By COLlive reporter
FEMA announced a new policy today that ought to put an end to its discrimination against synagogues and other houses of worship.
The new policy comes in response to two lawsuits brought by 2 Florida synagogues as well as three Texas churches seeking immediate and equal access to disaster relief aid.
FEMA says that the new policy is required by the Supreme Court’s June 2017 decision which ruled that the First Amendment requires religious groups to receive equal access to widely available public programs.
FEMA announced in its new policy that “houses of worship will not be singled out for disfavored treatment” any longer.
“We are delighted that FEMA has promised to treat our synagogue equally with other charitable organizations,” said Rabbi Yaakov Zucker, Director of Chabad of Key West in Florida.
Rabbi Zucker said that “we continue to work with our community as it recovers from Hurricane Irma, and this news makes the load a bit lighter.”
Houses of worship were among the first to respond in the aftermath of both Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma and they continue to provide aid to help their communities recover. Yet FEMA’s policy discriminated against them, while at the same time using them for its own relief efforts.
“Better late than never,” said Daniel Blomberg, counsel at Becket, the non-profit religious liberty law firm that represents Florida synagogues.
“We will watch carefully to make sure that FEMA’s new policy is implemented to provide equal treatment for churches and synagogues alongside other charities.”
We actually learnt recently in Gemara, and also the Rebbe says, that it’s not about where you are living. It’s about where your focus is, when we constantly think about Hashem and Eretz Yisroel, we are thereby “living in Eretz Yisroel” and doing the right thing, even more so than those that live there and are completely unassociated. The Rebbe also discussed that you should only move there if you will benefit Eretz Yisroel; it’s economy, etc and never if it is just to run away from your current issues where you are.
Very good question. The Frierdiker Rebbe addresses this issue in a sicha. (I don’t remember the date)…Rebuilding in golus is compared to traveling with the mishkan that had to be constructed at times after being in one place overnight and had to be packed up to travel the next morning and other times where B”Y camped during the day, they had to pack up the mishkan to spend the night somewhere else. (There were times that yidden stayed in the same spot for 20 years also!) The same with us… although we have to be ready for Moshiach to come… Read more »
We are REBUILDING in Golus in order to END Golus.
When we transform the diaspora into a mini Eretz Yisrael, we bring redemption to the entire world at which point we will join you in our holy land.
May it happen NOW. L’chaim
You are correct. COLLIVE can and should improve its misleading headlines.
Once again, thank you President Donald J Trump
make alyiah and build in our true land!
I wish they were there for shuls after Sandy. We never fully rebuilt. We still have tremendous damage.
I am happy for you!
Nothing against Chabad. Religious institutions win lawsuit against FEMA would be more accurate.