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The Growth of the Orthodox Jewish Community in New York State Over the Last Twenty Years
12/07/2022 OJPAC Data
Twenty years ago, in the September 2002 school year, 101,367 students were enrolled in Jewish schools across New York State from kindergarten through 12th. At the start of the September 2021 school year, however, the number had jumped to 163,529 students, an increase of 62,162 students. This data is from the New York State Department of Education.
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The Eliza Shapiro and Brian Rosenthal Dossier Against Hasidim: High on Bigotry; Low on Journalism
09/18/2022 Opinion
It is bigoted to present only negative claims about an ethnic community of hundreds of thousands of people. It is bigoted to package claims in a way to drive outrage against a community. It is bigoted to show negative facts in one community without showing how these facts are elsewhere.
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Video: An OJPAC Co-Founder Speaks to NBC-NY About the Anti-Yeshiva Regulations
09/14/2022 OJPAC Impact
The New York State Department of Education with oversight on $225 billion in education funds and a Public School system infamous for student truancy and low proficiency rates, adapted rules forcing Yeshivas to emulate the Public School system.
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Economic Data from the Yeshiva-Educated Hasidic Community
09/13/2022 OJPAC Data
Employment levels for Hasidic men (KJ) is similar to the rest of NY, and income among Hasidic men holds its own despite Hasidic employees being on average younger than elsewhere and younger people always earn less even when they have the same education level as someone with 20 more years work experience.
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A Three Point Memo Regarding Hasidic Yeshiva Education
09/12/2022 Press Release
A three-point memo regarding Hasidic Yeshiva education and the changes to education regulations adopted by the New York State Department of Education.
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162,894 Students Enrolled in NY Jewish Schools in the September 2021 School Year
03/31/2022 OJPAC Data
This school year, enrollment in New York Jewish community schools reached a new high of 162,894 students in grades Full Day Kindergarten through 12th, including enrollment in Ungraded Schools. The numbers were gathered by the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council (OJPAC) from data made available by the New York State Department of Education. This is the ninth consecutive year that OJPAC has released a Jewish school enrollment report.
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NY Times Reporters Still Blame Orthodox Jews for Second COVID-19 Wave in NYC a Year Later
12/05/2021 Press Release
In an early December 2021 news report, New York Times reporter Emma Fitzsimmons suggested that Orthodox Jews of Brooklyn and Queens led to the second Coronavirus wave in October 2021. The article also gives incomplete COVID-19 vaccination numbers of Hasidim in Borough Park and Williamsburg. Here is a letter that we sent to the reporter.
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OJPAC Statement Following Dangerous, Public Comments of Running Over Orthodox Jews with a Vehicle
11/12/2021 Press Release
During a November 10, 2021 public meeting in Haverstraw, New York, someone said “there is a certain sect of people that tend to walk in the street and nobody is wearing any reflective gear. So if I run one of them over and of course I will back over them again.” OJPAC distributed the video which led to massive condemnation and media reports. Here is our statement.
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Video and Statement: Misleading Comments by Dr. Fauci Against “Hasidic Jewish People” in NY
08/25/2021 Press Release
In a recent CBS interview, Dr. Anthony Fauci discussed herd immunity and he mentioned Measles, saying that “when vaccinations get below that (herd immunity) number you start to see outbreaks like we saw some time ago in the NYC area with Hasidic Jewish people who were not getting vaccinated.”
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Census Data! Population Growth in Multiple Counties Was Led by Orthodox Jewish-Populated Neighborhoods
08/15/2021 OJPAC Data
New numbers released by the U.S. Census Bureau from its 2020 count of the population shows that multiple counties across New York and New Jersey had robust growth the last decade largely due to Orthodox Jewish communities.
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Orthodox Jewish Population Drove 2020 Home Sales in NJ; Housing Developments in NY’s Hasidic Communities Led to a Rise in Taxable Assessed Property Values
07/18/2021 OJPAC Data
According to a May 2021 study by Property Shark, Ocean County, New Jersey had 7 out of the 10 municipalities in New Jersey with the largest increase in home sales from 2019 to 2020.
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OJPAC Calls on Governor Cuomo’s Office to Release Accurate, Age-Based Coronavirus Vaccination Rates
06/07/2021 Press Release
60% of the Hasidic population is under the age of 18 as opposed to only 20% of the general population in New York being of this young age. Most Orthodox Jewish adults are under the age of 50;...
The Coronavirus Vaccination Rate in Hasidic-Majority Borough Park Surpasses Many NY City Neighborhoods
05/31/2021 Press Release
Brooklyn - A look at vaccination data shared by the NYC Department of Health reveals that Borough Park, Brooklyn is doing better than many communities in vaccinating against the Coronavirus.
