[[{“value”:”

When I was in college, the Vietnam War was occupying the bulk of my emotional resources. President Nixon instituted a lottery system so that one would know the likelihood of being selected for the draft. My number was 65 out of 365, so it was either medical school or the front lines for me. I was pleased to have the medical school deferment and hoped to serve in a MASH unit once my training was completed. Fortunately, the war ended and the closest I came to a battle zone was the clinical training I received in Brooklyn during the AIDS crisis. That is until Covid.

When this deadly virus first emerged, it was devastating. Most doctors’ offices decided to close to all but telehealth. We decided to continue to attend to the patients by telehealth and, because it was needed, in-person as well. At the beginning we had inadequate protective gear and many of us became ill, but this is what we signed up for when we went into medicine—and we were front liners.

As a result, many lives were saved, and I came out, grateful to be alive, with an enormous appreciation for my fellow workers at every level.

The members of NORPAC are also frontliners. Anti-Semitism is the last acceptable form of racism worldwide. Unfortunately, it is tolerated politically, and we see it on a daily basis. Bigoted representatives, proponents of BDS who should be booted out of Congress, have been promoted to chairmanships. Iran is so unconcerned with the world body acting against it that they have enriched Uranium to 60%, which has no purpose other than to make a nuclear bomb. Even under enormous economic and military pressure, Iran insists on maintaining its WMD program. The materials are currently buried, due to recent American and Israeli intervention. This enriched uranium remains in Iran, and without preventive action, its ability to recover and produce what is now enough for 11 Hiroshima-level weapons is inevitable.

Acting beyond its jurisdiction in a manner unique to Israel, the ICC (International Criminal Court) has moved forward in an effort to make Israel a war-criminal state. Recently, forty percent of the Senate voted to restrict arms sales to Israel while it is under attack. Just since February 28, Hezbollah has launched 8,000 missiles at Israeli civilian positions. Leading voices in both parties are blaming Israel for the recent Iran conflict and higher energy costs. The majority of bias incidents are against Jews, who make up 2 percent of the American population and one-fifth of one percent of the world population.

World Jewry has its own equivalent of a pandemic, and we need our frontline workers now. Our antagonists are well-funded and active, and we can little afford to let this drastic situation continue to unfold.

We are asking you to join us this year, to sign up for the NORPAC Mission to Washington and once again “make the case for Israel” to the leaders of our country. NORPAC provides the transportation, meals, appointments, and what we consider to be the best talking points document in the country to use and leave with Members of Congress.

When it comes to building a relationship, nothing beats being there in person. An email is considered by members like 10 voters, a phone call like 100 voters, and a personal visit to Washington DC like 10,000 voters. We are asking that you take one day out of your busy schedule to advocate for U.S.-Israel relations and to address the anti-Semitism wildfire in America and the world. There are 52 Wednesdays each year. How many will you remember. Come with your family (12 and older). The impact on Congress, on you, and your children, will create a lifetime impression and memory.

Rabbis participate gratis, and students are subsidized. In fact, the entire mission is subsidized and we make arrangements so no one is denied due to cost.

NORPAC is an almost completely volunteer-driven organization with minimal staff, and is devoted to fostering the bipartisan U.S.-Israel relationship. We need your time and effort to speak with the members of Congress. There are 70 new members that need to learn our issues, and the longer-serving members need to hear from us as well.

Please throw your hat in the ring again this year. We can ill afford to sit this one out.

You can sign up at norpac.net. Please do it today. n

Dr. Ben Chouake is the national president of NORPAC.

{Suozzi Unveils Bipartisan SACRED Act to Protect Houses of Worship 

{IMG Suozzi was joined at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center by leaders from ADL, AJC, Hadassah, Union for Orthodox Jews, other advocacy and faith groups while unveiling SACRED Act

{Caption Suozzi was joined at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center by leaders from ADL, AJC, Hadassah, Union for Orthodox Jews, other advocacy and faith groups while unveiling SACRED Act

Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-Long Island, Queens) unveiled his bipartisan buffer zones bill, the Safeguarding Access to Congregations and Religious Establishments from Disruption (SACRED) Act. The bill, co-led by Congressman Max Miller (R-OH), would make it a federal crime to intentionally intimidate, obstruct, or harass people exercising their right to religious worship within 100 feet of a place of worship, whether by threatening them, blocking their path, or approaching them within 8 feet for the purpose of harassment or intimidation.

