Association for Jewish Outreach Programs
Encyclopedia
The Association for Jewish Outreach Programs also known by its abbreviation AJOP (originally officially called the Association for Jewish Outreach Professionals (and commonly referred to as the Association of Jewish Outreach Professionals) is an Orthodox Jewish
network which was established to unite and enhance the Jewish education
al work of rabbi
s, laypeople, and volunteers who work in a variety of settings and seek to improve and promote Jewish Orthodox outreach work with ba'alei teshuvah
("returnees" [to Orthodox Judaism]) guiding Jews to live according to Orthodox Jewish values. AJOP was the first major Jewish Orthodox organization of its kind that was not affiliated with the Chabad
Hasidic
movement. The organization is also commonly referred to as the Association for Jewish Outreach Professionals or simply as "AJOP" its original name and abbreviation.
Rabbis and activists in the field of "Jewish outreach" working in the various areas of Orthodox Jewish education
are often referred to as "kiruv professionals" or "kiruv workers" as well as "kiruv volunteers" in the Orthodox community.
("returnees" [to Orthodox Judaism]) that gained strides in the 1960s, went hand in hand with, and was often the result of, "kiruv" efforts ("kiruv" means "bringing close [to Judaism]") by rabbi
s and Orthodox Jews all over the world.
The worldwide efforts of the Chabad
Hasidic
movement were guided by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson
the leader of Chabad who encouraged many of his followers to leave the confines of Brooklyn and to set up synagogues and communities in non-Orthodox settings and to "mekarev" ("bring closer" [secular Jews to Judaism]) and to the Chabad-Lubavitch brand of Hasidism in particular. These Shluchim or Shlichim did the work of "outreach" that was meant to attract Baal teshuvas to Judaism.
, and Hasidic
world were involved in the same kind of "outreach" kiruv work. During the mid-1980s Sanford C. Bernstein the founder and director of the investment house Sanford C. Bernstein and Company had become a devoted follower of Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
and decided to establish the AVI CHAI Foundation
to research and help all manner of Jewish education
and particularly Jewish outreach ("kiruv") if it met the criteria of his foundation (no opposition to Zionism and to accept the value of secualr knowledge.)
The AVI CHAI Foundation granted several million dollars each to both AJOP and to what was meant to be a "sister" effort the National Jewish Outreach Program
(NJOP) and their similar sounding names were chosen deliberately and were meant to reinforce each other's work. While AJOP was geared to the "Outreach Professional" doing the "outreach" at the same time NJOP was directed at the non-Orthodox Jewish public who were to be offered a variety of introduction to Judaism programs. The first president of both organizations was Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald
a foremost Modern Orthodox
outreach rabbi who is also the head of outreach efforts at Lincoln Square Synagogue
in Manhattan
.
, New York City. The first director was Gerald Weisberg who was not a rabbi but an administrator in the public school system of New York. It was he who was given the initial mandate to build the organization. His first and most successful innovation was the annual AJOP convention, held in January, that has always attracted hundreds of Orthodox rabbis and their wives, some serving as pulpit rabbis and others as teachers and principals of Jewish day school
s. A governing board of rabbis was chosen and the most prominent was Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg
the rosh yeshiva
of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel who served as AJOP chief rabbinical advisor until the time of his passing in 1999.
AJOP's second president was Rabbi Shaya Milikowsky who was affiliated with the Yeshivas Ner Yisroel MAOR Institute training young rabbis to become "outreach professionals" as Rabbi Buchwald became AJOP's honorary president. Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald
has served as AJOP's Honorary President during the entire lifespan of the organization. AJOP's second director was Rabbi Herschel Leiner. Rabbi Leiner was endorsed personally and publicly by Rabbi Avraham Yaakov Pam
the rosh yeshiva
of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas
at one of AJOP's annual conventions. The appointment of Rabbi Milikowsky as President and Rabbi Leiner as Director was an indication that AJOP was officially moving in a more Haredi direction.
Rabbi Leiner's tenure was brief as he went on to a leadership role in the Haredi yeshiva Sh'or Yoshuv
that traditionally had a Baal teshuva student base. As the AVI CHAI Foundation announced that it would wind down funding for AJOP the decision was made to align with the National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) and a third director, Rabbi Shmuel Stauber was appointed. The alliance with the NCYI was brief but was soon followed by the organization's move of its main office outside of New York State by the end of the 1990s.