The Latest Bill by Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski is Undemocratic, Crushes Civil Liberties of Minorities and Leaves East Ramapo Schools Underfunded
05/09/2021 Press Release
A proposed bill by Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski calls for the appointment of a monitor armed with veto power over the democratically-elected board of the East Ramapo Central School District...
161,582 K-12 Students Enrolled in NY Jewish Schools for the Sep. 2020 School Year
04/25/2021 OJPAC Data
Enrollment in Jewish schools for grades kindergarten (full-day) through 12th rose a robust 28.1% in New York over the 10-year period ending with the current September 2020 school year.
OJPAC Re-Launches Push to Restore Full Patient Rights in Hospitals
02/21/2021 Press Release
New York. - The advocacy and policy organization OJPAC launched a new round of advertising and outreach advocating that full patient rights should be restored at all hospitals, at all times, through expanding the number of hours that patients can have loved ones at their bedside for practical and emotional support.
COVID-19 Deaths Prove That Some in Media and Many Politicians Unfairly Targeted Orthodox Jews
01/24/2021 OJPAC Data
Below are COVID-19 death rates in NYC per 100,000 people in the population as of last night’s available data: 309 Bronx 297 Queens 285 Latino 264 African American 258 City-wide 254 Queens 253 Brooklyn 231 Borough Park 201 South Williamsburg
Expanded Security Funds are Available for Non-Profit Institutions
01/20/2021 Press Release
Following the heinous antisemitic attack in Jersey City over a year ago on December 10, 2019 and the deadly Chanukah stabbing in Monsey, NY the following December 28, OJPAC embarked on a public information and advocacy effort to secure additional funding for security at vulnerable Jewish institutions.
New DOJ Action Against Airmont
12/02/2020 Press Release
Earlier today, the Department of Justice filed a 3-point lawsuit in federal court against the Village of Airmont which is located in Rockland County. The three points are that the village's zoning laws and actions of 2017-2018 have 1) placed an unreasonable burden on Orthodox Jews; 2) have discriminated against Orthodox Jews and 3) are in violation of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
SCOTUS Rejects Cuomo's Targeting of Orthodox Jews During Lockdowns
11/26/2020 Press Release
Last night, the SCOTUS ruled 5-4 to limit Governor Andrew Cuomo’s actions against houses of worship. In the second page of the ruling it was noted that “statements made [by Cuomo] in connection with the challenged rules, can be viewed as targeting the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Community.”
VIDEO: Officials Should Focus on Coronavirus; Not on Orthodox Jews
11/25/2020 Opinion
In early October 2020, Coronavirus was making a resurgence in New York State. Instead of alerting all of New York to this issue, Governor Andrew Cuomo repeatedly made it about Orthodox Jews and created Red Zones within zip codes and towns where COVID-19 was supposedly doing worse than other places.
NYC is Playing Games with COVID-19 Data in Orthodox Jewish-Populated Neighborhoods
10/26/2020 Press Release
5-6 weeks ago, the NYC Health Department rushed to release weekly COVID-19 data of predominately Orthodox Jewish-populated zip codes. It showed the case load rising (as a result of a pre-high holiday test rush). However, more recently when the numbers are much better per the state’s Zone data, the city changed the setting and is now releasing zip code data only on a 28-day rolling average.
VIDEO: See How Cuomo Changes COVID-19 Rules in Jewish-Populated Neighborhoods
10/20/2020 OJPAC Data
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and staff keep changing the standards in Red-Yellow zones which, for now, is only applied in predominantly Orthodox Jewish-populated neighborhoods.
STATEMENT on Odd Cuomo Line as to Why There is Outrage
10/16/2020 Press Release
Governor Cuomo keeps repeating an odd line that Orthodox Jews are upset because the current restrictions while softer than the ones in the spring are being enforced but back in the spring there was no enforcement.
VIDEO: OJPAC Presser Regarding Cuomo’s Rhetoric on COVID-19 and Orthodox Jews
10/16/2020 OJPAC Impact
OJPAC held a press conference to address the rhetoric from NY Governor Andrew Cuomo regarding the resurgence of COVID-19 statewide that Cuomo blames on Orthodox Jews; a community that has non-existent in most counties with rising numbers.
Coronavirus is Rising Across NY in Areas with no Orthodox Jews. Cuomo Still Blames Jews
10/11/2020 Press Release
On Friday October 9th, 2020, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo said in an interview that “the cluster is predominantly an ultra-orthodox [Jewish] cluster.” This echoes his week-long rhetoric of blaming the recent statewide resurgence of COVID-19 on Orthodox Jews, but here are the facts:
Discriminating Against the Living - AND THE DEAD
09/09/2020 OJPAC Impact
The most disgusting example of how some people singled out Orthodox Jews in the early months of the COVID-19 crisis is probably the reactions to funerals. According to New York State’s guidelines that were issued March 17th, funerals could take place. There was indeed a limit of 50 people or 50% capacity inside a funeral home, but there was no limit on how many people can participate in funeral or burial proceedings outdoors.
