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If you, a family member, or friend would like to receive emails from the Agudah email reception@agudah.org. | | June 30, 2020 - 8 Tamuz 5780 News from the Agudah:
- Today, the United States Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling saying that states may not discriminate against religious schools in state aid programs. Agudath Israel hails this Supreme Court ruling which ensures that religious schools may not be barred from scholarship programs. See below for more details.
- Tonight, June 30th, is the Bnos Shmiras Halashon program grand finale! See below for more information.
- On Wednesday, July 1st, the City Council of Los Angeles will vote on a motion to cut 150 million dollars from the LAPD budget. Agudath Israel of California opposes this motion to reassign the LAPD budget. Please see below for more details.
- The Iyunim B'Hilchos Shabbos program continued today with a shiur from Rabbi Avrohom Bromberg, and there will be a chazarah shiur at 8:00 pm EDT. See below for the call in information and for tomorrow's schedule.
- The Jewish Home recently interviewed Rabbi Yeruchim Silber, our NY Director of Government Relations, where he discussed the behind-the-scenes story of the decision regarding sleep away camps in New York. You can read the interview here.
- Agudah Live is back! Tomorrow, July 1st, at 3:00 pm EDT, join Rabbi Shai Markowitz and Rabbi Avi Schnall as they discuss Learning and Linkedin, Careers and COVID with Tzvi Pirutinsky, PH.D, Associate Professor at Touro College, Career Counselor PCS, and Mordy Golding, Director of Contect, LinkedIn Learning and Lynda.com. See below for more details.
- Click here to watch the newest Ki Heim Chayeinu video.
| | Agudath Israel Hails Supreme Court Ruling That Religious Schools May Not Be Barred from Scholarship Program | | The United States Supreme Court today issued a landmark ruling saying that states may not discriminate against religious schools in state aid programs. This will have a significant positive impact on families choosing to attend religious schools around the country.
"Agudath Israel has played a leading role in advocating for programs that make it easier for parents to choose private and religious schools," said Rabbi A. D. Motzen, Agudath Israel of America's National Director of State Relations. "Today's ruling endorses Agudah's longtime position that states may not bar families from using state aid at the school of their choice simply because they choose a religious option."
The case, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, involved a Montana program that provided a tax credit for donations to scholarship funds for students attending private schools. The Montana Department of Revenue ruled that the scholarship could not be used at religious schools, on the grounds that Montana state law prohibited even indirect government aid to religious institutions. The Supreme Court of Montana upheld that position, in spite of Agudath Israel's brief in that case arguing that states must include religious institutions in public benefit programs under the United States Constitution.
Those supporting the program asked the United States Supreme Court to hear the case, and Agudath Israel of America joined in that effort by submitting an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief urging the nation's highest court to hear the case. Agudath Israel's brief argued that under the Supreme Court's own precedents, government grant programs may not exclude religious institutions from benefits solely because they are religious institutions.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, and issued its highly anticipated decision today. The Court ruled that the Montana State Constitution discriminated against religious schools and their students solely because of their religious status, and that this constituted a violation of the Free Exercise Clause of the Federal Constitution. The Court held that the Free Exercise Clause "protects religious observers against unequal treatment" and against "laws that impose special disabilities on the basis of religious status."
Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, Executive Vice President of Agudath Israel, hailed the decision. "Agudath Israel has been fighting religious discrimination for decades, and we will continue to do so. We are thrilled that the Supreme Court has made clear that discrimination against religious schools in state aid programs is a constitutional violation. Other states that have 'no aid' provisions in their state constitutions, known as 'Blaine Amendments,' can now enact programs that encourage or provide assistance to religious school students."
Agudath Israel thanks Mark Kurzmann, counsel of record on the amicus curiae brief that Agudath Israel submitted to the Supreme Court asking the court to hear this case, and Scott Whitman, a student at Georgetown University Law Center, for his assistance with the research and drafting of that brief. Agudath Israel Vice President for Government Affairs Abba Cohen, and Special Counsel Mordechai Biser, were also named on the brief and participated in the preparation of the brief. Agudath Israel also thanks Jennifer Bordy, a Montana attorney who assisted with the filing of Agudath Israel's brief in the case before the Montana Supreme Court. | | Bnos Shmiras Halashon Program Grand Finale | | Tonight, at 7:00 pm EST will be the Bnos Shmiras Halashon Program grand finale. Call in to 602-580-9675, pin 2299723# for exciting stories, games, and more.
| | Agudath Israel of California Opposes Los Angeles City Council's Motion to Reassign LAPD Budget | | On Wednesday, July 1st, the City Council of Los Angeles will vote on a motion to cut 150 million dollars from the LAPD budget. The proposal represents a significant cut in the $2 billion Police Department budget while allocating those funds to other civic agencies. This motion was written to address the racial bias minority communities suffer at the hands of the police. The City Council vote to slash the department's funds will impact public safety by among other things, cutting the police force by over 300 officers and reducing the police car total by over 30 in addition to those vehicles lost in the demonstrations. The funds are to be redirected to city agencies like the Youth Development Taskforce and the Parks and Recreation. Agudath Israel opposes this motion by the City Council. The city agencies to who funds will be redistributed, while necessary and important, will not tackle the critical issue of racially charged policing and overreach. Those funds would be better distributed to agencies that can better train the LAPD, change the culture of the Police Department, and train civilians to take over for police when an armed officer is not needed to respond. The funding reallocation proposed, poses a great risk to public safety. The new budget reduces the police budget in a way that severely increases police response times, and presence in the community. While Agudath Israel of California stands with their minority peers in supporting the need to change racial bias in policing, this new proposal does not address those concerns in a safe and effective way. Dr. Irving Lebovics, chairman of Agudath Israel of California, has said, "We respect the city council in their quest to fix the racial inequities in our system. However, we cannot back this motion due to the threat of public safety and ineffectiveness of the budget reassignment." | | Iyunim B'hilchos Shabbos Program | |
Call in at 718-298-2077 access code 52 if you're in the US, or 647-797-0056 access code 52 if you're in Canada. | | | | | | |
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