New York – The Orthodox Union reversed course and extended the contract of Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, its executive vice president, for two more years.
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Weinreb's contract was to expire this summer and a search committee had been established to find a replacement. The committee has since disbanded.
O.U. President Stephen Savitsky said that the change was prompted solely by the need to undertake a strategic planning effort before hiring new leadership.
But sources at the group said a groundswell of support for Weinreb, which began after it became clear that his departure wasn't entirely voluntary, led to the extension until summer 2009.
Weinreb was brought on in 2002 to help the Orthodox Union, the largest Orthodox umbrella group in the United States, recover from allegations of sexual misconduct by a youth group leader. Weinreb, a rabbi and psychotherapist, is widely admired within the organization, but some feel he lacks the business acumen to lead the Orthodox Union, which runs the largest kosher certification business in the world.
Opposition to Weinreb's departure is said to have formed after a January article revealed that he did not want to step down. [JTA]