Kiryas Joel, NY – New York State Senate Majority leader Dean Skelos received personal thanks and blessings from Satmar Grand Rabbi Aron Teitelbaum, after a historical budget proposal submitted by Senator Skelos made rabbinical students eligible to receive Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) grants for the first time ever.
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The senator visited with the Grand Rabbi at his home in Kiryas Joel on April 3rd.
NY Assemblyman Dov Hikind, a coalition of leaders from Agudath Israel of America and leaders of the Satmar yeshiva in Kiryas Joel have worked together tirelessly for years to make rabbinical students eligible for The TAP tution budget approval, which will provide qualifying students with as much as $5,000 per year.
While Governor Cuomo had promised (“See Video link) to make this bill a top priority, it still needed support from the Republican controlled Senate. The Grand Rebbe expressed his personal thanks to Senator Skelos, a Republican, whose support of the bill sealed this historic breakthrough.
At the meeting, Kiryas Joel mayor Abe Wieder described the state’s recognition of rabbinical students as TAP eligible as “the most helpful new benefit program the New York yeshiva community has seen in years, providing meaningful relief for needy students who pursue higher Jewish education. Getting TAP passed was a five year process of everyone working together to send a clear message that TAP is a priority for rabbinical students.”
Mayor Wieder urged Senator Skelos to continue to work with the Jewish community to accomplish even more as the current senate session continues.
Thanks Senator
Great to see Republicans do what the Democrats promise.
A special thanks goes out to Assemblyman Dov Hikind, Agudah and the other askonim for not giving up even though some people were walking around spreading rumors that TAP will never pass and its a waste of time.
Now let’s start the fight for Priority 5 and Early Intervention. Let’s start calling elected officials asking them to restore the cuts.
I think its funny – for a guy who is so anti israel, when it comes to money he puts all his morals aside and works hand and hand with some of the biggest vocal pro israel supporters on the planet
I think the this Satmar rebbe is today the biggest advocate for world jewry, he is very energetic and charismatic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvNGhmzkvpQ&feature=related
I’m a not a zionist but I do love Jews I can vouch there is no body that I know that is more of an oiheiv Yisroeil fin dov hikind. he speaks out and gets things done not like others who just talk…
What does the state of israel have to do with this conversation? it is about the government providing tuition assistance to Rabbinical students. I think it is good and will allow more people to pursue Jewish studies. It seems like a good program to me. I would like to see school vouchers for parents of younger children so they can get their kids out of public school and into Yeshivas or for those who are already going to Yeshivas some much needed tax relief. We should ask this State Senator if he would also support vouchers.