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Hefkervelt
52 minutes ago

Hashkafa Q&A

Hefkervelt52 minutes ago

Hashkafa Q&A

Hashkafa with Rav Gershon Ribner shlita.

Are the great Hasidic bloodlines purer than ours The gabbai who obsesses over the clock in shul Maintaining amicable conduct while settling a monetary dispute in court Strategy unique for a Talmudic scholar regarding slanderous speech The woman destined for you rejected your proposal A scholar’s bias to his own novella

Hefkervelt
4 hours ago

Oif Simchas Thurs 5 Cheshvan

Hefkervelt4 hours ago

Oif Simchas Thurs 5 Cheshvan

Chasunas:

Michelson - Siegal Kesser Moshe Yehuda

Magid - Alter Neemas Hachaim 

Levin - Kitovits Fountain Ballroom 

Ely - Abrahamson Ateres Esther

Levy - Mandelbaum Lake  Terrace

Cohen - Raikhman Ateres Blima 

Better Ateres Chaim Elazar 

Roseman - Pollack  Ateres Reva

- Chumash Shiur by Harav Yeruchom Olshin shlita 11:30 pm at B"M Ateres Bracha live 646-726-9977

Kiddush Levana opportunity

Hefkervelt
8 hours ago

Thursday October 15 News Updates

Hefkervelt8 hours ago

Thursday October 15 News Updates

Weather:  today Sunny in the 60's , tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Low 57F. Chance of rain 50%.

Severe thunderstorms with winds up to 40 mph are possible Friday as a cold front sweeps across New Jersey, bringing the chance for widespread frost this weekend.

- Noribar sushi store opening location in  Lakewood at former Dips location Chestnut and Rt 9(Feder status)

- Donald Trump’s grandson Joseph Kushner had his 13th birthday dinner (Bar Mitzva) in the Red Room of the White House. 

- BMG adds temporary parking for talmodim at a construction area off 9th st and Private way.

- End of an Era. After nearly 60 years of serving breakfast and lunch  in Boro Park on the corner of 16th Avenue and 48th Street, Lieberman’s Luncheonette is heading toward its final chapter, with plans to close once its building is sold. BP24

- Joseph's Dream Burger will be open motzei shabbos starting this week Saturday night this week! One hour after Shabbos ends until 1 AM!

- LSTA Bus Stop Changes: Parents Must Attend In-Person Appointments.

LSTA’s new bus stop change process will inconvenience parents, requiring them to book an in-person appointment just to request a change. For working parents and families with young children, this means taking time off or arranging babysitters just to attend an appointment, rather than being able to submit a request by phone, email, or text. LSTA says routes are especially tight this year and changes will be very limited. Convenience requests will not be accommodated. All requests will be reviewed based on route timing, geography, and bus capacity, and approval is not guaranteed. Requests with missing or invalid documents will not be reviewed. Appointments are available October 26–28, from 6:30–8:30 PM, and must be booked online Here or by calling 732-655-6333.

- The Kibitz Room, a 'Jewish" deli in Cherry Hill,NJ  known for massive pastrami sandwiches and an extensive pickle bar, has been fined $1,000 by the state for failing to properly display that it isn’t a kosher establishment. Per NJ.

- The Lakewood Township Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA) recently closed on a $4.9 million loan with the New Jersey Water Bank to construct a public sanitary sewer conveyance system in the Old Pine Acres neighborhood of Lakewood Township.The project will allow existing homeowners in the neighborhood to connect to the public sanitary sewer system and eliminate reliance on individual septic systems and septic fields.

- This Sunday October 18th! At the John F. Patrick Sports Center at 111 Vine street in Lakewood, NJ This free, family-friendly community event will feature a petting zoo, pony rides, craft activities, garden tours, demonstrations, games, and lots of exciting vendors. It is open to all members of the public at no cost, though refreshments will be available for purchase.  

- The FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Capitol Police have launched a multi-agency investigation after several letters containing an unknown white powder were sent to state election officials, including several Secretaries of State, and to offices on Capitol Hill.

- WhatsApp now lets people join voice and video calls without having a WhatsApp account. Hosts can share a call link, approve guests before they join, and hold free, end-to-end encrypted calls with up to 32 participants and no time limits.

