Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Fwd: News From Agudah 21 Teves 5784, January 2, 2024

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From: The Agudah <news@agudah.org>
Date: Tue, Jan 2, 2024, 6:06 PM
Subject: News From Agudah 21 Teves 5784, January 2, 2024
To: <agentemes4@gmail.com>

January 2, 2024 - 21 Teves 5784

In today's News From Agudah email: Agudath Israel files an amicus brief in a case regarding financing for terrorists; Colorado meets with members of congress; YahalomNY holds a session on guardianship for parents of adults with special needs; Rav Mordechai Gifter's yahrtzeit; and Dispatches From the Front; Eretz Yisroel at War, from the Agudah Convention.

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Agudath Israel Files Amicus Brief in Favor of Terror Victims and Their Families

Agudath Israel of America filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief last week requesting that the Supreme Court of the United States hear the case of Bartlett, et al., v. Baasiri and Jamal Trust Bank Sal. The case was filed by terror attack victims and their family members who are suing several banks that financed terrorist acts perpetrated by Hezbollah during the Iraq war. The victims (or their relatives) claim the banks aided and abetted Hezbollah by funding and funneling monies to Hezbollah which facilitated the attacks.

One of these banks, the Jammal Trust Bank (JTB), was declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the U. S. Department of Treasury subsequent to the lawsuit's initiation. As a result, JTB was liquidated by Lebanon's central bank, effectively turning it from a private bank into an entity owned by Lebanon. JTB then filed a motion with the district court seeking to dismiss the case against it by invoking the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA), arguing that it enjoyed immunity from suit as a result of it being owned by a foreign country.

Click here or see below for more

Agudah of Colorado Meets with Members of Congress

As the war in Israel continues, Agudah of Colorado arranged a series of meetings with senators and members of Congress with the participation of local community leaders to urge Congress to support Israel and condemn the rising antisemitism.

The meetings addressed some of the current major concerns surrounding the war including emphasizing Israel's right to defend itself, requesting support for the wellbeing and immediate release of the hostages, voicing concerns about the increasing antisemitism in America, urging support for supplemental aid to Israel, and urging an increase of funding to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP).

These meetings follow ongoing conversations with our elected officials since Oct. 7th as we continue our advocacy efforts and monitor policy as the situation unfolds.

We're grateful to Senator Hickenlooper, Senator Bennet, Congresswoman DeGette, and Congressman Crow, and their staff for taking the time to speak with us and hear the concerns of the community. Thank you as well to the many Rabbonim and community leaders who joined the meetings and stood up for Israel during this difficult time.

With Senator Michael Bennet's Chief of Staff

Yahalom NY

Last Wednesday, YahalomNY hosted an event to inform parents of children with special needs over the age of 16 about guardianship in New York State. Malkie Scher, Esq. of the Moskowitz Legal Group discussed the benefits of having guardianship and how to apply for it, and then opened the floor for questions from the parents in attendance in-person and on Zoom.

For further information, email yahalomny@agudah.org.

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Mordechai Gifter, ZTL

This Thursday, 23 Teves, marks the 23rd yahrtzeit of Rav Mordechai Gifter zt"l, who served as a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah. Rav Gifter was an American-born gadol who learned in Yeshivas Telz, Lithuania. He was a maggid shiur in Yeshivas Ner Yisrael, a Rav in Connecticut, and then the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Telshe, Cleveland.

Please enjoy this article, which includes two letters written by Rav Gifter before his greatness was widely known.

Click here to see full article

Convention Session: Dispatches From The Front: Eretz Yisroel At War

Click here to view one of the Motzei Shabbos concurrent sessions from this year's Agudah Convention

Agudath Israel Files Amicus Brief in Favor of Terror Victims and Their Families continued:

The district court rejected the argument, but the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed and determined that JTB is indeed shielded by the FSIA. The terror victims filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking reversal of the Second Circuit's decision.

The amicus brief filed by Agudath Israel of America and several other Jewish organizations argues that the bank should not be immune from suit because the bank's status as a sovereign entity is determined at the time of filing. Since at that time JTB was a private bank, it is subject to the lawsuit notwithstanding what occurred afterwards. Ruling otherwise would incentivize foreign countries to nationalize corporations accused of aiding terror activities in an attempt to insulate them from liability for those actions.

The amicus brief was researched and written by Mark Trachtenberg, Lucas B. Drill, Kaylen Strench, Scott E. Whitman and Ryan Paulsen of Haynes and Boone, LLP, together with Jonathan Rotter and Daniel Paluch.

"Agudath Israel will not stand by and watch terrorism become a protected industry," said Daniel Kaminetsky, Esq., general counsel for Agudath Israel of America. "It is critical that victims of terror have the recourse to prosecute the financial institutions that aid the terror organizations and that no precedent be set by the courts allowing such companies to evade responsibility for their unlawful actions."