The Sacred Act is endorsed by: Anti-Defamation League (ADL), American Jewish Committee (AJC), Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (OU), Hadassah, Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Hindu American Foundation (HAF), Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), UJA-Federation of New York, Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County (HMTC), Agudath Israel of America, and United Sikhs.

Additionally, Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean and Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law at University of California, Berkeley School of Law, has said that “this bill is consistent with the First Amendment.”

“No one deserves to be harassed or intimidated, especially on their way to their place of worship,” said Congressman Suozzi. “We’re living in increasingly volatile times, fueled in part by social media fanning the flames of division and our foreign adversaries trying to divide us from within. I’ve heard real fear from my constituents over the last few years about the hate they see and feel, especially while going to pray or being visibly religious. We have a responsibility to address that fear in a thoughtful, targeted way that protects our constituents while balancing the First Amendment right to peacefully protest.”

“Every American deserves to practice their faith free from fear, intimidation, or harassment,” said Congressman Miller. “The SACRED Act ensures that people can access their place of worship safely and without obstruction, while still preserving First Amendment protections for peaceful expression. This commonsense legislation draws a clear line: intimidation and threats have no place in our communities.”

Across the country, we have seen worshippers confronted, intimidated, and harassed on their way to practice their religion. Synagogues in particular have faced an unprecedented wave of aggressive demonstrations, where congregants have been shouted at, physically blocked from entering services, and subjected to threatening rhetoric. Churches, mosques, Hindu mandirs, and Sikh gurdwaras have faced similar patterns of intimidation. Right now, there is no dedicated federal statute protecting worshippers from this kind of harassment at the door, and the SACRED Act would remedy that.

Congressman Suozzi was joined in Glen Cove for the unveiling of the SACRED Act by leaders of several prominent faith and advocacy groups, including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the American Jewish Committee (AJC), the Union for Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, Hadassah, and several Long Island synagogues.

“Antisemitism is at historic levels. In 2024, ADL tracked 9,354 antisemitic incidents, including 1,702 incidents at Jewish institutions alone. Individuals seeking to pray in peace at houses of worship across our country are increasingly becoming targets of harassment and intimidation,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, Anti-Defamation League CEO. “As we aim to stem this wave of hate, we must take substantive action to fight back. That is why the SACRED Act is crucial, and we are grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Congressmen Suozzi and Miller to develop and introduce this critical bipartisan bill to ensure every individual, of every faith, can worship safely without fear.”

“As the umbrella body for synagogues across the United States, the Orthodox Union is very grateful to Rep. Tom Suozzi and Rep. Max Miller for leading this effort to better protect our congregants—and parishioners at all houses of worship. Freedom to worship in America can only be enjoyed together with a freedom from fear. Sadly, we are in an era when we have seen too many assaults on synagogues, churches, and other holy places. Federal buffer zone legislation is necessary, and we urge Congress to pass it as soon as possible,” said Nathan J. Diament, Executive Director for the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. n

Sen. Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Senate Republicans, Law Enforcement Urge Passage of PROTECT Act to Strengthen Public Safety

Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick joined Senator Pam Helming and New York State Senate Republicans, along with Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood, Ontario County Sheriff David Cirencione, and Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter to call for the passage of S.2282A, the Pretrial Risk Overview for Threat Evaluation, Custody, and Treatment (PROTECT) Act, which is cosponsored by Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick. Crafted in collaboration with law enforcement, the legislation would require judges to use a standardized risk assessment tool when determining whether individuals should be held pretrial or released, ensuring decisions better account for potential threats to public safety.

“New York remains the only state in the nation where judges are prohibited from considering a defendant’s dangerousness when making bail determinations. That failure has allowed repeat and high-risk offenders to cycle back into our communities, putting public safety at risk. The PROTECT Act offers a commonsense fix, restoring judicial discretion, strengthening accountability, and giving law enforcement the tools they need to keep dangerous individuals off our streets. It is a necessary step toward making our communities safer,” said Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick.

The PROTECT Act prioritizes public safety by allowing courts to detain individuals who pose a genuine risk, while ensuring no one is held solely because they cannot afford bail. 

{Blakeman Blasts Hochul Inaction As LIRR Strike Looms, Calls for Immediate Settlement to Avert Economic Crisis

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman slammed Governor Kathy Hochul for her failure to advance a federal framework to resolve the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) labor dispute, warning that an impending strike could cripple the regional economy if immediate action is not taken. With a federally mandated deadline quickly approaching, Blakeman urged swift intervention to prevent a potential shutdown of the LIRR, which serves hundreds of thousands of daily riders across Long Island and New York City.

