TORA, the umbrella organization of traditional Orthodox American rabbis, commends President Trump on his Executive Order, “Promoting Free Speech and Religious Freedom.” This executive order is an important step forward in safeguarding the free practice of religion in the United States of America. This great country was founded on faith in the Almighty and has flourished thanks to the freedom to worship Him, each in … Continue reading Statement on Executive Order on Religious Freedom

TORA, the umbrella organization of traditional Orthodox American rabbis, wishes all people a blessed holiday of Pesach, also known as Passover, the holiday of freedom. Of all the great festivals on the Jewish calendar, Pesach is the one that engages us most as a nation. The awesome but meticulous journey towards a home free from leaven coupled with the spiritual and ritual preparations for Seder … Continue reading This Pesach Don’t Pass Over True Freedom

TORA, the umbrella organization of traditional Orthodox American rabbis, joins with many others who know of the integrity and competence of David Friedman, President Trump’s nominee for US Ambassador to Israel. We share his core values of respect for human life, for the importance of Israel in the lives of Jews, and his dedication to the United States as a world leader. We are offended … Continue reading Statement on David Friedman, Nominee for US Ambassador to Israel

Traditional Orthodox Rabbis of America (TORA), lauds the recent policy statement on women clergy by the Orthodox Union (OU), the synagogue group of American Modern Orthodoxy. The conclusions of a panel of distinguished rabbis and Roshei Yeshiva enshrine principles of mesorah (Torah tradition) and halachic methodology that have been obvious to the vast majority of the Orthodox world, while embracing the continuing contribution of women to Torah life in … Continue reading Statement on Women Clergy

TORA, the umbrella organization of traditional Orthodox rabbis of the United States and Canada, finds the purported ordination of women at Midreshet Lindenbaum deeply disappointing and unnecessarily divisive. There is a consensus among the worldwide Orthodox rabbinate that granting semichah to women – in name or in practice – lies outside the contours of our mesorah. We, together with our dynamic Rebbetzins, are committed to inspiring all Jewish men and women to … Continue reading Statement on Ordination of Women as Rabbis