Tesla unveiled its next-generation Roadster Thursday night at a livestreamed event at SpaceX’s rocket test and development center in McGregor, Texas, showing the car lift off the ground using rocket-style thrusters.

Elon Musk said the car is the product of a collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX engineers. During the event, Tesla engineers said the thrusters run on compressed air stored in two ultra-high-pressure tanks totaling 600 liters, holding about 250 kilograms of air and feeding 10 nozzles. The car can refill its own air tank.

The Roadster also uses a fan-based suction system that Tesla says lets it corner at more than 2 G, compared with about 1.26 G typical for tires alone. Musk said the car can top 230 miles per hour, and Tesla showed a 0 to 60 mph test run of about one second.

Musk said the car used in the demo was technically autonomous for safety, but that the production Roadster will be the only manually driven car Tesla makes. He said it will be an actual car for the road, though not necessarily legal in every jurisdiction, and that production is planned to begin in 2028. He also floated a follow-up demo attempting a jump over a canyon.

Tesla’s website is taking reservations, with a $50,000 deposit for the “Performance” trim and $250,000 for “Thrust,” while a one-seat “Rocket” trim is invite only. No price has been announced. The Roadster was first revealed in 2017 and has been delayed repeatedly since.

A bilingual “Private Property, No Trespassing” sign has been posted on the door of a local shul, in response to last week’s incident.

The sign, printed in English and Spanish, states that entry is restricted to members only and authorized visitors. It says no consent is given to entry or searches without a judicial warrant or other lawful authority.

It adds that only the Rabbi is authorized to grant permission for any entry or to provide consent for any access.

As TLS reported last week, ICE agents followed a pedestrian into an area shul and made arrests. A mispallel there said the agents sought permission to search the premises from an individual who was not authorized to grant it, and urged those responsible for communal buildings to understand who may make decisions about access.

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There is a very good opportunity in front of the Lakewood community, and I believe we should be taking it seriously: building a new קהילה much farther out, or even in another state entirely.

The idea is not to keep moving a few minutes farther down the same road. It is to think bigger. Instead of waiting for another neighborhood to become available nearby, why not identify a place where an entire community can be planned from the beginning?

Look at Lakefront Estates & Villas, the development being built in Glades County near Lake Okeechobee, Florida. Its plans bring homes together with the things a growing קהילה needs: schools, a בית מדרש, a מקוה, shopping and other community services. The project is still being developed, but the thinking behind it is worth learning from.

The people behind it did not limit their search to the next block beside an existing community. They looked farther away and began planning a place around the needs of the families who would live there.

Why shouldn’t people in the Lakewood area do the same?

When we discuss our future, we should not assume that every answer has to be within a short drive of where we live today. If we want room for a growing community, we should be willing to look where there is room to build one. That could mean a much more distant part of New Jersey. It could mean another state.

A new development should be about more than putting up houses and hoping everything else follows. The goal should be a functioning קהילה, with schools, places to learn and daven, a מקוה, stores and a realistic plan for earning a living. Those needs should be part of the discussion before families are asked to move.

That is also what makes this a real opportunity for developers and investors. There is a difference between selling a house and giving a family a reason to make a new place home. A well-planned community can offer something that scattered construction cannot: a clear picture of daily life.

Of course, the numbers have to work. Buying land farther away does not automatically make the finished homes affordable. Roads, utilities, taxes, schools and the other costs all need to be examined honestly. The opportunity is to find a place where the complete plan works for families, not simply a property that looks inexpensive on paper.

The next step should be practical. Bring together developers, investors, רבנים, עסקנים and families who would seriously consider such a move. Look at several locations. Speak with the local officials. Check zoning, infrastructure and the full cost of building. Find out what size group would be needed to open with the basic services in place.

No one needs to promise a new town tomorrow. But someone does need to begin doing the work.

This is not a call for everyone to leave Lakewood. It is a call to create another good option. A family that wants to remain here can remain here. A family willing to start somewhere new should have a serious, organized possibility to consider.

The lesson from the Lakefront project is that a growing קהילה does not have to limit its imagination to the boundaries of its existing neighborhoods.

We should be looking much farther out. We should be considering other states. And we should see this as a very good opportunity to build for the next generation, rather than waiting until the need becomes harder to answer.

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Saturday, October 17 is National Move Over Day, and AAA is reminding drivers to protect the first responders, roadside workers and stranded motorists who work just feet from fast-moving traffic.

New Jersey’s Move Over Law, expanded in 2024, requires drivers approaching stationary emergency vehicles, service trucks and highway safety vehicles displaying red, blue or amber flashing lights to move over one lane or, if moving over is not safe, to slow down below the posted speed limit. The law also covers people in or near disabled vehicles displaying two of the following: hazard lights, warning signs or flares.

The reminder comes as the days grow shorter and darkness arrives earlier. A recent crash analysis by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that more than 75% of all roadside deaths occur after dark.

The numbers behind the campaign are stark. From 2019 to 2023, more than 2,100 people nationwide were struck and killed while stranded or working on the roadside, and about 300 people are killed each year while leaving, working on or returning to a stopped vehicle along the road, a figure that has risen 25% since 2014. In 2025, AAA responded to more than 30 million roadside events near active traffic, and 15 roadside service providers were killed in Slow Down, Move Over-related incidents. Six of those cases involved hit-and-run drivers, and five involved impaired drivers.

“The roadside is one of the most dangerous places our crews and stranded motorists can be, particularly with vehicles passing by at highway speeds,” said Tracy Noble, spokesperson for AAA Club Alliance. “New Jersey’s Move Over law gives every driver a simple responsibility: move over when it is safe, or slow down and pass with caution. Those few seconds of care can prevent a tragedy and help ensure everyone makes it home safely.”

A new AAA Foundation survey released ahead of the day shows a gap between what drivers say and what they do. More than 90% of drivers reported moving over or slowing down the last time they passed a disabled vehicle, tow truck or police car on the shoulder, but earlier observational research found that only 64% of vehicles actually changed lanes or reduced speed, while 36% did neither. Only 66% of drivers believed their state law required special action near a stopped police car, though 90% said they supported Move Over laws once the laws were explained.

“Many drivers know slowing down or moving over is the right thing to do,” said Dr. David Yang, President and Executive Director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “But awareness is not enough. When drivers encounter a vehicle stopped along the roadside, they need to respond right away, because failing to slow down or move over can turn a standard stop into a preventable tragedy.”

AAA urges drivers to stay focused and drive impairment-free, ease off the accelerator as soon as they see flashing lights, hazard lights or a stopped vehicle, and move over when it is safe. Drivers who cannot move over should slow to a safe speed, generally 10 to 20 mph below the posted limit, and pass with caution unless directed otherwise by emergency personnel.

The New Jersey Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee approved a bill today which would make daylight saving time permanent, keeping the state on Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) year-round and eliminating the need to change clocks twice a year.

Currently, New Jersey observes Eastern Standard Time (EST) for four months, from November to March, and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) for the remaining eight months.

Shlomo Schorr, director of legislative affairs for Agudath Israel of America’s New Jersey office, testified against the legislation, citing its potential impact on Orthodox Jewish communities across the state, including approximately 75,000 students attending 200 Jewish day schools.

Schorr acknowledged that many New Jersey residents are frustrated by the twice-yearly clock changes but argued that making daylight saving time permanent would create significant challenges for members of the Orthodox Jewish community.

He explained that Jewish morning prayers are governed by specific time requirements, with some prayers permitted only after sunrise. Under permanent daylight saving time, winter sunrise would occur later in the morning, potentially preventing Shachris from beginning before 8 a.m. on some days, forcing observant Jews to make a difficult choice between fulfilling their religious obligations and arriving at work on time.

He also raised concerns about children’s safety, noting that permanent daylight saving time would mean many students would have to leave home and wait at school bus stops in darkness during the winter months.

Young children could be less visible to motorists, Schorr argued, potentially increasing the dangers they face while traveling to school, noting they may be less visible to drowsy or distracted motorists and more vulnerable to traffic-related dangers during the early morning hours.

“We should not have to choose between eliminating the inconvenience of changing our clocks and maintaining safe conditions for our children as they travel to school,” Schorr said in his testimony.

Under federal law, however, states are not permitted to remain on daylight saving time throughout the year.

The bill would therefore only take effect if Congress amends the federal “Uniform Time Act of 1966” to authorize states to adopt permanent daylight saving time. That effort has passed overwhelmingly in the U.S. House of Representatives and is now awaiting a vote in the U.S. Senate.

Agudath Israel is opposed to that bill as well.

While the bill has been introduced several times in the past, it has not made much progress.

However, Senate President Nick Scutari recently added his name as a co-sponsor to the bill, which may signal some traction in the Legislature.

Once such authorization is granted, New Jersey would move to EDT year-round beginning on the first Sunday in November following that change.

A man formerly of Gwinnett County, Georgia, and currently residing in Chicago, Illinois, admitted to furnishing false U.S. passport cards through the mail, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Juma Wajid, also known as “Jay Khan” and “Jamal Anthony,” 38, of Chicago, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to an Information charging him with furnishing a false, forged and counterfeit passport.

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court, Wajid used an online account to send mailings that contained six or more fake U.S. passport cards and other identification documents that he created.

In August 2024, law enforcement purchased five false U.S. passport cards, as well as additional documents, from Wajid, who believed the documents would be used to commit bank fraud. Wajid created the documents and mailed them to an address in New Jersey in exchange for payment in cryptocurrency.

The charge of furnishing a false passport to another person carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the amount of money involved in the offense, whichever is greater.

The state wants to hear from families about what happens on special education buses. The New Jersey Department of Education is opening three virtual listening sessions for the public to speak to the Special Education Transportation Task Force before it makes its recommendations, TLS has learned.

According to a memo from the department, the task force is studying best practices for transporting students who receive special education and related services, including how to identify and respond to medical and behavioral emergencies.

The sessions will be held on Microsoft Teams:

• Monday, Oct. 26, 6 to 7 PM
• Thursday, Oct. 29, 10 to 11 AM
• Tuesday, Nov. 3, 12 to 1 PM

Anyone who wants to speak must register in advance using this form. Registration closes 24 hours before each session. Speakers are called in the order they register, and each gets up to five minutes. Meeting access details are emailed before the session.

Written comments can also be sent to [email protected] and will be included in the public record and shared with task force members.

The department asks participants to share experiences and suggested solutions without naming students, families, staff, bus drivers, aides, school districts, schools, vendors or other organizations.

Comments will be received without response or debate and considered along with other evidence as the task force prepares its recommendations. The sessions are not a forum for resolving individual cases.

Separately, a bill introduced Oct. 1 in the Legislature would change how districts select vendors for certain special needs transportation. It would replace the lowest-responsible-bidder standard with a most-appropriate-bidder test, require a meeting with the parent, vendor, case manager and district, and bar vendors that cannot meet a student’s IEP. The bill has been introduced only and has not become law.

The Lakewood Fire Department’s Special Operations Unit was hard at work last night, joining Berkeley HazMat and the New Jersey State Police HazMat Unit at All Chem for a hands-on joint training exercise.

Crews tackled two challenging evolutions: a confined space rescue and a leaking tank scenario, the kind of high-risk calls that demand seamless teamwork across agencies.

“Training alongside our partner agencies allows us to strengthen communication, improve coordination, and learn from one another in a controlled environment,” the department said.

“A big thank you to All Chem for working with us and helping provide these valuable training opportunities,” the department added. “We appreciate the continued cooperation and commitment from all agencies involved in making this training possible.”

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Many Lakewood residents and business owners regularly deal with Lakewood and the surrounding townships of Brick, Toms River, Jackson and Howell, whether it’s permits, zoning, taxes, the clerk’s office or anything else.

How do you find working with the departments in these townships? Which ones do you feel are running smoothly and up to date in 2026, and which are still lagging behind and could use an upgrade?

And how is the customer service across the different departments?

Share your experience in the comments below.

The SPOT is hosting an evening for single girls 25+ on October 19th in Lakewood, featuring guest speaker Mrs. Dina Brainy Smith.

The event begins at 7:45pm, with doors opening at 7:00pm for cocktails and more.

Those interested are asked to RSVP to [email protected] for the location.

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Members of the New Jersey State Police recently visited young patients at Hackensack Meridian K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center (JSUMC) in Neptune.

Troopers handed out toys and posed for photos, creating moments of joy for families navigating a hospital stay.

“Healing is about more than just medicine. It’s about nurturing a child’s spirit and giving families a reason to smile,” said Jessica Scerbo, MD, chair of pediatrics at JSUMC and Hackensack Meridian Health’s southern region. “When members of the New Jersey State Police take the time to connect with our kids, it transforms the entire atmosphere of the hospital. It reminds these young patients that everyday heroes are cheering them on, and we are deeply grateful for their incredible compassion and continued support.”

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

Question:

Hi, thanks for all that you do.

Any idea or update on when the light at Hillside and New Central will go live? Getting out of Westgate is a nightmare! The light is put up already.

Thanks in advance.

Response from Mayor Coles:

I’ll reach out to the county. They always do this over a period of time to get folks used to the light. They keep it covered for a while, then they will flash it. The concern is people who have driven over a road for long periods of time may not even notice it at first and the result could be devastating. It’s frustrating but I promise the end is in sight

Question:

I am writing to express my concerns regarding the closure of 7th Street between New York Avenue and Nowlan Avenue today around 12:00 PM.

This closure resulted in severe traffic congestion, forcing all cars and buses to detour down Ridge Avenue, which is extremely narrow and not equipped to handle that volume of traffic during peak hours.

I would like to request clarification on why this road closure was scheduled at noon on a Friday, during peak bus routes. If this was due to an emergency, please provide details on the nature of the situation and why the work could not be delayed until after 2:00 PM when school bus routes are completed.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Response from Mayor Coles:

I spoke with Traffic and Safety. It was an emergency job, not scheduled work. Response is below

Yes, spoke with the officer. It was a JCP&L emergency job for a leaning pole across East 7th St. The road was closed at 10 AM and opened by 12:30 PM.

—————–

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

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

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New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill says the prospect of soldiers being ordered to carry out a public firing-squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan “keeps me up at night,” warning of the lasting impact on the service members involved.

In a statement criticizing the Trump administration’s plan, Sherrill said Hasan “killed 13 innocent soldiers and deserves to be brought to justice,” but argued that a televised execution would be “contrary to the values that this nation stands for and that I took oaths to protect.”

“One aspect of this in particular keeps me up at night: the horror of detailing soldiers to be in the firing squad,” she said. “Most veterans like myself are unfamiliar with firing squads because our military hasn’t used one in over 80 years.”

Sherrill said she thinks about her own children serving in the military and a young service member being assigned to a firing squad despite moral objections or personal opposition.

“Just about anyone who has served in combat can tell you about the toll it takes. This is different and worse: firing on someone for the public spectacle of it,” she said.

The governor also criticized Congress for not intervening, saying it was “hard to understand how Congress has not called an emergency session to block it.”

“It infuriates me to think of all the Members of Congress who have thanked me for my service on Veterans Day, but have said nothing about this and refuse to hold Trump and Hegseth accountable,” Sherrill said.

She accused President Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth of putting a public display ahead of the welfare of military personnel.

“I imagine the young person getting detailed to the firing squad and doing their duty, following their orders. And I think of the lasting impact that will have on them,” she said. “I just wish the two men in charge of our military cared half as much about the men and women who serve as they do about themselves.”

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Simcha Shain is a Hatzolah paramedic who also runs a business that coordinates private jets for business executives and medical purposes, including organ transplants, air ambulances, and other emergency medical needs.

In 2024, Simcha was preparing to launch a new technology platform for his private-jet business at the NBAA, a major aviation conference. He had booked a costly prime booth nearly a year in advance and spent months preparing for the event.

Then, just a few weeks before the conference, Simcha realized that he had made a terrible mistake. He had accidentally checked the previous year’s calendar when looking up the date of the conference.

The conference was scheduled for Shavuos.

Simcha immediately contacted his staff.

“We’re not doing it,” he told them. “Shavuos is a Jewish holiday. We’re not going.”

