Orthodox Jews Denied Benefits For Refusing To Work Saturdays
The Huffington Post UK
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By Jessica Elgot
Unemployed Orthodox Jews have been denied benefits because they cannot work on Saturdays, according to strict religious guidelines.
The Jewish Chronicle reported that the government is investigating claims that staff in job centres in the north west said that their policy to require staff to be available at weekends for work.
Orthodox Jews not only cannot work on the Sabbath, but are prohibited from driving, writing, carrying or using electricity, amongst other things.
An Orthodox Jew in Stamford Hill, north east London
Earlier this month, a 19-year-old Hasidic Jewish man won a landmark case against the Department for Work and Pensions after he was denied jobseeker’s allowance for over six months and told he must work on the Sabbath.
Jacob Slinger received £1,500 backpay from missed JSA payments, and tribunal judge David Hewitt called on other Jewish people denied money to come forward.
Regulations state that jobseekers must be available to work up for a minimum of 35 hours a week, which Slinger had agreed to.
At the tribunal, Slinger said he was available to work for 53 hours a week, far exceeding the requirement to claim the allowance, but was not available on Friday afternoon or Saturdays because of religious observance.
A Department for Work and Pensions spokeswoman said no jobseeker should "compromise their religious practices in order to claim JSA”, and that an investigation was underway.
JCom, a Manchester-based Jewish employment agency, told the Times it would meet representatives of Jobcentres in the area in the next few weeks to try to reach an agreement.
Isaac Ginsbury, the company’s manager, said: “The main issue is the interpretation of the law, which states that allowances can be made for religious purposes as long as there is a reasonable prospect of the person finding employment. It is up to the adviser to use their common sense in respect to Jewish people and Saturdays.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/07/19/orthodox-jews-benefits_n_3622094.html?ir=Religion
Unemployed Orthodox Jews have been denied benefits because they cannot work on Saturdays, according to strict religious guidelines.
The Jewish Chronicle reported that the government is investigating claims that staff in job centres in the north west said that their policy to require staff to be available at weekends for work.
Orthodox Jews not only cannot work on the Sabbath, but are prohibited from driving, writing, carrying or using electricity, amongst other things.
Earlier this month, a 19-year-old Hasidic Jewish man won a landmark case against the Department for Work and Pensions after he was denied jobseeker’s allowance for over six months and told he must work on the Sabbath.
Jacob Slinger received £1,500 backpay from missed JSA payments, and tribunal judge David Hewitt called on other Jewish people denied money to come forward.
Regulations state that jobseekers must be available to work up for a minimum of 35 hours a week, which Slinger had agreed to.
At the tribunal, Slinger said he was available to work for 53 hours a week, far exceeding the requirement to claim the allowance, but was not available on Friday afternoon or Saturdays because of religious observance.
A Department for Work and Pensions spokeswoman said no jobseeker should "compromise their religious practices in order to claim JSA”, and that an investigation was underway.
JCom, a Manchester-based Jewish employment agency, told the Times it would meet representatives of Jobcentres in the area in the next few weeks to try to reach an agreement.
Isaac Ginsbury, the company’s manager, said: “The main issue is the interpretation of the law, which states that allowances can be made for religious purposes as long as there is a reasonable prospect of the person finding employment. It is up to the adviser to use their common sense in respect to Jewish people and Saturdays.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/07/19/orthodox-jews-benefits_n_3622094.html?ir=Religion
Women Tortured by Nuns Call Upon Massgoers to Boycott the Catholic Church
SURVIVORS of the Magdalene laundries have called on massgoers to boycott church and any collections this weekend.
Women detained in the Catholic church workhouses have criticised religious orders for refusing to contribute to a compensation scheme and urged the public to hit them in the pocket.More than 260 women have applied for the scheme, announced by the Government last month.
Madgalene survivor Marina Gambold appealed to the public to back their fight for justice.
"It is not a big ask to call on people living in Ireland to support us and what we have suggested is a simple but powerful way of sending a clear message to the religious orders to do the right thing," she said.