. At this point AJOP was renamed the Association for Jewish Outreach Programs. Its two chief rabbinical authorities became Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky
(the rosh yeshiva
of the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia
) and Rabbi Yaakov Perlow
(the Rebbe
of Novominsk
.) The fourth and present director is Rabbi Yitzchok Lowenbraun.
Having moved to Baltimore, active and wealthy lay members were added to the Board of Directors such as Richard Horowitz as Vice President among others.
via "AJOPNET". A Task Force on New Technology was headed by an AJOP founding trustee Rabbi Yaacov Haber
who had discovered the efficacy of BitNet
newsgroup
s in spreading the teaching of a weekly Torah portion. Rabbi Haber as chairman of the task force spoke highly of his ability to reach people from his outpost as a community rabbi in far-off Buffalo, New York
. In an AJOP newsletter, dated May-June 1989 the new technology is described as follows:
Although originally constituted as a Bulletin Board System
, Rabbi Yaakov Menken
of Project Genesis prevailed upon AJOP to relaunch AJOPNET as an Electronic mailing list
under his direction. Rabbi Menken presented his pioneering work at AJOP's early annual conventions, as was recognized by Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein
another of AJOP's founding trustees. The project was ahead of times, and it would be another decade before use of the Internet
for Jewish outreach would become widespread through sites such as Chabad.org
, Torah.org and Aish.com.
world, AJOP's membership has been heavily drawn from the mostly Haredi
world. The Haredi dominance of AJOP is exmeplified by its acceptance of Rabbis Yaakov Perlow and Shmuel Kaminetzky as its chief rabbinical sponsors. So much so, that one of Agudath Israel of America
chief spokesman, Rabbi Avi Shafran
has spoken out on its behalf:
Shafran was responding to a critique published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
by Chaim Waxman called "Changing Jewish Communities: Winners and Losers in Denominational Memberships
in the United States":
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...
network which was established to unite and enhance the Jewish education
Jewish education
Jewish education is the transmission of the tenets, principles and religious laws of Judaism. Due to its emphasis on Torah study, many have commented that Judaism is characterised by "lifelong learning" that extends to adults as much as it does to children.-History:The tradition of Jewish...
al work of rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
s, laypeople, and volunteers who work in a variety of settings and seek to improve and promote Jewish Orthodox outreach work with ba'alei teshuvah
Baal teshuva
Baal teshuva or ba'al teshuvah , sometimes abbreviated to BT, is a term referring to a Jew who turns to embrace Orthodox Judaism. Baal teshuva literally means, "repentant", i.e., one who has repented or "returned" to God...
("returnees" [to Orthodox Judaism]) guiding Jews to live according to Orthodox Jewish values. AJOP was the first major Jewish Orthodox organization of its kind that was not affiliated with the Chabad
Chabad
Chabad or Chabad-Lubavitch is a major branch of Hasidic Judaism.Chabad may also refer to:*Chabad-Strashelye, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism*Chabad-Kapust or Kapust, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism...
Hasidic
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
movement. The organization is also commonly referred to as the Association for Jewish Outreach Professionals or simply as "AJOP" its original name and abbreviation.
Rabbis and activists in the field of "Jewish outreach" working in the various areas of Orthodox Jewish education
Jewish education
Jewish education is the transmission of the tenets, principles and religious laws of Judaism. Due to its emphasis on Torah study, many have commented that Judaism is characterised by "lifelong learning" that extends to adults as much as it does to children.-History:The tradition of Jewish...
are often referred to as "kiruv professionals" or "kiruv workers" as well as "kiruv volunteers" in the Orthodox community.
AJOP as a response to the kiruv movement
The growth of the Baal teshuva movementBaal teshuva movement
The Baal Teshuva movement is description of the return of secular Jews to religious Judaism. The term "baal teshuva" is a term from the Talmud literally meaning "master of repentance". The term is used to refer to a worldwide phenomenon among the Jewish people...
("returnees" [to Orthodox Judaism]) that gained strides in the 1960s, went hand in hand with, and was often the result of, "kiruv" efforts ("kiruv" means "bringing close [to Judaism]") by rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
s and Orthodox Jews all over the world.
The worldwide efforts of the Chabad
Chabad
Chabad or Chabad-Lubavitch is a major branch of Hasidic Judaism.Chabad may also refer to:*Chabad-Strashelye, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism*Chabad-Kapust or Kapust, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism...