Plasma Donations: Good Heart or Hit Hard?
08/13/2020 Opinion
In recent months, there have been several news stories on how thousands of Orthodox Jews donated plasma to help the recovery of Covid-19 patients. The problem is that most of those news items present Orthodox Jews in a negative light.
DOJ Authorizes Lawsuit Against the Village of Airmont
07/20/2020 OJPAC Impact
The Justice Department has authorized a lawsuit against the village of Airmont, NY for action that “unreasonably limits the practice of religion by the village’s Orthodox Jewish community.”
158,481 K-12 Students Enrolled in NY Jewish Schools for the Sep. 2019 School Year
06/22/2020 OJPAC Data
The 2019-2020 school year saw 158,481 students from kindergarten through 12th grade enrolled in Jewish schools across New York State. This is a slight increase from the 156,113 students that were enrolled the previous year, and a 10.7% rise from the 143,156 students that were enrolled for the school year starting September 2014.
Houses of Worship and Clothing at Big Box Stores
05/20/2020 Press Release
On Wednesday, May 20th, Governor Cuomo announced that religious services are now permitted but with a limit of 10 people. The specific number of ten people represents a Minyan, a quorum, needed for services.
VIDEO: Short Summary of the OJPAC 2020 Appreciation Event
02/18/2020 Press Release
On the eve of February 17, 2020, OJPAC hosted its 2020 Appreciation Event in Westchester, New York. This is a short summary video of it.
A Letter to Public Officials: How to Combat Bigotry
01/01/2020 Opinion
The shooters in the December 10, 2019 attack on a Jewish Community store in Jersey City subscribed to a radical ideology, but one of them also participated in racist social media tirades against Jews. Digital records from the alleged perpetrator of the Monsey stabbing attack on Hanukkah 2019, show his obsession with Jews. These facts remind us that the hateful rhetoric spewed on social media against Hasidim in Ocean, Bergen, Rockland, Orange and Sullivan counties, paint a dangerous target on the backs of identifiable Jewish people.
This Town's Taxable Assessed Property Value Rose by $47 Million in 10 Years Thanks to Hasidim
12/27/2019 OJPAC Data
The construction growth in the Hasidic-populated Village of Kiryas Joel in Orange County, New York from 2008 through 2018, caused the village's taxable assessed property value to jump by $48.2 million in this period; according to tax records that OJPAC reviewed. At the time, KJ was in the Town of Monroe and the total value of the town's taxable assessed properties rose by $47.1 million.
OJPAC Op-Ed in WSJ: Dubious Stats Fuel Attack on Jewish Schools
12/12/2019 OJPAC Impact
Demography, not lack of education, mostly explains the poverty rates among Hasidic Jewish households. A closer look at the data reveals that demography mostly explains the poverty figures. Age distribution and household size are the critical variables.
OJPAC Statement Regarding NYAG Action in Chester, NY
12/05/2019 Press Release
The New York State Attorney General filed a motion to intervene in a federal lawsuit against the Town of Chester and against Orange County in New York regarding their treatment of the Jewish Community.
Home Selling Prices are Rising Most in Areas Where Hasidim Move to
11/08/2019 OJPAC Data
The median sale price for a house in Monsey, New York was 25% higher in 2018 than 2014. This makes Monsey "the second-fastest appreciating Hudson Valley community in terms of dollar amount growth," according to the report.
Records Show Few Religiously Tax Exempt Properties in the Hasidic Community of NY, NJ
11/07/2019 OJPAC Data
Records obtained by OJPAC from the Town of Monroe in Orange County, and from the Town of Ramapo in Rockland County, both in the State of New York, show that only a fraction of properties in Hasidic-populated communities are exempt for religious purposes. Media reports of Lakewood, New Jersey show similar results.
Average Household Income is Up 43% Among Hasidim Since 2009; Virtually Unchanged for New York Overall
09/28/2019 OJPAC Data
Census data reviewed by OJPAC shows that the average income for Hasidic Households jumped by 43.1% from 2009 through 2017. The data is based on the Village of Kiryas Joel in Orange County, NY, whose population of 23,000 is Hasidic and is the largest Hasidic population quantified by the Census.
FOIL'ed Data: Most Marriage Certificates in Monroe are Filed by Hasidim
09/26/2019 OJPAC Data
Records that OJPAC has FOIL'ed from the Town of Monroe shows that most Marriage Certificates in the Town over the last ten years were filed by Hasidim. This info debunks the broadly held belief that Hasidim have only a rabbinical certificate.
