Building Bridges: A discussion of top issues for New York’s diverse interfaith community

Although New Yorkers may have separate paths to their respective houses of worship, there comes a time when all faiths must walk together as one family with strength and support for one another. This event brings together political and communal leaders working to enhance the contributions of diverse communities of faith to our vibrant democracy. It will aim to build bridges of understanding between faith communities and to build and promote programs and activities offered to all New Yorkers.

9:00 AM	Doors Open/Breakfast/Networking
9:35 AM	Program Begins Introductory Remarks: Rabbi Moshe Hauer, Executive Vice President, Orthodox Union
9:40 AM	Remarks By: Maury Litwack, Managing Director of Public Affairs, OU & Executive Director of Teach NYS
9:45 AM	Keynote Speaker: Ingrid Lewis-Martin, Chief Advisor to Mayor Eric Adams
10:00 AM	Protecting All Houses of Worship in New York Hate crimes are a tragic reality for many in the faith community. On July 1, 2022, the state of New York enacted a new gun control law that lists several “sensitive locations” where New Yorkers are not allowed to carry concealed weapons including “any place of worship or religious observation”. This is a great step, but what else can we do to better mobilize and help one another prevent and heal from these horrible events? What can the NYPD be doing to protect all houses of worship? Moderator: Maury Litwack, OU Managing Director of Public Affairs and Founder of Teach Coalition Panelists: Hassan Naveed, Executive Director of The Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes at NYC Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice Fred Kreizman, Commissioner NYC Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit Pastor Gilford Monrose, Executive Director, Office of Faith-Based and Community Partnerships Pastor Rick Sawyer, Special Counsel, Hate Crimes, New York State Office of the Attorney General, Civil Rights Bureau
11:00 AM	Break
11:15 AM	Support for Faith Based Schools Across the nation many states are doing more for religious schools – including tax credit scholarships, education savings accounts and vouchers. The state spends hundreds of millions a year on tax breaks for big companies but invests just $956 a year for nonpublic school students (compared to $25,519 a year for public students). New York's failure on this issue comes at a time when we know people are leaving our state in high numbers. With data showing that over a quarter of a million New York students are enrolled in faith-based schools – which is more than the number of students in charter schools - what can our elected officials do to support faith-based schools and keep New York competitive with other states? Moderator: Maury Litwack, OU Managing Director of Public Affairs and Founder of Teach Coalition Panelists: Rabbi Moshe Hauer, Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar, Assembly District 38 Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer Amato, Assembly District 23 Dr. Rafeek Mohamed,President, Islamic Schools Association & Principal, Al-Ihsan Academy Brianne Wetzel, Executive Director, Cornelia Connelly Center
12:10 PM	Closing Remarks
12:15 PM	Event Ends

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