Hasidic
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
movement were guided by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson , known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe or just the Rebbe among his followers, was a prominent Hasidic rabbi who was the seventh and last Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. He was fifth in a direct paternal line to the third Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, Menachem Mendel...
the leader of Chabad who encouraged many of his followers to leave the confines of Brooklyn and to set up synagogues and communities in non-Orthodox settings and to "mekarev" ("bring closer" [secular Jews to Judaism]) and to the Chabad-Lubavitch brand of Hasidism in particular. These Shluchim or Shlichim did the work of "outreach" that was meant to attract Baal teshuvas to Judaism.
AVI CHAI Foundation founds AJOP
With the passage of time there came the recognition that not only Chabad was doing this work but that many other rabbis and volunteers from all branches of the Orthodox, HarediHaredi Judaism
Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
, and Hasidic
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
world were involved in the same kind of "outreach" kiruv work. During the mid-1980s Sanford C. Bernstein the founder and director of the investment house Sanford C. Bernstein and Company had become a devoted follower of Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
Shlomo Riskin
Shlomo Riskin is the founding rabbi of Lincoln Square Synagogue on the Upper West Side of New York City, which he led for 12 years; founding chief rabbi of the Israeli settlement of Efrat in the West Bank; dean of Manhattan Day School in New York City; and founder and dean of the Ohr Torah Stone...
and decided to establish the AVI CHAI Foundation
AVI CHAI Foundation
AVI CHAI is a private foundation endowed in 1984 by Sanford Bernstein, a well-known successful investor who become a Modern Orthodox Baal teshuva and who had wanted to further the cause of outreach to alienated and assimilated Jews worldwide. Avi-Chai functions in the United States and in Israel...
to research and help all manner of Jewish education
Jewish education
Jewish education is the transmission of the tenets, principles and religious laws of Judaism. Due to its emphasis on Torah study, many have commented that Judaism is characterised by "lifelong learning" that extends to adults as much as it does to children.-History:The tradition of Jewish...
and particularly Jewish outreach ("kiruv") if it met the criteria of his foundation (no opposition to Zionism and to accept the value of secualr knowledge.)
The AVI CHAI Foundation granted several million dollars each to both AJOP and to what was meant to be a "sister" effort the National Jewish Outreach Program
National Jewish Outreach Program
The National Jewish Outreach Program was established by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald in 1987, in response to the urgent need to address the critical issue of the spiraling losses of Jews from Jewish life due to assimilation and lack of Jewish knowledge...
(NJOP) and their similar sounding names were chosen deliberately and were meant to reinforce each other's work. While AJOP was geared to the "Outreach Professional" doing the "outreach" at the same time NJOP was directed at the non-Orthodox Jewish public who were to be offered a variety of introduction to Judaism programs. The first president of both organizations was Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald
Ephraim Buchwald
Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald is one of the leaders in the movement of Jewish return in America today.Ordained at Yeshiva University, where he was a student of Rabbi Dr. Joseph B...
a foremost Modern Orthodox
Modern Orthodox Judaism
Modern Orthodox Judaism is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize Jewish values and the observance of Jewish law, with the secular, modern world....
outreach rabbi who is also the head of outreach efforts at Lincoln Square Synagogue
Lincoln Square Synagogue
The Lincoln Square Synagogue at 200 Amsterdam Avenue at the corner of West 69th Street in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, was founded as a congregation in 1964 by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
.
AJOP founded in New York
During its first decade AJOP was known as the Association for Jewish Outreach Professionals. Upon its founding in 1987, AJOP was based in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City. The first director was Gerald Weisberg who was not a rabbi but an administrator in the public school system of New York. It was he who was given the initial mandate to build the organization. His first and most successful innovation was the annual AJOP convention, held in January, that has always attracted hundreds of Orthodox rabbis and their wives, some serving as pulpit rabbis and others as teachers and principals of Jewish day school
Jewish day school
A 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...
s. A governing board of rabbis was chosen and the most prominent was Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg
Yaakov Weinberg
Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg, known as Yaakov Weinberg was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, Talmudist, and rosh yeshiva of Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, Maryland one of the major American non-Hasidic yeshivas...
the rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel who served as AJOP chief rabbinical advisor until the time of his passing in 1999.
