Erev Rosh Chodesh Adar  Yom Kippur Koton

Weather: 37° Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing

Presidents day today federal, state, and local government offices, courts, and the U.S. Postal Service are closed, with no regular mail delivery. Banks, the stock market, and many schools are closed. However, most retailers, grocery stores, and restaurants remain open,

- The mashghiach of BMG Rav Reuven Hechster shlita will deliver his first official mussar Shmues  today during mussar seder at Beren  hall.

- Lakewood, nj  several thousand dollars were stolen in an early morning break-in at a local business. members of lakewood shomrim quickly mobilized and launched a coordinated response, using community cameras and on-the-ground canvassing to identify and track the suspect. shortly thereafter, shomrim members located the individual and notified the lakewood police department, who took the suspect into custody. Faanews

- In a Truth Social post, Donald Trump said he opposes the Gateway rail project between New York and New Jersey, warning it could cost billions more than projected. He stressed that the federal government will not cover any cost overruns and dismissed reports about renaming Penn Station to “Trump Station” as fake news.

- Gov Mikie Sherrill has not ruled out potential cuts to Stay NJ, the state’s newly enacted senior property tax relief program, according to Acting State Treasurer Aaron Binder. The program which began distributing its first rebate checks this month is projected to cost New Jersey approximately $1.2 billion annually.

- Moadim L'Simcha Lakewood Pesach 2026 Order Deadline: Feb 22, 2026

- Kashrus Alert: KCL has issued a warning regarding the use of Instacart in frum establishments. Some foods, such as meats that require double wrapping with a kosher seal, may be picked up by drivers without the proper halachic seal. Customers are advised not to order items requiring double sealing through Instacart to ensure proper kosher observance.

- Shidduch lounge opening soon at the westwood business center at the Lakewood /Toms River border 

- Kedushas HaKosel at Stake: Tomorrow, the Bagatz High Court will hold a live-broadcast hearing with a panel of seven judges to decide whether the Reform movement should be granted a portion of the Western Wall. The ruling could have significant implications for the status and administration of the kosel hamaravi.

- Attorney says All those arrested during yesterday’s protests in Bnei Brak were released today.

- Times of Israel reports The crowd that gathered at the protest in Bnei Brak was not organized by the Yerushalayim Faction. The demonstrations were spontaneous, following alerts from the group’s “Color Black” system. Participants were reportedly from the mainstream Chared community, not a violent fringe, contradicting media and coalition claims that the unrest was orchestrated or driven by extremist elements.

- One of the female IDF servicewomen told the Walla news outlet that she had asked her commanders not to send them into the city of Bnei Brak , but was given no choice in what Charedi activist are calling a provocation angering the residents. The Israeli Yated Ne’eman reports that, according to eyewitnesses, soldiers went to multiple homes delivering IDF enlistment documents. Passersby said the soldiers even shouted at people in the streets, calling them “deserters” and urging them to go to the army.

- Giyus: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition is pushing to speed up legislation regulating military exemptions for yeshiva students, according to Channel 12, coalition officials asked the Knesset committee’s legal adviser to submit a revised draft by the weekend. Shas and Degel HaTorah have conditioned their final approval of the 2026 state budget on passage of the bill, though reports suggest the updated text may not be ready in time.

- Blame again Faa news reports Lakewood mayor Ray Coles blames residents for township recent snow clean up as it was significantly hindered by garbage cans and vehicles left in the street. While crews faced heavy snow and thick ice, cans placed on the roadway prevented plows from clearing curb to curb, and parked cars further slowed operations. The mayor urged residents to keep streets clear of vehicles and garbage cans during storms to allow for more efficient snow removal. In other times Blame was put on the state and county for their roads that run thru Lakewood 

- At the Lakewood sheva brachos hosted by the Roshei Chabura for the son in law and his daughter of R' Lazer Schiner he shared that ever since he took on the challenging zechus of raising funds for Adirei HaTorah, he has seen tremendous hatzlocha in his business.“Everything I’ve done for the yungeleit has only brought me and my family immense kavod, bracha, and hatzlocha,” he said. “I’m telling all of you: take your money and your time and support the yungeleit who are learning and holding up the world. There’s no bigger bracha… it’s the secret gold.”(frum twitter news)

- Protesters caused traffic disruptions this afternoon, blocking Route 38 toward Yerushalayim and entrances near Beit Shemesh and Modi'in Illit, bringing traffic to a halt in several areas.after the arrests yesterday in Bnei Brak 

- NJ Transit officials issued an apology to riders after canceling 27 trains Sunday on the first day of a month-long rail service reduction to put one track of the new Portal Bridge in service.Most trains were canceled Sunday morning, with a few canceled in the afternoon, according to NJ Transit alerts.

- While the frum media outlets harshly condemned the Bnei Brak protests, others journalists in israeli media pointed out they did not criticize the police actions targeting frum individuals such as forcibly removing a woman’s sheitel and largely ignored the climate of fear caused by arrests for draft avoidance. While quoting the gedolim who condemned the protesters, these outlets provided little context for the tense atmosphere in Eretz Yisrael. Police violence in the streets of Bnei Brak including the use of stun grenades, mounted units, and especially harsh force against passersby was not an act of law enforcement or crowd control, but rather a senseless, retaliatory outburst aimed at continuing the persecution of the Chared public in the Holy Land claimed some journalists 

- Jackson: Two people died early Sunday when a 2023 Toyota Highlander left Hyson Road, hit a tree, and caught fire in Jackson, New Jersey. Police were unable to reach the occupants, who were pronounced dead at the scene. The crash is under investigation.