Strengthening Torah Life. Advocating for the Community. Serving Each Individual. | | June 17, 2021 - 7 Tammuz 5781 News from the Agudah:
- Breaking News! Earlier today the Supreme Court released a unanimous decision in a case involving religious freedom: Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. See below for Agudah's full statement and to watch a video from Rabbi Ami Bazov on everything you need to know about Fulton v. City of Philadelphia and its implications.
- More Breaking New! Agudath Israel is pleased to announce the opening of its Rockland County Regional Office with Rabbi Shragi Greenbaum as its director. As the frum communities in upstate New York continue to grow, new challenges arise. See below for more details, and how to reach Rabbi Greenbaum.
- From a community event with State Senator Jason Pizzo to a signing event with Governor Ron DeSantis, the State of Florida continues to show its commitment to its Jewish community. See below for more details and pictures.
- This past week Yahalom, a new division of Agudah's New Jersey office, held its inaugural mothers' night out, for mothers of children with special needs. See below for more details about the event and how to reach Yahalom.
- In other Yahalom news: "We're not doing anything new, just helping people access whatever already exists." Yahalom, our New Jersey offices Special Needs resource center was featured in last weeks Ami Living, click here to read.
- Covid Tax Tip from the IRS: For 2021 only, qualifying families may be eligible to receive up to $8,000 as a refundable tax credit to cover employment-related childcare expenses including… day camp tuition! See below for more details.
- PCS will be having an accounting program open house for women this Sunday. See below for more details.
| | Supreme Court Issues Favorable Decision in Religious Freedom Case | | Click here or on the image above to watch. | | The United States Supreme Court today issued a major favorable decision in a case, Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, involving religious liberty. The case considered whether the city of Philadelphia acted unconstitutionally when it banned a religious agency from participating in the city's foster care system because of their policy of not placing children in homes of same-sex couples. The agency, Catholic Social Services (CSS), has a policy against doing so, and the city, upon learning of this, blocked CSS from participating in the foster care system.
CSS filed a lawsuit against the city, arguing that barring it from continuing to contract with the city and place children only in those homes it deemed to be acceptable based on its religious beliefs was a violation of the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment, which supports freedom of religion. After losing in the lower courts, CSS asked the Supreme Court to take the case.
Today, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Philadelphia's refusal to contract with CSS unless it approves of placement of children with same-sex couples was a violation of the First Amendment. The Court ruled that Philadelphia would be required to demonstrate a "compelling interest" in denying CSS its contract, under the "strict scrutiny test" required to uphold a law or provision that violates the free exercise of religion, and the city had not done so.
The National Jewish Commission on Law and Public Affairs ("COLPA") on behalf of Agudath Israel of America, along with the 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, submitted an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief in this case supporting CSS's position. The brief, authored by noted Washington attorney Nathan Lewin, called upon the Supreme Court to overrule its decision in Employment Division v. Smith. The Smith decision said that if a law is not directed specifically against religious practice it is not unconstitutional as long as it is "neutral and of general applicability" even though it does actually restrict freedom of religion. That decision has curtailed religious freedom in numerous cases ever since it was issued.
The COLPA brief argued that the Smith decision was procedurally flawed because the parties in the case had never been given the opportunity to brief and argue the substance of the issue ultimately decided by the Court.
Although the majority of the Justices declined to overturn the Smith decision, that was sharply attacked by Justices Alito and Gorsuch. While concurring with the majority that the city's contract provisions were a violation of the Free Exercise Clause, Justice Alito and Gorsuch both wrote opinions arguing that the Court should have overturned the Smith decision, and Justice Thomas joined in their concurring opinions.
Overturning the Smith decision has important ramifications for the Orthodox Jewish community. As Justice Alito pointed out in his opinion, under Smith, a law that prohibited the slaughter of animals unless they are first rendered unconscious would be constitutional, even though it would have the effect of banning kosher slaughter in the United States. Similarly, a law banning circumcision would be constitutional, even though it would outlaw bris milah, which is mandated by Jewish law.
Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, executive vice president of Agudath Israel of America, stated, "We are gratified that the Court has ruled that the City of Philadelphia violated CSS's Free Exercise rights." He continued, "But we are disappointed that the Court did not use this opportunity to overturn Employment Division v. Smith. We can only hope that soon the Court will revisit Smith, which has had a detrimental impact on religious freedom in America." | | Agudath Israel of America Hires Rabbi Shragi Greenbaum to Serve as Director of its Rockland County Regional Office | | Agudath Israel of America is pleased to announce the opening of its Rockland County Regional Office with Rabbi Shragi Greenbaum as its director. As the frum communities in upstate New York continue to grow, new challenges arise and old challenges intensify and the need to have a someone who can put focus on Rockland County and the surrounding areas has become abundantly clear.
As director, Rabbi Greenbaum will focus on serving the needs of the many communities, neighborhoods, and villages in the area, especially regarding education, busing, and zoning, in addition to advocating on other issues that may arise. Most importantly, he will focus on strengthening and developing relationships with local governments.
As the original founder of the Agudah's New Jersey office in 2004 and as executive director of Yeshiva of Spring Valley, his continued advocacy efforts on behalf of the community makes Rabbi Greenbaum uniquely qualified for the position. "I am honored to rejoin the Agudah and look forward to getting to work and getting things done for the community," said Rabbi Greenbaum. "We are excited to have Rabbi Greenbaum back, and look forward to working with him to advocate on behalf of the Orthodox Jewish community in Rockland and the Hudson Valley," added New York Government Affairs Director Rabbi Yeruchim Silber.
Rabbi Greenbaum can be reached at the Rockland County office of Agudath Israel at 845-826-5447, or by emailing sgreenbaum@agudah.org. | | The Sunshine State Continues to Shine | | Presenting Senator Jason Pizzo with a plaque recognizing him for sponsoring HB805. (Left to Right) Aharon Guwrutz, Rabbi Moshe Matz, Senator Jason Pizzo, Andre Roitman, Baruch Sandhaus, Joe Dahan (Back) Zalmy Cohen. | | Rabbi Moshe Matz with Senator Jason Pizzo | | (Left to Right) Rabbi Yosef Galimidi, Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Janowski, Rabbi Kalman Baumann, Representative Mike Caruso, Rabbi Moshe Matz, Senator Jason Pizzo. | | (Left to Right) Governor Ron DeSantis, Rabbi Moshe Matz, Rabbi Yosef Galimidi Photo Credits: Carlos Chattah | | Click here to see more pictures. | | From a community event with State Senator Jason Pizzo to a signing event with Governor Ron DeSantis, the State of Florida continues to show its commitment to its Jewish community.
This past Thursday, Agudath Israel of Florida sponsored an event with state Senator Jason Pizzo. The event was a great opportunity for members of the community to interact with Senator Pizzo and discuss issues of importance to them such as antisemitism and religious freedom. Senator Pizzo was also presented with a plaque from Agudath Israel of Florida and Hatzalah of South Florida recognizing him for sponsoring the bill that allows Hatzalah to operate with lights and sirens when responding to calls.
"We are really thankful to Senator Pizzo for the work he has done for the community and for the opportunity for members of the community to interact and personally thank him for his work in getting the Hatzalah bill passed," said Rabbi Moshe Matz, executive director of Agudath Israel of Florida.
Then, on Monday, Rabbi Matz joined Governor Ron DeSantis at the Shul of Bal Harbor in Surfside for a historic dual signing event. At the event – also attended by Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nunez, State Representatives Mike Caruso and Randy Fine, and State Senator Jason Pizzo – Governor DeSantis signed two bills. HB 804 enables Hatzalah to operate with lights and sirens, and HB 529 mandates two minutes of silence at the start of class in public schools for meditation or prayer. Addressing the group, Governor DeSantis reiterated his commitment to the safety of the Jewish community and to fight against antisemitism. He also spoke about his support for Israel and the state of Florida's partnerships with the Jewish state. "Through his words and actions Governor DeSantis continues to show his commitment to the Jewish community in Florida," said Baruch Sandhaus, member of the board of Hatzalah of South Florida.