AJOP's second president was Rabbi Shaya Milikowsky who was affiliated with the Yeshivas Ner Yisroel MAOR Institute training young rabbis to become "outreach professionals" as Rabbi Buchwald became AJOP's honorary president. Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald
Ephraim Buchwald
Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald is one of the leaders in the movement of Jewish return in America today.Ordained at Yeshiva University, where he was a student of Rabbi Dr. Joseph B...
has served as AJOP's Honorary President during the entire lifespan of the organization. AJOP's second director was Rabbi Herschel Leiner. Rabbi Leiner was endorsed personally and publicly by Rabbi Avraham Yaakov Pam
Avraham Yaakov Pam
Rabbi Avraham Yaakov Hakohen Pam was the rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas in Brooklyn, New York.-Biography:...
the rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas
Yeshiva Torah Vodaas
Yeshiva Torah Vodaas is a yeshiva located in the Kensington neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.- History :...
at one of AJOP's annual conventions. The appointment of Rabbi Milikowsky as President and Rabbi Leiner as Director was an indication that AJOP was officially moving in a more Haredi direction.
Rabbi Leiner's tenure was brief as he went on to a leadership role in the Haredi yeshiva Sh'or Yoshuv
Sh'or Yoshuv
Sh'or Yoshuv is a Haredi yeshiva in Lawrence, New York.The yeshiva was founded in 1967 by Rabbi Shlomo Freifeld, former mashgiach ruchani at Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin. The yeshiva was located in Far Rockaway from its inception until 2003, when it moved to its current location in Lawrence, New...
that traditionally had a Baal teshuva student base. As the AVI CHAI Foundation announced that it would wind down funding for AJOP the decision was made to align with the National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) and a third director, Rabbi Shmuel Stauber was appointed. The alliance with the NCYI was brief but was soon followed by the organization's move of its main office outside of New York State by the end of the 1990s.
AJOP based in Baltimore
With the termination of funding from the AVI CHAI Foundation that had lasted close to a decade, the rabbinic leadership of AJOP decided to move its main headquarters to Baltimore, Maryland under the its third president Rabbi Shlomo PorterShlomo Porter
Rabbi Shlomo Porter is the executive director of the Etz Chaim Center for Jewish Learning. He is a past president of , and also has served as an AJOP trustee since its founding in 1985...
. At this point AJOP was renamed the Association for Jewish Outreach Programs. Its two chief rabbinical authorities became Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky
Shmuel Kamenetsky
Shmuel Kamenetsky is a Haredi rabbi and co-founder and rosh yeshiva of the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia. He is one of the best-known living Haredi Litvish Jewish gedolim outside Israel and the best-known son of Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky , one of America's greatest Torah...
(the rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
of the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia
Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia
The Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia, known as "Philly", is a Haredi Litvish yeshiva. Its roshei yeshiva are Rabbi Elya Svei, Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky, Rabbi Yehudah Svei and Rabbi Sholom Kaminetsky...
) and Rabbi Yaakov Perlow
Yaakov Perlow
Rabbi Yaakov Perlow is a Hasidic rebbe and rosh yeshiva living in Boro Park, Brooklyn. He is the current Novominsker Rebbe and serves as rosh of the American Agudath Israel of America, a Haredi communal organization...
(the Rebbe
Rebbe
Rebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
of Novominsk
Novominsk (Hasidic dynasty)
Novominsk is the name of a Hasidic dynasty originating in Mińsk Mazowiecki, Poland and currently based in the United States. It also runs a yeshiva knows Yeshivas Novominsk- Kol Yehuda....
.) The fourth and present director is Rabbi Yitzchok Lowenbraun.
Having moved to Baltimore, active and wealthy lay members were added to the Board of Directors such as Richard Horowitz as Vice President among others.
Functions of AJOP
AJOP assists outreach professionals in their work through an array of organizational and productivity based initiatives and products, such as resource materials and books where Kiruv professionals worldwide unite to network, share resources, learn from experienced professionals in the field, and discuss issues. AJOP also distributes a weekly e-newsletter, containing reputable sources and publishers who share information such as Torah discourses, Halacha, inspirational stories, and recipes, and runs an online store which sells merchandise tailored for those in the field of Orthodox Jewish outreach.AJOPNET established in 1989
AJOP was an early pioneer in explaining the uses of computer networks as an outreach tool at its earliest conventions. At all its early annual conventions, beginning in 1989, Gerald Weisberg AJOP's founding executive director, promoted workshops that introduced participants to the concept of a Bulletin Board SystemBulletin board system
A Bulletin Board System, or BBS, is a computer system running software that allows users to connect and log in to the system using a terminal program. Once logged in, a user can perform functions such as uploading and downloading software and data, reading news and bulletins, and exchanging...
