Agudah called its new COO "a longtime employee." He is also a sitting New Jersey assemblyman.

On March 4, 2026, Agudath Israel of America named Rabbi Avi Schnall its chief operating officer, in charge of day-to-day operations. Chairman Sol Werdiger introduced him as "a longtime employee of Agudas Yisroel." Yeshiva World News and The Lakewood Scoop carried the announcement.

Neither mentioned whether Schnall would keep his other job: member of the New Jersey General Assembly.

Schnall, a Democrat, represents the 30th Legislative District, which includes Lakewood. He was elected in November 2023, beating four-term incumbent Ned Thomson, and reelected in 2025. The Assembly Democrats list him as Deputy Whip. He chairs the Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee and sits on the Budget Committee.

We found no report that he gave up either job. In October, the Jewish Link still identified him as Agudah's COO.

This July, Agudah celebrated New Jersey's fiscal 2027 budget. In a deficit year, it said, its priorities got $20 million in new money, including nonpublic school security aid raised to $32.55 million and child care assistance up $18 million. Its release credited Assemblyman Avi Schnall.

So Agudah's chief operating officer sits on the committee that writes the budget Agudah lobbies on, and Agudah thanks him for the result.

Before the promotion, Schnall was Agudah's Director of Federal Educational Affairs. In the fiscal year ending August 2024, already in the Assembly, Agudah paid him $149,880, according to its Form 990. The previous COO, Rabbi Yitzchok Ehrman, was the highest-paid person listed that year at $298,117. We don't know what Schnall is paid as COO, or where Ehrman went.

Agudah's revenue fell from $46.1 million in fiscal 2022 to $24.6 million in fiscal 2024. In fiscal 2024 it spent $28.7 million.

We found no ruling from New Jersey's Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards on the dual role, and have not seen whether Schnall's annual financial disclosure lists Agudah income. Kol America will request both, and will ask Schnall and Agudah how his legislative and Agudah work are kept apart.

How we reported this: from Yeshiva World News, The Lakewood Scoop, the Jewish Link, Agudath Israel's July 3 budget release, the Assembly Democrats' member page, and Agudah's Form 990 (EIN 13-5604164) as summarized by ProPublica. Tips: [email protected].