August 26, 2020 - 6 Elul 5780 News from the Agudah:
- Our crowdfunding campaign is off the ground. Get in before the crowds start coming this Tuesday, September 1st! Please donate by clicking the picture above or this link. Be aware that every dollar you donate is doubled through the generosity of a group of matchers. Partner with us in our vital work!
- Agudath Israel welcomes the announcement from the FDA that they've cleared plasma for emergency use to treat COVID-19. See below for more details on this.
- Agudath Israel's New Jersey office applauds the New Jersey Department of Health's decision to allow in-person early intervention therapy. In-person early intervention therapy has been at the forefront of Agudath Israel's reopening agenda. See below for more information.
- Tonight, August 26, the PCS division of the Agudah will be holding a workshop, What Should I Do When I Grow Up?, for women and seminary graduates with career coach Shaina Keren. See below for more details.
- The Yerach Ha'eysonim Yarchei Kallah program for hilchos Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and Sukkos continued today with a shiur from Rabbi Yosef Elefant. Tomorrow, there will be a hachana shiur at 11:00 am EDT, followed by a shiur from Rabbi Nisan Kaplan at 12:00 pm EDT on Din L'kicha B'daled Minim. See below for the full schedule and call in information.
| | FDA Clears Plasma for Emergency Use to Treat COVID-19 | | Rabbi Ariel Sadwin, Director of Agudath Israel of Maryland, speaking at the White House National Day of Prayer in May, 2020, following his extensive involvement in the plasma campaign." | | Rabbi Yeruchim Silber, Agudath Israel's Director of New York Government Relations, donating blood plasma. | | The U.S Food and Drug Administration cleared the way for the Emergency Use Authorization of convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 this week. This decision, based on the FDA's evaluation of the evidence of the potential risks and benefits of using plasma to treat COVID-19, is seen as a milestone. Previously, convalescent plasma was safely given to over 70,000 patients with encouraging results under the Expanded Access program, an earlier status in the FDA approval process that carries additional requirements and paperwork to provide the treatment. Now plasma can be given without such restrictions. Convalescent plasma, used for over a hundred years, is a treatment that transfuses antibody-containing plasma from the blood of a recovered patient to patients still struggling with a disease. Currently, only convalescent plasma and the drug remdesivir have the FDA status of Emergency Use Authorization for the treatment of COVID-19. In the studies reviewed, plasma results were most striking when administered early in the disease's progression and with plasma containing "high-titers," or high concentrations of antibodies.
As plasma is not a drug that can be produced, its availability is entirely dependent on donors. For months, Orthodox Jewish communities in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and around the country have stepped forward, partnering with the medical community to self-organize, donate plasma, and make this therapy available. Dr. Michael Joyner, who is leading the largest U.S. study at the Mayo Clinic in the use of plasma, has famously said that "By far the largest group is our Orthodox friends in New York City," and "I would be shocked if they were less than half the total."
Agudath Israel of America is proud to have been at the forefront of this campaign. Already in late March, Agudath Israel encouraged its members to donate, and worked with government, hospitals, blood centers, and research facilities to make the treatment available. Beginning in April, the Agudah partnered with the Covid Plasma Initiative, Hatzolah, Refuah Health, and others to host dozens of drives across the country. In recognition of this role, Maryland Agudah Director, Rabbi Ariel Sadwin, was asked to speak at the White House on May 7th.
Avrohom Weinstock, Esq., Agudah's chief of staff and the driving force behind Agudah's plasma campaign, said, "The Agudah is grateful to the thousands of donors who have stepped forward to open their veins and their hearts to make this treatment available to save lives. The tireless organizers, organizations, and donors I have had the privilege of partnering with over the past months demonstrate the altruistic spirit of the Jewish people and their value for human life, even before it was known just how impactful their efforts would prove to be. The FDA's findings this week, no doubt aided by the large sample size it had to draw upon, validate that dedication."
The next plasma drive is being organized by Agudath Israel and the Covid Plasma Initiative at the Kingsway Jewish Center in Brooklyn on September 1. Eligible donors can register here. | | Agudath Israel's New Jersey Office Applauds New Jersey's Decision to Allow In-Person Early Intervention Therapy | | Agudath Israel's New Jersey office applauds the New Jersey Department of Health's decision to allow in-person early intervention therapy. "This is an amazing step forward for children with early intervention needs," says Rabbi Avi Schnall, Director of the New Jersey office of Agudath Israel of America. "Since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, we have been receiving numerous calls from parents worried about their child's lack of adequate services."
In-person early intervention therapy has been at the forefront of Agudath Israel's reopening agenda. While the state slowly began to recover from the initial COVID-19 outbreak, parents of young special needs children waited anxiously for their children's essential services to resume. However, they were devasted to see in-person early intervention therapy pushed to Stage 3.
"Parents were distraught," continues Rabbi Schnall, "They were witnessing their children's overall health and well-being deteriorate to dramatic levels. We could not let that happen, which is why we, here at the New Jersey office of Agudath Israel, undertook the project of working to ensure these services were reinstated as soon as possible."
Rabbi Schnall, who currently sits on the Governor's Restart and Reopening Commission, brought this issue to the attention of the Governor's office and the Department of Health. Together with parents of special needs children and Assemblyman Gary Schaer, he successfully managed this campaign to secure in-person early intervention therapy for September 1st. Rabbi Schnall concluded, "It has been a long process and we are grateful to all the people who ensured these services were secured, especially Assemblyman Gary Schaer, a longtime friend and ally who has committed countless hours advocating on behalf of this community. We are also hopeful that with these services reinstated, these special children can continue to grow despite the setbacks these past months presented." | | Yerach Ha'eysonim: A Virtual Yarchei Kallah Program for Hilchos Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and Sukkos | | Tomorrow, August 27th, there will be a hachana shiur at 11:00 am EDT, followed by a shiur from Rabbi Nisan Kaplan at 12:00 pm EDT on Din L'kicha B'daled Minim.
| | PCS Workshop- What Should I Do When I Grow Up? | | Agudath Israel's PCS Division is proud to present a career workshop for women. This is a unique career workshop geared towards women and seminary graduates, which will answer relevant questions including, is there a need for a degree? What are lucrative career options? How can I avoid a dead-end job?
Join PCS tonight at 8:00 PM. For the Zoom link or call-in information, email nj@nj.pcsjobs.org. For more information about PCS, go to pcsnynj.org.
If you know of a job opening, please let us know so that we can continue to help others. | | | | | | |
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