Several members of his team were not Jewish and offered to attend the conference and run the booth without him.

“No,” Simcha replied. “We’re not doing that.”

The conference organizers would not refund his payment, offering only a 50% credit toward the following year’s conference.

Simcha decided to keep the booth but simply not attend. He wanted to turn the situation into a Kiddush Hashem.

He asked the organizers to place a simple sign at the booth explaining why it was empty. The sign stated that the company was not present because it was observing the Jewish holiday of Shavuos.

There was no apology and no embarrassment. Simcha simply stood proudly for his values.

A year later, Simcha returned to the conference and was shocked by what happened next.

During the event, a pilot who operated a charter company approached him. Simcha knew him from previous business dealings. The pilot had once been religious but had stopped practicing Judaism many years earlier.

“I came to this conference to see you,” he told Simcha.

He explained that he had happened to attend the previous year and noticed Simcha’s booth and the sign.

The pilot was deeply shaken.

“How could I have fallen so far,” he said, “that I didn’t even know it was a Jewish holiday?”

The simple sign awakened something inside him. He made a personal commitment that he would no longer fly on Shabbos or Yom Tov.

A year later, he came back specifically to tell Simcha that he had kept that commitment and had not flown since the previous conference.

Simcha then remembered that he had his tallis and tefillin in his car.

“How about putting on tallis and tefillin?” he asked.

“Of course!” the pilot replied.

Right there at the conference, the pilot put on tefillin.

All because one Jew had stood proudly for his values, without apology.

Let’s remember that Kiddush Hashem is all about putting Hashem’s ratzon first, whether in private or in public. It means reflecting His kedusha and His middos no matter what.

Have a wonderful shabbos,
Rabbi Shraga Freedman

Hey Jew, they hate you.

Not everyone. Not even close. Most of our neighbors are good people who want the same things we do. But there’s a vocal minority that seems to have a problem with just about everything we do, and somehow, they always find a way to make it sound like something else.

They’ll call it overdevelopment, zoning, taxes, traffic, buses, or protecting the character of the neighborhood.

And those are all legitimate concerns. But sometimes, behind those concerns, there’s something else.

They’ll say we don’t pay taxes, even though our property tax bills arrive in the same mail as theirs.

They’ll say we’re destroying the public schools, even though we pay school taxes and then pay again to educate our own children.

They’ll say we refuse to assimilate, but when we move into their neighborhoods, suddenly we’re taking over.

They’ll complain about our shuls, our eruv, our sukkahs, our black hats, our beards, our children, and sometimes even the way we dress.

And some will tell you they have nothing against Jewish people, only the Orthodox ones, as though adding the word Orthodox somehow makes prejudice acceptable.

Ever notice how quickly a conversation about traffic can turn into a conversation about Jews?

How a discussion about zoning suddenly becomes a discussion about our religion?

How a complaint about school buses becomes an accusation that we’re stealing from taxpayers?

And how someone concerned about preserving their neighborhood suddenly has an opinion about how many children Jewish families should have?

That’s when you begin to wonder whether the conversation was ever really about traffic.

Now let’s be clear. Traffic is real. Parking is real. Overdevelopment is real, taxes are real. And every resident of Ocean County, Jewish or not, has every right to question what happens in their neighborhood.

But there’s a difference between opposing a development and opposing the people who might live there.

There’s a difference between asking whether a Shul has enough parking and saying you don’t want another Shul in your town.

There’s a difference between criticizing a school budget and blaming Jewish children for its problems.

And there’s a difference between loving your neighborhood and believing certain people don’t belong in it.

They’ll tell us to go somewhere else.

But where exactly are we supposed to go?

We’re Americans. We live here. We work here. We pay taxes here. We raise our children here. We volunteer here. We help our neighbors here.

And when someone needs an ambulance, a firefighter, or help on the side of the road, our volunteers don’t stop to ask what religion that person practices.

They’ll say Orthodox Jews only care about themselves.

But when we volunteer, participate in local government, attend public meetings, or organize to help our communities, somehow that’s suspicious too.

And when we vote?

Suddenly, we’re a voting bloc.

So which is it?

Do you want us involved in the community, or do you want us invisible?

The human mind is a fascinating thing. When someone already dislikes a group of people, almost anything that group does can become evidence against them.

If we stay quiet, we’re secretive.

If we speak up, we’re aggressive.

If we vote, we’re taking over.

If we don’t vote, we don’t care.

If we build, we’re overdeveloping.

If we buy an existing home, we’re changing the neighborhood.

If we keep to ourselves, we refuse to integrate.

If we move next door, we’re invading.

If we explain our traditions, we’re making excuses.

And if we defend ourselves, we’re playing the victim.

At some point, you realize that you cannot win an argument with someone who has already decided you’re guilty.

But here’s something else I’ve learned.

The loudest people on Facebook aren’t necessarily the majority. Sometimes they’re just the loudest.

I’ve sat down with neighbors who had concerns about Orthodox Jews, and after some conversation, we discovered that we had far more in common than either of us realized.

Because most people aren’t looking for a fight. They’re looking for answers.

And that’s exactly why I started the orthodox 101.

Not to force anyone to like us. Not to convince anyone to agree with our religious beliefs. But to explain who we are, why we do what we do, and hopefully open a conversation with the overwhelming majority of good people who simply don’t understand our way of life.

And now I want to say something to every Orthodox Jew living in Ocean County.

Don’t hide who you are.

Don’t be embarrassed by your yarmulke, your payos, your beard, your black hat, or your traditions.

Don’t apologize for having a family, sending your children to yeshiva, walking to shul on Shabbos, or wanting to live near people who share your religious practices.

Don’t allow a Facebook comment section to convince you that an entire county hates you.

Because it doesn’t.

There are wonderful people throughout Ocean County who welcome us, respect us, work alongside us, and treat us like the neighbors we are.

And those are the people we should be connecting with.

We don’t need everyone to agree with us. We don’t need everyone to understand every tradition. And we certainly don’t expect everyone to become Orthodox.

We just want people to understand that being different doesn’t make someone dangerous, and practicing our religion doesn’t make us any less American.

So be proud of who you are.

Be a good neighbor. Say hello. Start a conversation. Invite someone for coffee. Help someone who needs it.

And when someone tells you that you don’t belong here, remember something.

We’re not visitors. We’re not outsiders. We’re not guests waiting for permission to stay.

We’re residents. We’re taxpayers. We’re volunteers. We’re parents. We’re Americans.

And we’re Jews.

We belong in Ocean County just as much as anyone else.

And to our neighbors who have stood beside us, welcomed us, defended us, and treated us with respect, thank you.

Because the loudest voices don’t represent an entire community.

And hatred doesn’t get to decide who belongs here.

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

You can download and print the Q&A by clicking here.

8-Some-Interesting-QA-Parashas-Noach-TLS

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.

Rav Yosef Davis זצ”ל, who grew up in Flatbush and lived in Eretz Yisroel, was niftar at just 52 years old, leaving behind his wife and 10 children — 9 unmarried, the youngest only 6!

After a year of terrible suffering, this devoted Talmid Chacham is gone.

Klal Yisroel, this family desperately needs our help!

Please open your hearts and help them through this unimaginable tragedy. DONATE HERE – CLICK HERE: https://www.charidy.com/KerenZichronYosef/KlalYisroel

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Lakewood’s Resource and Referral Center has been awarded $422,000 to help residents sign up for health insurance through Get Covered New Jersey, according to data obtained by TLS.

The funding is for Plan Year 2027 under the state’s Navigator Grant Program, which supports free, unbiased help with health-insurance enrollment and renewals. Navigators can also help residents apply for financial assistance.

Open enrollment for 2027 coverage begins November 1, 2026, and runs through January 31, 2027.

Ocean Health Initiatives was awarded $62,000, while Fulfill received $96,000. Statewide, the department awarded $5,171,000 to 33 organizations.

The organizations provide assistance in person and remotely. The statewide Navigator network offers help in more than 10 languages and serves all 21 counties, according to the department.

Residents can enroll through Get Covered New Jersey during open enrollment. Outside that window, enrollment generally requires a qualifying life event, such as losing employer-sponsored coverage, getting married or having a baby.

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Early Bird Special! Register by October 18th for $75 off

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Or call: 848-223-2700

Family and friends of former Manchester Fire Chief Brian Flanagan are invited to pay their respects during the viewing on Monday October 19 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

The ceremony will take place at the Oliverie Funeral Home, 2925 Ridgeway Road in Manchester New Jersey, 08759.

A Firefighters’ Service will be held at 7:00 PM in honor of a life that touched so many and in recognition of the brotherhood, courage, and dedication shared among firefighters.

During this difficult time, the family welcomes all who wish to come together to offer their love, support, and condolences.

On Tuesday October 20, at 1030am there will be a final call around the firehouse and an escort to cremation at Ocean County Memorial Park.

For decades, we’ve talked about the enormous cost of seminary – and rightfully so.

Families are spending tens of thousands of dollars for a year, and many parents are going into debt just to keep up with the expectations.

But if we’re going to have this conversation, we also need to talk about the cost of Beis Medrash.

We’ve created a system where boys can spend 5 or more years in Beis Medrash, sometimes including multiple years in Israel.

Let’s do the math.

If the total cost of tuition, room and board, and other expenses comes to approximately $20,000 per year, then:

1 year = $20,000

2 years = $40,000

3 years = $60,000

4 years = $80,000

5 years = $100,000

And that’s for one child.

If a family has two sons going through the same system, we’re talking about approximately $200,000.

Three sons? $300,000.

And this is before we even talk about the enormous costs of weddings, housing, supporting young couples, and raising the next generation.

So why do we act as if the seminary conversation is only a girls’ issue?

This is a family affordability issue.

Torah learning is incredibly valuable. Nobody is questioning that.

But does every boy really need the exact same number of years in Beis Medrash?

Could some boys marry younger, continue learning, and eventually enter the workforce?

Could we create different paths instead of assuming that every boy needs five, six or seven years before marriage?

We need to stop telling parents, “This is the system,” while simultaneously telling them not to go into debt.

Maybe it’s time to rethink the system.

Let boys learn, marry younger, build a home, and become financially independent when they are ready.

The goal should be to build strong Jewish homes—not to leave parents with six-figure bills for years of education.

If we’re willing to question the cost of seminary, we should be willing to question the cost of Beis Medrash too.

Torah is important.

But that doesn’t mean the system has to be financially unsustainable.

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AN OPEN LETTER TO OUR RABBANIM

Lakewood, Toms River, Jackson, and Surrounding Communities

Dear Rabbanim,

Today, at approximately noon, I walked into a luncheonette in Lakewood and ordered lunch.

The young man serving me was a sweet, pleasant boy. I asked whether he had put on tefillin today. Sheepishly, he answered, “No.”

I offered to bring my tefillin from the car so he could put them on privately in the back, taking no more than five minutes.

He declined, asking, “Why should I?”

“Because it’s a mitzvah,” I answered. “Why not?”

He finally promised to put them on when he got home at 3:45.

“Pinky promise?” I asked.

“Pinky promise,” he replied.

As I left, I wondered: How many young Yidden working in our stores go through the day without putting on tefillin?

I respectfully appeal to our Rabbanim to come together and encourage store owners throughout our communities to keep a pair of tefillin available and allow their young employees five minutes to put them on.

No pressure. No embarrassment. Just a little encouragement.

Surely, a store owner can cover the counter for five minutes. The sandwiches will still be made, the customers will still be served, and the business will go on.

But another young Yid will have fulfilled a precious mitzvah.

Dear Rabbanim, can we make this happen?

Five minutes a day. Imagine the difference we could make.

Yoshi W.

Toms River, NJ

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October 28, 2026- BOE Meeting Public Announcement- In Person

Lakewood, New Jersey has the highest childbearing rate in the country, according to a new analysis of 2020-2024 Census data obtained by TLS, with the township ranking first among geographic areas studied nationwide.

The data, compiled from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey five-year Public Use Microdata Sample and sorted by the People’s Policy Project, found that 155.6 women per 1,000 women ages 15-44 in Lakewood reported giving birth in the previous 12 months.

That figure places Lakewood well ahead of the second-ranked area, western Rockland County, New York, which recorded a rate of 134.4 births per 1,000 women in the same age group.

The analysis ranked the top 10 geographic areas by the number of women ages 15-44 who reported a birth in the preceding year, per 1,000 women in that age range.

Several of the highest-ranking areas are home to large Orthodox Jewish communities, including Lakewood, western Rockland County, Borough Park and Kensington in Brooklyn, and southeastern Orange County, New York.

Northwestern Ocean County, which includes areas surrounding Lakewood, such as Jackson and Manchester, ranked seventh nationally, with a rate of 112.6 births per 1,000 women ages 15-44.

Other areas in the top 10 included parts of Florida and North Carolina, western Utah County, parts of Indiana with large Amish communities, and central Nebraska.

The figures represent reported births among women ages 15-44, rather than a general fertility rate based on births per 1,000 women of all ages or a ranking of total births.

In 2024, Lakewood again had more births than any other municipality in New Jersey, with a total of 5,420 babies born that year, according to data compiled by TLS.

Statewide, there were 101,357 births across New Jersey in 2024. Ocean County, which includes Lakewood, accounted for 10,812 of those births—more than 10% of the state’s total. Lakewood alone represented just over half of all births in the county, and 5.3% of the statewide total.

Three kedoshei elyon had one common concept when it came to learning Torah – they were the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh (Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar 1696-1743) when he came to Eretz Yisroel; the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto 1707-1746) when he lived in Padua, Italy;  and Hagaon, Harav Chaim Volozhiner, (1749-1821) the famous talmid of the Gaon of Vilna.

They each had a yeshiva with ‘around-the-clock’ Torah learning, 24-hours a day, so that there would be no minute when the sound of Torah learning would not be heard in this world. The 24-hour period would be divided into shifts, and as one ended the next would begin.

Torah-24

A “Torah-24” Center has been opened in Yerushalayim and the Nasi is Maran Sar Hatorah, Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l.

• The first “Torah-24” center is in Yerushalayim

• 11 Kollelim with 163 avreichim will be learning at “Torah-24” every day

• Nigleh, Nistar, Chumash and Halacha – All under ONE ROOF

• Talmud Bavli / Yerushalmi – Kabbalah & Zohar – Rambam, Shulchan Aruch & Poskim, Zeraim – Taharos

• The following SIX kollelim – Kollel Hashkomas Haboker, Kollel Yerushalmi, Kollel Bavli, Kollel Choshen Mishpat/Even Haezer, Kollel Erev Shabbos, Kollel Kabbalah B’Chatzos (Tikun Chatzot, Etz Chaim, Zohar, Tehillim) – are fully operational

• 24 hour תורה learning cycle – 6:00 am to 6:00 am – is divided into different shifts

• Each kollel shift has its own program, Rosh Kollel and avreichim

• Detailed monthly and annual tests – written and oral – for all avreichim

• Already there are 77 avreichim metzuyonim, and a large number of candidates are vying for the remaining slots in the kollelim. All the avreichim are required to take rigorous monthly tests.

In the words of Gedolei Torah:

“Torah-24 תורה” – where the voice of Torah is not absent from within the walls of the kollelim, not even for a minute…

“The idea … of day and night shifts of non-stop kollelim… the full range of subjects of the Torah… the derech of the Ramchal, the Ohr Hachaim Hakodosh and Hagaon Reb Chaim of Volozhin.”

– Nasi Maran Sar Hatorah, Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l

“All who donate to and support “Torah-24 תורה” will merit all the brochos of the Torah, including those for refuos, yeshuos, parnossa tova and nachas from all their descendants, Amen”

– Maran Rosh Yeshivas Ponevez, Hagaon Harav Gershon Edelstein, zt”l

At “Torah-24 תורה”, exceptional avreichim do not pause for a moment while studying all the areas of the holy Torah, with a shift of remarkable scholars studying the holy Zohar and the recitation of Tikun Chatzos at midnight. 

