HEAP Assistance at the UJO - Friday, November 16, 2018

Brooklyn, NY – The UJO is offering HEAP assistance on Tuesdays to assist residents in filling out HEAP applications to help cover their overwhelming heating costs in the winter. Please see Household Income guidelines chart below to check if you qualify for assistance. Eligibility and benefits are based on: income, household size, the primary heating source, and the presence of a household member who is under age 6, age 60 or older or permanently disabled.

Regular HEAP Benefit Amounts 2018-2019
Base Benefit Amount	Living Situation
$21	Eligible households that live in government subsidized housing or a group home setting with heat included in their rent.
$30 or $35	Eligible households who have heating costs included as part of their rent.
$675 + applicable add-ons	Eligible households whose primary heat is oil, kerosene, or propane and who make direct payments to the vendor for heating costs.
$525 + applicable add-ons	Eligible households whose primary heat is wood, wood pellets, coal, corn or other deliverable fuel and who make direct payments to the vendor for heating costs.
$350 + applicable add-ons	Eligible households whose primary heat is electricity or natural gas and who make direct payments based on their household’s actual usage to the vendor.

The amount of the base Regular benefit will be increased by $26 if the household’s gross income is in the Tier 1 income range.

Tier I eligibility is based on gross income and household size, on the date of application the household's gross income must be at or below 130% of federal poverty level for the household size; or at least one adult household member must be in receipt of ongoing assistance through Temporary Assistance (TA), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or code A SSI.

The amount of the base Regular benefit will be increased by $25 if the household contains a vulnerable individual (household member who is age 60 or older, under age 6 or permanently disabled).

Call the UJO office at (718) 643-9700 extension 5 option 2 with any questions or for a list of documents needed to bring in for the application. Then stop by UJO office at 32 Penn Street on any Tuesday to complete and submit the application. 

Williamsburg Vandals Arrested and Charged with Hate Crimes - Friday, November 16, 2018

Brooklyn, NY – Two boys were arrested on Thursday, November 8. The boys went on a spree committing seven hate crimes within a few hours on Saturday, November 3. One of the crimes was throwing a pipe which broke a window at Volkan Shul on Franklin Avenue in Williamsburg. This was after harassing a Hassidic boy on the street among other criminal anti-Semitic actions.

Assemblyman Joe Lentol and Councilman Stephen Levin participated in the subsequent meeting which took place at the UJO with the CO of the 79th Precinct, after this criminal event. The meeting also included Shomrim and concerned residents at the area. Attendees were shown videos of what had actually taken place at the crime scene which led to a better understanding of the severity and malicious intent of the attacks. Based on the evidence presented at the meeting, the juveniles were deservedly charged with hate crimes.

”I thank Inspector Minch of the79th Precinct for arresting and bringing the perpetrators to justice We hope this will send a lesson that acts of hate will not be tolerated in our neighborhoods,” says Rabbi David Niederman, Executive Director and President of UJO. “I also want to express my thanks to Shomrim and the askanim who diligently collected evidence and made sure that everything was reported to the police in order to have those responsible arrested and charged accordingly. Also, thanks are due to Assemblyman Lentol and Councilman Levin for standing with us to make sure these criminal acts were charged as hate crimes.

“It is very important,” Rabbi Niederman stresses, “that any community member who has the misfortune of experiencing any similar occurrence should report it to the police in order to stop the profusion of hate crimes in our area. No incidences should be ignored. Even if it seems to be a relatively minor episode, it needs to be reported because if such actions are not stopped in a timely fashion, this can lead to more severe attacks occurring with greater frequency.”

Passage of Posthumous Gold Medal for Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl by Congress - Friday, November 16, 2018

Law Introduced by Williamsburg Congressmember Nydia Velazquez for Rabbi’s Weissmandl’s Heroic Rescue Efforts during WWII; Hopes for Passage in Senate

Brooklyn, NY – Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl is posthumously slated for a Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of his acts of valor during World War II - https://velazquez.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-passes-vel-zquez-bill-honoring-hero-jewish-resistance-during. The gold medal is to be presented to the Weissmandl Committee on behalf of Rabbi Weissmandl in commemoration of his heroic activity during World War II when Rabbi Weissmandl was involved in major rescue operations saving tens of thousands of Jews.

It is expected that the Senate will pass this as well so that the award can become official. Much gratitude is due to Mr. Aron Fixler of the Weissmandl Committee, the force behind the efforts to commemorate Rabbi Wissmandl and Mr. Joel Klar who assisted in the Weissmandl Committee efforts.

Past endeavors by the Weissmandl Committee to commemorate Rabbi Weissmandl’s heroic efforts during WWII included a resolution passed through the efforts of Senator Simcha Felder and Assemblyman Joe Lentol. This led to the award of the Empire State Medal in Rabbi Weissmandl’s name issued by the NY State Legislature; and the naming, by former Councilman David Greenfield, of Rabbi Weissmandl Way now a part of 15^th Avenue in Boro Park.

“I am very thankful to Representative Nydia Velázquez,” says Rabbi David Niederman, Executive Director and President of the UJO, “for her sponsorship and leadership in working to award the Congressional Gold Medal to commemorate the worthy activities of Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl zt’l and generating so much support in getting it passed in Congress. I am looking forward to seeing it passed in the Senate as well. The world needs to know about this great hero who rescued so many while giving no thought to the risks he was taking with his own life. It is a kiddush Hashem to publicize this story. I express deep thanks to the devoted askanaim, including Rabbi Aron Fixler and his colleagues at the Weissmandl Committee for generating the necessary support for the process leading to the award of this medal.”