A pedestrian was seriously injured in an accident in Lakewood this evening.

As earlier reported on TLS Communities, the pedestrian was struck by a vehicle shortly after 9:00 PM on Monmouth Avenue.

Hatzolah transported the pedestrian with paramedics to JSUMC.

Lakewood Police Department’s Traffic Safety division is investigating.

For years, liberal and Reform organizations have presumed to speak on behalf of Diaspora Jewry, including American Jews, while advancing their agenda at the Kotel.

This week, that changed.

A bill was introduced in the Knesset’s Constitution Committee that would grant the Chief Rabbinite official jurisdiction over the Kotel, designating it as a formal Makom Kodosh. The legislation would prohibit Nashot HaKotel from conducting protest activities at the site.

As expected, liberal and Reform representatives appeared at the committee –  loudly proclaiming, in the name of American Jewry, that such a move would sever the bond between the Jewish people and their holiest site.

For the first time, they were not the only voice in the room.

Our voters brought us into the WZO, and it was that representation that gave us the ability to walk into the Knesset and speak on their behalf. Standing before the Constitution Committee, we made a historic declaration: This is what American Jews actually want. This is what Diaspora Jewry wants. Stop speaking in our name.

“We are the ones who speak in our name,” said Rabbi Nechemya Malinowitz, a member of the leadership of Eretz HaKodesh, at the committee. “And what we want is a Kotel that remains kodesh.”

Also present was Esther Jacobs, who stood before the committee and spoke powerfully in the name of the women, declaring where they truly stand.

For the first time in an official capacity, the authentic voice of American Orthodox Jewry was heard in the halls of the Knesset, standing firm to protect the kedusha of the Kotel for generations to come.

[Press Release]

As a yungerman who grew up in Lakewood, I write this with a heavy heart.

Like many others, I always dreamed of building my life here. But after being married for a few years now, I’m beginning to wonder whether living in Lakewood is becoming unrealistic for regular young couples trying to make ends meet.

I understand that inflation is affecting everyone, and I know costs have gone up across the board. But it feels like prices here have gone far beyond normal inflation. At this point, I’m not even talking about housing anymore – many people have already accepted that they may need to move farther out to afford a home.

I’m talking about everyday living. Clothing, basic household items, shopping, and simple necessities all seem to come with increasingly higher price tags. Everywhere you turn, there’s pressure to buy the newest, fanciest, and most expensive options.

Can we please take it down a notch?

Not every yungerman or young family needs luxury. There should still be affordable, normal options for people trying to live responsibly and within their means. A community as large and beautiful as Lakewood should make room for everyone – not just those who can afford premium prices on everything.

Many young couples are quietly struggling, and I know I’m not the only one feeling this way.

Sincerely,

A Concerned Yungerman

TLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to us via  Whatsapp  or via email  [email protected]

Chasunas:

Franco - Ben Chaim Kesser Moshe Yehuda 

Klugman- Platnick Fountain Ballroom 

Stern - Shnidman Ateres Esther 

Barenbaum - Eisner Ateres Blima 

Mandel - Broderik Ne'emas Hachaim 

Shmuckler - Rubinstein Ateres Chaim Elazar 

Weinberg - Pecker  Bais Faiga

Messes  Cedar Palace

Kiddush Levana opportunity

The levaya of HaRav Shmuel Yosef Fishbain zt”l, longtime rav of Congregation Beth Sinai/White Lake Torah Center in White Lake, New York, will take place at the Lakewood Chapel, 613 Ramsey Avenue at 7:30 PM. Kevurah will take place in Monsey.

The rav, who was marbitz Torah to generations of Yidden in the Catskills for close to four decades, was recently in Lakewood and was niftar at Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus.

Congregation Beth Sinai/White Lake Torah Center, under Rav Fishbain’s leadership, served as the only year-round shul in the Town of Bethel and became a central makom Torah and tefillah for residents and visitors alike. The shul has been operating since 1975 and became deeply identified with Rav Fishbain’s warm leadership, Torah scholarship, and unwavering dedication to the kehillah.

Born in Chicago, Rav Fishbain grew up surrounded by extraordinary mesiras nefesh for Torah and chinuch. His father, a Chernobyler chossid, passed away when Rav Fishbain was still very young after sacrificing greatly to establish authentic Yiddishe chinuch in Chicago during an era when many Jewish families sent their children to public schools and viewed traditional Torah education as unsustainable in America.

His mother, an exceptional baalas chessed known for her hachnasas orchim, opened her home to many of the gedolei Yisroel of the previous generation. Among those who stayed in their home were Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman, the Frierdiker Lubavitcher Rebbe Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, and the Lomzher Rosh Yeshiva.

Despite the immense challenges of the time, Rav Fishbain’s mother sent her sons to Yeshiva Torah Vodaath and her daughters to Bais Yaakov under Rebbetzin Kaplan, an act remembered by the family as tremendous mesiras nefesh for an almanah in those years.

Rav Fishbain later learned in Telshe Yeshiva as well as Torah Vodaath and Netzach Yisroel, where he served as a Ram. He also learned under Hagaon HaRav Yisrael Gustman.

Before arriving in White Lake roughly 50 years ago, Rav Fishbain served as a rav in Hurleyville, where he already became known for his warmth, humility, and deep connection to every Yid.

Throughout his life, Rav Fishbain maintained close relationships with many gedolim of previous generations and continued to remain connected to leading gedolei Torah throughout his lifetime.

He leaves behind generations of talmidim, mispallelim, friends, and admirers who benefited from his Torah, guidance, and ahavas Yisroel.

Baruch Dayan Ha’Emes.

Hatzolah of Central Jersey’s leadership – including CEO Meilech Esterzohn and Captains Motti Weisbrod, Uri Davidi, and Aron Mueller – visited the Misameach Family Center in Lakewood, which is nearing completion. The tour was provided by Misameach’s indefatigable founder Lipa Schwartz.

 Weather: 73° Light rain transitioning to a few showers for the afternoon Chance of rain 60%.

Showers and thunderstorms will move across New Jersey this afternoon and evening as a cold front passes through, with locally heavy rain and gusty winds possible

Today is Memorial day commemorating the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Most national retailers, grocery stores and restaurant chains will be open on Memorial Day, however banks and post offices will be closed. The stock market will also be closed.

- With less than two months before the New Jersey’s new e-bike laws takes effect on July 19, the New Jersey-based E-Bike Coalition is looking to amend or replace the controversial law regulating the bikes (Onejersey NJ.com)

- Rav Yaakov Bender shlita speaking at a hashkafa in the workplace event today in Lakewood  blasts the  LBA leagues in Lakewood calling it meshuga oifen kup and way out of hand  asking what are we doing to our children?? Why do they allow it?

He said there's 8 pages in the Voice of Lakewood full of stats of the games! Meshugah!! He remarked that where he lives in the 5 towns they kids play ball in the afternoon with their regular clothing no uniforms and that's it. But whats going on is crazy. The audience gave a round of applause to his remarks. 

- Update Levaya in Lakewood tonight 7:30pm at the chapel office 7th street with kevura in Monsey.

- BDE: Petirah of Rav Shmuel Yosef Fishbain ZTL , longtime Rav of White Lake, NY in the Catskills was niftar at the age of 99 after leading the community for more than 55 years.

Born in Chicago in 1927, he was raised in a pioneering Torah family and  was sent to learn in NY at Yeshiva Torah Vodaath and  later Telshe Yeshiva. He later served as a maggid shiur at Yeshivas Netzach Yisroel under Rav Yisroel Zev Gustman. Rav Fishbain maintained close ties with many leading gedolim and rebbes, including Rav Moshe Feinstein and Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky. Before arriving in White Lake in the early 1970s, he served as rov in several Catskills communities, including Ellenville and Hurleyville. For more than 50 years, Rav Shmuel Yosef Fishbain stood as a pillar of Torah in the Catskills, devoted to Torah, halachah, and authentic hashkafah with tremendous mesiras nefesh.

Known for his warmth and humility, he guided generations of families while preserving the traditions and standards of earlier generations. He is survived by his rebbetzin, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The levaya is expected to take place in Monsey. See more at Matzav

- Giyus: Reporter Ari Kelman I24 news reports several Rabbonim within Degel HaTorah Refused to Join and sign on with Rav Dov Lando's Letter on Dissolving the Right wing Bloc. They Explained: "We have no alternative besides the traditional bloc as we are instructed so by our founder harav Shach ztl if we dissolve the bloc, even the slim chance that we will succeed in resolving the issue - will collapse."

- Adirei haTorah satellite location 50% of seats sold by 3 PM today 

- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital late this evening, his office says, adding that the premier was receiving unspecified dental treatment.

- President Trump is scheduled for a routine medical and dental examination at Walter Reed tomorrow. Of course the rag Washington Post’s headline is Trump faces health questions.

- Sale at Bingo Macabee Pizza Bagels 18 ct $7.99

- New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill was prevented from accessing Delaney Hill this morning, but Senator Andy Kim was allowed in after she left. Approximately 300 detainees at the ICE detention center in Newark are holding a hunger and labor strike in protest over what they say are poor conditions, lack of access to adequate medical care and insufficient food

Rainfall totals as of yesterday Howell at 1.78 inches, followed by Jackson at 1.56 inches, Lakewood at 1.45 inches, and Toms River at 1.23 inches.

- Memorial day shiurim at B"M Kol Chaim 618 Drive Caranetta Dr lakewood. Delivered by Rav Moshe unger shlita and Rav Doniel Neustadt shlita 10:30 am 

- Today 9 Sivan marks the First Yartzeit of RavEliezer (Ezzy) Newhouse zt”l

- Minyan Shelanu resumes rayze it campaign after it was paused due to the petirah of Reb Chaim Abadi donate Here The Shloshim event will take place next week Monday 

- Lakewood Girls high school acceptance letters are  supposed go out later this week while many are still not placed which may postpone the mailing.

- Gas prices come down a bit averaging $4.38 a gallon 

- A publication issued by the Kehillas of Amshinov has caused a halachick storm after it published a rumor between the Admor of Amshinov and his son, as the Rebbe says that even today one may ascend to the Temple Mount, but not too far in. The rebbe's son issued a clarification. The Rebbe’s comments about the Hat Habayis were taken out of context. Supporters insist he never permitted Jews to ascend Har HaBayis in practice, and that the published remarks were only part of an internal halachic discussion. They emphasize that his view remains in line with mainstream halachic authorities that Jews should not ascend the Temple Mount today because of the serious prohibition involved

- BDE: Petirah of Rebbetzin Esther Leiba Zaks a”h, almanah of HaGaon Rav Hillel Zaks zt”l, Rosh Yeshivas Knesses Hagedolah, who was niftar at the age of 91. The levayah will take place tonight at Yeshivas Knesses Hagedolah in Modiin Illit, followed by kevurah on Har HaZeisim.

Rebbetzin Zaks was born into one of the great Torah families of the generation daughter of HaGaon Rav Moshe Chevroni zt”l, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron, and Rebbetzin Rochel a”h, daughter of HaGaon Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein zt”l. Her shidduch with Rav Hillel Zaks zt”l was suggested by Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l during one of his visits to Eretz Yisrael.

- At the Adirei HaTorah event at Cure Insurance Arena, seating is organized by shul groups and divided into four tiers: Premium, Priority, Lower Bowl, and Upper Bowl. When members of the same shul purchase tickets within the same tier, their seats are automatically grouped together, so attendees can stay seated with their kehilla and friends while choosing the price level that fits their budget. There will not be a dais as the event will be a mostly hook up to the main event at xfinity arena in Philadelphia. Organizers describe it as an "immersive" experience which means technology completely surrounds you, engaging your senses to make you feel like you are actively inside a virtual or simulated environment rather than just a passive observer. 

- Traffic: The Garden State Parkway will be one of the most heavily traveled highways in the nation tonight. as thousands of vacationers return home from the Jersey shore

- Nichum Aveilim: Shiva for Rav Yisroel Chaim Pichey z"l  is @ 214 Regent drive Lakewood 

Shachris 7:30 am, Mincha 8:00 pm, Maariv 9:00

- The President of the State of Israel Isaac Herzog on a tour of Bnei Brak was invited to put a mezuzah in the home of the Chazon Ish zt'l. who had a personal connection to his grandfather, Chief Rabbi Rav Yitzchak Herzog. 

- Mayor of Paterson, NJ Andre Sayegh, whose parents are from Syria and Lebanon, is holding a Palestinian flag raising ceremony at City Hall next Friday June 5.

-Japanese researchers are moving forward with plans for a revolutionary hypersonic passenger aircraft capable of flying at speeds more than twice as fast as the retired Concorde jet, potentially flights from Tokyo to the United States in just two hours.

- Giyus: Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein addressed rumors about replacing Degel MKs, rejecting claims of internal failure and quoting Rav Dov Landau that they have “faithfully fulfilled their mission.” His comments come amid growing criticism from some voters over the handling of the giyus issue, with concerns that frum representatives have not done enough to protect yeshiva bochurim facing enforcement actions. Critics argue that bochurim facing arrest or enforcement actions have not received sufficient political protection, especially Sefardi bochurim despite earlier expectations that rabbinic and political leadership would strongly intervene.

- Experts are warning that invasive “jumping worms” are spreading in New Jersey and could damage gardens, plants, forests, and lawns by rapidly consuming the leaf layer that keeps soil healthy. Also known as “crazy snake worms” or “Alabama jumpers,” the worms thrash violently and can even launch themselves slightly off the ground. Researchers say their aggressive feeding changes soil composition and disrupts ecosystems, making them a growing concern for homeowners and environmental experts.

- Update: A new federal push to make daylight saving time permanent—backed by President Trump and advanced through Congress could end clock changes in New Jersey if it becomes law. Under the proposal, the U.S. would stop “falling back” and “springing forward,” locking the country into year-round daylight saving time. Because of a dormant New Jersey trigger law, the state would automatically adopt the change if federal legislation passes.

If enacted, winters in New Jersey would mean much darker mornings (sunrise close to 8:30 a.m.), but later sunsets/shkiah in the evening (after 5:30 p.m.), potentially benefiting retail and Jersey Shore tourism. The earliest possible rollout could be late 2026, though delays could push it to 2027.

- Continued tefilos for the mekubal Rav Dov Kook shlita tonight there will be a atzeres tefillah tonight led by his father-in-law, Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein in Ramat Elchanan. Name is Dov ben Shoshana 

- Chicago rabbonim issue public warning that some individuals are allegedly taking advantage of communal trust by requesting urgent loans or credit-card use (points, miles, emergency funds, or deposits for services) and then failing to repay. It stresses that these requests may be misleading and could cause financial harm within the community. They instruct members not to agree to significant loans or credit-card use without first consulting a familiar Rav.

Multiple people were injured moments ago in an apparent boat crash on Long Beach Island in Ocean County, officials tell TLS.

Officials say five people were on the vessel at the time of the incident, with two individuals reportedly ejected from the boat.

At least two injuries are said to be serious, officials say.

Authorities have also requested two choppers for transport.

Developing story.

The Jackson GOP Club will host U.S. Senate candidate Richard Tabor at its upcoming monthly meeting as local Republicans continue organizing ahead of the upcoming election season, the club told TLS.

Organizers say the meeting will focus on community involvement, current political issues, and strengthening Republican engagement within Jackson Township. Promotional materials for the event encourage residents to stay informed, engaged, and active in local and state politics.

The club is also emphasizing party unity and grassroots participation as election activity begins ramping up across New Jersey.

The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 27, at 7:30 p.m. at 54 Magnolia Drive in Jackson Township.

Organizers of the fifth annual Adirei HaTorah Ma’amad have officially confirmed that the event’s newly announced satellite location will be held at CURE Insurance Arena, a venue with a seating capacity of approximately 10,500.

The website and phone line for ticket purchases went live at 6 PM Sunday at AdireiHatorah.com/tickets. Tickets are available at various price points – as low as $18 for upper bowl seating, $36 for lower bowl, $54 for priority seating, and $72 for premium seats.

Organizers are urging prospective attendees to purchase tickets as promptly as possible, as the satellite location is expected to sell out, as well, with 50% of seats sold by 3 PM on Monday, less than 24 hours after becoming available for purchase.

The satellite location was organized after tickets to the main ma’amad at Xfinity Mobile Arena sold out within just four hours on Lag BaOmer, leaving thousands scrambling for seats.

As previously reported by Lakewood Alerts, organizers initially explored relocating the entire ma’amad to a larger venue, but those efforts were unsuccessful. Instead, they opted to create a satellite location for the first time in the event’s history, enabling many additional attendees to participate in the gathering.

Earlier this year, Oraysa held a large siyum on Seder Moed at the Cure Insurance Arena, drawing thousands of participants.

The Ma’amad Adirei HaTorah is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 31, and will begin earlier than in previous years following widespread requests from the oilam. Doors at Xfinity Mobile Arena will open at 3:00 p.m., with Mincha scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

This year’s event is expected to feature addresses from Harav Uri Deutsch and Harav Yitzchok Soloveitchik, who organizers said will be traveling specially to the United States to participate in the ma’amad.

We regret to inform you of the Petirah of Harav Nachum Halevi Schorr Z”L, beloved father of Rav Chaim Yehoshua Shlit”a of The Woods, who was niftar suddenly.

The Rov will be sitting Shiva today, Monday only, at his home located at 11 Rockbridge Road in Lakewood.

Mincha will take place at 7:00 p.m., followed by Maariv at 9:00 p.m., with visitors welcome until 10:30 p.m. The time slot between 6:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. is reserved for ladies only.

For the remainder of the week, the Rov will be sitting Shiva at 3502 Shelburne Road in Baltimore. Shacharis will take place at 7:30 a.m., with Mincha/Maariv at 8:10 p.m.

Baruch Dayan Ha’emes.

The Lakewood Student Transportation Authority (LSTA) has notified hundreds of local families of a major change to transportation eligibility for the upcoming 2026-2027 school year following new guidelines implemented by the Lakewood Township Board of Education under the State Monitor, TLS has learned.

Under the revised policy, only children born before October 1, 2021 will qualify for Board-funded transportation, leaving students born between October 1 and December 31, 2021 no longer eligible for either mandated or non-mandated bussing. According to the letter sent to parents today, the change impacts more than 500 Lakewood students — including families who had already submitted non-mandated transportation payments.

Parents who still wish to secure transportation for affected children may do so through an opt-in program, subject to seat availability, at a cost of $1,177 per child plus a $95 processing fee.

Here’s the letter sent to parents today:

Dear Parent of______

Please be advised that you are receiving this email because you currently have a child who falls within the affected age bracket for the updated transportation eligibility guidelines for the 2026-2027 school year.

The Lakewood Township Board of Education has updated its transportation eligibility guidelines in order to align with neighboring townships, including Howell, Jackson, and Toms River.