"Why can't they do the right thing?
"Why do they want to make us suffer like this?
"They made us suffer behind closed doors many years ago and now they are doing it in public that is shocking, disappointing and disgusting."
Julie McClure, who was detained at Stanhope Street, Dublin, said she worked day and night for the institution.
"What happened to us was a gross violation of our personal and fundamental human rights," she added.
"Nobody seems to care that all we are asking is to be supported. Why can't the Government do that?"
Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Justice Minister Alan Shatter have urged the religious orders - The Good Shepherd Sisters, The Sisters of Our Lady of Charity, The Sisters of Mercy and The Sisters of Charity - to consider contributing to the fund, which is expected to cost the state between 34.5 million and 58 million euro.
Campaign group Magdalene Survivors Together said the women want the public to help them get the orders to take responsibility.
Steven O' Riordan, spokesman, also called on the Government to lift the Statute of Limitations ban in women taking future legal action if they sign up to the scheme.
"After the shocking and pathetic response from the Government, the women are now seeking the assistance of all decent citizens of this country to stand behind them," he said.
"We want people to make it clear to the church that people are not happy with how the women are being treated by the four religious orders who ran Magdalene laundries.
"We need the help and the support from the public because it is clear that the Irish Government is totally out of their depth."
Vatican Cult offers 'time off purgatory' to followers of Pope Francis tweets
Papal court handling pardons for sins says contrite Catholics may win 'indulgences' by following World Youth Day on Twitter
Tom Kington in Rome The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/16/vatican-indulgences-pope-francis-tweets
Tom Kington in Rome The Guardian
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| A court of the Catholic church, led by Pope Francis, above, warns that the faithful cannot obtain lesser punishment just by 'chatting online'. Photograph: Franco Origlia/Getty Images |
In its latest attempt to keep up with the times the Vatican has married one of its oldest traditions to the world of social media by offering "indulgences" to followers of Pope Francis' tweets.
The church's granted indulgences reduce the time Catholics believe they will have to spend in purgatory after they have confessed and been absolved of their sins.
The remissions got a bad name in the Middle Ages because unscrupulous churchmen sold them for large sums of money. But now indulgences are being applied to the 21st century.
But a senior Vatican official warned web-surfing Catholics that indulgences still required a dose of old-fashioned faith, and that paradise was not just a few mouse clicks away.
"You can't obtain indulgences like getting a coffee from a vending machine," Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, head of the pontifical council for social communication, told the Italian daily Corriere della Sera.
Indulgences these days are granted to those who carry out certain tasks – such as climbing the Sacred Steps, in Rome (reportedly brought from Pontius Pilate's house after Jesus scaled them before his crucifixion), a feat that earns believers seven years off purgatory.
But attendance at events such as the Catholic World Youth Day, in Rio de Janeiro, a week-long event starting on 22 July, can also win an indulgence.
Mindful of the faithful who cannot afford to fly to Brazil, the Vatican's sacred apostolic penitentiary, a court which handles the forgiveness of sins, has also extended the privilege to those following the "rites and pious exercises" of the event on television, radio and through social media.
"That includes following Twitter," said a source at the penitentiary, referring to Pope Francis' Twitter account, which has gathered seven million followers. "But you must be following the events live. It is not as if you can get an indulgence by chatting on the internet."
In its decree, the penitentiary said that getting an indulgence would hinge on the beneficiary having previously confessed and being "truly penitent and contrite".
Praying while following events in Rio online would need to be carried out with "requisite devotion", it suggested.
Apart from the papal Twitter account, the Vatican has launched an online news portal supported by an app, a Facebook page, and it plans to use the online social networking site Pinterest.
"What really counts is that the tweets the Pope sends from Brazil or the photos of the Catholic World Youth Day that go up on Pinterest produce authentic spiritual fruit in the hearts of everyone," said Celli.
The church's granted indulgences reduce the time Catholics believe they will have to spend in purgatory after they have confessed and been absolved of their sins.
