Yesterday, the City of Annapolis sprung back to life with the start of the 2018 legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly. Among many other things Agudath Israel will be working on this session, securing funding for Jewish schools is, of course, the top priority. The Broadening Options and Opportunities Today (BOOST) pr
It didn’t take long. Illinois donors, including many from the Jewish community, generously pledged more than $36 million for private school scholarships in just one day. The pledges were the first step in the implementation of the new $100 million Illinois Scholarship Tax Credit program. Tuesday was the first day for individuals and corporations to reserve tax credits through the Illinois Department of Revenue. Under the new program, donor
So last night I got locked out of my car. In Baltimore. On one of the coldest nights of the year. Thankfully, a volunteer from Chaverim of Baltimore was there within minutes and while it ended up taking a second volunteer and close to an hour, they were able to get me back into my car. Without being asked, I immediately made an online donation to Chaverim to sponsor a lock out kit so that they can help others in my predicament. If you're like
Every week I struggle to come up with a unifying theme that ties together the various items featured in this newsletter. Writing these words at a Torah Umesorah conference held at a Trump branded hotel, it is easy to say that all of our highlights commend President Trump and his administration (especially Ambassador Ha
When the Maccabees won the battle that led to the celebration of Chanukah, it was a triumph of good over evil and gave the Jewish People the religious freedom to impart their faith and values to their children. All of these themes are just as relevant today as they were more than 2000 years ago. Religious Freedom: Residents of Jackson Township, New Jersey, received a Chanukah gift this week with the Township's decision to allow
To all those who asked: No. I did not get an invitation to the White House Chanukah party. Agudath Israel was well-represented at the event, though, by our executive vice president Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel and our vice president for federal affairs and Washington director Rabbi Abba Cohen.
The theme of last week's Agudah convention was Together We Will. Over the course of 72 hours I found myself inspired by the nearly 100 speakers and more importantly by the tens of thousands of attendees (in person and online). It was gratifying to know so many people were interested in understanding the challenges facing the Orthodox Jewish community and the potential solutions, and who are willing to work together with Agudath Israel and others
I'm often asked, "Which state has the best school voucher/scholarship program in the country?" It's an impossible question to answer so I avoid it. I even created a chart (below) just to avoid answering that question. The chart, which we updated this week, compares the different scholarship programs in states with Orthodox Jewish day schools. There are more than 50 scholarship programs in more than 25 states and there is no perfect program
Today is Veteran's Day in the US. Words cannot express our gratitude for those who have risked their lives to protect our freedoms. So if you, or a family member has served in the military, thank you for your service. This week's also marked the conclusion of another election cycle.
Most weeks this newsletter focuses on the 'tuition crisis" and how we help struggling parents afford day school tuition and help Jewish schools meet the needs of every child, as highlighted by the recent Yeshiva Expo. One division of Agudath Israel that is rarely mentioned on these pages is the Southern Brooklyn Community Organization, w