Under the revised guidelines, only students born before October 1, 2021 will be eligible for Board-funded transportation services.

As a result, students born between October 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021 will no longer qualify for mandated or non-mandated transportation for the 2026-2027 school year.
This is affecting all previously mandated students who were eligible for bussing, as well as previously non-mandated students who have already submitted the $385 non-mandated fee.

This change has impacted over 500 Lakewood students.

Families of students affected by this change do have the option to participate in transportation through the opt-in program, provided that seating is available. The cost for underage students is as follows:

• Full seat cost: $1,177 per child
• Processing fee: $95 per child

Please note that this fee structure applies to all students across all townships who are not eligible for transportation funding.

If you would like to opt-in to transportation for your child, please log on to the family portal and submit the necessary opt-in information.

Please note that the portal will remain open for opt-ins until June 8th. After that date, if payment information has not been submitted, your underage child will automatically be opted out of transportation.

The $95 processing fee will be charged as a one-time payment once routes are finalized. The remaining $1,177 seat cost will be billed monthly over a 7-month period.

We understand that this major change may have significantly impacted many families. However, please note that your township has the final authority regarding transportation eligibility and funding. The LSTA does not have the ability to change these guidelines or make adjustments for individual situations.

Your child’s information is currently listed as follows:

If any of this information is incorrect, please reach out to our office so that we can review and update the records accordingly.

As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

TLS spoke with the LSTA today who confirmed this change, which they say is out of their control.

3-part solution for kids being forgotten in the car.

1. Awareness– yes, it can happen to anyone. Note: this is why I use the words “Forgotten in the Car” and not “Left in the car” that is often used.

It is hard to imagine but it really is possible to forget a kid in the car. I know there are arguments made:

“I am very careful.” “Is your phone more important than you baby.” “How is it possible to forget a child?”

Why then did the new mother with a 2-week-old forget her newborn in the car when she went into Rita’s with her family? Did she really not care about her newborn? Do you know anyone personally that would 1% “not mind” forgetting a kid in the car?

Did you ever forget its Shabbos and turn on a light? Is Shabbos not important to you? Why did Chazal forbid us to read by the candle on Shabbos?

Every tragic story in our community of a child forgotten in the car had nothing to do with careless parents. Why do we think that we are different?

1. Reminder– there is no way to ensure that it will not happen without a reminder.
2. Effective device A person can come to the realization that they need the reminder, but they need to realize that not every solution is actually a solution.

There are 2 main issues with common reminder ideas.

A) It reminds you too often- We all know the story of the boy who cried wolf. After a few times everyone ignored him.

B) A reminder which needs to be set every time- An alarm on your phone would be a great reminder to take your child out, but we all understand that would not work.

Most people subconsciously think that it will not really happen so to rely on constantly setting an alarm each time will not be effective. Putting a pocketbook, shoe, hat or similar ideas can also fall into this category. These solutions often stop being used when we are not in worried mode and must be reminded to make the reminder!

The most effective solution is an automated system that never requires activating or deactivating. There are no decisions to be made at any point. When you hear the alert, you know to take the child out. From my research, the only device that I came across is the KIDZALERT car seat sensor alarm. It only alerts when there is a child in the car seat. It does not require you to activate it or deactivate it. When your child is placed in their car seat, it activates the sensor, when your car turns off, the alarm rings. It only rings when your child is with you, so it is not a matter of “the boy who cried wolf!” Additionally, it is well priced and installs in seconds.

I am sharing the website and phone number where you can get all the information on how it works. They also have sponsorship pricing for askanim that care.

848.999.9391 or www.Kidzsafeusa.com

As a side note- aside from the terrible tragedy of losing a child, in most cases there are costly legal battles that are involved. Even someone spotting a child in the car, and all ends well, can open a legal battle with retainers starting at $10,000.

What are we waiting for? Order yours today for yourself, for your grandchildren. V’nishmartem Meod Linfashoseichem.

Rabbi Nissan G.

NBG Consulting

TLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to us via  Whatsapp  or via email  [email protected]

 LSTA notifies The Lakewood community of an important change to student transportation eligibility that will take effect beginning with the 2026–2027 school year.

According to a notice distributed to parents, the Lakewood Board of Education has updated its transportation eligibility guidelines in order to "align with policies followed by neighboring townships." Under the revised policy, students must be 5 years old by September 30 in order to qualify for Board-funded transportation services.

The new guideline will impact children born between October 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021 who are entering school during the 2026–2027 academic year. Families with children in this category may no longer qualify for transportation coverage previously available under earlier criteria.

Parents can opt in at a cost of  $1,272.00 ($1,177.00 cost + $95.00 processing fee)

Officials stated that notifications have already been emailed directly to affected families with additional details regarding the change and available options.

Parents are encouraged to log in to the Lakewood Student Transportation Authority website to review transportation alternatives and plan accordingly for the upcoming school year.

The policy change has also sparks renewed discussion among parents regarding courtesy busing fees. Existing Board of Education guidelines stating that parents who qualify for the school lunch program should not be charged for courtesy transportation if they are unable to afford it. The question is why the Lakewood Student Transportation Authority appears to selectively follow certain BOE policies  such as adopting the new age cutoff for transportation eligibility  while continuing to charge fees for courtesy busing despite the financial hardship provisions outlined in BOE guidelines.

The Lakewood Board of Education has updated its transportation eligibility guidelines for the 2026-2027 school year, changing the age requirement for students to qualify for Board-funded transportation services.

Under the revised policy, students must be 5 years old by September 30 in order to be eligible for transportation funded by the district. Officials said the change was made to align Lakewood’s guidelines with those used in neighboring townships.

The update specifically affects children born between October 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021 who are entering the 2026-2027 school year.

Parents whose children fall within the affected category have been notified by email with additional information regarding the change and possible next steps. Families are being directed to review available options through the district’s transportation portal at LakewoodSTA.org.

The Lakewood Board of Education has updated its transportation eligibility guidelines for the 2026-2027 school year, changing the age requirement for students to qualify for Board-funded transportation services.

Under the revised policy, students must be 5 years old by September 30 in order to be eligible for transportation funded by the district. Officials said the change was made to align Lakewood’s guidelines with those used in neighboring townships.

The update specifically affects children born between October 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021 who are entering the 2026-2027 school year.

Parents whose children fall within the affected category have been notified by email with additional information regarding the change and possible next steps. Families are being directed to review available options through the district’s transportation portal at LakewoodSTA.org.

Acceptance letters for Lakewood’s girls’ high schools are scheduled to go out this Tuesday, with sources telling Lakewood Alerts that as many as 300 eighth-grade girls still have not been placed in a school for the coming year.

The Tuesday mailing is expected to land in the first wave of decisions for incoming ninth-graders, but the gap between the number of girls applying and the seats available at existing girls’ high schools has left a significant portion of the class still waiting.

The shortage is structural and long-running. Lakewood’s frum population has grown faster than its girls’ high school infrastructure for more than a decade, and the supply of seats has never quite caught up to the demand from each year’s graduating eighth-grade class. While dozens of new mesivtos have opened over the past two decades to absorb boys leaving eighth grade, the pace of new girls’ high schools has been a fraction of that.

The result is a placement process that, year after year, generates the same set of tensions. A small number of schools field applications from a far larger pool of eighth-graders than they can accept. Most families apply to two, three or four schools, often selected with an eye toward family hashkafa, sibling enrollment and social circles.

Schools, in turn, weigh family background, financial considerations, sibling history and their own enrollment targets when making decisions. Girls accepted to multiple schools are asked to commit quickly so seats can be released for the next round, while families whose daughters receive no acceptance letter in the first wave are left to wait, often as their friends exult about their own placements.

There is talk of at least one new girls high school opening for the next school year, though the details are still sparse.

- Fox News: According to a senior US official, two Iranian vessels were intercepted while attempting to deploy mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The US military neutralized both IRGC boats and conducted a strike on a surface-to-air missile site in Bandar Abbas that had targeted US aircraft

- Following reports in Iran about attacks in Bandar Abbas, a Fox News reporter reports from a CENTCOM spokesperson: The US military carried out self-defense strikes in southern Iran. Among the targets attacked were missile launch sites and Iranian boats that tried to plant mines in the Strait of Hormuz

- Trump: "The Enriched Uranium (Nuclear Dust!) will either be immediately turned over to the United States to be brought home and destroyed or, preferably, in conjunction and coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed in place or, at another acceptable location, with the Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent, being witness to this process and event. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT"

- Official Iranian source to Al Jazeera: Iran warned Washington that any Israeli attack in Beirut would severely damage the efforts to end the war and could completely derail the diplomatic process

- Northern mayors cancel school amid escalation in fighting with Hezbollah The IDF announced tightened restrictions across northern border communities, effective Tuesday morning. Gatherings will be limited to 50 people outdoors and 200 indoors in the Confrontation Line area and towns including Meron, Bar Yochai, Or HaGanuz, and Safsufa.

 - PM Netanyahu instructed the IDF to escalate the war against Hezbollah, no more restraints, full attack.

- US senior official to Al Jazeera: Hezbollah ignored repeated requests to stop firing at Israel, including the latest warning. Israel will now respond accordingly - this is not the Biden administration

- President Trump vowed during Memorial Day remarks on May 25, 2026, that Iran will never be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. He stated: “Iran will never have a nuke — not now, not ever.” Trump emphasized America’s military strength and said the U.S. remains ready to act decisively if Tehran violates any emerging peace agreement

- A source familiar with the details told i24NEWS: The negotiations between Iran and the US are progressing, but there are difficulties; there are changes and "upgrades" that each side demands in the language of the memorandum. The Iranian delegation that arrived in Qatar is an attempt to bridge the difficult gaps, such as the issue of thawing the funds that the Iranians demand.

- After massive Hezbollah drone attacks on civilians' areas in the north of Israel and IDF soldiers in the south of Lebanon in the past 48 hours. An Israeli source to i24NEWS regarding Lebanon: We are going to change the equation, unequivocally.

- PM Netanyahu has privately acknowledged to close associates that Israel has limited sway over President Trump’s decisions regarding Iran, according to two sources. According to two Israeli officials familiar with these discussions who spoke to Reuters, Netanyahu’s remarks come at a time when Israel has been largely excluded from negotiations aimed at reaching an early agreement to end the conflict.

- New details on the items currently in the negotiations between the US and Iran: (Amit Segal)

As of now, the Iranians are ONLY willing to commit to not developing nuclear weapons, while the US is offering one of the options: to sell the uranium to the US, transfer the material to a third-party country, or dilute the material.

 Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is insistent on having Iranian management, and the US wants free navigation.

Regarding the frozen Iranian assets: there is NO agreement, so the Qataris proposed to give a "loan" of 12 billion dollars to Iran for humanitarian needs.

Lebanon is included in the agreement, but it is unclear what type of ceasefire will be imposed. 

- Iran News agency Tasnim associated with the IRGC: "Reports that Iran is ready to remove enriched uranium from the country are not true, and they are part of US psychological warfare." The text of the MOU DOES NOT include any clause indicating Iran's willingness to remove nuclear materials from the country, nor does it include any commitment to any nuclear step."

- Saudi Arabia rejects President Trump's demand: "Following Trump's remarks, a Saudi source to CNN: 'Saudi Arabia will reach normalization with Israel only within the framework of an 'irreversible path' to establish a Palestinian state

-  US President Donald Trump says the yet to be unveiled peace agreement with Iran “will either be a great and meaningful one, or there will be no deal.” His remarks came after Iran said a “degree of understanding” has been reached with the US on many issues but that an agreement is not imminent.

- Trump: It should be ‘mandatory’ for 6 Muslim nations involved in Iran deal to join Abraham Accords

- Iran’s chief negotiator in talks with the United States, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in the Qatari capital Doha on Monday for talks on diplomatic efforts to end the war.

- Earlier today, an explosive drone struck a home in the northern border community of Metula amid a wave of attacks. No injuries were reported

- The IDF issues an evacuation warning for the southern Lebanese city of Tyre and surrounding areas ahead of airstrikes targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.

CBS: US intelligence estimates that the Iranian operatives who were authorized to work with the Trump administration are struggling to communicate within the government system due to the difficulty of reaching the top leadership, including the Supreme Leader and other senior officials who are also hiding, and this is one of the main reasons why the details of the agreement are progressing slowly.

- Rubio said: Israel will be able to operate in Lebanon as it is operating now, even within the framework of the agreement being formed with Iran. Israel always has the right to defend itself. So does every country in the world. If Hezbollah fires missiles at Israel, Israel has the full right to respond and prevent this from happening. This is understood now, during the current ceasefire, and it will be understood beyond that as well.

- Donald J Trump Truth Social Post:

"I laugh at all of the Dumocrats, RINOS, and Fools who know nothing about the potential deal I am making with Iran, things that haven’t even been negotiated yet, weak and ineffective people like failed Senator Thom Tillis (Soon out of office!), Bill Cassidy, who just suffered a massive Primary loss, really bad Congressman Thomas Massie, a major sleazebag who lost in a landslide to a great American Patriot (Endorsed by “TRUMP”) after showing tremendous disloyalty to his Party (and Country!), and almost all Dumocrats, people that have totally lost their way, constantly supporting bad policy and even worse candidates, but are constantly critical of each and every fantastic win I have. These people should go home and rest, they do nothing but create division and loss. In other words, they are losers! The deal with Iran will either be a great and meaningful one, or there will be no deal. It will be the exact opposite of the JCPOA disaster negotiated by the failed Obama Administration, which was a direct and open path to a Nuclear Weapon for Iran. No, I don’t do deals like that! President DJT".

- Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, sustained “superficial injuries” to his face, head and legs during the February 28 airstrike that killed his father, Iran’s Health Ministry said, seeking to downplay the impact on his health.

-  WSJ: “Will Trump bail out Iran’s regime The Iranian regime has entered this war while grappling with political and economic crises. The war has exacerbated them even further. Saving the regime now through economic rescue will be the true betrayal – in the American interest even more than in the Iranian people's interest

Submitted by the family: “On the I-195, everyone walked out with no scratches! B”H. Family with baby on board. Wear a seatbelt, It saves lives!”

He added, “On Motzei Yom Tov, My family was going back to Lakewood from Baltimore. It was raining and the roads were slippery. At about 1245 we were on the I-195 and hydroplaned, we lost control and headed directly into a tree. We spun around landed backwards on the shoulder. Airbags went off. We were all buckled and our baby was properly strapped into her doona. We were all able to walk out safely, unscratched.”

“Buckles saves lives”

“Thank you hashem”

The Lakewood Scoop’s famous ‘Click-it & Lick It’ program is back for the 14th year!

This year, the Howell Police Department will once again be giving out our coupons!

It’s simple – wear a helmet and get a coupon for a free ice cream!

TLS recognized the need for increased awareness and safety in regards to helmet-wearing in Lakewood, so we decided to do something about it. But since summonses can’t be issued, we figured a treat would do the trick.

As a result, the first of its kind ‘Click-it and Lick it’ was born – founded and sponsored by TLS.

(The idea has since been copied by other police departments.)

In the coming weeks, patrol officers from the Lakewood and Howell Police Departments will be patrolling with bundles of gift cards like the ones pictured, and if they observe your child with a helmet, he or she will be receiving the card for a free kiddie ice cream at Sprinkles (located in the Gourmet Glatt Plaza on Route 9, and in Todd Plaza). It’s that simple!

(Talking about Sprinkles for a moment, Lakewood’s favorite ice cream shop, did you know they can come to you for your next birthday party, day camp or corporate event? That’s right – with a full bar of shakes, crepes, waffles, smoothies and much more!)

(BE SURE TO CHECK OUT SPRINKLES’ WEBSITE!)

In addition to the positive reinforcement aspect of the program, we felt the program will also increase the comfort level of children when approaching police officers to report a crime, suspicious behavior, or G-d forbid if the child is lost.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PARENTS: This program is specifically being done in conjunction with the Lakewood and Howell Police Departments for security and safety reasons. Cards will ONLY be given out by patrol officers in a MARKED police car. No private citizens whatsoever will be distributing these cards. Children should be told never to approach a stranger’s vehicle – even if he or she claims to be from the Law Enforcement community. If you see someone other than a police officer attempting to give a child the ice cream card, please report it to the LPD, HPD & TLS immediately.

Unlike last year’s primary, which saw a noisy and ultimately unsuccessful campaign by Josh Gottheimer, this year’s primary election season has remained mostly quiet so far. Early voting begins Tuesday, May 26, and runs through Sunday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, except Sunday when polls close at 6 p.m. Election Day will be held Tuesday, June 2, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Lakewood residents may vote at Town Hall or at any public polling location in Ocean County, including locations in Jackson, Brick, and the Manchester Library. Early voting continues through Sunday, followed by Election Day on Tuesday, June 2.

Last year, approximately 250 residents switched their party affiliation from Republican to Democrat for the primary election. Under New Jersey law, voters who wished to switch back were required to do so at least 55 days before the primary. Registered Democrats may vote only in the Democratic primary, and Republicans only in the Republican primary. Independent voters may declare a party affiliation at the polling place on Election Day.

In Lakewood, two seats on the Township Committee are up for election

this year.  Mayor Ray Coles is running on the Democratic ticket, while Debbie Fuentes is seeking reelection as a Republican. Challenging for the Republican nomination are resident Aaron Hirsch, a regular presence at Township Committee meetings, and current fire commissioner Moshe Raitzik. You can vote  for  two candidates on the republican ticket.

 On the Democratic side, Harriet Goldberg is running alongside Coles on the ballot.

Lakewood Township Committee candidate Aaron Hirsch is a frequent attendee at township  meetings, is campaigning on issues he says directly impact local families, including disruptive road closures, school funding inequities, and rising property taxes. Hirsch criticized the lack of coordination between state and local agencies over road work scheduled on Erev Shabbos and Erev Yom Tov, pledging to push for greater accountability to prevent future disruptions. He also highlighted what he described as unfair treatment in state education funding, noting that Lakewood has the largest K-12 student population in New Jersey but ranks 77th in school funding. According to Hirsch, the funding shortfall has forced the township to rely on loans and higher property taxes, while local leadership has failed to secure meaningful results. He vowed to advocate aggressively for resources and policies that better support Lakewood residents.

Candidate Moshe Raitzik has been dedicated  to Lakewood serving on various boards. In his recent campaign for Lakewood it focused on safety, transparency, infrastructure, and taxpayer accountability. Raitzik has pledged to push for safer development by increasing oversight of traffic, fire access, sidewalks, and neighborhood safety concerns tied to new construction projects. He also says Lakewood’s master plan must be updated so roads, utilities, and infrastructure can properly support the township’s continued growth.

