal Israel holds services twice a month in the Delft synagogue, Koornmarkt 12 in Delft...
is not theirs alone. But by taking on this new role, I make it my responsibility as well.”
Weil went on to detail the dual focus of his efforts, including both Orthodox Jewry
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
and unaffiliated youth:
- “The first major area that the OU team will be working on is adolescent kiruv (outreach), which has two components: NCSY throughout North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and the 10,000 unaffiliated Jewish teenagers in public high schools who attend the Jewish Student UnionJewish Student UnionThe Jewish Student Union, or JSU is an organization aimed at educating youth in public schools about the Jewish culture, heritage, and religion...
every week.
- The second area is serving as the network and community which supports those on the front lines of Orthodox JewryOrthodox JudaismOrthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
. The two major components on the front lines are the lay and professional leadership of hundreds of synagogues as well as the lay and professional leadership of our day schoolsJewish day schoolA Jewish day school is a modern Jewish educational institution that is designed to provide Jewish children with both a Jewish and a secular education in one school on a full time basis, hence its name of "day school" meaning a school that the students attend for an entire day and not on a part time...
, which are mentoring and nurturing the Jewish future...
- Our responsibility at the OU is to work with, to partner, and to enable those on the front lines to be as strong and successful as possible in their sacred work of educating and leading the halachic (observing Jewish law) community.”
Praise for Weil
Upon Weil's appointment as Executive Vice President of the OU his predecessor, Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, said:
“The OUOUOU or Ou or ou may stand for:* University of Oklahoma, United States* Oglethorpe University, United States* Oakland University, United States* Oakwood University, United States* Ohio University, United States...
's Executive Committee has chosen as my successor a distinguished rabbi whom I have known and worked with for many years. I look forward to working very closely with him in the years to come, and am confident that our past relationship will facilitate that process.
Rabbi WeilOrthodox UnionThe Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America , more popularly known as the Orthodox Union , is one of the oldest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. It is best known for its kosher food preparation supervision service...
brings to the position much outstanding strength, which he has displayed throughout his rabbinic career, especially in his current position in Beverly Hills. At his invitation, I have visited his synagogueSynagogueA synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
and spoken there numerous times, and have witnessed the phenomenal growth of his shul in terms of the size of its membership and the dynamic programming that he has initiated. I wish him every success.”
Stephen J. Savitsky, the President of the OU, said:
“We are extremely pleased that Rabbi Steven Weil will be joining us as Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union. Rabbi Weil has demonstrated in both his positions in Beverly Hills and Detroit that he is a remarkable leader. He brings energy, vision, and an incredible work ethic to this position. We look forward to his leadership and building on the great foundation that has been established by Rabbi Weinreb.”
Articles About Rabbi Steven Weil
- JewishJournal.com - "Take a Walk on the Weil Side", David Suissa, January 4, 2007
- Matzav.com - "Rabbi Steven Weil Takes Over for Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb as Executive Vice President of the OU", July 1, 2009
- ou.org - "OU's Rabbi Weil in Panel Debating Shylock in Merchant of Venice: Was Shakespeare Anti-Semitic?", April 15, 2011