Agudath Israel of America’s vice president for development and state relations, Rabbi Yehiel Kalish, will be leaving the employ of Agudath Israel, it was announced today by a spokesman for the organization, while retaining a prominent role in the development of Agudath Israel’s national network of governmental advocacy offices.

Rabbi Kalish began his career at Agudath Israel in 2002, when he was hired to serve as the organization’s Midwest regional director. He climbed the ranks of the organization, and became vice president for development and state relations in 2013. In addition, Rabbi Kalish was a member, along with Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, Rabbi Shlomo Gertzulin and Rabbi Labish Becker, of Agudath Israel’s executive staff committee, which is responsible for the day to day operations of the organization.

Over the course of his tenure at Agudath Israel, Rabbi Kalish was instrumental in establishing and developing a network of regional offices focusing on governmental advocacy in state capitals across the country. In addition, he emerged on the national scene as one of America’s most vigorous and effective advocates for “school choice” – policies and laws designed to help give parents every opportunity to choose the schools most appropriate for their children, including religious schools.

Rabbi Kalish will be leaving the employ of Agudath Israel effective September 1, 2014. He will serve as chairman and CEO of the S4 Group, LLC, a full service government affairs firm with offices in New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C.

At the same time, Rabbi Kalish will continue to serve as a volunteer for Agudath Israel, as chairman of the organization’s state relations committee. In that capacity, he will continue to work with Rabbi A.D. Motzen, Agudath Israel’s national director of state relations, to help guide the growth and development of Agudath Israel advocacy offices throughout the United States.

“When a person of the caliber and stature of Rabbi Yehiel Kalish leaves the employ of an organization, it is obviously a great loss,” said Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, executive vice president of Agudath Israel. “We will miss him tremendously.”

“At the same time, however, we are thrilled that Yehiel will continue to serve Agudath Israel in a volunteer capacity as chairman of our state relations committee. Knowing him as we do, we have every confidence that he will continue making a real difference for Klal Yisroel regardless of where he happens to be employed at any given time.”

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