Lakewood Alerts regrets to share the petirah of Rav Yechiel Moskowitz z”l, a highly respected rosh chaburah and BMG and a son-in-law of Harav Shmuel Kamenetzky shlit”a.

Rav Yechiel z”l was niftar following a brief illness. He was 70 years old.

The levaya is tentatively scheduled to take place at 2:30 PM Sunday in Lakewood.

Baruch Dayan Ha’Emes.

Business leaders, elected officials, and community members gathered in Lakewood to celebrate the grand opening and ribbon-cutting of Dime Commercial Bank’s newest branch, marking the institution’s first location outside of New York State.

The new branch, located at 500 Boulevard of the Americas, represents a significant milestone for the 162-year-old bank, which now operates 63 branches.

Local and county officials welcomed the bank’s expansion into New Jersey during the ceremony. Ocean County Commissioners Frank Sadeghi and Sam Ellenbogen, along with Lakewood Township Committeeman Meir Lichtenstein, presented official proclamations recognizing Dime’s arrival in both Lakewood and the state.

Speakers highlighted Lakewood’s continued economic growth and its role as a business hub within Ocean County.

“Ocean County used to be a quiet place where people would come to retire,” Commissioner Sadeghi said. “Now, we foresee our population surpassing one million residents, and Lakewood makes things continue ‘happening’ in the County.”

Lichtenstein reflected on growing up near a Dime branch in Brooklyn and expressed enthusiasm about the bank’s decision to establish a presence in Lakewood.

“There are tens of millions of square feet of nonprofit, commercial and industrial space in Lakewood,” Lichtenstein said. “We welcome Dime Bank to become part of the grassroots fabric of our thriving business world and community at large.”

Bank officials said that while Dime offers a full range of personal banking services, including a nationally recognized first-time homebuyer mortgage program, its primary focus remains serving commercial and nonprofit organizations.

Executives emphasized the bank’s commitment to building long-term relationships with businesses, nonprofits, and local communities, a model they say has been central to its operations throughout New York and will continue in Lakewood.

The Lakewood branch is led by Michael Ragusa Jr., First Vice President, who has lived and worked in Lakewood and neighboring communities for nearly two decades and maintains longstanding ties to local residents and institutions.

As part of the grand opening celebration, Dime President and CEO Stuart Lubow and Ragusa presented charitable donations to the Lakewood Community Services Corporation (LCSC) and Chai Lifeline.

“Today, as we celebrate the Grand Opening of our Dime Commercial Bank branch in Lakewood, we affirm our commitment to businesses in the Lakewood area, as well as to its diverse communities,” Lubow said. “We are excited to contribute to the growth of our clients with operations in the area.”

The opening marks Dime Commercial Bank’s first step into the New Jersey market and reflects the institution’s confidence in Lakewood’s expanding business and nonprofit sectors.

The Lakewood Police Department hosted a Pedestrian Safety Enforcement (PSE) Workshop this week, bringing together officers from Lakewood and several neighboring law enforcement agencies for specialized training focused on improving pedestrian and driver safety.

Sponsored by AAA Northeast, the workshop provided officers with instruction on New Jersey pedestrian safety laws, community outreach strategies, and effective methods for promoting safer interactions between motorists and pedestrians.

A key component of the training centered on the “3E” approach to traffic safety — Education, Engineering, and Enforcement — a framework designed to reduce crashes and improve roadway safety through a combination of public awareness, infrastructure improvements, and targeted enforcement efforts.

Participants also took part in a practical field exercise on Pine Street near Sims Avenue, allowing officers to apply the concepts discussed during the classroom portion of the training in a real-world setting.

Tens of thousands of men, women, and children have turned out for a massive kabalas panim for gedolei eretz yisroel who are now in Lakewood on behalf of Keren Olam HaTorah.

The updates below are in reverse chronological order.

9:19 PM: Despite the scorching heat and humidity, the massive crowd that came to be mechabed the Gedolei Eretz Yisroel sings and dances lichvod hatorah, bringing the asifa to a close

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-9.18.14-PM.mp4

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-9.24.14-PM.mp4

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-9.24.47-PM.mp4

9:16 PM: Harav Avraham Salim shlit”a, one of the leading Sephardic roshei yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel, leads a resounding Kabolas Ol Malchus Shamayim to cap off the maamad kavod hatorah

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-9.16.47-PM.mp4

9:07 PM: Harav Shimon Galai shlit”a leads the maamad kavod hatorah in reciting Tehillim b’rov am.

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-9.07.17-PM.mp4

9:02 PM: The crowd sings “Ki Orech Yamim” for Harav Yisroel Bunim Schreiber shlit”a, as he rises to address the massive asifa. 

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-9.02.58-PM.mp4

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-9.03.15-PM.mp4

8:55 PM: Harav Chaim Mordechai Ausband shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo, urges the crowd – and all of Lakewood – to take upon themselves to support at least one month of an avreich’s expenses – just $276 – over the coming year.

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-9.00.27-PM.mp4

8:48 PM: Gedolei Eretz Yisroel and the roshei yeshiva of BMG link hands and join the crowd of 10,000+ in singing and dancing lichvod hatorah

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-8.51.31-PM.mp4

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-8.54.17-PM.mp4

8:42 PM: Harav Don Segal shlit”a, Harav Yaakov Hillel shlit”a, and Harav Avraham Salim shlit”a arriving to the kabalas panim earlier amid their mission to the US on behalf of Keren Olam HaTorah

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-8.47.43-PM.mp4

**8:35 PM: The oilam sings and dances as the mashgiach Harav Don Segal shlit”a prepares to speak at the maamad.
**

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-8.42.57-PM.mp4

8:27 PM: Harav Dov Landau shlit”a is now addressing the massive, overflow crowd at the Keren Olam HaTorah kabalas panim in Lakewood

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-8.28.55-PM.mp4

8:21 PM: Harav Malkiel Kotler shlit”a opens the asifa speaking of Keren Olam Hatorah, the journey the gedolim have undertaken to save Torah in Eretz Yisroel, and the hischayvus it puts on all to support their mission.

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-8.25.37-PM.mp4

8:15 PM: The gedolei Eretz Yisroel arrive at the asifa to tens of thousands singing and welcoming them to Lakewood.

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-8.19.03-PM.mp4

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-8.19.58-PM.mp4

8:05 PM: Harav Dov Landau shlit”a and Harav Shimon Galai shlit”a arriving at the massive asifa in their honor

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-8.16.26-PM.mp4

7:53 PM: Harav Malkiel Kotler and Harav Yeruchem Olshin have arrived at the kabalas panim for the Gedolei Eretz Yisroel

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-7.56.28-PM.mp4

7:51 PM: The asifa parking lot is now completely full as the maamad prepares to get underway – and many more additional attendees are still coming.

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/VID-20260611-WA0042.mp4

A view of the already massive crowd, as thousands more continue arriving to greet the gedolim

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/VID-20260611-WA0038.mp4

Thousands have begun streaming into the area as final preparations conclude

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/VID-20260611-WA0037.mp4

Heavily armed police patrolling the perimeter of the kabalas panim 

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/VID-20260611-WA0036.mp4

Rabbi Sruly Bursztyn of Lakewood Shomrim gives event security personnel a briefing ahead of the kabalas panim.

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/VID-20260611-WA0035.mp4

Extensive preparations underway for tonight’s massive asifa

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/VID-20260611-WA0034.mp4

Tens of thousands of men, women, and children turned out for a massive kabalas panim for gedolei eretz yisroel who are now in Lakewood on behalf of Keren Olam HaTorah.

According to the Lakewood Police Department, approximately 26,000 people attended the asifa.

The updates below are in reverse chronological order.

9:19 PM: Despite the scorching heat and humidity, the massive crowd that came to be mechabed the Gedolei Eretz Yisroel sings and dances lichvod hatorah, bringing the asifa to a close

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-9.18.14-PM.mp4

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-9.24.14-PM.mp4

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-9.24.47-PM.mp4

9:16 PM: Harav Avraham Salim shlit”a, one of the leading Sephardic roshei yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel, leads a resounding Kabolas Ol Malchus Shamayim to cap off the maamad kavod hatorah

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-9.16.47-PM.mp4

9:07 PM: Harav Shimon Galai shlit”a leads the maamad kavod hatorah in reciting Tehillim b’rov am.

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-9.07.17-PM.mp4

9:02 PM: The crowd sings “Ki Orech Yamim” for Harav Yisroel Bunim Schreiber shlit”a, as he rises to address the massive asifa. 

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-9.02.58-PM.mp4

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-9.03.15-PM.mp4

8:55 PM: Harav Chaim Mordechai Ausband shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo, urges the crowd – and all of Lakewood – to take upon themselves to support at least one month of an avreich’s expenses – just $276 – over the coming year.

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-9.00.27-PM.mp4

8:48 PM: Gedolei Eretz Yisroel and the roshei yeshiva of BMG link hands and join the crowd of 10,000+ in singing and dancing lichvod hatorah

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-8.51.31-PM.mp4

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-8.54.17-PM.mp4

8:42 PM: Harav Don Segal shlit”a, Harav Yaakov Hillel shlit”a, and Harav Avraham Salim shlit”a arriving to the kabalas panim earlier amid their mission to the US on behalf of Keren Olam HaTorah

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-8.47.43-PM.mp4

**8:35 PM: The oilam sings and dances as the mashgiach Harav Don Segal shlit”a prepares to speak at the maamad.
**

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-8.42.57-PM.mp4

8:27 PM: Harav Dov Landau shlit”a is now addressing the massive, overflow crowd at the Keren Olam HaTorah kabalas panim in Lakewood

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-8.28.55-PM.mp4

8:21 PM: Harav Malkiel Kotler shlit”a opens the asifa speaking of Keren Olam Hatorah, the journey the gedolim have undertaken to save Torah in Eretz Yisroel, and the hischayvus it puts on all to support their mission.

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-8.25.37-PM.mp4

8:15 PM: The gedolei Eretz Yisroel arrive at the asifa to tens of thousands singing and welcoming them to Lakewood.

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-8.19.03-PM.mp4

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-8.19.58-PM.mp4

8:05 PM: Harav Dov Landau shlit”a and Harav Shimon Galai shlit”a arriving at the massive asifa in their honor

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-8.16.26-PM.mp4

7:53 PM: Harav Malkiel Kotler and Harav Yeruchem Olshin have arrived at the kabalas panim for the Gedolei Eretz Yisroel

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WhatsApp-Video-2026-06-11-at-7.56.28-PM.mp4

7:51 PM: The asifa parking lot is now completely full as the maamad prepares to get underway – and many more additional attendees are still coming.

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/VID-20260611-WA0042.mp4

A view of the already massive crowd, as thousands more continue arriving to greet the gedolim

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/VID-20260611-WA0038.mp4

Thousands have begun streaming into the area as final preparations conclude

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/VID-20260611-WA0037.mp4

Heavily armed police patrolling the perimeter of the kabalas panim 

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/VID-20260611-WA0036.mp4

Rabbi Sruly Bursztyn of Lakewood Shomrim gives event security personnel a briefing ahead of the kabalas panim.

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/VID-20260611-WA0035.mp4

Extensive preparations underway for tonight’s massive asifa

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/VID-20260611-WA0034.mp4

Lakewood drivers should prepare for overnight traffic disruptions Thursday night as roadwork and utility projects will impact several major roadways throughout the township.

A contractor will be repaving portions of several streets off Route 9, resulting in major disruptions. Work is scheduled on Providence Boulevard, Finchley Boulevard, Elmhurst Avenue, Yale Avenue, Ford Avenue, and Roosevelt Avenue, with approximately 25 feet of each roadway near Route 9 being repaved.

As part of the project, Route 9 will be fully closed in both directions between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Southbound traffic will be detoured via Prospect Street to Massachusetts Avenue and then to Cross Street. Northbound motorists will be directed to use Chestnut Street, New Hampshire Avenue, and Oak Street.

In a separate project, New Jersey Natural Gas will continue infrastructure improvements along Martin Luther King Drive between Cedarbridge Avenue and Center Street beginning at 8 p.m.

One lane of traffic will remain open between Cedarbridge Avenue and Pine Street during the work. Motorists seeking access to Cedarbridge Avenue from Martin Luther King Drive will be detoured via Center Street.

A visit to a Lakewood home on Thursday turned into an unforgettable display of gadlus baTorah when Harav Yisroel Bunim Schreiber shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Nesiv Hadaas, reviewed the entirety of Maseches Bava Basra from memory before an astonished crowd.

The moment unfolded during a visit by the Keren Olam HaTorah gedolim currently touring America on behalf of the yeshivos and kollelim of Eretz Yisroel. At the home of R’ Yanky Stern, where Harav Chaim Mordechai Ausband shlit”a, Rosh Yeshiva of Ateres Shlomo, was being hosted, a bochur approached the Rosh Yeshiva with a formidable question in learning.

The challenge was no small one. The bochur wanted to know every single machlokes between Rabbah and Rav Yosef across the entire length of Maseches Bava Basra.

Rather than respond himself, Rav Ausband turned to Rav Schreiber, who is widely known as an extraordinary baki. What followed left the room in silence. Rav Schreiber began reviewing the masechta in his mind, traveling through the dafim one after another and calling out each machlokes as he reached it, navigating the full breadth of the masechta entirely from memory.

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/VID-20260611-WA0020.mp4

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/VID-20260611-WA0019.mp4

A visit to a Lakewood home on Thursday turned into an unforgettable display of gadlus baTorah when Harav Yisroel Bunim Schreiber shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Nesiv Hadaas, reviewed the entirety of Maseches Bava Basra from memory before an astonished crowd.

The moment unfolded during a visit by the Keren Olam HaTorah gedolim currently touring America on behalf of the yeshivos and kollelim of Eretz Yisroel. At the home of R’ Yanky Stern, where Harav Chaim Mordechai Ausband shlit”a, Rosh Yeshiva of Ateres Shlomo, was being hosted, a bochur approached the Rosh Yeshiva with a formidable question in learning.

The challenge was no small one. The bochur wanted to know every single machlokes between Rabbah and Rav Yosef across the entire length of Maseches Bava Basra.

Rather than respond himself, Rav Ausband turned to Rav Schreiber, who is widely known as an extraordinary baki. What followed left the room in silence. Rav Schreiber began reviewing the masechta in his mind, traveling through the dafim one after another and calling out each machlokes as he reached it, navigating the full breadth of the masechta entirely from memory.

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/VID-20260611-WA0020.mp4

https://lakewoodalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/VID-20260611-WA0019.mp4

A fraudulent website designed to impersonate Adirei HaTorah and solicit donations has been shut down after community members and cybersecurity professionals identified the scam, Adirei Hatorah announced.

Adirei HaTorah said it became aware Wednesday of a targeted attempt to direct donors to a fake website that closely resembled its official online donation platform. It immediately launched a response involving cybersecurity experts and law enforcement authorities.

The fraudulent website has since been disabled and the payment processor involved froze the scammer’s account, preventing further activity.

Adirei Hatorah emphasized that, based on the investigation so far, there is no indication that the attacker gained access to Adirei HaTorah’s financial systems, donor database, or any financial information belonging to donors.

Officials said the breach appears to have been limited to certain names, email addresses, and phone numbers, which were allegedly used to distribute fraudulent emails and text messages directing recipients to the fake website.

As a precaution, Adirei HaTorah reminded supporters that all official text messages from the organization will come only from the phone numbers 848-261-8251 or 732-800-1524. The organization also said official emails will clearly identify Adirei HaTorah as the sender and will be distributed only through authorized communication channels.

Donors are being urged to verify that they are using Adirei HaTorah’s official website, AdireiHatorah.com, before making contributions.

The organization also advised anyone who receives suspicious emails, text messages, donation requests, or website links claiming to be from Adirei HaTorah not to engage with them and to report them immediately.

Toms River Township has adopted its 2026 municipal budget, marking the third consecutive year that municipal taxes will remain flat under Mayor Daniel Rodrick’s administration.

The budget keeps taxes steady while funding investments in road paving, parks, flood mitigation, recreation projects and other community improvements, according to the township.

“Three years ago, we set out to prove that government could spend less, accomplish more, and protect taxpayers at the same time,” Rodrick said. “Today, we are delivering on that promise. Taxes remain flat for the third consecutive year, spending remains significantly below the level it was when I took office, and we are making historic investments in our community without asking residents to pay more.”

Municipal spending has been reduced by millions of dollars since Rodrick took office. In the administration’s first year, spending was cut by approximately 9 percent, representing more than $11 million in savings. Township spending remains about $6 million lower annually than when Rodrick first assumed office.

The township also said it has paid down approximately $9 million in debt and increased the municipal surplus to a record $60 million, roughly $20 million higher than the previous record.

