Rabbi Hauer, who had served as EVP at the OU since 2020, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 60 over  Shemini Atzeret  last year. His passing came just hours after the remaining living 20 Israeli hostages, taken on Oct. 7, 2023, were returned  from Gaza. Keeping the plight of the hostages in the public eye was just one aspect of the public advocacy work Rabbi Hauer engaged in on behalf of the OU and the Jewish community, as he sought to bring Torah values to the world and increase unity among Jews.

“Over the past year, we have felt Rabbi Moshe Hauer, zt”l’s absence in countless moments, even as we continue to feel his presence in the Torah he taught, the relationships he built, and the values he embodied,” said Rabbi Josh Joseph, CEO of the Orthodox Union, who worked closely with Rabbi Hauer over the years as the two led the OU together. “Rabbi Hauer had a rare ability to make every person feel seen and every challenge worthy of his full heart and attention. The many lives he touched, throughout our community and far beyond it, remain a testament to a life devoted to Torah, to Klal Yisrael, and to caring deeply for others. On his first yahrzeit, we remember not only how profoundly we miss him, but how enduringly his wisdom, warmth, and example continue to guide and inspire us.”

An emotional video played at the event featured clips of Rabbi Hauer throughout his years at the OU, speaking about his love of Torah, dedication to prayer, and how to foster more unity among the Jewish people, especially amid rising antisemitism. “The study of Torah is equal to everything,” he said in one clip. “It stimulates everything. It grows us. The Torah spoke, as our sages teach us, in 600,000 voices when the Jewish people stood around Har Sinai.  And there's so many different unique languages of Torah. Torah belongs to everyone. And it's our responsibility, all of us, to make sure that everybody has their portion of that precious inheritance.” 

Speakers at the event recalled how diligently Rabbi Hauer worked to spread Torah, create unity, and stand up for the rights and values of the Jewish community and of Israel. Rabbi Hauer’s son, Rabbi Shlomo Hauer, quoted Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, a prominent Torah scholar and student of the Vilna Gaon:  "This is what man is about. He wasn't created for himself. Rather, he was created to do for others in any which way that he can." 

“This is the way my father lived, literally,” Rabbi Shlomo Hauer said. “He managed to make time for every individual,” he recalled.“And when he was able to connect with people one-on-one, that gave him the greatest pleasure,” he said. “He always made sure not to hold back when he had something positive to say about someone or to someone, even when that meant making phone calls at hectic times before holidays, or writing letters to authors of books he read to compliment their work.”

Rabbi Yaakov Neuburger, Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshiva University’s RIETS and Rav of Congregation Beth Abraham,shares how Rabbi Hauer always displayed clarity for Torah values when he spoke to others and when he spoke publicly, drawing a parallel to Moshe Rabbenu, who also always had a clear message as he led Am Yisrael in the desert.   

“He mastered the ability to be public, to be a leader and to be self-effacing at the same time,” Rabbi Neuburger said. This clarity and commitment to working for the greater good inspired many people to work with Rabbi Hauer and come together to accomplish things, even when they were difficult.

“Whenever Rabbi Hauer called, you knew it was as a shaliach of Klal Yisrael, you can’t turn Klal Yisrael down,” Rabbi Neuburger said.

Rabbi Hauer worked with many different leaders and groups across the Jewish world, speakers at the event recalled. He put aside any personal agenda to focus on the common needs of the Jewish community. “Nothing he did was for his own honor but for the honor of Ha Kadosh Baruch Hu,” said Israeli  Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter, quoting an idea from the Talmud, as he addressed the event through a video recording.

Sheila Katz, who worked with Rabbi Hauer on advocacy issues when she served as CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women, spoke about his ability to relate to others different from himself. He also knew how to disagree on topics with people but still maintain relationships with them and work with them, said Katz, now Chief Jewish Life Officer at the Jewish Federations of North America. “You didn't have to agree with him to feel seen by him.” 

Katz shared that last year, just before Rosh Hashana, and only a few weeks before his passing, Rabbi Hauer reflected to her on the famous phrase from Rosh Hashana davening  “Who will live and who will die. Who will die at the predestined time and who before that time.” Rabbi Hauer explained that these lines should be read with the idea that we are not just individuals who will come and go, but are all part of a trajectory, working together for Klal Yisrael. 

“It is not our task to finish the job, just to continue it and never neglect it,” she said, quoting Rabbi Hauer. 

Incoming Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union, Rabbi Shmuel Silber, talked about how he first met Rabbi Hauer 24 years ago when his family moved to Baltimore, and how he was a mentor to him ever since. He respected everyone and understood that time was precious, so he was always using it well, Silber recalled.

“He always had profound insight, intuition, and understanding,” Silber recalled. “What was so special about Rabbi Hauer is that he taught us these two lessons: Bring Hashem into every single thing that you do, and always look up,” toward Heaven. Especially during the Covid pandemic and after October 7th, Rabbi Hauer modeled this approach, inspiring others to find the strength to go on amid overwhelming challenges and loss.

“Rabbi Hauer created a vision, a vision for something higher, a vision for something holier, a vision for something greater,” Silber said. “And his neshama calls out to us to continue his holy work.”

The OU community is dedicated to embracing the memory of Rabbi Hauer and making his life part of their work each day.

“This has been a year of great trauma and great resilience for the OU,” said Mitch Aeder, president of the OU. “Rabbi Hauer, zt”l was larger than life.  We miss him every day, both as individuals and as an organization.  At the same time, Rabbi Hauer’s love of Torah and love of the Jewish people continue to inspire and motivate our extraordinary professionals to serve Klal Yisrael with dedication and humility.  As we approach the yahrzeit, it is meaningful to share our sadness and gratitude with the Hauer family and many of those in the community whom he touched.”

Watch the full event recording here.