A Letter by OJPAC Co-Founders to the Editors of "The Chronicle" Newspaper
09/01/2019 OJPAC Impact
The following is a letter by OJPAC co-founders Aron Spielman and Yossi Gestetner to the Chronicle Newspaper which is circulated in Orange/Sullivan Counties of New York
Regarding the Rise in Attacks on Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn
08/31/2019 Press Release
We urge the Brooklyn District Attorney to announce and implement stepped up prosecutions of those who commit bigoted-driven attacks against Orthodox Jews.
Regarding the Anti-Hasidic Video Published by a Political Committee in Rockland
08/29/2019 Press Release
The Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council (OJPAC) Released the following Information and Statement Regarding an anti-Hasidic Video Published by a Major Political Committee in Rockland County.
The Truth About Yeshiva Curriculum and Student Outcome
07/25/2019 Opinion
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is now in a period of public comment over its proposed changes to private school education standards.
Hey Media. Please Stop Promoting Bigots. Thanks!
07/16/2019 Press Release
Today afternoon (July 16, 2019), CNN aired an interview with Richard Spencer. No one has done more for the PR of White Nationalists since 2015 than some media networks such as CNN. Spencer has been active for many years but few outside his bubble knew of him until media networks started giving him outsized attention.
Video: Hasidim and Legal Marriage
07/11/2019 OJPAC Data
This Happened to Tax Rates When 23,000 Hasidim Left a Town
06/29/2019 OJPAC Data
Administrators of Facebook groups that focus on Ocean, Bergen, Rockland, Orange and Sullivan counties in NJ and NY, feed their audiences the notion that Hasidim are a net tax cost to society. But guess what happened when a Village with its 23,000 Hasidim broke away from the Town of Monroe?
Video: Times Square Billboard About Vaccines
05/23/2019 OJPAC Impact
The disinformation regarding vaccination rates among Orthodox Jews overall and specifically Hasidim, led to bigoted incidents and unfair treatment of Orthodox Jews. OJPAC is setting the record straight, while raising awareness about vaccinations, with this billboard in Times Square that will run for a week
60% New Yorkers Fail Civics Tests But Trolls Focus on Yeshivas
05/23/2019 OJPAC Data
In February 2019, the Woodow Wilson Center released results of a large study showing that 60% of New Yorkers surveyed scored F in a test that mirrors the questions given in the quiz to new U.S. citizens. Only 4% of those surveyed scored an A. Most people in New York enroll in the public school system for their education which comes with a price tag of $23,000 a year per student, yet most New Yorkers fail basic social studies.
Five Key Facts About MMR Rates Among Hasidim
04/14/2019 OJPAC Data
At an April 9th, 2019 press conference, NYC Health Department leaders stated that an estimated 1,800 children who attend Yeshivas in Williamsburg and Borough Park, Brooklyn were unvaccinated. This estimate was from December 2018; two months into the outbreak
156,113 K-12 Students Enrolled in NY Jewish Schools for the Sep. 2018 School Year
03/31/2019 OJPAC Data
156,113 students enrolled in New York Jewish schools for the September 2018 school year grades Kindergarten through 12’th. This is a jump of 4,302 students from the 151,811 students a year earlier, and enrollment this year is 12.5% higher or 17,437 more students than five years ago
Text and Video Regarding the 2018-2019 Measles Outbreak
03/29/2019 Press Release
In October 2018, a Measles Outbreak started in Rockland County, New York primarily in the Orthodox Jewish community. The outbreak is also in Orange County and in Brooklyn which are both in New York State, and in Ocean County, New Jersey
Regarding the Increase in Heated Policy Rhetoric Nationally
02/11/2019 Press Release
In our great country, it is expected and accepted to criticize any individual; organization; country or movement one disagrees with. However, it is deeply troubling when people focus most or all of their criticism on a specific person; group; organization or country - most recently the singling out of Jewish organizations and Jewish activists
Statistical Facts About Income and Poverty Among Hasidim
12/20/2018 OJPAC Data
The common excuse by people in public policy circles for their disproportionate fixation on Hasidic Yeshiva education is the apparent elevated poverty rates in Hasidic neighborhoods, and the allegation is that Yeshiva education is the cause for these elevated rates. However, there are many factors unrelated to Yeshiva or education that cause the poverty rates in the Hasidic community to be skewed higher according to data from the Census.
