Holocaust Education Bill Passed by Senate

May 15, 2020
This past Wednesday, in a voice vote, the Senate adopted the House of Representatives’ version of the Never Again Education Act, which now goes to the White House for the President Trump’s signature.
The legislation provides assistance for Holocaust education and other programs promoting the importance of preventing hatred and bigotry. The bill, whose lead sponsors were Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Elise Stefanik (R-NY) in the House, was sponsored in the Senate by Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV).
Rabbi Abba Cohen, Vice President for Government Affairs and Washington Director of Agudath Israel of America, helped support and promote the bill. He praised Rep. Maloney and Senator Rosen for their leadership on this issue and thanked the other cosponsors for their dedication in getting this important bill passed by both House and Senate.
“Raising the level of Holocaust awareness within United States, and particularly among our young people, is of paramount importance,” according to Rabbi Cohen. “The increased anti-Semitism that has spiked in recent years, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, is an alarming reality and we need to focus all available weapons in our battle against hate. Holocaust education is a critical component of that arsenal.
Under the bill, $10 million will be allocated over a five-year period to expand the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s educational programming across the country and to develop new resources, including a centralized website that will trace Holocaust history as well as post-Holocaust patterns of racist behavior.
Of particular importance, the funding will also expand support for resources and curricular material for educators. Teachers who integrate lessons of the Holocaust within their respective curricula may be eligible for funding. The bill’s assistance may also be channeled towards professional development programs, allowing for a greater number of local, regional, and national workshops. Ultimately, the hope is that the Museum will be able to offer joint programs of teacher training, thereby enhancing the discipline of Holocaust education throughout the nation – perhaps throughout the world.
“We fervently hope that today’s youth will become vigilant about protecting the world from individuals and organizations that seek, however subtly, to promote anti-Semitism and any form of hatred,” Rabbi Cohen said. “The more they learn about the Holocaust, the more they understand the evil, horror and stigma of it, and perhaps ‘never again’ will be one step closer.”


Meeting with Yeshiva Administrators Preps Agudah Advocates for New Legislative Session in Albany

May 15, 2020
As 2019 comes to a close, lawmakers around the country are readying themselves to begin new legislative sessions. Agudath Israel of America is also getting ready, preparing to advocate for our various communities across the United States.
 
In order to gain insight into the issues that are facing their constituency today, Agudah’s New York government relations department took to the road, setting up meetings and speaking with many individuals throughout the state to gather feedback on the issues our community cares about.
 
As part of that effort this past week, Agudah met with principals and administrators of various Yeshivas and Bais Yaakovs at two events, one in Brooklyn and one in the Far Rockaway/ Five Towns area. The meetings were to collect feedback on issues facing our mosdos before the new legislative session begins and to update the yeshiva community on the results of Agudah’s 2019 legislative efforts in Albany.
 
The events were arranged by Rabbi Yeruchim Silber, director of Agudath Israel’s New York Government Relations department and Mrs. Deborah Zachai, director of Agudath Israel’s Yeshiva Services Department.
 
One thing that the attendees wanted to know more about was if there was progress on the substantial equivalency issue. Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, executive vice-president of Agudath Israel, provided an update and stressed: “This is the single most important issue in Albany we are facing.” The Agudah is committed to focusing on the problem until its resolution.
 
The feedback that Agudah receives at these events is invaluable. It allows the Agudah to continue to strive to provide yeshivas with the services they require, and thereby give our children the best chinuch possible. Rabbi Silber asked the school administrators what they would like to see brought up to our lawmakers this new session. Most administrators stressed the importance of securing more funding for security to protect our schools, as well as working on providing tuition relief funding to struggling parents. The busing issue in the Five Towns was also a major topic of discussion.
 
The Agudah’s legislative accomplishments in the past year included a 3.6% increase in mandated services funding, $60 million in security funding including a new allocation for summer camps, securing an increase of $37.7 million to the Title I budget, and ensuring increased funding for the Smart School Bond Act.
 
Rabbi Meyer Yedid, the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Darchei Erez, the school that hosted this event in Brooklyn, stated in his opening address, “As administrators, it gives us strength when we know someone cares for us, someone is working for us… Agudah is an organization that is involved in our future.” A similar sentiment was echoed by Rabbi Tzvi Krigsman, menahel of Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island which hosted the Five Towns Event. Rabbi Krigsman stressed the importance of Achdus in Klal Yisroel and Agudah’s role in bringing it about.
 
Come January when the new legislative session begins, Agudah’s constituents in the Yeshiva Community be confident that Agudah is ready to advocate with their feedback in hand.
 

 



Tell Congress: Don’t Tax our Nonprofits! Support the LIFT for Charities Act

May 15, 2020

For the past several months, America’s nonprofit sector, including Agudath Israel of America, has been highlighting an issue that surprisingly came to light as a result of last year’s landmark tax reform bill. And it is an issue that will have a detrimental effect on the work and finances of certain nonprofit organizations, including affected synagogues, schools and charities within our community.

Under the new law, for the first time, nonprofit organizations that provide to their employees transportation and other commuter benefits – e.g., parking and transit passes – whether they are made available in localities, like New York, where they are mandated or in other localities where they are optional, will be slapped with a 21% tax. This could result in an added liability of thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars, for our already-financially-strapped religious institutions. Moreover, this steep burden on the synagogues, schools, and charities that offer these benefits will only be made worse by the new costs of preparing and filing tax returns – including a Form 990, never before required of religious entities — and meeting other compliance requirements.

Simply put, the new tax will divert sparse funds and create additional strain on certain synagogues, schools and charities. It will be even harder for them to make ends meet and ultimately result in the cutting back on benefits to dedicated staff (in cities where the benefits are not mandated) and on the quantity and quality of their community and educational services. The pressure will be passed along to Individuals and families who will be looked to to cover these new costs.

But the good news is that several bills have been introduced in Congress to repeal the new law and its onerous burdens. One bill to rally around is the LIFT for Charities Act (S.3332/H.R.6460), introduced by Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and Representative Mark Walker (R-N.C.), respectively. Please take action (below) by calling or writing your senators and representatives and urging them to support and co-sponsor these important bills.



Small, but painful mistake

May 15, 2020
In many states (like Maryland and New York), this week marked the beginning of the legislative session. Agudath Israel’s team of state and regional directors have assembled an aggressive legislative agenda on behalf of our community and we hope to report about their progress in the weeks ahead.
This week I learned that a tiny mistake can have painful repercussions.  I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say that a fraction of a millimeter’s mistake by a phlebotomist left my arm in pain for the entire week.
In the legislative arena, a small mistake or even changing one letter can make all the difference. Our government affairs team will be spending the next few months working with policy makers to make sure that the right words are inserted in the right places to ensure that the rights of our community are protected and to maximize ways to help our families.
Please feel free to reach out to me or to one of our state directors to find out what issues are being discussed in your statehouse and what you can do to help.
Lastly, if you haven’t done so already please contact Congress by clicking on this link and ask them to help secure our schools and nonprofits. If you live in one of the areas listed below, the grant funding could double and if you live outside one of these areas this means that your community may be eligible for security grants for the first time.



Mazal Tov!

May 15, 2020

Rabbi Yeruchim Silber congratulating new chair of NYS Assembly Ways and Means Committee Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein

Leon Goldenberg and Rabbi Yeruchim Silber at Queens Assemblyman Daniel Rosenthal’s swearing-in ceremony