Oorah (organization)

Oorah Kiruv Rechokim, Inc (Hebrew: עורה קירבו רחוקים; "awaken and bring in those who are far"), better known as Oorah is an incorporated Orthodox Jewish outreach (kiruv) organization, founded in 1980 "with the goal of awakening Jewish children and their families to their heritage."[1] It is a United States-based 501(C)3 non-profit organization.[2] Joy For Our Youth, a subsidiary of Oorah, has been labeled a "hareidi missionary organization" that uses deceptive adveritising. Quoting an article by Bill Smith in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, RipoffReports.com criticized Kars4Kids, Joy For Our Youth and Oorah for their "questionable business practices."

Oorah, Inc.
FounderRabbi Chaim Mintz
Headquarters
Lakewood, New Jersey, U.S.
Websiteoorah.org

History

Oorah, Inc. was founded by Rabbi Chaim Mintz and is based in Lakewood. Day-to-day operations are overseen by his son, Rabbi Eliyohu Mintz of New Jersey.[3][4][5]

Programs

Oorah operates and/or funds 49 individual programs that target Jewish outreach (Kiruv) and learning, family support, personal growth, and relationship counseling. It promotes family support and development.[6][7] It runs summer camps for boys and girls, Jewish holiday enrichment, early, primary, and secondary educational support and enrichment, as examples. One of their main programs involves an anthropomorphic $5 bill, named Fiveish, who is characterised by positive Jewish behaviours.

In the summer of 2007, 31 undocumented workers doing work for a subcontractor at Oorah's summer camp were arrested in a raid by ICE and local law enforcement.[8] Camp director Eliyohu Mintz stated that the organization was not aware that the workers lacked employment authorization.[9]

In September 2010, a website for some of Oorah's camps was hacked.[10]

References
  1. "Oorah.org". Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  2. "Oorah.org - Tax exempt status". Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  3. Genia Gould (February 4, 2007). "With Curls and a Haircut, a Billboard Is Reborn". The New York Times. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  4. "Leadership and team members at Oorah". Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  5. "Rabbi Chaim Mintz". Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  6. "Oorah Programs". Oorah. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  7. Oorah's self-published December 2008 news bulletin, pages 90-91
  8. Palmateer, Jake (July 12, 2007). "Neighbors surprised by ICE raid". The Daily Star. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
  9. Immigration News Briefs (July 22, 2007). "Immigration News Briefs - NY: Raid at Upstate Summer Camp". Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  10. '"Oorah's Children's Camp Site Attacked by Radical Islamists on Anniversary of 9/11". The Yeshiva World. September 14, 2010.
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