The remissions got a bad name in the Middle Ages because unscrupulous churchmen sold them for large sums of money. But now indulgences are being applied to the 21st century.
But a senior Vatican official warned web-surfing Catholics that indulgences still required a dose of old-fashioned faith, and that paradise was not just a few mouse clicks away.
"You can't obtain indulgences like getting a coffee from a vending machine," Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, head of the pontifical council for social communication, told the Italian daily Corriere della Sera.
Indulgences these days are granted to those who carry out certain tasks – such as climbing the Sacred Steps, in Rome (reportedly brought from Pontius Pilate's house after Jesus scaled them before his crucifixion), a feat that earns believers seven years off purgatory.
But attendance at events such as the Catholic World Youth Day, in Rio de Janeiro, a week-long event starting on 22 July, can also win an indulgence.
Mindful of the faithful who cannot afford to fly to Brazil, the Vatican's sacred apostolic penitentiary, a court which handles the forgiveness of sins, has also extended the privilege to those following the "rites and pious exercises" of the event on television, radio and through social media.
"That includes following Twitter," said a source at the penitentiary, referring to Pope Francis' Twitter account, which has gathered seven million followers. "But you must be following the events live. It is not as if you can get an indulgence by chatting on the internet."
In its decree, the penitentiary said that getting an indulgence would hinge on the beneficiary having previously confessed and being "truly penitent and contrite".
Praying while following events in Rio online would need to be carried out with "requisite devotion", it suggested.
Apart from the papal Twitter account, the Vatican has launched an online news portal supported by an app, a Facebook page, and it plans to use the online social networking site Pinterest.
"What really counts is that the tweets the Pope sends from Brazil or the photos of the Catholic World Youth Day that go up on Pinterest produce authentic spiritual fruit in the hearts of everyone," said Celli.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/16/vatican-indulgences-pope-francis-tweets
Obama Executive Order: All Americans Must Get Tested For HIV/AIDS
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
July 15, 2013
Executive Order -- HIV Care Continuum Initiative
EXECUTIVE ORDER
- - - - - - -
ACCELERATING IMPROVEMENTS IN HIV PREVENTION AND CARE IN THE UNITED STATES THROUGH THE HIV CARE CONTINUUM INITIATIVE
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States of America, and in order to further
strengthen the capacity of the Federal Government to effectively respond
to the ongoing domestic HIV epidemic, it is hereby ordered as follows:Section 1. Policy. Addressing the domestic HIV epidemic is a priority of my Administration. In 2010, the White House released the first comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy (Strategy), setting quantitative goals for reducing new HIV infections, improving health outcomes for people living with HIV, and reducing HIV-related health disparities. The Strategy will continue to serve as the blueprint for our national response to the domestic epidemic. It has increased coordination, collaboration, and accountability across executive departments and agencies (agencies) with regard to addressing the epidemic. It has also focused our Nation's collective efforts on increasing the use of evidence-based approaches to prevention and care among populations and in regions where HIV is most concentrated.
Since the release of the Strategy, additional scientific discoveries have greatly enhanced our understanding of how to prevent and treat HIV. Accordingly, further Federal action is appropriate in response to these new developments. For example, a breakthrough research trial supported by the National Institutes of Health showed that initiating HIV treatment when the immune system was relatively healthy reduced HIV transmission by 96 percent. In addition, evidence suggests that early treatment may reduce HIV-related complications. These findings highlight the importance of prompt HIV diagnosis, and because of recent advances in HIV testing technology, HIV can be detected sooner and more rapidly than ever before.
Based on these and other data, recommendations for HIV testing and treatment have changed. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now recommends that clinicians screen all individuals ages 15 to 65 years for HIV, and the Department of Health and Human Services Guidelines for Use of Antiretroviral Agents now recommends offering treatment to all adolescents and adults diagnosed with HIV.