“Our financial position is stronger than it has ever been,” Rodrick said. “A record surplus, lower debt, and controlled spending provide stability for taxpayers while ensuring that we can continue investing in critical projects throughout our community.”

The 2026 budget includes continued infrastructure work, including the paving of approximately 15 miles of township roads this year. Township officials noted that is more than double the amount of road paving completed annually before the current administration.

The township is also moving forward with a major flood mitigation effort that includes the installation of tidal check valves on 70 streets. The valves are intended to reduce nuisance and tidal flooding in vulnerable waterfront neighborhoods.

Other projects funded through the budget include new playground equipment at five parks, the construction of two new parks, a new recreational fishing pier in the downtown area and a new spray park for families. The township also said it has repaved its tennis and basketball courts.

The mayor also said the township has maintained its contractual obligations to municipal employees, including annual 3 percent salary increases negotiated through collective bargaining agreements.

“I want to thank Councilwoman Lynn O’Toole, Councilman Craig Coleman, and Councilman Harry Aber for their partnership and support throughout this process,” Rodrick said. “I also appreciate the support of every Council member who voted in favor of this budget. Regardless of political differences, everyone recognized that this budget delivers real results for taxpayers and moves our Township forward.”

Today, the New Jersey State Assembly removed language from a bill that would have jeopardized religious rights. The legislation had allowed individuals to sue anyone accused of interfering with their decision to obtain reproductive or gender-related health care services and seek damages for harm to their business or personal reputation, financial harm, or pain and suffering, mental anguish, and emotional harm.

Agudath Israel of America’s New Jersey Office led opposition to the language, warning that its broad and undefined terms could expose rabbis, educators, counselors, schools, and parents to costly litigation for providing guidance or expressing views regarding gender-related medical procedures. In addition to working with legislators in both chambers, the Agudah issued an action alert urging residents across the state to contact their Assembly members and oppose the bill.

“We are grateful to the bill sponsors and legislative leadership for recognizing the serious concerns included in this provision and for addressing them,” Shlomo Schorr, Director of Legislative Affairs for Agudath Israel of America’s New Jersey Office, said.

“The removal of this language is an important victory for religious liberty, free speech, and parental rights.

We especially thank the thousands of New Jersey residents who responded to our action alert and contacted their legislators to make their voices heard. Their advocacy helped ensure that constitutionally protected speech and religious expression will not be subjected to vague and potentially far-reaching civil liability.”

The Jackson Township Council has approved aplan to begin merging Jackson Fire Districts 2 and 3, advancing a long-discussed consolidation that officials say will cut costs and streamline emergency response as the township continues to grow. The proposal now goes to the state Local Finance Board, which must sign off before the merger can take effect.

The vote clears one of the final local hurdles in a consolidation effort that fire leaders have pursued for years. Supporters say combining the two districts will reduce duplication in administration, purchasing and vehicle maintenance while improving coordination across a township whose call volume keeps climbing.

Jackson’s population has grown by about 5,000 people over the past decade to an estimated 61,000, and fire duties are currently split among multiple separate districts. Each district has its own five-member board of paid commissioners that sets budgets and makes hiring and policy decisions.

The action follows the February 21 fire elections, when voters approved the 2026 budgets in all local fire districts. Those spending plans totaled more than $16 million combined.

Consolidation would also change how the merged district is governed. Once districts combine, commissioner elections move to the November general ballot and the annual budget no longer goes before voters, a shift officials say would prevent low-turnout February elections from threatening fire funding. District 2 had already absorbed the former District 1 in an earlier consolidation.

Meanwhile, District 4 will remain independent. Commissioner Raymond Torres Jr. echoed that position said consolidation would benefit the other districts financially while raising rates for District 4 residents with little offsetting savings.

A massive kabalas panim for gedolei torah from Eretz Yisroel will take place at 7:30 PM this Thursday in the Lakewood Township parking lot at 10th and Clifton.

The gedolim arrived to the US on Sunday on behalf of Keren Olam HaTorah. Their first stop was in Baltimore, followed by private meetings with tomchei torah in Lakewood on Monday, and stops in Chicago on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday will begin with additional meetings with local tomchim, followed by the community-wide asifa outside BMG’s Bais Aharon.

Note: The weather is expected to be exceedingly hot and humid at the time of the asifa. Attendees are strongly encouraged to bring water along.

A massive kabalas panim for gedolei torah from Eretz Yisroel will take place at 7 PM this Thursday in the Lakewood Township parking lot at 10th and Clifton.

The gedolim arrived to the US on Sunday on behalf of Keren Olam HaTorah. Their first stop was in Baltimore, followed by private meetings with tomchei torah in Lakewood on Monday, and stops in Chicago on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday will begin with additional meetings with local tomchim, followed by the community-wide asifa outside BMG’s Bais Aharon.

Note: The weather is expected to be exceedingly hot and humid at the time of the asifa, with a chance for thunderstorms. It is strongly suggested that attendees bring water and umbrellas.

The Lakewood Zoning Board dealt with several major development applications at its meeting Monday night, including a heavily attended Cross Street proposal that was ultimately tabled following significant public concern from nearby senior residents.

During the public comment portion, several residents expressed frustration that they felt rushed while attempting to raise concerns about safety, privacy, traffic, and other quality-of-life issues connected to pending development applications.

The most closely watched application was a proposal by 60 Cross Street, LLC for a large development at 560 Cross Street, near the entrance to Eagle Ridge. The application calls for a 71-lot subdivision, including 66 residential duplex lots, three stormwater lots, one retail/office lot, and a shul.

A large group of senior residents attended the meeting to voice concerns about the potential impact of the project on the surrounding area. Following an extended back-and-forth discussion, the application was tabled. It is expected to return to the board at its July 6 meeting.

The board also approved an application on Prospect Street after the developer agreed to scale back the project. The application, submitted by SK Prospect Cross Lakewood, LLC, originally called for eight duplexes, totaling 16 units. Under the revised plan, the project was reduced to 14 units.

As part of the approval, the developer agreed to reserve the eliminated building site for a future shul, with 11 parking spaces. The board also made the approval conditional on the shul being built before the final duplex can receive a certificate of occupancy.

Neighbors had raised privacy concerns, noting that the new development backs onto an existing residential community. In response, the applicant agreed to plant 77 Green Giant trees along the property line. The homeowners association will be responsible for maintaining and irrigating the trees for two years.

In another approval, the board gave the green light to an application off Route 70, where the developer plans to construct four apartment buildings containing a total of 35 two-bedroom units.

During that hearing, a resident questioned why the project was not being restricted to senior housing, citing language in the township master plan and raising concerns about the suitability of family housing along a busy highway corridor. The board attorney responded that the project did not require a variance from the relevant master plan provisions.

Drivers traveling through Lakewood overnight Wednesday should prepare for significant traffic disruptions as road paving and utility infrastructure projects are scheduled along Route 9 and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

A New Jersey Department of Transportation contractor will be repaving several streets off Route 9 beginning tonight, June 10. Work is scheduled on portions of Halsey Street, Broadway Avenue, Chateau Drive, and Cushman Street.

As part of the project, Route 9 will be fully closed in both directions between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Southbound traffic will be detoured via Prospect Street, Massachusetts Avenue, and Cross Street. Northbound motorists will be directed to use Chestnut Street, New Hampshire Avenue, and Oak Street.

In a separate project, New Jersey Natural Gas will continue infrastructure improvements along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive between Cedarbridge Avenue and Center Street beginning at 9 p.m.

During the work, one lane of traffic will remain open on MLK Drive between Cedarbridge Avenue and Pine Street. Drivers seeking access to Cedarbridge Avenue from MLK Drive will be detoured via Center Street.

Officials are urging drivers to allow extra travel time, follow posted detours, and exercise caution when traveling through construction zones overnight. Both projects are expected to continue into the early morning hours.

A 12-year-old Howell resident has been charged with acts of juvenile delinquency after allegedly fleeing from police while operating an electric dirt bike on township streets.

The incident occurred on Monday at approximately 3 p.m. while a Howell police officer was monitoring the area around Taunton School following repeated complaints from residents about electric dirt bikes creating a nuisance in the neighborhood.

Police said the officer was parked on Old Hickory Way near the intersection of Taunton Drive when he observed an electric dirt bike traveling down Old Hickory Way. The rider, who appeared to be a juvenile, was allegedly operating the vehicle on the wrong side of the roadway, failed to stop at a stop sign, and was riding a dirt bike that displayed no license plate.

The officer attempted to conduct a motor vehicle stop by activating the patrol vehicle’s emergency lights and sirens. According to police, the rider looked back toward the patrol vehicle but failed to stop. The officer also used the vehicle’s public address system to direct the rider to pull over.

Instead, police said the juvenile accelerated to speeds estimated between 45 and 50 mph. Once it became clear that the rider was attempting to flee, the officer discontinued the stop and did not pursue the dirt bike.

Investigators later identified the juvenile and determined his residence. The 12-year-old was subsequently charged with acts of juvenile delinquency that would constitute eluding a police officer if committed by an adult. He was also charged with violating Township Ordinance 59-1, which prohibits off-road vehicles on public streets, along with several motor vehicle offenses.

Police said the electric dirt bike was seized and may be subject to forfeiture under township ordinance provisions.

The department used the incident to remind residents that electric dirt bikes are considered motor vehicles and may not be operated on public roadways unless they are properly registered, insured, and operated by a licensed motorcycle rider.

The Manchester Township Police Department has welcomed a new officer to its ranks following the swearing-in of Patrolman William Kavanagh during the Manchester Township Council meeting on June 8.

Kavanagh officially took the oath of office surrounded by Mayor Joseph Hankins, members of the Township Council, Police Chief Antonio Ellis, department command staff, family members, friends, and fellow officers.

Department officials said Kavanagh brings a strong background in law enforcement, public safety, training, and leadership to his new role.

A graduate of Monmouth University, Kavanagh earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Homeland Security before attending the Ocean County Police Academy, where he graduated as a member of SLEO II Class 47. During his time at the academy, he distinguished himself both academically and physically, graduating second overall in academics while also ranking among the top recruits in physical training.

Kavanagh began his law enforcement career with the Point Pleasant Beach Police Department in June 2021, serving in the Patrol Division. During the summers of 2023 and 2024, he was selected as the department’s Boardwalk Officer in Charge, where he supervised Special Law Enforcement Officers and oversaw daily operations in one of the borough’s busiest areas.

In addition to his patrol duties, Kavanagh has served as an instructor at the Ocean County Police Academy since 2023. He currently serves as the academy’s Physical Training Program Lead Instructor and Defensive Tactics Program Lead Instructor, helping train future law enforcement officers while continuing to work in patrol operations.

Chief Antonio Ellis praised the department’s newest officer, citing both his experience and commitment to public service.

“William’s experience, professionalism, and commitment to public service make him an outstanding addition to the Manchester Township Police Department,” Ellis said. “His background in patrol operations, supervision, and police training will be a tremendous asset to both our department and the residents we serve. We are excited to welcome him to our team and look forward to his future success.”

The department extended its congratulations to Kavanagh and wished him a long, safe, and successful career serving the residents of Manchester Township.

A sophisticated phishing scam is targeting Orthodox Jews by impersonating the Adirei HaTorah fundraising platform.

Scammers have been sending text messages and emails containing links to a fraudulent website designed to closely mimic the Adirei Hatorah’s official donation page. The fake site appears nearly identical to the legitimate website, making it difficult for recipients to spot the difference.

The scam website uses the domain “AdireiTorah.com,” which is not affiliated with Adirei HaTorah and is being used to deceive potential donors.

The only legitimate website for Adirei HaTorah is: AdireiHaTorah.com

Anyone who receives a suspicious email or text message requesting donations is encouraged to avoid clicking links and instead navigate directly to the organization’s official website through their web browser.

If you or someone you know sent money through this scam, please contact 732-908-0238. Law enforcement is currently investigating, and any information could be valuable in assisting their efforts.

The warning comes as cybercriminals increasingly use lookalike websites and phishing campaigns to target charitable giving, particularly within close-knit communities where trust in familiar organizations is high.

Community members who may have entered payment information on the fraudulent website should contact their financial institution immediately and monitor their accounts for unauthorized activity.

Agudath Israel of America is urging New Jersey residents to immediately contact their state Assembly members and oppose legislation it says poses a serious threat to religious liberty, free speech, and parental rights.

In an alert distributed ahead of a scheduled Thursday vote in the New Jersey General Assembly, Agudah warned that A2218/S2260 contains broad provisions that could expose rabbanim, educators, counselors, schools, and even parents to costly civil lawsuits and potential legal penalties for expressing views or providing guidance regarding gender-related medical procedures.

The organization said that while supporters characterize the measure as a “shield law” intended to protect access to certain healthcare services, the bill’s language extends far beyond that purpose and could have unintended consequences for religious communities.

The legislation would allow individuals of any age to sue those accused of “interfering” with their decision to obtain gender-related healthcare services. The bill would permit claims for damages related to alleged harm to a person’s reputation, financial losses, and emotional distress, including mental anguish and pain and suffering.

Agudah argues that many of the bill’s key terms are vague and undefined, creating uncertainty about what conduct could be considered unlawful. The organization says the legislation could discourage religious leaders, educators, and parents from offering guidance consistent with their beliefs for fear of litigation.

“No one should face the threat of a lawsuit for offering religious counsel, parental guidance, or expressing deeply held convictions,” Agudah wrote in its appeal.

Agudah further contends that the bill raises significant constitutional concerns, arguing that it could infringe upon protections for freedom of religion and free speech while also limiting the ability of parents and community leaders to discuss sensitive issues with children and families.

The Jackson Township Council adopted a $62.95 million municipal budget on Tuesday night, approving a spending plan that holds the local tax rate flat for a second straight year. Four of the council’s five members voted in favor. Councilman Christopher Pollak abstained.

Council President Mordechai Burnstein, Council Vice President Giuseppe Palmeri, Councilman Nino Borrelli, and Councilman Ken Bressi voted yes on Resolution 177-2026, which formally adopts the budget following a public hearing at Township Hall. Palmeri made the motion and Burnstein seconded it. The plan passed without a dissenting vote.

The budget keeps the municipal tax rate at 0.254 per $100 of assessed value, unchanged from 2025. The administration of Mayor Jennifer Kuhn says the plan maintains services and expands several, including more frequent bulk and recycling pickups, faster snow removal, continued investment in parks, and a police force at a record 120 officers. It is supported in part by $9.4 million in anticipated surplus, with about $36.6 million to be raised through municipal taxation.

Pollak’s abstention was the only break in an otherwise unanimous vote, and it came after months of public opposition from the councilman. He voted against the budget at its introduction in the spring.

An abstention is recorded as neither support nor opposition. Although Pollak had opposed the budget at earlier stages and had several weeks to review the amended version made public in late May, he did not vote for or against its final adoption, and has made no suggestions about how it could be improved.

A massive kabalas panim for gedolei torah from Eretz Yisroel will take place at 7 PM this Thursday in the Lakewood Township parking lot at 10th and Clifton.

The gedolim arrived to the US on Sunday on behalf of Keren Olam HaTorah. Their first stop was in Baltimore, followed by private meetings with tomchei torah in Lakewood on Monday, and stops in Chicago on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday will begin with additional meetings with local tomchim, followed by the community-wide asifa outside BMG’s Bais Aharon.

The delegation traveling for the mission includes the Roshei Yeshiva of Slabodka, Harav Dov Landau shlit”a and Harav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlit”a; the Mashgiach Harav Don Segal shlit”a; Harav Yaakov Hillel shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Ahavat Shalom; Harav Shimon Galai shlit”a; Harav Avraham Salim shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Maor HaTorah; Harav Asher Weiss shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Darchei Torah; Harav Yosef Chevroni shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron; Harav Yisroel Bunim Schreiber shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Nesiv Hadaas; the Rachmastrivka Rebbe shlit”a, and Harav Chaim Mordechai Ausband shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo.

A remarkable ma’amad of kavod haTorah and rischa d’Oraisa took place in BMG’s Bais Moshe on Tuesday, as HaRav Bunim Schreiber shlit”a delivered a shiur on Maseches Mikvaos before a large crowd.

The shiur had originally been scheduled to take place in the ezras noshim, with expectations that it would be attended primarily by the approximately 150 avreichim currently learning Mikvaos. However, as the time for the shiur approached, it quickly became clear that the crowd was far larger than anticipated. With many more bnei Torah gathering to hear the Rosh Yeshiva, the shiur was moved into the main beis medrash to accommodate the olam.

Rav Schreiber delivered a masterful shiur, marked by his extraordinary depth, clarity, and breadth.

The Rosh Yeshiva’s gabbai later related an extraordinary detail that added a deeper dimension to what the olam had just witnessed.

