Strengthening Torah Life. Advocating for the Community. Serving Each Individual. | | May 11, 2022 - 10 Iyar 5782 News from the Agudah:
- Agudath Israel of America sent a follow up letter to Carsten Spohr, CEO of Lufthansa, in response to his company's statement regarding disturbing accounts of what allegedly transpired on May 4 at the Frankfurt airport when passengers who were visibly Jewish were prevented by Lufthansa personnel from continuing their trip. See below to read. This follows the original letter sent out on Monday.
- Late last week, Agudath Israel of Illinois welcomed Illinois Senate GOP Leader Dan McConchie and Illinois House GOP Leader Jim Durkin for a tour of the Orthodox Jewish community in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs. See below for more details and pictures.
- After two years of not being able to organize a large siyum mishnayos, Pirchei Agudas Yisroel celebrated the comeback of our Annual National Siyum Mishnayos al Shem Harav Yehoshua Silbermitz zt"l this past Sunday night. See below for more details and pictures.
- Agudah's New England office held a community meeting with State Senator Eric Lesser last week to discuss the security needs of its institutions. See below for more details.
- Under New York State's proposed new regulations, NYS considers students in 'non-equivalent' schools truant. Penalties to parents can even include jail time. Go to Voice.Agudah.org to submit a letter expressing your objection to the proposed New York State Substantial Equivalency regulations. You can also submit a comment by emailing submission@agudah.org, by texting START to 888.595.1529, or by calling 845.502.7000.
- As the war in Ukraine continues, we do not know how long this war will last and where it will go, Hashem yerachem. We have thus raised our own goal, and will continue to do whatever we can to help our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. We hope you will do the same. You can donate by going to vaadhatzalahrescue.org/Ukraine or by calling 929.529.0200. You can mail a check to Vaad Hatzalah, 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 food, medical needs, additional security, and evacuation and housing costs. Please contribute generously. Thank you. Click here to donate.
- Please note the schedule for this week's virtual Yarchei Kallah on Iyunim B'Hilchos Shabbos - see below for more details.
| | Click here or on the image above to read. | | Illinois GOP Leaders Visit Chicago's Orthodox Jewish Community | | L-R Tzvi Ray, Simcha Frank, Michoel Nudell, Rabbi Shlomo Soroka, Rep. Jim Durkin, Sen. Dan McConchie, Aaron Topper, Rabbi Ari Strulowitz, Moshe Davis, Tzvi Montrose, Moshe Blonder, Rabbi Yaakov Robinson | | GOP Leaders and Agudah and community representatives having a productive conversation at Hatzalah Chicago's headquarters | | Rabbi Eli Samber with Sen. McConchie, Elan Magence, and Rep. Durkin at Arie Crown Hebrew Day School | | Rabbi Tzvi Bider with Rep. Durkin and Sen. McConchie at the Chicago Center. | | Late last week, Agudath Israel of Illinois (AIOI) was pleased to welcome Illinois Senate GOP Leader Dan McConchie (R – Lake Zurich) and Illinois House GOP Leader Jim Durkin (R – Western Springs) for a tour of the Orthodox Jewish community in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs. During Agudah's recent mission to Springfield, the GOP Leadership had expressed interest in visiting the community and AIOI was happy to accommodate. The visit, which started out with a driving tour of the Jewish neighborhood showing shuls, schools, and businesses, aimed at giving the leaders an understanding of the values, character, history, and dynamics of Chicagoland's Orthodox Jewish community.
Students took the opportunity to show their elaborate Shmita (agricultural sabbatical year observed in Israel) displays to the GOP Leaders, during a tour of Arie Crown Hebrew Day School guided by principal Rabbi Eli Samber and school president Elan Magence. It was also an opportunity for the leadership to learn about the intense dual curriculum of Orthodox day schools and see firsthand the transformative impact of Illinois' tax credit scholarship program on hundreds of children.
At the Chicago Center for Torah and Chesed, the leaders got an inside look at the medical and social services divisions. Rabbi Tzvi Bider, the Center's executive director, led them through the clinical area, the medical supplies warehouse, and the commercial kitchen, explaining to the visitors how dedicated staff and volunteers work around the clock, providing for the needs of all in the most thoughtful and creative of ways.
Across the street, the leadership was given a tour of Hatzalah Chicago's headquarters which included an audio-visual presentation, the garage, training center, and learned about Hatzalah's close collaboration with the Illinois State Police, Cook County EMS, and local fire and police departments.