All who donate and support this holy endeavor of “Torah-24 תורה” should see brocha and success … children and grandchildren immersed in Torah and mitzvos… fulfillment of all the hopes of their hearts for good and with brocha. 

– Maran Hagaon Harav Moishe Sternbuch, shlit”a

I join the esteemed Rabbanim and Gaonim, shlit”a, in endorsing the illustrious “Kollel Kabbalah b’Chatzos” designated for outstanding talmidei chachomim, masters of Torah and yiras Shomayim, who spend their nights in Beis Hashem, engaging deeply in the concealed dimensions of Torah during this auspicious time of Divine Favor…

I hereby call upon my generous brethren to support this endeavor with significant sums, for through this they will attain the great merit of the hidden Torah studied at night. May you all be blessed by Hashem with many blessings in accordance with the greatness of the endeavor that you are supporting!

– Maran Hagaon Hamekubal, Harav Yaakov Meir Shechter, shlit”a

“Support ‘Torah-24 תורה’ where the sound of Torah – nigleh and nistar – all hours of the day and night; and be blessed from shamayim that the Torah should never cease from your mouth; children bnei Torah; abundant parnassa and good health”

– Maran Hagaon Harav Shimon Badani, zt”l
Rosh Kollel Torah V’Chaim, Member Moetzet Chachmei Hatorah

“Torah-24 תורה” – groups of talmidei chachomim geonim in different shifts, delve in the subjects of Torah learning without interruption – Bavli, Yerushalmi, Dalet Chelkei Shulchan Aruch, Rambam, Kabbala, Midrash, Tana”ch and more.  “Torah-24 תורה” is in actuality a wonderful continuation of the heichalei hakodesh and battei midrash of our holy Rabbonim – the Ramchal, the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh and the Nefesh Hachaim, zy”o. Who would not want to be part of this historical and amazing project “Torah-24 תורה”, and the greatness of its holy impact in both the supernal and lower realms?  “My brocha to all who support “Torah-24 תורה” – You should merit great abundance in both the spiritual and the material – supernal light, peace of mind, tranquility of the soul and bodily health. Only goodness and kindness should pursue you all the days of your lives, and you should dwell securely for your length of days.

– Maran Hamashpia Hagadol, ‘Reb Meilech’ Biderman, shlit”a

“Your kesher with ‘Torah-24 תורה’ will be a true ובהם נהגה יומם ולילה – and we will delve in them by day and by night”

– Maran Hagaon Harav Shraga Steinman, shlit”a – Orchos Torah

“Talmidei Chachomim of ‘Torah-24 תורה’ delve into all sectors of Torah – Bavli and Yerushalmi, Dalet Chelkei Shulchan Aruch, Rambam, Kabbalah – Nistar”

– Maran Hagaon Harav Shimon Gallai, shlit”a – Bnei Brak

Kollel Kabbalah b’Chatzos” is a precious link in the golden chain of the glorious Torah empire “Torah-24”… bringing tremendous delight to the Ribbono shel Olam. Fortunate are all those who take part in this great and holy endeavor.

– Maran HaMekubal Rav Abish Zehnwirth, shlit”a

For more “Torah-24” information click on: www.torah-24.com or call 718-766-5022

This Chol Hamoed, ten Sukkah Mobiles fanned out across Ocean and Western Monmouth Counties each day, bringing the lulav, esrog, and sukkah to shopping centers, senior homes, schools, and front doors.

The Sukkah Mobiles brought the mitzvos of Sukkos to Jews of every background, especially those less connected to Jewish life, many of whom would otherwise have let the Yom Tov pass without shaking a lulav or sitting in a sukkah.

In Jackson, Rabbi Shmuel Naparstek, director of Chabad of Jackson, coordinated the routes and mapped out the stops across the township each day. The Sukkah Mobiles were stationed at busy shopping centers, schools, and senior facilities, including Bella Terra, The Orchards at Bartley, and Sunrise, and made home visits around town.

At each stop, visitors had the chance to shake the lulav and esrog and hop aboard the Sukkah Mobile to make a brocho in the sukkah.

“A sukkah has room for every Jew,” said Rabbi Naparstek. “This Sukkos, we wanted every Jew in Ocean County to feel there was a place for them inside.”

At Chabad of Jackson’s home on Cross Street in Lakewood, the Yom Tov was just as full. On Monday evening, the Chabad House hosted a Sukkah Deli night. On Tuesday, its monthly Cafe Chabad luncheon for the 55+ community became Sushi in the Sukkah. The week concluded with a joyous Simchas Torah.

The Jackson effort was part of a regional push by Chabad’s regional office serving Ocean and Western Monmouth Counties. Local Chabad rabbis assigned the routes in their own communities, from the boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach to shopping centers, senior residences, and high school dismissals across both counties. Some 25 volunteers staffed the Sukkah Mobiles, reaching nearly 5,000 people over Sukkos, with more than 3,000 shaking the lulav.

On Wednesday, Chabad centers from across both counties joined together for SukkahFest at Camp Gan Israel of Central NJ. The event drew 650 people, among them a large contingent from Jackson and Lakewood. At its center stood a 5,000-square-foot sukkah, where guests sat down to a catered barbecue. Carnival rides and attractions surrounded it, along with a comedy juggling show and the first-ever Sukkah Hayride. The night peaked with a Simchas Beis Hashoeiva concert featuring Binyomin Lerner and the Top Cats band.

The programs were organized by Chabad’s regional office in partnership with Chabad of Jackson and other centers serving the region, including Chabad of Toms River, Manalapan, Freehold, and Holmdel.

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Toms River Police Department’s Special Enforcement Team made multiple drug arrests over the past month during investigations targeting suspected narcotics activity throughout the township, officials said.

In one investigation, officers conducting surveillance near Coolidge and Windsor avenues attempted to stop a Honda Accord driven by a suspect. The driver fled at a high rate of speed through the neighborhood. Police did not pursue the vehicle in accordance with Attorney General guidelines and in the interest of public safety. On September 2, the suspect turned himself in at District One. He was charged with second-degree eluding, issued several motor vehicle citations, and lodged in the Ocean County Jail.

In a separate incident, officers conducting surveillance observed a man suspected of distributing narcotics while driving a white Mazda. The vehicle was stopped at Wawa on Route 70. A K9 sniff resulted in a positive indication for narcotics, and a consent search uncovered paraphernalia and crack cocaine residue. The driver was arrested and also had two active warrants.

During surveillance in Friendly Village, officers observed a male suspect leaving a targeted residence. A traffic stop was conducted near Route 70 and Whitesville Road. The suspect had several outstanding warrants, and his vehicle was towed pending a search warrant. A subsequent search uncovered raw heroin and drug paraphernalia.

Another investigation involved continued surveillance at the Oceanview Inn and Suites, which resulted in multiple search warrants. A suspect was stopped on his bicycle near Lillie and Adams avenues and transported back to the hotel, where officers executed a search warrant. Police recovered crack cocaine, a digital scale with drug residue, and packaging materials. The suspect was arrested and lodged in the Ocean County Jail.

In a separate investigation near Second Avenue, officers stopped a woman who had been observed leaving an area associated with drug trafficking. K9 officers conducted a sniff of the vehicle and received a positive indication. Police located a methamphetamine kit containing residue, a pipe, and a straw. The woman was arrested and released on a summons.

Officers also investigated suspected narcotics activity near Bay and Vaughn avenues following several citizen complaints. A vehicle connected to a previous investigation involving an overdose entered the neighborhood. The driver told officers he had traveled from Trenton as an Uber driver to pick up a passenger, but the trip had not been logged in the Uber application. A K9 sniff resulted in a positive indication for narcotics. Police said the driver was found with eight bricks of heroin, containing approximately 400 wax folds, and a quantity of crack cocaine. He was arrested and charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of heroin, and possession of crack cocaine.

In another operation, officers observed a 49-year-old Brick man engage in a brief transaction with a 42-year-old Pine Beach man. Police conducted motor vehicle stops on both men after they left the area. K9 units assisted at both stops and indicated the presence of narcotics. Officers recovered cocaine from one man, who was charged with possession of crack cocaine. The other man was charged with distribution of crack cocaine, and $2,410 in cash was seized pending civil forfeiture.

The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office has released police body-worn camera footage and radio transmissions from a fatal SWAT encounter in Atlantic County that remains under investigation.

Donald Gardner, also known as Donald Capriotti, 52, of Atlantic City, died during the June 2, 2026 encounter at a residence on the 100 block of North Florida Avenue in Atlantic City.

According to the preliminary investigation, officers with the Atlantic City Police Department’s SWAT team and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office SWAT team were attempting to execute a search warrant. Officers saw that the front door was initially open before an individual inside closed it.

Officers announced their presence and purpose, then used a mechanical device to breach the door, authorities said.

As the door opened, Gardner fired multiple shots at the officers, according to the Attorney General’s Office. A projectile struck one Atlantic City officer in the helmet, while another officer sustained a gunshot wound to the leg.

Atlantic City Police Officer Robert Reynolds, who was not struck by gunfire, fired his weapon multiple times, striking Gardner. Gardner was subsequently pronounced dead, and a handgun was recovered from the residence. The two wounded officers were taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center.

The Attorney General’s Division of Criminal Justice is investigating the encounter, including the circumstances and the cause and manner of death. Representatives of Gardner’s family were given an opportunity to review the recordings before their public release.

State law requires the Attorney General’s Office to investigate deaths that occur during encounters with law enforcement officers acting in their official capacity or while a person is in custody. Those investigations must be presented to a grand jury to determine whether the evidence supports an indictment.

The investigation is ongoing. No further information is being released at this time.

Bodycam Footage:

Graphic warning: videos not suited for all ages or audiences.

Several civilians, firefighters, and emergency services personnel were recognized at Tuesday night’s Manchester Township Council meeting for their roles in a life-saving rescue at Hidden Lake in Whiting.

On July 30, 2025, Manchester Township police officers responded to Hidden Lake for a report of an unconscious 16-year-old male in the water. The lake’s remote location and difficult terrain made reaching the teen challenging.

Joseph Griscavage Jr. arrived at the scene in his Jeep and offered to help. Knowing the area, he guided officers along the trail to the teen, helped remove him from the water, and assisted with getting him out of the remote area. When police vehicles became stuck on the trail, Griscavage used his own vehicle to help free them.

Four other civilians, Noah DeSimone, Dylan Verge, Sydney Reilly, and Makenzie Vulgaris, also assisted with the rescue, including helping the teen, communicating with police dispatch, and guiding responding officers.

Members of the Whiting Volunteer Fire Company and Manchester Township Division of Emergency Services worked alongside police officers and civilians to evaluate and stabilize the teen, provide medical care, and coordinate the rescue.

Thanks to the combined efforts, the teen was successfully rescued and made a full recovery, suffering only a minor concussion.

At Tuesday night’s meeting, Griscavage, DeSimone, Verge, Reilly, Vulgaris, and the Whiting Volunteer Fire Company received the Manchester Township Police Department Civilian Service Award.

The Manchester Township Division of Emergency Services received the Chief’s Recognition Award for its members’ efforts during the rescue.

Officials praised the teamwork between civilians, volunteers, and first responders that helped save the teen’s life.

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Tensions escalated at Tuesday night’s Jackson Township Council meeting, when individuals reportedly associated with the “Fight for Jackson” movement continued their protests and a confrontation required intervention by the Jackson Township Police Department.

During the meeting, protesters directed accusations at Council President Mordechai Burnstein, calling him a “fascist” and accusing him of supporting genocide.

The situation escalated when an individual approached Burnstein in what was described as a confrontational manner, prompting police officers to step in.

The incident is the latest in a series of disruptions at Township Council meetings. While residents have the right to express their opinions and challenge elected officials, the repeated disruptions and confrontational behavior have raised questions about the Council’s ability to conduct township business.

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Hatzolah of Central Jersey has issued a statement mourning the loss of Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company Chief Brian Flanagan, who was killed early Tuesday morning while working in a construction zone on the New Jersey Turnpike.

In the statement, Hatzolah said it joins the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company and the Manchester community “in mourning the loss of a hero.” The organization said Chief Flanagan “has served with dedication, compassion, and courage,” and that his “sincere desire to help others was apparent in every interaction.”

Hatzolah concluded with a prayer that his memory be for a blessing and that his family and friends find comfort in his accomplishments and sterling reputation.

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The FedEx driver first introduced here on TLS was seen again this morning in Lakewood – rocking a Hershy Weinberger song from his truck.

After the first video ran on TLS, Hershy Weinberger’s team reached out hoping to track the driver down. They did – and Hershy met up with him and gave him an MP3 player so he can keep enjoying the music and spreading positivity.

Watch the original video that introduced him here.

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By: Shuki B.

One word that evokes the strongest of emotions. That sudden throwback to a place and time that, even while living it as children, we understood would never come again. A wonder world of excitement and happiness. Each moment meaningful.

The other bunk was wild and noisy. Ours- quiet, secretly eating pizza. The whispered jokes, even funnier when misheard. Shabbos. Zemiros around the table, soulful and beautiful, excitement seeding dancing. And after, the Friday night walk down the camp road under the stars. The air cool and dry. The road smelling of summer: leaves, grass, and yes….

A world I shared myself with, and one that reciprocally fashioned so much of who I am. Friends and memories became part of my heart and Neshoma. Songs and alma maters, still sung all these years later, some as silly as meaningful.

Many have similar nostalgia for yeshiva or seminary in Eretz Yisroel, perhaps a more serious version of those camp years. The hours invested in Toras Hashem, chavrusos, in the company of Gedolei Torah and Talmidei Chachomim, all as we shteiged into who we are today. Soulful satiation.

As time passes, how often do we think back and reminisce? Those wellsprings of inspiration, so often drawn from as we make our way along life’s journey. Do you ever daydream about reliving a day or two of your best memories? I do.

A reality check tells me just how much of my life is a direct part of those special times. My very essence is a continuation of all the magic that was, and it continues to exist within me.

Because I never let camp end at the last bus ride. I stayed in touch with my friends. And as I matured, I copied the experiences, rebuilding it in new places. That is how I learned to take a special experience and own it.

I just came through a comparable, albeit dissimilar, seven weeks. Evocative. Emotional. Delightful. Elul, Yomim Noraim, Sukkos. The first shofar, Kaparos, Ne’ilah, and Simchas Torah, watching my grandchildren dance. If you were fortunate enough to feel it, you know how rarefied those days are, and the impact they have upon the year and life ahead.

Now comes the part camp prepared me for. Not letting it end. Owning it.

These immediate days matter most. The inspiration is still warm, and what we commit to now is what takes root. So I commit myself to be unrelenting with my goals in Torah, Tefillah, and kabbalos. And to only lift and build a fellow Yid, because that’s how we lift ourselves. Every word, every interaction, the way a bunk once lifted each other without even trying.

Camp taught me to own a peak experience. Elul through Sukkos is the greatest one I’m given each year. I intend to carry it into who I am, and who I am yet to become.

What are you holding onto? Who will you lift, so as to lift yourself?

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A new app called Shtetly is bringing together what Lakewood residents look up every day: minyanim, zmanim, kosher restaurants and stores, and Hatzolah and emergency numbers, all in one place.

Instead of texting a WhatsApp group to find a Mincha and checking a website for candle lighting, Shtetly shows it together: the next minyan near you and today’s zmanim. Kosher listings show the hechsher, and a weekly grocery feature compares prices across local stores.

Shtetly is free for everyone, with no sign-up. It works on any phone through shtetly.com and can be added to the home screen like a regular app. It also covers Monsey, Brooklyn, Baltimore, Montreal, Toronto and more, with a Traveling mode for zmanim and minyanim away from home anywhere in the US.

“We built Shtetly because finding a minyan or a kosher place shouldn’t take five apps,” said Dovid of the Shtetly team.

Anyone can suggest a missing minyan or business right in the app. Shtetly is available now at shtetly.com.

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The U.S. Treasury Department and IRS on Wednesday released proposed regulations that would tighten eligibility checks for federal health insurance tax credits and update the rules for repaying excess advance subsidies.

