Portrait of a Leader
Rabbi Moshe Hauer leading a shiur in his shul office—he only agreed to let the shul build him a large office after they assured him it could also be used for shiurim. Photo: Jeff Cohn
Rooted in Kehillah
As the rabbi of Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion in Baltimore for twenty-six years, Rabbi Moshe Hauer, together with his devoted wife, Rebbetzin Mindi, built a strong, vibrant kehillah that pulsed with life and purpose. A consummate talmid chacham and proud product of Ner Yisrael, Rabbi Hauer was equally revered for his empathy—for the way he listened, noticed and genuinely cared. His concern extended far beyond his own shul; he carried the weight of the broader Jewish community on his shoulders. It was that deep sense of responsibility that eventually drew him to a national role at the Orthodox Union. Yet even as he became executive vice president of the OU, he never left his kehillah behind. He stayed in Baltimore, commuting to New York each week, bringing with him the same warmth, humility and quiet strength that had defined both his family life and his rabbinate.
Davening with shul members in Baltimore during Sukkot, Photo: Jeff Cohn
With his wife, Rebbetzin Mindi, together with grandchildren
Rising in Leadership
When Rabbi Hauer became executive vice president of the Orthodox Union in 2020, he brought with him the heart of a congregational rav—someone deeply attuned to the rhythm of real Jewish life. He led the OU through a time of global upheaval—first Covid, then October 7—with calm strength and Torah clarity. Under his guidance, the organization deepened its work with shuls and schools, expanded its rabbinic and educational efforts and fostered unity across the Orthodox world. His leadership was marked by warmth, integrity and a steady sense of purpose—always grounded in the conviction that the OU’s overriding mission is to strengthen the Jewish people’s commitment to Torah and mitzvot.
Learning with a teen at NCSY Yarchei Kallah, a five-day retreat that gives public school teens the opportunity to learn Torah during their winter break
Participating in a rabbinic gathering in Washington, DC, in June 2023. Back left: Rabbi Avraham Shmidman, Rabbi Leonard Matanky, Rabbi Chaim Strauchler, Rabbi Zvi Engel, Rabbi Dovid Asher, Rabbi Hauer, Nathan Diament, Rabbi Shalom Axelrod and Rabbi Benjamin Samuels. Front left: Rabbi Yosef Weinstock, Rabbi Daniel Sherman, Rabbi Yaakov Glasser and Jason Grossman
Reaching for Klal Yisrael
Rabbi Moshe Hauer moved comfortably in the public square, speaking about faith with senators and other political leaders as naturally as he did with members of his shul. At the OU, he became the organization’s public voice, representing the Orthodox community in national, interfaith and governmental settings. Yet he never viewed advocacy as politics. For him, it was responsibility—Torah values translated into action. He listened as much as he spoke, and made everyone he met feel heard. Whether testifying before Congress on campus antisemitism, meeting with world leaders or addressing interfaith gatherings, he carried himself with humility and conviction, always anchored in Torah and guided by compassion.
Speaking in Washington on the 180th day of the hostages’ captivity when the OU hand-delivered 180,000 letters from Americans to the White House appealing for the US to do even more to free them
With President of Israel Isaac Herzog
From left: OU Advocacy Center Director of Community Engagement Jason Grossman, OU Advocacy Center Executive Director Nathan Diament, US Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Rabbi Hauer and OU President Mitch Aeder
In conversation with Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union of Reform Judaism, Photo: Amit Elkayam
From left: Rabbi Hauer, Mr. Aeder, US Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), Mr. Diament and Mr. Grossman
In This Section
Rabbi Moshe Hauer, zt”l: The Loss of a Leader
Man of G-d: Remembering Rabbi Moshe Hauer by Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph
A Guiding Light for Klal Yisrael by Chief Rabbi Kalman Meir Ber
“His Life Was a Continuous Ascent” by Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb
To Illuminate Rather Than Condemn: The Legacy of Rabbi Moshe Hauer by Moishe Bane