About Us

Welcome to the online home of World ORT, the world's largest Jewish education and vocational training non-governmental organisation. This year, through our network of schools, colleges, training centres and programmes in Israel, Russia, Argentina and many other countries worldwide, we will benefit more than 200,000 people - young and old, Jewish and non-Jewish. With your help, we can continue the ORT tradition of freeing individuals and communities from dependence.

• To work for the advancement of Jewish and other people through training and education;

• To provide communities wherever they are, with the skills and knowledge necessary to cope with the complexities and uncertainties of their environment;

• To foster economic self-sufficiency, mobility and a sense of identity through use of state-of-the-art technology;

• To support non-sectarian economic and social development through International Cooperation programs in under-developed parts of the world, with vocational training and the provision of technical assistance.

ORT was founded in Tsarist Russia in 1880. The name 'ORT' was coined from the acronym of the Russian words Obshestvo Remeslenofo zemledelcheskofo Truda, meaning The Society for Trades and Agricultural Labour.

It is an acronym that has stuck through 130 years of education and training, moving from its roots in Russia to become a global organisation, hence the name World ORT. ORT is proud of its history and roots, and that it still carries the moto of "Educating for Life" into today.