vital information: Fwd: News From Agudas Yisroel 5 Sivan 5783/May 25, 2023

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: The Agudah <news@agudah.org>
Date: Thu, May 25, 2023, 11:50 AM
Subject: News From Agudas Yisroel 5 Sivan 5783/May 25, 2023
To: <agentemes4@gmail.com>

May 25, 2023 - 5 Sivan 5783

Shavuos:

As we prepare for Shavuos, please enjoy this article from Chaver Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah Rav Mordechai Gifter Zt"l, about "the greatest single gift in the life of Klal Yisroel." Please click here.

New York:

While Agudas Yisroel commonly advocates for religious observance on the federal and state levels, we are also often called about individuals in unique situations who find themselves in need of assistance:

A computer specialist (Mr. B) had applied for a position in the New York City Government about a year ago. After about a year of waiting he was invited to attend a hiring pool organized by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCASS). At these hiring pools applicants meet with hiring representatives from different city agencies for on-the-spot interviews.

The hiring pool Mr. B was invited to attend was on Friday, May 26th, which is the first day of Shavuos. He was also informed that failure to attend would result in his removal from consideration for a position with the New York City Government.

In need of assistance, Mr. B reached out to Agudah for help, initially contacting Mr. Chaskel Bennett, member of Agudah's Board of Trustees. Agudah promptly contacted both the mayor's office and Councilman Kalman Yeger. Fortunately, upon being informed about the conflict, DCASS announced that hiring pool will be rescheduled to ensure that Orthodox Jews are able to attend.

"Rabbi Moshe Sherer OB"M used to say that Agudath Israel is there for Klal Yisroel and Reb Yisroel. This incident serves as a prime example of Agudah being there for Reb Yisroel," expressed Mr. Bennett. "There is no greater act of chessed than helping individuals secure employment, and we are grateful that we were able to remove a major employment barrier for Orthodox individuals."

"We are immensely appreciative of our friends in city government who promptly resolved this issue upon being notified," stated Rabbi Yeruchim Silber, Agudah's Director of New York Government Relations. "Particularly helpful were Councilman Kalman Yeger and from the office of Mayor Eric Adams, Commissioner Fred Kreizman, Mayors Community Affairs Unit; Menashe Shapiro, Deputy Chief of Staff; Joel Eisdorfer, Senior Advisor to the Mayor; Tiffany Raspberry, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs; and Moshe Davis Jewish Liaison."

Yahrtzeit of Rav Avrohom Menachem Alter, ztvk"l, the Imrei Emes

One of the founding members of Agudas Yisroel's Moetzes Gedolei haTorah was the Imrei Emes, Rav Avrohom Mordechai Alter the Gerrer Rebbe. His Yartzeit is on the first day of Shavous, 6 Sivan. In May 1941, after he was rescued from Poland and was already in Yerusholayim, there was still great fear that the Nazis would march on Eretz Yisroel and continue their evil acts there. The great Zeirei Agudah leader in the USA at that time, R' Mike Tress, along with other organizations, petitioned the Hon. Breckenridge Long of the US State Dept. to allow the Imrei Emes into the United States temporarily.

After the war, on December 11, 1945, the Imrei Emese authored a chizuk letter to the she'eiris hapleitah, saying that we need to believe that everything Hashem sends us is for the good, and that just as they lived through a period of tochachah, HaShem would surely send all the brachah as well.

Yehi zichro boruch.

Read the full letter by clicking here or on the image above.

We've already shared quite a few memories of Rav Moshe Sherer Z"l in honor of his recent 25th yahrtzeit. Here's one from his biographer, R' Yonoson Rosenblum, who was unable to write one the week of the yahrtzeit. Click here to read it.