Rabbi Hauer and the Power of Disagreement

by R. Gil Student

On Shemini Atzeres of 5786, the Jewish world lost Rabbi Moshe Hauer zt”l, one of the wisest and most quietly pious people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Rabbi Hauer was a spiritual giant and a personal mentor of mine, but it did not start out that way. When I first interacted with Rabbi Hauer when I was a lay leader at the OU, I found his actions puzzling and contrary to my instincts on how a leader should run an organization. Let me tell you how he not only won me over but convinced me to leave my career in Finance and work for him full time.

I served for years as a volunteer on the editorial committee of Jewish Action. The committee meets to plan each issue and offers guidance through email on an ongoing basis. In the past, we typically operated independently unless questions arose that required direction from OU leadership. The system worked well and the magazine earned wide praise for its educational and inspirational value.

That changed in 2020 when Rabbi Hauer joined the OU as executive vice president and began attending and actively contributing to editorial meetings. He offered detailed thoughts on specific articles and themes: what topics we should cover, whether to take a first-person angle or more of a thought piece, who would be a good writer or interviewee for any specific article, etc. The involvement of the head of such a vast organization — overseeing NCSY, Yachad and more — initially troubled me. Was this level of hands-on participation good for the organization? On a personal level, he and I often disagreed in those meetings, and I assumed he did not value my input. I felt alienated from a publication I loved and frustrated by what I mistook for micromanagement.

I expected that he did not appreciate my contribution because of our frequent disagreements. Over time, through continued conversation, I realized how wrong I had been. Rabbi Hauer’s involvement reflected a fundamental belief that came to resonate deeply with me. He believed in the transformative power of ideas. OU programs are about action — outreach, assistance, advocacy, etc. — but ideas are what inspire action. To change the world, you start with changing how people think. You open conversation on urgent issues and challenge assumptions. Without defining problems and understanding their causes, how can you ever solve them? How do we energize people to take action without first convincing them that this must be a priority?

Nearly all of my many conversations with Rabbi Hauer returned to this theme: the world is complex. We must weigh priorities and decide which takes precedence. Talk must lead to insight, and insight must lead to action. Discussion without direction, without a takeaway, was for him a missed opportunity.

But even practical conversation alone is not enough. It has to reflect a Torah perspective rooted in traditional sources and guided by the sages of our time. Rabbi Hauer was uncompromising in his fidelity to Torah values on every minor detail, every word, every implication. This came not merely from obedience to halachah but from his essence. He strove to align every decision with Hashem’s will, through halachah and hashkafah, Jewish law and thought. His faith and awe of Hashem infused everything he said and did. He continually sought guidance from great rabbis to confirm that he was walking the right path.

I came to see that his attention to Jewish Action and passionate care for its detailed decisions stemmed not from executive control but from religious responsibility. He saw the magazine as a crucial forum to explore how we as a community can better fulfill Hashem’s will. He began with first principles—analyze issues, inspire reflection, identify even partial solutions. Rabbi Hauer often reminded us that the Orthodox community has much to celebrate, yet always has more work to do and more people to help.

Years earlier, in 2011, Rabbi Hauer co-founded the Klal Perspectives journal to discuss communal challenges and solutions. After joining the OU, he extended that mission through Jewish Action, in a more accessible format. He valued disagreement and a spectrum of viewpoints. He wanted ideas tested. Hearing other perspectives and possibilities sharpened his thinking. Sometimes he conceded to me, sometimes not. He was a persistent man in pursuing Hashem’s will, but at the same time he was open to hearing and honestly considering other views particularly from other parts of the community.

Eventually, as he drew me into more conversations and projects, I realized that our differences had revealed a shared purpose. I followed his guidance as a student before a teacher, challenging him respectfully and often being rewarded with his humor in return. His appreciation of our interactions led him to invite me to work for him full time earlier this year, which for me is a dream come true. I will forever mourn that I had only a few months under the mentorship of such a great man. 

Rabbi Hauer’s blend of conviction and openness, his strength of principle and willingness to listen, endeared him to all who knew him. These qualities, as so many are now testifying, allowed him to elevate individuals and the community alike.

I learned so much from Rabbi Hauer in such a short time. When I first drafted this article, I began with a clever opening line meant to create suspense. Then I heard Rabbi Hauer’s voice in my mind, asking in the language of familiarity and mentorship, “Really? That is how you begin speaking about a rabbi who passed away? Where’s the kavod ha-Torah, the honor for the Torah?” In my head, I explained the literary effect and the buildup to the kavod, the respect which he demanded for others. To which I heard Rabbi Hauer’s voice say the pithy and powerful phrase I imagine he would make up on the spot, “More kavod, less clever.” And then he repeated in a hushed voice, almost a whisper, as if reproaching himself more than me, “More kavod, less clever.” 

I pray that we are able to live up to his towering example and his uncompromising ideals, and continue reflecting in our actions more kavod — for the Torah, for the community and for every individual — as Rabbi Hauer taught with his tireless example.

Rabbi Gil Student is the Director of Jewish Media, Publications and Editorial Communications at the Orthodox Union.