The proposal implements provisions of the 2025 tax law, which the administration calls the Working Families Tax Cuts. The Premium Tax Credit helps eligible taxpayers pay for health insurance purchased through an Affordable Care Act marketplace.

Under the law’s changes taking effect in 2027, the credit will remain available to eligible U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals, but eligibility for lawfully present noncitizens will be limited to the categories specified in the law. Being lawfully present alone will no longer be enough to qualify for the credit.

Beginning in 2028, the proposal would require marketplaces to verify an enrollee’s eligibility for coverage and any advance tax credit before a month of coverage can count toward the credit. The checks would cover information including income, family size, residency and citizenship or immigration status. Treasury said related changes to marketplace procedures are expected to be addressed in a separate HHS proposal.

The regulations also reflect the removal of limits on repayment of excess advance credits for tax years after 2025. Taxpayers whose advance subsidies exceed the credit they ultimately qualify for must repay the full excess amount, rather than relying on the previous income-based repayment caps.

“The proposed rules protect eligible taxpayers while strengthening the integrity of the Premium Tax Credit,” IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Bisignano said in the announcement.

The regulations are proposed, not final. They are scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on October 15, with a 45-day public comment period and a telephonic public hearing scheduled for December 8.

Ask most business owners how their company is doing financially and they will give you an answer based on one of two things: their bank balance or their gut feeling. Both are understandable. Neither is sufficient.

The truth is that running a business without regularly reviewing your financial reports is a bit like driving at night without headlights. You may be moving in the right direction, but you cannot see what is coming until it is right in front of you. The good news is that you do not need to become an accountant to use financial reports effectively. You just need to know which five reports matter, what each one tells you, and how often to look at them.

1. The Profit and Loss Statement (P&L)

Also called the income statement, the P&L is the most commonly referenced financial report — and for good reason. It shows your revenue, your expenses, and what remains after subtracting one from the other over a specific period of time, typically a month, a quarter, or a year.

The P&L tells you whether your business is profitable and gives you a clear view of where your money is coming from and where it is going. It is the starting point for almost every financial conversation you will have — with your accountant, your banker, or a potential investor. Review it every month without exception.

2. The Balance Sheet

While the P&L covers a period of time, the balance sheet is a snapshot of your business at a single moment. It shows three things: what your business owns (assets), what it owes (liabilities), and what is left over for the owner (equity).

The balance sheet is where you see the full financial picture — not just whether you made money, but whether your business is structurally sound. Are your assets growing? Is debt manageable relative to equity? Are there receivables or payables that have been sitting too long? These are balance sheet questions, and they are important ones.

3. The Cash Flow Statement

This is the report that most small business owners either do not have or never look at — which explains why so many profitable businesses still run out of cash. The cash flow statement tracks the actual movement of money into and out of your business, broken down by operating activities, investing activities, and financing activities.

Your P&L can show a healthy profit while your cash flow statement reveals that you are hemorrhaging cash due to slow collections, loan repayments, or heavy capital spending. These two reports tell different stories, and you need both to understand what is actually happening in your business.

4. The Accounts Receivable Aging Report

If your business invoices clients, this report is essential. It shows every outstanding invoice grouped by how long it has been unpaid — current, 30 days, 60 days, 90 days or more. It tells you, at a glance, who owes you money, how much, and how overdue it is.

An aging report that shows a growing pile of 60- and 90-day receivables is a warning sign. It means cash is not converting as it should, and that someone needs to be following up. Many businesses leave significant money sitting in receivables simply because no one is systematically watching this report.

5. The Budget vs. Actual Report

This report compares what you planned to spend and earn against what actually happened. It is one of the most powerful management tools available to a small business owner — and one of the most underused.

When revenue comes in below budget, it prompts a conversation about why. When an expense category is running significantly over budget, it flags a problem before it becomes a crisis. Without a budget-versus-actual report, you are measuring your performance against nothing.

The Bottom Line

You do not need to produce these reports yourself. That is what your bookkeeper and controller are for. But you do need to review them regularly — ideally monthly — and you need to understand enough about each one to ask the right questions when something looks off.

Financial reports are not bureaucratic paperwork. They are the feedback system your business is constantly generating. Start reading them, and they will start working for you.

—

About the Author:

Joe Herskowitz, EA, is the President and CEO of Lionstone Bookkeeping+, where he helps small and medium-sized businesses take control of their finances with expert bookkeeping and financial insights. With years of experience in business finance, Joe is passionate about making numbers work for business owners—not against them.

Have a bookkeeping or business finance question?

Reach out to Joe at [email protected] or call/text 732-803-7793 (no WhatsApp).

In honor of the yahrtzeit of Maran HaRav Ovadia Yosef zt”l (מרן הרב עובדיה יוסף זצ”ל), Rabbi Shlomo Landau shares a short lesson on spreading warmth to others.

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

Question:

Hi,

I’d like to ask you 2 things please:

1. About a big beehive on the School Garden Park parking lot, it’s near the rear entrance to the park hanging down a tree branch. The kids are afraid of going near it. Can you please have them removed?

2. The street lights on School Garden Street. There are 4 poles but only 2 have lights on them. The winter is coming now and it’s starting to get dark early, can you please have JCP&L add another 2 lights to the 2 poles?

Thank you very much!

Response from Mayor Coles:

Good afternoon

I have asked public works to take care of the bee hive

As far as additional lights, we will ask JCP&L. I will also see if we can mount our LED fixtures there instead

Thanks for reaching out

Ray

Question:

Dear Honorable Mayor Coles

Thank you for all that you do to help our city run smoothly. I was wondering if it was possible. Especially in light of the fact that the turn from Route 9 to First Street has been eliminated, would it be possible to make a turn signal allowing turns from Route 9 to North Lake. When the light finally does turn green, there are many cars coming south on Route 9 that make it almost impossible to make the turn. If you could get a turn signal installed, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much

Marvin

Response from Mayor Coles:

We have asked the DOT to make these changes. We have not heard back from them.

Ray

Question:

Good afternoon Mr. Mayor,

I have been traveling to work every day using East Veterans, Cross and White. I never had a problem making left turns, and traffic flowed smoothly until after Rustic (where the schools are). Now that there is a light, but there is no left signal, it’s harder to make a left from Cross onto White. And traffic gets backlogged all the way to East Veterans as well as all the way to James.

Pertaining to Cross and Prospect: the heavy traffic occurs during morning and afternoon rush hours. I believe a traffic light would cause more problems than now. Perhaps it’s time for a roundabout. In areas with roundabouts and jug handles the flow of traffic is much smoother.

Thank you for reading our requests and taking them seriously.

Response from Mayor Coles:

The county is almost ready to begin the widening of Cross from Augusta to the Jackson border. The light there is temporary until widening is complete.

Ray

—————–

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

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

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Jackson Township Police Chief Mary Nelson is retiring effective November 1, TLS has learned. Captain George Vidalis will serve as temporarily acting chief until a permanent chief is chosen.

Nelson became Jackson’s first female police chief when she was appointed interim chief on February 1 and sworn in provisionally on February 10, 2026, following the departure of Chief Matthew Kunz.

Vidalis, a Jackson native, has been on the job since 2003. He was promoted to captain in June 2024 and commands the department’s Investigations Division.

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Dear Editor and Parents with Daughters That Went to Sem (or going) :

I want to be clear from the start: I’m not here to fight the battle of seminary. I’m not stirring the pot, and I’m not blaming anyone. The reality is that all our girls go to seminary, and if a girl doesn’t go, people ask why. As a shadchan, I hear that question from mothers all the time.

My oldest daughter is starting her seminary applications now. I have several girls after that. At roughly $35,000 per year, that adds up to close to $200,000, and that’s before we even get to weddings/support.

So I have one honest question for the community: how are people actually doing it?

Please don’t tell me I should have started saving at 20. That isn’t realistic for most families, at least not at the rate of $35k a year x number of daughters. Frum life typically does not allow for that, at least not for the average family. Please don’t say grandparents either. That’s a Bracha for some, but for the vast majority of us it simply isn’t an option. Scholarships help a little, but taking $3,000 off a $35,000 bill doesn’t answer the question.

So what is the answer? Is everyone just quietly going into debt because that’s what everyone else is doing? (And if that’s the case, does it really make sense)?

I’d genuinely like to hear from parents who have been through it, and from those going through it now. What worked? What didn’t? How did you manage without drowning?

I think many of us are asking the same question in private. Maybe it’s time to ask it out loud.

Sincerely,

A Lakewood Parent

PS bewteen my wife an I we make a nice Parnasaah (form RSK I am told above average) and we do not spend out of our budget.

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

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A Jackson man was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for the transportation of a stolen firearm, United States Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Luiz Vargas, also known as “El Biggie,” 26, of Jackson, pleaded guilty on May 26, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner to a one-count Information charging him with transportation of a stolen firearm. Judge Castner imposed the 78-month sentence on October 7, 2026, in Trenton federal court.

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court, beginning in January 2025, law enforcement investigated Vargas for trafficking firearms into New Jersey from, among other places, Texas and Maryland. Using a confidential source acting at the direction and supervision of law enforcement, officers conducted four controlled purchases of firearms, which yielded a total of eight firearms: two semiautomatic rifles and six handguns. Two of the handguns were reported stolen out of Texas and Colorado, respectively, and the two semiautomatic rifles had no serial numbers or other identifiable markings on them. On at least one occasion, Vargas provided cocaine to the confidential source after being unable to follow through with a promised sale of firearms. Vargas has never held a federal license to deal or manufacture firearms.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Castner sentenced Vargas to three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Newark, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations Newark, and the Howell Township, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, Asbury Park, Freehold Borough, Lakewood, Little Silver, Marlboro, Middletown, Monroe and Wall police departments for their assistance in the investigation.

The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

The Lakewood Board of Fire Commissioners and the Lakewood Fire Department on Tuesday afternoon hosted a public viewing of the department’s new apparatus at Fire Headquarters, 733 Cedarbridge Avenue.

On display were the department’s new Tower Ladder, a 2026 Seagrave 75-foot AerialScope which will serve as Tower 5, a new RAC Unit, and a new Collapse Rescue Trailer, as first reported on TLS.

Among those on hand to view the new apparatus were Senator Robert Singer, Assemblyman Avi Schnall, members of the Board of Fire Commissioners, and Fire Chief Jonathan Yahr.

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

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I recently received a frightening call from someone claiming to be with the sheriff’s department, speaking on a “recorded line.” He said I faced contempt-of-court and failure-to-appear charges for missing a court hearing. He provided a badge number and citation numbers, and claimed a summons had been signed for at an address where I hadn’t lived in six years.

He demanded two payments of $7,500—$15,000 total—to prevent immediate detention. He warned that approaching police officers or government offices would result in detention for up to 14 days. Supposedly, once payment cleared, I could come in and have my signature checked to clear my name.

He insisted the line of communication remain open at all times until payment cleared, claiming that hanging up, putting him on hold, or otherwise breaking contact would be grounds for my arrest. He said I couldn’t disconnect to call a lawyer, but allowed me to contact financial institutions to arrange payment.

A coworker who overheard the phone call contacted the actual sheriff’s department to verify whether it was legitimate. They confirmed this is a scam going around.

Please be aware: official-sounding language, badge numbers, and knowledge of your address can make a scam feel convincing. If you receive a similar call, hang up and contact the sheriff’s department directly using an independently verified number. Don’t let threats or pressure rush you into sending money.

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The Holly Oaks community in Manchester is mourning the loss of Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company Chief Brian Flanagan, who was killed early Tuesday morning after being struck by an SUV while working in a construction zone on the New Jersey Turnpike.

Flanagan, 47, was struck at approximately 3:52 a.m. on the south outer roadway of the Turnpike near milepost 87.7 in Edison Township, when a GMC SUV entered the marked construction zone where he was working, State Police said. The driver fled the scene but was later identified as Anthony Bernardi, 40, of Edison. Bernardi was arrested and charged with first-degree aggravated manslaughter, second-degree vehicular homicide, and second-degree leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. He is being held at the Middlesex County Jail pending a detention hearing.

The crash remains under investigation, as first reported by TLS.

Following news of his death, Yehuda Fryer released a statement on behalf of the Holly Oaks community, remembering Flanagan as a man who lived his life for others.

“He was a friend. He was a neighbor. He was a true example of what it means to live your life for others,” the statement reads. “Brian was the kind of person who never waited to be asked for help. He was always the first to step forward, the first to offer a hand, and the last person to ever expect anything in return. He didn’t help people for recognition. He helped because that’s simply who Brian was.”

Fryer recalled his last conversation with Flanagan, just this past Sunday. One of Flanagan’s neighbors had lost power, and Flanagan wanted to know if he could run an extension cord over to the neighbor’s home so they could have electricity until their power was restored.

“It wasn’t a major emergency. There were no flashing lights, no sirens, and no crowd watching,” Fryer said. “Just Brian, quietly looking for another way to make someone’s life a little easier. A man who didn’t need to be wearing his firefighter’s uniform to be a hero.”

Fryer also paid tribute to Flanagan’s wife and their two young children.

“To his wife, there are simply no words that can take away the pain of what you’re going through. But I pray that you find comfort, strength, and light in the darkest of moments,” Fryer wrote. “And to his two precious little children, I hope that as you grow, you will hear countless stories about the incredible man your father was. Stories of his kindness, his generosity, his courage, and the countless lives he touched. Your father didn’t just fight fires. He brought light into people’s lives.”

“Brian, you spent your life showing up for others. Now it’s our turn to show up for your family,” Fryer concludes. “May the entire Holly Oaks and Manchester community come together to surround his wife and children with the same love, kindness, and selflessness that Brian gave to so many of us. Rest in peace, Chief Brian Flanagan.”

Looking for the perfect venue for your next event? Burger Bar has launched a new event space at 2080 W County Line Road in Jackson, offering an elegant setting for gatherings of all kinds.

The space seats up to 120 guests, with a 40-guest minimum, making it a great fit for everything from intimate affairs to full-size celebrations.

The venue hosts corporate events, bar and bas mitzvahs, sheva berachos, business meetings, holiday parties, fundraisers and community events, with flexible packages designed to deliver exceptional value.

The event space is under KCL kosher certification.

Tours are now being scheduled. To book your event or schedule a tour, send a WhatsApp message to (848) 299-9079 or email [email protected].

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Jackson Township officials announced that work on the Township’s 2025 Capital Road Improvement Program is scheduled to begin in the coming weeks, with construction expected to continue through the Spring of 2027.

The program represents approximately $1.645 million in publicly bid and contracted roadway, traffic safety, and pedestrian-safety improvements.

Work will include the milling and repaving of various roadways throughout the Township, along with upgrading existing curb ramps to be ADA-compliant. Targeted traffic-calming measures will also be implemented along identified problem corridors to improve safety for both motorists and pedestrians, including new striping and signage upgrades, as well as the installation of radar speed feedback signs and speed tables (modern speed humps) at select locations.

Mayor Jennifer Kuhn identified infrastructure improvements, with an emphasis on traffic safety, traffic calming, and pedestrian safety, as one of her priorities upon being sworn in as Mayor in October 2025. The start of these projects marks an important step toward addressing roadway needs that, according to the Mayor, have gone unaddressed for years.

“I am extremely excited to see these improvements finally moving forward. Addressing our roads and infrastructure was one of the first things I tackled after being sworn in as Mayor, and now, a year later, we are beginning projects that residents have been waiting far too long to see completed,” said Mayor Kuhn. “Our residents deserve properly maintained roads, safer intersections, and infrastructure that reflects the needs of our growing community. I am proud to see this program moving from planning to construction, and I look forward to seeing these improvements come to fruition.”