- Elon Musk has publicly called for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to leave office. 

- Elon Musk Weighs Amazon Rival After Grok Bot Blocks Amazon has restricted third party AI shopping agents from accessing its platform, including bots powered by Grok. Users attempting to place orders through these agents report blocks citing violations of the site’s conditions of use. The policy aims to protect customer data, limit fraud risks, and preserve revenue from sponsored product placements that depend on human browsing.

- Jackson: Brewer's Bridge Road will be repaved in its entirety, aftwr NJ Gas installs  new pipes in the road. 

 - Lakewood, New Jersey had the highest childbearing rate in the country, with 155.6 women per 1,000 women ages 15-44 in Lakewood giving birth in the previous 12 months, ranking first among geographic areas studied nationwide. The data was compiled by the People’s Policy Project using the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey five-year Public Use Microdata Sample.(OneJerseyschorr)

- President Trump canceled the planned livestream of Nidal Hasan’s firing squad but said the immediate families of the victims can attend in person if they choose. He wrote that streaming the execution might have served as a deterrent but that many people preferred not to watch. Trump said Hasan will still be executed by firing squad on the scheduled date and that the families deserve to witness it. Hasan killed more than a dozen people at Fort Hood in 2009 while shouting “Allahu Akbar.” 

- President Donald Trump has reportedly been privately discussing replacing White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, one of his closest and longest-serving advisers. According to Politico, citing four sources familiar with the conversations, Trump has asked allies whether it is time for a leadership change and has floated several potential replacements.

- A Likud and Gadi Eisenkot unity government is what the Trump administration is reportedly pushing for in Israel, with Netanyahu remaining prime minister for up to two years before retiring from politics. The coalition's stated goals: ending the regional wars and securing peace agreements, Saudi Arabia above all.Eisenkot's bloc would demand Netanyahu's retirement be guaranteed, the judicial reforms reversed, and an inquiry opened into October 7. Israel Hayom. Ambassador Mike Huckabee denies this.

- Satmar spokesman Rabbi Moishe Indig: Hasidic Jews, like every other American, do NOT need permission from antisemites like Jake Lang or YouTuber Tyler Oliveira to build communities in Okeechobee, Florida, New York, or anywhere in America. Jewish growth is NOT up for debate. We will build, we will grow, and we will thrive. And those who are mad about it? Stay mad.

- Jackson  Police Chief Mary Nelson, who rose through the ranks to become the township’s first female chief, is stepping down after only eight months. 

- Coming Soon from Artscroll "At the Heart of Lakewood - Rabbi Yisroel Schenkolewski"The Quiet Force Behind America's Torah Capital

- Ami Magazine will not be sold in Crown Heights stores this week following the magazine’s front-cover feature of Rav Lazer Shach zatzal on his 25th yartzeit. Crown Heights stores have reportedly united in a decision not to carry this week’s issue. (Shechuna news)

- Jackson councilman Chris Pollack called out a Lakewood based news site as fake news in reporting on what went on in the council meeting. He said those who spoke out were not protesters but residents who  spoke regarding the case of a missing person  since last year.

- Israeli elections there's reports of certain  charedi factions and chasidus that are currently not endorsing or instructing their followers to vote for UTJ in the elections as many may just sit it out or vote for other parties. Negotiations continue.

Hefkervelt
13 hours ago

Iran Israel Updates Thurs Oct 15

Hefkervelt13 hours ago

Iran Israel Updates Thurs Oct 15

- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a direct warning to Tehran, emphasizing that Israel retains the ability to act independently. “We also have the option to act independently, and I do not suggest that anyone from among our enemies try us. In no way.”

- According to Lebanese security and military sources cited by Erem News, Iran has instructed Hezbollah to raise its military readiness to advanced levels as Tehran believes a major regional confrontation is imminent. 

Hezbollah is reportedly implementing a new decentralized combat system designed to allow field units to operate independently, even if Israeli strikes eliminate senior Hezbollah commanders or disrupt its central command structure.

