On President Trump's Executive Order to Target and Combat Anti-Semitism
Agudath Israel of America welcomes President Trump's Executive Order that seeks to target and combat anti- Semitism at American colleges and universities. This action embodies an understanding of federal law that has enjoyed bipartisan support in Congress, and offers a definition of anti-Semitism that has been adopted by the State Department and by several international bodies and foreign governments.
It is no secret that Jewish students on campus fear for their safety. The rise in anti-Semitic incidents and the increasingly poisonous atmosphere towards Jews at our institutions of higher education have been widely reported and acutely felt in our community. Jewish students on too many campuses face the reality of verbal and even physical attacks by other students, and of hostile demagoguery spouted by extremists, and sometimes condoned by faculty and university officials. When that happens, a line has been crossed. It is bias and hatred that Americans abhor, and our government should not tolerate that.
No student should walk any campus in fear.
Congratulations to President Trump, Secretary DeVos, Assistant Secretary of Education Ken Marcus and all the Administration Officials and Congressional leaders who have moved this measure forward.
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On the Shooting in Jersey City
Agudath Israel of America and its constituents were heartbroken and outraged over the murders of three civilians and a police officer yesterday at a kosher market in Jersey City, N.J. We offer our deepest condolences to the families of the innocent people who were killed, and we pray for the speedy recovery of those who were wounded in the brazen attack.
We commend the law enforcement teams that arrived so quickly at the scene of the shooting and whose members put their lives on the line to protect their fellow citizens.
That two of the murdered were Jews, that law enforcement officials have indicated that the store had been targeted because of its Jewish connection, and that an anti- Semitic, anti-police manifesto was found in the vehicle the murderers had stolen only add to our anguish. They remind us of the ugly hatred of evil people.
We must recognize the greater context in which this outrage occurred. Jews have been targeted in city streets, in their houses of worship and online. The increase in the number of anti-Semitic incidents is alarming and needs to be urgently addressed.
We pray that the plans of all who would do our people harm be frustrated, and that all Americans be spared any future such senseless violence.
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Agudath Israel will help the Census
Agudath Israel of America is pleased to announce it has received an award from the NYC Complete Count Fund — a partnership between CUNY, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Council. The NYC Complete Count Fund is a first-of-its-kind Census related community organizing program that will support and resource community-based organizations to help NYC reach a full and accurate count in the 2020 Census. These funds will support the Agudath Israel Census Outreach Project.
The Complete Count Fund was built with the understanding that local community-based organizations — which serve New Yorkers in the communities where they live and in the languages that they speak — are the most trusted messengers of important and sensitive information.
Agudath Israel is proud to join this coordinated citywide effort to build awareness about the census, convey its importance, and help bridge the digital divide that might prevent many New Yorkers from participating in next year's first online census.
Through our extensive reach and particularly through our Department of Educational Services, Agudath Israel will work with schools, synagogues, and local community based organizations to ensure the most accurate count possible.
"Agudath Israel has a long history of service to the Orthodox Jewish community, including outreach in previous census counts," said Rabbi Labish Becker, Executive Director. "We thank Mayor de Blasio, City Council Speaker Johnson, and CUNY for providing this important funding."
A complete and accurate count is critical to the future of New York City. The census will determine how more than $650 billion in federal funds for education, housing, roads and bridges, and more, gets distributed annually throughout the country. It will also determine the number of seats each state is allocated in the House of Representatives (and thus, the Electoral College). Based on current estimates, an undercount could cost the State of New York up to two congressional seats.
In such a complex city, enriched by such linguistic and cultural diversity, New York City's full participation in the first online census faces a unique set of challenges. As New Yorkers, we have embraced these challenges as an opportunity. Together, these citywide efforts will lay the groundwork for a civic engagement apparatus that will continue well beyond the 2020 census.
The Complete Count Fund will launch in early January with an all-day kickoff event and training.