Roadways included in the 2025 Capital Road Improvement Program:

• Linda Drive: Milling and repaving from Hope Chapel Road to White Road.
• Louisiana Parkway: Milling and repaving from New Hampshire Street to Brookwood Parkway, with additional roadway improvements in the vicinity of the intersections of Illinois Drive, New Hampshire Street, Alaska Avenue, and Nevada Court.
• Calvary Court, Shepherds Way & Mt. Olive Lane: Full-width milling and repaving, including ADA-compliant curb ramp reconstruction.
• Durell Drive: Full-width milling and repaving, including ADA-compliant curb ramp reconstruction.
• Stonehenge Court: Isolated full-width roadway repaving at the intersection of Stonehenge Court to repair a failed pavement section.
• Bartley Road: Sidewalk installation on the west side of the roadway from Cedar Knoll Court to Holbrook Little League, including driveway apron improvements, base repairs, and ADA-compliant curb ramp reconstruction.
• South New Prospect Road: Sidewalk installation and driveway apron improvements along the east side of the roadway between Bethel Church Road and Pointe Circle.

The program also includes traffic-calming and roadway safety improvements at several additional locations:

• Beam Avenue: Installation of four speed tables, including associated striping and signage between Tilford Street and Manhattan Street.
• Manhattan Street: Installation of four radar speed feedback signs, traffic-calming striping, and signage improvements.
• Patterson Road: Installation of two speed tables, with associated striping and signage.
• Woodlane Road: Installation of four radar speed signs and traffic-calming striping.
• Yorkshire Drive & Buckingham Drive: Installation of six speed radar feedback signs, traffic-calming striping, and signage improvements.

The Township held its preconstruction meeting on October 7, 2026, with representatives from the contractor (L&L Paving), the Township Engineer’s office (T&M Associates), the Police Traffic Safety Unit, and the Department of Public Works participating in the project coordination process.

Work is expected to continue into early 2027, weather and construction conditions permitting. Residents traveling through affected areas should anticipate temporary construction activity, possible delays, and changes in traffic patterns as work progresses. Motorists are encouraged to exercise caution, obey posted signs, and follow any temporary traffic directions.

“These projects are about more than paving roads. They are about investing in our neighborhoods, improving accessibility, addressing traffic concerns, and taking care of the infrastructure our residents rely on every day,” Mayor Kuhn added. “I am committed to continuing this work and making sure infrastructure needs remain a priority for Jackson Township.”

A volunteer Manchester Township Fire Chief was killed early Tuesday morning after being struck by an SUV while working in a construction zone on the New Jersey Turnpike, TLS has learned.

Brian Flanagan, 47, served as chief of the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company for the past several years.

The crash occurred at approximately 3:52 a.m. on the south outer roadway of the Turnpike near milepost 87.7 in Edison Township, Middlesex County.

According to State Police, Flanagan was working within a marked construction zone where two lanes were closed when a GMC SUV entered the work zone and struck him. He sustained fatal injuries.

The driver fled the scene but was later identified as Anthony Bernardi, 40, of Edison, police said.

Bernardi was arrested and charged with first-degree aggravated manslaughter, second-degree vehicular homicide, and second-degree leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.

He is being held at the Middlesex County Jail pending a detention hearing.

The crash remains under investigation.

The vast majority of New Jersey residents support requiring photo identification to vote in person and proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote, while majorities remain confident that ballots will be counted accurately in November, according to a new Rutgers-Eagleton Poll released today.

The poll, conducted September 24-27, found that 82% support requiring a valid driver’s license, state identification card or U.S. passport to vote in person, including 63% who strongly support the requirement. Seventy-one percent support requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register, including 51% who strongly support it.

The findings come amid scrutiny of New Jersey’s voter registration procedures following the state’s disclosure that approximately 6,600 noncitizens had been registered through the Motor Vehicle Commission. The survey was conducted before Governor Mikie Sherrill’s Oct. 7 announcement that roughly 1,100 additional registration records required correction or review.

Despite support for stricter voting requirements, 74% of residents said they were confident in the accuracy of in-person vote counting, while 59% expressed confidence in mail-in ballot counting. Sixty-six percent were confident that only eligible voters would cast ballots.

The poll found sharp partisan differences. Ninety-five percent of Republicans strongly support requiring photo identification, compared with 42% of Democrats. For proof of citizenship, strong support stood at 85% among Republicans and 27% among Democrats.

Republicans were also less confident in election procedures. Only 12% were very confident that only eligible voters would cast ballots, compared with 59% of Democrats. Seven percent of Republicans were very confident that mail-in ballots would be counted accurately, compared with 47% of Democrats.

“Republicans are the most emphatic about tightening the rules and the least sure the system is working as it stands,” said Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

The survey also found that strong support for voting requirements declined as educational attainment increased. Black residents were less likely than white and Hispanic residents to strongly support the requirements but expressed greater confidence that only eligible voters would cast ballots.

The poll surveyed 1,004 New Jersey adults from Sept. 24-27 through the Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

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

Six Flags has temporarily closed several roller coasters across its amusement parks, including the Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, following a fatal incident at a Georgia park that left one person dead and several others injured.

The Nitro is one of nine roller coasters at six parks across the country would be temporarily taken out of service as a precaution after the incident at Six Flags Over Georgia, near Atlanta. The closures affect rides considered similar to the coaster involved in the Georgia incident.

Nitro, a popular roller coaster at Great Adventure, is among the affected attractions. The ride, which reaches speeds of up to 80 mph, features a 230-foot lift hill and a series of steep drops and turns.

The incident occurred Monday afternoon at Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell, about 15 miles northwest of Atlanta. Authorities confirmed that one person died and several others were injured, but had not publicly detailed the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Local media reported that witnesses saw a man fall from the park’s Goliath roller coaster. Authorities have not officially confirmed the ride involved or publicly established how the fatal incident occurred.

The closures also include Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America in Illinois, Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California, Leviathan and Behemoth at Canada’s Wonderland, Fury 325 and Thunder Striker at Carowinds, and Orion and Diamondback at Kings Island.

Six Flags has not announced when the affected rides will reopen.

Today is the last day New Jersey residents can register to vote in the upcoming November 3 general election.

The deadline to register is 11:59 PM tonight. Residents who are not registered by then will not be able to vote in this election.

Take a few moments today to make sure that you, and every member of your family 18 and older, are registered to vote.

Registering to vote in New Jersey takes only a few minutes. Click here to register.

L.T.K. Q&A: Mind Your Own Business

Buying Jewish & Pas Palter

In the fourth installment of the Let’s Talk Kashrus Q&A series featuring Rav Shmuel Fuerst, Dayan of Agudas Yisroel of Illinois, R’ Yitzchok Hisiger presents a new set of practical shailos about supporting Jewish-owned businesses. How far should a person go to patronize a Yid when a non-Jewish store offers lower prices or greater convenience? Rav Fuerst discusses the balance between supporting fellow Yidden and the realities of price, convenience, and pas palter, including when it is permissible to purchase non-Jewish baked goods. The discussion concludes with a fascinating shailah about working as a salesman for a company that sells non-kosher products.

View it in its entirety at: https://www.kashrusawareness.com/post/l-t-k-q-a-mind-your-own-business

Listen wherever you get your podcasts!

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

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

Message or call: 678-8-Kosher

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

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

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Transcription

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Let’s Talk Kashrus, presented by the Kashrus Awareness Project in conjunction with the Chicago Rabbinical Council. Today, I am joined by Rav Shmuel Fuerst, dayan of Agudas Yisroel of Illinois. Thank you, Rav Fuerst, for being here. So, we have more shailos that came in, and I’d like to present them to the rav.

Today’s topic is the chiyuv of buying from a Yid. We know there’s a a mitzvah vehechzakta of buying from Yidden, supporting Yidden, patronizing frum businesses, and the question is where convenience plays a role in supporting a frum Yid. Sometimes, it’s more convenient to buy from a anon-Jewish proprietor. So, how far does a person have to go before it’s considered a tircha when buying from a Yid?

R’ Shmuel Fuerst: First of all, in Shulchan Aruch, it’s not mentioned a word.

It’s not mentioned. It’s only a Sifri that it’s mentioned in parshas Behar, that a person should try to to solicit to go to buy from a from a Jewish from a Jewish person, Jewish owner. The question is, and another thing is, how far does it go? Since it’s not mentioned in Shulchan Aruch, there’s a Teshuvos Rema. There are other poskim that discuss this, and they say like this: this is the consensus.

I mean, it’s a big machlokes, but ledina, we hold like the Teshuvos Rema, that if it’s a davar mu’at, then you if it’s a davar mu’at, then you as long as still the one, you should patronize a Yid and not a goy.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: Meaning davar mu’at meaning?

R’ Shmuel Fuerst: So so what’s a davar mu’at is hard to say. Depends on each person. I asked this once Reb Reb Elyashivand and Reb Yisroel Yaakov Fisher, they both said It depends on each person what a davar mu’at is.

A thousand dollars could be a lot of money for some people. Someone else, a thousand dollars is a lot of money. Sometimes, the difference of price could be a hundred thousand dollars going to two people. Depends on what whatyou’re looking to buy.

So so davar mu’at depends on the person. So, if it’s a davarmu’at, then you should patronize the Yid. It’s not a davar mu’ator not. Sometimes, you go shopping for Shabbos you go shopping in let’s say in Walmart, you go shopping, sometimes you buy a whole cart full of things, and it’s a lot cheaper in Walmart than you go buy by a Yiddishe store on 13th Avenue.

It’s a lot cheaper. So, sometimes it accumulates and it adds to a lot of money. But if it doesn’t add to a lot of money, it’s only davar mu’at, then lechatchilah, you should buy by a Yid. You should patronize a Yid.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: So, if it’s only a small If the difference in price is only a small amount, you should definitely go to a Yid. And you’re And the rav is saying that as far as what is considered a small or big amount depends on the person. But how about where the price is the same, but it’s a question of tircha?

R’ Shmuel Fuerst: Depends what the tircha is. Is it two minutes? Is it a half hour? Depends what the tircha is.

If it’s down the block, and so on. And also, the other poskimsay, if it’s only a small thing you’re buying, let’s say you want to buy a Pepsi, you want to buy a Coke, you want to buy something, and there’s 7-Eleven down the block, and you go to Jewish store, it’s two blocks away, you just want to buy a small thing, then zicher you can buy even by the goy then also. It’s only when you go buy a lot of stuff, you go shopping for Shabbos, you go shopping for the whole family, and so on, then it accumulates a lot of money. If it’s really a small amount and it’s a one-time thing, then, for sure, you can go to the goy.

That’s how some of the poskim say.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: Right. This question of buying from Yidden versus goyim is definitely very prevalent nowadays because it’s become so common for people to buy items online from from non-Jewish vendors. It’s a lot more convenient, yeah.

is a lot more convenient, and for some people, they’re buying, except for their basic groceries, they’re literally buying everything that they need from online. So is that is that Can one buy Can one just buy all their items from from an online vendor if that’s more convenient?

R’ Shmuel Fuerst: Yeah, sure. That’s called a tircha. That’s considered a tircha.

If you can buy it online and it’s all shipped to you, and then you have to go out and spend a half hour, an hour out there shopping, considered a tircha.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: Right. One more question that comes up when buying from from Jewish stores versus non-Jewish stores is benogeia pas palter. There are many items of pas palter category that either are much cheaper when you buy it from from ShopRite or Walmart or stores like that, from non-Jewish companies, and they may be cheaper, they may be Taste better.

taste better, they may have items that don’t exist in a bishulYisroel form.

R’ Shmuel Fuerst: And also, it could be different hours. A Jewish store is open from 9:00 to 5:00 or 9:00 to 6:00, and they’re open 24 24 hours a day.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: 24 hours a day, right, right, right.

It’s convenient. So, what guidance could the rav give as far as pas palter?

R’ Shmuel Fuerst: Pas palter, if it if the goyishe food tastes better, and tastes better and it’s cheaper and so on, then Shulchan Aruch says clearly then it’s okay. You’re allowed to buy pas palter. Not just Stella D’oro cookies.

Right, no. Any type of cookie, right, yeah. But if they’re a lot cheaper, then You’re allowed you’re allowed to buy Stella D’oro if it tastes better. A lot of times, like people say it tastes better, and it’s fresher.

Sometimes you buy in a Yiddishe store, it could be sitting out there for for a couple of days, and this one every day they have a large overturn.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: Is there a makom l’hachmir that people should not, or?

R’ Shmuel Fuerst: It’s a nice thing to be it’s a nice thing to be machmir, but b’din it’s mutar. It’s a nice thing to be machmir. It’s also you should support, vehechzakta bo.

You should give if everyone goes on Amazon, they Won’t have parnassah. Won’t have parnassa , vehechzakta bo. You should buy you should buy from Jewish business. Right.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: One final question in this category of ofpatronizing non-Jewish companies or businesses: can one be a salesman for a non-Jewish company?

R’ Shmuel Fuerst: In other words, the shaileh is like this. There’s issur sechar devarim assurim. You’re not allowed to do business with with treif stuff. So to own treif stuff and to sell it, that’s assur.

It’s clear in Shulchan Aruch, according to rov poskim, it’s issurd’Oraisa, except in the noda beyehuda who holds it is d’Rabbanan, according to all poskim also it’s issur d’Oraisa. To do sechar devarim assurim, on things which are assurd’Oraisa. So the question is, can you be a can you be a salesman? In other words, you don’t own the you don’t own the food, but you’re selling the food and so on. So the DarkeiTeshuvah brings down a machlokes Beis Shlomo and the ShoelU’meishiv, if it’s mutar or assur.

Beis Shlomo assers and the Shoel U’meishiv is meikel. I asked this Reb Moshe many years ago, cuz it was nogeia a shaileh I had, and Reb Moshe says, “Men zol zein somech an di meikilim.” That’s how he answered me. So he’s meikel. As long as you don’t own it, you could do sechora with it and so on.

The issur sechora is when you own it; if you don’t own it, there’s no issur sechora.

R’ Yitzchok Hisiger: Okay. Thank you so much.

On Thursday, September 3, Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech, a historic Chanukas HaBayis was held for the new Rofeh Cholim Cancer Society (RCCS) building in central Yerushalayim.

RCCS, founded by R’ Hershel Kohn nearly 30 years ago, is renowned worldwide for supporting thousands of Jewish families facing serious illness, providing comprehensive medical, financial, and emotional assistance.

Based in New York, RCCS opened a branch in Yerushalayim about 15 years ago. Though it began on a smaller scale, it quickly became a vital resource for families in need. As the number of patients has grown each year, the organization has steadily expanded its lifesaving work.

To meet the myriad of unique needs patients and their families experience when coping with illness in Israel, a major initiative was launched: establishing a medical center on Sarei Yisrael Street in Yerushalayim. The new facility will bring various service departments together under one roof, enabling RCCS to raise and broaden its medical support and services offered in Eretz Yisroel.

Many distinguished donors from the United States who partnered in the project traveled to attend the dedication. Among them were the building’s patron Reb Beri Weiss, and his brother-in-law and partner, Reb Ari Weiss, in whose honor the building is named the “Weiss Family Building.”

The dedication event was attended by many rabbanim and community leaders, who despite the busy period before Selichos and the Yomim Noraim, made time to come and personally thank the organization’s administration and partners for the profound impact RCCS has on their kehillos, neighborhoods and communities.

Several Rabbanim, Roshei Yeshiva, and Admorim addressed the gathering, often sharing stories of how RCCS has helped families they are personally close with.

During the event, founder R’ Hershel Kohn shared that over the past year, RCCS has assisted more than 7,000 families of cholei Yisrael worldwide, including 2,700 in Eretz Yisroel. He stressed the need to continue expanding so that no one is ever turned away, and expressed hope that with the coming of Moshiach, the organization will no longer be needed.

The event concluded with spirited dancing and heartfelt brachos from the attending Gedolei Yisrael for the continued success of RCCS, and for the speedy refuah and yeshuah of all cholei Yisrael.

To learn more about RCCS or to support our work, please visit: https://www.rccscancer.org/

I am writing on behalf of myself and the many, many Lakewood families who are facing an increasingly frustrating and heartbreaking reality.

Baruch Hashem, Lakewood has grown by leaps and bounds over the past several years. Unfortunately, the availability of school placements has not kept pace with this tremendous growth. While new schools occasionally open, many families are hesitant to take a chance on a new school unless it has an established and highly regarded hanhala. As a result, the pressure on existing schools continues to grow, leaving countless families with very few options.