- Iran is now reportedly preparing its missile launchers for a large-scale retaliation against the U.S. if Washington launches another major attack, conducting large-scale missile exercises as the Pentagon reportedly develops new strike plans involving the 21,600-pound “Mother of All Bombs” (MOAB).Reuters 

- Two Ships Sink near Hormuz after Being Hit by Projectiles Amid Surge in Attacks.

- More US airforce refueling planes have landed in Israel at Ben Gurion Airport as war drums loom again.

- Mother of all bombs': US potential Iran strike plans include largest non-nuclear weapon - report. According to CNN, multiple US officials said that the plans called for the MOAB to be used against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites, including Pickaxe Mountain.

- President Trump at an election rally in Arizona: “Iran’s first-level leaders are gone. They chose a second level, and they’re gone too. They chose a third level, and half of them are gone.” Trump revealed that he was asked to stop eliminating Iranian leaders and agreed. “They made me promise not to take out any more, and I did. I promised them.”He added: “I probably went a little too far. I’m sorry, because I don’t know who the hell we’re dealing with anymore.”

- Ministers in the government are in the process of approving an extension for the state of emergency on the home front until November 3, a week after the Israeli elections and on the day of the US

- Israel has introduced sweeping new aviation security restrictions following the September 30 attempted hijacking of a FlyDubai passenger aircraft bound for Tel Aviv.According to French investigative outlet Mediapart, flight crew members holding citizenship or dual citizenship from 31 countries without formal diplomatic relations with Israel are now prohibited from entering Israeli airspace aboard commercial aircraft.

- Former President Barack Obama declared during a visit to Northern Ireland that Israel has lost its moral standing in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, criticizing the country’s response to the October 7 Hamas massacre

- IDF: An Underground Terror Tunnel That Crossed the Yellow Line Area Was Dismantled: Southern Brigade and Yahalom Activity in the Gaza Strip Troops of the Southern Brigade, led by the Engineering Unit of the Gaza Division (143rd Division) and the Southern Command, continue to operate to clear the area of the Yellow Line of terrorist infrastructure in the southern Gaza Strip

Hefkervelt
14 hours ago

The Lakewood VAAD’s Election Endorsements: A Slap in the Face to the Community

Hefkervelt14 hours ago

The Lakewood VAAD’s Election Endorsements: A Slap in the Face to the Community

There is hardly a greater slap in the face to the Lakewood community than the VAAD issuing endorsements for the upcoming elections after remaining largely silent on the major issues affecting the very residents it claims to represent.

First, the busing fiasco that threw an entire town into chaos. Families were left scrambling for solutions, with no clear guidance or leadership. Where was the VAAD? Not a peep from the anonymous leadership that suddenly reappears when election season arrives.

Then, just this week, Lakewood residents were hit with a massive municipal tax increase by the very politicians the VAAD is now endorsing. Did the VAAD publicly acknowledge the burden on homeowners? Did it demand accountability from politicians who have held power for years? Instead, the focus was on state aid cuts, while years of rising taxes and spending, tax abatements went largely unchallenged.

The deafening silence is especially troubling when you consider the VAAD’s election-season messaging. Every election, residents are flooded with mailers and robocalls boasting about how the VAAD keeps taxes low and urging the community to vote for its chosen candidates. But when residents are actually hit with another major tax increase, that same organization is nowhere to be found.

This is not a new concern. In a November 2013 Hamodia article, a VAAD spokesman, Weisberg, reportedly dismissed the idea that there was genuine frustration in the kehilla over rising property taxes, stating that “there is no real frustration in the kehilla regarding rising property taxes.” More than a decade and change later, residents are still dealing with the consequences of rising costs and are entitled to ask: Who is really standing up for the taxpayers?

Even worse is the continued use of the block vote. Anonymous individuals tell a taxpaying kehilla whom to vote for, yet the very residents being told to fall in line have no meaningful say in the VAAD’s decisions, no transparent process, and no accountability from those making these endorsements.

For more than 20 years, promises of change have come and gone. Yet, when election season arrives, the VAAD wakes up like a bear emerging from hibernation, expecting a gullible tzibbur to follow its endorsements and keep the same people and their political allies in power.

Meanwhile, what has the average Lakewood resident received in return? Higher taxes, an increasingly unaffordable cost of living, worsening traffic, and serious unresolved community problems.

