Ohr Torah Stone - named for the biblical phrase “the shining light of Torah” - was thus founded in 1983, with the vision of inspiring a new movement of Jewish leadership which would be qualified to guide the nation and enlighten the world. The addition in 1998 of Rabbi Chaim Brovender’s Bruria Seminary and Yeshivat Hamivtar infused OTS with an even greater energy, as we continued to work toward our goal of training dynamic, new Jewish leaders who could build bridges between all sectors and bring unity to the Jewish people. Leaders who would understand that tolerance, social justice, equality and responsibility toward each human being are as elemental to Judaism as abiding by its religious laws.

And indeed, over the past two decades, OTS has become the beacon illuminating new educational, legal and social paths in Judaism. We have led groundbreaking change in the realms of women’s studies and women’s rights within Judaism, relations between observant and secular Jews, and the role of the worldwide and Israeli community rabbi. Today, OTS is an all-encompassing network, inspiring and motivating almost 3,000 men and women from junior high to graduate school, from all religious backgrounds, hailing from every country. Our graduates are serving as influential, compassionate and engaging educators, spiritual guides and lay leaders in Israel and in countries across the globe. Wherever they go, they bring with them the message of an accessible and relevant Judaism based upon embracing and accepting the unaffiliated or disenfranchised, the pursuit of social justice, the quest for unity and a concern for one’s fellow man.

As we stand on the threshold of a new decade, I pray that the light of Torah - the Torah of unity, love and morality - may continue to radiate to every part of the world and bring peace to all mankind.