K-12 Enrollment in NJ Jewish Schools Rises Sharply in 2017-2018
31,376 students enrolled in Lakewood, New Jersey, Jewish schools grades Kindergarten through 12th for the current 2017-2018 school year. This is an increase of 2,020 students or almost 6.9% from a year earlier, and it is a spike of 10,448 students or 49.9% from 20,928 students five years ago
151,828 K-12 Students Enrolled in NY Jewish Schools for the Sep. 2017 School Year
151,828 students enrolled in New York Jewish schools for the 2017-2018 school year grades Full Day Kindergarten through 12’th. This is an increase from 149,562 students last year; a jump from 133,285 students in the 2012-2013 school year and a steep rise from the 113,387 students ten years ago
Airmont and Discrimination Part 3: Counting Shul Attendees
01/09/2018 OJPAC Impact
On September 18, 2017, the Board of Trustees at the Village of Airmont in Rockland county New York held a meeting. The first agenda item was “planning board and zoning board chairmen.” Minutes into the discussion, what appears to be John Cornelius, the Chairman of the Village of Airmont Planning Board, brought up the topic of knowing how many people attend houses of worship
Airmont and Discrimination Part 2: Law Changes Against One Community
01/09/2018 OJPAC Impact
As outlined in the first installment of this series, the Village of Airmont in Rockland county New York, changed some of its land-use laws in 2011 as part of a settlement of a discrimination lawsuit brought by the Justice Department. The village is now in a 12-month process of reviewing those changes and is apparently using the current review period to discriminate again in the form of a building moratorium whose origin seems to have aimed the Orthodox Jewish community.
Airmont and Discrimination Part 1: A Moratorium
12/26/2017 OJPAC Impact
The Village of Airmont, situated in Town of Ramapo New York, was the subject of Federal lawsuits over the past 25 years. The Department of Justice in one case and four plaintiffs in a separate case, both in the early 1990’s, accused the village of discriminating against Orthodox Jews regarding houses of worship {Shuls} and Yeshivas.
Jackson Reverses on the Eruv; Mahwah on Parks
New Jersey. - The council of Jackson Township voted Wednesday night, December 13th, to reverse its ordinance that blocked the construction of the Eruv, and the council of Mahwah Township voted Thursday to rescind its ban on out of state residents from visiting its parks. Both townships are facing legal and public pressure regarding these issues.
149,562 Students Enrolled in NY Jewish Schools for the Sep 2016 School Year
149,562 students were enrolled in New York Jewish schools for the 2016-2017 school year. This is an increase from the 147,498 students a year earlier. The students were spread over 428 institutions throughout sixteen counties in grades full day Kindergarten through 12th, and the data includes students that were enrolled in Ungraded Elementary (UGE) schools and Ungraded Secondary (UGS) schools. The data was compiled by the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council (OJPAC) from stats made available by the New York State Education Department.
OJPAC Timeline and Comment Regarding NJ AG’s Action in Mahwah
10/24/2017 Press Release
A Mahwah law banning non-New Jersey residents (appearntly aimed at Hasidim from New York) from using Mahwah parks was supposed to go into effect but was stopped at the last minute by the Burton County Prosecutor. Mahwah is in Bergen County
Video: Film Maker Blames the Holocaust ‘Partly’ on Hasidim
10/22/2017 OJPAC Impact
Heidi Ewing is co-director of the newly released “One of Us” film regarding a few people who are no longer practicing Hasidim. In a paid interview on the Charlie Rose Show with Guest Host Jeff Glor, Ms. Ewing said Hasidim were murdered in the Holocaust “partly because they refused to blend in.” This is outrageous on its face and ignorant too as most Jews murdered had long “blended in”; were not observant and were certainly not Hasidic
Mahwah Gov Docs Reveal a Legislative Focus on Jews
10/10/2017 OJPAC Data
The Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council (OJPAC) filed an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request with the Township of Mahwah, a municipality in Bergen County New Jersey which borders New York, to understand how the Township enacted an ordinance in June of this year that would permit only New Jersey residents to be at Mahwah parks
How Mahwah’s Anti-Hasidic Park Law Was Created, Illegally Changed and Then Suspended
Some portions of the Hasidic-populated areas in Rockland County, New York border the municipalities of Mahwah, Upper Saddle River and Montvale in Bergen County, Northern New Jersey. The following is a report of how the Township of Mahwah created an ordinance in June 2017 to ban non-residents from visiting Township parks
Courts Set the Record Straight in East Ramapo
10/08/2017 OJPAC Impact
Recently, a State Supreme Court judge dismissed a lawsuit brought against the school district in early 2016. Per Politico New York, the Judge "said the petitioners failed to show that they or their students were impacted by the actions [of the School Board] and thus couldn't seek relief. He further wrote that the actions the parents were seeking are discretionary and can't be mandated."
Email Shows Mahwah Mayor Cited Lakewood in Recommending No Knock Ordinance
09/19/2017 OJPAC Impact
Bill Laforet the Mayor of the Mahwah Township in New Jersey, wrote to two council members in July that "it is worth noting an ordinance should be considered. 1) No Knock & No Solicitation. This has become a real issue in Lakewood, NJ and I think it is something both mayor and council should strongly consider."