The question is simple: Who is the VAAD really representing?

The community deserves more than election-season mailers, robocalls, and political endorsements. It deserves transparency, accountability, and leadership that stands up to elected officials when residents are struggling  not just when votes are needed.

If the VAAD expects the community’s trust and support, it must demonstrate that it is willing to represent the community throughout the year, including when doing so means challenging the very politicians it endorses.

Leadership is not about telling people how to vote. It is about standing up for the people you claim to represent. When the community needed a voice, the VAAD was silent. When election season arrived, suddenly it had plenty to say.

And What About the Fallout in Trenton?

There is another question the community deserves to ask: could the political campaign in Lakewood to challenge the sitting governor by backing Josh Gottheimer in the Democratic primary have contributed to the strained relationship between Lakewood and Trenton? Gottheimer ultimately finished behind the leading candidates, and since then, residents have seen state aid cuts and a lack of the cooperative relationship with Trenton that the township needs. That does not prove the campaign caused those decisions, but it raises a fair question: were the potential consequences for Lakewood considered before local political leaders chose to take that position?

If these political decisions may affect state funding, municipal taxes, and the financial burden on every homeowner, shouldn't the community be consulted before a small group makes those choices on its behalf? Residents are the ones who ultimately pay the price, and they deserve transparency about the risks, the strategy, and the consequences not explanations after the damage is done.

The Vaad’s Own Legitimacy Is at Issue

There is also a fundamental question of how the Vaad itself is constituted. The Shulchan Aruch discusses the appointment of  7 Tovei Ha'ir community leaders entrusted with managing communal affairs. Rather than decisions being controlled by a small, anonymous group, the community deserves a fair and transparent process that allows its members to be represented and have a meaningful voice in choosing its leadership.

How can the Vaad expect the entire kehilla to accept its political endorsements when so many residents have no say in who makes those decisions? A system that asks the community to follow its voting instructions, without giving that same community a meaningful voice in its own leadership, raises serious questions of accountability and representation.

The Condescension Toward Lakewood Residents

Beyond the taxes, the busing crisis, and the lack of accountability, there is another fundamental problem with the VAAD’s approach: the condescending assumption that grown adults need to be told whom to vote for.

Lakewood residents are taxpayers, business owners, and working families who are perfectly capable of thinking for themselves, evaluating candidates, and deciding what is best for their community. Yet every election season, the VAAD launches its campaign of mailers and robocalls as though the public cannot make informed decisions without being instructed how to vote.

This approach is not only patronizing; it is insulting to the intelligence of Lakewood residents. A community deserves information, transparency, and an honest discussion of the issues  not directives from an anonymous group that expects its endorsements to be accepted without question.

The residents of Lakewood are not children, and the VAAD does not own their votes.** If the VAAD wants to earn the community’s respect, it should start by respecting the intelligence, independence, and right of every resident to make their own decisions.

Hefkervelt
1 day ago

Oif Simchas Wed 4 Cheshvan

Hefkervelt1 day ago

Oif Simchas Wed 4 Cheshvan

Chasunas: 

Steinmetz - Mosseson Fountain Ballroom 

Perlstein - Samet Kesser Moshe Yehuda 

Kessner  - Fligman Lake Terrace 

Fish - Malik Ateres  Blima 

Dresdner  - Ferster Ateres Esther 

Neiman  - Ashkenazi Ateres Chaim Elazar 

Scharf - Waxler Neemas Hachaim 

- LPD Alert (Note Time Change): NJ DOT Contractor advises that they will be performing repaving work Wednesday evening (10/14) on Route 9 between Central/Hurley Ave and 3rd Street. Partial closure of the Southbound lanes will begin at 9:00 pm. All lanes - in both directions - will be closed from 11:00 pm until 7:00 am. Detours will be in place. Plan alternate route.