On the drive home, the Rosh Yeshiva shared that he had been told beforehand that the shiur would be delivered to a group of around 150 avreichim who were already “areingetun” in the sugya of Mikvaos. Accordingly, he had prepared a shiur geared specifically for bnei Torah who were holding in the sugya.

Upon arriving, however, the Rosh Yeshiva immediately saw that the crowd was far larger than expected, and that many of those present had likely come simply to hear his shiur, even if they were not necessarily holding in the sugya on that level. At that moment, he faced a decision: proceed with the shiur he had prepared, knowing that many would struggle to follow, or set it aside and deliver a different shiur entirely.

Instantly, the Rosh Yeshiva chose the latter.

Without hesitation, and without a single sefer in front of him, Rav Schreiber put aside the shiur he had prepared and instead delivered a different shiur on the sugya — one that retained the depth and lomdus expected from such a shiur, while being accessible to the broader olam that had gathered.

The result was nothing short of a masterpiece. The shiur was delivered with stunning clarity and precision, enabling the full crowd to appreciate the sugya.

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Lakewood police arrested a Toms River man on drug and impaired driving charges following a traffic stop earlier this month that authorities say uncovered marijuana, cash, and suspected drug distribution materials.

According to the Lakewood Police Department, patrol officers conducted a motor vehicle stop on June 6 after observing a traffic violation. During the investigation, officers determined that the driver, 61-year-old Robert Gadson of Toms River, was impaired and placed him under arrest.

Police said a subsequent search led to the seizure of a quantity of marijuana, cash, and items commonly associated with the distribution of controlled dangerous substances.

Gadson was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was also issued multiple motor vehicle summonses, including Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) and refusal to submit breath samples.

Following processing at Lakewood Police Headquarters, Gadson was transported to the Ocean County Jail pending court proceedings.

Lakewood Police Chief Greg Meyer commended the officers involved, emphasizing the broader public safety impact of the arrest.

“This arrest highlights the importance of proactive patrol and traffic enforcement,” Meyer said. “By remaining vigilant, our officers were able to remove an impaired driver from our roadways while also disrupting suspected illegal drug activity. We remain committed to keeping our community safe.”

A New Jersey Department of Transportation contractor is scheduled to continue overnight paving work in Lakewood on Tuesday night, forcing several road closures and detours near Route 9.

Crews will begin repaving portions of several streets located approximately 25 feet off Route 9, including Gila Lane, Haddasah Lane, Halsey Street, Pine Boulevard, Cushman Street, and Oak Street. Oak Street will be paved from Route 9 to Elroy Street.

As part of the work, the southbound lanes of Route 9 at Prospect Street will be closed beginning at approximately 10:30 p.m. Motorists will be directed to follow a detour utilizing Prospect Street, Massachusetts Avenue, and Cross Street.

Officials also advised that beginning around midnight, northbound Route 9 may be temporarily closed as well, particularly in the area of Oak Street, depending on construction progress.

In a separate project, New Jersey Natural Gas is continuing infrastructure improvements along Martin Luther King Drive between Cedarbridge Avenue and Center Street beginning at 9 p.m.

One lane of traffic will remain open between Cedarbridge Avenue and Pine Street. Drivers seeking access to Cedarbridge Avenue from Martin Luther King Drive will be detoured via Center Street.

A car fire briefly shut down a section of County Road 539 in Manchester Township on Tuesday morning after a driver’s vehicle became engulfed in flames.

Manchester Township police said officers were called to the area of County Road 539 and McMahon Avenue at about 6:39 a.m. for a reported vehicle fire. When they arrived, they found a black 2006 Toyota Camry fully engulfed.

The vehicle was unoccupied, and officers established a safety perimeter while firefighters responded. County Road 539 was temporarily closed in both directions as the Whiting Volunteer Fire Company worked to bring the fire under control and extinguish it.

The driver, identified as 28-year-old Irving Delacruzchino of New Brunswick, told police he had been traveling south on County Road 539 when the Camry experienced engine failure. After the car came to a stop, he saw smoke coming from the front of the vehicle and got out immediately.

No passengers were in the car, and no injuries were reported.

Authorities said the fire does not appear suspicious and was likely caused by an electrical issue.

The Jackson Township Police Department is reviewing a traffic stop captured on video after the driver, a Black man, accused two officers of racially profiling him as he left his apartment complex to buy groceries.

The driver, Jamal Holmes, said in a Facebook post that officers drove past him while he sat in his parked car talking on the phone at the Westlake Mews residential development, then began following him after he pulled out to drive to BJ’s Wholesale Club to pick up groceries for his son. He posted the video he recorded of the encounter on June 2, and it has since circulated widely online.

In the footage, the first officer explains what drew the officers’ attention.

“When we drove by in the Mews, we just saw you; I was a little concerned, it looked like you were reaching down, just like hiding your face when we came by. You’re wearing a sweatshirt in 80-degree weather,” the officer says.
The officer also points to a handicap placard in Holmes’ car and says residents of the development had complained about people parking in handicap spaces.

Holmes challenged the basis for the stop on the recording.

“So you’re conducting a traffic stop because you’re trying to say I look suspicious … while I’m walking out of my own apartment,” he says. “Why? Because I’m Black and it’s 80 degree weather?”

Holmes repeatedly asked the officers to call a supervisor, saying he was entitled to speak with one before stepping out of the vehicle. “By law, if I request that you call your supervisor, you’re supposed to call your supervisor before I get out of the car,” he says, as the officers direct him to exit.

More than two minutes into the recording, one officer notes that the car’s inspection sticker had expired in May. The officers continued to tell Holmes to get out of the car as he continued to ask for a supervisor.

“You’re gonna get locked up for obstruction,” one officer says.

Holmes said he knew his rights and would speak with a supervisor once one arrived. The two sides argued before an officer pulled him from the car and told him he was under arrest. The video ends there.

In his Facebook post, Holmes wrote that after the recording stopped, officers pressed him against his car and twisted his arms, aggravating a back he said holds screws and rods from a spinal fusion two years ago. He wrote that he was taken to the police station, where he asked for a medic and eventually spoke with a supervisor.

When he asked the supervisor what about his clothing made him appear suspicious, Holmes wrote, the supervisor did not answer and told him the expired inspection was the reason for the stop. After the supervisor watched the video, and after emergency responders said Holmes would be taken to the hospital, he was told he was being released, he wrote. He said he later underwent an MRI to check the hardware in his spine. Holmes said he was released without being processed and told a summons would be mailed to him.

Police Chief Mary Nelson said in a statement posted to the department’s Facebook page that the department was aware of the video.

“The Jackson Township Police Department takes all allegations of discrimination seriously,” Nelson wrote. “We are aware of the concerns that have been raised and are reviewing the matter in accordance with our policies and procedures. A thorough and impartial review will be conducted to ensure all relevant facts and circumstances are considered.”

The Jackson Township Police Department is reviewing a traffic stop captured on video after the driver, a Black man, accused two officers of racially profiling him as he left his apartment complex to buy groceries.

The driver, Jamal Holmes, said in a Facebook post that officers drove past him while he sat in his parked car talking on the phone at the Westlake Mews residential development, then began following him after he pulled out to drive to BJ’s Wholesale Club to pick up groceries for his son. He posted the video he recorded of the encounter on June 2, and it has since circulated widely online.

In the footage, the first officer explains what drew the officers’ attention.

“When we drove by in the Mews, we just saw you; I was a little concerned, it looked like you were reaching down, just like hiding your face when we came by. You’re wearing a sweatshirt in 80-degree weather,” the officer says.
The officer also points to a handicap placard in Holmes’ car and says residents of the development had complained about people parking in handicap spaces.

Holmes challenged the basis for the stop on the recording.

“So you’re conducting a traffic stop because you’re trying to say I look suspicious … while I’m walking out of my own apartment,” he says. “Why? Because I’m Black and it’s 80 degree weather?”

Holmes repeatedly asked the officers to call a supervisor, saying he was entitled to speak with one before stepping out of the vehicle. “By law, if I request that you call your supervisor, you’re supposed to call your supervisor before I get out of the car,” he says, as the officers direct him to exit.

More than two minutes into the recording, one officer notes that the car’s inspection sticker had expired in May. The officers continued to tell Holmes to get out of the car as he continued to ask for a supervisor.

“You’re gonna get locked up for obstruction,” one officer says.

Holmes said he knew his rights and would speak with a supervisor once one arrived. The two sides argued before an officer pulled him from the car and told him he was under arrest. The video ends there.

In his Facebook post, Holmes wrote that after the recording stopped, officers pressed him against his car and twisted his arms, aggravating a back he said holds screws and rods from a spinal fusion two years ago. He wrote that he was taken to the police station, where he asked for a medic and eventually spoke with a supervisor.

When he asked the supervisor what about his clothing made him appear suspicious, Holmes wrote, the supervisor did not answer and told him the expired inspection was the reason for the stop. After the supervisor watched the video, and after emergency responders said Holmes would be taken to the hospital, he was told he was being released, he wrote. He said he later underwent an MRI to check the hardware in his spine. Holmes said he was released without being processed and told a summons would be mailed to him.

Police Chief Mary Nelson said in a statement posted to the department’s Facebook page that the department was aware of the video.

“The Jackson Township Police Department takes all allegations of discrimination seriously,” Nelson wrote. “We are aware of the concerns that have been raised and are reviewing the matter in accordance with our policies and procedures. A thorough and impartial review will be conducted to ensure all relevant facts and circumstances are considered.”

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Video courtesy of Facebook/ViBin Mall

A 22-year-old Passaic County man has been charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS after federal authorities say he discussed potential attacks in the United States, including a possible attack on a shul near his home in Wayne.

Mohamed Sagha, of Wayne, New Jersey, was charged by complaint with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham, commonly known as ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer and Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg announced.

Sagha made his initial appearance in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda D. Wettre and was ordered detained.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Sagha participated in one or more online chat groups from approximately December 2025 to June 2026 where ISIS supporters discussed potential attacks on targets inside the United States, including places of worship.

Federal authorities allege that Sagha communicated online with a confidential human source whom he believed to be a member of ISIS. During those conversations, Sagha allegedly expressed interest in assisting another ISIS supporter with an attack on a place of worship.

Prosecutors further allege that Sagha said he was considering carrying out his own attack, possibly targeting a National Guard location or a Jewish place of worship. Authorities said Sagha shared images or videos of both locations with the confidential source and stated that they were near his residence in Wayne.

“As alleged, the defendant sought to support ISIS and expressed interest in violence directed at targets within the United States, including places of worship,” U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer said. “Those who seek to advance the objectives of foreign terrorist organizations should expect a swift and coordinated response from federal law enforcement.”

The allegations come amid heightened security concerns for Jewish institutions across the country, with shuls, schools and community centers remaining on alert following a rise in threats and antisemitic incidents in recent years.

During Sagha’s communications with the confidential source, authorities said the source repeatedly portrayed himself as an ISIS fighter and sent Sagha messages and photographs indicating he was in ISIS territory in Syria. The images allegedly included ISIS flags and what appeared to be an AK-47-style rifle.

Sagha, in turn, allegedly expressed a desire to travel to ISIS territory and made an unsuccessful attempt to do so in early March 2026, according to federal prosecutors.

Authorities also allege that between May 31 and June 2, Sagha discussed the use of a Virtual Private Network, or VPN, with the confidential source for the source and other ISIS fighters referred to as “brothers.” Prosecutors said VPN technology can help users conceal online activity, mask locations and identities, and communicate with greater anonymity.

Sagha ultimately purchased a VPN, sent it to the confidential source — whom he believed to be a terrorist organization member — and explained how to use it, authorities said.

“The defendant allegedly wanted to attack targets in the United States in support of ISIS and its hateful ideology, but the FBI detected and put a stop to his violent plans,” said Donald Holstead, assistant director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a term of life of supervised release.

Drivers traveling through Lakewood on Monday night should expect traffic disruptions as both state road crews and utility contractors conduct overnight work in several areas of town.

New Jersey Department of Transportation contractors are scheduled to begin repaving work at 10 p.m. on portions of several streets near Route 9. The affected roadways include Buttell Avenue, Prospect Street, Sherwood Drive, Spruce Street, and West Spruce Street.

Drivers should anticipate temporary closures and detours in the work zones. A detour for Prospect Street traffic will direct motorists along Williams Street, James Street, and Route 9.

Separately, New Jersey Natural Gas crews will continue infrastructure improvement work beginning at 9 p.m. on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive between Cedar Bridge Avenue and Center Street.

During the project, one lane will remain open to traffic from Cedar Bridge Avenue to Pine Street. Motorists seeking to access Cedar Bridge Avenue from Martin Luther King Jr. Drive will be detoured via Center Street.

A 26-year-old Manchester woman was critically injured Monday morning after her E-scooter collided with an SUV at the intersection of Route 37 and Buckingham.

The crash occurred at approximately 6:15 a.m., when officers from the Manchester Township Police Department responded to the area for a report of a motor vehicle crash involving an SUV and an E-scooter.

Upon arrival, officers found the E-scooter operator, identified as Sabrina Hauge, lying in the westbound lanes of Route 37 with severe injuries. A black E-scooter with minor damage was found nearby in the left westbound lane, while a white 2017 Chevrolet Suburban with moderate passenger-side damage had come to a stop on the westbound shoulder.

According to the preliminary investigation, the Chevrolet Suburban was traveling westbound in the left lane of Route 37 as it approached Buckingham Drive, while the E-scooter was also traveling westbound on the shoulder. Police said the E-scooter reached the intersection first and attempted to cross Route 37. As the Chevrolet proceeded through the signalized intersection, the E-scooter continued turning south across the roadway.

The left side of the E-scooter’s handlebar struck the front passenger-side fender of the Chevrolet, police said. The scooter and its operator then impacted the passenger side of the vehicle, including the passenger-side mirror and front and rear doors.

Hauge was ejected from the scooter and landed on the pavement in the left westbound lane. She was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, police said. She was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where she was listed in critical but stable condition.

The driver of the Chevrolet, identified as 24-year-old Anner Galvan-Vasquez of Toms River, was the sole occupant of the vehicle. Police said he was wearing his seatbelt and did not report any injuries.

The Chevrolet came to a controlled stop on the shoulder of Route 37 approximately 500 feet west of the crash location.

Assisting at the scene were EMTs from the Manchester Township Division of Emergency Services, South Toms River First Aid, Robert Wood Johnson Paramedics and the New Jersey Department of Transportation Diversion Team.

The crash remains under investigation by Patrolman Michael O’Hara of the department’s Traffic Safety Section. Police said that, at this point, disregarding a traffic signal and improper crossing of an intersection appear to be the primary contributing factors.

Jackson Township Fire District #4 recently welcomed three new firefighters during a swearing-in ceremony attended by family members, friends, district officials, and fellow firefighters.

Firefighters James Harper Jr., Nicholas Havens, and Matthew Knierim officially took the oath of office and were welcomed into the department as they begin their careers in the fire service.

The ceremony marked an important milestone for the three new members, who were joined by supporters from throughout the community. Fire District officials expressed appreciation to everyone who attended, noting that the strong turnout helped make the evening especially meaningful for the new firefighters.

District leaders also thanked Commissioner Couceiro, the Board of Fire Commissioners, family members, friends, and department personnel for taking the time to attend the event and welcome the firefighters to the district.

As Harper, Havens, and Knierim embark on their firefighting careers, district officials offered their congratulations and best wishes for safe and successful service to the community.

Following a productive April/Pesach season during which dozens of Lakewood infrastructure projects were completed and/or substantially progressed, Township officials say they are continuing roadwork at full speed.

Over the past few weeks, crews repaved and striped a dozen roads in both downtown Lakewood and the Central Avenue area. Following a rough winter season, the current warm weather presents the optimal conditions for road projects of this nature. Despite life being “back to normal” throughout town, crews continue to complete projects, while taking steps to minimize traffic disruptions during peak hours, as much as feasible.

Roads that have recently been repaved and striped:

• Royal Ave (New Central Ave to Glen Ave)
• Royal Ct.
• Central Ct.
• Carlton Ave. (Glen Ave to Central Ct.)
• Glen Ave. (New Central Ave to Central Ave)
• Knoll Rd.
• Columbus Ave.
• Leigh Dr.
• 4th Street (Rt. 9 to Lexington Ave)
• 9thStreet (Lexington Ave to Monmouth Ave)
• 1stStreet (Lexington Ave to Monmouth Ave)
• Monmouth Ave (1stStreet to Rt. 88)

Gedolim of Keren Olam HaTorah gathered today at the Lakewood home of philanthropist Reb Baruch Jeremias for a major fundraising event supporting Torah learning worldwide.

During the gathering, HaRav Chaim Mordechai Ausband, Rosh Yeshiva of Ateres Shlomo, delivered powerful remarks explaining how Limud HaTorah serves as a spiritual shield protecting Klal Yisroel — even from missile attacks.

