Matzav3 hours agoGuests attending the wedding of the son of noted philanthropist Mr. Isaac Lefkowitz were greeted by an extraordinary sight this week: a massive genealogy display tracing the ancestry of the chosson and kallah through more than 1,250 ancestors all the way back to Avrohom Avinu.
The wedding was held at Lake Terrace Hall in Lakewood, New Jersey, for the chosson, Chananya Yom Tov Lefkowitz, son of Mr. Isaac Lefkowitz of Boro Park, and the kallah, Risa Zicherman.
One of the most talked-about features of the wedding was an enormous family-tree scroll titled Zer LaChayil, which documented more than 1,250 grandparents and ancestors from both families across the generations.
The elaborate genealogy traced the lineage of both the chosson and kallah back through centuries of Jewish history, ultimately reaching Avrohom Avinu.
The enormous display measured approximately three meters high and 10 meters long — nearly 10 feet by 33 feet — turning the extensive family history into a striking visual centerpiece at the wedding.
The project was created by Reb Yosef Nechemia HaKohen Kwadrat, an artist and genealogy researcher with Kwadrat Legacy Studio in London.
Rather than simply being displayed on a wall, the enormous genealogy chart was incorporated directly into the wedding setup, serving as the mechitzah separating the men’s and women’s sections of the hall.
The unusual display attracted considerable attention throughout the wedding, with guests stopping to examine the names and generations represented across the massive family tree.
{Matzav.com}
The Lakewood Scoop4 hours agoThe Lakewood Board of Education approved a resolution tonight rescinding its previous authorization to provide courtesy transportation to non-mandated public school students, citing the loss of municipal funding resulting from state funding cuts.
According to the resolution, the municipality advised the Lakewood Board of Education that it would no longer be able to fund transportation for students whose busing is not required under state law.
“As such the Lakewood Board of Education no longer has the funds to provide courtesy bussing for the non mandated students in the public and non public schools,” the resolution states.
The development represents another significant change to Lakewood’s transportation system following reductions in state funding to the municipality.
For years, Lakewood has provided courtesy busing to thousands of students who do not meet the state’s eligibility requirements for mandated transportation. The arrangement has allowed students living within the state-mandated transportation distances to receive bus service despite the service not being legally required.
Last week, blaming a loss of an expected subsidy from Lakewood Township, the Lakewood Student Transportation Authority (LSTA) initially announced a $945 annual fee for non-mandated students after the loss of municipal funding. Following discussions among the LSTA, local and state officials and community leaders, the fee was subsequently reduced to $675 per student, and local schools reversed an earlier recommendation that parents not opt into the program.