Hefkervelt
1 day ago

Wednesday October 14 News Updates

Hefkervelt1 day ago

Wednesday October 14 News Updates

Weather: 81°  Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. Chance of rain 70%

- Video of chavrusa Tumul at BMG Here

- Bingo crazy deals sale going on now Gefen instant soup $9.99 8pk Tissues $5.49

- Coming Soon from Artscroll "At the Heart of Lakewood - Rabbi Yisroel Schenkolewski"The Quiet Force Behind America's Torah Capital

- Ami Magazine will not be sold in Crown Heights stores this week following the magazine’s front-cover feature of  Rav  Lazer Shach zatzal on his 25th yartzeit. Crown Heights stores have reportedly united in a decision not to carry this week’s issue. (Shechuna news)

- Giyus: 143 charedi "draft evaders" were arrested by the police between July and October, but were released on the spot because the army did not arrive within half an hour.According to Ch13, the IDF arrested only 15 charedi draft evaders (excluding those arrested at border crossings) out of a pool of 70,000 draft evaders, compared with 14 non-Charedi draft evaders out of a pool of 10,000.

- Lakewood Residents Facing Sticker Shock as New Tax Hikes Kick In for November Lakewood residents are feeling the pain as new tax increases take effect following approval by Mayor Coles and the Township Committee. Homeowners paying monthly mortgages are receiving notices showing increases of over $200 per month due to escrow shortages. The reported 2026 municipal tax increase of 14.4 cents per $100 of assessed value means an additional $48 per month for a $400,000 home and $60 per month for a $500,000 home in municipal taxes alone. School and county taxes are separate and could add to the burden.With official tax bills expected after Election Day, residents should be prepared for the financial impact.

- Last night at the Lakewood Planning Board meeting, the three applications for warehouses on Cedarbridge Avenue and 60 homes off New Hampshire Avenue were postponed until the next meeting. The board heard several smaller applications and approved them, including a proposal to allow the basement area of the new shopping center off Avenue of the States to be used as additional retail space for certain stores. A board member opposed the proposal, arguing that the space would not be adequately regulated and that, within a few years, the entire basement could become retail space, leading to insufficient parking. Despite the objection, the board voted to approve the application.

- Jackson council meeting last night voted on approval of affordable housing overlay ordinances despite opposition from residents

- President Trump has recently demanded that Senate Majority Leader Thune bring the U.S. Senate back into session for a vote on the Sunshine Protection Act, which seeks to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, Thune told Trump senators, who are on recess until mid November, would never come back to Capitol Hill for this and shot the idea down.(Onejersey)

- A 10-year-old boy was killed R"L after a burning object was propelled from an exploding recycling bin  that was lit aand struck him as he left a school on Nadvorna Street. Firefighters suspect children may have ignited the bin while playing and thrown in a container that exploded from the heat, but the cause remains under investigation

-Trump: Massive Oil, Gas, and Mineral Exploration is getting ready to begin in our new and beautiful Greenland! There are Experts that are saying that the amount of easily available Oil is far greater than that of almost any land, anywhere in the World and, even more importantly, from a Security Purpose in the Defense and Offense of both the United States of America, and Europe, is second to none. Any future attack on the United States will have to come across Greenland, where our Defense will routinely knock down drones, missiles, or any other form of weapon not yet even conceived. It gives us time, location, and sightline, like nowhere else in the World! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP

- Brian Flanagan, the 47-year-old chief of the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company in Manchester, was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while working in a New Jersey Turnpike construction zone early Tuesday, prompting an outpouring of grief from regional fire services.

- At a time when Lakewood residents are facing major issues a significant and potentially unaffordable tax increase, a school busing disaster, public school students receiving free courtesy hazardous busing while regular frum children have to pay, some kids are still not in school, new parents navigating registration for primary, traffic accidents, and November elections for local and federal, you would think these matters would be front and center in Frum media coverage and community leadership discussions. Instead, the media seems consumed with nonstop coverage of a FedEx delivery driver singing Yiddish songs, with repeated stories, follow-ups, and videos. There is nothing wrong with enjoying a feel-good story, but where is the same level of attention to the issues directly affecting Lakewood families? Families are facing rising living costs, and other. Challenges Shouldn't the issues affecting our children's education, our family's finances, and our community's safety deserve just as much attention?

