January 2023

School Choice Awareness Event at the Colorado Capitol

This month, Agudah held a School Choice Awareness Event at the State Capitol in conjunction with the National School Choice rally, organized in partnership with the Colorado Association of Private Schools, Parents United, Parents Challenge, and Colorado Parent Advocacy Network.

The participating group, led by Agudah and comprising of representation from Beth Jacob High School, Yeshiva Toras Chaim, and Hillel Academy, began the day with a personal tour of the Senate floor with State Senator Chris Hansen. The group was then treated to short presentations from State Senator Julie Gonzales, State Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet, and Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen. A pizza lunch followed, which Representative Emily Sirota briefly joined, and then everyone headed outside to participate in the rally on the front steps of the Capitol.

At the rally, Rabbi Yossi Kaplan, Director of Agudah of Colorado, spoke about parents having the right to choose the appropriate school for their child, instead of zip codes or personal circumstances choosing for them. When we support School Choice, we are asking our legislators to support funding for schools that are alternative options to public schools. To date, over thirty states have some sort of School Choice program, with some states more robust than others. Colorado currently does not have any program providing funding to private schools. An event dedicated to School Choice brings the matter to our legislators' attention and asks them to support School Choice legislation.

Agudas Yisroel is at the forefront of advocating for School Choice on a federal and state level. Currently, Congress is considering a $10 billion school choice proposal, the Educational Choice for Children Act, which will encourage individual and corporate taxpayers to invest in education and cover expenses facing public and private school children. If this bill passes, it will bring School Choice funding to all fifty states. Click here for more information and to encourage your members of Congress to sponsor this bill.

Senator Hansen gives a tour of the Senate floor

Denver school leaders join Agudah's School Choice Event

Senator Gonzales speaks to the group

Rabbi Kaplan with Senator Michaelson Jenet

Senate Minority Leader Lundeen speaks to the group

Pizza lunch

Denver school leaders with Representative Sirota

Hillel Academy students at the School Choice rally

Rabbi Kaplan speaks at the School Choice rally

Jewish Community Recognized at the State of the State Address by Governor Polis

On Thursday, January 11, Colorado Governor Jared Polis delivered his State of the State address in a joint House and Senate session at the State Capitol. In his address, the Governor recognized Beth Jacob High School of Denver for the nonprofit security grant they received from the state of Colorado. Rabbi Yossi Kaplan, Director of Agudath Israel of Colorado, joined Rabbi Aron Yehuda Schwab, Associate Dean of Beth Jacob, in a private meeting with Governor Polis before his address thanking the Governor for his recent efforts in helping supplement Colorado's Non-Profit Security Grant Program amid rising antisemitism. 

  Agudah of Colorado welcomes the additional $1,000,000 in funding for the state’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) approved by the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) last month as a one-time emergency supplement. In 2022, the Colorado NSGP passed through efforts by Agudah of Colorado as part of a coalition led by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of JEWISHColorado and other partners.



Other important issues discussed with the Governor at the meeting included UPK, expanding universal school meals to non-public schools, and the increase of long-term security funding for nonprofits to include all those at risk.

Rabbi Kaplan and Rabbi Schwab with Governor Polis

Rabbi Kaplan and Rabbi Schwab with Mayor Mike Johnston

View of the House floor during the Governor's address

Voter Engagement with Denver County Clerk and Recorder's Team

With upcoming important elections nationally and locally, Agudah hosted the Denver Clerk and Recorder's engagement team for a meeting to strategize the year's voter engagement. Agudah prepared a specialized plan geared for the Denver community, with events and targeted communication, and we are grateful to have an ongoing partnership with the Clerk's team to help put it into action.

To become a registered voter and have a say in the presidential and various other elections this year, sign up here.

OneSiyum:

Join American Jewry in Sending a Siyum HaShas to Eretz Yisroel

Rabbi Zev Cohen proposing OneSiyum at Agudah's Siyum Seder Nashim

"What would it be like if America sent a Siyum of Shas every single day?"

Rabbi Zev Cohen's impassioned plea to do something for our brethren in Israel echoed through the room at Agudah of Colorado's Citywide Daf Yomi Siyum Seder Nashim on Monday, November 6. "I can't send an aircraft carrier to Eretz Yisroel," he declared, "but everyone can send a Siyum!"

Throughout the day, Rabbi Cohen spread this message as he toured Denver as part of Agudah's Day of Chizuk, speaking to Rabbonim, Bais Yaakov girls, Yeshiva Toras Chaim bochurim, the Denver Kollel, and Hillel Academy students. Inspired by Rabbi Cohen's electric vision, a few individuals from around the country, including Denver, helped launch One Siyum, a collaborative effort to learn all of Torah, as a merit for the Jews in Eretz Yisroel.

Participants select one limud from Shas, Mishna, Chumash, Navi, or Kesuvim, with the grand siyum to be celebrated on Sunday, February 11th in Eretz Yisroel.

Be a part of the 2700 people needed to finish Shas.

For more information and to sign up, click here.

This month, eight more local businesses joined the LinkedUp network, bringing the total of current businesses to twenty-three.

Stay tuned for upcoming events!

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