We’ve Got Some Questions for YOU!
You, our supporters, are also our advisors. We’re presenting you with a few questions we have long been debating, and ask you to please give them your serious consideration. Your input is valuable to us, so please take a few minutes to respond.

1. As an organization doing kiruv, Oorah faces many difficult, delicate questions. We have rabbonim who have made themselves available to us to answer these questions. Should those who ask us, “Who paskined that?” regarding a particular question be given the identity of the Rav?
   
   Option One: For the sake of transparency, if Oorah claims to be relying on rabbonim to guide it, it should be willing to identify the Rav who answers a particular shaila. In this way, Oorah will have the endorsement it needs to go forward with whatever the Rav has decided, without concern that others in the community might think it is acting inappropriately.
   Option Two: By definition, a difficult shaila has two strong sides. There will always be many arguments contrary to what Oorah’s Rav decides, and there will always be zealots who feel it necessary to bring these points to the Rav’s attention. This will create an unnecessary and unfair burden on the Rav, who might have to field dozens or even hundreds of phone calls regarding each decision he makes for Oorah.
   
   
2. The challenges and pitfalls of the Internet are so well knows that many communities strongly discourage or outright ban it from their homes. When a Jewish organization such as Oorah maintains a website, this may seem to give Internet use a certain “hechsher” that contradicts the Torah world’s message. Is a website a legitimate medium for Oorah’s fundraising activities?
   
   Option One: No. The ends do not justify the means. If the Torah world rejects the Internet in all but the most necessary, business-related venues, certainly Oorah should not be inviting people to log on and donate money to its cause. There are many other ways to raise money. Also, having a dot.com address listed for a frum organization gives the impression that the ban of the Internet is “just talk,” and not really adhered to in the Torah world.
   
   Option Two: Yes. The fact is that people are using the Internet, for business, research and sometimes for personal purposes as well. They are not logging on specifically to enter the Oorah auction, and therefore, Oorah’s presence on the Internet is not encouraging anyone to log on who would otherwise refrain from doing sol Once they are already on, however, there is nothing wrong with Oorah being there as a convenient format for them to make their donation.
   
   
3. Without a Chinese Auction Event that people can attend, Oorah’s Chinese Auction sometimes comes under question. Is it real? Do people really win these prizes? To answer those questions, we instituted the tradition of telephoning winners during the Radiothon. In fact, the auction entry includes a disclaimer informing entrants that they may be called, and advising them not to enter the auction if this is not acceptable to them. Some listeners, however, have protested that waking people up in the middle of the night is an unacceptable practice. Do the benefits of this practice balance the possible inconvenience to the winners who are called?
   
   Option One: No. Adding excitement and a sense of reality to the Auction is no excuse to disturb people’s sleep, possibly causing them a few moments of real fright. There is time enough the next day to inform the winners. Most people don’t read the fine print on the auction entry form, and therefore cannot be said to be giving their informed consent to being awakened.
   Option Two: Yes. The Radiothon listeners love to hear the winners’ reactions. The winners have never complained because Oorah only calls communities in which late-night calls are generally accepted, or it calls people in Eretz Yisrael where it is already day time. In addition, it only calls the winners of the larger prizes, who are more than happy to hear the news, even if they have an initial negative reaction to the ringing phone. Therefore, if it helps Oorah bring more credibility, and therefore more success to the auction, the practice should be continued.
   
   
4. Should Oorah use photographs of ladies in its promotional materials?
   Oorah is proud of the wide range of people who support kiruv through our organization. They reflect the entire range of Jewish communities from Chassidish to Modern Orthodox. Since our rabbonim have decided that, as long as the people in a photograph are dressed according to the halachic parameters of tznius, there is no reason a photo of a woman cannot be published. But the question remains as to how Oorah should balance the various sensitivities of its diverse base of supporters. Unfortunately, each option holds the possibility of diminishing our contributions, which in turn deprives Jewish children of the opportunity for a Torah chinuch.
   
   YOUR OPINION:
   Option One: Do not publish photographs of ladies, so that those who are offended by such photos will be able to welcome Oorah’s printed materials into their homes. In this case, Oorah would be likely to lose support from the “middle-to-left” segment of our supporters, who are offended by the deliberate omission of half the people Oorah serves.
   
   Option Two:Include photos of ladies so that we can depict the reality of what we do – for instance, showing families at our Shabbat With Oorah or staff and campers at GirlZone. This option would be within the guidelines set by our rabbonim and would not offend the “middle-to-left” supporters. However, it would offend a portion of those in the right-wing sector, who might then cease to support Oorah and cease to accept its printed materials into their homes.
   
   Option Three: Use photos of ladies, but only those that are reasonably small and inconspicuous. This would address the sensitivities of both sides while still allowing Oorah to show a realistic view of the kiruv we do.
   
   
   
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