Here is what is happening: the day after Isru Chag, parents of boys and girls entering primary for the 2027–2028 school year begin frantically contacting prospective schools. These parents have carefully considered what would be best for their children and their families, made their decisions, and promptly submitted applications, hoping for a call to schedule an interview. Instead, just a few days later, when they follow up, they are met with an annoyed secretary informing them that there are no available slots and that they should try their luck elsewhere. Meanwhile, every other school they applied to is giving them the exact same response.

So what are these families supposed to do? Where are our precious Yiddishe children expected to go? Are families really supposed to be left with no viable options for their children’s chinuch?

At the same time, word spreads that a particular school has only eight available spots. Yet families increasingly feel that these limited placements are going to those with connections, whether because a parent donated the school building, contributed $100,000, or has a personal connection to the hanhala through which a significant favor is owed.

And what happens to the countless other beautiful, ehrliche, frum, Torah-digah families? The hardworking, sincere, everyday Lakewood families who are simply trying to raise their children as good Yidden? Are their children any less deserving of a place in a school because their parents do not have the same connections or financial influence?

Why has it come to this? Why should a family’s chances of securing a school placement depend on who they know, what they can contribute financially, or what kind of influence they have? Every child deserves a fair opportunity, and every family deserves to be treated with dignity and consideration.

There is clearly a serious problem in our community when so many sincere, wonderful families feel that they have no chance of securing a school placement anywhere. This is not just an inconvenience or a matter of disappointment; it is a deeply distressing situation affecting parents, children, and entire families.

Lakewood’s growth is a tremendous brachah, but that growth must be met with a school system that can accommodate the families who call this community home. Our children are our future, and their chinuch should never become a privilege reserved for those with the right connections.

Something needs to change. Our families deserve answers, our children deserve opportunities, and this issue deserves the serious attention of our community.

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

The Lakewood Board of Fire Commissioners and the Lakewood Fire Department are inviting the public and members of the press to a display of new apparatus on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.

The display will take place from 4:30 PM to 5:15 PM at Lakewood Fire Headquarters, 733 Cedarbridge Avenue, Lakewood, NJ.

Visitors will have an opportunity to see a new Tower Ladder, a new RAC Unit and a new Collapse Rescue Trailer.

By Rabbi Fishel Todd, Esq.
Menahal of Yeshiva Pirchei Shoshanim

A new federal savings and investment program for American children is drawing attention from parents, grandparents and financial planners across the country. Known as Trump Accounts, the program is designed to give children a financial head start by investing money in their names from an early age.

For Orthodox Jewish families, many of whom are raising large families while managing the significant costs of tuition, summer camps, weddings and helping children establish their own households, this program deserves attention. Although Trump Accounts will not eliminate the financial challenges facing our community, they may provide an additional opportunity to build long-term assets for our children.

Here is what parents and grandparents should know.

What Are Trump Accounts?

Trump Accounts are tax-advantaged investment accounts established under federal law as part of the Working Families Tax Cuts legislation enacted on July 4, 2025. The initiative was promoted by President Donald J. Trump, with support from business leaders, including Michael Dell.

Unlike a traditional savings account that earns a fixed interest rate, a Trump Account is designed for long-term investing. During the child’s initial growth period, the money is invested in eligible mutual funds or exchange-traded funds that track broad American stock market indexes.

The goal is to give children an opportunity to benefit from long-term investment growth and the power of compounding.

Who Is Eligible, and What Money Is Available?

There are several important distinctions families should understand.

1. The $1,000 federal contribution

Children who are U.S. citizens, have a valid Social Security number, and were born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, are eligible for a one-time $1,000 contribution from the U.S. Treasury, subject to the program’s requirements and election procedures.

This is a one-time contribution, not an annual payment. Families should make sure that the required election has been completed so that an eligible child can receive it.

2. The additional $250 contribution

Michael and Susan Dell announced a major philanthropic commitment intended to provide $250 contributions to Trump Accounts for eligible children. This is not a universal $250 payment to every American child. Eligibility for this additional contribution depends on the applicable program criteria, including qualifying ZIP codes and other designated groups.

Families should check the official website to determine whether their children qualify.

3. Children under 18

The program is not limited to newborns. Eligible children under age 18 with valid Social Security numbers may have Trump Accounts established for them, subject to the applicable rules. Recent federal implementation efforts have expanded access through automatic account creation, but parents should verify that each child’s account has been established and that any benefits requiring a separate election have been claimed.

For families with several children, it is particularly important to check each child individually. Eligibility for the account itself does not necessarily mean eligibility for every special contribution.

Can Parents, Grandparents and Others Contribute?

Yes. One of the most useful features of the program is that contributions are not limited to parents.

Subject to the program’s rules, money may be contributed by parents, grandparents, relatives, friends and other eligible donors. Employers and qualifying charitable or governmental programs may also make contributions under separate provisions.

Ordinary contributions from family members and other private donors are generally subject to an aggregate annual limit of $5,000 per child during the applicable growth period. Certain qualifying government and charitable contributions are treated differently, and qualifying employer contributions have their own rules within the applicable limits.

For Orthodox Jewish families, this could create several opportunities.

A grandparent who wants to help a grandchild establish a financial foundation might consider contributing to the child’s account. Parents could make contributions as part of a long-term family savings plan. Other relatives might choose to contribute as a meaningful gift in honor of a child’s birth or another milestone.

Instead of purchasing another toy or gift that may soon be forgotten, a relative could consider a contribution that has the potential to grow over many years.

Donors should check the current rules before contributing, particularly if they are making gifts to multiple children or have questions about gift-tax reporting.

Why Starting Early Can Make a Difference

The central idea behind Trump Accounts is the power of compounding: investment earnings can generate additional earnings over time.

Consider a hypothetical example. If $1,000 were invested for a child and earned an average annual return of 7% for 18 years, it would grow to approximately $3,380 before fees, taxes and inflation.

This is only an illustration, not a prediction or guarantee. Stock market investments can lose value, and actual returns will vary.

Now consider what might happen if parents or grandparents made additional contributions over the years. Depending on the amounts contributed, the investment performance and the applicable rules, the account could eventually provide a more substantial financial resource.

The lesson is straightforward: time can be a powerful asset. Even relatively modest contributions made early in a child’s life may have decades to grow.

What Does This Mean for Orthodox Jewish Families?

Our community understands the importance of planning for the future. Parents work hard to provide their children with a strong Torah education, and families often begin thinking years in advance about the costs of chinuch, weddings and helping children become financially established.

Trump Accounts may become one additional component of that planning.

However, families should understand what these accounts are—and what they are not.

These accounts are not a substitute for tuition savings. Money in a Trump Account is subject to special rules during the child’s growth period, and it is not designed to function as an ordinary bank account from which parents can freely withdraw funds for current expenses.

Parents who are saving for yeshiva tuition, seminary, camp or other expenses that arise before a child reaches adulthood should continue to consider savings vehicles designed for those needs.

A Trump Account may serve a different purpose: providing a longer-term financial foundation for the child as he or she enters adulthood.

For a family with many children, it may be worthwhile to look at each child’s financial future as part of an overall household plan rather than viewing each account in isolation.

What About Yeshiva Tuition, Weddings and Helping Children Get Started?

One question parents will naturally ask is whether the money can be used to help with the major expenses that arise when a child grows up.

The answer requires careful planning.

Trump Accounts are structured as a special type of traditional individual retirement account, or IRA. During the initial growth period, special restrictions apply. Once the child reaches the relevant age and the account transitions to the ordinary IRA rules, withdrawals generally become subject to the tax treatment and restrictions applicable to traditional IRAs.

Consequently, parents should not assume that money can be withdrawn tax-free at age 18 to pay tuition, wedding expenses, rent or a down payment on a home. The tax consequences depend on the circumstances, and an ordinary withdrawal is not automatically tax-free simply because the beneficiary is young.

For families who anticipate needing money for educational expenses, a 529 education savings plan may offer advantages that a Trump Account does not. Other savings arrangements may be more suitable for shorter-term needs.

The right approach will depend on the family’s circumstances, financial resources and objectives.

A Word About Chinuch and Financial Responsibility

Beyond the financial considerations, there may be an opportunity to teach children an important lesson about money.

Our mesorah places great value on achrayus, planning ahead and using the resources entrusted to us wisely. Parents can use the existence of a long-term investment account as an opportunity, when appropriate, to explain the difference between spending and saving, between short-term needs and long-term goals, and between a financial asset and immediately available cash.

These are valuable lessons regardless of the size of the account.

At the same time, parents should remember that the account belongs to the child and is subject to the program’s legal requirements. It should not be presented as a source of money that the family can freely use whenever an expense arises.

Important Considerations Before Enrolling

Before opening, claiming or funding a Trump Account, families should keep several points in mind:

Verify eligibility. Confirm that each child meets the requirements for an account and for any special government or philanthropic contribution.
Understand the investment risk. Stock market investments can fluctuate substantially. There is no guaranteed rate of return.
Review the tax rules. Contributions, employer benefits and future withdrawals may have different tax consequences. Consult a qualified tax professional when needed.
Compare savings options. A Trump Account may complement, rather than replace, a 529 plan, ordinary savings or other long-term financial arrangements.
Consider religious investment requirements. Families who require investments to comply with halachic standards should investigate the available investment options carefully. The program’s eligible funds and investment restrictions may limit the choices available, so a knowledgeable rav and qualified financial professional should be consulted where appropriate.

That last point deserves particular attention in our community. A family should not assume that an investment automatically meets its halachic standards simply because it is offered through a government-sponsored program.

How Can Parents Get Started?

The official government website is:

https://TrumpAccounts.gov

Parents and guardians can use the official website and its associated resources to learn about account eligibility, enrollment, claiming available contributions and managing an account.

The IRS also provides information about the program and the relevant election procedures. Families should follow the current instructions rather than relying on social media posts or informal summaries.

Because the program is new and implementation details continue to develop, it is wise to verify the latest requirements before taking action.

The Bottom Line

Trump Accounts represent a new opportunity for eligible American children to begin building long-term investments at an early age. For Orthodox Jewish families, the program may be worth considering as one part of a broader strategy for helping children enter adulthood with a financial foundation.

The most important first step is to check eligibility, confirm whether any government or philanthropic contributions are available, and understand the rules governing the money.

No single account will solve the financial challenges facing families today. But thoughtful planning, informed decisions and a commitment to preparing the next generation can make a meaningful difference over time.

As with any financial decision, families should consult qualified professionals regarding their individual circumstances and should not rely on this article as personalized tax, investment or halachic advice.

Photo credit: Eli Cobin

Today at the intersection of Route 70 and New Hampshire Avenue.

New Jersey residents who are up early Tuesday morning may have an opportunity to catch two space-related events within minutes of each other, including a possible sighting of the International Space Station and a SpaceX rocket launch from Florida.

According to NASA, the International Space Station could be visible at approximately 6:33 a.m. EDT, appearing as a bright, steady light moving across the southern and then eastern sky.

At roughly the same time, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, heading northeast along the East Coast on a resupply mission to the International Space Station.

The rocket is expected to carry scientific supplies and fresh fruit for the astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory.

Skywatchers may have an additional spectacle to look for several minutes after liftoff. If conditions cooperate, the rising sun could illuminate the rocket’s expanding exhaust plume while the ground remains in twilight, creating a glowing, iridescent display sometimes described as a “space jellyfish.”

The effect could be visible across portions of the East Coast, including most of New Jersey, depending on the launch trajectory, atmospheric conditions and local viewing conditions.

Residents hoping to catch the events should find a location with a clear view toward the east or southeast. Clouds, haze and other obstructions could limit visibility.

A live webcast of the latest mission will begin about 20 minutes prior to liftoff, and can be viewed here.

In honor of Rosh Chodesh, Ruach Chaim Media is offering a free 72-hour rental of “Beyond Forgiveness” – the 2025 Camp Ruach Chaim production presented by Shmeeeely Krischer – for the first 100 people only!

Click here and click on the add promo code section. The free 72-hour rental works only with promo code SCOOP!

Posek Hador Hagaon Rav Moshe Sternbuch Shlita Davening Shacharis this morning at the Mediterranean in Netanya, where the Rav is spending a few days of rest following Yom Tov.

(Photos provided by Dovid Arzani)

Thank you Eli Cobin.

By Ayala Feigenbaum. As someone who is lucky enough to live in Yerushalayim, I can truthfully testify that this year, between Yom Kippur and Sukkos, Yerushalayim looked like the 51st state of the United States.

It was amazing to see Yerushalayim so full of people after the last three years, and great to see people feel safe coming here again.

But there is one point I would like to bring out to the Americans who came to spend Yom Tov here. I’m not writing this in a judgmental way, chas v’shalom. I would just like to make a point.

Before the Yamim Tovim, I’m B”H zoche to distribute funds to families in Ramat Shlomo, where I live. These are families who, without the help of generous people, would not be able to put food on their tables on Yom Tov, and I wish I could say I’m exaggerating.

But I’m not.

For some reason, this year was harder than others. Perhaps it’s because of the combination of the weak dollar, which impacted many tzedakah organizations, and the rising prices in Israel. Whatever the reason, I know that struggling families in Ramat Shlomo, for example, received 1,000 shekels per couple, plus 150 shekels per child. So a family with 10 kids received 2,500 shekels (around $830) from the Ramat Shlomo Kupa to prepare for both Rosh Hashana and Sukkos.

I found myself getting phone calls throughout the month from women who were desperate to prepare a Yom Tov meal that would feed their families generously enough, but they couldn’t do so with the meager amounts they received from the local tzedakah organizations. Too many families in Eretz Yisroel struggled this Yom Tov.

Why am I writing this?

When you come to Eretz Yisroel for Sukkos and spend huge amounts of money on catering, wine, live music, cleaning help, etc., your Israeli neighbors notice it.

It’s nice to see your neighbors enjoying themselves over Yom Tov, but when these are families who don’t know how they will be able to go shopping at the supermarket before Simchas Torah, it hurts.

I got a phone call from a young almana on Thursday of Chol Hamoed at 11:00 a.m. She asked me if I could lend her eight potatoes. I was confused because she doesn’t live so close to me, but I told her that sure, no problem, and that she should send someone over to get the potatoes.

When I hung up the phone, I realized that she was probably asking for help. She needed money for food for the second days but felt uncomfortable saying, “Ayala, give me money,” so she asked indirectly.

I called her back and asked her if I could take her shopping, to which she responded, “That would be a lifesaver. The kids didn’t stop eating the whole week, and my house is completely empty.”

When I came to pick her up, I went up to have a coffee with her for a few minutes. When she opened the fridge to take out the milk, I saw an empty fridge.

Oh, there were a few eggs and some spices, milk, and some zucchinis, but not much more.

It’s a scary sight to behold in any house, especially in a house where there are young children and teens who are constantly hungry.

Now, let’s imagine this family has an American family staying in their building over Sukkos.

They see huge amounts of food and wine deliveries coming to this American family and spend their Chol Hamoed hearing live music and parties at all hours of the day and night.

It’s hard, and not because they don’t fargin. Just because.

I have no doubt that any Yid who can afford to do so gives tzedakah, because Am Yisroel is כולו טוב וחסד. I can personally vouch that a huge amount of the tzedakah I gave out before Yom Tov came from Lakewood.

You may be reading this and thinking, “I gave to mosdos X, Y, and Z, and I also gave to Tomchei Shabbos where I live in the States.”

That’s amazing.

But the needy Israeli family watching your lavish Yom Tov doesn’t know that…

I’m not writing this to discourage people from coming here and making beautiful Yom Tovs. On the contrary, come and support the Israeli stores, vendors, and businesses, please!

But take a moment on Erev Yom Tov to call the local Kupa and say, “I’m staying in Jerusalem Estates, Rechavia, Ramat Eshkol, Sanhedria, Ramat Shlomo, etc. This is the address of the building I’m staying in. How many needy families are in this building or in the buildings next to mine?”

And make a donation to these families!

If you don’t want to give through the local Kupa, then go to the Rav of the shul and ask him if he can distribute money to the needy Israeli neighbors in your area.