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Crews working on behalf of New Jersey American Water are currently canvassing homes in parts of Lakewood as part of the utility’s ongoing lead service line replacement program.

According to New Jersey American Water’s qualified contractor, CDM Smith, crews are visiting homes in the Park Avenue and Ridge Avenue/Brook Road neighborhoods. The canvassing is being conducted to identify properties that may require lead service line replacement.

The effort is part of New Jersey American Water’s Lead Service Line Replacement Program, which follows a 2021 state law requiring all water providers in New Jersey to identify and replace lead and galvanized steel service lines by 2031.

A service line is the pipe that carries water from the water main in the street into a home or building. It includes both the portion owned by New Jersey American Water and the portion owned by the property owner.

Residents and property owners can self-identify and report their water service pipe materials to New Jersey American Water by submitting photos, or they may schedule an in-person inspection at a convenient time. New Jersey American Water has sent, and will continue to send, informational materials in multiple languages directly to potentially affected customers explaining how to proceed.

Authorized canvassers may also proactively visit designated properties to assist customers with the process. Officials emphasized that inspections are free and typically take about 15 minutes.

Canvassers will not ask residents for sensitive personal or financial information or documentation. They will wear clearly marked, high-visibility vests displaying New Jersey American Water and CDM Smith logos and will carry official identification.

All canvassing, inspections, and any replacement work are being performed solely by New Jersey American Water or its authorized contractors, not by Lakewood Township or any other government agency. However, the effort has been coordinated with Lakewood Township to support public awareness and safety.

In the meantime, Lakewood residents may continue using their water as usual. New Jersey American Water says the water it provides continues to meet all state and federal water quality standards, including standards for lead.

Additional program resources, an interactive service line inventory map, and tools to self-identify service line materials are available at newjerseyamwater.com/leadfacts.

Questions not addressed on the utility’s website may be directed to the New Jersey American Water Lead Team by email at [email protected] or by calling CDM Smith at 732-590-4700.

Lakewood Alerts regrets to inform you of the petirah of R’ Aryeh Danziger z”l, a Holocaust survivor who was liberated from Bergen-Belsen at just 3 years old, and longtime Brooklyn resident who moved to The Fairways in Lakewood several years ago. He was 84.

R’ Aryeh is survived by his wife, Mrs. Hinda Danziger yb”l, and his children R’ Shmuel Duvid of Lakewood, R’ Tzvi of Boro Park, and Mrs. Shoshi Weiss, the rebbetzin of Rav Moshe Meir Weiss.

The levaya is scheduled to take place at 3:30 PM Monday at the Sons of Israel Holocaust Memorial Chapel in Lakewood, 613 Ramsey Avenue. The kevurah will take place in the adjacent bais olam.

Lakewood Alerts regrets to inform you of the petirah of R’ Aryeh Danziger z”l, a longtime Brooklyn resident who moved to The Fairways in Lakewood several years ago. He was 84.

R’ Aryeh is survived by his wife, Mrs. Ida Weiss yb”l, and his children R’ Shmuel Duvid of Lakewood, R’ Tzvi of Boro Park, and Mrs. Shoshi Weiss, the rebbetzin of Rav Moshe Meir Weiss.

The levaya is scheduled to take place at 3:30 PM Monday at the Sons of Israel Holocaust Memorial Chapel in Lakewood, 613 Ramsey Avenue. The kevurah will take place in the adjacent bais olam.

Ocean County voters will be asked this November to consider increasing funding for the county’s longstanding Natural Lands Trust Fund, a program that has preserved tens of thousands of acres of open space and farmland over the past three decades.

The Ocean County Board of Commissioners plans to place a referendum on the November ballot seeking to raise the trust fund’s dedicated tax rate from 1.2 cents to 2.2 cents per $100 of total county equalized real property valuation.

According to county officials, the increase is intended to help keep pace with rising land acquisition and preservation costs while ensuring that future conservation efforts can continue.

“Over the last 30 years, while the open space tax has remained the same, the cost of purchasing and preserving the land has continued to rise,” said Ocean County Commissioner Director Frank Sadeghi, who serves as a co-liaison to the program. “This proposed increase would allow for additional funding to support the continued land preservation and conservation efforts throughout the County.”

Since its establishment in 1998, the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust Fund has preserved more than 30,000 acres of open space and over 3,600 acres of farmland. Overall, nearly 186,000 acres — approximately 47 percent of Ocean County — have been preserved through a combination of federal, state, county, and local efforts.

Commissioner Rob Arace said continued preservation is especially important as Ocean County experiences rapid population growth.

“Ocean County continues to grow in population size, with it being the highest population change in all 21 counties in New Jersey according to the 2024 census survey,” Arace said. “We as a Board want to make sure that the County continues to prioritize preservation as a way to ensure that the natural character of Ocean County stays intact.”

Arace noted that the program has helped protect environmentally sensitive lands, provide buffers around Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, and limit development in key areas.

The trust fund was first approved by voters in 1997, when residents in all 33 municipalities supported the creation of a dedicated funding source for land preservation. The program was expanded in 2019 through another referendum, allowing funds to be used not only for land acquisition but also for recreation projects and historic preservation efforts.

Under the program, properties must be formally nominated for consideration and can only be acquired from willing sellers. Any proposed acquisition must also receive approval from the local governing body and meet environmental or conservation objectives established by the program.

In advance of the upcoming referendum, county officials have launched a new website detailing current preservation projects, land maintenance efforts, habitat restoration initiatives, and potential grant opportunities. The site also provides information about the proposed tax increase and its anticipated impact on future preservation efforts.

The Board of Commissioners is expected to formally approve the ballot question at a future meeting.

Ocean County voters will be asked this November to consider increasing funding for the county’s longstanding Natural Lands Trust Fund, a program that has preserved tens of thousands of acres of open space and farmland over the past three decades.

The Ocean County Board of Commissioners plans to place a referendum on the November ballot seeking to raise the trust fund’s dedicated tax rate from 1.2 cents to 2.2 cents per $100 of total county equalized real property valuation.

According to county officials, the increase is intended to help keep pace with rising land acquisition and preservation costs while ensuring that future conservation efforts can continue.

“Over the last 30 years, while the open space tax has remained the same, the cost of purchasing and preserving the land has continued to rise,” said Ocean County Commissioner Director Frank Sadeghi, who serves as a co-liaison to the program. “This proposed increase would allow for additional funding to support the continued land preservation and conservation efforts throughout the County.”

Since its establishment in 1998, the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust Fund has preserved more than 30,000 acres of open space and over 3,600 acres of farmland. Overall, nearly 186,000 acres — approximately 47 percent of Ocean County — have been preserved through a combination of federal, state, county, and local efforts.

Commissioner Rob Arace said continued preservation is especially important as Ocean County experiences rapid population growth.

“Ocean County continues to grow in population size, with it being the highest population change in all 21 counties in New Jersey according to the 2024 census survey,” Arace said. “We as a Board want to make sure that the County continues to prioritize preservation as a way to ensure that the natural character of Ocean County stays intact.”

Arace noted that the program has helped protect environmentally sensitive lands, provide buffers around Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, and limit development in key areas.

The trust fund was first approved by voters in 1997, when residents in all 33 municipalities supported the creation of a dedicated funding source for land preservation. The program was expanded in 2019 through another referendum, allowing funds to be used not only for land acquisition but also for recreation projects and historic preservation efforts.

Under the program, properties must be formally nominated for consideration and can only be acquired from willing sellers. Any proposed acquisition must also receive approval from the local governing body and meet environmental or conservation objectives established by the program.

In advance of the upcoming referendum, county officials have launched a new website detailing current preservation projects, land maintenance efforts, habitat restoration initiatives, and potential grant opportunities. The site also provides information about the proposed tax increase and its anticipated impact on future preservation efforts.

The Board of Commissioners is expected to formally approve the ballot question at a future meeting.

Preparations for the 2026-2027 school transportation season are continuing, with the next major milestones set to take place this week, according to an update sent Monday from the Lakewood Student Transportation Authority (LSTA).

Officials announced that the second transportation bid of the season is scheduled for Thursday, while a fifth round of route renewals will also be distributed in the coming days.

The LSTA said that initial route plans for the upcoming school year have already been sent to some schools for review and feedback. Additional schools will receive their proposed routes once all required documentation for the 2025-2026 school year has been submitted through the family portal.

Parents are being urged to log in to their accounts at LakewoodSTA.org and ensure that all required forms have been completed. Officials said that timely submission of forms will help schools review routes and finalize transportation arrangements more efficiently.

The update also highlighted several upcoming deadlines. Nearly all schools have now submitted enrollment lists for girls entering ninth grade, and students’ names should be visible in family portals. Parents seeking non-mandated transportation for incoming ninth-grade girls must opt in by June 15.

In addition, newly identified ineligible students who reside in Lakewood must opt in within 24 to 48 hours of receiving notification. Families who do not respond within that timeframe will be automatically opted out.

LSTA also reminded parents that transportation funding decisions are determined by each individual township board of education.

Hundreds of Lakewood’s rabbanim, roshei yeshiva, roshei chaburah, dayanim, poskim, and marbitzei Torah assembled Sunday evening at Lakewood High School for an unprecedented maamad led by Harav Dov Landau shlit”a.

The evening opened with remarks from R’ Reuven Wolf shlit”a, who described the urgent circumstances that brought Rav Dov to America. Over the past two years, he explained, Keren Olam HaTorah has distributed more than $250 million to yeshivos and kollelim throughout Eretz Yisroel following the Israeli Supreme Court’s decision to halt critical government funding that had long served as the financial backbone of mosdos hatorah.

R’ Reuven noted the painful irony that while the court ruled that welfare benefits for the children of terrorists could not be curtailed, it demanded the termination of support for the children of lomdei Torah, highlighting the increasingly hostility confronting bnei Torah in Eretz Yisroel.

Speaking b’shem Rav Dov and the other gedolei roshei hayeshiva guiding Keren Olam HaTorah, Rav Wolf called upon the assembled rabbanim and marbitzei Torah to designate the upcoming Shabbos, Parshas Shelach, as “Shabbos Keren Olam HaTorah,” urging their respective kehillos to rally behind the lomdei Torah of Eretz Yisroel and be mechazek their support for the mosdos hatorah facing unprecedented challenges.

Shortly thereafter, Rav Dov entered the packed auditorium to the palpable and reverent excitement of the assembled talmidei chachomim.

In a brief address, Rav Dov spoke movingly about the difficult matzav facing bnei Torah in Eretz Yisroel, describing the mounting pressures, gezeiros, and threats confronting lomdei Torah and avreichim. He stressed that while American rabbanim and marbitzei Torah may feel physically distant from the struggle, they possess a unique ability to inspire their talmidim and kehillos to become active partners in sustaining the Torah world.

“The hichayvus now resting upon your shoulders,” Rav Dov declared, “is your ability to influence your talmidim and those who listen to you.”

Rav Dov called upon the rabbanim to help expand Keren Olam Hatorah’s circle of supporters and ensure that the kol Torah is not silenced because of financial hardship.

The evening, however, did not conclude with the speech. What followed was a scene rarely witnessed even in the Torah capital of America.

For more than an hour, Rav Dov engaged the assembled talmidei chachomim in a breathtaking rischa d’oraysa, traversing numerous shvere sugyos throughout Shas and Poskim. Question followed question, answer followed answer, as the gadol hador demonstrated a mastery of Torah that left participants awestruck.

Despite having just arrived from Eretz Yisroel after an exhausting international trip undertaken for the sake of saving Toras Eretz Yisroel, Rav Dov remained fully immersed in the give-and-take of learning, discussing complex sugyos with extraordinary clarity, depth, and intensity.

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Lake Carasaljo was the scene of a successful community event on Sunday as local law enforcement agencies, first responders, and residents gathered for the annual “Cops and Bobbers” fishing program.

The event brought together members of the Lakewood Police Department’s Community Resource Unit and K-9 Unit, along with representatives from Lakewood EMS, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, and the New Jersey Conservation Police.

With favorable weather and a strong turnout, participants enjoyed a day of fishing, conversation, and community engagement along the lake. The event provided residents with an opportunity to interact with local law enforcement officers and first responders in a relaxed, family-friendly setting.

Officials said the event was a great example of community partnerships and highlighted the importance of building positive relationships between residents and the agencies that serve them.

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The Jackson Township Council is set to vote Tuesday on a resolution formally supporting a series of proposed traffic improvements along South Cooks Bridge Road, a heavily traveled county roadway that has long been the focus of congestion and safety concerns.

The resolution backs a preliminary improvement plan developed by Ocean County for the section of South Cooks Bridge Road between Brewers Bridge Road and Hope Chapel Road. Township officials and county engineers have previously discussed upgrades to the corridor in an effort to improve traffic flow and enhance public safety.

Under the proposal, the roadway would be re-striped to provide one 11-foot travel lane in each direction along with a 12-foot center two-way left-turn lane.

Additional improvements would include the creation of a dedicated center turn lane for eastbound drivers turning left onto New Central Avenue, where no such lane currently exists.

The plan also calls for extending a dedicated right-turn lane for westbound traffic turning onto Brewers Bridge Road and lengthening the existing eastbound left-turn lane at Hope Chapel Road. Officials say the additional space will help reduce backups and improve the movement of vehicles through the intersection.

The resolution also thanks Ocean County for working with township officials to identify potential improvements along the corridor, which serves as a major east-west route through Jackson and experiences significant traffic during peak travel periods.

Target is voluntarily recalling two of its Up & Up store-brand baby wipes products sold nationwide after federal testing found bacteria that can cause serious infections.

The recall covers Up & Up Fragrance Free Baby Wipes and Up & Up Fresh Cucumber Scented Baby Wipes. FDA testing identified the presence of Burkholderia cepacia complex and Burkholderia gladioli in product samples after customers reported discoloration on the wipes.

According to the FDA notice, use of products contaminated with the bacteria may result in serious and life-threatening infections. The agency said the wipes are predominantly used on newborns, infants, and young children, who are particularly vulnerable to opportunistic infection due to their immature immune systems.

In healthy people, the FDA said, use of the product on skin with minor lesions is more likely to result in a local infection. In immunocompromised individuals, newborns, infants and young children, the infection is more likely to spread into the bloodstream, potentially leading to life-threatening sepsis or pneumonia.

The CDC says Burkholderia cepacia complex is a group of bacteria that can cause infections and can be resistant to antibiotics, making them difficult to treat. The bacteria thrive in damp environments such as water sources and moist products.

The recalled wipes were sold at Target stores nationwide and online at Target.com.

Target said it and the manufacturer have received a number of consumer complaints and adverse event reports alleging product discoloration and symptoms such as skin irritation, eye irritation, and infections potentially associated with the use of the product. The company said those reports remain under investigation.

The Up & Up Fragrance Free Baby Wipes were sold in 20, 72, 216, 800 and 1,200 count packages. Those wipes carry a manufacturing date code of November 7, 2025 (071125X/XX) to May 5, 2026 (050526X/XXX) and expiration dates between May 10, 2028 (100528) through November 5, 2028 (051128).

The Up & Up Fresh Cucumber Scented Baby Wipes were sold in 72, 216 and 800 count packages. Those wipes carry a manufacturing code of December 29, 2025 (291225X/XX) to December 30, 2025 (301225X/XX) and expiration dates between June 29, 2028 (290628) through June 30, 2028 (300628).

The company is urging customers to act. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled products and return them to any Target store for a full refund. Customers can contact Target Guest Relations at 1-800-440-0680 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT daily for more information.

Toms River Police Chief Guy Maire is taking a medical leave of absence for what Mayor Daniel Rodrick described as “a few weeks,” according to Mayor Dan Rodrick. Capt. Anthony Scali will serve as the officer in charge of the department while Maire is out, Rodrick said, as reported by Patch.

Maire notified several people by email that he would be taking the leave, multiple sources told Patch, and the sources said the chief was seen cleaning out his desk at the police department. Rodrick criticized members of the department for leaking the news to social media and the press, saying that “Chief Maire deserves all the same level of privacy as any other employee.”

Maire is the third police chief to serve since Rodrick became mayor. Mitch Little retired in August 2024, and Peter Sundack retired this past April after going out on leave in the summer of 2025. Maire’s absence means that for the second time in under a year, the township’s top cop is sidelined on medical leave.

Maire, 57, was sworn in as chief last summer, taking the oath shortly after the Township Council adopted an ordinance changing the police department’s hiring guidelines, a move that drew criticism from Ocean County Prosecutor Brad Billhimer. He had been promoted to captain in September 2024 and served as officer in charge of the department after Sundack went out on leave.

New Jersey has cracked the top five states for road rage in the country, according to a new study. But the Garden State’s ranking has less to do with gunfire on the highway than with something far more familiar to anyone who has ever merged onto the Turnpike: sheer, unrelenting aggressive driving.

