Rabbosai,
The Assisted Suicide bill in NY ("Chapter Amendments") S8835, is now on the Senate floor - and could be voted on by every Senator as early as Tues. Jan. 20th (see page copied below https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8835). In the Assembly we may have time - since A9195 is not listed on this week's agenda - but who knows what may happen if the Senate passes it...
So, we need to focus on state senators, especially getting KJ senator James Skoufis off of this bill, via pressure on a major enabler of his, Gedalye Segedin. See contact info below.
If anyone would like to assist, now is the time. Please call or text 771.215.8892.
Thank you in advance,
Rabbi Noson Shmuel Leiter,
Executive Director,
Help Rescue Our Children
845.642.1679
Direct: 771.215.8892
Israeli Helpline: 03.721.3337
torahjewsfordecency@gmail.com
Tomim Tih'yeh [countering "New-Age" infiltration]:
Tomim1679@gmail.com
Presentations on New-Age dangers: 605-313-6831 ext. 2
Heard weekly on New Jersey's WSNR Radio 620AM, co-hosting the renowned Levin At Eleven program, every Thursday evening, 11pm to midnight (ET).
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See this excerpt from the NY Assisted Suicide bill A136, section 2899-m , page 10, lines 29-34 re העברה על הדת. It requires the health care provider to transfer patient medical records needed to kill the patient. Thus, this legislation is an antireligious edict, העברה על הדת, the likes of which Chazal apply the declaration of
חנניא מישאל ועזריה: "את וכלבא שוין"
As quoted by Rashi near the beginning of sefer Doniel, and which has historically evoked epic מס"נ.
This particular provision was not modified in Gov. Hochul's Chapter Amendments.
See below, bolded section, especially the italicized part (all emphasis absent in original). So much for all of their mantras about "Choice"...
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25 § 2899-m. Permissible refusals and prohibitions. 1. (a) A physician,
26 nurse, pharmacist, other health care provider or other person shall not
27 be under any duty, by law or contract, to participate in the provision
28 of medication to a patient under this article.
29 (b) If a health care provider is unable or unwilling to participate in
30 the provision of medication to a patient under this article and the
31 patient transfers care to a new health care provider, the prior health
32 care provider shall transfer or arrange for the transfer, upon request,
33 of a copy of the patient's relevant medical records to the new health
34 care provider.
35 2. (a) A private health care facility may prohibit the prescribing,
36 dispensing, ordering or self-administering of medication under this
37 article while the patient is being treated in or while the patient is
38 residing in the health care facility if:
39 (i) the prescribing, dispensing, ordering or self-administering is
40 contrary to a formally adopted policy of the facility that is expressly
41 based on sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions central
42 to the facility's operating principles; and
43 (ii) the facility has informed the patient of such policy prior to
44 admission or as soon as reasonably possible.
45 (b) Where a facility has adopted a prohibition under this subdivision,
46 if a patient who wishes to use medication under this article requests,
47 the patient shall be transferred promptly to another health care facili-
48 ty that is reasonably accessible under the circumstances and willing to
49 permit the prescribing, dispensing, ordering and self-administering of
50 medication under this article with respect to the patient.
51 (c) Where a health care facility has adopted a prohibition under this
52 subdivision, any health care provider or employee or independent
53 contractor of the facility who violates the prohibition may be subject
54 to sanctions otherwise available to the facility, provided the facility
55 has previously notified the health care provider, employee or independ-
56 ent contractor of the prohibition in writing.
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Gedalye Segedin
Position: Clerk, Political Leader for Aharoni Faction in Kiryas Joel, NY
Kiryas Yoel, NY
gskjkj@gmail.com
C: 914-490-6111
H: 845.782.1974
Clerk, KJ Village: 845-783-8300, ext.
9,3#
Call 9-5, F Til 12.
Text first, ideally. If you can't text, consider paging him the number of the legislation in question, eg. 1378835 for the Senate bills (S136, S8835) or 1369515 for the Assembly bills (A136, A9515).
Inform him that if, R"L, Assisted Suicide/ A9515/ S8835 passes with support from either Assemblyman Chris Eachus or Senator James Skoufis, it will be on his shoulders (and the law will be gruesomely known by some as "The Gedalye Segedin Grandma Reduction Act of 2026").
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Also contact, ASAP:
NY State Senator James Skoufis:
188 State St. LOB, Rm 612
Albany,NY 12247
845-567-1270
518-455-3290
Fax: (845) 534-2520
skoufis@NYsenate.gov
KJ, cosponsored s138 (A/S)
And, afterwards:
Assemblyman Chris Eachus:
District 99
eachusc@nyassembly.gov
34 Smith Clove Road
Central Valley, NY 10917
845-469-6929
Fax: 845-460-2185
LOB 628
Albany, NY 12248
518-455-5441
Fax: 518-455-5884
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Chris-Eachus
KJ, voted for A136 (A/S)
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Background Information:
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בס"ד
מוצ"ש פרשת וארא, תשפ"ו
R' ...