OJPAC Co-Founder Speaks About the Eruv in NJ
07/30/2017 OJPAC Impact
Mahwah and Upper Saddle River, municipalities in Northern New Jersey bordering New York, have both ordered newly-constructed Eruvin (plural for Eruv) be removed.
New Jersey’s AG's Office to Review Mahwah’s Non-Residents Ordinance
07/28/2017 OJPAC Impact
??Thursday July 27’th, the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council (OJPAC) expressed concern about an ordinance passed by the Township of Mahwah on June 29, 2017 in a 5-0 vote which bans non-residents from visiting parks
PHOTOS of Mass Vandalism of the Eruv in Upper Saddle River, NJ
07/27/2017 OJPAC Data
The Eruv has been vandalized at 28 locations in USR overnight Wednesday July 26th into July 27th, days after the Eruv was vandalized at six locations in Mahwah, New Jersey
To Asbury Park Press Advertisers and Gannett Investors
07/02/2017 OJPAC Impact
On Friday afternoon June 30, 2017, the Asbury Park Press which is owned by Gannett had a lead story online titled, "Lakewood welfare: Half of Lakewood's children on government assistance." In...
Video: Hasidim and Property Tax
06/30/2017 OJPAC Data
There is a lie circulating in the press and on social media regarding Hasidim and property tax. Specifically, the lie says that due to the growth of the Orthodox Jewish community
Video: A Message to Haters and Losers
06/21/2017 Press Release
On Saturday morning June 17th, someone discovered Swastika graffiti on a realtor "for sale" sign and on the sidewalk in front of 3 Second Avenue in Clarkstown.
Anti Semitic Incidents 2017
04/26/2017 OJPAC Data
\The NYPD Transit Bureau reported to the MTA board that 22 of the 31 hate crimes in the New York City subway system during the first 3 months of 2017 targeted Jews, mainly via graffiti, and the number...
When Companies Sponsor Bigoted Fake News Against Orthodox Jews
04/19/2017 Opinion
Companies that advertise through Google Ad Sense are not always aware alongside which content their ads run. For example, companies are probably not aware that their ad appears alongside a recent April editorial by The Asbury Park Press that says "thanks to the money and power of the Orthodox community,"
147,173 Students Enrolled in NY Jewish Schools for the Sep. 2015 School Year
10/26/2016 OJPAC Data
147,173 students grades full day kindergarten through 12th were enrolled in New York Jewish schools for the 2015-2016 school year. This is an increase from the revised figures for the 2014-2015 school year which had 142,362 students enrolled in Jewish schools. The students were spread in 407 institutions throughout sixteen counties and the data includes students that were enrolled in Ungraded Elementary schools.
A Win for All Women in NYC; a Defeat for Agitators
07/07/2016 Press Release
The City of New York will permit women-only hours at two of its 55 public swimming pools. Four hours a week at one place; two hours a week at the other place. The changes at the two NYC pools...
WNYC Strikes Again; This Time on Lakewood
06/27/2016 Press Release
Once again, the publicly-funded WNYC released a report against a portion of the Orthodox Jewish community; this time the community of Lakewood.The headline of the report...
Follow up Video About County Concerned Only with Yeshiva Safety
06/24/2016 OJPAC Impact
Ed Day, the County Executive of Rockland, chases Yeshivas for either not filing correctly safety papers with the state or for having limited code infractions claiming his focus is for the safety...
Video: School Boards Should Work with All Communities
06/22/2016 Public Awareness
OJPAC co-founder Yossi Gestetner urges the Central Ramapo school district (in Rockland County, New York) to work with all communities. The request came as the board considers limiting bus services to students...
Video: County That Chases Yeshivas Has Own Safety Problems
06/21/2016 OJPAC Impact
While Ed Day, the Executive of Rockland County, is chasing Yeshivas for not filing correctly safety papers with the state of New York, he sends dozens of people to work in a very dangerous government...
Video: Lawmaker Admits Proposed Law Aimed? at Orthodox Jews
06/07/2016 Public Awareness
On June 6th, 2016, WNBC-4 reported about the no-knock ordinances that have been passed in municipalities where members of the Orthodox Jewish community relocate in large numbers.The...
The NYT Swims in Inflammatory Hypocrisy
06/02/2016 Public Awareness
On June 1, 2016, the New York Times published an editorial criticizing the fact that a public swimming pool in Brooklyn will provide separate swimming hours for women. The Times says that the...
Playing Politics with Fire in Rockland
05/27/2016 OJPAC Impact
Fire safety standards at many public and some private schools, Jewish and non-Jewish, across New York are not up to par. In Rockland, the County Executive Ed Day who lives in the Town of Clarkstown,...
