Fwd: News From Agudas Yisroel of Illinois 10 Sivan, 5783/May 30, 2023

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Agudah <info@agudahil.org>
Date: Tue, May 30, 2023, 5:40 PM
Subject: News From Agudas Yisroel of Illinois 10 Sivan, 5783/May 30, 2023
To: <agentemes4@gmail.com>

May 30, 2023 | 10 Sivan, 5783 See below for an STC update. Agudath Israel of Illinois successfully advocated for the passage of the Kosher Halal Bill. Scroll down to read the full article. There was a flurry of activity during the waning days of the Illinois General Assembly's legislative session and Agudath Israel of Illinois did their utmost to ensure the community's priorities were addressed and interests protected. See below to read the legislative roundup. An important message regarding passports came from the office of Jan Schakowsky. See below to read the message. Senator Ram Villivalam's office will be holding Constituent Service Hours at Agudath Israel of Illinois. See the flyer below for details. Last week, nearly 350 7th grade boys and their rebbeim from across the Midwest gathered in Chicago for the second annual Asifa L'Bnei Aliya. See below to read the complete article. The Midwest Bais Horaah is your halachic lifeline whatever shailah you have, wherever you might be. The annual Charidy campaign will be on June 12-13 and there will be an event in honor of our esteemed poskim on June 12; details to follow. See below for more information. See below for Pirchei Mishnas Shabbos shiurim details. Before Shavuos, Bnos held a Pre-Shavuos Event for all 7th and 8th graders. Scroll to read more. Take advantage of this one-time opportunity! Bnos Agudath Israel encourages all camp counselors, babysitters, bunkmates, and friends in 7th and 8th grades to attend a Basic First Aid Class. Scroll for details and to register. STC Update Dear Friends, As you may already know, the Illinois General Assembly adjourned without having addressed STC's looming sunset provision. We fought hard, utilizing every tool at our disposal to keep this program alive, and we are grateful for your tireless engagement and unwavering support. We thank you for sending thousands of emails, writing letters, calling elected officials, making multiple trips to the Capitol, and of course, offering your heartfelt tefillos. But what now? What does this mean for our families, our schools and community? Is the program over? I'd like to clarify what the reality is and what to anticipate. Irrespective of whether the program is extended, it remains operational for another year. Donors can still claim a 75% tax credit for all qualified contributions made prior to January 1, 2024. Students can receive scholarship awards for the upcoming school year. In addition, there remains real hope that it will be extended beyond the current sunset date.  There's no question that we are deeply disappointed that the sunset was not extended by the legislature. With uncertainty surrounding the future of STC, we know there's a lot of angst among our families who depend on it. There is, however, another legislative session in the fall when this issue could be addressed, and we will resume our advocacy efforts with renewed focus and energy. Legislators tend to operate off real deadlines and will be forced to take legislative action in November to address the sunset provision. Ultimately, we recognize the outcome is up to Hashem and we rely on siyata d'Shmaya to achieve the desired outcomes. Sincerely yours, Shlomo Rabbi Shlomo Soroka Director of Government Affairs Kosher Halal Bill Agudath Israel of Illinois successfully advocated for the passage of HB3643. This bill, which now heads to the governor's desk, requires schools, correctional facilities & state hospitals to provide kosher & halal food options upon request. Notably, it also amends the Kosher Food Act, which prohibits the sale of food wrongly labeled as certified kosher but has been unenforceable, as it does not contain a legal definition of kosher. HB3643 provides a definition, which should enable the enforcement of the Kosher Food Act. AIOI thanks the bill's chief sponsors, Senator Ram Villivalam (D - Chicago) and Representative Abdelnasser Rashid (D - Berwyn). Legislative Report There was a flurry of activity during the waning days of the Illinois General Assembly's legislative session and Agudath Israel of Illinois did their utmost to ensure the community's priorities were addressed and interests protected. Included in the state's budget was a $2.273 million grant for Agudah schools' transportation program and $20 million for the Illinois Nonprofit Security Grant Program. Below is a link to a legislative roundup that includes many of the bills and initiatives AIOI both advocated for and against over the last five months. View the Legislative Roundup Message from the Office of Jan Schakowsky As the summer travel season approaches, be sure to check your passport BEFORE you book travel! Current processing times for passports are 10-13 weeks for routine and 7-9 weeks for expedited. These times are subject to change and are posted on the Dept. of State Website. If someone in your family is planning to go to Eretz Yisroel or out of the country for Elul zman, yom tov or end-of-summer travel and needs a new passport, please make an appointment for renewal as soon as possible. Please remember that emergency in-person appointments at the Chicago Passport Agency are intended for emergencies and availability is not guaranteed unless it is a life or death emergency!   It is important to review all passports in your family for upcoming expiration. If a passport in your family expires in the next 6 months, please make an appointment at your local post office to get it renewed. We strongly encourage you to pay for expedited processing and shipping. Pending passports have been taking longer than usual; please give extra time when submitting a passport.  For questions, please email kkramer@agudahil.org. Constituent Service Hours Asifa L'Bnei Aliya Nearly 350 7th grade boys and their rebbeim from across the Midwest gathered in Chicago last week for the second annual Asifa L'Bnei Aliya. Under the guidance of the local Menahelim Rabbi Nosson Muller and Rabbi Heshy Forester, AIOI coordinated a day of learning and fun, packed with excitement. To read more and view pictures, click here. Midwest Bais Horaah Click here to download a copy of the flyer Pirchei Mishnas Shabbos Shiurim Click here or on the above image to download a copy of the flyer Bnos Pre-Shavuos Event The Tuesday before Shavuos, Bnos held a Pre-Shavuos Event for all 7th and 8th graders! The girls heard inspiring words from Mrs. Tova Keller about the power of our speech, as well as going out of one's way for a friend. They then decorated ceramic vases using Q-tips and metallic paint, creating a beautiful enhancement to their yom tov table. Bnos First Aid Class Click here to RSVP If you did not receive this email directly and would like to receive it in the future, please click here. To donate to Agudath Israel of Illinois, click here.

Agudath Israel of Illinois | 3434 W Peterson Avenue, Chicago, IL 60659 Unsubscribe agentemes4@gmail.com Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by info@agudahil.org