"Florida continues to lead the nation, whether in its partnerships with Israel, action against antisemitism, school choice, and now this Hatzalah bill. We are extremely grateful to Governor DeSantis, Senator Pizzo, and all those who continue to support the Jewish community in Florida," concluded Rabbi Moshe Matz. | | A Time for Mom: Yahalom's Inaugural Mothers' Night Out | | This past week Yahalom, a new division of Agudah's New Jersey office, held its inaugural mothers' night out, for mothers of children with special needs. The event, held at the home of Mrs. Toby Tabak, was designed to give mothers a well-deserved break.
The mothers were treated to dinner and a Chinese action, and, more importantly, the opportunity to relax and socialize with others in the same position as themselves. Mrs. Leah Rubashkin – herself the mother of a child with special needs - addressed the mothers and spoke about the challenges and joys of raising children with special needs and the importance of always having emunah and bitachon in Hashem.
"What we were aiming for and what we heard afterwards was most appreciated, was that this event focused on the needs of the mothers," said Mrs. Chana Laniado, director of Yahalom.
Yahalom, of the New Jersey offices Special Needs resource center is designed to help parents of children with special needs obtain the appropriate resources by guiding, educating, and empowering parents to ensure they have the help and support they need.
Yahalom is headed by Mrs. Chana Laniado, who has over a decade's experience working with the special needs community. To contact Mrs. Laniado, please call 848-285-8444 or email claniado@agudah.org. | | Covid Tax Tip from the IRS: For 2021 only, qualifying families may be eligible to receive up to $8,000 as a refundable tax credit to cover employment-related childcare expenses including…day camp tuition! The (currently) single-year enhancements to the Child and Dependent Care tax credit were included in the American Rescue Plan Act enacted earlier this year. The changes include a significantly higher tax credit amount and allows qualifying families earning up to $125,000 to receive the 50% tax credit before it begins to phase out. The credit is available when both parents are working or looking for work, and there are special rules when a parent is incapable of caring for themselves or if a parent is a full time student. Please speak to your tax advisor about whether or not the credit applies to your situation. Please help spread the word and share this information. On Friday morning, the IRS released an updated FAQ page here. This credit is an addition to the enhancements to the separate Child Tax Credit which will lead to monthly payments for qualifying families beginning July 15th. Those payments will be up to $300 per month for each qualifying child under age 6 and up to $250 per month for each qualifying child ages 6 to 17. More details about that program can be found on the IRS website here. | | This Sunday, PCS Accounting Open House | | Back from Seminary? Looking for a lucrative career in an in-demand field? This Sunday, June 20th, at 7:30 PM, PCS will be holding a Virtual Open House, for women, for its Masters of Science in Accounting program.
Earning a master's degree can be a valuable tool for advancement in the business world, but the atmosphere in a standard college can be trying and inappropriate. In order to address this hurdle, Agudath Israel's PCS Division, in conjunction with Fairleigh Dickinson University, is proud to offer a quality accounting certification within the comfort of our community.
A master's in accounting from PCS is an investment for the future. Farleigh Dickinson University is one of the top accounting programs in the country, and this course is ranked as one of the top master's in accounting programs in the USA. Graduates have been placed in top national firms as comptrollers and CFOs. PCS also has 96% placement success, providing the reassurance that many students lack upon graduating. With 8 placement directors and decades of relationships with hundreds of firms, PCS works non-stop to ensure their students have the job security they need to grow in the business.
To learn more about a stable, lucrative parnassah, with high-paying, flexible opportunities, join PCS' Virtual Open House this Sunday.
For more information call (732) 367-1500. | | | | | | |
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