- A proposed development on Spruce Street at Washington Avenue in Lakewood is now heading to the New Jersey Appellate Division, FAA News has learned.Attorney Jan Meyer, Esq., representing neighboring property owners who have fought development proposals at the site for years, has now filed a Notice of Appeal seeking to overturn the Lakewood Zoning Board's approval permitting four single-family homes on the property. Faanews.com

- U.S. consumer inflation accelerated in September, with prices rising 0.6% from August and 3.7% from a year earlier, above expectations for a 3.6% annual increase. Core inflation, excluding food and energy, rose 0.3% for the month and 2.6% year-over-year, also hotter than expected, as elevated energy prices helped drive the increase.

- Zelensky says he has been betrayed by Trump, that Elon Musk and Trump deliberately blocked Starlink in Ukraine overnight and that people have been killed as a result. "I am sure they knew what they did, absolutely. Because it was 1am at night, Starlink was blocked by SpaceX and the United States," he tells Piers Morgan. "This decision will bring a lot of human losses. Of course, people will die." He said interceptors that rely on Starlink did not work, and that "this is not the right side of history."

- Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman delivered an emotional message to United Torah Judaism lawmakers on Tuesday, declaring that protecting yeshiva bochurim must remain their overriding priority in the upcoming Israeli elections. During the meeting, MK Yaakov Asher pledged that the party would refuse to join any government that fails to reach an acceptable arrangement safeguarding the status of yeshiva students. Rav Bergman told the lawmakers that the continued existence and protection of the yeshiva world must guide their political decisions.“We must understand that everything that concerns us revolves around the yeshiva bochurim,”.

Hefkervelt
1 day ago

Iran Israel Updates Wed Oct 14

Hefkervelt1 day ago

Iran Israel Updates Wed Oct 14

- Journalist Ben Caspit reveals: A renewed military confrontation between Israel and Iran or the Houthis will begin before Israel’s elections on October 27. This was reported by Al-Monitor, citing the Maariv commentator.

Israeli officials believe no strike on Iran will take place before the elections. Israel is on alert for Iranian attempts to disrupt elections; an official warned that another strike without US ground forces could spell disaster for Trump ahead of US elections; Netanyahu said an attack before the vote would be inconvenient for Israel. Ynet

- Iran announces a large UAE-owned container ship carrying more than 2,500 containers hit a naval mine, exploded and sank this morning in the US-backed southern Omani corridor of the Strait of Hormuz.

- IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said multiple warnings across all arenas and the sensitivity of the period had increased the potential for escalation. He said forces had been reinforced, including the deployment of Division 98, and that the IDF was highly prepared for broad offensive action against anyone threatening Israeli civilians

- A container ship sank in waters south of the Strait of Hormuz after hitting a naval mine and catching fire, Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said in a statement shared by state media on Wednesda

- IDF: Over 100 Terrorists Eliminated and Approximately Eight Kilometers of Underground Terror Tunnels Neutralized: The 99th Division Completes Its Mission in the Northern Gaza Strip over the last four months

Hefkervelt
1 day ago

Researchers Now Claim: Noach’s Teivah Has Been Found

Hefkervelt1 day ago

Researchers Now Claim: Noach’s Teivah Has Been Found

Parshas Noach 5787 פרשת נח

A group of U.S. scientists in Turkey believe they found Noah's Ark תיבת נח . Andrew Jones, Founder of Noahs Ark Scans,  believes they will have confirmation of the findings by this winter, and the evidence so far is overwhelming. Formation dimensions shaped like a boat that match the תיבה Biblical length of the Ark EXACTLY as written in חומש בראשית Genesis. Radar results suggesting organized patterns below the surface that could be parts of Ark halls or a deck. Unexplained seashells in the region despite no sea nearby that suggest this was an area covered in water at one point per Fox news.

Article from Aish.com The New Noah’s Ark Claim: Should We be Cautious 

by Rabbi Daniel Rowe

October 14, 2026

New  scans claim Noah’s Ark is buried in the mountains of Turkey. A closer look at the evidence, and at the lesson Noah left behind.

There’s been a lot of excitement lately over claims that Noah’s Ark has finally been found. Is this proof that the biblical story is true? Or should we be a little cautious?

