Our Culture

Life at the OU

Ask any OU employee, and they'll tell you that working for the largest Orthodox Jewish nonprofit in North America has its perks. Whether it's the chance to drop in unannounced and talk face-to-face with OU leadership, who know almost every employee by name, the communal Rosh Chodesh bagel brunches and games at our state of the art and beautiful NYC headquarters, or the accessible and regular professional development opportunities — there’s something for everyone. Employees even have the opportunity to teach these development sessions!

Our Cultural Foundation

The OU's culture is a result of our deliberate and creative efforts to emphasize what we call The Three “C”s’ in all areas of the employee experience. Our culture is built upon a foundation of communication, collaboration, and coordination — a foundation that contributes to our team and organizational success.

Communication

• Active Listening: OU employees commit to active listening and the exchange of honest feedback.
• Intentional Responses: We aim for prompt and thorough messaging, responding with intention.
• Supportive Environment: We speak up when we see someone needs support and when we need support ourselves.

Collaboration

• Team Unity: OU employees recognize that we are part of a whole organization whose mission is to empower and support Jews around the world.
• Trust and Accountability: We build mutual trust and accountability through intentional interactions.
• Interdepartmental Partnerships: Healthy partnerships come through accommodation and communication.

Coordination

• Strategic Planning: OU employees are strategic in our programmatic and operational functioning, laying groundwork and creating plans to achieve goals and find solutions.
• Organizational Contribution: We respect that our work is part of a greater organizational strategy and seek to contribute to it meaningfully.