You may be thinking, “My apartment is located in an area where everyone is wealthy.”

Maybe that’s true for the Upper East Side of Manhattan, but it doesn’t exist in Yerushalayim.

Wherever you are staying, I can assure you that there is a nice Jewish family near you who, upon receiving your donation, could literally cry tears of relief.

Again, the point of this piece is not to be critical of anyone, just to be an eye-opener. Erev Yom Tov is always so hectic that it’s easy not to think about people in the building whom you probably don’t even know.

But now, when things aren’t so hectic anymore, you can set yourself a reminder for next year. And, b’ezras Hashem, Moshiach will be here by then, and no one will need help or support!

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

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Today is Columbus Day. It is a federal holiday.

Lakewood Municipal offices are closed. There will also be no regular mail delivery.

Courts are closed as well.

There will be no trash pickup today.

Monday’s garbage and recycling will be picked up on Tuesday. Tuesday’s garbage and recycling will be picked up on Wednesday. Wednesday’s garbage and recycle will be on Thursday and Thursday’s garbage and recycle will be on Friday. There will be no bulk collection this week.

The Lakewood Township has completed another round of roadway and infrastructure improvements, taking advantage of reduced traffic during the Jewish holiday season to minimize disruptions for both residents and motorists. Throughout September and early October, crews worked efficiently to complete several major projects, expanding on the major infrastructure projects that were completed over the summer.

The latest roadwork follows extensive underground infrastructure improvements by New Jersey American Water (NJAW) and drainage improvements by the Township. Among the projects are 2nd Street, which is now repaved and restriped from North Lake Drive to Park Avenue. Based on recommendations from the Lakewood Police Department and Township Engineers, the striping was reconfigured to add nine parking spots to the historic commercial district.

Additionally, Monmouth Avenue was repaved and restriped from 1st Street to 2nd Street. In other areas of Lakewood, sections of Gudz Road in the New Central Avenue area, and sections of Claire Drive and Princewood Avenue and surrounding streets in the Hearthstone area, were also repaved and restriped following underground improvements.

Additional traffic safety improvements were completed at the intersection of Claire Drive and Princewood Avenue. The improvements include stop signs with flashing lights, “Stop Ahead” signs, stop bars, and a newly striped crosswalk to improve visibility and reinforce safer driving.

Even as we approach winter season, Lakewood continues its infrastructure improvement efforts in full gear, with several projects in progress or set to begin work in the coming months.

“Thanks to the great planning and teamwork of Township Engineers, Department of Public Works, Police Department, subcontractors, and other officials, Lakewood residents and motorists now enjoy enhanced infrastructure in additional sections of town,” says Committeeman Meir Lichtenstein. “Upgrading our infrastructure and improving public safety remain top priorities for the Township, and we continue working together towards completing other important projects that are currently in the pipeline.”

To join via Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/645572066

929-205-6099  ID: 645572066

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

On South Street.

Nurses at Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood have rejected a proposed contract agreement, leaving them without a contract since the end of September, TLS has learned.

In a statement provided to TLS, hospital officials confirmed that nurses represented by the New Jersey Nurses Union (NJNU/CWA) voted last month to reject a memorandum of agreement that had been negotiated and signed by the nurses’ negotiating committee. The contract expired at midnight on September 30.

The dispute also affects nurses at RWJBarnabas Health’s Behavioral Health Center in Toms River, which is negotiating under the same agreement.

According to the hospital, the rejected proposal included an average first-year salary increase of more than 4.1%, representing a $1 million investment in wages alone.

Additionally, all nurses would have received at least a 3.5% base-wage increase in the first year, followed by a 3% increase in the second year, along with enhanced benefits and increases to certain pay differentials.

According to the hospital, 46% of nurses would have received first-year increases exceeding 3.5% based on their positions on specific wage scales.

The hospital said it remains committed to negotiating in good faith and reaching what it described as a fair and equitable agreement, while balancing nurses’ needs with the organization’s financial stability.

“As of today, we have not been contacted by union to resume negotiations since the MOA was rejected,” the hospital told TLS, while stressing that no matter what happens, “patient care will continue without interruption,” noting that they have the “staffing, resources and operational plans in place to deliver safe, high-quality care throughout this process.”

Meanwhile, a nurse at the Lakewood campus who spoke to TLS, described the proposed agreement as unfair, particularly regarding raises and paid time off, and said nurses feel “their work and dedication to patient care are not being adequately recognized by hospital leadership.”

The nurse said a strike remains a possibility if the sides cannot reach a fair agreement.

During a similar event in 2023 at Robert Wood Johnson hospital in New Brunswick, an outside nursing agency provided care to the hospital’s patients.

As of Friday, neither a strike date nor a formal strike notice was announced.

The Ocean County Fire Academy recently hosted its first-ever Basic Fire Investigation Course, bringing together 30 students from seven counties and members of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service for an intensive two-week training program.

The 80-hour course, held from September 28 through October 9, was organized through a partnership between the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, and the New Jersey Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators (NJIAAI).

The training focused on fire investigation techniques and principles, providing participants with both classroom instruction and hands-on experience examining fire scenes.

As part of the practical training, students conducted fire scene examinations using cottages obtained from the recently closed Cedar Creek Campsite, which is now owned by Ocean County. The structures were transported to the Fire Academy, allowing investigators to apply the skills they learned in a realistic training environment.

The Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office thanked the Ocean County Parks and Recreation Department for donating the buildings, the Ocean County Road Department for assisting with their transportation, and the Ocean County Security Department for providing access to the former campground.

Officials also acknowledged the support of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners and the various agencies involved in making the training possible.

The course marked a milestone for the Ocean County Fire Academy, strengthening cooperation among agencies and helping enhance fire investigation capabilities throughout Ocean County and across New Jersey.

Photos: A. Eisenbach

A historic gathering of leading roshei yeshiva and poskim from Eretz Yisroel, the United States, and Europe took place last week in Radin, Belarus, where a delegation organized by Dirshu inaugurated the newly restored beis medrash of the famed Radin Yeshiva, established by the Chofetz Chaim.

The gathering marked a remarkable moment in the history of the legendary institution, whose beis medrash has now been restored to reflect its appearance during the years when Radin was one of the great centers of Torah learning in prewar Europe. The renovated building has been named Heichal Dirshu in recognition of the international Torah organization’s role in the project.

The visit was particularly significant as it came 87 years after the destruction of European Jewry brought an end to the flourishing Torah community that had once surrounded the Chofetz Chaim’s yeshiva. The return of prominent gedolei Torah to its historic beis medrash was accompanied by a series of gatherings devoted to limud haTorah, tefillah, and strengthening the worldwide Torah community.

The delegation included Rav Dovid Cohen, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron; Rav Avraham Salim; Rav Masoud Ben Shimon; Rav Yechiel Michel Steinmetz, dayan of Skver; Rav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, Rosh Yeshivas Mir; Rav Shimon Galai; Rav Sariel Rosenberg; Rav Shmuel Eliezer Stern; and Rav Ephraim Wachsman of Monsey.

Also participating were Rav Shmuel Eliezer Bedil, Rosh Yeshivas Prager; Rav Yehoshua Abba Busel, maggid shiur at Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood; Rav Yitzchok Kolodetsky; Rav Nissan Kaplan; Rav Uri Deutsch of Lakewood; and French rabbonim Rav Yehuda Toledano and Rav Dovid Ohana.

The delegation’s visit began with Shacharis inside the restored Radin beis medrash, where the participating rabbonim and representatives of Dirshu from around the world gathered for the formal inauguration.

The restoration was undertaken through the initiative of Rav Moshe Fima, director of Yad Yisrael Institutions, who oversees the historic Radin Yeshiva complex and its preservation.

Considerable effort was invested in reconstructing the beis medrash in a manner faithful to its original appearance, allowing visitors to experience the setting in which generations of talmidim once immersed themselves in Torah under the influence of the Chofetz Chaim and the great roshei yeshiva of Radin.

The newly dedicated Heichal Dirshu is intended to preserve that heritage while serving as a lasting tribute to the continued growth of Torah learning throughout the world.

During the dedication, the assembled rabbonim heard addresses from Rav Ephraim Wachsman and Rav Avraham Salim, followed by a shiur klali delivered by Rav Dovid Cohen.

Rav Dovid Hofstedter, nasi of Dirshu, delivered the foundational address marking the establishment of the restored beis medrash and its dedication.

Following the ceremony, the delegation traveled to the Radin cemetery, where they gathered at the ohel of the Chofetz Chaim for an emotional maamad tefillah.

At the kever of the Chofetz Chaim, Rav Yechiel Michel Steinmetz and Rav Uri Deutsch delivered words of hisorerus, encouraging the assembled participants to draw inspiration from the Chofetz Chaim’s extraordinary legacy of Torah learning, halacha, and avodas Hashem.

Rav Shimon Galai and Rav Shmuel Eliezer Stern led the recitation of Tehillim for the welfare and salvation of Klal Yisroel, as the gathered rabbonim joined in heartfelt tefillah.

One of the most moving moments of the visit came with the placement of Dirshu’s Sefer HaGiborim at the Chofetz Chaim’s kever.

The special volume contained more than 100,000 names of Dirshu participants and individuals who have joined its Daf HaYomi B’Halacha and Amud HaYomi learning programs.

The Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program is devoted to the daily study of halacha through the Chofetz Chaim’s monumental Mishnah Berurah, while Amud HaYomi provides a structured daily program of Gemara learning.

The placement of the names at the Chofetz Chaim’s kever symbolized the connection between the Torah being learned today by tens of thousands of participants around the world and the enduring teachings of the great posek whose life’s work continues to guide generations of Yidden.

A special tefillah, composed specifically for the rabbonim’s journey, was recited by Rav Masoud Ben Shimon, who davened for the success of all Dirshu participants and the entire Torah world.

After concluding the gathering in Radin, the delegation continued to Volozhin, another historic center of Torah learning whose influence shaped the development of the modern yeshiva world.

There, the rabbonim gathered for Mincha inside the historic Volozhin Yeshiva building, which has also undergone restoration and renovation in recent years through the efforts of regional authorities.

The Volozhin Yeshiva, founded by Rav Chaim Volozhiner, was one of the most influential Torah institutions in Jewish history, establishing a model of intensive, organized yeshiva learning that became the foundation for generations of Lithuanian yeshivos.

Following Mincha, the delegation proceeded on foot to the local cemetery, where they gathered at the kever of Rav Chaim Volozhiner, the author of Nefesh HaChaim.

At the kever, Rav Sariel Rosenberg delivered words of hisorerus and led the recitation of Tehillim, bringing the day of Torah gatherings and tefillos to a close.

The journey connected two of the most important centers of Torah learning in prewar Europe, Radin and Volozhin, as leading rabbonim from across the Jewish world gathered in the very places where the Chofetz Chaim and Rav Chaim Volozhiner left their enduring mark on Klal Yisroel.

When we hear mention of an uncharted chelek of Torah, what likely comes to mind is the discovery of an extinct Ksav Yad that has been lost for generations or perhaps the finding of a vanished medrash.

But do we ever stop to think about an integral portion of Torah Sheb’al Peh – essentially a third of Shas! – that seems to be hiding from us in plain sight!

Shisha Sidrei

The term Shas is an acronym for Shisha Sidrei – referring to the six sedorim of Mishnayos that comprise the mainstay of our Torah Sheb’al Peh. Talmud Bavli primarily covers only four of these six sedorim, with the exception of Masechta Brachos, the only Masechta in Seder Zeraim with Gemara in Talmud Bavli and Masechta Niddah in Seder Taharos.

Twenty-One Masechtos

The reasons given for this are varied but the point is that the 21 masechtos without Gemara (out of 63) are very much a part of our fundamental Torah Sheb’al Peh, encompassing many relevant halachos that are applicable in our day-to-day lives.

Uncharted Territory

With the focus of our learning being Gemara, over the centuries, the two sedorim without Talmud Bavli have become uncharted territory amongst mainstream lomdim.

Rav Chaim Kanievsky whose famous, annual Siyum Hashas included the completion of the Mishnayos of Zeraim and Taharos, was a strong proponent for Zeraim and Taharos becoming part of the mainstream learning regimen amongst lomdei Torah. He would say that a proper Siyum Hashas includes learning Zeraim & Taharos.

Masechtos With No Gemara

Truthfully, when Chazal and the poskim speak of the primacy and precedence of learning Gemara, essentially what this refers to is the critical analysis of the Mishnah as per the process of the Amoraim in the Gemara. This includes tracing each halacha of the Mishnah to its source in the Torah, understanding the differing positions of the various Tannaim and the basis behind each, exploring the ramifications and parameters of the mishnah’s choice of words, and ultimately, following through the journey to the Rishonim’s establishment of Halacha Lemaaseh.

For masechtos without recorded Gemara, this very process was executed by the meforshei hamishnah, primarily using corresponding Gemaras recorded in other masechtos or drawing parallels from other sources in Chazal. For the purposes of what Chazal call “Gadol Talmud shemeivi liydei ma’aseh”, the meforshei hamishnah on these masechtos take the place of the Gemara. This can be seen in the way Bais Yosef and Shulchan Aruch establish the halachos of Challah, Mikvaos, Netillas Yadayim and other sugyos, directly from the mishnah and its Rishonim.

A Historic Revolution

A primary impediment to learning these masechtos at any level has been the absence of a framework. The lack of familiarity with the subjects has created a sense of distance or mental abstractness to the concepts of Zeraim and Taharos. Some people are not aware that the halachos pertaining to the challah their wife takes every week come straight from the mishnah in Seder Zeraim. Additionally, the meforshei hamishnah, Rishonim, Acharonim and pirushim, are scattered amongst various editions of the Mishnayos – not all of them readily available.

As of this coming Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan, all this is about to change. Masnisin, an initiative long-anticipated and long-overdue, will be launching a new mishnah-a-day program designed to make the acquisition of Zeraim and Taharos a realistic goal for yidden across every stratum of Klal Yisroel.

Daily Mishnah and Chazarah

The program’s easy-to-follow format of a single mishnah per day can be achieved for each person at his own level and capacity for commitment. Built into the program are daily, weekly and monthly chazaras to facilitate easy retention of all that is learned while the Mishnah is still fresh in one’s memory.

Resources

The program includes beautifully compiled resources and materials to facilitate the learning and acquisition of these 2 sedorim of Shas, tailored for the learner at every level.

Mishnayos

An exclusive Mishnayos edition bringing together all the meforshim, including the Yachin UBoaz, Rav, Tosfos Yom Tov, Rash, Rosh, Rambam as well as the Artscroll translation and commentary all conveniently collated in a single publication.

Marei Mekomos

Carefully chosen marei mekomos, references and sources to provide background and in-depth insight into the daily Mishnah.

Shiurim

Audio and video shiurim in English, Yiddish and Lashon Hakodesh by world renowned maggidei shiur, catering to lomdim on all different levels. Shiurim are available by email subscription and accessible via the web or automated call-in hotline.

Calendar

Convenient print and online calendars to help keep to the daily schedule.

Support

Masnisin provides support and logistical assistance with setting up shiurim, chaburos and chavrusos in communities around the world.

A Hadran on ALL of Shas!

For those of us aiming to finish Shas, Masnisin will enable us to make a true siyum on all of Shas. Join Masnisin and be zoche, be’ezras Hashem, to say Hadran Alach Shisha Sidrei in its true sense!

To join, start a shiur or chaburah, or get a calendar or complimentary Mishnayos Mahaduras Masnisin:
www.masnisin.org • [email protected] • 848-356-8185

Jackson Township Fire District 2 officially welcomed four new full-time career firefighters during a swearing-in ceremony held Thursday night.

Although the four firefighters have been working shifts since the beginning of September, the ceremony marked their formal oath to serve and protect the residents of Jackson Township.

The newly sworn-in firefighters are:

Richard Bonner Jr., of Jackson, is a graduate of Jackson Memorial High School and has been a firefighter since 2018. He is currently attending EMT Academy and has been assigned to B-Platoon under Lt. Zimmerman.

