Strengthening Torah Life. Advocating for the Community. Serving Each Individual. | | August 6, 2021 - 28 Av 5781 News from the Agudah:
- No religious school should be required to employ a teacher who is flagrantly violating the religious tenets of the school he or she is teaching in. See below to read more about the amicus brief the Agudah filed asking the New Jersey Supreme Court to protect the autonomy of religious schools.
- Today marks 20 years since the passing of Rabbi Avraham Pam zt't, see below to read a heartwarming article on Rav Pam's relationship with a young boy with Down Syndrome, written by Rabbi Shimon Finkelman for the Jewish observer in 2002.
- Here's an update on Ki Heim Chayeinu's Masmidei HaShabos Program: Over 5,400 campers are signed up to learn about Shabbos, with amazing learning booklets and prizes. But your child doesn't have to be in one of the 18 participating camps to learn about the beauty and depth of Shabbos – click here to download this week's exciting booklet. And camp learning directors – the program is running for another week - email register@masmideihasiyum.org to sign your camp up.
- The Agudah's Summer of Torah women's lecture series continues this Monday, August 9, with Rabbi Yechiel Spero. See below for more details and how to join.
- Bnos and Pirchei Newsletters: Download this week's Pirchei newsletters by clicking here for the Pirchei Pages, here for the Pirchei Weekly, and here for a special pictorial of the animals and birds mentioned in Parshas Re'eh. Download the Bnos newsletter for this Shabbos here.
- Looking for the right employee? Looking for the right job? PCS has made over 6,500 job placements and we can help you too! See below for more details and latest job listings.
- Yarchei Kallah is back! The shiurim begin this Sunday August 8, on Iyunim Yom HaKippurim U'Teshuva. See below for the schedule.
| | Agudath Israel to New Jersey Supreme Court: Protect the Autonomy of Religious Institutions | | Agudath Israel of America submitted an amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief in New Jersey Supreme Court in a case about whether a religious institution has the constitutional right, free from judicial interference, to fire an employee who violated the institution's religious beliefs.
As explained by Mordechai Biser, Esq., Special Counsel to Agudath Israel, the case, Victoria Crisitello v. St. Theresa School, involves a Catholic school that terminated the employment of a teacher who flagrantly violated the religious beliefs and teachings of the school and the Catholic Church.
The school argued that it had the right, under what has become known as the "church autonomy doctrine," to make employment decisions in accordance with its religious beliefs, without any judicial interference. The case was first heard by a trial court which agreed with the school, ruling that under the religious exemption to New Jersey's law against discrimination and under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, the case could not proceed because it would require the court to conduct an intrusive and unconstitutional inquiry into the religious beliefs and practices of the school.
The teacher then appealed that ruling to the Appellate Division, which reversed the trial court's decision. The Appellate Division ruled that the trial court could conduct an investigation into the school's conduct in either firing or retaining employees who are known to have violated their school's code of ethics, to see whether the school has applied this policy uniformly.
In its amicus brief, Agudath Israel argued that the Appellate Division's decision would lead to an unconstitutional inquisition into a religious school's religious beliefs and practices. The brief argued that religious schools "should be allowed to dismiss teachers whose conduct violates the basic tenets of those religious institutions, as this is essential for the autonomy of those schools." The brief also stated that "[t]o allow civil courts to interfere with the autonomy of religious institutions to make employment decisions based on their religious tenets could undermine the ability of those institutions to carry out their religious missions, and result in both an unconstitutional infringement of their First Amendment Free Exercise rights and judicial entanglement in fundamentally religious questions in violation of the First Amendment's Establishment Clause."
Agudath Israel's brief was researched and written primarily by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a Washington, DC based organization that has long advocated for religious freedom through direct litigation and through the submission of amicus curiae briefs in cases involving religious liberty. Agudath Israel thanks Eric Rassbach and Daniel Benson, attorneys at the Becket Fund, for their excellent work on this important brief.
"No religious school should be required to employ a teacher who is flagrantly violating the religious tenets of the school he or she is teaching in," stated Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, executive vice president of Agudath Israel. "It is our hope that the New Jersey Supreme Court will preserve the autonomy of religious schools and other religious institutions in New Jersey to make employment decisions in accordance with their religious beliefs and practices." | | Click here or on the image below to read | | The exciting Masmidei HaShabbos Initiative is now in full swing! After being launched with a bang in camps all across the country, thousands of children in participating camps are already experiencing the joy of Shabbos like never before. By getting involved in what Shabbos is all about- taking a look at Tefillas Shabbos, Zemiros, relevant Hilchos Shabbos as well as some sugyos of Maseches Shabbos, their Shabbos is and will continue to be elevated with new insight and understanding, plus prizes, incentives and much more!
With another stupendous, enriching week unveiled, the boys are gaining new insights in zemiros with the zemiros corner and they are singing those songs with a newfound vigor and excitement. Their Tefillas Shabbos too is being enhanced like never before. The boys are growing, being uplifted and having a blast all at the same time!
Masmidei HaShabbos is one of many projects of Ki Heim Chayeinu aimed at fostering an increased appreciation for Shabbos and the bountiful blessing and enjoyment we can be zoche to when we take a deeper look at the many different aspects of Shabbos, the Mekor Habracha.
The more we know about Shabbos, the more we can appreciate and enjoy it in the way Hashem wants us to, and that's what Masmidei HaShabbos is all about!
In the zechus of Klal Yisrael's increased appreciation for Shabbos, may we be zoche that our Shemiras Shabbos should bring the Geulah closer and we should merit all the blessings that are promised to those who are careful in their Shemiras Shabbos.
Take your Shabbos up a level- download the Masmidei HaShabbos booklet by clicking here or on the image below. | | Looking for the right employee? Looking for the right job? PCS/ Agudah Israel has made over 6,500 job placements and we can help you too! | | Summer of Torah Recordings | | Agudah's Summer of Torah women's lecture series continues this Monday with a shiur by Rabbi Yechiel Spero, rebbe, Talmudical Academy and author of the Touched by a Story series.
The program, which starts on July 12th, has registration at 10:15 AM and begins promptly at 10:45 AM with a suggested donation of $20 per lecture, or $75 for the full series of four lectures.
For more information or to sponsor a shiur, please contact, Mrs. Faigy Ackerman at 917.804.8428, Mrs. Chani Lieberman at 917.864.8026, Mrs. Suri Schwimmer at 917.930.1577, or the Commission on Torah Projects by calling 212.797.9000 ext. 267, or email torahprojects@agudah.org.
For more information about the rest of the series click here.
See the following link for recordings from our Summer of Torah series | | Iyunim Yom HaKippurim U'Teshuva | | The shiurim will begin next week with the access information as follows: | | | | | | |
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