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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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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.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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."
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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."
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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.
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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
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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...
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: 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...
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,...
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 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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...