A new report by Consumer Affairs ranked New Jersey fifth in the nation for worst road rage, analyzing data on fatal crashes involving careless or reckless driving, citations for dangerous driving, and traffic incidents involving gun violence.

The report found that 46% of all traffic deaths in the state were tied to careless or aggressive driving. That is a striking figure and the primary driver of New Jersey’s top-five ranking.

The gun violence picture, however, tells a very different story. Between 2023 and 2025, New Jersey recorded just six traffic incidents involving gun violence, one of the lowest rates in the country, roughly 85% below the national rate. Among all 50 states, New Jersey and New York consistently rank at the bottom for armed road rage incidents per capita.

Experts say the gap between New Jersey’s aggressive driving numbers and its low gun violence figures reflects the state’s strict firearms laws. New Jersey reports just 0.3 firearm-related road rage incidents per 100,000 residents, the lowest rate in the country, compared to New Mexico, which leads the nation at 5.5 incidents per 100,000 residents.

Louisiana leads the nation overall in road rage, with 57% of fatal crashes and 58% of traffic deaths caused by aggressive or careless driving, and fatal crashes linked to aggressive driving reaching 9.31 per 100,000 residents. Arkansas, Colorado, and Montana round out the top four ahead of New Jersey.

New Jersey’s ranking is also an improvement of sorts. Though the state remains in the same fifth-place spot as last year, its percentage of traffic fatalities involving aggressive or careless driving dropped significantly, from a nationwide high of 72.8% the prior year down to 44.9%.

Still, the overall picture remains concerning for a state already notorious for congested highways, jughandles, and some of the highest traffic density in the country.

For New Jersey drivers, the takeaway may be counterintuitive: the state’s roads are among the most dangerous in the country for aggressive driving, even as they remain among the safest from gun violence. The jughandle, it turns out, may be more dangerous than the holster.

The Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey is set to spend Shabbos Parshas Behaaloscha in Lakewood, marking the Rebbe’s first Shabbos in Lakewood since taking on the nesius of the Vizhnitzer chassidus in 2019.

This past Shabbos was the first off-Shabbos for many bochurim since the beginning of the summer zman. Like many parents and community members, I was happy to see young men who had spent weeks immersed in Torah learning enjoying some well-deserved time at home with their families.

On Friday, I stopped at a local Wawa and noticed something that left me unsettled. A bochur was standing at the lottery vending machine purchasing scratch-off tickets. He wasn’t picking up a drink or a snack. He was feeding money into a machine and buying lottery tickets, presumably with money provided by his parents.

Unfortunately, this was not the first time I had seen such a thing. Over the years, I have witnessed it on multiple occasions, and each time it strikes me as deeply troubling.

At first glance, a scratch-off ticket may seem harmless. After all, it is only a few dollars and takes just a few moments. Compared to casinos, sports betting, poker games, and other forms of gambling, it can appear almost innocent. Yet that perception is precisely what makes it dangerous.

For many people, gambling problems do not begin with high-stakes wagers. They begin with small bets that normalize the behavior and create an appetite for the excitement that comes with risking money for the chance of a reward. Scratch-off tickets teach a subtle but powerful lesson: that wealth can be obtained through luck rather than through hard work, discipline, patience, and effort. The thrill of winning, even a small amount, can create a desire for more, and what starts as an occasional purchase can evolve into a habit.

Anyone familiar with our community knows that gambling addiction is not merely a theoretical concern. It is a very real problem that has affected individuals and families across every segment of society. Financial ruin, damaged marriages, broken trust, overwhelming debt, and years of emotional suffering often begin with what seemed at the time like a harmless activity.

No compulsive gambler begins by placing enormous bets. Every gambling addiction starts somewhere. It begins with a first wager, a first ticket, a first taste of the excitement that gambling provides. The path is often gradual, which is why it can be so difficult to recognize until significant damage has already occurred.

What concerns me most is that many bochurim likely do not even view scratch-off tickets as gambling. They see them as entertainment, a novelty, or a harmless way to spend a few dollars. Yet if we acknowledge the devastation that gambling addiction can cause, then we must also acknowledge that prevention requires addressing the behavior before it becomes a problem.

This is why our mechanchim, rabbeim, parents, and community leaders need to speak openly about this issue. We devote tremendous effort to preparing our children and talmidim for the spiritual and practical challenges they will encounter throughout life. Gambling and its dangers deserve a place in those conversations as well. Young people should understand not only that gambling can be destructive, but also how seemingly minor forms of gambling can serve as a gateway to much larger problems.

The bochur I observed may never develop a gambling problem, and I sincerely hope that he does not. But the fact that a ben Torah can stand at a lottery machine and view the purchase of scratch-off tickets as a normal activity should give us pause. We have seen too many lives affected by gambling to dismiss such scenes as insignificant.

If we want to protect the next generation from a problem that has already caused so much pain within our community, we cannot wait until someone develops an addiction. The conversation must begin long before that point. It must begin now.

Signed,

A Concerned Local

The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Lakewood Alerts. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review.

Two Ocean County men have admitted their roles in a 2024 shooting incident in Toms River in which a bicyclist was fired upon multiple times but escaped unharmed.

Anthony Zigarelli, 21, of Manchester Township, pleaded guilty on June 1 to Aggravated Assault and being a Certain Person Not to Possess a Weapon. Anthony Ventrice, 19, of Toms River, also pleaded guilty to Aggravated Assault in connection with the same incident.

According to authorities, officers responded to the area of Camino Medio and Camino Verde on May 14, 2024, after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire. Investigators determined that a man was riding his bicycle through the neighborhood when Ventrice allegedly produced a handgun and fired several shots in his direction. Prosecutors said the pair then entered a vehicle and drove past the victim, at which point Zigarelli allegedly fired additional shots.

Despite the barrage of gunfire, the victim was not struck and suffered no injuries.

Ventrice, who was a juvenile at the time of the incident, was initially charged through the juvenile court system before his case was waived to adult criminal court. He was arrested by Lakewood police on May 22, 2024, and later transferred to the Ocean County Jail in May 2025, where he remains lodged.

Zigarelli was charged on May 28, 2024, and arrested the following day by Toms River police. He has remained in the Ocean County Jail since his arrest.

Both men are scheduled to be sentenced on August 14. Prosecutors will seek a 10-year state prison sentence for Zigarelli on the aggravated assault charge, subject to New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, along with a concurrent five-year sentence for the weapons offense. The state will seek a seven-year prison term for Ventrice, also subject to NERA.

The investigation was conducted by the Toms River Township Police Department with assistance from the Lakewood Township Police Department and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit.

Ocean County law enforcement agencies will join forces this weekend for a countywide high-visibility traffic enforcement initiative aimed at reducing roadway fatalities and promoting compliance with New Jersey’s Move Over Law.

Ocean County Prosecutor Brad Billhimer announced that the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and local police departments will participate in the statewide Goal: Zero campaign on Saturday, June 6. The effort comes amid a troubling rise in traffic deaths across New Jersey. As of June 3, 208 people have been killed on the state’s roadways this year, including 18 in Ocean County.

This year’s June enforcement detail is dedicated to the memory of New Jersey State Trooper Marc Castellano, who was struck and killed by a passing motorist on June 6, 2010, while investigating a report along Interstate 195. His death led to the enactment of New Jersey’s Move Over Law, which requires drivers to slow down and, when safe, move over when approaching emergency vehicles displaying flashing lights.

“New Jersey’s Move Over Law is not just about traffic regulation — it is a lifesaving mechanism,” Prosecutor Billhimer said. “Every day, law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, tow truck operators, and roadway workers place themselves in harm’s way to serve and protect the public. By slowing down and moving over when you see flashing lights, you are helping ensure that those who work our highways return home safely to their families.”

The Goal: Zero campaign was launched in 2024 by Holmdel Township Patrolman Matt Menosky and brought together 36 municipalities to target dangerous driving behaviors. The campaign’s bright green logo symbolizes visibility and pedestrian safety, while a black mourning band honors those who have lost their lives in traffic crashes.

Motorists can expect increased enforcement activity throughout Ocean County on Saturday as officers focus on educating drivers and enforcing traffic safety laws.

In a powerful display of אהבת התורה, hundreds of participants gathered at Lake Terrace Hall on Sunday, Rosh Chodesh Sivan, for the Mishna Rishona Siyum.

The unforgettable מעמד לכבודה של תורה celebrated the achievements of Masmidei Mishna Rishona globally – and participants attended from as far as Canada. Mishna Rishona is an all-phone Torah platform featuring all Mishnayos of Shisha Sidrei Mishna – each Mishna taught by the noted Maggid Shiur, HaRav Fischel Schachter.

The Siyum was generously sponsored in memory of HaRav Daniel Lifshitz – לע״נ ר’ דניאל בן ר’ שמואל אריה. Rav Lifshitz was a third generation, American-born, Frum Yid who never strayed from Yiddishkeit with his exemplary Yashrus and Ehrlichkeit.

The Siyum celebrated hundreds of thousands of Mishnayos learned – culminating in 200 Siyumim on Sidrei Mishnayos – learned exclusively via the Mishna Rishona phone platform. Additionally, at the Siyum, participants collectively completed multiple sedarim together in an Avos Ubanim-style seder limud. Boys traveled from across the Tristate, Philadelphia, Maryland and even as far as Canada to attend this special event.

The program began with the Director of Mishna Rishona, Reb Avraham Yosef (AJ) Rabinowitz emphasizing that this Siyum was a celebration for both; the Masmidim and parents alike. It was an evening to celebrate the Mishnayos learned and also to recognize the Chinuch of these Masmidim – the Chinuch of “Anu Ratzim” that is on full display by the Mishna Rishona Masmidim yearning to complete Mishnayos.

Divrei Pesicha was delivered by the renown Maggid Shiur Rabbi Yaakov Zev Smith. He emphasized that every Masmid that learns on Mishna Rishona is truly considered a Mesayem. Quoting the Vilna Gaon, he explained that a Siyum celebrates not only completion, but the עצם קבלה and commitment to continue growing in תורה. He also shared the well-known יסוד of the Chofetz Chaim that the greatest source of ברכה and ישועה comes through לימוד התורה itself.

Rav Smith’s inspiring address was followed by the Seder limud and then the evening’s highlight – the Siyumim.

For the Siyum, each Mesayem was called up to the podium by the Program Coordinator, Reb Yehuda Yaroslawitz. His dedication and tireless efforts shaped the Siyum into a remarkable event. At the podium, the Mesaymim grouped together by Seder completed, learned the last Mishna in each Seder, recited the first Hadran followed by leibidike dancing. There was a special Siyum where seven Mesyamim made a Siyum on all of Shisha Sidrei Mishna learned with Mishna Rishona!

Highlighting the chashivus of the Siyumim, it was an honor to be graced by the presence of Rabbi Yehoshua Abba Busel, R”M of BMG and Rav of High Street Shul. Rav Busel addressed the incredible כוח התורה and unique סגולה and ברכה connected to making a Siyum. He underscored the tremendous accomplishments already achieved by Mishna Rishona and encouraged participants to continue spreading the program so even more boys can become connected to consistent לימוד התורה.

Rav Busel’s Divrei Torah set the tone of התעוררות for all assembled to recite the Tefila of והערב נא, in unison. With that powerful atmosphere of שמחה and כבוד התורה the Mesaymim joined together to recite the remainder of the Hadran and completing the Siyum. Over eighty Mesaymim received personal certificates and seforim sets as gifts in recognition of their extraordinary accomplishments in לימוד התורה on the Mishna Rishona system.

Rav Fischel Schachter, the Maggid Shiur of Mishna Rishona, delivered the Dvar HaSiyum focusing on the power of רצון and consistency in achieving lasting קניני תורה. Quoting the message of Rav Pam זצ״ל, he encouraged the boys that even small amounts of daily learning eventually lead to substantial accomplishments.

Adding to the simcha and inspiration of the event, Rav Schachter himself also made a Siyum on Seder Nezikin. This Siyum marked the completion of this Seder for Mishna Rishona Phase II – the Yiddish track. The Yiddish track will be publicly launched בעז״ה in the near future.

The atmosphere of simcha and enthusiasm was elevated by dynamic singing and music from Yisroel Werdyger, Duddy Jacoby, and their talented team, together with a beautifully catered סעודת מצוה befitting such a Maamed.

The evening concluded with leibidike dancing and tremendous feelings of pride and התעוררות for all to witness firsthand the growth of a new generation of בני תורה utilizing their free time for meaningful Torah learning. The sight of hundreds of boys singing and dancing in celebration of Torah learning left a lasting רושם on all who attended.

Over the past year alone, Mishna Rishona has inspired 5,471 Masmidim worldwide, who have collectively learned an astounding 408,405 Mishnayos and completed 29,694 review quizzes. With over 1,000 Mishnayos learned daily, Mishna Rishona continues to transform free time into meaningful Torah accomplishments.

Planning for next year’s Siyum is already בעז״ה underway as the program continues to expand and inspire even more boys to grow in התמדה and אהבת התורה.

To learn more about Mishna Rishona, please visit our website at MishnaRishona.org. For questions, please contact the office at 929-333-5154.

Mishna Rishona extends heartfelt appreciation to the Rabbanim, parents, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters whose dedication made this extraordinary מעמד possible — and most importantly, to the thousands of boys whose התמדה and אהבת התורה continue to inspire כלל ישראל.

A massive kabalas panim for gedolei torah from Eretz Yisroel will take place in Lakewood next Thursday afternoon outside BMG’s Bais Aharon at 9th and Clifton in Lakewood.

The gedolim are arriving to the US on Sunday on behalf of Keren Olam HaTorah, with two stops scheduled for Lakewood – on Monday and Thursday.

A kabalas panim for gedolei eretz yisroel held at the same location in 2024 drew tens of thousands of residents; this one is expected to do the same.

The delegation traveling for the mission will include the Roshei Yeshiva of Slabodka,  Harav Dov Landau shlit”a and Harav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlit”a; Harav Yaakov Hillel shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Ahavat Shalom; the Mashgiach Harav Don Segal shlit”a; Harav Shimon Galai shlit”a; Harav Avraham Salim shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Maor HaTorah; Harav Asher Weiss shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Darchei Torah; Harav Yosef Chevroni shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron; Harav Yisroel Bunim Schreiber shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Nesiv Hadaas; the Rachmastrivka Rebbe shlit”a, and Harav Chaim Mordechai Ausband shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo.

The exact details of the kabalas panim are expected to be released in the coming days. The kabalas panim is expected to accommodate both men and women.

We regret to info you of the petirah of R’ Moshe Doman z”l who was niftar this morning. He was 78 years old.

R’ Moshe z”l was beloved by many through the various communities in which he lived over the years, including Los Angeles, South Africa, Atlanta, and, most recently, Lakewood.

The levayah is scheduled to take place today at 12:30 p.m. at the chapel located at 613 Ramsey Avenue in Lakewood. Kevurah will follow in Lakewood.

Baruch Dayan Ha’Emes.

The Lakewood Police Department is reminding residents that New Jersey’s new e-bike law takes effect on July 20, 2026, and will bring several new requirements for riders.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Under the new law, riders must be at least 15 years old to operate an e-bike. Anyone younger than 15 is not allowed to ride one.
• The law recognizes two types of e-bikes. A low-speed e-bike provides motor assistance only while pedaling and stops helping once the bike reaches 20 miles per hour. A motorized bicycle, sometimes called a moped, can be operated with a throttle and can reach assisted speeds of up to 28 miles per hour.
• All riders must wear a helmet. There are no exceptions.
• Riders must have a valid driver’s license, e-bike license, or e-bike permit. Riders who are 17 or older can use a regular driver’s license. Riders ages 15 and 16 will need a special e-bike license.
• All e-bikes will also need to be registered with the MVC. Motorized bicycles must carry liability insurance, while low-speed e-bikes do not need insurance but still must be registered.

The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) has not yet started issuing e-bike licenses or permits, but officials say more information will be released in the future.

Riders who fail to follow the new rules may face fines starting at $50.

After more than three decades, Shloimy’s Kosher World is shutting down for good. The beloved grocery store — one of the oldest in town — will permanently close its doors next week, marking the end of an era for a community that has grown almost beyond recognition since the store first opened.

The store’s roots go back more than 30 years, when it opened as a tiny, one-aisle supermarket on County Line Road. At the time, Lakewood was a fraction of its current size, and a small neighborhood grocery was enough to serve the needs of the local frum community. As the town exploded in population and the appetite for quality kosher food grew with it, Shloimy’s grew too, eventually relocating to its current, larger home.

Beyond the product, Shloimy’s carried something harder to quantify: a connection to an older Lakewood, a town that felt more like a tight-knit village than the sprawling Jewish metropolis it has since become. Shopping there was a brush with living memory.

