Monday, October 31, 2022

Fwd: News From Agudas Yisroel 6 Cheshvan 5783/October 31, 2022


---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Agudath Israel of America <mygluck@agudah.org>
Date: Mon, Oct 31, 2022, 5:47 PM
Subject: News From Agudas Yisroel 6 Cheshvan 5783/October 31, 2022
To: <agentemes4@gmail.com>


Strengthening Torah Life. Advocating for the Community. Serving Each Individual.

October 31, 2022 - 6 Cheshvan 5783

News from the Agudah:


  • As the height of election season approaches, every vote counts towards achieving our communities' goals in each state's legislature.  The Agudah Voting Project will continue to share updates, such as early voting deadlines, absentee ballot information etc. See below for a list of states where early voting has already begun and for upcoming deadlines relevant to voters in Arizona, ConnecticutMarylandMassachusetts, and New Jersey...


  • And Agudah's Rockland Regional office hosted a Get Out The Vote event for local rabbonim and school representatives. See below for more details.


  • In a case that could have far-reaching ramifications for the Orthodox Jewish community, Agudath Israel of America filed an amicus curiae brief in support of a former prisoner who seeks monetary damages because his religious rights were violated by prison officials.  See below for more details and why it matters. 


  • Registration for the Agudah Convention is now open! The Agudah Convention will iy"H take place December 1- 4 at the Armon Hotel in Stamford, Connecticut. See below for more details and how to register.


  • Tonight marks the 89th yahrtzeit of Rabbi Meir Shapiro who revolutionized limud haTorah with Daf Yomi. See below for more. 


  • Please note the schedule for this week's virtual Yarchei Kallah on Iyunim B'Hilchos Birchos Ha'nehnin - see below for more details.

Early voting is underway in...

Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and  Texas

November 1

Last day to apply for absentee ballot by mail in...

Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Jersey

Last day to mail in absentee ballot by mail in...

Arizona

Rockland Regional Get Out the Vote Event

Rabbi Yeruchim Silber, Agudah's Director of Government Relations

Rabbi Shragi Greenbaum, director of Agudah's Rockland Regional Office

Rabbi Eliezer Lieff

Yesterday, Agudah's Rockland Regional office hosted a Get Out The Vote event for local rabbonim and school representatives, encouraging residents on the importance of voting in the current elections.

Agudath Israel Urges Monetary Damages for Violations of Religious Liberty  

In a case that could have far-reaching ramifications for the Orthodox Jewish community, Agudath Israel of America filed an amicus curiae "friend of the court" brief in support of a state prisoner who seeks monetary damages because his religious rights were violated by prison officials.  


The case, Walker v. Baldwin, was brought by Thomas Walker, a Rastafarian who was forced to cut his dreadlocks while in prison, in violation of his sincerely held religious beliefs. Mr. Walker, who has since been released from prison, is now attempting to obtain monetary compensation for the infringement of his religious liberty under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). However, a district court in Illinois ruled that Mr. Walker was not entitled to monetary damages against individual state officials under RLUIPA. The case is now under appeal in the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.  


RLUIPA establishes a high level of protection for religious practice in the two areas covered by the statute: land use and prisoners' rights. The law further provides that an aggrieved party may "obtain appropriate relief against a government." Agudath Israel's brief in the Court of Appeals points out that this language is identical to language in another federal religious liberty statute, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), which the U.S. Supreme Court has already interpreted as including the assessment of monetary damages against government officials in appropriate cases. That interpretation, Agudath Israel maintains, is no less applicable in cases arising under RLUIPA.  


The Agudath Israel brief cites many cases involving local efforts to prevent the building of shuls or the maintenance of eruvin (among other religious activities). These efforts are often motivated by the desire to keep Orthodox Jews from moving into the neighborhood, and are fueled by anti-Orthodox animus. The availability of damages under RLUIPA in such cases would create a tremendous disincentive for municipalities to try to block essential religious structures.  


"RLUIPA has been a critical tool for fighting against religious discrimination," said Agudath Israel's Executive Vice President Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, "but its effectiveness is severely diminished if a municipality has no fear of being assessed monetary damages for violations of religious liberty. That is why this case is so important." 


Agudath Israel thanks the law firm of Jenner & Block LLP and its attorneys Sati Harutyunyan, Gabriel Gillett, Mark Davis, and especially Shamai (Scott) Whitman, who authored this important brief on Agudath Israel's behalf. 

The Agudah Convention

Registration for the Agudah Convention has begun! The convention will take place December 1-4 at the Armon Hotel in Stamford, Connecticut.


To register for the convention, click here.


For more information, email convention@agudah.org, or call 212-797-7380.

89th Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Meir Shapiro Zt"l

Click here or on the image below to watch.

Rav Yehuda Meir Shapiro, Rav of Lublin, revolutionized limud haTorah in a way few have in recent history. He developed a revolutionary program, Daf Yomi, that has turned thousands of simple Jews into talmidei chachamim, knowledgeable in all of Shas.


