Please share this information with family or friends who do not have email or internet access.
If you, a family member, or friend would like to receive emails from the Agudah email reception@agudah.org. | | News from the Agudah:
- Friday's "News from The Agudah" was focused on the new guidance that has just been released for reopening our Kehillos. If you missed it, please click here to read it. And because of that, today's "News from The Agudah" is a bit longer than usual - enjoy!
- Tonight, Sunday, at 8:30 pm EDT, we will be hosting a webinar on Maintaining Tranquility in Our Homes. The program will include a panel graced by Rabbi Reuven Feinstein, Rosh HaYeshiva, Yeshiva Staten Island; Rabbi Yaakov Bender, Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshiva Darchei Torah; and Rabbi David Finkelman, Menahel, Mesivta Toras Emes. The panel will be moderated by Rabbi Heshy Forster, Menahel, Yeshiva Tiferes Yisroel. Please see below or click here for more information.
- The virtual Yarchei Kallah program will continue this week on the inyan of Brochos. Today, Sunday May 10th, Rabbi Asher Weiss will be speaking at 12:00 pm EDT on the yesod of birchas hamazon and Rabbi Moshe Tuvia Lieff will be sharing divrei chizzuk at 1:00 pm EDT. Please see below for more details.
- This afternoon, Sunday May 10th, on Pirchei Live, we are excited to be hosting guest storyteller Rabbi Yoel Ferber. The Pirchei Live will begin at 5:00 pm EDT and will be followed by Tehillim at 6:00 pm EDT. The call in and Zoom information is: Phone number: 425-436-6277, access code 533200#. To join on Zoom, you must preregister by clicking here.
- On Monday, May 11th, we will be hosting a webinar in partnership with Roth and Co. regarding Maximizing PPP Loan Forgiveness. You must preregister to attend, and slots are filling up quickly. Please see below for more information and for a link to register.
- Today, May 10th, there will be a virtual chizuk asifah specifically for Maggidei Shiur organized by the Daf Yomi Commission. If you are a Daf Yomi Maggid Shiur, you don't want to miss this. Please see below for more information.
- We are honored to share a video and a transcript of the remarks by Rabbi Ariel Sadwin, director of Agudath Israel of Maryland, at the White House National Day of Prayer this past Thursday. Please see below.
- Did you know that a Bnos Bikur Cholim (BBC) volunteer recently saved a woman's life with a phone call? See below for how BBC is making a difference in seniors' lives across the country, and for how your daughter can get involved.
- Night Seder America 2.0 continues, with a big Yasher Koach to Rabbi Ari Schonfeld for providing an incredible program of shteiging for some 1,500 boys each night! Please see below for information about this week's program.
| | Tonight: Maintaining Tranquility in our Homes: A Symposium | | Agudah is proud to be hosting a symposium devoted exclusively to the issue of identifying the balance of maintaining a functional household in these pandemic times. For many of us, the way we are living now has upended comfortable lifestyles and organized schedules and has been clouded with uncertainty.
Aside from the health effects of COVID-19, many of us are concerned of the negative effects this new existence will have on our homes and families. These concerns will be addressed in this symposium: Maintaining Tranquility in our Homes.
The symposium will be taking place tonight, Sunday, at 8:30 PM EDT. The program will include a panel graced by Rabbi Reuven Feinstein, Rosh HaYeshiva, Yeshiva Staten Island; Rabbi Yaakov Bender, Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshiva Darchei Torah; and Rabbi David Finkelman, Menahel, Mesivta Toras Emes.
The panel will be moderated by Rabbi Heshy Forster, Menahel, Yeshiva Tiferes Yisroel. If you would like to submit a question to the speakers before the event, please email questions@agudah.org. While we cannot guarantee your specific question will be addressed, we will do our utmost to cover all the relevant issues.
The event will be livestreamed on Agudah.org, TUresponse.org, TorahAnytime.com/AgudahLive, TheYeshivaWorld.com and Hamodia.com.
Call-in information for the United States and Canada is:
US: 718-298-2077 Access code: 52 Canada: 647-797-0056 Access code: 52
To receive general updates of upcoming events like this one, and other Agudah news, email reception@agudah.org. | | On Sunday, there will a hachanah shiur from Rabbi Shlomo Gottesman at 11:00 am EDT, a shiur from Rabbi Asher Weiss at 12:00 pm EDT on Yesod Birchas Hamazon, and we will be hearing divrei chizuk from Rabbi Moshe Tuvia Lieff at 1:00 pm EDT. There is also a nightly chazarah shiur at 8:00 pm EDT from Rabbi Shlomo Cynamon.