With its closing, Lakewood loses one of the last grocery stores that predates the great wave of growth that transformed the township into one of the largest Orthodox communities in the United States. The shelves will be empty by next week. What filled them — and what the store meant to the people who depended on it — will take considerably longer to replace.

Deborah Fuentes, a Republican Lakewood Township Committee incumbent, and Moshe Raitzik, currently serving as Lakewood Fire Commissioner, won Tuesday’s primary comfortably, defeating challenger Aaron Hirsch, who had campaigned on traffic relief and quality-of-life improvements. Raitzik led with 2,067 votes, Fuentes followed with 1,627, and Hirsch received 962.

The margin was decisive. But the more striking number is the one that wasn’t on the ballot.

Out of 65,828 registered voters in Lakewood, roughly 4,321 cast ballots — a turnout of about 6.6%, with a small number of mail-in ballots still outstanding. That means more than 93% of registered voters in New Jersey’s fastest-growing municipalities sat out the election entirely.

In recent weeks, the Route 9 traffic projects have dominated community conversation, with residents voicing frustration over disruptions along and around the corridor. Hirsch had made traffic and quality-of-life concerns the centerpiece of his campaign. Whatever one’s view of his candidacy, Tuesday’s results suggest that the thousands of residents who have been loudest about those issues did not show up to weigh in when they had the chance.

People who show up to vote make the decisions for the people who do not. The people who showed up in Lakewood were fewer than 4,400.

This is the moment Klal Yisroel has been waiting for.

Next week, the largest delegation of gedolei Yisroel ever to travel on behalf of Keren Olam HaTorah lands on American soil. Gedolei hador, roshei yeshiva, rabbanim, and admorim will be leaving their yeshivos, leaving their talmidim, and leaving the kehillos that are the center of their lives, to cross an ocean and stand in front of you. These gedolim, advanced in age and unwilling to part with even a single hour of limud haTorah, are clearing their calendars, boarding planes, and traveling to cities across the United States.

Why? Because for over two years the funding has been frozen. The yeshivos are drowning, the kollelim are buckling, and bochurim are now being arrested for refusing to put down a Gemara. This is the fight for the survival of Torah in Eretz Yisroel, and the gedolim recognize there is no one left to send in their place. So they are coming themselves.

We are being presented with the single greatest opportunity a Yid can be offered: to become a shutaf in the olam haTorah at the exact moment malignant forces are trying to tear it down. Now is the chance attach your name to the learning of an avreich you will never meet, in a beis medrash you may never see, and own a piece of every word he learns.

It is within reach for every single Yid. This is no longer something only gevirim can afford. A month of an avreich‘s learning is $276. Spread it across the year and it is $23 a month. That is it. That is the price of a shutfus in the survival of the olam haTorah. And the more that you give, the stronger your shutfus will be. 

The gedolim are about to land. Do not wait for them to convince you. Become a shutaf with Keren Olam HaTorah today.

The Lakewood Student Transportation Authority (LSTA) is reminding parents to complete all required transportation forms for the 2025-26 school year, warning that delays could create funding issues with local municipalities responsible for providing transportation services.

In an update issued to families on Wednesday, LSTA officials urged parents to log into their family portals and ensure that all required forms have been completed and submitted as soon as possible.

“Please log into your 2025/26 family portal and ensure all required forms have been completed and submitted,” the LSTA said. “This is essential to avoid funding issues with your respective township for your children’s transportation.”

LSTA also provided an update for families with daughters entering ninth grade. Officials said those students will appear in family portals once their schools complete the enrollment import process. Schools are expected to receive a deadline by the end of the week to submit their enrollment lists, although several schools have already done so.

Parents can access their accounts through the LSTA website at LakewoodSTA.org. Kiosks are also available at the LSTA office for families who need assistance completing the process.

Meanwhile, planning for future school years continues. LSTA reported that four renewal sessions for the 2026-27 school year have already been completed, with a second bidding session scheduled for June 11. The renewal process is expected to continue throughout the summer.

Lakewood voters have finalized the field for this November’s Township Committee election, with both major parties selecting their nominees in Tuesday’s primary election.

On the Democratic side, incumbent Mayor Ray Coles and running mate Harriet Goldberg secured their party’s nominations and will advance to the general election. With no opposition in the Democratic primary, both candidates easily earned spots on the November ballot.

The Republican primary featured a three-way contest for two nominations. Fire Commissioner Moshe Raitzik emerged as the top vote-getter, followed by incumbent Committeewoman Deborah Fuentes. Aaron Hirsch, who mounted a campaign focused on road construction scheduling, education funding, and property taxes, finished third and was eliminated from contention.

The results set up a November contest between Coles and Goldberg on the Democratic ticket and Fuentes and Raitzik on the Republican ticket. Two Township Committee seats are up for election this year.

Several other notable races were decided across New Jersey on Tuesday.

In the race for U.S. Senate, Republican voters selected Justin Murphy as their nominee. Murphy will now face incumbent U.S. Senator Cory Booker in the November general election.

In New Jersey’s 4th Congressional District, Democrats nominated Rachel Peace to challenge longtime incumbent Congressman Chris Smith this fall. Smith also secured the Republican nomination and will seek another term representing the district in Washington.

Meanwhile, Ocean County Commissioner Frank Sadeghi won the Republican nomination for another term on the Ocean County Board of Commissioners and will advance to the general election.

With the primaries now concluded, local, county, congressional, and statewide candidates will turn their attention toward the November general election, where voters will make the final decisions on who will represent them at every level of government.

Lakewood’s Belz kehilla has received extraordinary news: askanim have signed a contract to acquire the Rachmastrivka property on James Street, a historic step forward that will transform its capacity to be mechanech talmidim and talmidos in a proper setting.

The project, valued at over $20 million, will involve a comprehensive overhaul and expansion of the existing buildings to create a significantly expanded Talmud Torah and Bais Malka complex. The scope is enormous: new classrooms, expanded dormitory and batei medrashim.

The expansion reflects the realities on the ground: enrollment continues climbing as Lakewood’s Belz kehilla grows. Askanim hope that the new facility will allow the kehilla’s chinuch to flourish.

Chaveirim of Central Jersey has welcomed 11 new members to its volunteer roster, allowing it to cut down response times and broaden coverage across Ocean and Monmouth counties.

The new members are Pinchas Feinstein, Unit 279; Yoel Lefkovits, Unit 281; Baruch Hess, Unit 282; Shloime Eisenberger, Unit 283; Yitzchok Friedman, Unit 284; Moshe Friedman, Unit 285; Yosef Nathan, Unit 286; Shmuel Sasson, Unit 287; Yehuda Dahari, Unit 288; and Eliyahu Sasson, Unit 289. Yisroel Yelen joins as Service 10.

Chaveirim provides round-the-clock volunteer assistance for non-medical emergencies such as lockouts, roadside breakdowns, and assists with emergencies such as missing person cases. The organization serves Lakewood, Toms River, Jackson, Howell, Brick, Manchester and surrounding areas, and maintains a 24-hour emergency hotline at 732-370-2229.

Repaving work will begin Tuesday tonight at 10:00 PM on approximately 700 feet of James Street, from Route 9 toward Williams Street. A detour will be in place via Williams Street and Prospect Street.

Additionally, NJ Natural Gas will be conducting infrastructure improvements on Martin Luther King Drive between Cedarbridge Avenue and Center Street beginning at 9:00 PM. One lane of traffic will remain open from Cedarbridge Avenue to Pine Street. Motorists traveling from MLK Drive to Cedarbridge Avenue will be detoured via Center Street.

Drivers are advised to plan ahead and expect delays.

New Jersey Natural Gas customers in Ocean, Monmouth, and parts of Morris, Middlesex, Sussex and Burlington counties will pay 8.9 percent less to heat their homes next winter, the utility announced. The savings start October 1 and add up to about $158 a year for the typical household.

Unfortunately, the cut may not last long. At the same time the company asked state regulators to lower bills, it also asked for permission to raise its delivery rates by 12.7 percent later in the winter. If that request is approved, the savings could be wiped out before the heating season ends.

The utility filed both requests with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on June 1. The lower bills come from a regular yearly filing tied to the cost of buying natural gas. The rate hike is a separate request, meant to cover about $950 million the company says it has already spent on upgrades to its pipes, equipment and computer systems.

State regulators usually take nine months to a year to review rate increases of this kind. That means any approved hike most likely would not take effect until late winter, around the time most people stop running their heat. The company said it chose that timing on purpose so customers would not feel the increase during the coldest months. By the end of the process, the company expects average bills will be close to where they are today.

“By strategically managing our gas supplies, NJNG is able to bring our customers meaningful bill savings for this upcoming winter heating season,” said Steve Westhoven, the president and chief executive of New Jersey Natural Gas, in a statement.

This is not the first big rate change in recent years. In November 2024, state regulators approved a $157 million increase that took effect in late 2025. Several lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, criticized that decision, calling it roughly a 16 percent hike on more than half a million New Jersey families.

Customers who need help paying their bills can visit njng.com/energyassistance, call 800-221-0051 or email [email protected].

N’shei Adirei Hatorah will host a special asifas chizuk for girls in shidduchim tonight, Tuesday, June 2, with divrei chizuk and brachos to be delivered by HaRav Yitzchok Soloveitchik shlit”a, Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshivas Shaarei Simcha in Yerushalayim, Harav Reuven Feinstein shlit”a, and HaRav Simcha Bunim Cohen shlit”a.

Rav Yitzchok shlit”a, a scion of the Brisker rabbinic dynasty, is widely regarded as one of the leading roshei yeshiva in Yerushalayim and rarely travels publicly.

The asifa will be held at the Lakewood High School, 855 Somerset Avenue and is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. sharp. Admission is free, though parking is limited and attendees are being asked to carpool when possible.

Attendees are asked to RSVP in advance by texting “join” to 814-52NSHEI (814-526-7434) or by emailing [email protected].

N’shei Adirei Hatorah will host a special asifas chizuk for girls in shidduchim tonight, Tuesday, June 2, with divrei chizuk and brachos to be delivered by HaRav Yitzchok Soloveitchik shlit”a, Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshivas Shaarei Simcha in Yerushalayim, Harav Reuven Feinstein shlit”a, and HaRav Simcha Bunim Cohen shlit”a.

Rav Yitzchok shlit”a, a scion of the Brisker rabbinic dynasty, is widely regarded as one of the leading roshei yeshiva in Yerushalayim and rarely travels publicly.

The asifa will be held at the Lakewood High School, 855 Somerset Avenue and is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. sharp. Admission is free, though parking is limited and attendees are being asked to carpool when possible.

Attendees are asked to RSVP in advance by texting “join” to 814-52NSHEI (814-526-7434) or by emailing [email protected].

The ihr haTorah is preparing to greet the largest delegation of gedolei Yisroel ever to travel on behalf of Keren Olam HaTorah, with Lakewood set to host the gedolim not once but twice during a fundraising mission that begins next week.

The delegation traveling for the mission will include the Roshei Yeshiva of Slabodka,  Harav Dov Landau shlit”a and Harav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlit”a; Harav Yaakov Hillel shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Ahavat Shalom; the Mashgiach Harav Don Segal shlit”a; Harav Shimon Galai shlit”a; Harav Avraham Salim shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Maor HaTorah; Harav Asher Weiss shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Darchei Torah; Harav Yosef Chevroni shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron; Harav Yisroel Bunim Schreiber shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Nesiv Hadaas; the Rachmastrivka Rebbe shlit”a, and Harav Chaim Mordechai Ausband shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo. 

The trip comes as the olam haTorah continues to be assailed from two directions: the sweeping government funding freeze that has crippled yeshivos and kollelim for more than two years, and the intensifying gezeiras hagiyus, with bochurim now being arrested for refusing to enlist. The gedolim convened earlier this week in Bnei Brak to deliberate next steps, and the consensus was that the time for action had come.

The current itinerary is scheduled as follows:

• Sunday, June 7: Baltimore
• Monday, June 8: Lakewood
• Tuesday, June 9: Chicago
• Wednesday, June 10: Brooklyn
• Thursday, June 11: Lakewood
• Friday, June 12: Monsey
• Sunday, June 14: Florida

Specific details for each stop, including event locations and times, are expected to be released in the coming days.

Polls are now open across New Jersey as voters head to the ballot box for Primary Election Day, with Lakewood residents set to choose party nominees for two seats on the Township Committee in what has been an otherwise quiet election season.

Polling locations opened at 6 a.m. Tuesday and will remain open until 8 p.m.

The primary follows a week of early voting, which concluded Sunday. Voters who did not participate in early voting can cast their ballots today at their assigned Election Day polling locations.

New Jersey operates a closed primary system, meaning registered Republicans may vote only in the Republican primary and registered Democrats may vote only in the Democratic primary. Unaffiliated voters may declare a party affiliation at the polls and participate in either party’s primary.

The most closely watched local contest is the race for two seats on the Lakewood Township Committee.

On the Republican side, incumbent Committeewoman Deborah Fuentes is seeking reelection and faces challenges from Aaron Hirsch and Moshe Raitzik. Republican voters may select up to two candidates, with the top two finishers advancing to the November general election.

The Lakewood Vaad endorsed Fuentes and Raitzik ahead of the primary.

Hirsch has focused much of his campaign on quality-of-life issues affecting Lakewood residents, including road construction scheduling, traffic concerns, and education funding. He has noted that Lakewood receives disproportionately low state education funding despite having the largest K-12 student population in New Jersey and has pledged to advocate for increased state support.

Raitzik, who currently serves as a Lakewood fire commissioner, has campaigned on issues including public safety, infrastructure, government transparency, and responsible development. He has called for increased oversight of new construction projects, updates to Lakewood’s master plan, expanded hazardous-road busing for students, and greater public participation in Township Committee meetings.

Fuentes has maintained a relatively low-profile public campaign, reflecting the broader subdued nature of this year’s primary season.

On the Democratic side, Mayor Ray Coles is seeking another term and is joined on the ballot by Harriet Goldberg. The Democratic slate has also largely avoided a high-profile campaign in recent weeks.

The calm atmosphere surrounding this year’s primary stands in contrast to last year’s election cycle, which featured several high-profile statewide races that drew significant attention and spending into Lakewood.

The winners of today’s Republican and Democratic primaries will advance to the November general election, where voters will ultimately decide who will fill the two Township Committee seats.

A Long Branch man has been charged after allegedly assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest during an early morning disturbance in downtown Lakewood.

According to the Lakewood Police Department, officers were dispatched to the area of Second Street and Clifton Avenue at approximately 2:08 a.m. last Saturday following reports of a disturbance involving multiple individuals.

Police said officers were attempting to investigate the incident and restore order when they encountered a man who became combative, actively resisted arrest, and assaulted one of the responding officers.

Despite the confrontation, officers were able to take the suspect into custody without further incident.

The suspect was identified as Jonathan Lopez-Perez, 24, of Long Branch. He was charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest.

Lopez-Perez was processed at Lakewood Police Headquarters before being transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he remains pending court proceedings.

President Donald Trump issued a full endorsement of Rep. Chris Smith on Monday, throwing his weight behind the longtime New Jersey Republican as voters in the 4th Congressional District head to the polls Tuesday for the state’s primary election.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump called Smith “a fantastic Representative” and praised his work on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where Smith serves as a senior member. The president credited Smith with advancing the administration’s agenda on the economy, domestic manufacturing, energy production, border security, the military, gun rights and foreign policy.

“Chris Smith has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election,” Trump wrote. “GET OUT AND VOTE FOR CHRIS — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”

Smith, 73, has represented the district since January 1981, making him one of the longest-serving members of the U.S. House. First elected at age 27, he has built his record around foreign policy, human rights advocacy, veterans services, autism research and anti-trafficking legislation.

A Rahway native and graduate of what is now The College of New Jersey, Smith previously worked in his family’s sporting goods business and served as executive director of New Jersey Right to Life before his first run for Congress.

The 4th District spans 19 towns in Monmouth County and 21 in Ocean County, including Lakewood, Jackson, Toms River, and coastal communities such as Belmar and Point Pleasant Beach. The district voted for Trump by roughly 30 points in 2024.

Smith is unopposed in the Republican primary. Five Democrats — John Blake, Robert English, Julie Flynn, Peter Linardakis and Rachel Peace — are competing for their party’s nomination. The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3.

Polls in New Jersey close at 8 p.m.

A Freehold man has been charged in connection with the theft of a cell phone from a Lakewood business earlier this month, authorities announced.

The Lakewood Police Department said Nicholas Shapiro, 33, of Freehold, was identified as the suspect following an investigation conducted by department detectives. After gathering evidence, investigators filed theft charges against Shapiro and obtained an arrest warrant. On May 29, Shapiro was taken into custody.