Furthermore, ongoing implementation of the Affordable Care Act provides a historic opportunity for Americans to access affordable, quality health care. The Act is expanding access to recommended preventive services with no out-of-pocket costs, including HIV testing, and, beginning in 2014, insurance
companies will not be able to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions, including HIV. Starting October 1, 2013, Americans can select the coverage that best suits them through the new Health Insurance Marketplace, and coverage will begin January 1, 2014.
Despite progress in combating HIV, important work remains. Since the publication of the Strategy, data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that there are significant gaps along the HIV care continuum -- the sequential stages of care from being diagnosed to receiving optimal treatment. Nearly one-fifth of the estimated 1.1 million people living with HIV in the United States are undiagnosed; one-third are not linked to medical care; nearly two-thirds are not engaged in ongoing care; and only one-quarter have the virus effectively controlled, which is necessary to maintain long-term health and reduce risk of transmission to others.
In light of these data, we must further clarify and focus our national efforts to prevent and treat HIV infection. It is the policy of my Administration that agencies implementing the Strategy prioritize addressing the continuum of HIV care, including by accelerating efforts to increase HIV testing, services, and treatment along the continuum. This acceleration will enable us to meet the goals of the Strategy and move closer to an AIDS-free generation.
Sec. 2. Establishment of the HIV Care Continuum Initiative. There is established the HIV Care Continuum Initiative (Initiative), to be overseen by the Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy. The Initiative will mobilize and coordinate Federal efforts in response to recent advances regarding how to prevent and treat HIV infection. The Initiative will support further integration of HIV prevention and care efforts; promote expansion of successful HIV testing and service delivery models; encourage innovative approaches to addressing barriers to accessing testing and treatment; and ensure that Federal resources are appropriately focused on implementing evidence-based interventions that improve outcomes along the HIV care continuum.
Sec. 3. Establishment of the HIV Care Continuum Working Group. There is established the HIV Care Continuum Working Group (Working Group) to support the Initiative. The Working Group shall coordinate Federal efforts to improve outcomes nationally across the HIV care continuum.
(a) Membership. The Working Group shall be co-chaired by the Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy and the Secretary of Health and Human Services or designee (Co-Chairs). In addition to the Co-Chairs, the Working Group shall consist of representatives from:
(i) the Department of Justice;
(ii) the Department of Labor;
(iii) the Department of Health and Human Services;
(iv) the Department of Housing and Urban Development;
(v) the Department of Veterans Affairs;
(vi) the Office of Management and Budget; and
(vii) other agencies and offices, as designated by the Co-Chairs.
(b) Consultation. The Working Group shall consult with the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, as appropriate.
(c) Functions. As part of the Initiative, the Working Group shall:
(i) request and review information from agencies describing efforts to improve testing, care, and treatment outcomes, and determine if there is appropriate emphasis on addressing the HIV care continuum in relation to other work concerning the domestic epidemic;
(ii) review research on improving outcomes along the HIV care continuum;
(iii) obtain input from Federal grantees, affected communities, and other stakeholders to inform strategies to improve outcomes along the HIV care continuum;
(iv) identify potential impediments to improving outcomes along the HIV care continuum, including for populations at greatest risk for HIV infection, based on the efforts undertaken pursuant to paragraphs (i), (ii), and (iii) of this subsection;
(v) identify opportunities to address issues identified pursuant to paragraph (iv) of this subsection, and thereby improve outcomes along the HIV care continuum;
(vi) recommend ways to integrate efforts to improve outcomes along the HIV care continuum with other evidence-based strategies to combat HIV; and
(vii) specify how to better align and coordinate Federal efforts, both within and across agencies, to improve outcomes along the HIV care continuum.
(d) Reporting.
(i) Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Working Group shall provide recommendations to the President on actions that agencies can take to improve outcomes along the HIV care continuum.
(ii) Thereafter, the Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy shall include, as part of the annual report to the President pursuant to section 1(b) of my memorandum of July 13, 2010 (Implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy), a report prepared by the Working Group on
Government-wide progress in implementing this order. This report shall include a quantification of progress made in improving outcomes along the HIV care continuum.
Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
BARACK OBAMA
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