Where do young Orthodox Jews turn after college?
Orthodox Union launches new department to engage emerging career professionals
A new program from the Orthodox Union aims to provide a supportive framework for North American singles, couples, and young parents from post-college through their late 30s.
Young Jews who identify as Orthodox, in any of its various shades, often seek their next social community after they have aged out of OU youth programs.
Emerging Career Professionals, which was launched in August, is directed by Sarah Proops. She and her husband, Rabbi James Proops, are the rabbinic couple at the Suburban Torah Center in Livingston; they had filled similar roles in their native England and then in Los Angeles before moving to New Jersey.
Ms. Proops points out that while the OU had a program for high school students — NCSY — and one for college students — JLIC, more formally Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus — until recently, that’s where the programs ended.
“They’ve never had a division, until now, focused on the post-college-to-young families demographic, when the options available are dramatically reduced,” Ms. Proops said. “In this life stage, people are choosing whom to marry, where to live, and how to integrate their Torah values into their work environment.
“Many members of this demographic haven’t found their place yet and are looking for a communal niche that speaks to them,” she added. So “the OU started the ECP department to engage with all the subcategories of this demographic in order to ensure there are multiple ways for them to find their place in the community and see the beauty of living a vibrant Torah life.”
She noted that ECP programming isn’t meant to be one size fits all, but rather to cater to many access points at many stages within this cohort.
Ms. Proops now is seeking young community members to form an executive committee, dubbed the ECP Pillars, to help plan meaningful peer-driven activities in areas such as chesed, learning, socializing, advocacy, and professional networking. Activities can be single-sex or mixed-gender; one recent event Ms. Proops ran was a challah-bake for 80 women at Congregation Magen David of Manhattan.
“We are in the process of interviewing and appointing ECP Pillars who are on the ground, who see what is lacking and what their friends need, to work with us to create our own infrastructure and strengthen what is already successful,” she said.
“We don’t want to simply replicate what others are doing. Our goal is to collaborate with, and support, current initiatives, while addressing unmet needs by offering opportunities that directly benefit the ECP community.”
Ms. Proops already has partnered the ECP with two existing programs under the OU umbrella. These programs “are doing exceptional work that we are excited to tailor specifically for the ECP demographic,” she said.
One partnership is with the Young Professionals Shteiging Program, a year-old initiative that started on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and leverages Torah learning opportunities to help young Orthodox men and women maintain their connection to the Jewish community post-college.
The second partnership is with BlindFate, a matchmaking organization that runs in-person events and online social media dating games geared toward making the stressful world of dating a more positive, fun experience.
Last Chanukah, BlindFate and ECP held a joint event in Miami for young Orthodox professionals ranging from 25 to 35 years old. It drew about 120 participants from North America, South America, Israel, and Australia.
Ms. Proops said that in July, the ECP will participate in the OU Relief Mission to Romania. It will partner with Shabbat Angels, a Los Angeles-based organization that was formed to assist Jewish families struggling with the financial burden of Shabbat and holiday observance; the organization has become a hub attracting young Jewish professionals and helping them volunteer, donate, and connect.
When they arrive in Romania, the two groups are planning to lead programs, outings, and a special Shabbat experience for children in a Jewish orphanage.
“It’s a true honor to help magnify existing programs while also creating new infrastructure that will support the growth and connection of this demographic,” Ms. Proops said.
“These individuals are the future leaders of the Jewish community, and this programming is crucial to their growth. The potential of the ECP Department is vast. It’s not about what we can do, but about prioritizing what we must do next to ensure their development.”
Rabbi Joshua Ross, managing director of the OU’s collegiate and young professionals division, said he is “thrilled to support Sarah as she takes on this important work, creating meaningful opportunities for connection and engagement for this vital demographic. Supporting the needs of emerging career professionals is crucial for building a strong and vibrant Jewish future.”
People who are interested in becoming ECP Pillars or in other ways to become involved in the OU’s ECP department should email the program at ecp@ou.org.
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