via "AJOPNET". A Task Force on New Technology was headed by an AJOP founding trustee Rabbi Yaacov Haber
Yaacov Haber
Rabbi Yaacov Haber has been engaged in teaching Jews about their heritage for almost thirty years. He is considered one of the pioneers of the "Kiruv" or outreach movement and is world renowned as being one of the foremost experts in Adult Jewish education....
who had discovered the efficacy of BitNet
BITNET
BITNET was a cooperative USA university network founded in 1981 by Ira Fuchs at the City University of New York and Greydon Freeman at Yale University...
newsgroup
Newsgroup
A usenet newsgroup is a repository usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users in different locations. The term may be confusing to some, because it is usually a discussion group. Newsgroups are technically distinct from, but functionally similar to, discussion forums on...
s in spreading the teaching of a weekly Torah portion. Rabbi Haber as chairman of the task force spoke highly of his ability to reach people from his outpost as a community rabbi in far-off Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. In an AJOP newsletter, dated May-June 1989 the new technology is described as follows:
- Task Force on New Technology TFNT)
- AJOPNET Your Personal Outreach Resource Center
- ...Would you like to share a program that you have developed that is very effective with the rest of the kiruv community...Communicate with one person or the entire outreach community? AJOPNET can provide all of the above and more at almost no cost... AJOPNET uses a technology called "electronic mail," which allows each user to send messages back and forth to AJOP and each other through and international computer network... Contact us today if you would like to participate... The only equipment that is required is a personal computerPersonal computerA personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
of any kind equipped with a modemModemA modem is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded to reproduce the original digital data...
...
- ...Get "on line" for AJOPNET. (Installation of the modem, software, and on-site training is available through AJOP...)
Although originally constituted as a Bulletin Board System
Bulletin board system
A Bulletin Board System, or BBS, is a computer system running software that allows users to connect and log in to the system using a terminal program. Once logged in, a user can perform functions such as uploading and downloading software and data, reading news and bulletins, and exchanging...
, Rabbi Yaakov Menken
Yaakov Menken
Rabbi Yaakov Menken is an Orthodox Rabbi and early pioneer in the field of Internet-based Orthodox Jewish outreach. He is the founder and Director of Project Genesis, and creator of its website Torah.org, one of the Internet's largest sites for onlineJewish education...
of Project Genesis prevailed upon AJOP to relaunch AJOPNET as an Electronic mailing list
Electronic mailing list
An electronic mailing list is a special usage of email that allows for widespread distribution of information to many Internet users. It is similar to a traditional mailing list — a list of names and addresses — as might be kept by an organization for sending publications to...
under his direction. Rabbi Menken presented his pioneering work at AJOP's early annual conventions, as was recognized by Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein
Yitzchok Adlerstein
Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein is an Orthodox rabbi who has played an important role as spokesman, teacher, and writer on behalf of Orthodox Judaism as well as for the Baal teshuva movement in the United States...
another of AJOP's founding trustees. The project was ahead of times, and it would be another decade before use of the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
for Jewish outreach would become widespread through sites such as Chabad.org
Chabad.org
Chabad.org is the flagship website of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement. It serves not just its own members but Jews worldwide in general. It was one of the first Jewish internet sites and the first and largest virtual congregation.-History:...
, Torah.org and Aish.com.
Connection with Haredi Judaism
While AJOP's founders, such as Sanford Bernstein, Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald and Gerald Weisberg were firmly rooted in the Modern OrthodoxModern Orthodox Judaism
Modern Orthodox Judaism is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize Jewish values and the observance of Jewish law, with the secular, modern world....
world, AJOP's membership has been heavily drawn from the mostly Haredi
Haredi Judaism
Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
world. The Haredi dominance of AJOP is exmeplified by its acceptance of Rabbis Yaakov Perlow and Shmuel Kaminetzky as its chief rabbinical sponsors. So much so, that one of Agudath Israel of America
Agudath Israel of America
Agudath Israel of America , is a Haredi Jewish communal organization in the United States loosely affiliated with the international World Agudath Israel.-Functions:...