“Kathy Hochul’s continued failure to advance the recommendations of two presidential emergency boards has brought us to the brink of a devastating strike,” said Blakeman. “New Yorkers cannot afford further delay. A fair and reasonable settlement must be reached now before irreparable damage is done to our economy and our workforce.”

The Presidential Emergency Boards were convened under the Railway Labor Act following stalled negotiations, triggering a statutory cooling-off period. That period is set to expire on or about May 16, after which unions would be legally permitted to strike and management could impose changes if no agreement is reached.

A full LIRR shutdown would have severe consequences for the region, disrupting commuting patterns, limiting access to jobs, and costing the tri-state economy millions of dollars per day in lost productivity. Small businesses and essential workers would be among those hardest hit. And refusing to settle the contract after the first Presidential Emergency Board recommendation of a 4% wage increase, led to a second Presidential Emergency Board recommendation that put forth even higher 5% wage increases for the affected LIRR employees, which has upped the ante for not only the LIRR employees, but for hundreds of thousands of other state and local government employees whose labor contracts are currently up for negotiation.

Blakeman also pointed to broader tensions between the Hochul administration and organized labor, including Hochul firing 2,000 state union correction officers which has cost New York State hundreds of millions of dollars in forced overtime and the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops to state prisons to do the work of the fired union correction officers who had reached their breaking point dealing with intolerable and unsafe working conditions. Other notable ongoing Hochul union disputes include the 40,000 Transport Workers Union over subway staffing policies within the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

“At a time when cooperation is critical, the Governor’s pattern of conflict with labor is only making matters worse,” Blakeman added. “This is not the moment for political standoffs—it is the moment for leadership. The Governor’s first instinct to show how tough she is, misses the mark. New Yorkers want to see how smart and competent she is. And they are not seeing much.”

Blakeman contrasted the current situation with the approach he said he would take as Governor. “As Governor, I will bring people together, not drive them apart,” Blakeman said. “I will work collaboratively with labor, management, and federal partners to reach fair agreements before crises develop. The Governor shares much of the blame for the length of the recent nurses’ strike. Again, as in the case of her firing 2,000 union correction officers, and instead of bringing both sides together, she wanted to show how tough she is, by permitting the hospitals to import out-of-town, unlicensed nurses to break the strike! My administration will prioritize transparency, accountability, and proactive negotiations to head off labor strife before it happens. We will ensure that our transit systems remain reliable and our economy stays strong. New Yorkers deserve steady leadership that solves problems—not leadership that allows them to spiral into emergencies.”

Under federal law, a strike following the expiration of the cooling-off period would be lawful. Absent a resolution, federal intervention remains possible, including potential Congressional action to impose a settlement.

Blakeman called on the Governor and all parties involved to return to the negotiating table immediately and finalize an agreement that protects workers while ensuring continued service for commuters and businesses.

“The clock is ticking,” Blakeman said. “We must act now to prevent a crisis that will impact every corner of the region.” n

{Village of Lawrence Approves Expanded High-Tech Surveillance Camera System to Enhance Public Safety

In response to an increase in aggressive events, Mayor Samuel Nahmias has called for an increase in police patrols and is actively pursuing a plan to install a comprehensive outdoor surveillance camera system. More details will be announced at an upcoming press conference with County Executive Bruce Blakeman.

The surveillance camera resolution was proposed at the February 19 Board of Trustees meeting and unanimously approved. The new system—the first of its kind among villages in Nassau County—will feature well over 100 high-tech cameras, including advanced license plate readers. The camera system will be directly linked to the Nassau County Police Department Command Center, while also being monitored locally at Village Hall. The network will operate on a secure intranet system rather than a cellular platform, allowing for faster, more reliable, and real-time data transmission.

The majority of the $250,000 cost is funded through previously awarded Nassau County grant funds, part of a larger $1.2 million grant secured by the Village.

Village officials emphasized that resident safety remains their top priority.

Mayor Nahmias commented, “We take safety and security very seriously here. These cameras and their integration ensure rapid coordination with law enforcement to deter crime and assist in identifying and apprehending perpetrators.

Trustee Shlomo Gottesman agreed, “Every time a resident becomes the victim of a crime, the first question we hear is, ‘Where are the cameras?’ This investment allows us to finally provide that answer.”

With strong fiscal standing and strategic use of grant funding, the Village Board expressed confidence that the project represents a responsible and necessary investment in community protection.

Installation is expected to begin following the procurement process, with the goal of full integration into the County’s command infrastructure. 

“}]]|Read More    5 Towns Jewish Times