Born From a Promise, Built for What's Next: World ORT and ORT America Unite

NEW YORK and LONDON, March 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- World ORT and ORT America have united, bringing together two organizations that have long shared a mission yet operated with distinction: one raised funds, the other developed programs. Now, both will operate under the leadership of CEO Dov Ben-Shimon with headquarters in New York and offices in London and Israel. The announcement marks a defining moment for a cause that has never stopped evolving or wavered on why it exists.

A Promise Made in 1880
In 1880, Jewish life in Tsarist Russia was under siege. Legal restrictions barred Jewish people from most professions, owning land, and living freely outside the Pale of Settlement. When a group of Jewish leaders in St. Petersburg petitioned to establish an organization dedicated to teaching trades to impoverished Russian Jews, they were determined to improve their circumstances— they called it ORT.

That promise has proven itself across every generation since. From 1880 Russia to 30+ countries spanning five continents, World ORT has grown into one of the most far-reaching Jewish educational networks in the world.

What the Merger Makes Possible
World ORT is positioned to deepen relationships with locally run schools, connect educators across borders, and direct funding more strategically to where the need is greatest. The ambition is not to standardize. It's to strengthen. Every student in the World ORT network, wherever they are, should have access to the best that the network has to offer.

"Even when situations are dire — poverty, war, displacement — ORT students can imagine a future. That is what World ORT has done for 145 years. And we will carry it forward for 145 more."
Dov Ben-Shimon, CEO, World ORT

"World ORT doesn't just teach skills. We also share the joy of Jewish Peoplehood, ensuring our students are both prepared for the future and proud of their identity."
 Jon Levine, Board Chair, World ORT

World ORT by the Numbers
145 years of impact • 30+ countries • 5 continents • 80K annual students • 200K annual beneficiaries

To see the video created for the announcement, visit ort.org/merger.

MEDIA CONTACT: ALEX GALBINSKI
[email protected]
+44 (0) 20 7446 8502

SOURCE World ORT