Please share this information with family or friends who do not have email or internet access.
If you, a family member, or friend would like to receive emails from the Agudah email reception@agudah.org. | | July 31, 2020 - 10 Av 5780 News from the Agudah:
- Agudath Israel, in conjunction with BPJCC, is excited to announce an incentive for everyone to complete the 2020 Census. Every household that completes the Census will be entered into a raffle to win $2,500 cash. See below for details regarding how to enter the raffle.
- Earlier this week, Agudath Israel of America joined 38 national and state organizations in an amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief filed in Michigan v. DeVos, a case which will determine the fate of hundreds of millions of dollars for private school students. See below or click here for more information.
- Your sons will enjoy this weeks Pirchei newsletters. Click here for the Pirchei Pages and here for the Pirchei Weekly.
- Bnos has been very busy over the Nine Days and Tisha B'av with many different programs. Throughout the Nine Days, over 80 virtual nursing home and homebound visits were made. Yesterday, over 2,000 highs school girls called into the Tisha B'av program and over 1,000 girls called into the hotline.
- The Daf Yomi Commission presents a Hilchos Shabbos Halachah L'maaseh Series in honor of Siyum on Meseches Shabbos starting this Sunday. See below for more information and for Sunday's schedule.
- Lastly, click here to watch the latest Ki Heim Chayeinu video, Kovata Itim L'Torah?
| | Complete the 2020 Census and Get a Chance to Win $2500 | | 2020 is the year of the census.
Every ten years the United States Government is tasked with counting every single U.S citizen. While this may seem like needless red tape, the census is actually a crucial event that can greatly impact our community's growth and prosperity. Over the next ten years, the Federal Government will determine its aid packages directly based on the results of the census. Many of the programs that people rely on - Medicaid, SNAP (food stamps), Pell Grants and more - are distributed to communities in accordance with their size, as recorded in census data.
Agudath Israel of America encourages every household to participate and cooperate with the United States Census Bureau. Filling out the census only takes a few minutes and those moments can direct millions of dollars in Federal Aid, over the next ten years, to your community.
Another critical point where the census impacts our community is in political representation. The number of representatives our community has in the state and federal governments is based on census data. When people don't fill out the census, the result is that the community has less political representation for their needs.
This month, Agudath Israel of America, in conjunction with the Boro Park JCC, is proud to present an additional incentive for census participation. Each household that completes the census will be entered into a raffle to win $2,500. Simply send a screenshot that you completed the census to census@agudah.org and your family will be included in the pot.
If you have already completed the census - no worries! Just complete the form on www.Agudah.org/census and you will be included as well.
The census can be completed at my2020census.gov or by calling 212.797.9000, extension 218. | | Friend of Court Brief Filed in Federal Case Involving Aid to Private School Students Agudath Israel of America Joins Effort to Advocate for Equitable Funding for Private School Students | | Agudath Israel of America joined 38 national and state organizations in an amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief filed today in Michigan v. DeVos, a case which will determine the fate of hundreds of millions of dollars for private school students.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty filed the brief in a case brought by a group of state attorneys general against the U. S. Department of Education over the allocation of CARES Act funding for private schools. The CARES Act, enacted in March, was intended to help all students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos issued an interim final rule that gives states and public school districts options for how to fairly allocate CARES Act relief to private schools, but some states and cities refused to comply and challenged the rule.
The amicus brief argued in favor of the Education Department's sensible rule. It also demonstrated that the plaintiff's solution would impose an inequitable distribution of the funds, cause imminent and irreparable harm to private schools and their students, and ignores the fact that private schools, many of which serve economically disadvantaged areas and families, are an integral part of education across the country.
"All children are deserving of an equitable share of our nation's assistance, regardless of the type of school they attend," said Rabbi Abba Cohen, Vice President for Government Affairs for Agudath Israel of America. "We hope that the court will agree that the US Department of Education's interpretation is the only equitable solution to help serve all students."
Agudath Israel express its thanks to attorney Jeffrey Zuckerman for his assistance with this brief and his continuing assistance on the larger issue of equitable services in the CARES Act. | | Hilchos Shabbos Halachah L'maaseh Series | | It may be more than six months since the 13th Siyum HaShas, but around the globe daf yomi learners continue to inspire Klal Yisroel with their unyielding commitment to the daf. For over half a year, and through the COVID-19 pandemic, these individuals and their families have made sacrifices to ensure the flame of Torah continues to burn.
In honor of these individuals and the approaching Siyum on Meseches Shabbos, Agudath Israel of America's Daf Yomi Commission is proud to present a five-part Hilchos Shabbos Halachah L'maaseh series.
The series will begin this Sunday, August 2nd, at 9:00 pm EDT, and will continue each day at that time, through Thursday evening. The speakers will include Rabbi Simcha Bunim Cohen, Rav, Ateres Yeshaya, Lakewood; Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, Rav, Agudas Yisroel of Baltimore; Rabbi Boruch Hirschfeld, Rav, Khal Ahavas Yisroel, Cleveland; Rabbi Simcha Bunim Londinsky, Rav, Khal Ohr Gedalia, Rosh Chabura Beth Medrash Govoha; and Rabbi Zev Smith, Magid Shiur, Irgun Shiurei Torah.
This unique program will give Daf Yomi learners and non-Daf Yomi learners alike an opportunity to apply their learning of Meseches Shabbos to halachah l'maaseh in a clear and enlightening manner.
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