Last week, I traveled all over New York and New Jersey, talking to people from Brooklyn to Lakewood about the importance of voting in one of the biggest elections in history. I heard the excitement about the election itself, but I also heard that many people plan not to vote. The excuses were troubling: “My
We know that this ferocious pandemic has taken a massive toll in terms of lives lost, but once this unfolding tragedy runs its course, it will be time to take stock of its collateral damage. The economic shutdown required to “flatten the curve” has devastated the livelihoods of millions of Americans, including many religiously observant
Ask North American Jewish day school leaders what issue troubles them most and you will repeatedly hear the same answer – security. In today’s world, security has become a basic necessity, but is often prohibitively expensive. That is why the Teach Coalition – an advocacy arm of the Orthodox Union – is dedicated to achieving
Just how important is it to vote in local elections? Maury Litwack, Director of State Political Affairs for OU Advocacy, explains in The Five Towns Jewish Times: There’s nothing like a Presidential election to boost our patriotism and dedication to the political process. But when it comes to improving our daily lives, there’s nothing like
After nearly a year of advocacy, working to ensure that New York City Jewish day schools would be included in Mayor Bill de Blasio’s signature universal pre-kindergarten (UPK) program, OU Advocacy-Teach NYS has launched a campaign in New York City calling on the mayor to “Make Universal Pre-K Universal.” The campaign is targeted to raise
A decade ago, the Jewish community debated whether vouchers violated the church-state wall and whether this “slippery slope” was worth the potential boon of millions in government aid to Jewish day schools. Since then, numerous judicial rulings have answered the church-state question and created an environment in which more than $1 billion dollars in 19
The sweeping and surprising electoral results from last week’s election transformed the makeup of the U.S. Senate, overturned several gubernatorial races and introduced entire ideological shifts in state legislatures. People and pundits throughout the country are debating the factors that led to the Republican sweep, including economic issues and the President’s popularity, or lack thereof.
Practical advice on how to develop a unified front to solicit government assistance and deal with climbing yeshiva day school tuition
Any hashkafic, halachic or political opinions are personal and do not reflect the official psak or policy of the OU. “How far would Moses have gone if he had taken a poll in Egypt?” – Harry S. Truman The Political Problem: Public opinion is either for or against you, your position, or your project. In