Video: Hasidim and Section 8
05/19/2016 OJPAC Data
143,156 Students Enrolled in NY Jewish Schools for the 2014-2015 School Year
05/01/2016 OJPAC Data
More than 143,000 students were enrolled in private Jewish schools last year in the State of New York grades full K through 12. The students were enrolled in 405 institutions throughout sixteen...
OJPAC co-founder Opens Trump Jewish Media Meeting
04/19/2016 OJPAC Impact
GOP front runner Mr. Donald Trump took time to meet with members of the Jewish community on Thursday April 14th. Mr. Trump joins other presidential candidates, including Senator Ted Cruz and...
An Urgent Request by OJPAC
04/03/2016 Press Release
Effigies on Purim and a Haman of Color
03/25/2016 Opinion
Effigies on Purim is to reenact the hanging of the biblical arch Jew-hater Haman. However, the specific effigy seen hanging in Spring Valley, New York in front of a house on Purim is unacceptable....
Failed Recipe for Lakewood Will Fail in East Ramapo
03/22/2016 Public Awareness
The veto-powered monitor over the school board in Lakewood, NJ, has made cuts to the public school as state underfunding is proven again to be the problem.?The veto-powered...
A Cesspool of Hate
02/12/2016 Opinion
On January 22nd, it was revealed on a Clarkstown (Rockland County) community Facebook group that an anti-Semitic video was shown to ninth grade students in Clarkstown. On January 28th, OJPAC...
An Open Letter to The (NY) Jewish Week
02/11/2016 OJPAC Impact
We are troubled by your report from February third headlined, "Failed Messiah Blogger Stepping Down" with the sub-headline, "Orthodox Jewish watchdog calls it quits."A...
Anti-Semitic "Educational" Video Pulled After Outcry from OJPAC
02/03/2016 OJPAC Impact
Thursday January 28th, OJPAC was alerted to a 14-minute video produced by Study.com. The content is shockingly offensive to the history and persecution of the Jewish community. However, Study.com...
OJPAC co-founder on the Steps of NYC Hall Has a Request
01/14/2016 Public Awareness
OJPAC co-founder Yossi Gestetner spoke today morning on the steps of NYC Hall requesting reporters not to give a platform for people who hide their bigotry behind faux activism. The press conference...
A House and a Yeshiva
11/25/2015 Public Awareness
Blaming the Orthodox Community for a Tragic Death
07/23/2015 Press Release
A few have argued that the Orthodox Jewish community is to blame for the tragic suicide death of Faigy Mayer. The aspiring entrepreneur was 30 years old and reportedly left the Orthodox Jewish...
Kiryas Joel by the Numbers
07/21/2015 OJPAC Data
While the Village of Kiryas Joel in Orange County, New York is not necessarily representative of Hasidic communities elsewhere, it is the only large Hasidic community to be quantified by the...
Lying About Dead Infants to Besmirch the Orthodox Jewish Community
07/12/2015 Public Awareness
The Journal News (Lohud) headlines a report "infant deaths hit Jewish community hard," and then writes "since 2008, nine infant deaths in Rockland County have potentially been linked to unsafe...
OJPAC Welcomes Apology by "The Record" Regarding Outrageous Anti-Hasidic Letter
07/09/2015 Press Release
"OJPAC welcomes the apology issued by the RecordOnline regarding the outrageous letter headlined 'Hasidic community growth detrimental.' The letter was, surprisingly, on the Record's website for more...
A Win for Civil Liberties; Now Let's Win it for the Children
06/25/2015 Opinion
OJPAC opposed all along the un-American "monitor" with dictatorial veto-power over the East Ramapo Central School District as proposed in A5355 and S3821. These bills would have suspended civil...
State Lawmaker Questions Legitimacy of Orthodox Jewish Voters (Video)
06/14/2015 Public Awareness
A majority of the 9 Board members of the East Ramapo Central School District in Rockland County, NY, are Orthodox Jewish. They recently won re-election in a landslide, but sitting NY Assembly...
Removing Illegally-Posted Yiddish Signs in Monsey, NY
05/22/2015 Press Release
OJPAC thanks members of the Orthodox Jewish community in Monsey, NY for removing illegally-posted, Yiddish signs and stickers from their neighborhood. One of the attendees at OJPAC's Thursday roundtable...
OJPAC Holds Pre-Shavuos Roundtable Discussion
05/22/2015 OJPAC Impact
A round table discussion was held yesterday evening , Thursday May 21'st, at OJPAC's offices in Rockland County with activists and leaders from across the Orthodox Jewish spectrum representing New...
An Open Letter to the NYC Bar Association
05/18/2015 Press Release
The NYC Bar Association decided to support NYS Assembly Bill 0A5355A aimed at the East Ramapo Central School District; a district 40 miles north of NYC. Below is an open letter in response:1)...
