---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: The Agudah <news@agudah.org>
Date: Wed, Jan 24, 2024, 5:02 PM
Subject: News From Agudah 14 Shevat 5784, January 24, 2024
To: <agentemes4@gmail.com>

January 24, 2024 - 14 Shevat 5784

In today's News from the Agudah: This week is school choice week! See below for just some of what Agudah has been doing around the country - we hope to show you more in the next email; in the meantime, here's Congress, Colorado, and Arizona. Girls grades 3-8 - call in to hear Rabbi Erps in just half an hour in honor of Tu B'Shevat.

We wish nechamos b'soch aveiliei Tziyon v'Yerushalayim to our dear friend R' Reuven Wolf, a member of Agudah's Board of Trustees, upon the petirah of his father R' Shmuel.

We also wish nechamos b'soch aveiliei Tziyon v'Yerushalayim to our colleague R' Shai Markowitz upon the petirah of his father R' Shmuel Zev. T'hei nishmasom tzeruros b'tzror hachayim.

Did you get this email as a forward? You can subscribe to the Agudah's updates by clicking here.

Federal: Urge Your Member of Congress to Support the Educational Choice for Children Act!

This week is national school choice week. Agudah directors across the country are advocating for school choice initiatives that would benefit our communities. See the video for more. Below, some quick updates at the federal level, in Colorado, and in Arizona.

Congress is considering a $10 billion school choice proposal and we need you to urge your senators and representatives to support the bill as co-sponsors. This bill is gathering momentum in Congress and is the fastest and surest way to bring school choice to all 50 states.

The "Educational Choice for Children Act" (S.120/H.R.531) will encourage individual and corporate taxpayers to invest in education and cover expenses facing public and private school children. It does this by allowing, within a specified framework, a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit for individuals and corporations who contribute to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGO). These SGOs would then provide scholarships to children of eligible families for a range of educational expenses, including private school tuition!

See below or click here for more and to take action.

Colorado School Choice Rally

With Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen

With Senator Dafna Michaelson-Janet

Rabbi Yossi Kaplan, regional director of Agudah of Colorado, addressing the rally

With Senator Chris Hansen

Take Action to Save Arizona STO and ESA program!

The Governor's proposed budget would eliminate the scholarship program and severely restrict the ESA program.

Please take a minute to fill out the action alert and urge your Representatives to support Arizona's School Tuition Organization (STO) and Education Savings Account (ESA) programs.

To contact your Representative, click here.

Attention All Girls Grades 3-8:

Call in tonight to hear an inspiring story for Tu B'shvat, by master storyteller Rabbi Meir Erps!

Taking place today, Wednesday January 24th, 6:30pm EST.

Call in: 641.715.3800

Prompt:5

Access code 937120#

Click here for the flyer.

For more information: CBHass@agudah.org

Mishna Rishona Sponser

Tu B'Shevat's Mishna Rishona is sponsored by:

Rabbi and Mrs. Yitzchok Ehrman,

Gross לע"נ חיים שמואל בן יצחק מרדכי

To sponsor a day of Mishnayos, and have the z`chus of hundreds of children`s learning for a Yartzeit or for any occasion call 845.304.7781 or email mslevine@agudah.org.

Urge Your Member of Congress to Support the Educational Choice for Children Act!, continued:

All of this promises to be of great benefit to Jewish parents who are committed – but struggle — to giving their children a sound Torah education. Eligibility is for families earning 300% or below of the median income in that area. Median income ranges in most places between $60,000 and $120,000.

The bill protects religious liberty and private school autonomy by prohibiting government control, mandates, or encroachment over participating scholarship organizations and schools.

We urge you to contact your members of Congress by email using the link below. And, as members regularly return to their districts to meet constituents and listen to their concerns, those are opportune times to reach out to your elected officials in person in their offices or when they attend events in your area.

Congress must hear our voices.

Sponsored by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Tim Scott (R-SC) and by Representatives Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Burgess Owens (R-UT), the legislation currently has more than 30 co-sponsors in the Senate and nearly 140 in the House. To see if your member of Congress already signed on as a co-sponsor see here for House bill and here for Senate bill. If they have, please express your appreciation. If not, let them hear your voice.