Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce (OJC)

In October 2023, the OJC launched a boycott against Starbucks after Starbucks Workers United, the Workers United, SEIU-affiliated union and union-organizing campaign for Starbucks employees, expressed “solidarity” with Palestinians shortly after the Hamas terrorist attack against Israel. ⁵

The organization grew out of the Parnassah Expo – Nationwide Business Networking Events. ¹

Background

The Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce (OJC) says it is active on both business networking and political fronts to improve the prospects of Orthodox Jewish-owned companies doing business with major corporate entities. It also claims to help implement laws beneficial to Orthodox Jewish-owned companies at the federal, state, and local level. ¹

The organization says small businesses make up more than 80 percent of its membership. ⁶

Founding

Duvi Honig is the founder of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce (OJC). ² Honig is a real estate investor who was negatively affected by the Great Recession of 2008, seeing his house foreclosed and utilities turned off. ³ He also saw neighbors in Lakewood, New Jersey losing their jobs during the recession. ⁷

While some programs already existed to support businesses owners and job seekers, Honig said he found those programs had not kept pace with the economy, where more entrepreneurs were using technology, social media and outsourcing to create companies faster and cheaper than before. ⁸

He said this inspired him to establish the Parnassah Network in 2009 to offer day-long training seminars for startups covering job training, financing, coaching, and networking. ^{9 8}

Divisions

The Parnassah Network expanded to include 14 divisions, which eventually led to the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce. The OJC became the parent group with separate divisions, including the original network. ⁸

The OJC opened a New York City office in May 2017. ⁷ J. Morton Davis is the chairman of OJC in New York City. ¹⁰ Shmuel Shifrin is the executive director of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce. ²

In January 2018 the OJC launched in Israel division in Jerusalem by hosting a business networking event. ¹¹

Government Advocacy

The Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce (OJC) says its Executive Public Policy Committee engages in advocacy with the White House, Congress, and the Israeli Knesset to benefit its members. ⁹

The chamber also says it has confronted anti-Semitism in the United Nations, and has battled the BDS movement (boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israel) at institutions, asserting the movement would harm Jewish businesses and professionals around the world. ⁹

In 2016, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators honored the OJC during Jewish Heritage Month. These senators also held a press conference in front of United Nations headquarters featuring former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton. ⁹

The OJC teamed with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) for a “U.S.-Israel Business Alliance” trip to Israel in January 2017. ¹² The event included a Knesset symposium attended by a dozen prominent members and a business networking dinner at the King David Hotel. ⁹

In May 2017, the OJC held an event to honor New Jersey state legislators for approving bipartisan anti-BDS legislation that passed the previous year. The legislation prohibited funds from the state’s $71 billion pension fund from being invested in any companies that engage in BDS activity. ¹³

In October 2018, Honig visited the Trump White House where he met with Mark Zelden, acting director of the Department of Labor’s Centers for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives, and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. ¹⁴

The OJC supported the designation of New Jersey Economic Development Day, which Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed into law in 2019. It is the second Monday in May each year. ¹⁵ New Jersey Economic Development Day is aimed at encouraging state officials, business leaders and local residents to organize job fairs, business conferences and to promote “economic resiliency,” as well as “streamline economic development programs to empower communities” for economic growth. ⁷

In February 2023, in Washington, D.C., officials from the U.S. Department of Commerce met with Duvi Honig, founder and CEO of the OJC, as well as Mark Jaffe of the New York Chamber of Commerce and James Kim of the [South] Korean Chamber of Commerce. The business leaders also had a private dinner at the Capitol. The chamber leaders and Commerce Department officials discussed World Trade Month coming in May. ¹⁶

In November 2023, the OJC opposed a proposed “Congestion Tax,” under which New York State could charge commuters entering Manhattan’s central business district during peak hours a toll reaching as high as $23. The Federal Highway Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation, approved the move. OJC supported New Jersey Gov. Murphy’s intent to sue the federal government to block its approval. ¹⁰

Programs and Events

The OJC’s flagship event is the annual J-Biz Expo and Business Conference, which it calls the largest Jewish community business-to-business event in the world. The event is held in the New York/New Jersey region. The chamber says the event draws hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of attendees from around the world. ^{7 9}

In July 2018, the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce co-sponsored the “Honoring Lauren Simmons, the Lone Woman on Wall Street: Empowering Minorities” event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in partnership with the African American Chamber of Commerce, Modern Wealth Concepts Executive Services Group, and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The event was to stress the capacity for breaking barriers in business for all minorities. The event featured a series of panel discussions on women in business, as well as a speech by Lauren Simmons, who at age 23 was the youngest woman full-time stockbroker on the New York Stock Exchange. ⁷

The organization has also teamed with the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce to sponsor the New York Business Conference and Expo in Midtown Manhattan. ⁷

Starbucks Strike

After the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel in October 2023, Starbucks Workers United, a labor union of Starbucks employees affiliated with the Service Employees International Union’s Workers United division, posted, “Solidarity with Palestine” on its social media accounts. ^{17 18}

The Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce called for a for “a widespread boycott of Starbucks,” to “send a strong message against the normalization of violence and hatred,” according to the Jerusalem Post. The group added, “Together, let us make a resounding statement against the indifference displayed towards the loss of innocent lives.” ⁵

The OJC posted a list of the 300 unionized locations on its website and stated that “the Chamber urges all seeking a non-hostile [sic] environment to avoid.” ¹⁹ Starbucks Workers United accused the company of sharing the list of 300 unionized locations with the OJC. ¹⁸