Raitzik has also emphasized the need for greater public involvement in local government. He supports restoring in-person Township Committee meetings to make it easier for residents to participate and voice concerns. In addition, he is advocating for expanded hazardous-road busing for children who currently walk on unsafe roads without sidewalks.

A current fire commissioner and former Board of Education and Planning Board member, Raitzik says his background in education and public service gives him firsthand understanding of the needs of Lakewood families. 

All Township and other county and federal government offices will be closed today in observance of Memorial Day.

There will be no trash pickup on Monday: Monday’s garbage and recycling will be picked up on Tuesday. Tuesday’s garbage and recycling will be picked up on Wednesday. There will be no bulk collection this week.

Banks are closed and there is no USPS delivery.

As earlier reported on TLS Communities, local parades have been canceled due to the inclement weather.

Today, the country comes to a relative standstill as those fallen in combat are remembered by those for whom they sacrificed their lives.

While Memorial Day is unfortunately now more associated with vacation, beach days, and mattress sales, the day is actually quite somber.

In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the “birthplace” of Memorial Day. There, a ceremony on May 5, 1866, honored local Page 2 veterans who had fought in the Civil War. Businesses closed and residents flew flags at half-staff.

In 1971, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act and established that Memorial Day was to be commemorated on the last Monday of May. It is the fourth federal and state holiday of the year.

Here’s what’s open and what’s closed for Memorial Day:

Government Services
Federal, state, and local government offices will be closed Monday, including post offices and courts. Public schools will also be closed for the holiday.

Banks and Financial Markets
Banks and U.S. stock markets will be closed in observance of Memorial Day. Most FedEx and UPS services will be unavailable, though some limited special deliveries may still be offered.

Retail and Shopping
While Costco will be closed for the day, most other major retailers will remain open, many hosting holiday sales. Store hours may vary by location, and customers are encouraged to check ahead.

Travel Outlook
Memorial Day also marks the unofficial start of the summer travel season. More than 45 million Americans were expected to travel at least 50 miles from home for the Memorial Day weekend, according to AAA — a number that would set a new record for the holiday weekend.

Of those travelers, 39.4 million were projected to travel by car, while 3.61 million would fly, a nearly 2% increase from last year. Gas prices have dropped compared to 2024, giving individuals and families some more breathing room as far as their travel plans are concerned.

Despite increased travel, some flyers remain cautious due to recent air traffic disruptions, including equipment failures and staffing shortages that have caused delays and cancellations at major airports, including at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Chasunas:

Lewin - Deckelbaum Ateres Reva 

Zafrani - Masalton Kesser Moshe Yehuda 

Berger - Heller Fountain Ballroom 

Bodenheimer - Goldstein  Cedar Palace 

Simchas chosson vkalah  request @ Ateres Esther hall 9pm

- Siyum HaTorah  kollel Mashkimim Beru hall

Weather: 55° Areas of fog. L

He sat across from me with the same sharp humor and quick wit I had come to expect from him. He is the kind of person who walks into a room and instantly commands it. Intelligent. Charismatic. Funny. The type of person people naturally gravitate toward.

But beneath all of that is an anger problem that is slowly destroying the people closest to him.

It shows up most intensely at home. His patience for his wife and children is painfully thin. Small frustrations turn into explosions. Minor inconveniences become battlegrounds. And while he genuinely loves his family, his temper leaves everyone walking on eggshells.

This isn’t theoretical for him. He was already divorced once. Now he fears that if he doesn’t get his anger under control, his current marriage might suffer the same fate.

During our previous session, I had given him homework.

I asked him to create a list detailing all the ways his anger was ruining his life. We divided the paper into three columns. The first column was for the immediate damage his anger caused. The second was for the long-term consequences. The third was for the emotions he experienced as he reflected on the first two columns.

For many people, that exercise would feel overwhelming. But for him — someone who genuinely struggled to understand why anger was such a problem — this was necessary. He needed to feel the cost.

He arrived the next session with the list completed.

We began reviewing it together. At first, the conversation was productive. But before long, the session drifted into familiar territory: frustration with his family.

“I don’t understand why they can’t just move on,” he said. “I get angry, I yell, and then it’s over. Why can’t they just get over it?”

We went back and forth for a while. He explained how quickly he recovered emotionally after an outburst and couldn’t understand why everyone else remained hurt long afterward.

Then, unexpectedly, he changed the subject.

“I saw this video recently,” he said.

He described a short clip of an elderly man sitting on a park bench beside his adult son. The father looked frail and somewhat confused. The son sat next to him, engrossed in a newspaper.

A bird flew by.

“What’s that?” the father asked, pointing to the bird.

“A bird,” the son answered casually, without lifting his head to look.

A few moments later, the father asked again.

“What’s that?”

“A bird,” the son repeated.

Then another bird fluttered nearby.

“What’s that?”

This time the son exploded.

He yelled at his father to stop asking the same foolish question over and over again.

The father quietly stood up and began walking away.

The son called after him, but the father simply waved him off and continued walking. A few minutes later he returned carrying an old, worn diary.

He handed it to his son and pointed to a page.

“Read it out loud,” he said.

My client paused at this point in the story. His eyes welled up.

The diary entry described a day many years earlier when the father had taken his little boy to the park. The child saw a bird and excitedly asked, “What’s that?”

The father lovingly explained what a bird was, how it was hatched, how it lived, how it flew.

A few minutes later the child pointed again.

“What’s that?”

And again the father patiently explained it all over.

And again.

And again.

At this point, my client completely broke down. What made him cry though, was different from what you may expect.

Through tears, he said, “I started thinking about my own father.”

He paused.

“And I tried remembering a single time my father was patient with me. A single memory where he really gave me attention.”

He swallowed hard.

“The only thing I could come up with was when I was three years old and got seriously injured. I remember waking up in the hospital and seeing my father looking worried. He asked me how I felt.”

Another pause.

“That’s the last time I remember him showing patience toward me.”

We sat quietly for a while after that.

And later that evening, I kept thinking about the session.

Unfortunately for him, his father never gave him what every child desperately needs: patience, attention, and the feeling that they matter.

And unfortunately for his wife and children, he was unknowingly passing that same pain forward.

But there was also something hopeful in that room that day.

Perhaps, he was finally beginning to see and understand how deeply human beings need to feel seen, heard, tended to and patiently cared for by the people closest to them.

Yaacov Weiss, LCSW, specializes in helping men find healthier and more stable footing in marriage. He can be reached at [email protected]

The following is an ‘Ask The Mayor’ question submitted to TLS, and the Mayor’s response. Email your questions for the Mayor to [email protected].

Question:

Hi,

Thank you for your efforts in maintaining our town. I would like to offer two suggestions regarding local traffic flow.

First, to ease congestion at the corner of New Hampshire Avenue and Ocean Avenue, I recommend shortening the signal duration for traffic on Ocean Avenue. Currently, the light remains green for a significant amount of time despite low traffic volume from that direction. Shortening this cycle would prevent the substantial buildup of vehicles on New Hampshire Avenue.

Second, I suggest improvements for Clover Street. Expanding it to two lanes while the land remains undeveloped, or adding dedicated left turning lanes at the traffic light and the intersection of Laurel Avenue, would be very beneficial. This would prevent turning vehicles from blocking traffic for the duration of the light cycle.

I would appreciate any assistance you can provide regarding these matters.

Thank you!

Response from Mayor Coles:

Hello There

Thanks for your suggestions. I forwarded them to the county engineer and asked for them to study them.

Thanks

Ray

Question:

Thank you so much for all you do for our town. We are extremely bothered by the new no turns from route nine onto central avenue and Hurley. For those who live at the beginning of central, we are being forced to go to James and come all the way around sunset- at least a 10 minute detour! Also, the traffic on James and sunset is already bad during busy times of the day, this will make things much worse! We are hoping this is just a trial that will be reversed! Please enlighten us.

Response from Mayor Coles:

Good afternoon

We are not happy with this pattern either. We have been working with the state to change it.

Thanks

Ray

Question:

Response from Mayor Coles:

—————–

Have a question for the Mayor? Send it to [email protected]

Have a question for the Chief? Send it to [email protected]

Parents in Jackson Township are being urged to immediately review and complete outstanding student validation information for the 2025-2026 school year, as hundreds of unresolved records could significantly impact transportation funding.

According to a notice distributed by the LSTA, Jackson Township currently has approximately 540 students with validation issues that still need to be corrected.

Officials said the unresolved information must be addressed “as soon as possible” in order to finalize transportation funding for the current school year and help optimize bus routes for next year.

The agency warned that each unresolved student validation could result in a deduction of approximately $1,177 from the township’s final funding allocation for the year, at the township’s discretion.

The notice emphasized that the issue is not limited to Jackson Township and applies across all townships served through the transportation system.

Parents are being asked to log into their accounts at LakewoodSTA.org to review and complete their children’s 2025-2026 information promptly.

To assist families, kiosks remain available at the LSTA office for parents who need help completing the process.

You can watch it live here: http://torahanytime.com/agradpirka

Organizers of the fifth annual Adirei HaTorah Ma’amad have officially confirmed that the event’s newly announced satellite location will be held at CURE Insurance Arena, a venue with a seating capacity of approximately 10,500.

The website and phone line for ticket purchases are expected to go live later Sunday.

The announcement comes after tickets to the main ma’amad at Xfinity Mobile Arena sold out within just four hours on Lag BaOmer, leaving thousands scrambling for seats.

As previously reported by Lakewood Alerts, organizers initially explored relocating the entire ma’amad to a larger venue, but those efforts were unsuccessful. Instead, they opted to create a satellite location for the first time in the event’s history, enabling many additional attendees to participate in the gathering.

Organizers previously announced that tickets for the satellite location would be offered at subsidized prices of $18, $36, $54, and $72 — lower than the pricing at the Philadelphia venue.

Earlier this year, Dirshu held a large siyum on Seder Moed at the Cure Insurance Arena, drawing thousands of participants.

The Ma’amad Adirei HaTorah is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 31, and will begin earlier than in previous years following widespread requests from the oilam. Doors at Xfinity Mobile Arena will open at 3:00 p.m., with Mincha scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

This year’s event is expected to feature addresses from Harav Uri Deutsch and Harav Yitzchok Soloveitchik, who organizers said will be traveling specially to the United States to participate in the ma’amad.

Organizers of the fifth annual Adirei HaTorah Ma’amad have officially confirmed that the event’s newly announced satellite location will be held at CURE Insurance Arena, a venue with a seating capacity of approximately 10,500.

The website and phone line for ticket purchases went live at 6 PM Sunday at AdireiHatorah.com/tickets. Tickets are available at various price points – as low as $18 for upper bowl seating, $36 for lower bowl, $54 for priority seating, and $72 for premium seats.

Organizers are urging prospective attendees to purchase tickets as promptly as possible, as the satellite location is expected to sell out, as well.

The satellite location was organized after tickets to the main ma’amad at Xfinity Mobile Arena sold out within just four hours on Lag BaOmer, leaving thousands scrambling for seats.

As previously reported by Lakewood Alerts, organizers initially explored relocating the entire ma’amad to a larger venue, but those efforts were unsuccessful. Instead, they opted to create a satellite location for the first time in the event’s history, enabling many additional attendees to participate in the gathering.

Earlier this year, Dirshu held a large siyum on Seder Moed at the Cure Insurance Arena, drawing thousands of participants.

The Ma’amad Adirei HaTorah is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 31, and will begin earlier than in previous years following widespread requests from the oilam. Doors at Xfinity Mobile Arena will open at 3:00 p.m., with Mincha scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

This year’s event is expected to feature addresses from Harav Uri Deutsch and Harav Yitzchok Soloveitchik, who organizers said will be traveling specially to the United States to participate in the ma’amad.

Weather: 59° Cloudy with occasional rain showers. Chance of rain 50%.

- Soft opening today at Mendelsohns pizza new lakewood/Toms River location delivering the Brooklyn experience  located at 2360 Lakewood rt at the old stop n shop plaza off rt 9.

- On Thursday a House committee overwhelmingly approved legislation that would keep daylight saving time in place throughout the entire year. The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 48-1 to advance the Sunshine Protection Act, a proposal aimed at eliminating the long-criticized ritual of changing clocks every spring and fall. The measure is expected to be folded into a broader five-year transportation package.

This will impact the frum community as shachris during the winter won't start before 8am with a late zman for Netz. Kids will be waiting in the dark to get on a bus to school.

- Traffic Alert: Memorial Day weekend  the Garden State Parkway  one of the most heavily traveled highways in the nation As tens of thousands of drivers head south to kick off the unofficial start of the summer season.

- NJ Gov. Mikie Sherrill said she is disturbed by reports of unsafe and inhumane conditions at Delaney Hall, in Newark where ICE detainees are stationed. she renewed her call to close the private detention facility, and said she is working with ICE, lawmakers, and advocates to ensure humane treatment and accountability

Update: TAdirei Hatorah satellite location will be at the Cure Arena in Trenton,  has a seating capacity of 10,500. The website and phone line to order tickets will be open later today.

Organizers have not announced if there will be a daisy with live program at Cure Arena or just a hook up to the main event in Philadelphia.

- An earthquake has been recorded in northern Israel around the Sea of Galilee Kineret, measuring at 3.5 on the Richter scale.

- A notice  was posted at the Biala chasidus Bais Medrash in EY over Shavuos: A call not to enter into transactions in the "Kiryat Lakewood" project in Ma'aleh Amos, as the  development is not secure financially alongside a call not to lend a hand to the exorbitant apartment prices in the settlement's second-hand market. There no mention who is behind either the kirya or the notice.

- Giyus: Netanyahu prepared a updated draft law to be voted on, however Rav Dov Landau instructed the MKs that they are not going to support this version at this time. New sections are likely to be held on September 15.

Charedim who are considered draft Dodgers as of today will not be eligible for discounts on finances of purchasing a home.

-Lakewood Township announced today  that due to the inclement weather, the planned 2026 Memorial Day Parade scheduled to take place on Monday morning has been cancelled.

- Lakewood High school acceptance letters to go out this week Tuesday. There's still hundreds of girls that have yet to be places yet into a school.

- Hachnosas Sefer Torah today to the Skulen B"M of Lakewood procession leaving from the Gratter building on Park Ave. 4:30pm to Skulen. 

- Hachnosas Sefer Torah at Talmud Torah Yeaodei HaTorah procession leaving from Joe Parker Rd and  Cedarwood 1:30pm

- Lakewood, home to one of the state’s largest Orthodox Jewish communities, reported a birth rate of 36.1 per 1,000 residents in 2023. By comparison, the city of Newark has a birth rate of 12.5.

As a result, nearly 20,500 babies were born in Lakewood between 2020 and 2023, according to the New Jersey Department of Health. That’s nearly equivalent to the entire population of Point Pleasant, 19,463.(NJ.com)

-  Adirei HaTorah announce satellite location  with cheaper ticket prices taking place at Cure Arena in Trenton. Organizers say the reason the tickets sold out in few hours is due to the yeshiva having 11000 talmidim  plus many tickets reserved for VIP sections and donors left a few thousand for purchase by the general public. According to an article in TVOl there is no plans for a live stream however the event has been lived streamed every year.

- Chasuna season resumes the busy June season fron Shavuos to Shiva Asar BTamuz over 200 wedding Kahn are booked for the Lakewood area 

- The sign atop MetLife Stadium read "New York New Jersey Stadium" on Friday, reflecting the temporary name of the venue during the World Cup. The more prominent of two signs will soon read "New Jersey New York Stadium" according to Gov. Mikie Sherrill. Who said “I will always put New Jersey first, and I wanted to make sure the stadium hosting eight World Cup matches in our state did the same".

-  Trader Joe's newly released sugar-free Sweet and Sour Gummy Worms. Shoppers have reported experiencing significant digestive distress and laxative effects after consuming the candy, which contains 14 grams of fiber per serving approximately half of the daily recommended intake. It is kosher with a Chof K Dairy hashgocha.

- Early voting begins Tuesday for primary elections in New Jersey. In Lakewood there are 2 seats on the township committee up for reelection Mayor Ray Coles as the democrat and Debbie Fuentes as the republican. The primary challengers on the ballot for the republican seat are  resident Mr.  Aaron Hirsch a regular at township meetings and current fire commissioner Moshe Raitzik. The running mate on the Democrat ballot is Harriet Goldberg.

Yaakov Shwekey returns with an all-new English EP, Happiness, featuring four original songs that blend uplifting summer energy with powerful messages of gratitude, Jewish pride, and joy. Produced by Yaakov Shwekey and Yitzy Waldner, the project delivers a fresh, contemporary sound while staying deeply rooted in emotion and meaning.

The EP opens with “Thank You,” a reminder to recognize the everyday blessings and hidden moments of gratitude that often go unnoticed. “Ani Yehudi” serves as a powerful anthem of Jewish identity and resilience, reflecting on generations of struggle, survival, and unwavering pride. The title track, “Happiness,” draws inspiration from the Abarbanel’s famous encouragement to the Jews expelled from Spain in 1492, that even in moments of darkness, a Jew must never let go of joy. Closing out the project is “Soulful,” a song centered around the power music has to shape emotions, elevate the soul, and bring a person somewhere deeper.

Musically, the EP moves between uplifting pop, emotional ballads, and energetic anthems, creating a listening experience that feels both modern and timeless. Windows down, volume up! This collection was made to be blasted all summer long.

Three young children tragically lost their lives in separate hot car incidents over the past week, underscoring the ongoing dangers families face as temperatures rise heading into Memorial Day Weekend.

According to the advocacy group Kids and Car Safety, at least five children nationwide have already died in hot cars in 2026.

The recent tragedies include:

• A 2-month-old infant in Fredericksburg on May 20 after reportedly being left in a vehicle by the child’s mother.
• A 1-year-old child in Brookwood on May 20 after reportedly being left in a vehicle by the child’s father.
• A 4-year-old child in Los Angeles on May 19 after reportedly being left in a vehicle by a carpool driver.

Data collected by Kids and Car Safety shows that at least 1,177 children have died in hot cars nationwide since 1990, while another 7,500 survived with varying degrees of injury. Approximately 86% of the children who die are age 3 or younger, and more than half were unknowingly left behind by otherwise loving and responsible caregivers.

Safety advocates warn that long holiday weekends often coincide with an increase in vehicle-related child tragedies due to disrupted routines and schedule changes. In many cases, children who were supposed to be dropped off at daycare were unintentionally forgotten in the back seat.

Amber Rollins, Executive Director of Kids and Car Safety, said the tragedies are entirely preventable.

“Somewhere today, a parent is kissing their baby goodbye, completely unaware that a routine day could end in tragedy,” Rollins said. “A simple reminder habit, a check of the back seat, or lifesaving technology can spare a family a lifetime of grief.”