Kyle Lackay, of Jackson, is a graduate of Jackson Liberty High School. He has served as a firefighter since 2013 and became an EMT in 2026. He has been assigned to A-Platoon under Lt. Hanson.

Azizadeen Sakoor, of Point Pleasant Beach, is a graduate of Jackson Memorial High School. He is currently attending the Union County Fire Academy to obtain his Firefighter I and II certifications. Upon completion, he will begin EMT training before joining D-Platoon under Lt. Langguth.

Kevin E. Hrudowsky, of Galloway, is a graduate of Toms River High School South. He has been a firefighter since 2009 and an EMT since 2006. He has been assigned to C-Platoon under Lt. Poppe III.

The addition of the four career firefighters further strengthens Jackson Fire District 2’s staffing and its ability to provide fire protection and emergency services to township residents.

There is no shortage of beautiful real estate in Jerusalem. Impressive renderings, luxurious finishes and spectacular views can capture attention in an instant.

But there’s a difference between a home that catches your eye and one that feels different the moment you walk in.

You know it before you can explain it.

There’s a sense that everything works together. The proportions. The finishes. The way the space feels. Nothing is calling attention to itself, yet the difference is unmistakable.

It’s easy to attribute that feeling to what you can see. But much of what makes a home truly well built was decided long before the finishes went in.

That’s the philosophy behind Capital Gold. A standard starts at the beginning.

What Does It Really Mean to Build to a Higher Standard?

For Capital Gold, quality isn’t something added to a project once construction is nearly complete. It guides the project from the start.

It’s in the materials that are selected and the infrastructure behind the walls. It’s in the craftsmanship throughout the building and the attention paid to details both visible and unseen. And it’s in the countless decisions made along the way that ultimately determine how a home looks, feels and lives.

Because a beautiful finish can make an impression.

A higher standard is what makes that impression hold up.

Now, you can walk in and see for yourself.

Today, a limited collection of completed Capital Gold penthouses is available in Ramat Eshkol.

The residences offer expansive interiors, generous terraces and beautifully finished spaces, surrounded by the quiet greenery of one of Jerusalem’s most established and sought-after neighborhoods.

The homes are complete. You can walk through the rooms. Step onto the terraces. Look closely at the details. Experience the flow of the space.

And perhaps understand exactly what you felt the moment you walked in.

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LET’S PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE: IT’S TIME TO RETHINK THE SEMINARY CALENDAR.

This article is not about bashing seminaries, debating whether they should exist, or criticizing their pricing. Girls are going to seminary, and we need to make the system work better for them.

There is a real issue that deserves attention.

Think About What We Are Asking of These Girls

Imagine being a 17- or 18-year-old girl traveling 5,000 miles away from home, entering a completely new country, school, and social environment, and trying to find your place.

And then, within the first week, comes Rosh Hashana.

Suddenly, she must figure out where to daven, whether she needs to buy a seat, where she will eat, who she will be with, and how she will get there. Some seminaries are far from the areas where these arrangements are available, forcing girls to pack up and relocate almost as soon as they arrive.

A few days later comes Yom Kippur, followed by Sukkos and an entire week of additional arrangements.

These girls are eating meals with people they barely know, often in environments very different from the homes they grew up in. While many families graciously open their homes, not every arrangement is appropriate. Some girls find themselves at meals with large groups of bochurim, sometimes even intoxicated bochurim. Others are forced to rent apartments because their seminaries close for all seven days of Sukkos.

Think about that. An 18-year-old girl has just arrived in a foreign country and is expected to navigate all of this on her own, before she has even had a chance to settle in.

Meanwhile, she is still trying to make friends, get to know her teachers, adjust to a new environment.

Is this really how we want a bas Yisroel to spend her Yom Tov going from meal to meal, eating in places she doesn’t belong, and wandering the streets of Eretz Yisroel late at night?

Does This Really Make Sense?

We send girls 5,000 miles from home for five days of school, only to leave them to fend for themselves through weeks of Yom Tov.

Is that really the best way to structure the year?

This is not about blaming any one seminary, family, or host. It is about recognizing that the system creates an unnecessary burden during what is already a major life transition.

We can do better.

There Is a Practical Solution

What if the official seminary year simply began two days after Sukkos?

Parents who want their daughters to experience Sukkos in Eretz Yisroel could still arrange for them to arrive early and stay with relatives or trusted friends. But girls would no longer be expected to navigate the entire Yom Tov season immediately upon arrival as part of their seminary schedule.

For everyone else, this would eliminate an enormous amount of unnecessary pressure.

And what about the lost school days? Seminaries could extend the school year by approximately two weeks at the end. They could also consider starting the learning before the girls arrive in Eretz Yisroel, with a staff member flying to America to give a few introductory classes, supplemented by Zoom classes to help the girls get into the proper Yom Tov atmosphere.

Instead of rushing into five days of school followed by weeks of uncertainty, the girls could begin their seminary experience when they are settled and ready to benefit from it.

This is not a complicated proposal. It is a practical adjustment that could make a meaningful difference.

The Conversation We Need to Have

We need to ask ourselves honestly: Is this really how we want our daughters to spend Yom Tov?

We should not be afraid to reconsider a schedule simply because it is what we have always done.

Sometimes, the answer is simple: It’s time to rethink the system.

Let’s put things in perspective. Let’s make seminary make sense for the girls.

Rabbi Moshe Dovid Perlstein

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

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

The buzz is turning into a buying frenzy! ZISSY WIGS brings its historic BFF Sale to Estreia Hall today, Sunday, October 11, with two premium wigs for what you’d typically pay for one!

The wait is over! Lakewood’s much-anticipated ZISSY WIGS Best Friends Free (BFF) Sale is happening today, and with the excitement surrounding this massive event, popular styles are expected to go fast.

The offer is simple: Get TWO beautiful, premium wigs for approximately what you’d normally pay for ONE at retail. Keep both for yourself, or give the second to your best friend, sister, or mother. No BFF required!

Two Wigs, One Unbelievable Price

With packages starting at just $2,400 for BOTH wigs, ZISSY’s factory-direct pricing makes it possible to enjoy exceptional quality without the traditional retail markup.

Choose a weekday wig and a Shabbos wig. Try two different lengths or styles. Or share the deal with someone special.

The sale features an exciting selection of brand-new lace-top and skin-top wigs in a variety of lengths, colors, and styles.

Don’t Wait Until Your Favorite Style Is Gone

With this special event taking place today, shoppers are encouraged to come early for the best selection. Once a particular style sells out, there’s no guarantee it will be available again during the sale.

One price. Two ZISSYS. Today only. If you’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to buy a beautiful new wig, now is your chance.

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Whether this is your first career, your next career, or a better career, you don’t have to choose between flexible and fulfilling.

Join Danny Gavin live to see what digital marketers do today, how AI fits in, and whether this career is right for you.

Sunday, October 18, 2026 at 8:30pm ET

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ICE agents followed a pedestrian into an area shul today and made arrests, TLS has learned.

Following the incident, a mispallel at the shul shared a message emphasizing the importance of understanding proper protocol when law enforcement officers arrive at communal institutions, including shuls, schools, and other community buildings.

The mispallel noted that ICE agents followed an outside pedestrian into the shul and sought permission to search the premises from an individual who was not authorized to grant such permission.

The message stressed that only a property owner or an authorized representative should consider granting permission for a search, and that those responsible for communal buildings should understand their rights before allowing law enforcement agents access.

The mispallel also cautioned that granting permission to search could have significant consequences, potentially including searches and questioning of people on the premises, property damage, fines, and additional arrests.

The message emphasized that communal institutions should have clear protocols in place so that staff and other individuals understand who is authorized to make decisions regarding access to the building.

“We are law-abiding citizens, but we must also protect our communal spaces and institutions,” the mispallel told TLS, urging those responsible for communal buildings to exercise caution and understand the potential consequences before granting access.

The guidance applies broadly to interactions with law enforcement agencies, including ICE, police, and other government agencies.

The message reflects the mispallel’s guidance and is not a substitute for legal advice. The legal authority of law enforcement to enter or search a building depends on the circumstances and applicable law.

A driver – possibly DUI – knocked out a utility pole moments ago at the intersection of Cox Cro Road and Whitesville Road in Toms River, sustaining serious injuries.

The area is out of power.

Use alternate routes.

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A fight last night in the area of North Lake Park in Lakewood ended with an attempted stabbing, sources told TLS.

The incident reportedly happened around midnight.

The victim sustained minor injuries, and the suspect was apprehended.

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The Lakewood School District has been ordered to reimburse parents for private school tuition and provide hundreds of compensatory special education services after a New Jersey administrative law judge ruled that the district failed to provide an appropriate educational placement for their son during the 2025-2026 school year, according to documents obtained by TLS.

The parents were represented in the case by attorney Michael I. Inzelbuch.

In a decision issued October 9, Administrative Law Judge Allison Friedman ruled in favor of the parents, finding that the district failed to provide the child with a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment.

The case involved a 9-year-old boy with conditions that affect his cognitive and motor abilities.

The child had previously attended SCHI, a school specializing in educating children with special needs. During the 2024-2025 school year, SCHI arranged for him to participate in a trial placement at Orchos Chaim, where he attended a general education kindergarten class for one hour each day with a one-to-one aide.

The trial went well, and the child achieved his individualized education program goals. SCHI staff subsequently determined that the school did not have an appropriate class available for him for the 2025-2026 school year and indicated that a general education first-grade placement was appropriate.

His parents enrolled him at Orchos Chaim for first grade, where he attended with a full-time aide.

However, at an IEP meeting on September 18, 2025, the Lakewood School District continued to recommend placement at SCHI. The judge found that the district failed to adequately investigate the mother’s concerns and did not include SCHI representatives at the meeting, despite evidence that the school had determined it could not provide an appropriate class for the child.

The judge found that Orchos Chaim was an appropriate placement and that the child made meaningful academic, social and emotional progress. His school reports documented progress in reading, writing and math, along with improvements in independence, classroom behavior, interactions with classmates and completion of homework.

The decision also addressed therapy services that the child did not receive.

The judge also raised concerns about the handling of expert reports during the case, including an amended report from an educational professional whose revised opinion supported the placement at Orchos Chaim.

Under the ruling, the district must reimburse the parents for tuition for the secular education provided at Orchos Chaim and provide the related services included in the September 18, 2025 IEP.

The district was also ordered to provide compensatory services for services missed since September 2025 and continuing, including 62 speech therapy sessions, 93 occupational therapy sessions, 87 physical therapy sessions and 12 vision therapy consultations.

Joseph’s Dream Burger Celebrates Grand Opening of Its First Lakewood Location!

Great food, exciting giveaways, family fun, and a celebration you won’t want to miss!

Joseph’s Dream Burger is excited to officially celebrate the grand opening of its first Lakewood location and fifth location nationwide!

After a successful soft opening over the past few weeks, Joseph’s Dream Burger is ready to celebrate with the community in a big way!

The grand opening celebration will take place on Sunday, October 11th, from 1:30 PM to 6:00 PM, at 1700 Madison Avenue, in the Gourmet Glatt Plaza, Lakewood, NJ.

Known for its fresh, made-to-order burgers and delicious kosher food, Joseph’s Dream Burger is bringing the community together for an afternoon filled with great food, grand opening specials, exciting giveaways, and fun for the entire family!

And the prizes are worth showing up for! Guests will have the chance to win a scooter, Apple AirPods, or a $150 Joseph’s Dream Burger gift card! No purchase is necessary. Simply come to the celebration, receive your raffle ticket, and you’re entered for a chance to win!

There will also be plenty of entertainment for the children, including inflatables (weather permitting), face painting, live music, cotton candy, and more!

As Joseph’s Dream Burger continues to grow, the team is especially grateful for the warm welcome it has received in Lakewood. This celebration is their way of bringing families together, showing appreciation to the community, and sharing an exciting milestone with everyone.

Joseph’s Dream Burger would also like to extend a special thank you to the kashrus authorities, under whose kashrus supervision the restaurant operates, for their guidance and dedication.

Bring the kids, invite your friends, and come hungry!

Joseph’s Dream Burger looks forward to celebrating with the entire Lakewood community!

Big Dreams. Bigger Burgers. All Delicious!

SpaceX announced Thursday that it has reached an agreement to acquire a nationwide portfolio of low-band spectrum licenses, a major step toward turning Starlink Mobile into a major wireless carrier in the United States.

The deal will give SpaceX access to spectrum in the 800 MHz band, which can help wireless signals travel longer distances and penetrate obstacles such as walls and buildings. The agreement is subject to approval by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Financial terms were not disclosed.

The announcement also rattled the wireless industry, with shares of major carriers AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile tumbling Friday amid concerns about increased competition from Starlink Mobile. The market reaction reflects investor concerns that a new competitor could put pressure on established carriers and potentially lead to lower prices for consumers.

SpaceX said the new spectrum, combined with its next-generation Starlink satellite constellation, will allow Starlink Mobile to provide high-speed mobile broadband across the country, including areas with limited or no traditional cellular coverage.

Unlike conventional wireless carriers that rely primarily on networks of cell towers, Starlink Mobile aims to combine satellite connectivity with ground-based wireless service to provide coverage both indoors and outdoors.

The company said the new spectrum will complement its existing mobile satellite capabilities, helping it expand beyond its current satellite internet business and compete more directly with established carriers such as Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile.

The acquisition marks another major step in SpaceX’s push to expand Starlink into the mobile communications market, with the goal of keeping Americans connected even in areas where traditional cellular networks struggle to provide service. Increased competition could eventually lead to lower cell phone bills, although actual savings will depend on Starlink Mobile’s pricing and rollout.

The newly-installed superchargers are expected to go live in the next few weeks.

Kava is located at 6791 Rt. 9 North.

(We apologize, the video was not loaded properly earlier. It’s now below.)

UPDATE: A reader who stated they are related to the patients, wrote to TLS that the girl, 4, who was riding the scooter, sustained serious injuries and is in need of Tefilos. A name for Tehillim has not yet been provided.

Original report: 

A father walking with his two children was struck by a vehicle in Lakewood this morning, TLS has learned.

The incident occurred at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Seventh Street, just east of Princeton Avenue.

The father was walking with one child in a carriage and another on a scooter when they were struck.

Hatzalah responded to the scene and treated the patients. Fortunately, none of them were seriously injured.

Lakewood police are investigating the incident.

New Jersey is seeing a sharp increase in injuries involving electric bicycles, with both hospitalizations and emergency department visits related to e-bike accidents rising dramatically over the past three years, according to new state health data obtained by TLS.

According to figures maintained by the New Jersey Department of Health, the rate of hospital inpatient admissions for e-bike-related injuries more than tripled between 2023 and 2025.

In 2023, a total of 67 people were admitted to hospitals in the state as an inpatient, with 215 being admitted in 2025 –  an increase from 0.69 per 100,000 residents in 2023 to 2.26 per 100,000 in 2025.

Emergency department visits rose even more sharply, increasing from 467 in 2023, to 1,676 in 2025, or 5.24 per 100,000 residents in 2023 to 19.23 per 100,000 in 2025 — a 3.5-fold increase.

The state began collecting its first full year of e-bike injury surveillance data in 2023.

Males accounted for the vast majority of e-bike-related injuries, representing 83% of inpatient admissions and 83.2% of emergency department encounters. The rate at which males were treated at hospitals for e-bike injuries was approximately five times higher than the rate for females.

E-bikes and other micromobility devices have become increasingly popular in recent years for transportation, recreation, delivery services and private use.

Unintentional injury was the leading cause of death among people ages 1 to 44 in New Jersey and nationwide in 2024, and the third-leading cause of death among all age groups combined.

The increase in injuries comes as new requirements for e-bike operators in New Jersey took effect July 1, 2026.

Under the new requirements, e-bike operators must meet a minimum age of 15, with licensing and registration requirements also taking effect.

The state has increasingly focused on regulating the use of e-bikes as their popularity has grown, particularly among younger riders.

The Department of Health’s data tracks hospital inpatient and emergency department discharges involving injuries sustained while using an e-bike.