OJPAC Joins Public School Community to Assist Fellow Student Battling Cancer (Photos)
05/11/2015 OJPAC Impact
Several weeks ago, the East Ramapo community in Rockland County, NY, came together on a Friday night to raise funds for fellow student Aaron Duffany who is battling cancer, and whose single parent...
Second Egg-Pelting in OJ Neighborhood Should be Cause for Concern
05/09/2015 Opinion
On Saturday, May 9 early in the afternoon, a vehicle entered an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood in Rockland County, NY and the car occupants started pelting eggs at pedestrians. This incident took...
OJPAC Statement Ahead of Lag B'Omer 2015
05/06/2015 Press Release
Because bonfires are in center of the Lag B'Omer celebrations, some teens tend to light fires on their own. It is imperative that parents and guardians warn the youth that these fires are dangerous...
OJPAC Comments on Alleged Egg-Throwing Incident in New Square [VIDEO]
05/03/2015 OJPAC Impact
Four teens were arrested Sunday, May third 2:35 AM after allegedly pelting eggs at Orthodox Jewish people in the village of New Square in Rockland County, NY. OJPAC released the following comment:"The...
Facebook Page Makes Drastic Changes Following Release of OJPAC Video
03/29/2015 Press Release
The ‘BLOCK the BLOCK VOTE’ Facebook page unabashedly aimed its venom at the Orthodox Community of Rockland County and beyond. It openly blamed Orthodox Jews for Rockland’s ‘entire’...
Jewish Students Save (NY) Taxpayers $1.4 BILLION Annually
03/07/2015 OJPAC Data
Arguments have been made that 1) Orthodox Jews under-educate their children and 2) they are therefore more dependent on government; costing tax payers billions. Both claims are misleading but...
KU Professor, Oxford Press Author Fabricates Odd Anecdotes About Hasidic Life
10/14/2014 OJPAC Impact
The New Republic’s Alice Robb quotes as follows Lynn Davidman, Professor of Modern Jewish Studies, Sociology and Religion at Kansas University:"The Satmar Hasidic...
OJPAC Steps In After Theft Of Donation Jar For Hispanic Boy’s Funeral
07/17/2014 OJPAC Impact
As reported by CBS New York: The tragic death of a child in Rockland County has been compounded by the outrageous theft of money to pay for his funeral… A diverse community has banded together...
138,561 Students Enrolled in NY Jewish Schools for the 2013-2014 School Year
06/20/2014 OJPAC Data
More than 138,500 students were enrolled in private Jewish schools throughout New York State during the 2013-2014 school year, according to state data reviewed by the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs...
Diverse Group Visits Albany on Behalf of Majority-Minority School District
06/03/2014 Public Awareness
A group of over two dozen people representing the diverse population of the East Ramapo Central School District in Rockland County traveled up to Albany on Monday June 2nd for several meetings...
OJPAC Web Ad in Support of East Ramapo School Children
05/08/2014 OJPAC Impact
The Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council released the following web ad in support of the petition to Albany to help the students of East Ramapo Central School District by form of changing the State...
Troubling Facebook Post by Rockland County Executive Ed Day
04/17/2014 Public Awareness
The following is in response to a Facebook post by Rockland County Executive Ed Day:While it is fully within the rights of the County to appeal a judicial ruling, it’s...
OJPAC Praises African American Leaders for Speaking Out Against Crown Heights Crimes
11/18/2013 OJPAC Impact
The Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council (OJPAC) expresses great appreciation to African American leaders and activists who at a Press Conference today decried the latest “knockout” attacks...
OJPAC Calls on ‘Advocates for Justice’ to Denounce Its Attorney’s Repugnant Remark About Orthodox Jews
03/21/2013 OJPAC Impact
The Associated Press released a story today afternoon regarding the East Ramapo Central School District (ERCSD). The article among other reads:Laura Barbieri, a lawyer...
OJPAC Releases Radio Ad Regarding Lawsuit Vs. 7 Orthodox Jewish Stores
02/28/2013 Public Awareness
A Civil Lawsuit is moving forward against seven Orthodox Jewish retail stores in Brooklyn for posting signs in the stores expressing dress code guidelines. The claim is that the signs are discriminatory....
OJPAC Recently Sponsored Sensitivity Seminar for Orthodox Community to Understand Other Groups
02/25/2013 OJPAC Impact
Just as it is important for media and the general public to understand the way of life of the Orthodox Community and treat them as regular citizens, it’s equally important that the Orthodox Community...
‘Grammys’ Vindicate the Orthodox Jewish Community
02/10/2013 Opinion
The Orthodox Jewish way of life requests that men and women should be dressed in modest attire. Too often however the community has come under attack for this custom.
The organizers of the Grammy...
