-Murphy: Vaccine eligibility will be expanded, starting March 15 to include Pre-K to 12 educators and support staff, child care workers, transportation workers, and additional public safety workers.
-Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) has signed on as a co-sponsor of a controversial piece of legislation that would likely erode protections for religious traditionalists and advance a key priority for social progressives. The legislation passed the House of Representatives last week. The most concerning aspect of the bill to advocates of religious liberty is its stripping away of legal protections that have shielded traditional practitioners whose faith is in conflict with certain progressive social trends.(Hamodia)
-Senate version of stimulus bill may lower threshold for eligibility to receive $1,400 stimulus checks. The House-passed version included $1,400 checks for individuals making up to $75,000 and couples filing jointly making up to $150,000. Those were the same thresholds in the first two rounds of stimulus payments. Senators of both parties have discussed better targeting the payments to lower income individuals by reducing the threshold for receiving any checks. The current proposal would phase out the checks for individuals making between $75,000 and $100,000, and couples making between $150,000 and $200,000.
-Lakewood BOE attorney issues statement on Blackface costume "We as a Township that hosts one of the most diverse integrated and successful Mosaics in America must STAND UP to the alleged acts of Friday, and, the indifference to these type of events that occur almost yearly. The answer, in part, is
education and we at the Lakewood school district will be formulating an educational response for all students and their families later this week .Please thru education, formal and informal, strongly consider educating your students as to this important issue . full statement here
ReplyDeleteEquality Act calls Bible a bigoted document,
February 24, 2021
The Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), representing over 1500 traditional, Orthodox rabbis in matters of public policy, called today for the rejection of the Equality Act as “a direct attack on Jewish religious values and practices.” The Equality Act, H.R. 5, is slated for votes on Thursday in the House of Representatives.
In a letter sent Friday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, the CJV argued that according to the Equality Act, a person is deemed “bigoted” if he or she adheres to traditional Jewish doctrine.
For example, the text refers to “the sex stereotype that marriage should only be between heterosexual couples” as a discriminatory belief. Per the letter:
The Equality Act expressly declares that the Book of Genesis [see 2:24] and all of the Jewish laws pertaining to marriage as a sanctified union between man and woman (called “kiddushin” in Hebrew, from the word “kadosh,” Holy) are nothing more than engagement in discriminatory stereotypes. This is a disgraceful attack upon Jewish Biblical beliefs, rendered no more excusable by the fact that other traditional religious groups have similar tenets.
The letter also lists numerous elements of normative observant Jewish practices which would be grounds for a discrimination complaint under the proposed legislation, including separate seating at weddings, single-gender dancing, and even separate hours for swimming. “A law which would require recognition of the gender a person prefers to be… would demand we cease to operate in accordance with our sincerely-held beliefs, moral values and religious education — expressly violating our religious liberty,” the rabbis said.
“It is outrageous that Congress would declare us bigoted for simply maintaining our time-honored traditions,” said Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer, Chairman of the CJV Rabbinic Circle. “And it is no mere insult; the law even explicitly rejects religious freedom as a defense, meaning it provides Anti-Semites with a new way to persecute the religious Jewish community.”
Indeed, the Equality Act is the first time in history that legislation would deny protections found in the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. The CJV letter concludes: “The Equality Act has the potential to bring the United States’ centuries-long history of respecting and providing robust protection for our religious beliefs and liberties to an abrupt and ignominious end.“
Our Askanim met Andy Kim and took photo ops
Deletehttps://www.app.com/story/news/local/redevelopment/2021/03/01/lakewoods-busy-corridor-could-see-33-two-story-townhouses/6800408002/
ReplyDeletethe 33 townhomes (66 families/132 cars) right on top of one of the busiest intersections in town (squankum, kennedy, county line) and a stones-throw to skver's new school on squankum for 1000 kids and huge simcha hall attracting hundreds of new daily & nightly vehicle traffic to the area - will make this "4 corners" section of town impossible for everyone living or travelling through the area.
DeleteThe developer only cares about making a ton of profit for his own wallet. He could care less about anyone else in the community. Why can't he just build something which is a permitted use and a normal size?? There's a reason for a Master Plan and a Zoning Code. But he only seems interested in squeezing as much as he can into as little space as he can get away with. Fech!
I OPPOSE!
Vaad and Boe getting their media fame blowing this all out of proportion
ReplyDeleteEducation? How about basic knowledge of norms of society. You are a part of society, like or not, and must be aware of basic societal norms.
ReplyDeleteVaad blew it they guilted the whole community shame on them
ReplyDeleteThe Democrats' legislation threatens our entire way of life in the US as Torah Jews. And its very possible that it will pass the Senate and become law.
ReplyDeleteWe need rachamei shamayim merubim.
Honest
DeleteACTIVISM is what we need
That corner project is totally irresponsible . That area in general is a situation . So now , let’s add fuel to the fire . Let’s add 132 cars plus simcha traffic in and out to the “corner ..”
ReplyDeleteWhy is inzelbuch all over the purim story
ReplyDelete