Advocates are also renewing calls for federal action on occupant detection technology in vehicles. A provision passed as part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act required the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to issue regulations by November 2023 mandating technology designed to help prevent hot car deaths in new vehicles. According to Kids and Car Safety, the final rule is now more than two years overdue.

The organization says automakers do not need to wait for federal regulations and can begin implementing the technology immediately.

Parents and caregivers are urged to take extra precautions, including placing essential items such as phones, handbags, work badges, or diaper bags in the back seat as reminders to check for children before exiting the vehicle. Safety experts also recommend asking childcare providers to immediately call if a child does not arrive as scheduled.

Families are additionally reminded to keep vehicles locked at all times and ensure children cannot access parked cars unattended.

TLS readers are encouraged to share ideas, habits, products, or technology they have personally found effective in helping prevent children from being left in vehicles. Community awareness and shared safety practices may help save lives.

RSVP here.

Visit ScoopOutdoor.com to get your ad up and running today (pending availably)!

Lakewood Township announced Sunday morning that due to inclement weather, the planned 2026 Memorial Day Parade – which was scheduled to take place on Monday morning – has been cancelled.

“Unfortunately, the weather conditions do not allow us to proceed with the planned outdoor parade,” said Mayor Ray Coles. “At the same time, the Township and our residents – each in our own way – will utilize this day to remember and honor the heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our great nation.”

The program was scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. with a flag-raising ceremony at Town Square, located at Clifton Avenue and 3rd Street. From there, participants were going to proceed southbound along Clifton Avenue in a memorial parade toward the All Wars Memorial at North Lake Park on North Lake Drive off Route 9.

Mayor Ray Coles was then going to lead a special ceremony at the memorial site, which would have included speeches, musical tributes, and a traditional gun salute honoring fallen service members.

by Menachem Friedman. Two weeks ago, I sat in a room where people decide who gets another chance at life.

I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.

In Venice.
A city known for its beauty… hosting conversations that carry life-and-death weight.

About 150 leaders in transplant medicine from around the world.

Surgeons.
Innovators.
Researchers.

Including Enrico Benedetti Massimo Mangiola Giuliano Testa Lloyd Ratner MD MPH FACS FICS(Hon) Frank J.M.F. Dor, MD PhD FEBS(Hon) FRCS Shimul A. Shah, MD, MHCM Liza Johannesson, MD, PhD Bernie Tobin Charles Miller Dixon Kaufman Mikel Prieto and many others doing this work every single day.

For the first time, Renewal was invited into those conversations.

And even now…

It’s not the innovation that stays with me.

It’s the weight those people carry.

Because every conversation in that room had someone behind it.

A patient waiting.
A family hoping.
A clock that doesn’t slow down.

We talk about transplantation like it’s medicine.

But sitting there, you realize…

It’s people making impossible decisions in real time.

Who moves forward.
Who waits.
What risks are worth taking.
What chances are worth giving.

And then there’s the part that doesn’t show up in those rooms enough…

The person who says yes.

Not a doctor.
Not a researcher.

A regular person who chooses to give a part of themselves… so someone else can live.

That’s the part that stays with you.

Not the statistics.
Not the breakthroughs.

The quiet courage.
The responsibility.
The moments where everything comes down to a single decision.

What struck me most…

Was watching leaders from competing transplant centers openly share what’s working.

No ego.
No guarding information.

Just one goal:

Saving more lives.

That’s what real greatness looks like.

Grateful to Dr. Enrico Benedetti.

And deeply honored that Renewal now has a seat at this table.

Because this isn’t just the future of kidney, liver, and even uterus transplantation.

It’s a reflection of how far one human being is willing to go for another.

A  IDF soldier was killed yesterday in southern Lebanon. Nehoray Leizer, 19, from Eilat, was killed by an explosive drone from Hezbollah. He is the 11th soldier killed during this round.

- The spokesperson for the National Security Committee in the Iranian parliament, Ebrahim Rezaei, in an interview with Al Jazeera, referred to the negotiations on enriched uranium: "At this stage, we have no negotiations at all with the US on the nuclear issue. If there is progress and the US shows positive intentions, we can discuss other issues. Enrichment is not something that can be negotiated. This technology has cost us a lot, and we will not give it up.

- Trump: “If I make a deal with Iran, it will be a good and proper one, not like the one made by Obama, which gave Iran massive amounts of CASH, and a clear and open path to a Nuclear Weapon. Our deal is the exact opposite, but nobody has seen it, or knows what it is. It isn’t even fully negotiated yet. So don’t listen to the losers, who are critical about something they know nothing about. Unlike those before me who should have solved this problem many years ago, I don’t make bad deals! President DJT”- Senior Trump administration official to CBS: The Iranians agreed in principle to a deal that would include the removal of the uranium enriched by Iran.

- Fox News from a senior White House official: No deal without enriched uranium. We won't sign a deal with Iran today or tomorrow. The president typically gives them 5 to 7 days to reach a deal. We will not make a bad deal, that's for sure

- Senior official in the Trump administration: No signing of the agreement is expected today. There are still some details to be finalized. There is still back-and-forth regarding certain details, some words that are important to us, and some words that are important to them. The Iranian system in its current configuration is not moving quickly—Axios

- The IDF Chief of Staff on Iran: "We are prepared to return to intense fighting immediately and to weaken the Iranian terror regime and its capabilities more deeply. We will maintain readiness and flexibility to act as long as necessary."

-  Fox News: A senior official in the administration says, "If the Iranians show significant flexibility on the enrichment issue, then we will also show significant flexibility on easing sanctions." Regarding the nuclear issue, the current plan is to deal with the entire stockpile of enriched material. "If a final agreement is reached where the Iranians continue to enrich, then there is really no final agreement," the official added

- PM Netanyahu: I spoke last night with President Trump about the memorandum of understanding to open the Strait of Hormuz and the upcoming negotiations for a final agreement on Iran's nuclear program. I expressed to President Trump my deep appreciation for his steadfast commitment to Israel's security, including during the "Roar of the Lion" and "Epic Fury" operations, in which US and Israeli forces fought shoulder to shoulder against the Iranian threat. President Trump and I agreed that any final agreement with Iran must remove the nuclear threat. This means dismantling Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities and removing the enriched nuclear material from its territory. President Trump reiterated Israel's right to defend itself against threats on all fronts, including in Lebanon. The partnership between us and our two countries has been proven on the battlefield and has never been stronger. My policy, like President Trump's policy, remains unchanged: Iran will not have nuclear weapons

 - Trump: …” I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal in that time is on our side. The Blockade will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed.”

- Netanyahu posts a picture of himself with Trunp declaring "Iran will never have a nuclear weapon "

- Rubio: Iran will never possess a nuclear weapon, certainly not as long as Donald Trump is President of the United States.

- Trump to ABC: "I can't talk about the deal; it's totally up to me, and if there is news, it will only be good news. I don't make bad deals."

- Rubio: "The idea that somehow this president, given everything he's already proven he's willing to do, is going to somehow agree to a deal that ultimately winds up putting Iran in a stronger position when it comes to nuclear ambitions is absurd."

- Over 20 explosive drones launched today by Hezbollah towards IDF positions in the North.

- Trump: “One of the worst deals ever made by our Country was the Iran Nuclear Deal, put forth and signed into existence by Barack Hussein Obama and the rank amateurs of the Obama Administration. It was a direct path to Iran developing a Nuclear Weapon. Not so with the transaction currently being negotiated with Iran by the Trump Administration - THE EXACT OPPOSITE, in fact! The negotiations are proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner, and I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal in that time is on our side. The Blockade will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed. Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes! Our relationship with Iran is becoming a much more professional and productive one. They must understand, however, that they cannot develop or procure a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb. I would like to thank, thus far, all of the countries of the Middle East for their support and cooperation, which will be further enhanced and strengthened by their joining the Nations of the historic Abraham Accords and, who knows, perhaps the Islamic Republic of Iran would like to join, as well! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP”

- Iranian official to Reuters: Contrary to reports, we DID NOT agree to hand over highly enriched uranium; the nuclear issue is not part of the preliminary agreement 

- Iran Tasnim  news: Timeline: A 30-day period to resolve the siege and lift the naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz. A 60-day period to hold talks on the nuclear issue. For now, Iran has agreed to nothing on the nuclear front

- Fox News: The emerging agreement stipulates that US forces will remain near Iran for 30 days

- Senior member of the Iranian regime negotiation team, Marandi: “The Strait of Hormuz is and will remain under Iran’s control. If Trump fails to meet all of his obligations, the Islamic Republic knows how to respond. The old order is gone.”

- IDF forces identified four Hezbollah terrorists who entered a terror infrastructure. The forces attacked the infrastructure and eliminated the terrorists operating from within it.

The Lakewood Student Transportation Authority is asking parents and educators to take a few moments to reinforce important school bus safety messages with students and children.

The safety reminders include:

• Sit properly and remain seated while the bus is moving
• Keep hands, arms, and heads inside the bus at all times
• Use respectful behavior and follow the driver’s instructions
• Keep noise levels low to avoid distracting the driver
• Board and exit the bus safely and carefully
• Respect the school bus and fellow passengers

The message was shared in partnership with Jackson Township, Lakewood Township, Howell Township, and Toms River Township schools and parents.

Tired of opening your electric bill just to watch the rates climb higher every year? It feels like throwing money into a black hole that only gets deeper.

But what if your roof could actually pay you back?

Switching to solar isn’t just about going green—it’s about putting more green in your pocket. Every panel up there is working for you, turning sunlight into savings month after month.

Here’s why homeowners are making the jump right now:

• Slash (or erase) your monthly bill. Most homeowners see their electric costs drop dramatically from day one, some all the way to zero!

• Tax credits = real cash back. The solar tax credit puts thousands of dollars back in your pocket, and it’s still on the table for now.

• Lock in today’s rates. Utility companies raise prices nearly every year. Solar lets you freeze your energy costs while everyone else keeps paying more.

• .

Pro Tip: The best time to go solar was ten years ago. The second best time is today, before local incentives and net-metering programs hit their caps and the window closes.

Ready to see how much you could save? A free quote takes minutes, and there’s zero obligation! You’ll only regret not having done it sooner.

Check us out: https://www.powermontsolar.com

Call to get started: 917-564-5775

Reach out directly on Whatsapp

HealthSharing began gaining popularity as a way to alleviate the strain of these exorbitant costs. Since the late 1900s, other religious factions have used HealthShares to combat healthcare expenses and to create a medical system in-line with their beliefs.

The results were enticing:

– significantly lower healthcare expenses
– choice of providers without “out-of-network” limitations
– no fighting with insurance companies and their bureaucracy

Slowly, members of our community started joining other religious HealthShares, reaping the benefits they had to offer.

But there was one catch. 

By definition, HealthShare means a group of people coming together under shared religious beliefs to share in each other’s medical expenses. Shared beliefs are a necessary government regulation for legally recognized HealthShares – and something all members must sign in agreement on.

The questions emerged.

Are there halachic ramifications for frum individuals and families joining a Christian-based HealthShare?

What if there are no alternatives for the frum community?

United Refuah HealthShare, the first and only Jewish HealthShare, was founded in 2017 by Rabbi Boruch Chaim Manies and other prominent members of the Cleveland community.

There was one goal: to bring affordable healthcare to the frum community – without the questionable halachic and hashkafic participation in non-Jewish HealthShares.

It has since exploded, saving members an estimated $180 million to date.

Find out if United Refuah is the right fit for you and your family. 

Limited time offer! Switch from another HealthShare and get your 3rd month of membership free*! Promo Code: Shavuos-TLS

*applied as a refund. Expires June 1st. New applications only.

The Toms River Township Office of Emergency Management has officially declared a local emergency and reinstated a summer curfew for juveniles on the barrier island sections of the township, citing concerns over potential disorderly behavior and large “pop-up” gatherings during the upcoming summer season.

According to the declaration signed by Emergency Management Coordinator and Police Chief Guy Maire, and obtained by TLS, the curfew is intended to prevent a repeat of issues seen during previous summers, including vandalism, criminal mischief, unruly gatherings, and social media-organized parties that affected shore communities between 2020 and 2025.

Under the order, juveniles age 17 and under will be prohibited from being in public areas on the barrier island between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. The curfew took effect at 12:00 a.m. on Friday, May 22, 2026, and will remain in place through 12:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

The curfew applies to the North Beach and Ortley Beach sections of Toms River.

Township officials stated the previous curfew measures were effective in helping preserve public order and safety during the summer months and said reinstating the restrictions this year is a precautionary step to avoid similar disturbances.

Several exceptions are included in the order, including juveniles accompanied by parents or guardians, traveling to or from work, attending organized activities, handling emergencies, or exercising constitutionally protected rights such as religious observance or free speech.

The declaration also outlines enforcement procedures. Juveniles found violating the curfew will first receive warnings and an opportunity to leave before being subject to a stationhouse adjustment. No juvenile delinquency charges or summonses will be issued under the order. However, parents, guardians, caretakers, or business operators who knowingly allow violations may face penalties under state emergency management laws.

Rav Chaim Yehoshua Schorr shlit”a, the rav of The Woods neighborhood in Lakewood, will be sitting shiva in Baltimore beginning Monday, following the petirah of his father.

The rav’s father, Rabbi Dr. Nachum Schorr of Baltimore, was niftar over Yom Tov. The levaya and kevurah are taking place in Eretz Yisroel.

Following kevurah, the rav and his siblings will be returning to Baltimore, where they will be sitting shiva at 3502 Shelburne Road, Baltimore, MD, 21208.

Baruch Dayan Ha’Emes.

Welcome To The Jungle

On this episode of Let’s Talk Kashrus, Rabbi Yitzchok Hisiger is joined by Rabbi Dovi Goldstein, Managing Director of Kosher SA, for a fascinating look into the world of kosher safaris in South Africa. From luxury five-star lodges with sealed kosher kitchens and mashgichim flown in on demand, to self-drive family safari adventures with coolers and portable braais, Rabbi Goldstein explains how travelers can experience the African wilderness without compromising on kashrus. The conversation explores the unique challenges and opportunities involved in certifying safari environments deep in the jungle, far from civilization. Along the way, listeners get an inside look at one of South Africa’s most remarkable and unexpected kosher industries.

View it its entirety at: https://www.kashrusawareness.com/post/welcome-to-the-jungle

Listen wherever you get your podcasts!

🎤 https://open.spotify.com/show/6Rj5rIndHc886Fblqh8U49

🍎 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-talk-kashrus/id1631553497

https://24six.app/app/podcast/collection/985

https://mytat.me/o112

https://www.kosher.com/shows/lets-talk-kashrus-73

CLICK HERE to watch more episodes of Let’s Talk Kashrus

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We invite your questions, comments, or feedback. If there’s a specific kashrus topic you’d like to bring to public attention, feel free to contact us by email: [email protected]

Message or call: 678-8-Kosher

You can also visit our website www.kashrusawareness.com for a growing list of resources, timely conversations, and to watch episodes of the Let’s Talk Kashrus audio-visual series.

Join a Let’s Talk Kashrus WhatsApp Group for educational content and kashrus updates

Click here to Join a LTK WhatsApp Group

Transcription

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: Hello everyone and welcome back to Let’s Talk Kashrus, presented by the Kashrus Awareness Project in conjunction with the Chicago Rabbinical Council. Today I am privileged to be joined by Rabbi Dovi Goldstein, MD at Kosher SA, that South Africa. Thank you, Rabbi Goldstein for being here.

R’ Dovi Goldstein: Thank you so much, it’s a great pleasure.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: Now there is another, there is another famous Rabbi Goldstein from South Africa, that’s the Chief Rabbi, which you’re not yet.

R’ Dovi Goldstein: I’m not the Chief Rabbi.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: You’re the other Rabbi Goldstein from South Africa.

R’ Dovi Goldstein: That’s right and it’s a privilege because I shared an office or the back of an office with him, but we’re not actually related, but he is a dear mentor and friend.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: But it’s good to literally have you here from Johannesburg, South Africa here on the East Coast to be able to do this interview and conversation. So you head the organization in South Africa, the Kashrus organization called Kosher SA, Kosher South Africa. That’s right. You’re the MD which is the Managing Director.

And today we’d like to talk to you about the topic of _Kashrus_and Safaris. First of all, for those of our listeners who don’t know what a safari is, tell us what a safari is and then you’ll discuss how to certify a safari.

R’ Dovi Goldstein: Fantastic. So a safari’s a broad term.

Generally it means that you’re going into a wild place, and it’s a really wild place, so it’s not a manufactured wild place, it’s not a zoo. It’s wild and things happen in the way that Hakadosh Baruch Hu created in the beginning of time. Nothing’s changed in many of these places. And the idea is to go there and to just be part of nature and to view nature, obviously in the safety of your own vehicle or of a safari vehicle, because these animals will kill you.

So there’s the big five, lions and leopards, buffaloes, elephants, etc. And the point is that you’re going into a very natural environment that is undeveloped, some places there’s never been development, so it hasn’t even been rehabilitated. And it’s just a very magical place and some of these places are enormous, like the Kruger National Park which is right by our doorstep, four hours away from Johannesburg by car, and people go there because it’s just a phenomenal experience and for many people it’s a bucket list experience in their lives, people spend time there.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: So people go on vacation to safaris and they spend several days at a time in a safari environment, they’ll stay in a hotel or something of that sort.

R’ Dovi Goldstein: Absolutely.

So people would go there for a week at a time or for three days at a time, four days at a time, some are ten days at a time. There’s some, we’ve met an American couple, Jewish American couple that comes here for three months. They’re retired, they spend three months on safari every single year.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: Really?

R’ Dovi Goldstein: Which is just phenomenal, but it is something which is remarkable that a week on safari often feels like you’ve been away for a month or for two months because you’re just in such a different framework and your mind’s changed that you come out of there and you just feel rejuvenated.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: Wow, that must be why people do that. You’re right. But what Kashrus complications are there when people go to a safari? First of all, what are you certifying there?

R’ Dovi Goldstein: So there’s a couple different ways to do it. So let’s call it right at the top, there’s some very expensive safaris which are pretty much geared to the American market or to the European market and these are very exclusive safaris.

I went to go and check one out a number of years ago and I always do my research beforehand, why do you want us and I went onto their website and it said their room was like, I don’t know, five thousand dollars a night or something like that. But then it said take a suite, fine, not so unusual. Then it said take a corner for like five suites, and then it was like no, take the whole place for like whatever it was, a hundred thousand dollars a night and I said to the guys, I said who’s taking that? They said no, when stars come, they always take the whole facility. So that’s the highest end.

So we’ve got about eight safari lodges is what they called that have a Kosher certified kitchen. So that kitchen’s locked all year round. Wow. And only when it’s booked for a _Kosher_consumer, you fly in a Mashgiach, we open the locks, we break the seals, all the food is flown in and it’s very gourmet.

