In a rare and unique moment of unity, Jewish organizations’ heads gathered Thursday evening to a intimate and thorough discussion about the allocation of taxpayers money towards a creating a better environment for Jewish education.

The meeting. at the home of Michael Landau, chairman of COJO of West Side, was coordinated by City Councilman Mark Levine, who also serves as the chairman of the Council’s 14-member Jewish Caucus.

Council members Helen Rosenthal and Chaim Deutsch, as well as representatives of State Senator Brad Hoylman and Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, along with leaders of COJO of West Side, COJO of Flatbush, the Orthodox Union, Agudath Israel, Yeshiva University, Sephardic Jewish community, Yeshiva Ketana of Manhattan, Manhattan Day School, Chabad, Rabbanim and heads of local yeshivas attended the event. Israeli millionaire philanthropist Sam Domb also attended and addressed the crowd.

The speakers at the hour-long conversation lauded Mayor Bill de Blasio for taking a lead in reforming the City’s education system in general and for understanding the importance of offering a helping hand for Jewish day schools and yeshivas.

“We have come together to be an incredibly active voice with the support of the Council leadership, including Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito,” Councilman Mark Levine told the crowd assembled. “There’s an emerging sense in the Council of starting to think about all the children in New York City as an important unit. You hear a change of rhetoric, including from the mayor, but also from all leader in the Council about ensuring a good education fro children attending any school.”

“Every child deserves the same resources, not matter what background you come from,” stated Councilman Chaim Deutsch. He said that he spoke to Mayor Bill de Blasio, during a meeting at City Hall, about issues concerning pre-K for yeshivas that have already applied for full-day UPK.

Commenting on the ongoing lobbying effort to help Yeshivas and community based institutions enroll in the full-day universal pre-kindergarten program, Jeff Leb, NY State Director for the Orthodox Union’s public policy arm – OU Advocacy, said: “Compared to former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, the de Blasio administration is a breath of fresh air, and has really made fantastic things to make sure UPK is accessible for Yeshivas and Jewish day schools.”

Shelly Fine, Vice President of Cojo of West Side also addressed the crowd, stressing the unique opportunity to work together in achieving the best outcome for our kids. He also emphasized the need for our synagogue and school leaders to organize their constituencies in advocacy activities and to vote for the NY State bond issue in November which will bring our schools technology upgrades at $250 per student.

“The Mayor’s office, under the leadership of mayor Bill de Blasio, is the most open mayor’s office the Jewish community has ever had. He knows our community and he understands our issues,” the host Michael Landau said as he opened the meeting. “We look forward working with the mayor and his staff to ensure all children in NYC get the best education and the schools get the resources they need in the coming years.”

(Jacob Kornbluh – YWN)