The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (OU), the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization, recently joined with the Pennsylvania affiliate of the Council on American Private Education (PA CAPE) and other education organizations to honor state Rep. Jim Christiana, R-Beaver, with the Pennsylvania School Choice Champion Award. The ceremony was hosted by PA CAPE, of which the OU is an active member, and took place in Lancaster, Penn. in conjunction with National School Choice Week (Jan. 24-30, 2016).

Rep. Christiana, a member of both the House Education and Appropriations Committees and chairman of the House Subcommittee on Higher Education, is a longtime supporter of school choice and a leader in the effort to further increase funding for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs. Together, these programs provide millions of dollars annually in scholarships for low- and middle-income families across Pennsylvania.

The Orthodox Union is the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization; the OU Advocacy Center is the non-partisan public policy arm of the OU and leads its advocacy efforts in Washington, DC and state capitals.