| | PPP Loan Forgiveness Webinar | | On Monday, May 11th, we will be hosting a webinar in partnership with Roth and Co. regarding Maximizing PPP Loan Forgiveness. Click here to register for the webinar. | | Rabbi Ariel Sadwin Reciting Prayer at White House National Day of Prayer | | This past Thursday, Rabbi Ariel Sadwin, director of Agudath Israel of Maryland, was honored to recite a prayer at the White House in honor of the National Day of Prayer. Rabbi Sadwin, who was introduced by President Trump, said the following prayer: King Solomon, in his great wisdom, writes in the second chapter of Song of Songs: "There He stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattices". The Midrash commentary explains this to be referring to Almighty G-d, at a time when His presence is NOT visible, nor is it readily apparent. But, fear not, says King Solomon, "He is right there in the background, watching over you through the window, and the lattice". Avinu H'av Harachaman – Oh, our Merciful Father: This idea is so apparent and reminiscent to this most challenging time during which we find ourselves. Our relationship with You seems so different from what it has always been. We have not been in Your House – our holy synagogues – in nearly two months! These sacred places where we go to seek You and to derive inspiration - three times a day… every day - are empty, dark, and shuttered. Instead, all we have had – is the sanctuary of our own homes and the limited allowable interactions. There is fear, there is sickness, there is death - wherever we turn and whenever we listen. But, yet, we know YOU are still there, watching over us. Ribono Shel Olam - Master of the World: You are the Rofeh Chol Bassar – the Healer of all flesh. We implore you to eradicate this awful plague from Your earth. Heal those who suffer. Comfort those who mourn. Sustain those who have lost livelihood. Please bless our President & First Lady, our Vice President & Second Lady, and the entire Administration, as well as the leaders of state and local governments – who must make critical decisions each and every day. Please bless the doctors, nurses, first responders, and all medical personnel who dedicate their lives to save others. Please bless the selfless community and civic leaders who are doing their part to help those in need. And please bless each and every one of your 330 million children - who make up the United States of America. Amen. Rabbi Ariel Sadwin came to the attention of the White House due to his extensive involvement in the COVID Blood Plasma Initiative. Rabbi Sadwin, along with Mr. Avrohom Weinstock, chief of staff for Agudath Israel, and many other partners, devoted countless hours to this cause. The initiative encourages those who already had COVID-19 to donate blood plasma, carrying healing anti-bodies, to those still suffering from the disease. Additionally, this initiative has facilitated wide-scale antibody titer testing to identify the many unconfirmed cases and allow them to also donate plasma. Due to the efforts put in place by these activists, thousands of additional donors were recruited to donate blood plasma, dramatically increasing the national supply of this potentially life-saving therapy. Agudath Israel of America is proud of their involvement in this project and is grateful to the President for highlighting this cause.
Our rabbinic leaders have called upon all people who use the internet to use a strong filter. This video is appropriate for a Torah audience. However, some filters block ALL videos. If your filter does not allow you to view this video, please contact your filtering company for access. If you prefer other options, please email communications@agudah.org. | | Bnos BBC: Changing Seniors' Lives, Ten Minutes at a Time | | "We must do something!" the email began.
Mrs. Chana Baila Hass, National Director of Bnos Agudath Israel, continued reading, "There are many elderly who have nothing to eat and no one to shop for them and don't have technology to connect them with outside volunteers. An elderly person needs people to call them and ask them what they need. WE CANNOT WAIT FOR THE ELDERLY TO REACH OUT!"
The service coordinator's words echoed in Mrs. Hass's head. While Bnos Bikur Cholim (BBC) runs many programs that match seniors with high school friends, they were all on hold due to the Corona pandemic. Visits and programs were out of the question for our most vulnerable population.
Virtual BBC
What could BBC do? There was only one option – going virtual with phone calls to seniors. BBC already had a group of high school volunteers for its "Call a Few" program, but it wasn't enough. So, Mrs. Hass sent out emails and placed an ad in the FJJ asking for more. The response was overwhelming. To date, BBC has over 300 phone pairs.
Each volunteer got the name and phone number of one or more seniors and began making calls to their new friends a few times a week. The immediate benefit is obvious; the calls dispel the loneliness that the homebound elderly feel. But the calls go way beyond that, helping on a practical level:
- An older woman mentioned that she couldn't get a moisturizer that she needed for her face. Her phone friend arranged a delivery from a local pharmacy.
- When some seniors indicated that they needed food, Bnos arranged for home-cooked meals to be sent.
- A volunteer became concerned when she couldn't reach her senior by phone. She alerted the proper authorities who found that the older woman was sick and needed critical care!
The BBC phone calls saved that woman's life.
Incredible Volunteers
And even when the calls don't produce such dramatic results, the volunteers tell Bnos how happy the seniors are when they call. They say it makes their whole day! Some of the older adults haven't seen another human being for seven weeks. They are terrified of leaving their houses. Simply talking to another person fulfills a basic need.
The volunteers also emphasize the huge returns on such a small amount of time. As one woman put it, "This is the time that we should be there for one another. What does it take from your week to make a ten-minute phone call?" We're all limited these days, but making a phone call is something we can do from home.
Another volunteer urges us to put ourselves in the seniors' shoes. "One day, we'll be sitting in our houses, waiting for the phone to ring. Everyone will get older one day and be in the same boat." And, of course, this mitzvah will still be relevant even after COVID19 ends.
