When Rabbi Moshe Hauer stepped down as the full-time rabbi at Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation in Baltimore, a position he held for 26 years, to become executive vice president at the Orthodox Union in 2020, he could have announced the move from the pulpit or sent an email to the congregation.

Instead, he called or met with each congregant individually to explain the change and to promise to remain available to them and be part of their lives. And indeed, he did so, commuting weekly between New York and Baltimore.

This is just one of many stories that capture Hauer’s sensitivity and personal connection. For the past five years, as part of the leadership of the OU, I had the honor and blessing of working very closely with him, who tragically and suddenly passed away on Oct. 14, on t

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