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If you, a family member, or friend would like to receive emails from the Agudah email reception@agudah.org. | | June 5, 2020 - 13 Sivan 5780 News from the Agudah:
- Rabbi Moshe Matz, executive director of Agudath Israel of Florida, shared with us a short video where he highlighted what he's been busy with this week, including talking with African American community leaders in light of recent events, his efforts in helping yeshivos open, and much more. You can watch the video here.
- A coalition of Orthodox Jewish organizations has filed an amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief in the United States Supreme Court in a case, Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, that could have important ramifications for freedom of religion in the country. The Jewish organizational brief was submitted on behalf of Agudath Israel of America and many other Jewish organizations. See below for more details.
- Attention New Jersey residents: please see below for a letter from the NJ office of Agudath Israel which includes a survey that you can fill out in order to have your voice heard in the process of schools opening up.
- This Monday, June 8th, PCS will be holding an open house for the Masters in Accounting program for women. Please see below for more information.
- Click here to view this week's Pirchei Weekly and here for the Pirchei Pages. Your sons are sure to enjoy these!
- The Senate just passed legislation extending and expanding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a key component of the federal government's response to the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis, and Agudath Israel welcomes the new flexibility. See below for more details.
- This week Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that in New York State, day camps will be allowed to open beginning June 29th. Agudath Israel is grateful to the governor for making camp a reality for thousands of children across the state. Please see below for more details.
- The virtual Yarchei Kallah on Inyanei Brachos is continuing next week. On Sunday at 12:00 there will be a shiur from Rabbi Asher Weiss on Yesod Birchas Hamitzvos. See below for more information. There are opportunities for dedications and sponsorships for the Yarchei Kallah. Please email reception@agudah.org to have someone call you to discuss this.
| | Coalition Of Jewish Organizations Files Brief In Supreme Court Religious Freedom Case | | A coalition of Orthodox Jewish organizations has filed an amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief in the United States Supreme Court in a case, Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, that could have important ramifications for freedom of religion in the country.
As explained by Rabbi Mordechai Biser, Esq., special counsel to Agudath Israel of America – one of the organizations on whose behalf the brief was filed – the issue in the case is whether the City of Philadelphia acted unconstitutionally when it conditioned a religious agency's ability to participate in the City's foster care system on the agency's conforming to City policies that contradicted its religious beliefs regarding the placement of children in foster homes.
However, Rabbi Biser added, at stake in the case may well be more than simply the ability of one particular religious foster care agency to continue to operate. As the briefs submitted on behalf of the agency and by the coalition of Jewish organizations and other groups argue, this case provides the Supreme Court an opportunity to overrule a decision it made 30 years ago that has severely restricted religious freedom across the United States.
The Jewish organizational brief, submitted by the National Jewish Commission on Law and Public Affairs ("COLPA") on behalf of Agudath Israel of America, Agudas Harabbonim of the United States and Canada, the National Council of Young Israel, the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, the Rabbinical Alliance of America, the Rabbinical Council of America, and Torah Umesorah, was authored by noted Washington attorney Nathan Lewin.
The COLPA brief supports the argument of the foster care agency and other amicus groups calling upon the Supreme Court to overrule its 1990 decision in Employment Division v. Smith, which held that the First Amendment does not protect religious observance that conflicts with an otherwise neutral law of general applicability. That decision has curtailed religious freedom in numerous cases ever since.
The Jewish organizations argue that not only was the Smith decision substantively wrong, but that the procedure used by the Supreme Court in making the decision was also fatally flawed. As they point out, with support from the archival files of then-Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun, the parties in that case had never been given an opportunity for briefing and arguments on the substance of the issue ultimately decided by the Court. These archival records establish that Smith was decided by a process that violated proper court procedure.
It is noteworthy that of all the many briefs filed so far in this case, COLPA's is the only one that relies on the clear historical record established by the Blackmun Papers at the Library of Congress.
Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, Executive Vice President of Agudath Israel of America, thanked Mr. Lewin for his work on this important brief, adding, "For well over half a century, Nat Lewin has been the leading voice advocating for the interests and rights of the Orthodox Jewish community. The compelling brief he has authored in this case will give the Supreme Court important information it can use to overrule its disastrous Smith decision in 1990 that has so severely curtailed religious liberty for Jews and others in this country. As always, we owe Nat a tremendous debt of hakaras hatov – appreciation for his extraordinary advocacy and commitment." | | Survey for New Jersey Residents | | Dear Friends, We are all waiting with anticipation to see if our schools will be allowed to reopen this September, in time for the new school year. There are many factors to consider and the New Jersey Department of Education is currently engaged in the process of deciding if and under what circumstances schools will reopen. As part of it's ongoing discussions, the Department of Education has reached out to various stakeholders and specifically requested input from parents around the State. To that end, the Department has released a short, 14-question survey for parents to answer that it will take into account as it moves forward with its decision process. This is our opportunity to be heard! We strongly encourage all parents to engage in the process by completing the survey and ensuring our collective voices are heard. Please take a moment to complete the survey here. As the State would like to receive responses by this Monday, June 8th your immediate attention is greatly appreciated. May we be zoche to yeshuos, refuos and besuros tovos, Rabbi Avi Schnall Director Rabbi Yosef Herz Associate Director | | Attention Women: Is Accounting a Career Options For You?
Join the PCS Remote Open House this Monday and learn more. In just 12 months you can receive your Master's in Accounting Degree from FDU, one of the top accounting programs in the country! Seminary credits are accepted. A Master's Degree is an investment for the future! With a 96% Placement Rate, graduates have been placed in top national firms and as controllers and CFOs in local companies. Learn about a stable, lucrative parnassah, with high-paying, flexible opportunities within Private Accounting. Remote option for out of town students! The open house is this Monday, June 8th, at 7:00 pm EDT.
| | Agudath Israel Welcomes New Flexibility on Paycheck Loans | | The Senate yesterday passed legislation extending and expanding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a key component of the federal government's response to the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis. The action follows the House's passage of the bill last month, and the bill is headed to the President's desk for signature. "We applaud these further steps taken by Congress on legislation so vital to all Americans, including the Jewish community," said Rabbi Abba Cohen, Vice President for Government Affairs and Washington Director of Agudath Israel of America. "We have advocated aggressively for expansion of, and refinements to, the PPP in order to better address new and continuing challenges facing individuals, businesses and nonprofits during these difficult times." The Senate bill passed by unanimous consent on Wednesday will provide greater flexibility in the program that will be of particular assistance to small entities. Its focus includes two main features: First, under the new legislation, eligible entities are given 24 weeks to spend PPP funds. The original bill allowed spending for only eight weeks. Second, the new bill establishes a 60-40 divide -- requiring businesses and organizations to spend 60 percent of the loan on payroll and 40 percent on other fixed costs such as rent and utilities. This is a change from the earlier bill which called for a 75-25 ratio. Other changes include: extending eligibility for the program to December 31, 2020; extending the date that nonprofits and businesses have to rehire employees, and qualify for purposes of loan forgiveness, to December 31, 2020; extending the period for paying back portions of the loans that are not forgiven from 2 years to at least 5 years; and, ensuring that successful PPP applicants would now be eligible to defer 2020 payroll taxes, something that was prohibited under the original legislation. These targeted changes are intended to relieve the pressure small businesses and nonprofit organizations were facing because of time constraints and changing priorities. They are the result of continuing negotiations between the Trump Administration and Congress and of bipartisan agreement on Capitol Hill. "The continued refinements to PPP will greatly assist recipients -- including our shuls, schools and charitable institutions -- that have been hit hard by the severe economic downturn. We welcome them and will remain committed to working with the Administration and Capitol Hill in moving these efforts forward." | | The virtual Yarchei Kallah continues on Sunday with a 11:00 am EDT hachanah shiur, a 12:00 pm shiur from Rabbi Asher Weiss on Yesod Birchas Hamitzvos and a chazarah shiur at 8:00 pm EDT.
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