The tour was followed by a meeting with lay leaders to discuss issues and challenges unique to the Orthodox Jewish community. "It's really important for elected officials and policy makers to get to know the Orthodox community, see its unique beauty and to understand who we are," said Rabbi Shlomo Soroka, director for government affairs of AIOI. "The feedback I've already received reaffirms my belief that these visits help leadership understand that an investment in our community is really an investment in state, and we look forward to furthering our partnership and working together." | | Pirchei Agudas Yisroel of America 59th Annual National Siyum Mishnayos Al Shem Harav Yehoshua Silbermintz zt"l | | | | Nachy FIshman Reciting part of the Hadran | | Rabbi Ephraim Levi receiving award from Rabbi Labish Becker | | Pirchim Receiving Brochos | | Rabbi Shia Grunfeld Reciting Tehillim | | | After two years of not being able to organize a large siyum mishnayos, Pirchei Agudas Yisroel celebrated the comeback of our Annual National Siyum Mishnayos al Shem Harav Yehoshua Silbermitz zt"l this past Sunday night at the Kol Yaakov Hall in Brooklyn. Pirchim from Brooklyn, Monsey, Passaic, Boston and other cities were in attendance to honor the mesayemei Shishah Sidrei Mishnah who collectively recited the hadran.
Rabbi Avi Frank, as in the past, chaired the event, and welcomed the boys back from the two year break. Rabbi Ephraim Levi, national director of Pirchei Agudas Yisroel, welcomed the boys on behalf of Pirchei, and Rabbi Labish Becker, executive director of Agudah gave divrei brachah, and welcomed the boys on behalf of Agudas Yisroel of America. Rabbi Moshe Tuvia Leiff, Rav, Agudath Israel Beis Binyamin, delivered divrei Chizuk. As in previous years, Mr. Abe Eisner recited Kaddish.
In a bittersweet moment, Rabbi Labish Becker announced that after 22 years of leading Pirchei Agudas Yisroel, Rabbi Levi will be moving to a new position outside of the Agudah. "As a Rebbi in the Yeshiva in Passaic, as the head of the Pirchei in Passaic for so many years, and as the head of Pirchei Agudas Yisroel for 22 years, Rabbi Ephraim Levi has lead the Pirchei movement with so much dedication, with so much mesiras nefesh, with so much ahavah, and with so much simchah," he said. Rabbi Levi's impact on Pirchei Agudas Yisroel is apparent in the thousands of boys who took part in the Pirchei movement during his tenure. He will be missed by his colleagues at Agudas Yisroel, and by the many, many, Pirchim whose lives he elevated.
The dais was graced by local Rabbonim and Roshei Yeshiva. The Pirchim were treated to a story by the famous story teller Rabbi Yoel Ferber. The evening concluded with the viewing of a video presentation of, "Just Love Them", about the life of Rabbi Dovid Trenk zt"l, a Pirchei boy, a Pirchei leader, and Rosh Yeshiva who inspired hundreds of talmidim over his lifetime.
Dozens of prizes were raffled off and every boy received a prize on the way out.
The siyum is a culmination of a year of Mishnayos learning, and encouragement for the future for boys to sign up and be part of Pirchei's Kesser Mishnayos program originated by the previous Pirchei National Director, Rabbi Shimon Grama. The program encourages boys to learn as much mishnayos as possible for their Bar Mitzvah, and includes review questions and prize incentives with the goal of being mesayem Shishah Sidrei Mishnah and receiving the grand prize of a Shas.
The mesayemim who complete Shishah Sidrei Mishnah are to be invited to a special private gathering with their families at a later date when they receive their Shas. | | Agudah's New England Office Hosts Community Meeting with Senator Eric Lesser to Discuss the Commonwealth Security Grant Program | | Agudah's New England office held a community meeting with State Senator Eric Lesser last week to discuss the security needs of its institutions, and express thanks to him for his leadership on the Commonwealth Security Grant Program.
At the meeting, Senator Lesser expressed his support for the Jewish community and pledged to ensure that their security needs are met. Senator Lesser also spoke about the need to expand the Security Grant Program to allow the grant to be used for security personnel and to increase funding for the program so that all eligible applicants can receive the grant.
The meeting was also an opportunity for recipients of the grants to personally thank Senator Lesser for championing this program. Students who attend schools that are grant recipients thanked Senator Lesser, explaining how the security enhancements makes them feel safer. A mother of four shared how the improved security measures made her feel safer sending her children to school. Rabbi Shlomo Noginsky, who was the victim of a brutal antisemitic attack last year, also spoke, and shared his perspective on the real-life threat Jews face every day.
"As a community we really appreciate the work Senator Lesser has done in championing the Commonwealth Security Grant Program," said Mrs. Ariella Hellman, director of Government Affairs for the Agudah of New England. "It was really powerful to hear the impact that this grant program has made on the lives of so many members of the community. I look forward to continuing to work with Senator Lesser to increase the | | Please note the schedule for this week. The shiurim will continue with the access information as follows:
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