chief spokesman, Rabbi Avi Shafran
Avi Shafran
Abraham Shafran is a Haredi rabbi who serves as the Director of Public Affairs for Agudath Israel of America and who is Editor-at-Large of Ami . Agudath Israel was established to meet the needs and viewpoint of many Haredi Jews, while Ami, launched on November 24, 2010, promises to serve a broader...
has spoken out on its behalf:
- On January 16, the Association for Jewish Outreach Programs (AJOP), with which hundreds (yes, hundreds) of Orthodox outreach organizations are affiliated, will begin its annual 5-day convention; it will be the group's sixteenth such annual gathering. Among AJOP's members are a large number of community kollelKollelA kollel is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim and learning sedarim ; unlike a yeshiva, the student body of a kollel are all married men...
im -- or Torah-studyTorah studyTorah study is the study by Jewish people of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts...
centers -- that offer study-partnersChavrutaChavruta, also spelled chavrusa , is a traditional Rabbinic approach to Talmudic study in which a pair of students independently learn, discuss, and debate a shared text. It is a primary learning method in yeshivas and kollels, where students often engage regular study partners of similar knowledge...
, lectures and discussion groups to the Jewishly educated and non-educated alike. Such kollelim thrive in places like Phoenix, Des Moines, Norfolk, Boca Raton, and Palo Alto, not to mention larger cities like Atlanta, Dallas, Seattle, Memphis, Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia and Cleveland (and many more -- including locations in South America, Canada and Mexico) "I Have a Dream," Jewish Law Commentary, Am Echad resources.
Shafran was responding to a critique published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs is a public policy think tank devoted to research and analysis of critical issues facing the Middle East. The center is located in Jerusalem, Israel...
by Chaim Waxman called "Changing Jewish Communities: Winners and Losers in Denominational Memberships
in the United States":
- With these developments, the haredim (ultra-Orthodox) have apparently gained self-confidence that manifests itself in greater assertiveness. For example, whereas at mid-century religious outreach was the province of the modern OrthodoxModern Orthodox JudaismModern Orthodox Judaism is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize Jewish values and the observance of Jewish law, with the secular, modern world....
, with the haredim being somewhat suspicious of ba'alei teshuvaBaal teshuvaBaal teshuva or ba'al teshuvah , sometimes abbreviated to BT, is a term referring to a Jew who turns to embrace Orthodox Judaism. Baal teshuva literally means, "repentant", i.e., one who has repented or "returned" to God...
(the newly religious), by the end of the century the haredim were heavily engaged in religious outreach. Some of the frameworks include the National Jewish Outreach ProgramNational Jewish Outreach ProgramThe National Jewish Outreach Program was established by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald in 1987, in response to the urgent need to address the critical issue of the spiraling losses of Jews from Jewish life due to assimilation and lack of Jewish knowledge...
(NJOP), the Association for Jewish Outreach Programs (AJOP), with which hundreds of Orthodox outreach organizations are affiliated, and the Orthodox UnionOrthodox 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...
's National Conference of Synagogue YouthNational Conference of Synagogue YouthNCSY is an Orthodox Jewish youth group sponsored by the Orthodox Union. Founded in 1954, it has members in the United States, Canada, Israel, Chile, and formerly also in Ukraine. Its slogan is Inspiring the Jewish Future...
(NCSY). Many of these were initially modern Orthodox but are today staffed by haredim.
AJOP as an international Jewish resource
AJOP is listed as a resource by many other Jewish organizations and websites, here are just a few of the many examples:- Jewish Internet Guide
- Jewish Learning Connection (Local Adult Jewish Learning Programs)
- Jewishlight.com (St. Louis' Jewish Event Connection)
- Jews for JudaismJews for JudaismJews for Judaism, established by Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz in 1985, is an international organization designed to counter Christian missionaries whose evangelistic efforts are directed toward Jews. They aim to help Jews strengthen and rediscover their Judaism. It is the largest counter-missionary...
- Kiruv.com
- MavenSearch (Jewish Web Directory)
- Nefesh International (The International Network of Orthodox Mental Health Professionals)
- Ner Leelef (World Center For Jewish Leadership Training and Community Outreach)
- My Jewish Learning (Conversion and Outreach)
- PlanitJewish.com (Baltimore's Jewish Event Connection)
- Shamash: The Jewish Network
- The Associated (Jewish Baltimore)
- Torah Learning Center