Over 35 chareidi community leaders from across the United
States gathered in Washington DC for the opening meeting of
Agudas Yisroel's National Board of Directors of its Office of
Government Affairs.
The event provided the members of the new body an opportunity
to hear from ranking federal officials and to discuss with
them various issues of importance to American Jewry.
The Board of Directors was set up in order to increase
involvement in these issues said Rabbi Yechiel Kalish, Agudas
Yisroel of America's national director for government
affairs, who organized the event together with Rabbi Abba
Cohen, director of Agudas Yisroel's Washington bureau and an
advisor to Agudas Yisroel of America.
"Through the Board, which is chaired by veteran activists
Avrohom (George) Klein, Shmuel Yosef Rieder and Steven
Rosedale, we will be able to streamline communications and
interaction with political leaders," he said.
The event opened with a meeting at the Jewish Community
Center where speakers included Joe McTighe, director of the
Council for Private Education in America, former Senator Rick
Santorum and Dan Murphy, a ranking advisor and director of
federal affairs for lobby company Barbur, Griffith &
Rogers.
Mr. McTighe discussed the issue of the private school
community, which requires a budget of millions of dollars, on
matters relating to the renewed approval of the federal law
"No Child Left Behind," currently the main source for
education system funding. He raised a number of issues liable
to cause concern for the future of the important programs
available to Jewish schools through the law — e.g.
remedial teaching, teaching technology and the Safe Schools
program — urging his listeners to help prevent severe
budget cuts to the programs by active involvement in
political processes.
Former Senator Santorum delivered a fascinating presentation
about the Iranian threat and Islamic fascism in general,
warning against the current trend in many circles in the US
to downplay the seriousness of the threat and urging Agudas
Yisroel of America to take an active role in focusing the
attention of national leaders on the ongoing crisis.
Mr. Murphy presented a detailed proposal on the federal
budgeting process to allow organizations providing social
services — including religious groups such as Agudas
Yisroel of America — to obtain federal funding to
assist them achieve humanitarian goals.
In the afternoon, meetings were held in the White House's
Treaty Room, where the group had the honor of hearing Deputy
Chief of Staff Karl Rove discuss the war on terror and the
importance of American efforts to promote stability and
democracy in the Middle East.
During the course of the White House meetings the group was
also addressed by Jeremy Katz, special policy assistant and
Jewish liaison, who shared his frustrations over how Reform
groups publicly condemned the President's Iraq policy. Later
they heard a talk by Jay Heine, director of the office for
community initiatives and religion, who stressed the
importance of religious organizations in helping take care of
socioeconomic problems and reiterated the present
administration's commitment to assist religious
organizations.
The day-long visit ended with a follow-up meeting at the
Jewish Community Center during which board members reached a
decision to present Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudas Yisroel
of America with their recommendations that Agudas Yisroel
issue a declaration supporting the US' effort in Iraq as part
of the larger war against terror.
