Dear Friends & Supporters:
Approximately 30 years ago, Rav Zechariah Gelley zt”l, Rav of K’hal Adas Yeshurun in Washington Heights, was invited to join the rabbinic presidium (Nesius) of Agudas Yisroel of America and to participate in the upcoming meeting of the Nesius.
Rav Gelley graciously accepted the invitation, but he had a question: “What is accomplished at these meetings? I’m sure it’s very nice to drink coffee or tea with rabbonim and roshei yeshiva from different backgrounds, but does anything tangible, l’maaseh, come out of these meetings?”
To which Rav Elya Fisher zt”l, Rosh Kollel of Ger and fellow member of the Nesius, replied; “There is much l’maaseh, as you will see. But even if the Nesius existed for the sole purpose of creating a table at which we all sit together and drink coffee and tea, that itself would be a great thing.”
From time to time, even today some three decades later, we at Agudas Yisroel hear a slight variation on Rav Gelley’s question: “L’maaseh, what does the Agudah do?”
The reality is that Agudah is very much a l’maaseh-focused organization. Hence the theme of our upcoming fifth annual Charidy fundraising campaign: THIS IS WHAT WE DO
We will tell you about Agudas Yisroel’s advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. and throughout the country that help bring in millions upon millions of dollars in government programs, services and funding to the yeshiva community across the USA.
We will tell you about the central role Agudah plays in the battle to preserve the independence of our yeshivos against inappropriate governmental intrusion.
We will tell you about the work Agudas Yisroel does in promoting the legal rights of our special needs population, and about the trailblazing activities of the growing national network of Yahalom offices servicing this population.
We will tell you about Agudah’s essential role in combatting antisemitism in America, with special emphasis on the growing cancer of anti-charedi’ism.
We will tell you about Agudah’s immensely popular “H3” business halacha seminars in venues across the United States, and even in the UK, which have given essential halachic guidance to thousands of businessmen and professionals from all types of backgrounds.
We will tell you about the remarkable work of our Chayim Aruchim division, dealing with end-of-life halachic and legal challenges; about our recently started Zahav division to help seniors and their families in navigating the federal and local bureaucracies for various forms of government assistance programs; about the numerous court cases in which we have filed legal briefs to make sure that our community’s interests are protected.
There’s more — lots more
— but enough for now.
The bottom line, as the unforgettable President of Agudas Yisroel Rabbi Moshe Sherer would often say, is that while it is true that the Agudah is an ideological organization — the ideology is
an ideology of activism!
In short: l’maaseh!
And so, dear friends, please read the literature and watch the videos we will be publishing for Agudas Yisroel’s upcoming Charidy fundraising campaign. Learn more about what we do, about the many thousands whose lives are directly impacted by our work, about the wonderful tangible accomplishments that are the hallmark of the Agudah.
And then, open up your hearts and your pockets to enable us to continue doing what we do to meet the needs of a growing Klal Yisroel in these most challenging times.
One final request: as you learn more about what the Agudah does, please pause for a moment to remember Rav Elya Fisher’s response to Rav Zechariah Gelley. Agudas Yisroel represents a large table around which all chareidim lidvar Hashem sit together, drinking coffee and tea and strengthening our bonds to
one another b’ahava v’achva v’shalom v’reius.
This is what we do, yes. But it’s also who we are. Won’t you please join us around the table?
Donate generously.
Spread the word.
Support the crucial work of the Agudah.
B’yedidus,
Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel
Executive Vice Presiden