So that’s the highest level of safari. But let’s talk there’s a whole gamut, when we go on safari we obviously, living there we don’t go on such a safari like that. We’ll go what’s called a self-drive safari. So you’re staying in a vehicle, you’re staying in a resort, you’re bringing your own food.

We do this as a family once or twice a year, which is a great Bracha and it’s just incredible to be part of that kind of thing. There’s no one driving you, we’re driving ourselves in our own vehicles and it’s just a very magical experience, very close to nature and just very close to something very real.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: So if you’re not on the high end and you’re on what I would call the low end and you go yourself in your vehicle, do you need and could you get Kosher food?

R’ Dovi Goldstein: So what’s remarkable about South Africa is that besides for meat, and let’s say Pas Yisroel, and wine, the penetration of Kosher products throughout South Africa is incredible. Incredibly accessible.

So you can literally go with a cooler box of meat, and you know, like Kiddish wine or whatever you want, and everything else you can buy in the villages or the towns around these safari areas. So you don’t actually need to prepare so extensively. There’s plenty of things to buy.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: Which we’ll discuss in a separate conversation about South Africa in general and the _kashrus_there.

But this is more about the safaris. Now the bulk of the safari supervision that you’re talking about are these high-end type of arrangements where someone might be paying $5,000 a night for a room?

R’ Dovi Goldstein: So the high-end ones where you are having a mashgiach there, those are high-end. There is also like a middle tier where it is not you know $2,000 or $3,000 or $4,000 a night. And they could have a kitchen that is kosher certified, obviously we’d have to send a mashgiach.

But there’s many ways to do it. And as I said, it’s pretty incredible that you can go there fully immersed, you know, we’re talking about many miles away from any civilization and have a gourmet experience. Experience. Yeah.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: Have you ever served as a mashgiach in that environment or have you only kind of overseen the operations?

R’ Dovi Goldstein: I’ve overseen it but I have been a few times with training of the staff. So it’s not an official trip, right? So I’ve been there for a night or two nights and we train the staff. Unfortunately, I don’t do it enough. When I took on the role, I said this is going to be what I’m going to be doing, you know what I mean? Sounds very attractive.

Very attractive. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough time. I’ve got a great RC, Rabbi Alon Joseph. He travels to these places probably every month.

He’s training, he’s meeting with guests, he’s meeting with new lodges. We’re trying to expand this. We believe it’s one of the greatest products that South Africa has to export. Right.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: That no one else really could offer, right? You’re saying eight lodgings that you have in the vicinity of the safaris in South Africa. And these are all about four hours from Johannesburg?

R’ Dovi Goldstein: Let’s say between four and six hours. But at these very high-end places, people are flying in private jets and they’re going, they’ve often got a private landing strip. So people don’t even come to Johannesburg sometimes, they fly directly in and it’s just a remarkable experience.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: By the way, after this episode, get ready for an uptick in reservations.

R’ Dovi Goldstein: That’s what we’re hoping, right?

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: Before we close the conversation, what would you say because it’s a very, very unique arrangement, very, very different than certifying a more conventional environment, what would you say is the biggest _kashrus_challenge in producing that type of service?

R’ Dovi Goldstein: So a place that has a dedicated kitchen is generally pretty easy because it’s a kitchen, it’s all set up, it’s totally kosher, it’s locked up, milk, meat, separate milk, meat, everything. And these places because they’re so high-end and five-star do things properly. So nothing, there’s no shortcuts.

So actually to certify a safari at the highest end is not difficult. But I think it is important to note, is that because money’s not an issue? Money’s not an issue. Exactly. So they’ll have the best quality cutlery and stoves and they’re not afraid to do that because their guests are paying so much.

But I think what is important to highlight is that let’s call it middle-end and even let’s call it lower-end, there are so many other ways to do it. And obviously it can get challenging if you don’t have a mashgiach there. We wouldn’t certify such a place. But there’s plenty of ways to also go on safari without it having to be high-end.

As I say, many families, most South African families travel to safari and they, they bring their own food. And they bring their own food or they buy food in the vicinity. They bring their own braai—we call it a braai, you call it a barbecue. They bring their own barbecue, they bring their own pots and pans, and it’s not very difficult to have a safari and what I would like to say is people shouldn’t be afraid when they see the high-end prices to think you know that’s the only way to do it.

There’s plenty of other ways to do it and with research and obviously with AI today, there’s many ways to do it and it’s something which I would believe almost anyone could achieve if they put their mind to it and they’ll find a price point which works for them. Or I imagine they could reach out to you and your office, right, for information and guidance. Absolutely. And if they go onto our website which is koshersa.co.za or za, koshersa.co.za.

Dot za. We call it a zebra, right, a zebra, you call it a zebra. And if they go onto our website they can find it and obviously they can contact us. We have many people especially during the vacation time that join our WhatsApp lines and join our communication channels and they can ask us for advice and we’d be so happy to help them find a way to do it.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: Okay Rabbi Goldstein, this is a fascinating topic. Thank you so much for being here and we look forward to speaking to you.

Weather tonight: 53° Showers this evening, becoming a steady rain overnight. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.  Tomorrow 60° A steady rain in the morning. Showers continuing in the afternoon. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a half an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible.

- Over 100,000 people came to the kosel over Shavuos and Shabbos. For Vasikin there were 20,000 at the plaza.

- BDE: Petirah of Rav Yisroel Chaim Pichey Z”L, who was niftar over Shavuos at the age of 91.

He was a rebbe in Yeshiva of Brooklyn  for many years before moving to Lakewood several years ago. He was a son in law of  R' Elimelech Mike Tress ztl.

He was from the early talmidim of Yesha Telz Cleveland.

 He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Donya Pichey, and his children R’ Eli, R’ Shloimy,  Mrrs. Rochel Levine, Mrs. Hena Rivka Willner,  Mrs. Chaya Sara Lefkowitz,  Mrs. Leebah Kahn,  Mrs. Dusie Basch, Mrs. Shevy Eisgrau. The levaya is scheduled  for tomorrow Sunday in Lakewood at 9:30 AM at the chapel off 7th st with kevurah in the Wellwood cemetery on Long Island.

- A Neelas hachag took place at BMG with  divrei chizuk delivered byvRav Yisroel Neuman shlita. Followed by dancing that went past the zman

- For the first time a neelas Hachag took place in Brisk Yeshiva at the new apt adjacent to the yeshiva on Rechov Press with the participation of supporters from the US who were spending  Shavuos in Yerushalayim  bhol

The Mashgiach Rav Don Segal shlita made a bracha of Shechayanu on erev YT  upon the publication of the new Sefer Ketzos Hachoshen featuring his footnotes the sefer is called Yeshios Don on the Ketzos.

At Mir Yerushalayim thousands celebrated the Yim Tov at the Yeshiva with shmuesen delivered by the Rosh Yeshiva Rav Lazer Yudel and the mashgiach Rav Binyomin Finkel the 3nd day for the American bichurim. The niggun of Kad Yasvun was sung before shachris.

- In Vizhnitz Bnei Brak, chassidim celebrated a historic hachnosas sefer Torah written by the Rebbe during the medical treatments he underwent in Los Angeles. On Erev Yom Tov, the Rebbe danced with the Torah atop a specially constructed platform.

- Thousands of Satmar Chasidim attended the Neelas Hachag in Kiryas Yoel Monroe culminating  spending Yom Tov with the rebbe. Followed  by the Bagleitin ceremony outdoors where everyone wishes the rebbe on Motzei Shavuos 

- Trump: Thank you to our great Secret Service and Law Enforcement for the swift and professional action taken this evening against a gunman near the White House, who had a violent history and possible obsession with our Country's most cherished structure. The gunman is dead after an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service Agents near the White House gates. This event is one month removed from the White House Correspondent'Dinner shooting, and goes to show how important it is, for all future Presidents, to get, what will be, the most safe and secure space of its kind ever built in Washington, D.C. The National Security of our Country demands it!

- After a customer wrote on Twitter that B&H photo won't let him checkout because their website observes Shabbat and said he would order from another site, users listed backbin strong support if the frum owned store for  sticking to their religious values. On the end The customer ordered the item 4 hours later from B&H.

- Early voting begins in New Jersey on Tuesday ahead of the June 2nd primary.

Trump in Monsey on Friday 1st day Shavuos

Thousands of supporters gathered Friday at Rockland Community College as President Donald Trump made a historic visit to Rockland County alongside Rep. Mike Lawler, marking the first presidential appearance in the county in nearly 50 yeara. Organizers said more than 5,000 people attended the campaign-style event focused on affordability, tax relief, and the economy. Nearby shuls on Forshay Ŕd had Trump signs welcoming the president to the area.

Lakewood Alerts regrets to inform you of the petirah of R’ Yisroel Chaim Pichey Z”L, who was niftar over Shavuos at the age of 91.

R’ Yisroel Chaim z”l, a son-in-law of Mike Tress zt”l, was a talmid of Telz Cleveland and a rebbi in the Yeshiva of Brooklyn for many years, before moving to Lakewood several years ago.

He is survived by his wife, Donya yb”l, and his children R’ Eli, R’ Shloimy, Rochel Levine, Hena Rivka Willner, Chaya Sara Lefkowitz, Leebah Kahn, Dusie Basch, and Shevy Eisgrau.

The levaya is scheduled to take place at the Sons of Israel Holocaust Memorial Chapel in Lakewood at 9:30 AM Sunday, with kevurah in the Wellwood cemetery on Long Island.

Baruch Dayan Ha’Emes.

We regret to inform you of the Petirah of Reb Yisroel Chaim Pichey Z”L. He was 91 years old.

Reb Yisroel Chaim Z”L was a longtime mechanech in Yeshiva of Brooklyn and a talmid of Telz Yeshiva Cleveland. He moved to Lakewood six years ago. He was a son-in-law of Mike Tress ZT”L and leaves behind a family of local marbitzei Torah.

He is survived by his wife Donya, and his children: Rabbi Eli Pichey, Shlomie Pichey, Rochel Levine, Hena Rivka Willner, Basie Perman, Chaya Sara Lefkowitz, Leeba Kahn, Dusie Basch, and Shevy Eiskrau.

The Levaya is scheduled to take place Sunday at 9:30 AM at the Lakewood Chapel, 613 Ramsey Avenue. Kevurah in Wellwood, Long Island.

Baruch Dayan Ha’emes.

- IRAN DEAL? President Trump announces that Iran and the US are about to finalize a Memorandum of Understanding to bring an end to the war in Iran. 

President Donald Trump said that a peace deal with Iran has been “largely negotiated” after Oval Office calls with leaders of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain, followed by a separate call with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. 

Earlier Saturday, Trump said the odds of a “good” deal were only “a solid 50/50.”

- Reuters: The proposed plan is expected to proceed in three stages, an official end of the war, resolution of the Strait of Hormuz crisis, and opening of a 30-day window for negotiations on a broader agreement, with the possibility of an extension for another 30 days

- The New York Times is reporting that according to American sources, Iran has AGREED to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

- Sen. Lindsey Graham, expressed fear over terms that would allow the Iranian regime to survive, saying a deal that leaves Iran in a strong position in the region would lead to a “nightmare for Israel.”

Senior Republican US senators voiced criticism on Saturday over the reported terms of the deal that US President Donald Trump, is negotiating with Tehran to end the Iran war.

- Israel’s N12, Israeli officials claim that US envoy Steve Witkoff is pushing to reach a deal by any means necessary and is urging President Trump to avoid resuming hostilities.

- IDF soldier killed n Lebanon by a Hezbollah explosive drone. Noam Hamburger Z"L (23) from  Atlit.

-A person who opened fire Saturday on a White House security checkpoint is dead after being shot by officers who returned fire, the US Secret Service said. It was the third incidence of gunfire in the vicinity of President Donald Trump in the past month.

The gunman who opened fire near the White House on Saturday afternoon has been identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best of Maryland. He was shot by Secret Service agents and died on the way to the hospital.

Best allegedly had multiple prior encounters with the Secret Service and had a history of mental health issues.

- Trump post today on Truth Social:

I am in the Oval Office at the White House where we just had a very good call with President Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, of The United Arab Emirates, Emir Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, and Minister Ali al-Thawadi, of Qatar, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir Ahmed Shah, of Pakistan, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, of Türkiye, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, of Egypt, King Abdullah II, of Jordan, and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, of Bahrain, concerning the Islamic Republic of Iran, and all things related to a Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to PEACE. An Agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries, as listed. Separately, I had a call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel, which, likewise, went very well. Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly. In addition to many other elements of the Agreement, the Strait of Hormuz will be opened. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP

An Ocean County resident narrowly avoided losing nearly $10,000 this morning after scammers falsely claimed she had an outstanding warrant that could only be cleared with a cash payment.

According to authorities, the woman received a phone call from individuals posing as officials who instructed her to withdraw cash and bring it to the courthouse to resolve the supposed warrant. After withdrawing the money, bank employees recognized several red flags associated with common fraud schemes and urged her to stop before handing over the cash.

The resident then drove to the courthouse to verify the claims in person, where she confirmed that the call was part of a scam.

Officials are now reminding residents that neither the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office nor the courts will ever demand cash payments over the phone to clear warrants or resolve legal matters. Authorities also stressed that they will never instruct residents to bring cash, gift cards, or cryptocurrency as payment.

Residents who receive suspicious calls are urged to hang up immediately and verify any claims directly with law enforcement or the courthouse before taking action.

Anyone with concerns can contact the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at 732-349-2010.

A garbage truck overturned and crashed into a pickup truck Thursday morning at the entrance to the Ocean County Landfill in Manchester Township, leaving three people injured, police said.

According to the Manchester Township Police Department, the crash happened at approximately 11:05 a.m. at the intersection of State Highway 70 and Green Acres Road.

Responding officers found a grey 2004 Mack garbage truck overturned on its driver’s side after striking a Ford F-150 that had been stopped at a traffic light.

Investigators said the garbage truck had been traveling east on Route 70 at a high rate of speed when the driver attempted to turn into the entrance of the Ocean County Landfill at 2498 Route 70. Police said the driver applied the brakes while making the turn, lost control of the truck, and overturned into the Ford F-150, which was waiting at the traffic signal to exit the landfill.

Police identified the driver of the garbage truck as 28-year-old Marquis Dove of Plainsboro. Dove suffered non-life-threatening injuries but declined medical transport.

A passenger in the garbage truck, 58-year-old Harrie Garris of Toms River, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to Community Medical Center for treatment and evaluation.

The Ford F-150 was driven by 30-year-old Bryan Bollhardt of Forked River, who also suffered non-life-threatening injuries but declined transport to the hospital. A passenger in the pickup, 65-year-old Richard Bollhardt of Forked River, was not injured.

The roadway was partially closed while emergency crews conducted the investigation and cleared the scene.

Assisting at the scene were emergency medical technicians and firefighters from the Manchester Township Division of Emergency Services, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital paramedics, Hatzolah, Taylor’s Towing, and Priced Rite Towing.

Police said the investigation remains ongoing, but unsafe speed appears to have been the primary contributing factor in the crash. The incident is being investigated by Ptl. Brendan Brush of the department’s Traffic Safety Unit.

חג השבועות תשפ"ו לייקווד 

כד יתבין ישראל ועסקין בשמחת התורה, קודשא בריך הוא אומר לפמליא דיליה חזו בני חביבי דמשכחין לצערא דילהון ועסקין בחדוותא דילי

- Eruv Tavshilin 

- Yizkor candle reminder 

- Candle lighting 7:53 pm להדליק נר של יום טוב/שהחיינו

-Shkia 8:11 pm 

-(Maariv 1st night Minhag Hayeshiva to wait 72 minutes 9:24 pm for Temimos) 

-עלות השחר is 3:46 am

-Earliest zman for bracha on Tzizis/Talis  is 4:53 am

-נץ החמה is 5:35 am

-Sof zman Krias shema gra 9:15 am

-Sof zman tefila 10:27 am

ט שעות on Friday 4:52 pm

Weather Tonight: Low 54° Chance of rain 50%.

1st day YT Friday Hi 61° Cloudy 

2nd day YT Shabbos Hi 56° Overcast Chance of rain 60%.

(Some poskim hold it is preferable for women to wait until it is night to light candles and say Shehechiyanu on Shavuos night -Luach R' Yechiel Michel Tukatchinsky, Piskei Tshuvos 494:2 )

- Shavuos at BMG Bais Medrash Ateres Bracha will be open all night for children in Memory of Rav Kolman Krohn ZTL Program will begin 12:00 am until 15 minutes before shachris Vasikin there will be 3 breaks throughout the evening.

The Lakewood roshei yeshiva will deliver 3 shiurim over Shavuos at various botei medrashim of BMG first day after mincha.

The Neelas Hachag/Shaloshudis is at Beren hall 7 pm with a drasha by Rav Yisroel Neuman shlita

-At KNA Roberts shul  all night learning with Starbucks coffee Reb Yosef Deutsch Medrash and stories  for young and old Candy and prizes 12:00 am - 4:15 am

- Brookwood 3 Jackson - Three tracks for boys. 1-5th grade, 6th, 7th and 8th. Shiurim, stories, and learning all night.

- water and drinks on their front lawns for the Tzibbur to enjoy. Dark areas near walking paths will be lit up  up for those going to learn shavuos night. There will also be extra security over the 2 days of  yom Tov Lakewood Chaveirim put up lighting at the Eastern pedestrian bridge over Lake Carasaljo between  N. Lake and S. Lake drives.

- Lutzk Bais Medrash learning program all night for children

-Lev Avos:  Shavuos night boy kollel  Refreshments served.

-Rav Gissinger /kzy: There will be shiurim throughout the night for men & kids  with refreshments in the simcha room! 

- Bais Shabsi shavuos night Learning shiurim for talmidim

-Divrei Zikaron for Rav Shaul Brus ZTL Yartzeit first day shavuos at the Chabura rooms in BMG

 סגולה לרפואה – בעת קריאת התורה של עשרת הדיברות מושפע על העולם שפע עצום, כשם שהושפע על העולם לפני כ-3,337 שנה, בעת מתן תורה בהר סיני. כשם שבעת מתן תורה, נרפאו כל החולים, כך בכל שנה ושנה ניתן לזכות לישועות ורפואות, גם למחלות שבדרך הטבע אין ל1

 Hilchos uminhagei Shavuos 5786 (For reference only) 

- This year we make an Eruv Tavshilin on erev Shavuos since the first day Yom Tov is Friday. there are those who make sure not to eat the seuda too late after plag.

 Zman ט' שעות is 4:32pm

In Eretz Yisroel this year some shuls will lein the entire parshas Naso by Mincha on shabbos 2nd Yom Tov for bnei chutz Laaretz.

