The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) published a statement of support on Wednesday for Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who has been widely condemned for her remarks equating the US and Israel with Hamas and the Taliban, Politico reported. “Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is a valued member of the Congressional Black Caucus Family, she represents a strong voice on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs,” the CBC statement said. “Furthermore, we appreciate her clarification of her recent remarks and find that this is another example of Republicans taking it out of context to shift the real attention from the abhorrent, disrespectful, and intemperate remarks of members of their own Conference.” Also on Wednesday, Republicans backed away from censuring Omar.

More than 4 million people say they fear being evicted or foreclosed upon in the coming months, just as two studies released Wednesday found that the nation’s housing availability and affordability crisis is expected to worsen significantly following the pandemic. The studies come as a federal eviction moratorium is set to expire at the end of the month. The moratorium has kept many tenants owing back rent housed. Making matters worse, the tens of billions of dollars in federal emergency rental assistance that was supposed to solve the problem has not reached most tenants. The housing crisis, the studies found, risks widening the gap between Black, Latino and white households, as well as putting homeownership out of the reach of lower-income Americans.

(By: Rabbi Zvi Gluck) I couldn’t make this up if I tried. Amudim has spent months working around the clock with various government agencies, to allow yeshiva and seminary students return to their studies in Israel. Baruch Hashem, the efforts were successful, but just like that, all that we have accomplished is potentially at risk.  As a result of the actions of the few who have created an unbelievable Chillul Hashem, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is strongly considering requiring all students to go through the standard process. This can take weeks, if not months, just to get a visa appointment. In case you think this isn’t a big deal, let me point out that there are over 14,000 yeshiva and seminary students and kollel couples learning in Israel each year.

Over the past 18 years, thousands of travelers have made use of the Tefilas Mordche Mincha Area on the New York State Thruway, stopping on their way upstate for evening prayer services. Named in memory of Rabbi Mordechai Friedman Z”L, father of police chaplain Rabbi Abe Friedman, who dedicated his life to community service and to the Mincha Area in particular, the Sloatsburg rest stop has provided motorists with a safe location for prayer as they headed to the Catskills on Thursday nights. Having worked closely with the New York State Thruway Authority, the New York State Police and Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office, we are once again able to open the Mincha Area at the rest stop’s upper deck on Thursday, June 17th.

Nearly 900 people received expired COVID-19 vaccine doses at a vaccination site in Times Square this month, health officials said Tuesday. The 899 people who received doses of the Pfizer vaccine at the former NFL Experience building in Times Square between June 5 and June 10 should schedule another Pfizer shot as soon as possible, the New York City Health Department said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday that 70% of adults in New York have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, a threshold he said the state would celebrate by easing many of its remaining social distancing rules and shooting off fireworks. “What does 70% mean? It means that we can now return to life as we know it,” Cuomo told an invitation-only crowd at the World Trade Center in Manhattan. Effective immediately, he said, the state is lifting rules that required many types of businesses to follow cleaning protocols or take people’s temperatures or screen them for recent COVID-19 symptoms. Businesses will no longer have to follow social distancing rules, or limit how many people they can allow inside based on keeping people 6 feet (2 meters) apart.

A new analysis of blood samples from 24,000 Americans taken early last year is the latest and largest study to suggest that the new coronavirus popped up in the U.S. in December 2019 – weeks before cases were first recognized by health officials. The analysis is not definitive, and some experts remain skeptical, but federal health officials are increasingly accepting a timeline in which small numbers of COVID-19 infections may have occurred in the U.S. before the world ever became aware of a dangerous new virus erupting in China. “The studies are pretty consistent,” said Natalie Thornburg of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “There was probably very rare and sporadic cases here earlier than we were aware of.

Brooklyn Civil Court Judge candidate Charles Finkelstein was just endorsed by the Jewish Press. Finkelstein is qualified, experienced and dedicated. Finkelstein is a former felony prosecutor in Brooklyn, an Assistant Kings County District Attorney and a former Assistant Special Narcotics Prosecutor in Manhattan, and is currently a civil attorney in private practice. Finkelstein also served as Administrative Law Judge for the NYC Dept of Finance. Finkelstein has spent over 30 years practicing law in NYC, and is experienced in all NYC courts: Family, Civil and Supreme. Finkelstein knows the challenges people face in the courtroom. Charles has earned a reputation for high standards and dedication to his clients.

Dozens of Holocaust survivors clapped, sang and danced Monday at a concert held in their honor in Brooklyn in the first large gathering for New York-area survivors after months of isolation during the coronavirus pandemic. The concert by popular Jewish Orthodox singer Yaakov Shwekey was organized by the Nachas Health and Family Network and other groups that help the more than 35,000 Holocaust survivors estimated to live in the New York City metropolitan area. “It’s extremely good for the soul, for the heart, to see people coming out once again and socializing,” said Dolly Rabinowitz, who sat in the front row of the Yeshivah of Flatbush auditorium joined by other Holocaust survivors and students of the Modern Orthodox Jewish school.

Next week, New York City will be having primary elections for mayor, comptroller, boro presidents, city council members and other important offices. It is crucial that all New York City residents vote. Primary Day is June 22nd and early voting has already begun. Go to Agudah.org/Vote for more information and helpful voter resources.
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