I am writing from Albany where we have been working long hours on achieving our final budget but the extra hours in the midst of the holiday season have been well worth it. We’re going to accomplish something extraordinary together!
Thanks to the tireless efforts of many of my fellow Assembly Members and members of the New York State Senate, our great state is now going to accept the responsibility for providing transportation after 4:00 pm for children attending private and parochial schools in grades kindergarten through six. In addition, there is a new safety measure in place; the new law will also ensure that transportation services deliver children as close as possible to their homes.
The new transportation amendment is a huge accomplishment in terms of education, safety and financial relief. I could never understand penalizing children, parents and schools/yeshivas because they wanted more education. That was the wrong message. For many years we worked to get equitable transportation for children with longer school days. This subsidized transportation, which first passed last year, is genuinely an historic breakthrough that will help our yeshivas, parents and our community. Last year we saw the first big step in the direction of being fair and equitable. Today we take an even bigger step.
This education milestone would not have been possible without Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein, and Senator Simcha Felder. The bill also had the passionate support of many of my colleagues, including Assembly Members Steven Cymbrowitz, Phillip Goldfeder, Mike Simanowitz and David Weprin, as well as State Senator Marty Golden.
The many families who will benefit from this new law should be aware of the tireless work that went into the bill from the leaders of Agudath Israel of America who led the charge for these changes in Albany, especially Rabbi Shmuel Lefkowitz, Rabbi Shiya Ostreicher and Rabbi Shimon Ostreicher.
On Saturday evening, April 6, please tune in to the Dov Hikind Show on 570 AM at 11:00pm as many of the players who made this historical bill come alive join us to discuss not only the long, uphill battle that this bill went through but also how it will impact our community.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
HIKIND ASKS BORO PARK, MIDWOOD LIBRARIES TO OPEN ON SUNDAYS
NEWS FROM
ASSEMBLYMAN DOV HIKIND
HIKIND ASKS BORO PARK, MIDWOOD LIBRARIES
TO OPEN ON SUNDAYS
Recently, Assemblyman Hikind discussed the matter at length with Linda E. Johnson, President & CEO of the Brooklyn Public Library, which oversees all local branches. The Assemblyman explained that there are thousands of community children who attend yeshivas six days per week, and that even yeshiva students who go five days per week still attend school for much longer hours than public school children.
“The majority of my constituents would benefit from Sunday hours, as opposed to Saturday hours,” the Assemblyman explained. “Since the libraries are meant to best serve the communities they are in, the simple solution would be to close Saturdays and open Sundays. But that’s a difficult budget situation for the City because library employees working on Sundays get paid overtime, whereas on Saturdays they are paid regular wages.
While it may difficult, the Assemblyman was told that the Brooklyn Public Library will sincerely look it.
ASSEMBLYMAN DOV HIKIND
March 12, 2013
HIKIND ASKS BORO PARK, MIDWOOD LIBRARIES
TO OPEN ON SUNDAYS
Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) is hoping to get
local public libraries to remain open on Sundays to better serve the communities
they are in. Currently, Boro Park and Midwood libraries are closed on Sundays,
while several remain open on Saturdays.
Recently, Assemblyman Hikind discussed the matter at length with Linda E. Johnson, President & CEO of the Brooklyn Public Library, which oversees all local branches. The Assemblyman explained that there are thousands of community children who attend yeshivas six days per week, and that even yeshiva students who go five days per week still attend school for much longer hours than public school children.
“The majority of my constituents would benefit from Sunday hours, as opposed to Saturday hours,” the Assemblyman explained. “Since the libraries are meant to best serve the communities they are in, the simple solution would be to close Saturdays and open Sundays. But that’s a difficult budget situation for the City because library employees working on Sundays get paid overtime, whereas on Saturdays they are paid regular wages.
“But there’s a solution: We’d be happy with just three
hours of Sunday library access. They can take back five hours on a Saturday and
stay in the black.”
While it may difficult, the Assemblyman was told that the Brooklyn Public Library will sincerely look it.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Hikind's Ahavas Yisroel Highlighted at Gush Katif Museum Dinner in NY
On March
9, motzei Shabbos, Rabbi Shalom Dov
Wolpo, Founder and President of the Gush
Katif Museum, arranged a
beautiful event with Dr. Joseph Frager and Dr. Paul Brody as Chairmen for the evening and key note
speaker Governor Mike Huckabee. Dr. Frager
also introduced honoree Assemblyman Dov Hikind.
 |
| Gov. Mike Huckabee, keynote speaker at the Gush Katif Museum Dinner, being presented with a Baruch Nachshon painting of Jerusalem, flanked by Rabbi Sholom Dov Wolpo and Dr. Paul Brody. From left, Dr. Joe Frager, Rivka Goldshchmidt, and Assemblyman Dov Hikind; from right, Rabbi David Algaze, Odeleya Jacobs and Helen Freedman. |
In a
prepared introduction, Dr. Brody noted, “Everyone
here tonight is a friend of Gush Katif, but some people go beyond the normal
boundaries of friendship. Assemblyman Dov Hikind has remained one these
extraordinary friends. His ahavas Yisroel—his appreciation for what the
Gush Katif community had accomplished and deep sensitivity for what the
residents were facing—led our Assemblyman to organize numerous trips to the
community at his own expense.
