Strengthening Torah Life. Advocating for the Community. Serving Each Individual. | | December 22, 2021 - 18 Teves 5782 News from the Agudah:
- Are you a New York homeowner behind on your mortgage? SBCO, a project of Agudath Israel, is pleased to announce an opportunity for New York State homeowners who are behind in their mortgage payments on account of Covid-19, to receive assistance. See below for more details and how to contact SBCO.
- Last week Agudah of Florida held its 2nd South Florida Rabbonim Conference as well as a Night of Chizuk featuring Rabbi Ahron Feldman. Rabbi Feldman spoke about the true threat to yiddishkeit today being, not antisemitism, but secular culture See below for more details, pictures, and a recording of Rabbi Feldman's speech.
- Agudah of Illinois' Midwest Convention is starting tomorrow! Tomorrow night's keynote session will be available at 8:00 PM EST to watch by clicking here. For more details about the Midwest Convention click here. If you would like to sign up to receive an email an hour before the event begins click here.
- Yarchei Kallah will continue this week on Iyunim B'hilchos Shabbos. See below for next week's schedule and how to join.
| | SBCO to Homeowners: The New York State Homeowner Assistance Fund can Help those Behind on their Mortgages | | Are you a New York homeowner behind on your mortgage?
SBCO, a project of Agudath Israel, is pleased to announce an opportunity for New York State homeowners who are behind in their mortgage payments on account of Covid-19, to receive assistance. The New York State Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF), a program designed and administered by New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) benefits low to moderate-income homeowners who are behind on mortgage payments, property taxes, water or sewer bills, as well as owners of cooperative or condo units behind on maintenance fees, and manufactured homeowners behind on chattel loans or retail installment contracts.
In addition, the HAF program is working in partnership with the Office of the New York State Attorney General to advocate with mortgage lenders and mortgage servicers to ensure homeowners are receiving all available relief under federal and state rules. This includes extended mortgage terms, deferment of missed payments or forbearance amounts, and lower interest rates to reduce monthly payments.
Benefits:
Eligible applicants may receive financial assistance to catch up on missed housing payments, to reduce mortgage debt to make monthly mortgage payments more affordable, and for homeowners who are unemployed, assistance with up to six months of future housing payments.
Awards will be capped at $50,000 per household. Assistance will be structured as a five-year, non-interest, non-amortizing forgivable loan. If the homeowner remains in the home for a period of five years, the loan will be fully forgiven.
Eligibility:
Eligible applicants must have household incomes at or below 100 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) and must be at least 30 days delinquent on monthly housing payments for their primary residence. Application Process:
Applications will be accepted beginning Monday, Jan. 3, 2022, and are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. For the best chance at being awarded, SBCO recommends preparing all documents for upload in advance.
Please call SBCO at 718-435-1300 and speak with a housing counselor to determine eligibility, and to begin the application process. SBCO offices will be open to the public on January 3rd from 10-5 to assist homeowners who need assistance or for those who do not have internet access.
SBCO can be contacted at 718-435-1300, or info@sbcony.org, and is located at 4006 18th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11218. | | A Day of Ideas and Inspiration: Agudah of Florida Holds 2nd South Florida Conference of Rabbonim and Evening of Chizuk | | Rabbi Shmuel Yaakov Klein, Director of Publications and Communications at Torah Umesorah speaking at the 2nd South Florida Rabbonim Conference | | Partial view of crowd at South Florida Night of Chizuk | | Rabbi Ahron Feldman, Rosh HaYeshiva of Ner Yisrael and Chaver Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah, with Rabbi Moshe Matz, Director, Agudath Israel of Florida, at the 2nd South Florida Rabbonim Conference | | Partial view of rabbonim at the at the 2nd South Florida Rabbonim Conference | | Rabbi Ahron Feldman, Rosh HaYeshiva of Ner Yisrael and Chaver Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah, speaking at the South Florida Night of Chizuk | | Agudas Yisroel of Florida, under the leadership of Rabbi Moshe Matz, convened its 2nd South Florida Rabbonim Conference last week, attended by over 40 rabbonim from Jewish communities across the state.
The theme running through the conference was one of working together for the benefit of the community, in Florida, as well as in the rest of the world. To that end, Rabbi Matz underlined for the rabbonim the resources available to their communities' courtesy of the Agudah, and the synergies that they could expect working together with the Agudah.
Rabbi Ahron Feldman, Rosh HaYeshiva of Ner Yisrael and Chaver Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah, echoed the theme of working together by talking about the importance of rabbonim joining with each other to provide leadership for their cities. (The rabbonim also had the opportunity to speak with the Rosh HaYeshiva privately.)
Rabbonim are not always thought of as being in chinuch; Rabbi Shmuel Yaakov Klein, Director of Publications and Communications at Torah Umesorah, expanded on the key role that rabbonim can play in remedying many chinuch challenges, and gave multiple examples of how rabbonim can have a real impact by instilling a sense hislahavus and purpose in the children of their community.
Moving to how the Florida community and its rabbonim could impact the greater Jewish world, Rabbi Yaakov Berenfeld, director of Adopt-a-Kolel explained the impact on both institutions when a shul in America partners with a Kollel in Eretz Yisroel. And, R' Shia Markowitz, CEO of Keren Hashviius delivered an impassioned plea for those farmers in Eretz Yisroel who are observing shmitah. He spoke about their heroism and mesiras nefesh, and the difficulties they and their families experience; partnerships with shuls in the United States enable the fulfillment of this mitzvah.
Evening of Chizuk
Never one to waste an opportunity, Rabbi Matz used the occasion of Rabbi Feldman's visit to orchestrate a special Evening of Chizuk for the North Miami Beach community, at Torah Veemunah, under the leadership of Rabbi Aryeh Bensinger. The packed audience heard Rabbi Feldman speak about the challenges of secular culture, and how we can work together to overcome them.
"It was an honor for me to be able to host the rabbonim of South Florida for this conference," said Rabbi Moshe Matz. "I look forward to continuing to promote the work of Agudas Yisroel with the rabbonim, on behalf of their communities. Additionally, it was a truly inspiring for me to be able to bring Rabbi Ahron Feldman to speak to my community, and to see them turn out in such large numbers to hear the Rosh Yeshiva speak."
"I was very encouraged by the number of rabbonim who attended the conference, and want to work with Agudas Yisroel on behalf of their kehillos," said Rabbi Labish Becker, executive director of Agudas Yisroel of America, who represented the Agudah's national office at both events. "Many new ideas were thought of to help our communities grow and thrive. I look forward to seeing Agudas Yisroel work together with the rabbonim to bring these ideas to fruition."
A recording of Rabbi Feldman's address is available to listen to by clicking here. | | The shiurim will continue next week with the access information as follows: | | | | | | |
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