Strengthening Torah Life. Advocating for the Community. Serving Each Individual. | | March 7, 2022 - 4 Adar II 5782 News from the Agudah:
- Agudas Yisroel has launched a campaign to rase $10 million for Ukrainian Jewry. The first $5 million donated will be matched by generous donors. This money will be distributed among the various organizations, so that every single dollar will be put toward helping the refugee families. All the money is going to the rescue efforts, and no administrative or other costs are being collected from donations. You can donate by going to charidy.com/agudahukraine or by calling 929.529.0200. You can mail a check to Agudath Israel, attn: Ukraine Fund, 42 Broadway, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10004. We are working with trusted partners "on the ground" to make sure that all donations goes to this pressing need, including such items as additional security, and evacuation and housing costs. Please contribute generously. Thank you. Click here to donate.
- In honor of the Siyum on Moed, the Daf Yomi Commission of Agudas Yisroel is excited to announce a series of community siyum broadcasts. Tonight siyum will be in Queens NY and feature Rabbi Osher Kalmanowitz, Rosh HaYeshiva, Mir Yeshiva, and Rabbi David Yosef, Rosh Kollel, Yechaveh Da'at. See below for more details and how to join.
- Agudath Israel endorses and hails committee passage of the Nonprofit Security Grant Program Improvement Act. The bill was recently reported favorably out of the House Homeland Security Committee and will next be considered by the full chamber. See below for more details.
- Last week, Agudah held the second installment of this year's Albany Day series, focusing on the Queens and Long Island areas. After the meeting multiple legislators communicated to us that they are now supporting measures that we had brought to their attention. See below for more details.
- Please note the schedule for this week's virtual Yarchei Kallah - see below for more details.
| | A Week of Celebration: Siyum Seder Moed! | | The Daf Yomi Commission of Agudas Yisroel is excited to announce five exciting Seder Moed siyum programs. The siyums will be available to attend either in person or virtually by going to Torahanytime.com/AgudahTorah or by calling 718-298-2077 extension 52.
Schedule:
Monday, March 7:
Queens, New York 7:30 PM EST, Ohel Simcha, 141-41 72nd Avenue, Flushing, New York Rabbi Osher Kalmanowitz, Rosh HaYeshiva, Mir Yeshiva, and Rabbi David Yosef, Rosh Kollel, Yechaveh Da'at
Wednesday, March 9:
Toronoto, Canada 7:00 PM EST, Toras Emes, 1 Viewmount Avenue, Toronto, Ontario Rabbi Kanner, Rav, Cong. Toras Emes Special performance from Zmira Choir
Thursday, March 10:
Baltimore, Maryland 8:00 PM EST, Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah, 6500 Baythorne Road, Baltimore, MD 21209 Rabbi Yissocher Dov Eichenstein, Rav, Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah Additional speaker to be announced. | | Agudath Israel Endorses and Hails Committee Passage of Nonprofit Security Grant Program Improvement Act | | Agudath Israel of America congratulates Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) and Ranking Member John Katko (R-NY) for introducing and advancing the bipartisan Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) Improvement Act of 2022. The bill was recently reported favorably out of the House Homeland Security Committee and will next be considered by the full chamber.
The NSGP Improvement Act of 2022 will be a significant step forward in providing greater resources to help address the many complex security threats facing nonprofits. It will provide $500 million annually through 2028 to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. It will also establish a dedicated office within FEMA to administer the program, and to provide greater outreach, education, technical assistance, and support to the nonprofit community.
Agudath Israel played a key role in the creation of NSGP in 2004 and has made boosting its appropriation a high priority every year since. The program's assistance is particularly sought after by Jewish institutions, where violent antisemitic incidents and hate crimes have risen in recent years.
"The violence we have seen against Jewish and other nonprofit targets is becoming a dominant feature of today's domestic terrorism. In the Jewish community, synagogues, yeshivas and other charitable institutions live day to day under this darkening cloud," said Rabbi Abba Cohen, Agudath Israel's vice president for government affairs and Washington director. "As such, these threats needs a sharper and more specialized focus within our nation's homeland security framework
"Moreover, as the number of vulnerable institutions increases, the need for greater protective resources increases," he continued. "At present, the demand for such protection far exceeds the supply of federal grants available for adequately hardening America's at-risk targets. A greater, more realistic, infusion of funds is needed to make up this shortfall and more fully protect vulnerable entities."
No objection to the measure was raised in the Committee and supporters hope that bodes well for the future of the legislation when it reaches the House floor. | | Second Installment of Agudah's 2022 Albany Day Series Brings Queens and Long Island Together to Focus on Safety, Financial Assistance for Parents, Special Education and More | | As the New York State Legislature continues to make its way through the budget process, Agudath Israel's New York office convened the second installment of this year's Albany Day series, focusing on the Queens and Long Island areas. Agudah staff and leadership, joined by leading community advocates and school officials, spoke to an array of legislators, advocating on behalf of New York's Orthodox Jewish community.
One of the main items on the agenda was closing a counterintuitive and harmful loophole in the Empire State Child Tax Credit. The Empire State Child Tax Credit was designed to combat child poverty, and benefits phase in as income increases beyond certain minimums; benefits phase out as income increases further. Paradoxically, the credit excludes children under the age of four, the age children are most likely to experience poverty and when parents have the most difficult time returning to work. Moreover, Agudah members pointed out that, in a 50-state survey, New York was found to be the only state in the nation to have such a limit. Senator Jeremy Cooney and Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi introduced bills (S.5866 and A.3146) that would raise the per child credit and close the loophole. Agudah advocates acknowledged that although broadening the tax credit would be costly to the state, it would assist many parents in New York State communities.
Another priority item on the agenda was the Nonpublic School Safety Equipment grant (NPSE). The NPSE program provides reimbursement for safety and security measures for nonpublic schools. Antisemitism is, unfortunately, a growing concern for New York State residents, as violent hate crimes against Jews skyrocket across the country. Ensuring our children's safety when they are in school is a priority for parents in our community. Agudah advocates asked the legislators to retain the line item in the budget which would raise funding for the NPSE from $15 million to $45 million, as well as to expand eligibility for usage to include critical capital repairs that enhance building safety.
Special education has long been an important issue for the Agudah. The Agudah advocated for a revolving loan fund to be created to streamline special education services, so that special education schools would not be left rendering services that have been approved for state reimbursement while spending years awaiting reimbursement, this would be accomplished through a bill (A.9143/S.7665) introduced by Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Steven Cymbrowitz. Other issues discussed with the legislators included a summer food funding increase, and immunization recordkeeping reimbursements.
This installment of Albany Day was attended by Senators Joseph Addabbo, John Liu, and Toby Ann Stavisky, and Assemblymembers Andrew Hevesi, Stacey Pheffer Amato, and Nily Rozic. The Agudah team also met with staff members of Senators Leroy Comrie, Todd Kaminsky, and James Sanders and Assemblymember David Weprin, in a whirlwind day of activity and impassioned advocacy.
"It was really wonderful that we were able to bring the community together to relay their concerns to their legislators," said Rabbi Yeruchim Silber, Agudah's director of New York government relations. "The legislators were extremely receptive, and it was gratifying to see that, bisiyata diShmaya, after the meetings, multiple legislators communicated to us that they are now supporting measures that we had brought to their attention." | | Please note the schedule for next week! The shiurim will continue with the access information as follows:
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