According to police, additional charges were filed after corrections officers at the Ocean County Jail allegedly discovered a quantity of suspected cocaine in Shapiro’s possession during the intake process.

Lakewood Police Chief Greg Meyer commended the officers involved in the investigation and the agencies that assisted in the arrest.

“This arrest is the result of excellent police work and strong cooperation between our law enforcement partners,” Meyer said. “We remain committed to investigating crimes thoroughly and holding offenders accountable.”

The Lakewood Police Department also thanked the Tinton Falls Police Department and Ocean County Jail staff for their assistance in the case.

Motorists traveling through Lakewood overnight should prepare for significant traffic disruptions as two major roadway projects are scheduled to take place simultaneously.

The Lakewood Police Department announced that a contractor working for the New Jersey Department of Transportation will close Central Avenue between Davis Street and Route 9 beginning at 10 p.m. Monday night for repaving operations.

The anticipated detour will direct traffic along Sunset Avenue and James Street.

At the same time, New Jersey Natural Gas will be closing Pine Street between Martin Luther King Drive and Route 9 to perform capital improvement work.

To help ease congestion and maintain traffic flow, the Lakewood Police Department will deploy officers to manually direct traffic at the intersections of Route 9 and James Street, as well as Martin Luther King Drive and Pine Street.

Drivers are encouraged to allow extra travel time, seek alternate routes where possible, and use caution when traveling through the affected areas.

Authorities advise residents and commuters to plan accordingly as the overnight construction and utility projects are expected to impact traffic throughout the area.

A 22-year-old man was pronounced dead after shooting and killing himself at the Shore Shot pistol range on Airport Road in Lakewood on Monday afternoon.

The man, who police have not identified, shot himself at around 3:30 pm, according to police. EMS and Hatzolah were among the emergency agencies that responded to the scene, but the man could not be saved.

An investigation into the exact circumstances of the shooting is underway.

More than 35,000 yungerleit, bnei Torah, and ba’alei batim filled two of the largest arenas in the tri-state region on Sunday, packing Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia and Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton for the 5th annual Adirei HaTorah, with thousands more from around the country and around the world joining via livestream. The split-venue maamad lichvod haTorah v’lomdeha drew a turnout that outpaced every previous year.

Lakewood Alerts deployed a team of more than a dozen reporters across both venues to cover the maamad in real time. Credit for the night’s coverage goes to: Avraham B., Yehuda B., Avraham D., Moshe D., Yacov D., Avraham G., Yehuda J., Eli W., Burich S., Chaim S., Yaakov L., Avidan Y., and others who specifically asked not to be credited, with team leader and coordinator Sruly W. directing the operation.

Below is from the satellite maamad that took place at Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton.

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

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Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

More than 35,000 yungerleit, bnei Torah, and ba’alei batim filled two of the largest arenas in the tri-state region on Sunday, packing Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia and Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton for the 5th annual Adirei HaTorah, with thousands more from around the country and around the world joining via livestream. The split-venue maamad lichvod haTorah v’lomdeha drew a turnout that outpaced every previous year.

Lakewood Alerts deployed a team of more than a dozen reporters across both venues to cover the maamad in real time. Credit for the night’s coverage goes to: Avraham B., Yehuda B., Avraham D., Moshe D., Yacov D., Avraham G., Yehuda J., Eli W., Burich S., Chaim S., Yaakov L., Avidan Y., and others who specifically asked not to be credited, with team leader and coordinator Sruly W. directing the operation.

Below is from the satellite maamad that took place at Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton.

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

Adirei HaTorah 2026 – Cure Arena

More than 35,000 yungerleit, bnei Torah, and ba’alei batim filled two of the largest arenas in the tri-state region on Sunday, packing Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia and Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton for the 5th annual Adirei HaTorah, with thousands more from around the country and around the world joining via livestream. The split-venue maamad lichvod haTorah v’lomdeha drew a turnout that outpaced every previous year.

Lakewood Alerts deployed a team of more than a dozen reporters across both venues to cover the maamad in real time. Credit for the night’s coverage goes to: Avraham B., Yehuda B., Avraham D., Moshe D., Yacov D., Avraham G., Yehuda J., Eli W., Burich S., Chaim S., Yaakov L., Avidan Y., and others who specifically asked not to be credited, with team leader and coordinator Sruly W. directing the operation.

More than 35,000 yungerleit, bnei Torah, and ba’alei batim filled two of the largest arenas in the tri-state region on Sunday, packing Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia and Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton for the 5th annual Adirei HaTorah, with thousands more from around the country and around the world joining via livestream. The split-venue maamad lichvod haTorah v’lomdeha drew a turnout that outpaced every previous year.

Lakewood Alerts deployed a team of more than a dozen reporters across both venues to cover the maamad in real time. Credit for the night’s coverage goes to: Avraham B., Yehuda B., Avraham D., Moshe D., Yacov D., Avraham G., Yehuda J., Eli W., Burich S., Chaim S., Yaakov L., Avidan Y., and others who specifically asked not to be credited, with team leader and coordinator Sruly W. directing the operation.

The Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey is set to spend Shabbos Parshas Behaaloscha in Lakewood, with davening and the Rebbe’s tischen to be held at Bais Faiga, marking the Rebbe’s first Shabbos in Lakewood since taking on the nesius of the Vizhnitzer chassidus in 2019.

A pedestrian was killed early Monday morning after being struck by a dump truck on South Hope Chapel Road in Jackson.

According to the Jackson Township Police Department, officers were dispatched to the area of South Hope Chapel Road near Linda Drive at approximately 2:32 a.m. on June 1 following reports of a vehicle-versus-pedestrian crash.

Upon arrival, officers determined that an adult male had been struck by a northbound 2007 Mack dump truck traveling on South Hope Chapel Road. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene.

The identity of the victim has not yet been released pending notification of next of kin.

The crash remains under investigation by the Jackson Township Police Department’s Traffic Safety Unit.

Authorities are asking anyone who may have witnessed the collision or who may have information relevant to the investigation to contact Police Officer Matthew Kalbach (#315) or Sgt. Jeffrey Henba (#263) at 732-928-1111.

No additional details were immediately available.

A man was found dead on a Jackson Township roadway early Monday morning after a dump truck unknowingly ran over his body, according to authorities.

Officers from the Jackson Township Police Department responded to South Hope Chapel Road near Linda Drive at approximately 2:30 a.m. on June 1 for a report of a motor vehicle crash involving a pedestrian. When officers arrived, they discovered a male lying in the roadway with significant head injuries.

Emergency responders attempted to render aid, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

A subsequent investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad, Jackson Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit determined that a Mack dump truck had been traveling northbound on South Hope Chapel Road when the driver observed what he believed to be debris in the roadway.

Investigators said the driver attempted to avoid the object but then realized it was a human body. Despite his efforts, the truck traveled over the man. The driver immediately stopped and contacted law enforcement.

Authorities said a post-collision examination of the truck found no evidence that the victim had been struck by the front of the vehicle. Instead, investigators determined that the physical evidence was consistent with the truck having run over a body that was already lying in the roadway and dragging it a short distance.

The circumstances surrounding how the man came to be in the roadway remain under investigation. Officials have not yet released the victim’s identity.

The investigation is being conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad, the Jackson Township Police Department, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Anyone with information related to the incident is urged to contact the Jackson Township Police Department.

The Jackson Township Zoning Board has ruled that the residential portion of the proposed Adventure Crossing expansion exceeds the density allowed under the township’s Highway Commercial Mixed-Use zone, forcing the developer to either slash roughly 300 apartments from the plan or seek a use-density variance to keep the project intact.

The decision, handed down after a string of hearings and extensive legal argument, targets the applicant’s bid to build 641 residential apartments as part of the larger mixed-use Adventure Crossing complex along Route 537. The board concluded that the developer cannot count acreage that was previously stripped out of the project’s General Development Plan when calculating how many units the site is permitted to accommodate.

Under Jackson’s HCMU ordinance, residential development is capped at four units per gross acre. Board professionals and objectors argued during the hearings that the 641-unit proposal far exceeds that limit when measured against the tract currently before the board and the approvals presently in force. By the board’s math, compliance with the ordinance would require the apartment count to be cut by roughly 300 units, absent variance relief.

To keep the full plan, the applicant would now have to file a d(5) density variance under the New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law, a category of relief that requires heightened statutory proofs and additional rounds of board review.

At the heart of the ruling is the legal status of parcels that were removed from the original General Development Plan as part of a prior settlement agreement. The board reviewed the project’s full approval history, including approvals granted between 2017 and 2022 and the subsequent litigation that culminated in the settlement carving out multiple lots from the GDP. Those removed parcels, the board found, cannot now be folded back into the math used to justify higher residential density on the remaining tract.

The applicant, developer Vito Cardinale, has argued through counsel Sal Alfieri that the original project should be treated as a single integrated development for density purposes, citing shared roadways and utilities that continue to tie the phases together. Board attorney Jean Cipriani countered that once parcels were removed from the GDP, they ceased to be part of the development scheme for zoning math.

The ruling extends a string of setbacks for the Adventure Crossing residential push. The township council, led by Council President Jennifer Kuhn, adopted an ordinance in December 2024 designed to close what officials described as a loophole that would have allowed developers to use the project’s full footprint, including sports fields, warehouses and undeveloped land, to inflate residential density calculations. The zoning board’s May ruling reinforces that framework as applied to the current application.

Adventure Crossing was originally pitched as a regional entertainment and tourism destination, with hotels, a convention center, restaurants, a sports stadium and roughly 400 housing units. Much of that vision has not materialized. The built portion of the site is dominated by warehouses, a sports field complex and an indoor golf facility, with the residential ambitions growing significantly in scope through successive applications.

The project has become a flashpoint in Jackson’s broader political fight over overdevelopment. The township council, which has pledged to push back against high-density growth, has reshaped the zoning board in recent years by replacing members previously appointed under Mayor Michael Reina, a close associate of the developer, with appointees aligned with the council’s land-use priorities. That realignment has produced a more skeptical board on questions of density math at Adventure Crossing.

The applicant must now decide whether to redraw the project to bring the residential component into compliance or pursue the d(5) variance route. Additional hearings before the zoning board are expected as the application process continues.

Six Flags Great Adventure is building a roller coaster expected to rank among the five tallest in the world, rising on the same patch of New Jersey skyline where Kingda Ka stood for nearly two decades before its demolition last year.

Construction is underway at the Jackson Township park, with track sections already on site and going vertical. The ride, currently going by the working name Project Purple, is scheduled to open in 2027 and is being marketed as a record-breaking multi-launch experience.

Park officials have not confirmed the final branding, but Six Flags Entertainment Corporation has filed a trademark application for the name Phantom Spire, fueling expectations that the new attraction will carry that title when it opens.

Guest surveys circulated during the planning phase described a launched coaster with a tower exceeding 300 feet and a top speed approaching 100 mph, with the train spiraling around the central spire. Industry observers believe the manufacturer to be Mack Rides, the German firm behind several of the most acclaimed launch coasters in recent years.

The new ride sits on the footprint adjacent to Kingda Ka, the 456-foot strata coaster that opened in 2005 as the tallest in the world and held that record throughout its operational life. Six Flags closed Kingda Ka in November 2024 and brought down the structure in a controlled implosion in 2025, alongside the adjacent Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom.

Mike Fehnel, park president at Six Flags Great Adventure, said the project’s working name reflects more than a placeholder. Six Flags has partnered with Project Purple, a national nonprofit that funds pancreatic cancer research and patient programs, with the partnership running through June 1, 2027. Fehnel lost his father to the disease.

“This partnership is especially meaningful to me personally, having lost my father to pancreatic cancer,” Fehnel said in a news release. The park plans to use signage and QR codes throughout the grounds to direct visitors toward pancreatic cancer awareness resources as the coaster rises on the skyline.

Ryan Eldredge, director of sales and marketing at Six Flags Great Adventure, told NJ.com that riders should expect a fundamentally new experience rather than a straight Kingda Ka replacement. He said the train design alone will be unlike anything the vast majority of the public has ever ridden.

The park has not released the full ride statistics, layout or final naming, with a formal announcement expected ahead of the 2027 season.

Jackson has been the home of Six Flags Great Adventure since 1974.

Tens of thousands gathered Sunday night for the fifth Maamad Adirei HaTorah at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia and Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton.

Lakewood Alerts had more than a dozen reporters between both sites to bring you the latest in live time.

REFRESH FOR UPDATES – NEWER POSTS ON TOP!

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8:44 PM: Harav Yeruchem Olshin shlit”a closes out the Adirei Hatorah maamad with divrei bracha and chizzuk

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8:33 PM: Singing and dancing as the Adirei Hatorah maamad nears the end

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8:03 PM: Harav Uri Deutsch shlit”a delivers the keynote address at the 5th Maamad Adirei Hatorah.

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7:55 PM:  Xfinity Arena EXPLODES in song and dance as kaddish concludes the siyum hashas at the Adirei Hatorah maamad!

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7:27 PM: Naftali Kempeh leads the Adirei Hatorah maamad in singing hartzige niggunim.

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7:10 PM: Harav Yitzchok Soloveitchik shlit”a, who traveled in from Eretz Yisroel for the maamad, addresses the Adirei Hatorah.

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6:53 PM: Shomrim and Xfinity security join in the infectious singing and dancing!

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6:40 PM: Harav Elya Ber Wachtfogel shlit”a arrives at the maamad, making a surprise appearance in honor of the adirei hatorah

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6:05 PM: Joyful singing and dancing as Harav Malkiel Kotler ascends to the podium for the maamad’s first full-length address

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5:50 PM: Harav Nochum Binder shlit”a delivers fiery divrei pesicha, kicking off the Maamad in earnest

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5:43 PM: Harav Dovid Schustal shlit”a greeted as he delivers the first address of the maamad

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5:25 PM:  30,000 bnei torah join together to give a thunderous, ground-shaking welcome to the BMG roshei yeshiva as they enter the arena for the 5th Maamad Adirei Hatorah.

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5:09 PM: Mincha now at Xfinity Mobile Arena

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5:05 PM: Mincha at Cure Insurance Arena

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4:51: Not wasting a moment!

4:03 PM: Harav Malkiel Kotler and Harav Yisroel Neuman are escorted into the arena.

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3:38 PM: Massive crowds filing into the sold-out Xfinity Mobile Arena ahead of the maamad

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3:05 PM: Cure Insurance Arena just prior to crowds of attendees converge on it at Adirei’s satellite location

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2:43 PM: 

Ready to roll: Dozens of buses ready to transport thousands to the Adirei Hatorah maamad.

1:42 PM: 

1:18 PM: Xfinity is ready to go. 25-30k attendees will begin filling the arena from top to bottom in the coming hours.

1:12 PM: Sound check underway at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia as the final touches are put on the stadium ahead of this evening’s massive maamad.

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10:38 AM: Final preparations underway at CURE Insurance Arena

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9:47 AM: Tentative Live Call-In Numbers:

9:35 AM: ARE YOU READY??

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9:14 AM: Adirei Hatorah organizers release several important advisories.

4:24AM: The Xfinity Mobile Center was turned over to the Adirei HaTorah production team following a concert. With less than 12 hours until doors open, more than 1,000 workers immediately began a massive around-the-clock effort to transform the venue for the tens of thousands expected to attend. Crews are working nonstop to ensure a successful and unforgettable Mamed.

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1:10AM: SCHEDULE RELEASED FOR ADIREI HATORAH MAAMAD

As anticipation builds for this year’s Adirei HaTorah ma’amad, organizers say teams of staff and volunteers have been working around the clock to prepare.

According to organizers, countless staff members worked throughout Thursday night and will continue preparations until zeman on Friday, with work set to resume immediately after Shabbos. The extensive effort is focused on ensuring a seamless and memorable experience for attendees at both the main venue and the newly added satellite location at CURE Insurance Arena.

Organizers say the CURE Arena venue will feature an unprecedented level of production, with significant investments made in screens, sound, lighting, staging, and other technical elements designed to create a fully immersive experience for attendees.

Behind the scenes, large teams are coordinating every aspect of the event, including logistics, security, transportation, ticketing, food preparation, production, staging, lighting, sound, video, and overall operations. The goal, organizers said, is to provide a smooth and inspiring experience for the tens of thousands expected to participate.

Demand for tickets continues to grow rapidly. Organizers reported a significant surge in ticket sales Friday morning for the CURE Arena satellite location and indicated that the venue is expected to reach capacity shortly.

Those planning to attend are being encouraged to secure tickets as soon as possible before the remaining seats are sold.

If you want to attend, now is your last chance to get tickets at AdireiHatorah.com/tickets or by calling 848-261-8231.

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A Jackson man was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated and drug possession after a motor vehicle crash in Lakewood over the Memorial Day weekend, police said.

