AGUDAH ACROSS AMERICA
NEW YORK OFFICE
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
New York State COVID-19 Updates
Together with its coalition partners
Agudath Israel
Led the fight to prevent government overreach and control of our yeshivos. After a court victory, a public awareness campaign spurred our community to generate an unprecedented 143,000 comments opposing rigid “substantial equivalency” regulations.
Spearheaded a state ESSA Complaint, later elevated to the federal level, to enhance Title I services to NYC yeshivos and nonpublic schools. 2 years of advocacy, and nearly 1,000 pages of documentation penned by Agudath Israel attorneys later, $37.7 million in Title I services was added to a $78 million budget for academically challenged children.
Drove advocacy that significantly enhanced the nonpublic school share of classroom technology from the Smart School Bond Act.
Together with our coalition partners, obtained $60 million in security funding for nonpublic schools, and including for the first time, summer camps.
Worked with our coalition partners to secure:
·$115 million in Mandated Services Aid, a 3.6% increase, and;
·$77 million in CAP funding, a 3.6% increase.
New York State
Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul
at the 2018 Yeshiva Summit
Mission to Albany
At Governor Cuomo’s announcement
of additional security funding
Advocating for kosher food
in NYC public schools.
Latest News
SSBA Webinar with the DOE
On Tuesday, December 29, the Yeshiva Services department held a webinar for NYC yeshivos and day schools on the Smart Schools Bond Act (SSBA) loan program. The webinar was presented by Mr. Eric Weinbaum, Senior Executive Director of Operations in […]
High Court Victory for Religious Liberty
In a landmark vindication of religious rights, the Supreme Court of the United States issued an injunction, just minutes before midnight late Wednesday, against New York State’s arbitrary limit of 10 or 25 individuals in houses of worship with […]
Winning the War, Losing the Battle; 2-1 Decision on Injunction Received
Agudath Israel is disappointed that the U.S. Court of Appeals did not grant a preliminary injunction preventing aspects of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s lockdown restrictions against shuls. By 2-1 vote the majority decided, with little explanation, that the very […]
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