- The shabbos candles should be prepared ahead of time on the first day or prior to YT.

- poskim discuss taking a warm shower on the first day Yom Tov lekavod Shabbos. Ask you LOR

- On Shavuos at night the minhag is to wait until it is night (Tzeis Hakochavim) to daven Maariv in order to have 49 complete days. Shulchan Aruch w/Mishnah Brurah 494:1. BMG davens at 72 most shuls daven earlier 50 0r 60  minutes after shkiah.

(some poskim say that women should wait until it is night to light candles and say Shehechiyanu on Shavuos night. Luach R' Yechiel Michel Tukatchinsky, Piskei Tshuvos 494:2)

There is a minhag (brought in The Zohar) to stay up the night of Shavuos and learn Torah. This is based on the Midrash which says that Klal Yisroel overslept the night before Matan Torah and Hashem had to awaken them to receive the Torah. Therefore we stay up all night to rectify their oversight. Shulchan Aruch with Mishnah Brurah 494:1

 The Ari'zal writes that one who does not sleep the night of Shavuos and toils in Torah is assured to live out the year and no harm will occur to him. Shulchan Aruch with Mishnah Brurah 494:1

There is a compilation of torah learning known as "Tikkun Lay'l Shavuos" which has The Zohar and the writings of The Ari'zal as its source, and many have the minhag to say/learn this on Shavuos night. Kaf Hachaim 106:7, Lev Dovid L'Hachidah.

 Generally women should not say the "Tikkun Lay'l Shavuos". However, some say that a woman who counted all the days of Sefiras Ha'omer may learn the portions of the Tikkun which are from Tanach. S'U Rav Poalim 1SY:9, Kaf Hachaim 106:8

 One who stayed awake all night of Shavuos should immediately, at Alos Hashachar wash one's hands for Netilas Yadayim without a beracha, and listen to Birchas Hatorah from someone who slept, before one continues to learn.

Shulchan Aruch 4:14, 47:12MB28

 Before Shachris one should use the restroom, wash his hands and then make the berachos of "al netilas yadayim" and "asher yotzar". Shulchan Aruch w/Mishnah Brurah 594:1

 One who stayed awake all night should not make a beracha on his tzitzis. Rather, he should make the beracha on his Tallis Gadol and have in mind to be yotze for his tzitzis with the same beracha. Shulchan Aruch w/Mishnah Brurah 494:1

 One who stayed awake all night should listen to the berachos of "Elokai Neshama" and "Hamaveir Shayna Mayeinoi" from someone who slept during the night.

Shulchan Aruch w/Mishnah Brurah 46:MB24

 One who goes to sleep after Alos Hashachar Shavuos morning (or on any day) does not say the beracha of Hamapil. Shulchan Aruch w/Mishnah Brurah 239:1MB8, Piskei Tshuvos 494:5

 There is a well known minhag to bring flowers into shul and one's home as a remembrance that on Shavuos we are judged on "Peiros Ha'ilon" - fruits. However, one should not cut off branches from fruit bearing trees for this purpose because of the Torah prohibition of "Bal Tashchis". (Shulchan Aruch w/Mishnah Brurah 494:3, Piskei Tshuvos 494:10)

 There is a (not so well known) minhag to bring good smelling grasses into shul to be passed around for people to make a beracha and smell the grass in remembrance of the Simcha of Mattan Torah where Har Sinai was surrounded by grass.

(Shulchan Aruch w/Mishnah Brurah 494:3)

 Many have the minhag to eat a milchige meal (and milk and honey) on Shavuos. Some eat milchig at night and fleishig at the day meal, while others eat milchig, bentch, and then wash again, and eat fleishig to be yotze Simchas Yom Tov with meat.

(Shulchan Aruch w/Mishnah Brurah 494:3)

 If one eats milchig but not "hard cheese" (which requires one to wait six hours before eating meat) one need not bentch and wash again before eating meat. However, one should wash his /her mouth well and the tablecloth should be changed. (Other poskim require one to bentch).

(Shulchan Aruch w/Mishnah Brurah 494:3, Piskei Tshuvos 494:12)

 -One should be careful not use leftover challah from a milchig meal at a fleishig meal. (This is applicable all year as well). Rather, one should use new challahs for each meal. This also fulfills the minhag of remembrance of the Shtei Halachem (Two Loaves) brought on Shavuos in the Beis Hamikdash. (Shulchan Aruch w/Mishnah Brurah 494:3)

 We read Megillas Rus on Shavuos because it was written to document the yichus of Dovid Hamelech and (according to one opinion) Dovid Hamelech was born and niftar on Shavuos. (Shulchan Aruch w/Mishnah Brurah 490:9, see also Shaarei Tshuvah 494:3)

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has approved the first phase of a $200 million modernization program for Terminal B at Newark Liberty International Airport, authorizing an initial $75 million investment aimed at improving passenger experience at the aging facility while long-term redevelopment plans continue.

The funding, approved today by the agency’s Board of Commissioners, is part of a broader three-year capital program intended to maintain and modernize the 53-year-old terminal until a new Terminal B is constructed as part of the airport’s long-term redevelopment plan.

Opened in 1973, Terminal B was originally designed to handle approximately 6.8 million passengers annually. According to the Port Authority, the terminal served roughly 11.5 million passengers in 2025.

The initial phase of work, expected to begin later this year, will focus on upgrades to gate areas, restrooms, elevators, escalators, lighting, and other high-traffic passenger spaces. Additional improvements planned under the larger $200 million program include replacing aging passenger boarding bridges, upgrading HVAC systems, refurbishing baggage handling systems, and improving ADA accessibility throughout the terminal.

Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said the agency is prioritizing upgrades that travelers encounter most frequently, including waiting areas, restrooms, and vertical transportation systems.

The terminal improvements are part of the Port Authority’s broader EWR Vision Plan, a sweeping redevelopment initiative intended to transform Newark Liberty into a modern international gateway.

The airport overhaul began with the opening of the award-winning Terminal A in 2023 and includes plans for a new Terminal B, upgrades to Terminal C, redesigned roadways and taxiways, and replacement of the airport’s aging AirTrain Newark system.

The new 2.5-mile AirTrain Newark system is expected to accommodate a projected 50 percent increase in ridership by 2040. The current system serves approximately 33,000 passengers and employees daily, according to the Port Authority.

Additional projects include expanded roadway access, improved pedestrian and cyclist connectivity, and construction of a new access point to the airport’s rail station that will provide easier connections for residents of Newark and Elizabeth traveling to the airport and New York City via NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak.

 Shavuos and Memorial Day weekend in New Jersey is expected to feel more like early spring, with rain, gusty winds, and much cooler temperatures replacing this week’s heat.

Showers and winds up to 25 mph will move in Thursday, with highs only in the low to mid-60s

Friday will be mostly cloudy with occasional showers, while the steadiest rain is expected Saturday into Saturday night. Weekend highs are forecast to stay in the upper 50s to low 60s

Candle lighting 7:53pm

Shkiah/sunset 8:11pm

- TRUMP: Based on the successful Election of the now President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, who I was proud to Endorse, and our relationship with him, I am pleased to announce that the United States will be sending an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland.

- Verizon land lines in Lakewood and surrounding area are not working  since yesterday. Company says it won't be fixed until Tuesday.

- At the entrance to Shaar yafo in the old city of Yerushalayim there's a banner with a picture of the Adirei haTorah event for Lakewood yeshiva 

- Lakewood Girls High school acceptance letters to be mailed out over Shavuos 

- Adirei HaTorah update:  While tickets are sold out for the event next week there's  plans for a satellite hookup at Cure Arena   location details TBA tickets $18,$36,$54,$72.

- Marine One, other army helicopters land near Rockland Community College in Monsey ahead of President Trump‘s visit to Rockland County tomorrow on first day of Shavuos for a event.

- A community wellness event hosted by Wellpoint will take place today Thursday in Lakewood, offering residents free health screenings, giveaways, and community resources.The “Wellpoint Community Day” event will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wellpoint storefront located at 100 Clifton Avenue in Lakewood.

- CBS News Radio signing off after nearly 100 years Friday at 11 p.m. will be the final sign-off for CBS News Radio, home of the "World News Roundup" and several generations of the best in the business. a victim of corporate cost-cutting and changing habits.

-  Earlier today brick PG temporarily closed the Trader Joes as the store was full to capacity with people buying flowers for Shavuos 

- Seastreak Ferry service is launching a summer ferry route between Lower Manhattan and Point Pleasant Beach, offering a traffic-free trip to the Jersey Shore in about 1 hour and 15 minutes. The service will run on select weekends from June 19 through Sept. 7, with departures from Manhattan on Fridays and return trips on Sundays. Round-trip adult tickets cost $99, and reservations are required through Seastreak. 

- Several thousand homes and businesses in New Jersey remain without power Thursday morning after strong storms lashed New Jersey on Wednesday night. As of 7:10 a.m, more than 6,000 are waiting for their power to be restored, down from 24,000 on Wednesday night.

- Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick has vetoed an ordinance that aimed to limit personal use of township vehicles.The measure, adopted by a 4 to 3 vote on the Township Council last week, would have barred Rodrick from using a township vehicle to commute to his full-time job as an assistant principal at Irvington High School.

Adirei Ad  at Shar Yafo for the visiting Americans going to the kosel.

The fifth annual Ma’amad Adirei HaTorah will feature a satellite location for the first time in the event’s history, organizers told Lakewood Alerts, after demand for seats far outstripped the capacity of the central venue at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.

Details of the satellite location have not yet been announced, though organizers said the tickets will be cheaper than those at Xfinity Mobile Arena, with subsidized tickets priced at $18, $36, $54, and $72. Organizers have not yet announced when the tickets will go live for purchase.

Tickets to the maamad sold out within four hours on Lag BaOmer, prompting organizers to begin searching for alternatives. Their initial effort was to move this year’s maamad to a larger venue altogether, but those attempts did not bear fruit.

Instead, organizers have arranged for a satellite location, allowing many of those who were shut out of the Philadelphia venue to participate in the maamad.

The Ma’amad, to be held Sunday, May 31, will begin earlier than in previous years in response to widespread requests from the oilam. Doors at Xfinity Mobile Arena will open at 3:00 PM, with Mincha at 4:30 PM.

This year’s event will feature a keynote address by Harav Uri Deutsch shlit”a, Rav of Forest Park and one of the most sought-after local speakers and baalei eitzos. Organizers also announced that HaRav Yitzchok Soloveitchik shlit”a, one of the Ziknei Roshei HaYeshiva of this generation, will be traveling to the United States specially to honor the Ma’amad with his presence.

Note: We will not be updating any of our platforms from sundown this evening until after sundown on 5/23.

You can download and print it here.

quick review of hilchos shavuos revised and updated 2026

The Lakewood Police Department has made 32 Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) arrests since April 1, TLS has learned, as officials warn motorists to avoid impaired driving heading into Memorial Day Weekend and the unofficial start of summer.

According to Capt. LeRoy Marshall of the Lakewood Police Department, the arrests were made throughout Lakewood Township as part of ongoing traffic enforcement and proactive patrol efforts targeting dangerous and impaired drivers.

With increased traffic and activity expected over the holiday weekend and throughout the summer months, police say officers will continue stepping up roadway safety enforcement and monitoring for intoxicated drivers.

Chief Gregory H. Meyer praised the efforts of the department’s officers while also issuing a public safety message to residents and visitors.

“Our officers have done an outstanding job proactively identifying impaired drivers and helping prevent potentially tragic incidents before they occur,” Meyer said. “As we head into Memorial Day Weekend and the busy summer season, the Lakewood Police Department remains fully committed to keeping our residents and visitors safe. We urge everyone to make responsible decisions, designate a sober driver, utilize rideshare services when needed, and never get behind the wheel while impaired.”

The department also reminded the public that impaired driving remains one of the leading causes of serious crashes and fatalities and encouraged residents to report suspected drunk drivers to police immediately.

- Trump on the enriched uranium: “No. We will get it. We don't need it. We don't want it. We'll probably destroy it after we get it, but we're not going to let them have it."

-Trump: "Right now, we're negotiating, and we'll see, but we're going to get it one way or the other. They're not going to have a nuclear weapon."

- Senior Iranian sources to Reuters: Mojtaba Khamenei ordered - the uranium enriched to a high level will remain in Iran.  The White House disputes the accuracy of the Reuters report, citing a negotiator involved who asserts the information is incorrect. - Fox News

- In Iran, they deny that Mojtaba Khamenei said he refuses to remove the uranium enriched to 60% from the country - but at the same time, they add: they are only willing to dilute the material.

- IDF Chief of staff Zamir says IDF will be ‘on highest alert, operating on all fronts’ during Shavuos

 - CNN: Iran has already resumed part of its missile production during the ceasefire, indicating that certain military capabilities that were damaged in US-Israeli strikes - including the destruction of missile launch sites, launchers, and the production capacity of key weapon systems - are being restored.

- WSJ: Israel has a list of thousands of terrorists who participated in the October 7 massacre - and is working to eliminate or capture them. According to the report, hundreds have already been eliminated or captured, and anyone found to have two pieces of evidence that they were part of the massacre has been marked for elimination

- All foreign activists from the recent Gaza flotilla have been deported from Israel, the Foreign Ministry announces in a statement.

- A Texas congressional candidate’s call to imprison and castrate “Zionists” rocked her Democratic party this week, as lawmakers expressed alarm and decried antisemitism in politics. Two Democrats  US Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Jared Moskowitz said in a joint statement that if the candidate, Maureen Galindo, enters Congress, “We will force a vote to expel her every single day.”

Every Democrat in Congress signed onto a joint statement saying her “vile, bigoted and antisemitic views” were anathema to the party.

The Lakewood Police Department announced the arrest of a Toms River man in connection with the theft of a boat engine from the marina on Lake Carasaljo earlier this year.

According to police, officers responded to Traveling Tykes Marina on April 23 after receiving a report that a Mercury boat engine had been removed from a vessel owned by the marina.

Detectives launched an investigation using multiple investigative techniques, which ultimately led authorities to identify William Cottrell, 41, of Toms River, as the suspect.

On May 19, Cottrell was charged with burglary and theft-related offenses and was later taken into custody without incident.

Police said the investigation was conducted with assistance from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, Seaside Heights Police Department, Toms River Police Department, and Lakewood Shomrim.

Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing.

Police have temporarily closed entry to Trader Joe’s in Brick due to overcrowding as hundreds of shoppers arrive to purchase flowers for Shavuos.

Customers will be allowed back in as the store begins to clear out.

The new Board of Bnos Penina tells TLS that it has assumed responsibility for the school amid what it described as significant financial and operational challenges that raised concerns about the institution’s future.

In a letter being sent today to parents and friends of the school, the Board said a group of askanim and philanthropists, working together with Keren Olam HaChinuch, stepped in several months ago to stabilize and strengthen the Lakewood girls’ school.

The letter also acknowledged the longtime service of Mrs. Paschkes, praising her “dedication, mesiras nefesh, and leadership” over the past two decades, and crediting her with helping shape Bnos Penina into “the warm and caring מוסד it is today.”

According to the Board, since taking over responsibility for the school, hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless hours have been invested into strengthening Bnos Penina’s financial, operational, and administrative structure in an effort to secure long-term growth and stability.

The Board said its primary focus is ensuring that “every child has the opportunity to receive a warm, high-level Torah and Yiddish education in a stable environment where she can thrive and grow as a בת ישראל.”

The letter further revealed that after consultations with rabbanim, educators, and parents, it was determined that renewed structure and leadership were necessary for the school’s future. As part of that effort, the Board said it is actively searching for a new principal/מנהלת to help guide the school moving forward.

In the interim, Rabbi Yisroel Stern has been brought in by the Board to oversee and lead school operations. The Board credited R. Stern with restructuring operations, strengthening administrative and enrollment systems, and helping position the school for long-term stability and growth.

The Board also expressed optimism about the school’s future, stating that enrollment is increasing for the upcoming school year due to strengthened oversight, administration, and partnerships with parents, community members, and the Lakewood school Vaad.

The letter concluded with a call for additional parents and community members to become involved in helping guide and support the school in the future.

Reader-submitted dashcam video captured a frightening scene of what appears to be a Bachur weaving in and out of traffic on an electric scooter.

Attention parents: This can result in serious injury – or death R”L. 

As earlier reported, beginning in July, a new state law will require all electric bicycles in New Jersey to be licensed, registered, and insured.

The Lakewood Community Coalition brought together law enforcement leaders, faith leaders, elected officials, community organizations, and residents Tuesday evening for its quarterly community gathering at the historic Strand Theater in Downtown Lakewood.

Held on May 19, the event reflected the coalition’s mission of fostering collaboration between government agencies, community groups, and local residents on behalf of the Lakewood community.

Coalition Co-Chairs Steve Allaire and Cori Scotti welcomed attendees and stressed the importance of building and maintaining strong partnerships throughout the township.

Gregory Meyer introduced Brad Billhimer, who addressed attendees about the importance of public trust, proactive partnerships, and community collaboration in strengthening public safety efforts.

Other officials and dignitaries in attendance included Michael Mastronardy, Sam Ellenbogen, Casey Long, and Yolanda Melville.

Attendees also heard presentations from Jeanne Hengemuhle, Thomas Hauck, and Jonathan Edwards.

Edwards discussed current and emerging threats connected to the “764” Nihilistic Violent Extremism movement, as well as other homegrown and foreign terrorist entities, while offering guidance on how communities and law enforcement agencies can work together to address such threats.

Michele Shreffler-Perez presented statistics showing a decline in New Jersey’s drug-related death rate and spoke about strategies law enforcement agencies, community groups, and families can use to combat substance abuse.

One of the evening’s highlights was the presentation of Humanitarian Service Awards honoring local Code Blue centers and volunteers who provide shelter, meals, and assistance to vulnerable individuals during severe winter weather.

“The LCC is invaluable in that it serves as an interface between diverse governmental and communal entities on behalf of the common good,” said Meir Lichtenstein. “I would like to thank the Coalition’s leaders and members for working together so effectively — and continually enhancing Lakewood’s public safety, quality of life and communal unity.”

The coalition also recognized members of the Lakewood Police Department Community Resource Unit and K9 Unit, along with other public safety and outreach personnel, for their continued work supporting community engagement and coalition initiatives.

Event organizers additionally thanked Bacoli Pizza Pasta & Grill, Viva La Dough Bakery Café, and Out to Lunch Café for donating food for the gathering.

Thursday, May 21, 2026 / ה׳ סיון תשפ״ו

ערב שבועות

Candle lighting 7:53pm

Shkiah/sunset 8:11pm

-Weather: 

Today 64° Periods of rain Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch.

Tonight: Low 54° Chance of rain 50%.