A gutt voch. As you know, NY State faces the spectre of passage of one of the most lethal bills in its' history. Leading Rabbis across the Orthodox spectrum have urged us to do all we can to stop this type of legislation wherever it rears its' ugly head.
Rabbis, prominent Jewish advocacy organizations, activists, and Media (e.g. HaModia, VINNews.com, MonseyMevaser.com, Queens Jewish Link, NJJewishLink.com BeLaaz.com) in the Orthodox Jewish world have been raising the alarm.
Every community must do their part to oppose this.
History is being written NOW.
This bill was passed in June by both houses, having been cosponsored by your Sullivan County Assemblywoman, Paula E. Kay, Esq.
Unfortunately, she remains supportive, despite hearing some very serious Jewish objections.
It never became law - because Gov. Hochul insisted on additional "guardrails," called Chapter Amendments. Those Amendments are expected to be voted on shortly in the Assembly, as bill number A9515.
If her Amendments pass, she signs the bill. If they don't, she doesn't, and the legislation dies.
Thus, the way to stop Assisted Suicide is to stop the Chapter Amendments. Tragically, Assemblywoman Kay is still planning voting Yes on the Chapter Amendments.
It's crucial to realize that even with her Chapter Amendments, this legislation would not only institutionalize assisted suicide, as terrible as that is from our Torah perspective -- it would also enable the outright murder of vulnerable individuals who do not wish to die - in blatant violation of the "Autonomy" and "Choice" mantras - "justifications" that bill proponents ceaselessly spout.
In other words, even with the protections added by the proposed "Chapter Amendments" required by Gov. Hochul, this bill would lethally undermine personal autonomy in the very name of advancing it.
This is due to remaining loopholes, and due to the absence of a non-severability clause -
בטלה מקצתה בטלה כולה.
Q: Why is absence of non-severability clause so important, and even more revealing about their true intentions?
A: In a bill without a non-severability clause - even meaningful protections are ultimately worthless, because they can be easily eliminated over time, without fanfare - leaving the bill's killing machinery operating at full speed, without those protections.
Bill architects know this. They, like your Assemblywoman, are very knowledgeable about law and legislation.
Q: So what's really behind the talk about protections?
A: The primary purpose of the protections is to overcome opposition and enable passage. In other words, the protections ultimately serve to "Aid in Killing," by enabling initial passage - not to protect the vulnerable, in the long term.
In this case, "The Road to Hell is Paved With Amendment Protections."
And many of the bill proponents know this very well.
Perhaps it is for that reason that some of them seem to enjoy expending time on distractive matters - vibrant expositions pertaining to the lobbying and legislative process - as a means of shifting the conversation from the real point: confronting the inherent contradiction in their own ongoing support for this anti-Autonomy legislation - a contradiction which is "hiding in plain sight" for anyone who understands the issues.
Please see the Psak attached and posted online:
Broad Rabbinic Statement against Assisted Suicide: ver. 14
https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2025/05/psak-halacha.html
Please be in contact to discuss how we can help you share in your part of this ongoing effort to take a stand - for all New Yorkers, Jewish and non-Jewish, of all Faiths and of none, especially the most vulnerable, and to authentically advance Kovod Shomayim.
However, time is something we do not have.
May we merit the Ultimate Redemption in the merit of countering its' impediments.
Rabbi Noson Shmuel Leiter,
Executive Director,
Help Rescue Our Children
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---------- Forwarded message ---------
Date: Sun, Jan 18, 2026, 1:08 AM
Subject: senate committee vote on NEW assisted suicide vote
To: Rabbi Noson Leiter
This terrible bill was also voted for in the Senate Rules committee as follows:
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8835
Senate Bill S8835
2025-2026 Legislative Session
Relates to requirements for the provision of medication for medical aid in dying
DOWNLOAD BILL TEXT PDF
SHARE THIS BILL
SPONSORED BY
(02-05-25) Rivera-HS
Gustavo Rivera
(D, WF) 33RD SENATE DISTRICT
CURRENT BILL STATUS -
On Floor Calendar
Introduced
In Committee Assembly
In Committee Senate
On Floor Calendar Assembly
On Floor Calendar Senate
Passed Assembly
Passed Senate
Delivered To Governor
Signed By Governor
ACTIONS
HIDE ACTIONS (2)
Date of Action Assembly Actions - Lowercase
Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 12, 2026 ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.49
Jan 08, 2026 REFERRED TO RULES
VOTES
HIDE VOTES
JAN 12, 2026 - RULES COMMITTEE VOTE
S8835
AYE
13
NAY
7
AYE WITH RESERVATIONS 0
ABSENT 0
EXCUSED 0
ABSTAINED 0
HIDE RULES COMMITTEE VOTE DETAILS
Rules Committee Vote: Jan 12, 2026
AYE (13)
Addabbo Jr.BaileyComrieFernandezGianarisHarckhamKruegerLiuMayerMyrieParkerSepúlvedaStewart-Cousins
NAY (7)
GallivanGriffoHelmingLanzaO'MaraOrttStec