“In 2005, Dov led three separate Chizuk Missions where he exposed influential Americans to the beautiful life that was created and maintained in Gush Katif. He proudly showed these expeditions the industries that had been created from sand dunes; the rich and rewarding family lives; the unparalleled spirituality; the pride and love of Eretz Yisroel felt by parents and children alike.
“Assemblyman Hikind did not believe that his missions would change the decision by the Israeli government; rather, he only hoped to give the residents of Gush Katif chizuk; he sought to show them that their brothers and sisters in America genuinely cared about them and their tragic plight.
“Assemblyman Hikind spent the final Shabbos before Tisha b’Av—the last Shabbat before the expulsion—in Gush Katif with the residents, sharing their pain and sorrow at the fate that had befallen them. He has told me privately that it was the most memorable Shabbos he's ever experienced.
“Dov Hikind remains a friend to Gush Kaitif—to its former residents and to the memory of this once holy and beautiful community.”
“In 2005, Dov led three separate Chizuk Missions where he exposed influential Americans to the beautiful life that was created and maintained in Gush Katif. He proudly showed these expeditions the industries that had been created from sand dunes; the rich and rewarding family lives; the unparalleled spirituality; the pride and love of Eretz Yisroel felt by parents and children alike.
“Assemblyman Hikind did not believe that his missions would change the decision by the Israeli government; rather, he only hoped to give the residents of Gush Katif chizuk; he sought to show them that their brothers and sisters in America genuinely cared about them and their tragic plight.
“Assemblyman Hikind spent the final Shabbos before Tisha b’Av—the last Shabbat before the expulsion—in Gush Katif with the residents, sharing their pain and sorrow at the fate that had befallen them. He has told me privately that it was the most memorable Shabbos he's ever experienced.
“Dov Hikind remains a friend to Gush Kaitif—to its former residents and to the memory of this once holy and beautiful community.”
Friday, March 8, 2013
Dr. Rona Novick & Dr. Eli Shapiro on The Dov Hikind Show
Tomorrow night on The Dov Hikind Show our special guests
are:
Dr. Rona Novick, Director of Fanya Gottesfeld Heller Division of Doctoral
Studies at Yeshiva University’s Azrieli Graduate School. The noted clinical child
psychologist, parenting expert and author will discuss bullying.
And…
Dr. Eli Shapiro, licensed clinical social worker with 15 years of experience working with yeshivas (and an expert on cyberbullying).
Tune in to WMCA 570 AM 11:00 PM.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
OUR SHREDDING EVENT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS
 |
| Assemblyman Hikind discusses the importance of destroying personal, sensitive documents. |
“The internet age has made
identity theft more prevalent than ever before,” said the Assemblyman. “For
years, I’ve warned our community to be extremely careful with their personal
documents because sophisticated thieves will go through garbage cans looking
for account numbers and other information.”
The success of this event will
likely lead to another shredding opportunity in Flatbush, said Assemblyman
Hikind.
Friday, March 1, 2013
FREE SHREDDING EVENT THIS SUNDAY
NEWS FROM
ASSEMBLYMAN DOV HIKIND
ASSEMBLYMAN DOV HIKIND
ASSEMBLYMAN HIKIND HOSTS FREE SHREDDING EVENT
IDEAL OPPORTUNITY TO DESTROY SENSITIVE DOCUMENTS
Assemblyman Dov
Hikind (D-Brooklyn) will be holding a free Shredding Event this Sunday, March
3, at the Boro Park Y from 11 am to 3 pm. This is a unique opportunity for
community members to shred sensitive documents.
“I’ve warned
people in the past to be very careful with their personal documents because
identity theft is so prevalent,” said the Assemblyman. “This event is a
terrific opportunity for people to bring personal records that they no longer
need—such as bank statements and tax information—and have them safely
destroyed.”
The document
shredding will be performed by Shred Up Inc., 911 East 18 St., Brooklyn. The
Boro Park Y is located at 4912 14th Avenue, Brooklyn.
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