According to the Lakewood Police Department, officers responded to the intersection of Ocean Avenue and New Hampshire Avenue on May 24 after a passerby reported a crash.

When officers arrived, they found a damaged Ford Transit van in the intersection. During their investigation, police determined that the driver, identified as Jaime Comse-Gonzalez, 41, of Jackson, appeared to be under the influence.

Comse-Gonzalez was taken into custody at the scene. During a search conducted incident to the arrest, officers allegedly recovered a quantity of suspected cocaine.

Police charged Comse-Gonzalez with possession of a controlled dangerous substance and issued multiple motor vehicle summonses related to the crash, including driving while intoxicated.

Lakewood Police Chief Gregory H. Meyer said the arrest underscores the dangers posed by impaired drivers.

“This arrest highlights the dangers impaired drivers pose not only to themselves, but to everyone sharing the roadway,” Meyer said. “Our officers remain committed to proactively identifying impaired drivers and taking enforcement action before more serious tragedies occur.”

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

A Toms River man has been indicted on aggravated manslaughter and multiple other charges in connection with a January crash that claimed the life of a 76-year-old township resident, authorities announced Thursday.

A grand jury indicted Jamie Doyle, 40, of Toms River, on Thursday on charges of Aggravated Manslaughter, Vehicular Homicide, Strict Liability Vehicular Homicide, and Operating a Motor Vehicle with a Suspended Driver’s License While Involved in a Motor Vehicle Crash Causing Death.

The charges stem from a fatal collision that occurred on January 23 at approximately 8:50 p.m. at the intersection of Romana Lane and Route 37 westbound in Toms River.

Police responding to reports of a serious crash found a white Nissan Maxima and a red Chevrolet Trax, both heavily damaged. Ronald Bucher, 76, of Toms River, who was operating the Chevrolet, suffered severe injuries and had to be extricated from the vehicle. Despite life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities said Doyle, who was driving the Nissan, exhibited erratic behavior, irregular speech, and constricted pupils following the crash. He was transported to Community Medical Center for treatment of a broken femur and possible head injuries.

An investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad, Toms River Police, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit determined that Doyle was traveling westbound on Route 37 when his Nissan struck the driver’s side of Bucher’s Chevrolet as it crossed the highway from Romana Lane. Investigators said Bucher had the right of way at the time of the collision.

Witnesses told investigators that Doyle had been driving erratically and had ignored multiple traffic signals before the crash. Authorities also determined that Doyle’s driver’s license was suspended at the time.

A blood sample obtained through a court-authorized search warrant later revealed the presence of Phencyclidine (PCP) and Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy, in Doyle’s bloodstream, prosecutors said.

Doyle was initially charged with Operating a Motor Vehicle with a Suspended Driver’s License While Involved in a Motor Vehicle Crash Causing Death, along with several motor vehicle violations, including Driving While Intoxicated, Driving While Suspended, Reckless Driving, Careless Driving, and Failure to Observe a Traffic Control Device.

Further investigation revealed that Doyle was traveling approximately 106 miles per hour five seconds before the collision and struck Bucher’s vehicle at approximately 65 miles per hour. The posted speed limit on Route 37 westbound is 50 miles per hour.

Based on those findings, prosecutors upgraded the charges to Aggravated Manslaughter and Vehicular Homicide.

Following his release from the hospital, Doyle was lodged in the Ocean County Jail on January 30, where he has remained detained pending the outcome of the case.

A quick-thinking Hatzolah of Central Jersey volunteer and a Lakewood ob/gyn coordinated a lifesaving intervention thousands of miles away when a pregnant woman went into premature labor aboard an El Al flight crossing the Atlantic.

Levi Rubin (L-131), a Hatzolah of Central Jersey EMT from Jackson, was aboard El Al flight LY25 from Israel to Newark on Wednesday when a passenger began experiencing contractions mid-flight. Recognizing the urgency, Rubin conducted an initial assessment and made a critical decision: to use the aircraft’s wifi to connect with Dr. Clara Surowitz (MD-9), who also serves on Hatzolah of Central Jersey.

Dr. Surowitz, who leads Tru Women’s Health in Lakewood and delivers babies at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, found herself in an extraordinary situation. The pilot had only minutes to decide whether to divert the aircraft—a window that would close once the plane traveled too far over the Atlantic to reach land without substantial delay.

Speaking directly with the laboring woman, she evaluated her symptoms and made the call: the pilot needed to divert immediately to the nearest airport.

The pilot acted without hesitation, altering course to Rome.

An ambulance and medical team were standing by on the tarmac when the aircraft landed. The woman delivered a healthy baby girl two hours later – five weeks earlier than expected.

Both mother and newborn are doing well.

While Dr. Surowitz and Rubin handled the medical crisis, the family’s needs extended beyond the hospital. The expectant father found himself stranded in an unfamiliar city with luggage bound for New York and his wife being treated in a hospital 45 minutes from Rome’s Jewish community.

Someone connected him with Chabad-Lubavitch in Rome, where co-director Chani Hazan and her husband, Rabbi Shalom Hazan, mobilized the community within hours to provide food, baby clothes, and accommodations.

Ocean County authorities have indicted a Lakewood man in connection with a fatal crash in Manchester Township that claimed the life of a Toms River resident last summer.

Ocean County Prosecutor Brad Billhimer announced that on May 27, an Ocean County Grand Jury indicted Luis Vazquez-Hernandez, 27, of Lakewood, on a charge of vehicular homicide stemming from the August 11, 2025 crash that killed Ramon Orellana-Asturias, 65, of Toms River.

According to investigators, the crash occurred at approximately 8:15 a.m. at the intersection of Hilltop Road and Route 70 in Manchester Township.

Authorities said a 2014 Dodge van carrying a driver and three passengers was traveling westbound on Route 70 and attempting to make a left turn onto Hilltop Road when it was struck by a 2017 Ford Sprinter van operated by Vazquez-Hernandez.

A joint investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad, the Manchester Township Police Department, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office determined that Vazquez-Hernandez allegedly crossed over the double yellow line into the opposing lane of travel and passed stopped traffic from behind before colliding with the Dodge van.

The driver of the Dodge and two passengers seated in the front of the vehicle were transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center for treatment of injuries and were later released.

Authorities said Orellana-Asturias, who was seated in the cargo compartment of the van, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Vazquez-Hernandez was taken to Community Medical Center with minor injuries.

Following the crash, Vazquez-Hernandez was issued several motor vehicle summonses, including reckless driving, careless driving, speeding, and improper passing.

Prosecutors said Vazquez-Hernandez was formally charged with vehicular homicide on August 18, 2025. Authorities say he remains a fugitive, and his information has been entered into the National Crime Information Center database.

Senator Robert Singer (R-Monmouth, Ocean) met with a delegation from the Israeli Knesset in Trenton today to discuss shared security concerns, rising antisemitism, and the enduring relationship between New Jersey and Israel.

“Today’s meeting with the Knesset delegation underscored years of friendship and cooperation between New Jersey and the State of Israel, and I’m honored to play an important role in strengthening that bond,” said Senator Singer. “Heightened geopolitical tensions around the globe have caused a notable surge in antisemitic rhetoric and political violence both domestically and abroad. Our dialogue addressed significant challenges facing both Israel and New Jersey, reaffirming our commitment as partners in combating antisemitic hate and promoting peace for all.”

The delegation included: Moshe Meir, Director General of the Knesset, Yuval Chen, Knesset Sergeant-at-Arms, and Merav Tordjman, Senior Advisor to the Director General.

Today’s meeting builds on Senator Singer’s ongoing advocacy for Jewish New Jerseyans. In September of 2025, Senator Singer took part in a diplomatic mission to Israel to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the Abraham Accords and visited communities devastated by the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attacks.

Senator Singer also championed bipartisan legislative efforts to combat antisemitism in New Jersey after anti-Semitic demonstrations erupted on college. He vowed to continue advancing efforts to confront antisemitism and strengthen protections for Jewish students and residents across New Jersey.

As anticipation for the upcoming Ma’amad Adirei HaTorah continues to build, the organizers have emphasized that, due to enhanced safety and security protocols, the stadium will be under complete lockdown prior to and throughout the event. No unticketed guests will be admitted under any circumstances.

Given that the event is sold out and demand remains extraordinarily high, it is important that the public clearly understand that there will be absolutely no exceptions. In discussions with the Roshei Yeshiva, it was strongly emphasized that this message be communicated clearly in order to prevent any potential chillul Hashem resulting from individuals attempting to gain entry without tickets.

Please do not attempt to attend the event without a valid ticket. Entry will not be permitted, and doing so only creates the potential for unnecessary disturbance, chillul Hashem and monetary loss to Adirei HaTorah.

The Jackson Republican Club unanimously endorsed Republican U.S. Senate candidate Rich Tabor during a meeting held Wednesday night, throwing its support behind the Army veteran ahead of New Jersey’s June 2 primary election.

In a statement following the endorsement, the Jackson N.J. GOP described Tabor as a “proud conservative” who they believe will “take the fight to Cory Booker in November.”

Club President Mordy Burnstein encouraged Republican voters to support Tabor in the primary, noting that the endorsement aligns with that of the Ocean County Republican Organization.

Tabor, who is running for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, has highlighted his military background and conservative platform throughout the campaign.

The endorsement comes as early voting is already underway across New Jersey ahead of Election Day on Tuesday, June 2.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The annual Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) luncheon was held May 19 on Capitol Hill, bringing together bipartisan members of Congress, foreign ambassadors, and civic, business, and religious leaders in the historic Kennedy Caucus Room of the Russell Senate Office Building to honor the enduring contributions of Jewish Americans to the United States.

The event was co-chaired by Malcolm Hoenlein, CEO Emeritus of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and Eric J. Gertler, Executive Chairman of U.S. News and World Report. It honored entrepreneur and philanthropist Elliott Broidy with the Visionary Award, Nobel Prize winning physician Dr. Harvey J. Alter with the Dr. David Nassy Award, and Rabbi David Baron of Temple of the Arts in Beverly Hills with the Creativity in the Jewish Community Award.

In accepting the Visionary Award, Broidy reflected on the values his parents instilled in him — his father a decorated World War II veteran, turned schoolteacher, his mother a nurse — and the lesson they passed down: that success carries with it a responsibility to give back to family, community, and country. He praised Dr. Alter as an embodiment of tikkun olam for identifying a virus that was silently claiming millions of lives, and recognized Rabbi Baron’s work building curricula around altruism and empathy in young people as among the most consequential being done in America today.

Broidy described the luncheon as more than a celebration of JAHM, calling it a reaffirmation of the shared responsibility to confront hatred and protect the values of tolerance, democracy, and human dignity at a moment when antisemitism has risen sharply both in the United States and around the world.

Various U.S. Senators participated in the program, including Richard Blumenthal, John Fetterman, John Hickenlooper , Elissa Slotkin, Ron Wyden, James Lankford, Jacky Rosen, Pete Ricketts, Jeff Merkley, and Tim Sheehy. U.S. Representatives Randi Fine and Ken Calvert also delivered speeches. 

Rabbi Pini Dunner of Young Israel of Beverly Hills delivered remarks on the honorees, as did Rabbi Mordechai Suchard of The Gateways Organization and Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Executive Vice President of American Friends of Lubavitch.

The celebration traces its roots to the early 1980s, when Jewish Heritage Week was launched following discussions between Malcolm Hoenlein, President Ronald Reagan, and author and humanitarian Elie Wiesel, later evolving into the month-long observance recognized today.

The event was organized by Project Legacy under the leadership of Ezra Friedlander, whose work has made the Capitol Hill JAHM luncheon one of the most visible annual expressions of Jewish American civic life in Washington. Through Project Legacy, Friedlander has built a platform that brings elected officials, faith leaders, and community figures together each year to recognize Jewish Americans whose lives reflect the breadth of that community’s contributions to the nation. “This year’s honorees reflect a deep commitment to public service, innovation, philanthropy, and the fight against hatred and intolerance,” Friedlander said

A stolen electric bike worth hundreds of dollars was recovered and returned to its rightful owner following an investigation by Lakewood Shomrim.

Shomrim said its members received a report that the e-bike had been stolen in broad daylight. Members immediately launched an investigation, reviewing surveillance footage and using resources from the organization’s Camera Division to track the suspect’s movements.

The investigation led members to the location of the stolen bike, which was quickly recovered and safely returned to its owner.

Seats at the CURE Insurance Arena satellite location for the fifth annual Adirei HaTorah Ma’amad are now 65% sold out, and ticket sales are likely to close as early as tomorrow.

The priority seating section has already sold out, while a limited number of premium seats remain available. Organizers said they have also received requests from yeshivos for large blocks of seats, which could fill the remainder of the arena.

For now, organizers said they are holding off on allocating those large blocks in order to keep seats available for the general public.

“As it looks now, we will probably close down sales tomorrow,” BMG CEO Rabbi Yosef Heinemann said in a message urging urging shul ambassadors to notify their kehillos and others who may still want to attend. “If they would like to attend, now is the time.”

The satellite location at CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, which has a seating capacity of approximately 10,500, was arranged after tickets to the main ma’amad at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia sold out within just four hours on Lag BaOmer.

Tickets for the satellite location went on sale Sunday evening at AdireiHatorah.com/tickets, with seats offered at several price points. By Monday afternoon, less than 24 hours after sales opened, 50% of the arena had already been sold. Organizers now say that figure climbed to 65% by Tuesday afternoon.

The Ma’amad Adirei HaTorah is scheduled to take place Sunday, May 31. The event will begin earlier than in previous years, with doors at Xfinity Mobile Arena opening at 3:00 p.m. and Mincha scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

This year’s ma’amad 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.

A 20-year-old Toms River man is in critical condition Wednesday after being seriously injured in an early-morning crash in Lakewood.

Lakewood police officers were called to East Seventh Street and New York Avenue at approximately 12:57 a.m. on May 27 for a report of an overturned vehicle. When officers arrived, they found a 2023 Hyundai Elantra resting on its passenger side, with the driver trapped inside.

Responding officers quickly freed the man from the vehicle and began providing aid until emergency medical crews arrived. He was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in critical condition.

A preliminary investigation found that the Hyundai was traveling west on East Seventh Street when it veered off the roadway, struck a utility pole, crossed the front lawn of a home, hit an unoccupied parked vehicle and overturned.

Police said there is no indication at this stage that impairment contributed to the crash.

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A 20-year-old Toms River man is in critical condition Wednesday after being seriously injured in an early-morning crash in Lakewood.

Lakewood police officers were called to East Seventh Street and New York Avenue at approximately 12:57 a.m. on May 27 for a report of an overturned vehicle. When officers arrived, they found a 2023 Hyundai Elantra resting on its passenger side, with the driver trapped inside.

Responding officers quickly freed the man from the vehicle and began providing aid until emergency medical crews arrived. He was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in critical condition.

A preliminary investigation found that the Hyundai was traveling west on East Seventh Street when it veered off the roadway, struck a utility pole, crossed the front lawn of a home, hit an unoccupied parked vehicle and overturned.

Police said there is no indication at this stage that impairment contributed to the crash.

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A chosson on his way to his own wedding made an unexpected detour Tuesday to help a stranded driver whose vehicle had suffered a flat tire.

Pinny Muller, who is a Chaveirim member, was en route to Brooklyn, where he is scheduled to get married later today, when he stopped to assist the driver.

The brief delay turned into a meaningful moment of chessed, as Muller paused on one of the busiest and most memorable days of his life to help someone else get back on the road.

The Lakewood Police Department has announced the arrest of a woman following an investigation into multiple incidents involving damaged and stolen Verizon utility wiring throughout Lakewood Township.

According to police, officers responded on April 9, 2026, to several reports of Verizon wires that had been intentionally cut from utility poles at multiple locations across the township. Detectives subsequently launched an investigation and reviewed surveillance footage from the affected areas.

Through investigative efforts, along with assistance from Lakewood Shomrim, detectives were able to identify a vehicle believed to be connected to the incidents.

On May 12, officers from the Toms River Police Department detained the vehicle and its occupants during an unrelated investigation. Lakewood detectives responded to the scene and identified one of the occupants as the suspect seen in surveillance footage tied to the wire theft investigation.

Police said Bobbi Joe Dunn was subsequently arrested and charged with multiple counts of criminal mischief and theft offenses. She was lodged in the Ocean County Jail pending court proceedings.

Lakewood Police Chief Greg Meyer praised the coordinated efforts of the officers, detectives, dispatchers, and community partners involved in the case.

“This case highlights the importance of teamwork and strong partnerships between law enforcement agencies and community organizations,” Meyer said. “The quick sharing of information and proactive police work helped bring this investigation to a successful conclusion.”

The investigation was conducted by the Lakewood Police Department with assistance from Lakewood Shomrim and the Toms River Police Department.