WIN! Lawfare Project ensures equal opportunity for Jewish businesses

Dear friends,

I am pleased to announce another Lawfare Project win! Recently, it was brought to our attention that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was planning to open its online applications portal for Shuttered Venue Operators Grants (SVOG). These grants provide emergency assistance for eligible venues that are affected by COVID-19. The issue: SBA was planning to open the portal on a first-come, first-serve basis on Saturday, April 24th.

We took action and wrote to the SBA Administrator to inform them of the negative impact this would have on Jewish businesses and families who observe the Sabbath, urging them to push the opening back. Opening a first-come, first-serve grant portal on Shabbat would have put observant Jewish citizens at a great disadvantage, potentially violating federal laws against religious discrimination.

Our efforts were successful, and the SBA pushed back the opening of the portal until Monday.

We worked to ensure Jewish families and businesses were granted the same opportunities as all other business owners, fighting discrimination on behalf of a community that has already suffered greatly from this pandemic. American Jews deserve the same opportunities to apply for SBA grants as all other Americans.

Thankfully, the SBA was receptive to our concerns, but it is troubling that we had to convince them in the first place. We must continue to educate and inform the public to ensure that our Jewish heritage is not lost in the chaos of today's world, and that our legal rights are upheld.

Thank you for joining us to pursue equal protection under the law and to combat discrimination. We need your continued support to keep fighting!

Sincerely,
Brooke Goldstein
Executive Director, The Lawfare Project