The Chofetz Chaim once shared his appreciation of Daf Hayomi with Rav Meir. "I am especially fond of you. Do you know why?" asked the Chofetz Chaim. "Because of what you have achieved through the Daf Hayomi study program.


"In the World of Truth," continued the Chofetz Chaim, "a person receives more honor for his limud haTorah than for his maasim tovim, his good deeds. Each Jew is honored in accordance with how much Torah he has studied and is given a chair engraved with the names of the masechtos he has learned.


"Until now, many of these seats were empty. People studied only certain masechtos while others were neglected. Thanks to you," concluded the Chofetz Chaim, "all the seats are now occupied, and there is incredible simcha in Shamayim."


With his deep understanding of Klal Yisroel, Reb Meir realized that limud haTorah must be strengthened on many different levels, because both the learned talmid chacham and the simple baal habayis must learn Torah every day of their lives.


Throughout the years that Reb Meir served in the rabbinate, he continued to be politically active and work for the good of Klal Yisroel.


The Agudah


In 1921 Reb Meir represented Eastern Galicia at the first Agudas HaRabbonim convention held in Warsaw. The following year, Reb Meir was elected president of Agudas Yisroel. At first he refused the honor, as he was already dreaming of building a bastion of Torah study, and only agreed after the Imrei Emes of Ger personally insisted that he accept the position.


Reb Meir began to restructure Agudas Yisroel and implemented a wide-ranging program to disseminate the Agudah's philosophy.


Reb Meir literally became one with the Agudah. A journalist once asked him it if were true that he was now a part of Agudas Yisroel. "No, he replied. "I am not a part of the Agudah. The Agudah is a part of me." With those few words he explained how the tenets of Agudas Yisroel had become the force that drove his very existence.


It was in 1923, at the Agudah's first Knessia Gedola, that Reb Meir suggested the development of an international learning program, Daf Hayomi, which would eventually revolutionize limud haTorah. Daf Hayomi, a daily study of Gemara, united Torah true Jews throughout the world with Torah study. Reb Meir calculated that with this program even a simple working Jew would be able to complete the entire Shas in seven and a half years.

"This program," wrote Reb Meir, "will create a common language among our people. When two Jews from different towns, or even different countries, meet, the knowledge they share on the Gemara currently being studied will help them form a deep bond of friendship.


"Jews will gain new direction in their lives. A day without Daf Hayomi means a day lost in the steady journey that the entire Jewish nation Yisroel is making toward gadlus in Torah. The sense of obligation and the regularity of the program will help the common man continue learning."


And the Daf Hayomi did just that. People burdened with the need to earn a living became as scrupulous about attending their daily Daf Hayomi shiur as they were about putting on tefillin. The moment they knew that the shiur was about to begin, they would drop whatever they were doing and join their friends to study the daily daf. Baalei batim slowly turned into talmidei chachamim, while talmidei chachamim widened the scope of their learning.


What's Does Daf Yomi Have To Do With a Ship?


You may have noticed that the logo for The Siyum features a picture of a ship. What does a ship have to do with the global Siyum Hashas of Daf Yomi?


The Gemara relates the following story: Rabban Gamliel was at sea when he encountered a capsized vessel. Seeing that there were no survivors, he was distraught over the loss of the great Rebbi Akiva who was on board. Upon disembarking, Rebbe Akiva came before him to study. Obviously relieved, but surprised he asked, "My son, who brought you up from the water?" Rebbe Akiva responded:


דף של ספינה נזדמן לי וכל גל וגל שבא עלי נענעתי לו ראשי…


The plank of a ship came before me. I grabbed hold of it and floated to safety, nodding my head to each and every wave.


Rav Meir Shapiro zt"l derived an astounding life lesson from this Gemora that has changed the Torah world. "A plank from the boat came to me, and I bent my head before each and every wave that came toward me. This plank, this daf, is the daf Gemora, the Daf Yomi, which is available to every Yid wherever he may be, to save him from the crashing waves of evil that threaten to destroy him physically and spiritually, the daf Gemora that saves every Yid from the waves of a stormy life."


This is the legacy we seek to carry on. Let us unify on this special day, 7 Chashvan, the Yahrtzeit of Rav Meir Shapiro zt"l and further our commitment to daily learning – to daf shel sefina that prevents us from drowning in the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Tomorrow, Tuesday 7 Cheshvan/November 1 is the 89th Yarzheit of the Daf Yomi founder, HarAv Meir Shapiro, Lubliner rav. Please dedicate your limud tomorrow l'zecher nishmaso, הרב יהודה מאיר בן הרב יעקב שמשון זצ״ל"

Iyunim B'Hilchos Birchos Ha'nehnin

Please note the schedule for this week. The shiurim will continue with the access information as follows:


The Zoom access link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83528677424  and the call in number is 1-646-558-8656, log in: 835-286-77424.

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