1st day YT Friday Hi 61° Cloudy 

2nd day YT  Shabbos Hi 56° Overcast Chance of rain 60%.

 מתן תורה on Har Sinai was 3,338 years ago in the year 2448

Reminder Eruv Tavshilin 

Remember to buy 2 day Yizkor Lecht if needed.

1st night Yom Tov Maariv Minhag Hayeshiva to wait 72 minutes 9:24 pm for Temimos. There's a seder erev shavuos at 6pm in all botei medrash 

- PSA: Star K alert those with thankless  water heaters that have an electronic ignition can not be turned on during Yom Tov. It is like turning on a car. Some systems come with a reserve just for YT

- Shavuos at BMG Bais Medrash Ateres Bracha will be open all night for children in Memory of Rav Kolman Krohn ZTL Program will begin 12:00 am until 15 minutes before shachris Vasikin there will be 3 breaks throughout the evening.

The Lakewood roshei yeshiva will deliver 3 shiurim over Shavuos at various botei medrashim of BMG first day after mincha.

The Neelas Hachag/Shaloshudis is at Beren hall 7 pm with a drasha by Rav Yisroel Neuman shlita

Flowers for Shavuos:

Pearl Blau flowers will be available at NPGS Flowers at Gourmet Glatt

- Floral Shop at Shop Rite Howell, Brick 

- 10th street and Madison parking lot across Aisle 9

- Aisle 9 in Jackson 

Trader Joe's, Aldi, Global flowers Ave of the states, Perachim Todd plaza

- There is a segula for one that wants to have a son to separate 91 perutahs on Erev Shavuos and then add more till he gets to 104, the gematria of 2 times בן , and then give it to a humble, worthy talmid chacham. (R’ Yaakov Falagi, Father of R’ Chaim Falagi) Shevuos is a good time to daven for barren woman. It is brought down from mekubolim that when the Mishna in Roshana says that we are judged on fruits of the RoseaBarrens it refers to children, because man is called a 2h and the fruits are the children.

- Water and drinks on their front lawns for the Tzibbur to enjoy. Dark areas near walking paths will be lit up  up for those going to learn shavuos night. There will also be extra security over the days of  yom Tov. Lakewood Chaveirim and put up lighting at the Eastern pedestrian bridge over Lake Carasaljo between  N. Lake and S. Lake drives.

 סגולה לרפואה – בעת קריאת התורה של עשרת הדיברות מושפע על העולם שפע עצום, כשם שהושפע על העולם לפני כ-3,338 שנה, בעת מתן תורה בהר סיני. כשם שבעת מתן תורה, נרפאו כל החולים, כך בכל שנה ושנה ניתן לזכות לישועות ורפואות, גם למחלות שבדרך כלל אין להם רפואה

Nigunim released ahead of Kabolas HaTorah 5786

The מעליצער ידיד נפש

אמת תורתנו

תורת חיים ובנוחה יאמר Dirshu Shavuos Medley אזי בשלישי. באבוב

Dear Friend,

We’re down to the final hours.

Shavuos begins tonight, and 1,800 families are still waiting.

But this isn’t just about them—it’s about the incredible segulah you can still fulfill.

Rav Chaim Palagi’s teaching is crystal clear: ערב שבועות יפריש צ”א פרוטות… והוא סגולה לחשוכי בנים ומקרב הגאולה

Your $104 donation before Shavuos isn’t just tzedakah—it’s a direct pathway to brachah and geulah.

RIGHT NOW:

• Families are making their final Yom Tov preparations
• Tomchei Shabbos is loading their last delivery trucks
• Your segulah window is rapidly closing

This is your moment. Not tomorrow. Not next week. NOW.

Every minute that passes is a minute closer to missing this incredible opportunity for both tremendous chesed and personal brachah.

The families need you. The segulah is waiting. Time is running out.

[DONATE $104 IMMEDIATELY – SEGULAH ENDS TONIGHT]

Don’t let this slip away. The window closes when Shavuos begins.

732.978.9901 | tomchei.org

Act now. Brachah awaits. Families are counting on you.

 
The stirring song is sung on several occasions in the Jewish calendar most prominently on Shavuos and Simchas Torah there is great debate on who composed the niggun and where the lyrics come from some attribute it to the Chazon Ish, Rav Meir Shapira, others say the vilna gaon, click HERE for more. Article in Mishpacha Magazine HERE the story behind the song. Watch this video for a different niggun sung by Benny Friedman to the words of Kad Yasvun. כד יתבין ישראל ועסקין בשמחת התורה, קודשא בריך הוא אומר לפמליא דיליה חזו בני חביבי דמשכחין בצערא דילהון ועסקין בחדוותא דילי

 English translation: When Klal Yisroel are sitting and engaging in Torah study, the Holy One, blessed is He, says to his heavenly army: 'See! See! My beloved children who forget about their personal problems and engage in My delight'."

 ...ברוך אתה

היום תשעה וארבעים יום שהם שבעה שבועות בעומר/לעומר

הרחמן הוא יחזיר לנו עבודת בית המקדש למקומה במהרה בימינו אמן סלה

-Kiddush Levana Opportunity 

- Weather: 60° Showers with a possible thunderstorm, early Gusty winds and small hail are possible.Chance of rain 100%.

- Eruv Tavshilin reminder even for  those in Eretz Yisroel 

- Shiur by HaRav Yeruchum Olshin shlita live at B"M Ateres Bracha 11:30 pm call in 646-726-9977

By Tzvi Herman | All Make Appliances

The collaboration between Whirlpool and the Star-K in the late 1990s marked the debut of “Sabbath Mode,” initially patented by Whirlpool. While the term “Yom Tov Mode” might have been more descriptive of the features it offers, Whirlpool opted for the term “Sabbath Mode” to market to kosher consumers.

Despite being a popular choice among frum consumers, understanding what Sabbath Mode entails can be a bit perplexing. One of its key features, according to the psak of Rabbi Moshe Heineman, allows for temperature adjustments on Yom Tov when Sabbath mode is activated. However, there is disagreement among contemporary poskim, with many holding that even in Sabbath mode, temperature adjustments are prohibited. It’s advisable to consult with a Rav before utilizing this function.

Shabbos mode does not disable the temperature sensor on the oven. Hence according to Star-K, one cannot open the oven door on Shabbos more than once. Although many Poskim permit opening the door multiple times, one is encouraged to ask a Shaila to their Rav.

Apart from potentially permitting temperature adjustments on Yomim Tovim, this encapsulates what Sabbath Mode offers:

• Disable the lights
• Bypass the 12 hour shutoff (most ovens shut off after 12 hours)
• Disable the beep after a cook time cycle
• In many ovens today, the element/ignitor will shut off when the door is opened. Sabbath Mode will disable it completely or put it on a delay. (It’s important to note many Poskim hold that it is a problem if it shuts off on a delay and recommend disabling the door switch manually)

For older GE Ovens see instructions here

For newer GE ovens see instructions here

Several years ago, GE made the decision to discontinue their relationship with the Star-K and work instead with Zman Technologies, who created an enhanced Shabbos mode under the Hashgacha of the OU, CRC and other Kashrus agencies. Initially this enhanced Shabbos mode was available as an add on device on most GE ovens. However, recently GE introduced an oven which retails for under $750, with the enhanced Shabbos mode built in.

Unlike the Star-K Shabbos mode, the new enhanced Shabbos mode bypasses the door switches and sensors completely allowing one to open the oven at any time. In addition, this new feature allows the oven to be pre-programmed before Yom Tov to set the oven at different temperatures at different times of the day.

Instructions for the Enhanced Shabbos Mode ranges

Have questions about your specific model? Email [email protected] for assistance. Please include the oven’s model number in your email.

A community wellness event hosted by Wellpoint is set to take place Thursday in Lakewood, offering residents free health screenings, giveaways, and community resources.

The “Wellpoint Community Day” event will be held on Thursday, May 21, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wellpoint storefront located at 100 Clifton Avenue in Lakewood.

Attendees will be able to receive free giveaways including diapers, potty seats, and booster seats while supplies last.

The event will also feature a variety of free health screenings and wellness services provided in partnership with Ocean Health Initiatives, including glucose testing, blood pressure screenings, and vision screenings.

In addition, Fulfill Monmouth & Ocean will be participating with a food distribution scheduled for part of the event.

To my dearest friends and families,

There is a painful crisis happening in the Lakewood greater area that too many families are suffering through silently: the girls’ high school situation.

This is not a small issue anymore.

This is not about one or two girls “not getting into the school they wanted.”

This is a growing community-wide problem affecting many regular, good girls from ehrliche Torah’dike homes who simply do not fit the exact mold schools are looking for.

If your daughter is not a top academic student…
If she is a little less “yeshivish”…
If your family does not have connections…
If you do not have money, status, or the “right” last name…

then suddenly the process becomes terrifying.

Parents sit in fear for months.

Girls hear whispers, rejections, silence, waiting lists.

And many eventually hear the words:
“Wait for the Vaad.”

Ribono Shel Olam.

Is this what a bas Yisroel should feel going into high school?

A girl who comes from a good family, with good middos, with a warm heart, with potential, with dignity — suddenly feels unwanted because she was not a straight-A student in eighth grade?

Let’s be honest with ourselves.

The issue is much larger than admissions committees.

The infrastructure no longer matches the reality of our community.

There are so many elementary schools feeding into far too few high schools. We are not short a few desks. We are missing an entire strategy.

And while everyone is trying their best, many families are being crushed in the process.

This letter is not meant as chas v’shalom an attack on schools, hanhalos, rabbanim, or askanim. We know there are many caring people working endlessly behind the scenes. But at some point, we as a community must stop pretending this is just a yearly inconvenience.

This is a crisis of dignity for our daughters.

Especially now, before Kabbalas HaTorah, how can we not ask ourselves:

What about the girls who feel pushed aside?
What about the daughters of the quieter families?
The struggling families?
The families without influence?
The girls who are not wearing the latest styles, not coming from the “prestigious” backgrounds, not fitting the image schools want to present?

Are their futures less important?

Are they less precious?

Are their future homes, future children, future kedusha worth any less?

Absolutely not.

Our next generation of Yiddishe mothers will not only come from the girls who were the most polished, most connected, or most academically successful in eighth grade.

Great mothers come from all kinds of homes.
Greatness comes from warmth, heart, emunah, resilience, and feeling valued.

Every bas Yisroel is a bas melech פנימה.

Every single girl deserves to feel respected, wanted, and believed in.

We need action.

Not more scrambling in August.
Not more quiet suffering.
Not more families begging for favors.

We need leadership.
We need planning.
We need new infrastructure.
We need more options and more pathways for different types of girls while maintaining strong Torah values.

Maybe that means opening new schools.
Maybe that means creating a true community high school with proper support for a broader range of students.
Maybe there are other solutions.

But something must change.

This letter is not about pushing an agenda or attacking anyone.

It is simply a cry — a shriek — for the families suffering quietly and the girls who feel invisible.

To our rabbanim, askanim, mechanchim, and community leaders:
We know you care deeply.
We know your hearts hurt for these girls too.

But the time for a real communal plan is now.

Before another year of pain begins.

If this letter speaks to you, act now. Your ideas, your action, your tefillos, and your voice can help change the future of our daughters immediately.

ביחד ננצח

— A Concerned Community Resident

TLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to us via  Whatsapp  or via email  [email protected]

Community leaders, law enforcement officials, clergy members, and public safety representatives gathered Tuesday evening for the latest meeting of the Lakewood Community Coalition, held in Lakewood.

The May 19 meeting brought together representatives from local, county, and state agencies for discussions centered on public safety, community engagement, and outreach efforts across the township.

The evening opened with remarks from Coalition co-chairs Captain Steve Allaire and Dr. Scotti, followed by introductions of attendees and guest speakers.

Among the officials in attendance were Lakewood Police Chief Gregory Meyer, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, Acting Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police Jeanne Hengemuhle, Thomas Hauck of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, and Michele Shreffler-Perez, Director of Operation Rise NJSP.

Officials also addressed emerging public safety concerns, including discussions involving Nihilistic Violent Extremism (NVE) movements and ongoing efforts to strengthen communication and preparedness within communities.

A Humanitarian Service Award Ceremony was also held during the event, recognizing several local faith and community leaders for their contributions and service. Honorees included representatives from St. Anthony’s Claret and St. John’s AME Zion Church, along with several pastors and community advocates.

The meeting concluded with updates on upcoming outreach initiatives, an open floor for organizations to discuss future events, and closing remarks.

The Lakewood Community Coalition, organized through the Lakewood Police Department, was created to strengthen relationships between law enforcement, faith leaders, and the broader community while addressing quality-of-life and public safety issues throughout Lakewood.

A serial package thief was arrested by the Lakewood Police Department after being caught in the act during a coordinated operation conducted by Lakewood Shomrim.

According to Shomrim, the operation was launched earlier this week following multiple reports from a local residence about packages repeatedly being stolen from the property.

In response, Shomrim members organized a targeted surveillance operation aimed at identifying and apprehending the suspect responsible for the thefts.

The operation ultimately led to the suspect being caught red-handed while allegedly attempting to steal another package from the residence. Shomrim members immediately contacted police, and responding officers from the Lakewood Police Department arrived on scene and placed the suspect under arrest.

Authorities did not immediately release the suspect’s identity or additional details regarding potential charges.

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/VID-20260520-WA0016.mp4

Not in history books.
Not 80 years ago.
Right NOW!

Two Yidden from Eretz Yisrael are trapped in brutal prison conditions in Poland. Separated from their families, broken emotionally, and desperate for help.

One can finally get out on bail.
But only if we raise $55,000 immediately.

Without it, he may remain in prison for years awaiting trial.

The second Yid is facing years behind bars as well. His wife in Eretz Yisrael is hospitalized and struggling psychologically while he sits alone in a foreign prison. A qualified lawyer can help reduce his sentence, but the legal fees are enormous.

For months, Rabbi Sholom Ber Stambler, the Rebbe’s Shliach in Warsaw for over 21 years, has personally visited them, brought them kosher food, supported them, and fought for them.

Now he’s asking Klal Yisrael to step in.

The Rambam calls Pidyon Shvuyim the greatest mitzvah.

As we prepare for Matan Torah, how can we stand by while fellow Yidden sit imprisoned, alone, and forgotten?

Help bring a Yid home.
Help save a family.
Help fulfill one of the greatest mitzvos in the Torah.

DONATE HERE TODAY

A Lakewood woman was arrested following an investigation into multiple package thefts from a residence on New Central Avenue, TLS has learned.

Police responded after the victim reported several packages had been taken from the property over the course of multiple days. Following a subsequent call from the homeowner, officers located and identified the suspect nearby.

Michelle Ricks, 66, of Lakewood, was charged with two counts of theft and later released pending a future court appearance.

Chief Gregory H. Meyer reminded residents to remain vigilant when expecting deliveries and encouraged the community to report suspicious activity immediately.

“Package thefts are often crimes of opportunity,” said Meyer. “We encourage residents to utilize security cameras when possible, retrieve deliveries promptly, and contact police right away if they observe suspicious behavior in their neighborhoods.”

The investigation was conducted by members of the Lakewood Police Department Patrol Division.

Submitted by a local relative of this Choleh: A chashuva family was suddenly struck with an unimaginable tragedy. The mother was just diagnosed with a severe medical illness. The family was thrust into a mess of medical emergencies and lots of emotional upheaval.

The family is in turmoil. The parents can not work and insurance refuses to cover the medical expenses. The children are not home because the parents are in the hospital for the majority of the time.

Funds are urgently needed to help pay for aids, medical expenses and to keep the family afloat since there is no income.

At this point, the only thing we can really help with is easing the financial burden a bit so the family doesn’t have to be concerned about the financial aspect of the ordeal.

Please have her mind in your tefillos as well. Her name is Shulamis bas Nechama Bracha

https://thechesedfund.com/aff/100k

This Tribute is dedicated le’iluy nishmas Ha’Isha ha’ Chashuva Rebbetzin Rivka Weiss A”H from Manchester- Bnei Brak.

Officials from the New Jersey Department of Human Services recently toured CHEMED to learn more about the organization’s integrated approach to healthcare and community support services.

CHEMED welcomed Dr. Stephen Cha, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services, along with Deputy Commissioner Valerie Mielke and Deputy Commissioner Michael J. Wilson, for a visit and discussion focused on expanding access to comprehensive, whole-person care throughout New Jersey.

During the tour, CHEMED leadership highlighted how the organization combines medical care, behavioral health services, and social support programs to better serve the needs of the community.

Dr. Dovid Friedman, CEO of CHEMED, thanked the commissioners for their visit, engagement, and interest in the organization’s work. He also emphasized CHEMED’s commitment to continued collaboration aimed at strengthening healthcare access and improving patient outcomes across the state.

The Yarchei Kallah in Yerushalayim ahead of Chag Matan Torah, initiated by the “Torasi V’Umanusi” foundation headed by the Chevron Rosh Yeshiva HaGaon HaRav Yosef Chevroni shlit”a and under the nesius and hadracha of Maran the Rosh Yeshiva HaGaon Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlit”a, concluded with a chashuve massa from Maran HaGaon Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlit”a. The event, which brought together hundreds of _anshei maaseh_, baalebatim, and kovei itim from all over Eretz Yisrael who were invited to the event, were zoche to a day that was Kulo Torah, Amal, and spiritual hachana for zman matan toraseinu.

The event, hosted by the Yirmiyahu 33 hotel in Yerushalayim, started early morning hours, with the hundreds of participants filling the halls with a great atmosphere of shkius in learning, ritcha d’oraysa, and a special hisromemus ahead of Shavuos. Alongside the many participants on-site, hundreds more connected throughout the day to the live stream of the event, which was broadcasted on various platforms in Eretz Yisroel and Chutz La’Aretz.

Throughout the day, Gedolei Yisroel, Roshei Yeshivos, and Marbitzei Torah shlit”a gave shiurim and shmuses around the sugya of Birchos HaTorah b’iyun, halacha l’maaseh, drush, and mussar, with geshmake Q&A’s in divrei Torah and chizuk among the oilam.

Among the participants and speakers at the event: Rabbeinu HaGadol Maran Rosh HaYeshiva HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlit”a, HaGaon HaGadol HaRav Shaul Alter shlit”a, Maran Rosh Yeshivas Chevron HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen shlit”a, HaGaon HaGadol HaRav Yehoshua Eichenstein shlit”a, HaGaon HaTzaddik Rav Shimon Galai shlit”a, Chevron Rosh Yeshiva HaGaon HaRav Yosef Chevroni shlit”a, HaGaon HaRav Elimelech Kornfeld and HaGaon HaRav Daniel Rabin from the Rabbonim of ‘Chelki B’Kehilasi’, HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Mordechai HaCohen Rubin shlit”a, HaGaon HaRav Yehuda Aryeh Dunner shlit”a, HaGaon HaRav Yisrael Landau shlit”a, HaRav Dovid Braverman shlit”a, and other choshuve Rabbonim.