BBC All Year
A special thank you goes to the Elie Wiesel Holocaust Survivors Initiative, sponsored by City Council of New York, for supporting BBC Holocaust programming.
- Weekly visits to Holocaust survivors by high school volunteers
- Weekly nursing home visits by high school volunteers
- Providing clothing and food for Holocaust survivors
- Calling seniors through our "Call a Few" program
If you'd like to join the BBC virtual program, BBC still needs more phonemates! Email Mrs. Hass at cbhass@agudah.org or call 212-797-9000 ext. 330. Or, do you know an older person in your neighborhood? Pick up the phone and give them a call. Giving ten minutes of your day can be life-changing for your senior friend. | | Virtual Maggidei Shiur Asifa | | Today, at 2:00 pm EDT there will be a virtual asifah for Maggidei shiur. Rabbi Yisroel Reisman will be sharing divrei chizuk v'his'orerus, and there will be a panel discussion and Q & A session with Rabbi Shmuel Dovid Friedman, Rabbi Kalman Frisch, and Rabbi Yitzchok Margareten. Divrei berachah from Rabbi Gedaliah Weinberger, chairman of the Daf Yomi Commission.
The Zoom meeting ID is 83528677424 and the call in number is 605-468-8003, access code 443138#. | | An Update from Night Seder America | | Dear Parents and Masmidim,
Incredibly, and with tremendous Siyata dishmaya, we enjoyed another week of Kiddush Shem Shamayim on NSA. The boys (all 1456 of them, their siblings, and perhaps even their parents ;-) ) continue to be an incredible source of Nachas and Chizuk to the rest of us. Please see below for Zoom meeting ID numbers, next week's schedule and next week's contest... MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT SUNDAY NIGHT OF OUR SPECIAL LAG B'OMER PROGRAM AND SCHEDULE. Unfortunately we do not have this past weeks shiurim recorded. We hope to start recording again on Sunday. We have attached some of the guest speakers from this past week along with the Yediyos Klaliyos pamphlet.
Have a great Shabbos,
Rabbi Schonfeld ZOOM MEETING ID: 8970634419 or 71913589090 (Password for both is 5780) CALL IN OPTION: 929-436-2866 (followed by first meeting id) or 929-205-6099 (followed by second meeting id) Sunday- Thursday - 8pm-8:45pm(EST) Limud Gemara (Rosh Hashana 3rd Perek).
- 8:45pm-9pm: Nightly contest.
- LAG B'OMER SCHEDULE: 7:30PM - 9:30PM
This weeks speakers: - Sunday - Rabbi Yisroel Reisman
- Monday - Rabbi Eytan Feiner
- Tuesday - Rabbi Moshe Tuvia Lief
- Wednesday - Bar Mitzvah P'shetel
- Thursday - Rav Binyomin Carlebach (Mir, Yerushalayim)
This week's contests: - Letter writing... Megillas Esther Raffle!! Inspired by the words of Rabbi Bender, we started a contest of letter writing to people in quarantine. Anyone who writes and mails (with a stamp) 4 letters to someone in quarantine (not a friend or cousin your age) will be entered in to a raffle to win the ultimate "Letter" of Chazal- A Megillas Esther! The raffle will take place on Lag B'omer. (You do NOT need to email us pics of the letters)
- T.M.P. (That's My Psak!)- Back by popular demand! We will choose at least 2 contestants a night (based on getting Yediyos Klaliyos questions correct) who will try and answer 6 multiple choice questions correctly. Each correct answer leads to a larger gift card, with the top prize being a Segway (Mazel tov Asher Zicherman!). Phone participants can participate as well. We are excited and honored that Pirchei Agudas Yisroel has partnered with us to help sponsor T.M.P.
- M.S.A. (Maggid Shiur America!) This week's topic is ערבות (Being מוציא someone else) Send us in a 1-2 minute recording of a structured "Shtickel Torah" on that topic. Outside help from a family member is encouraged! . Monday- We will play one winner from Lakewood. Tuesday- We will play one winner from New York. Wednesday we will play one winner from Passaic. Thursday we will play one winner from Out of Town. Every Maagid Shiur will receive a $50 gift card to an online Seforim store. (You can send in a video or audio.)
- V'haarev Na- We will raffle off (courtesy of Vhaarev Na) a set of a personalized Cross pen/pencil every night to the boys who write notes and teitch in their Gemara.
- Nightly trivia- Of course we will continue our nightly trivia on the Gemara we learned and on the content of the guest speakers.
- Chazara/Chazara+ We have a raffle every night for all those who reviewed the previous nights Gemara + another raffle that grows by 5 or 10 dollars a night for all the boys who reviewed from the beginning of the 3rd Perek that day. Sunday night we will have a $140 raffle for anyone who reviewed from the beginning of the 3rd Perek!
Keep shteiging!! | | | | | | |
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