Greater Washington Region

ORT America’s Greater Washington Region was formed at the beginning of 2007 with the merger of American ORT’s (AO) National Capital Area Chapter and Women’s American ORT’s (WAO) Northern Virginia Area Council and covers the District of Columbia and the surrounding counties in Maryland and Virginia. The new region has a rich Women’s American ORT and American ORT history going back as far as the 1950s.

The National Capital Area Chapter was founded in the late 1970s by Myer Freyman and Alvin Browdy, who both served as national leaders of American ORT. 

The chapter further owes a debt of gratitude to many of the leaders who followed and established long-term commitments to ORT. Today, Roger Browdy, who picked up the mantle from his father, remains very active locally and nationally, serving on the regional board, National Board of Directors and Executive Committee.  

Other board members, especially Allen Kronstadt, Mark Goldstein, Howard Postal, Steve Schlosser, Sam Tucker, Sy Zuckerman, and Charles Dahan have served for many years and bring with them a love of ORT’s work around the world. 

Women’s American ORT began in the 1950s in the region and became very active in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., in what was once called the WAO Washington Region. There were hundreds of members in as many as five chapters in Virginia and even more chapters in Maryland. Around 1980, the Northern Virginia Area Council was formed which combined a number of the chapters for more efficient and effective fundraising. Two members involved in the 1950s when WAO began in Virginia, Bernice Kaufman and Polly Liss, continue to be active in the Northern Virginia Area Council today.

Women’s American ORT nationally has profited greatly from the local leadership of the Northern Virginia area and Maryland. Susan Clayman and Vickie Abrutyn have served on the national board and in numerous regional and area positions. Barbara Goldlust has also served in many regional and area positions. They along with Susan Schwartz are highly regarded for their mentoring skills and for having engaged many others in the work of ORT.

Today, the Northern Virginia Area Council is a committee of the Greater Washington Region and the major fundraising organization for ORT America in Virginia.

The Greater Washington Region plans on building on the various strengths of each organization.

The capstone of the American ORT fundraising was its annual awards dinner in the late fall, which has recognized those long associated with ORT as well as leaders in the broader Washington, D.C., community, who are helping ORT to become better known among those involved with the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, other Jewish agencies and synagogues. This will now become a region-wide ORT America fundraiser.

For the last 10 springs, the former American ORT Chapter has also sponsored a golf tournament. Under the leadership of Brent Goldstein in recent years, the tournament has steadily increased the amount of funds raised and draws in individuals who would otherwise not know about the organization. With the merger, there is greater outreach to involve players in northern Virginia.

Beginning in 1999, the American ORT Chapter established an Inner Circle of donors of $2,500 or more. These individuals are invited to quarterly breakfasts to hear outstanding speakers on a wide variety of topics. These have included experts on national and international issues of interest to the Jewish community, authors, government leaders, sports aficionados and many more. Beginning in 2006, both AO and WAO donors of $2,500 and above were invited to these breakfasts. 

The WAO Northern Virginia Area Council has maintained a speakers’ series for members.  These events are now open to all donors in the region.

Beginning in late 2005, the AO Chapter began an effort to further broaden its reach among younger Jewish families and synagogues through a program entitled “Create a Friend.”  Conceived by board member, Ray Sherbill, the program is focused on B’nai Mitzvah children and their parents. Under the program, each B’nai Mitzvah would be matched with an ORT student. They would agree on an ORT project for which the B’nai Mitzvah would raise funds. Envisioned as more than a one-time fundraising event, the project is intended to give the child a direct emotional and spiritual connection to the good that he or she is accomplishing and an opportunity to stay connected with the ORT student wherever he or she may be. The new Region hopes to establish ongoing relationships with area synagogues in order to encourage more and more Bar and Bat Mitzvah students and their families to learn about ORT and participate in the program.

Finally, the WAO Northern Virginia Area Council has maintained a monthly newsletter to keep members informed of events and national and international priorities. During 2007, the newsletter will become a Greater Washington Regional newsletter under the editorship of Estelle Miller.