Intergovernmental Relations and Community Collaborations
UJO works with government agencies across all levels of government
to ensure the delivery of services to Williamsburg and North
Brooklyn.
UJO engaged with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to
respond to improve safety and crime prevention and also address
hate crimes in the area and to improve community and police
relations through community policing.
NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan at a UJO meeting with Williamsburg community leaders to discuss a rash of anti-Semitic attacks in the area.
In the Streets of Williamsburg with DSNY officials to discuss snow removal operations.
FDNY
Honoring the late FDNY Lt. Gordon “Matt” Ambelas for his heroic efforts to save Mendy Gottlieb while fighting a high-rise fire in Brooklyn.
Parks
UJO worked with the NYC Parks Department to reimagine old and crumbling parks for the Bartlett Playground and Penn Triangle.
Department of Finance
The service and catchment area of the UJO of Williamsburg and
North Brooklyn encompasses the entire area defined by the
Department of Finance (DOF) as Central Williamsburg, as well as
small portions of Bedford Stuyvesant, South and East
Williamsburg. Williamsburg has distinct housing markets.
Non-luxury family units without any special amenities (virtually
all condos in Central Williamsburg and its immediate
surroundings), and luxury units that were developed during the
past two decades with amenities such as doormen, gyms, pools
etc., and other luxuries, priced double or more than their
non-luxury neighbors. The luxury housing market in North
Williamsburg is booming.
Apartments net much higher rent than their non-luxury peers
several blocks away for a very good reason. One provides a
simple housing unit, the other provides a luxury unit with loads
of amenities and exquisite structures.
Over the past couple of years, we received numerous complaints
by struggling families shocked by their extremely excessive tax
bills. Reviewing the issue, we found that some non-luxury condos
in central Williamsburg are being compared to luxury rentals
which incorrectly distorts the Central Williamsburg market
valuations.
We met with NYC Department of Finance staff requesting
explanation for the extreme surge in the DOF market valuations
for Central Williamsburg and surrounding condos. At the time of
those discussions, NYC DOF recognized the need for, and
implemented a stricter criterion, to better differentiate
between luxury and non-luxury condos. However, instead of seeing
a decline in the market valuation of the subject condos, when
changing the comparables to lower-valued rentals, their
valuations increased.
After our review, we realized that DOF applies huge adjustment
to condos in some areas, more than in other areas. We asked DOF
several times to share the full methodology and data behind
those adjustments, only to have these requests turned down. DOF
claimed that it’s their “work product” and they don’t have to
share it.
UJO Hosting a Department of Finance NOPV session to help homeowners.
We have shown the huge disparities in the adjustment rates from
neighborhood to neighborhood, how our area is subjected to very
large adjustments, and how inexplicable those adjustments actually
are. Taxpayers need to know why their properties are adjusted to
double and triple the value of the comparable rental buildings!
DOF should welcome the opportunity to allow the public to
understand their formulas and computer models, not keep them
hidden!
No Yeshiva Child Left Behind
In 2007, the UJO spearheaded with other communal groups an
analysis on how and why the Federal No Child Left Behind Act has
not effectively addressed the needs of yeshiva children and
demanded that the Department of Education rectify the issue. It
led to a series of changes to enable yeshiva students to receive
free small group or individual remedial instruction and tutoring
in the subjects of reading, writing, and math. It also helped
expand an array of special education services for tens of
thousands of yeshiva children. Yeshiva students now receive
services delivered by linguistically and culturally appropriate
therapists provided by third-party vendors. Yeshiva educators also
benefit from professional development to enhance their teaching
skills and learn how to better address educational challenges.
For the past 12 years, Rabbi Niederman serves as a member of the
New York City Department of Education, Standing Committee of
Religious and Independent Schools Tier 1, where he works with his
colleagues from across the non-public school spectrum to expand
these services and ensure that children in parochial and private
schools receive their fair share of services that they are
entitled to.
Expanding Workforce Opportunities in Williamsburg and Beyond
During the past two decades, the UJO in conjunction with the Met
Council and Consortium of Workforce Education (CWE), conducted
several analyses on the workforce participation rates of the
Orthodox community in Williamsburg, the industries that they are
engaged in, and how to expand economic opportunities for the
community. The recommendations from those studies helped bring
trainings and other types of assistance to help families earn a
living and become self-sufficient.
The UJO in partnership with the JCC of Greater Coney Island, Boro
Park JCC, and others conducted a study that examined how to expand
employment trainings for members of the Jewish communities in NYC.
It led to a major initiative announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio to
establish trainings, orientations and additional services to help
men and women join and rise in the workforce.
Child Care Vouchers
The UJO is at the forefront of advocacy efforts that seek to
provide and expand the child care voucher programs for working
families. These vouchers are vital for hard working Williamsburg
families and other Orthodox communities facing limited child care
options. Thanks to our advocacy and close collaboration with
Councilman Stephen T. Levin, Chair of the General Welfare
committee in the City Council, Council leadership and City Hall,
the new Special Child Care Fund (SCCF) vouchers were established.
The SCCF vouchers helped to restore child care vouchers that were
lost due to the discontinuation of the Priority 5 vouchers for
working families. We continue to advocate for additional vouchers
to compensate for the continued decline of the Priority 5 program,
and to meet the tremendous need for child care services.
Part of UJO’s success is its ability to work with a wide array of
diverse community organizations.
Rabbi David Niederman with David Pagan of Los Sures in 1997 working together to bring affordable housing to Williamsburg.
50th Anniversary celebration of Williams Plaza Tenant Association with Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez.
Meetings with the Met Council on Jewish Poverty and it’s JCC network of JCCs across NYC.
Community Alliance For the Environment
2019 Reunion with original CAFÉ members Martin Brennan, Arthur
Kell, Larry Shapiro and Rabbi Niederman which was inspired after
the passing of the late Louis Garden Acosta
The UJO was a founding member of the Community Alliance For the
Environment (CAFE) that includes community partners El Puente
and NYPRG. Working together CAFE organized the community to
topple the development of a legislated, 55-story incinerator at
the Brooklyn Navy Yard that would have emitted hazardous
chemicals into the atmosphere, including lead, mercury and
dioxin.
The legendary, late Luis Garden Acosta, the founder of El
Puente, paralleled Rabbi Niederman’s outreach to join him to
Nixon’s first trip to China. This was viewed as a watershed
moment that brought together the different communities in the
neighborhood.
They also joined forces and rallied together to fight Radiac
Research Corporation radioactive waste plant located in
Williamsburg since 1969 and campaigned together to improve the
air quality in the neighborhood.