The central speech of the event was delivered by Rabbeinu HaGadol Maran Rosh HaYeshiva HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlit”a, who spoke about the chashivus to give a chizuk to the olam ha’Torah among the working tzibbur, and the tremendous need to strengthen Yiras Shamayim and keep a kavua mussar seder, even just a seder of 5 or 6 minutes: “It’s a muchrach for every Yid to have a mussar seder, and this doesn’t just belong to a yeshiva bochur or a kollel yungerman. It doesn’t make a nafka mina if a person is a balebos or a ben yeshiva; without limud mussar, a person can forget his tachlis in his day-to-day life. A Yid needs to know that to hold onto Yiras Shamayim, he is mechuyav to learn mussar.”

Maran the Rosh Yeshiva added that the koach of a kavua limud mussar is that it changes a person’s whole hashkafa on life: “A person who learns mussar will suddenly see that things he was sure were a muchrach for him, are not a muchrach at all. And like Reb Yisroel Salanter says, if a person learns a quarter-hour of mussar, he will find out he has a whole hour to learn.”

The seder hayom that the askanim put together for the Yarchei Kallah day, as well as the divrei hisorerus of Maran the Rosh Yeshiva, left a powerful influence among the oilam, creating a special hachana with kabalos l’maaseh to strengthen kviyus itim and limud mussar ahead of the chag of Matan Toraseinu.

Alongside the divrei chizuk and hachana for Kabalas HaTorah from HaGaon HaGadol Rav Shaul Alter shlit”a and HaGaon HaTzaddik Rav Shimon Galai shlit”a, the participants were zoche to have a Q&A session with them on inyanim that are nogea to the tzibbur of kovei itim l’Torah in chayei hamaaseh, with specific reference to their nisyonos, setting up sidrei limud, and keeping a ruchniyusdige seder hayom amidst the tirdos of parnassa and everyday life.

The ‘Shivti’ organization Lehagdil Torah u’leha’adira and Keren ‘Torasi V’Umanusi’, pointed out at the end of the event that given the gevaldige hatzlacha, the massive response, and the big demand, there are expected to be more maamadei Torah and events for the tzibbur of bnei Torah kovei itim throughout the entire year.

The evet was dedicated l’ilui nishmas HaRav Uri Lupolianski zt”l, founder of the ‘Yad Sarah’ organization, who was niftar this past year and was poel his whole life to be marbe chesed and zechuyos in Klal Yisroel.

In every community, elected officials have an obligation to balance neighborhood concerns with fairness, practicality, and the long-term realities facing modern families. That is why Howell’s proposed garage ordinance raises serious concerns not simply because of what it says on paper, but because of the message it sends and the broader consequences it could create for residents across the township.

The governing body is understandably trying to address issues such as overcrowding, parking, and neighborhood character. Those are legitimate concerns that deserve thoughtful discussion. But good planning policy cannot be driven by fear, assumptions, or the perception that one particular community is being targeted. When local government begins crafting ordinances in reaction to demographic shifts rather than objective planning standards, the township risks creating regulations that are not only divisive, but potentially discriminatory.

The ordinance requiring garages for detached single-family homes, while also prohibiting many garage conversions to living space, fails to recognize the economic and social realities families are facing today. Across New Jersey and throughout the country adult children are remaining at home longer due to rising housing costs, inflation, student debt, and a lack of affordable housing options. At the same time, seniors are aging out of their homes and increasingly moving in with children to reduce financial strain and receive family support rather than institutional care.

These are not isolated situations tied to one community or one culture. They are national trends affecting working families, middle class homeowners, and seniors across every demographic. Municipal ordinances should evolve to accommodate these realities, not create additional obstacles for families trying to adapt responsibly.

A garage is no longer just a place to park a car. For many residents, it has become flexible space used for caregiving, accessibility accommodations, storage, home offices, home gyms, or future family needs. Preventing homeowners from responsibly utilizing their own property without first demonstrating a substantial public harm reflects an outdated approach to land use planning.

More concerning is the growing perception that these ordinances are not truly about garages, parking, or neighborhood aesthetics at all. The public discussion surrounding these measures has increasingly centered on the fear of a particular religious community moving into Howell and increasing in population. Whether intentional or not, that perception matters.

When a municipality begins consulting RLUIPA attorneys, seeking outside legal guidance from the Department of Justice, and engaging with the Attorney General’s Office regarding potential legal exposure tied to these ordinances, it raises an obvious question: if these regulations are truly neutral planning tools, why is there concern about religious discrimination implications in the first place?

Government must be extremely careful not to adopt policies that appear designed to limit or discourage certain populations from living in the community. Courts have repeatedly held that ordinances cannot be crafted in a way that disproportionately burdens religious practices, extended family living arrangements, or cultural lifestyles under the guise of zoning regulation. Even the appearance of targeting a protected class damages public trust and exposes taxpayers to unnecessary legal and financial risk.

Equally troubling is the speed at which these policies appear to be advancing. Land use regulations should be developed through comprehensive planning, objective data, and broad public engagement, not rushed reactions to changing demographics or political pressure. Good planning looks decades ahead. It does not legislate based on who happens to be moving into town today.

If Howell is experiencing legitimate parking and overcrowding concerns, then the township should pursue real planning solutions:

stronger property maintenance enforcement,

better parking management strategies,

infrastructure investments,

thoughtful housing policy,

clearer occupancy standards consistent with state law,

and collaborative community dialogue involving all residents.

Those approaches address actual impacts without singling out lifestyles, family structures, or religious communities.

Howell has always been a diverse and evolving township. Growth and demographic change are natural parts of every successful community. The answer is not to create restrictive ordinances that divide neighbors or make residents feel unwelcome. The answer is to govern fairly, carefully, and constitutionally.

Residents should expect their elected officials to slow this process down, engage in meaningful public discussion, and ensure that any ordinance adopted is rooted in sound planning principles rather than fear or perception. Once public trust is lost, rebuilding it becomes far more difficult than solving a parking issue.

This township can address quality of life concerns without crossing the line into exclusionary policymaking. Howell should choose thoughtful planning over reactionary regulation and unity over division.

TLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to us via  Whatsapp  or via email  [email protected]

 Weather: 94° Sunny early, then thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Gusty winds and small hail are possible Chance of rain 60%.

 weather over Shavuos rainy cold in the 50's and 60's 

- Reminder Yizkor 2 day candle and Eruv Tavshilin erev Yom Tov 

- Heavy  rain winds with falling trees this evening across the region with downpours expected 

: President Trump will reportedly visit Rockland County, NY this Friday, the first day of Shvuos, to address an official White House fundraiser event for GOP Congressman Mike Lawler.(KH)

- Amazon founder Jeff Bezos called for eliminating federal income taxes on the bottom 50% of earners to ease affordability pressures. He highlighted how the top 1% already pay about 40% of income taxes and criticized government waste, like New York City's schools spending $44,000 per student with poor results. Bezos argued higher taxes on the rich won't help working people and praised efficiency over more revenue.

- The Keren Olam HaTorah Fund” raised about $30 million in South America, which will be distributed among more than 1,400 yeshivas and kollelim. The estimated monthly operating cost is around $12 million, and another fundraising campaign is expected soon in the United States per GLZ radio.

- With a change in routine and schedule especially with hot weather It’s important to keep the safeguards and implement reminders not to forget a child in the car. A good deterrent is for the Morah to call after a pre set time if the baby does not come after 10:15 am. It should be mandatory to take attendance each morning and call both parents if baby or child is not there by 10:30 .Tesla vehicles, for example, offer a “Dog/Pet Mode” that keeps the car climate controlled when occupied. There are also newer safety gadgets that use a tag placed in a child’s bag or backpack, which scans upon arrival at school or playgroup. If the child does not arrive, it triggers alerts on both parents’ phones until acknowledged, helping ensure parents are immediately notified if something is wrong.

-Watermelon goes on sale tomorrow at Shop Rite $3.99 with a digital coupon for memorial day sale 

- Trader Joe's flowers opens at 9 am 

- Mishpacha/Ami magazine $12 for Shavuos issue Yated $6.50 

- Hachnosas Sefer Torah at Cincinnati yesterday with the attendance ofthe Lakewood Rosh yeshiva Rav Dovid Schustal shlita

- Google, which has already added AI to the top of its search results as well as in a separate AI mode, is now redesigning the search box itself. It will now automatically expand for longer queries and offer suggestions as you go that go beyond traditional autocomplete.

-Giyus: A IDF representative at knesser hearing today: Part of the increase in ultra-Orthodox enlistment figures is a result of the sanctions. There are 80,000–90,000 draft evaders. There has been an increase in ultra-Orthodox combat-support personnel, and a moderate increase in ultra-Orthodox combat soldiers. We prepared to recruit two Hasmonean companies in the May enlistment cycle, but we will recruit only about one company.”

- DOJ has indicted Raul Castro, president of Cuba on murder and conspiracy charges for the 1996 killing of 4 American civilians when Cuba shot down Brothers to the Rescue humanitarian planes.

- A bipartisan group of senators introduced the “Jewish American Security Act,” which would increase federal funding for Jewish community security to about $1 billion and create a federal coordinator to combat antisemitism amid rising hate crimes in the U.S.

- Shocking incident in Bnei Brak when a mentally disturbed individual stabbed and murdered Rabbi Yishai Por z”l inside Kollel Chazon Ish while learning Torah. According to reports, the suspect had argued with him in recent days over studying the writings of the Rambam and allegedly carried out the fatal stabbing during seder, in front of the victim’s 13-year-old son.

- Chaos broke out Tuesday night at Pier Village as large groups of teens gathered, sparking fights, teens jumping on cars, and a massive police response from multiple surrounding towns. Authorities were forced to impose an 8 p.m. curfew as officers worked to disperse the crowds.

- Officers on horseback, police dogs and expanded surveillance could line the Seaside Heights boardwalk this Memorial Day weekend as officials try to prevent a repeat of recent summer violence

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- Jackson crossing seeks $120 million default judgment after jackson township council fails to respond to discovery demands Faanews 

- Toronto Police have upgraded the search for 14-year-old frum girl to a Priority 1 investigation as massive search efforts continue across North York. Hundreds of volunteers from the Jewish community, alongside Toronto Police and Shomrim, are searching parks, neighborhoods, and nearby properties after Esti disappeared Friday night near Bathurst & Sheppard. name is Esther Hodaya bas Shira Miriam

- Lakewood Township 2026 Memorial Day Parade will take place Monday, May 25, The program will begin at 11:00 a.m. with a flag-raising ceremony at Town Square at Clifton Avenue and 3rd Street. From there, participants will proceed southbound along Clifton Avenue in a memorial parade toward the All Wars Memorial at North Lake Park

- The Lakewood Police Department has announced the arrest of William Cottrell, 41, of Toms River, following an investigation into the theft of a boat engine from a marina on Lake Carasaljo.

- New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill tells she is considering merging the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and NJ Transit as an innovative way to address the transit agency's decaying equipment and to provide stable funding for NJ Transit, similar to the way a 2003 merger fixed the Driscoll Bridge.

- The Mayor of Boonton, New jersey vetoed a measure allowing a Pride flag to fly in a public park .

-New Jersey projects about $59.2 billion in revenue for the next fiscal year, which could leave nearly $6 billion in reserves and slightly reduce its deficit, though officials caution about economic uncertainty ahead of final budget negotiations.

- Rep. Thomas Massie after losing his the primary election: "I would have come out sooner but I had to call my opponent to concede and it took a while to find him in Tel Aviv.." Scott Jennings: of CNN “Thomas Massie tonight in his concession speech said something despicable, anti-Semitic, nasty, gutter politics right at the end. What a way to go out. 

- Italy Condemns Israeli Minister's Taunt of Detained Gaza Flotilla Activists, Meloni, in a joint statement with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, labeled the treatment unacceptable and summoned Israel's ambassador in Rome for explanations, demanding an apology and the immediate release of the detained Italians.

Submitted: During this morning’s commute in Lakewood.

by Rabbi Eliezer Sandler

The concept of the Yissachar-Zevulun Torah Learning Pact goes back well over 3,500 years, to the time of Yaakov Avinu and his sons. It is named for the Torah pact between two of his sons – Yissachar the scholar and Zevulun the merchant. Not only was it an equal pact but, Chazal explained, the deed of Zevulun/the Sponsor is considered even greater than that of Yissachar, because without the support of Zevulun, Yissachar would not have had the wherewithal to study Torah undisturbed.”

It is well-known that when it comes to learning Torah, people who sponsor the learning, often do so, not just as a donation. By financially supporting specific Torah scholars, they enter into a binding, written, signed and sealed learning partnership pact whereby the Sponsor (the Zevulun) is deemed by Halacha as if he personally studied the Torah completed by the Scholar (the Yissachar). (See below.)

Thus, those who support the Talmidei Chachomim at Shas Yiden via a Yissachar-Zevulun Pact merit a portion in every daf of the entire Talmud Bavli and associated texts that they study, and complete the entire cycle in the space of ONE year. Some of the Sponsors opt to continue sponsoring repeat cycles of Shas which accrue to them.

Sar Hatorah, Maran Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l, Nasi Shas Yiden, emphasized: The most mehudar Yissachar-Zevulun pact to support in our times is that offered by Shas Yiden – it comprises the entire Shas, Rashi and Tosfos – all in just one year!

Rav Chaim explained why this pact with Shas Yiden is the most mehudar. Chazal say that the highest level of learning is when one understands what he is learning b’iyun u’ve’amkus. However, even higher than that is when one remembers b’al peh all what he has learned. I have farhered the Shas Yiden avreichim geonim many times and can attest ZEI KENNEN SHAS (they know Shas)!

YES! YOU CAN MAKE

your OWN SIYUM on the ENTIRE

Shas, Rashi & Tosfos

IN JUST ONE YEAR!

The Yissachar-Zevulun Pact in Halacha

The Shulchan Aruch in Yoreh De’ah Chapter 246 regarding the efficacy of the Yissachar-Zevulun Sponsorship Pact for the Zevulun (the Sponsor) states clearly:  It is deemed as if he (the one sponsoring the learning) himself learned all the Torah studied under the pact.

All the learning under the Shas Yiden Yissachar-Zevulun Pact is yours בעוה”ז ובעוה”ב (in both This World and the World to Come)! Concerning this, the Netziv of Volozhin comments that in Olam Habah, the Zevulun sponsor will sit together with the Gedolei Torah of the past and merit to participate in their discussions and pilpulim on all the Torah learned.

Achieve Almost 7 million Mitzvos in One Year

The Vilna Gaon in Shnos Eliyahu Pe’ah 41 states that one should hold precious every word of Torah that he learns because each word is considered a mitzvah of its own.

Thus, since in Talmud Bavli, Rashi and Tosfos there are 6,608,891 words, that translates into almost 7 million mitzvos accruing through Yissachar-Zevulun at Shas Yiden.

Official Shtar from Shas Yiden

Each Yissachar-Zevulun pact is confirmed by an official contract (shtar) from Shas Yiden specifying the learning of the entire Shas, and is witnessed by talmidei chachomim.

All who wish to enter into a Yissachar-Zevulun Pact for the entire Shas during ONE year should contact Shas Yiden to make arrangements: 718-702-1528.

The opportunity to complete the entire Shas has been a cherished way to honor family members and others as a prized achievement. It has also proven to be a source of comfort for mourners to obtain such a zechus for their dear ones during the year of mourning – a siyum of the entire Shas can be completed on the yahrzeit!

Yissachar-Zevulun Pact –

Beyond the Grave

The legendary visionary and “Father of Yeshivos”, Reb Chaim of Volozhin, was the founder of the famous yeshiva in the town of Volozhin and the beloved talmid of the Vilna Gaon. 

Reb Chaim had an ongoing Yissachar-Zevulun pact with a local shoemaker – a man who was not learned but who dearly valued Torah learning. They had a ‘deal’ whereby the shoemaker would pay the monthly financial support needed for Reb Chaim and his family. For this financial support, the shoemaker would have an equal share in all Reb Chaim’s daily Torah study – both in the mitzvah of Torah study בעוה”ז and that the knowledge of the Torah learned would continue to be his בעוה”ב (in the World to Come).

One day the shoemaker passed away suddenly. During the shiva period, Reb Chaim was facing a perplexing halachic question and researched high and low for a solution. That night the shoemaker appeared to him in a dream and gave him the full solution that he sought. Reb Chaim was amazed and commented, “Azoi gich, Azoi Gich – So quickly, so quickly has he acquired the zchus and knowledge of the Torah that I have studied!”

In the words of Gedolei Torah:

Maran Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l, Nasi Shas Yiden:

“In just ONE year, through Yissachar-Zevulun at Shas Yiden, you can be zoche to the entire Shas forever – בעוה”ז ובעוה”ב (in olam hazeh and olam habah).

“Moreover, whoever supports Shas Yiden is zocheh to fulfill both Yissachar-Zevulun and support of aniyei (the poor of) Eretz Yisroel in the fullest sense of the word.

“Those who support Shas Yiden will be saved from chevlei (the travails of) Moshiach – spiritually and materially, and will be zoche to have ehrlicher bonim u’vanos yir’eishomayim ”

Maran Hagaon Harav Dov Lando, shlit”a, Rosh Yeshiva, Slabodka:

“Who compares to the Shas Yiden? Incredible talmidei chachomim geonim who raised the bar in limud Hashas b’iyun u’v’amkus. Blessed are those who enter a Yissachar-Zevulun pact with them.”

Hamashpia Hagadol Reb Meilech Biederman, shlit”a:

 “Yissachar-Zevulun at Shas Yiden – best possible deal, and in just 1 year! 100% partnership! 100% Shas x 5 times! 100% Shisha Sidrei Mishna – בעוה”ז ובעוה”ב”

Sanzer Rebbe, shlit”a:

“A first in 2000 years of Jewish history! Until Shas Yiden, never a Torah institution where ALL the avreichim metzuyonim v’geonim know the entire Shas by heart”

Harav Yaakov Hillel, shlit”a:

“Therefore, the great mitzvah to support the efforts [of the Talmidei Chachomim] with generous donations in order that they should continue diligently with their studies to enhance the greatness of the Torah and its glory.

ShasYiden.com

This now-famous picture of Rabbi Abadi Z”L, which was taken by a TLS photographer, was made into a painting by local artist Mrs. Tzippy Braude.

Copies are available for purchase, with partial proceeds to Minyan Shelanu.

For more information you can WhatsApp here: wa.link/pzndlh

Or text: 7327490564