Photo: The Durupınar formation in Turkey

A team of researchers says it has proven that a mound in the mountains of eastern Turkey, near Mount Ararat, is Noah’s Ark. The group, Noah’s Ark Scans, was founded by an American researcher named Andrew Jones. They recently announced that a radar survey confirms the site is “not geological” and that “an extraordinary man-made structure lies beneath the surface.” According to the team, the radar shows corridors, compartments, and even several decks. They have drilled up to 18 meters deep and sent a robot camera down the hole. One press release reported that a drill bit shattered on what might be a layer of petrified wood. The headlines wrote themselves: “Noah’s Ark Found.”

  How the story began

It starts with the Torah, the Five Books of Moses. It tells of a massive flood and of Noah’s ark, which saved his family and the animal world so that life and civilization could begin again. When the waters receded, the ark came to rest “on the mountains of Ararat.”

In 1948, near the town of Doğubayazıt, about 29 kilometers south of Mount Ararat’s summit, heavy rains and earthquakes stripped the mud from a hillside. A Kurdish shepherd, [Reşit Sarıhan], noticed something strange. In 1959, a Turkish army captain named İlhan Durupınar spotted the same formation in aerial photographs taken during a NATO mapping mission, and the site still carries his name. Geologically, it looks unusual: a long ridge of earth shaped like a ship’s hull. In 1960, LIFE magazine published the photograph, and people began to wonder whether this could be Noah’s famous boat.

The measurements added to the excitement. The formation came out to about 157 meters (515 feet) long, and some measurements put it at 164 meters. The Torah says the ark was 300 amot, or cubits, long. Scholars still debate the exact length of a cubit, but according to Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, a leading 20th-century authority on Jewish law, a cubit is 21.25 inches, about 54 centimeters. Three hundred of them comes to 162 meters, almost exactly what was found.

Seventy years of back and forth

Then the debate began. In 1960, an American expedition led by George Vandeman and Arthur Brandenberger spent two days digging, and even used dynamite. They found only soil and rock. Most people concluded it wasn’t Noah’s Ark, and the site was largely forgotten.

In 1977, Ron Wyatt, an American amateur explorer with no training in archaeology, revived interest. He claimed to have found petrified wood, iron brackets, and even the ark’s anchor stones. He was joined by salvage expert David Fasold and geophysicist John Baumgardner, and their radar scans reportedly showed walls and bulkheads. But in 1987, a professional radar operator named Tom Fenner went back to the site and couldn’t reproduce those scans at all.

In 1988, Baumgardner, once a supporter of the site, drilled four holes into the formation with a Turkish geologist. They found mud and bedrock. No wood, and nothing resembling an ark. He concluded it was simply an unusual natural formation.

In 1996, geologist Lorence Collins co-authored a paper with David Fasold, previously one of the site’s biggest champions. They called it “Bogus Noah’s Ark” and exposed the whole thing as a hoax.

Still, the claims kept coming. In 2019, Andrew Jones’s team scanned the site again and reported angular structures beneath the surface, shapes you wouldn’t expect in a natural mound. In 2024, they reported finding about three times more organic matter, material that came from living organisms, in the soil than in the surrounding formations. This June, the Turkish government granted permits for the largest investigation the site has ever seen, led by Professor [name, confirm spelling], an archaeologist at [university] in Sivas. The team began drilling, and a week or two ago came the latest announcement.

Why caution matters

Many of you have asked what I think. Here it is: anything connected to the Bible calls for real caution. The same goes for anything connected to Israel, ancient or modern. Very few people come to these subjects neutral. The Bible, Israel, and the Torah stir up deep emotions. They challenge people’s identities in complicated ways, whether they’re religious, atheist, or anything in between. Almost everyone has a stake in the outcome, which means almost everyone is biased.

Almost everyone has a stake in the outcome, which means almost everyone is biased.

That doesn’t mean we can’t investigate. The scientific method can do its job. We just need to wait for the lab results, for peer-reviewed journals to publish the findings, and for the wider archaeological community to examine and critique them. Then we’ll know where things actually stand.

So far, none of this work has been peer reviewed. The lab results aren’t expected until early next year. Andrew Jones is a software developer, not an archaeologist, and he says so openly. He simply believes this is the ark. The radar engineer says he is 100 percent sure the signals come from a single object, but, in his words, “a ship or spacecraft or what, I do not know.” And the university running the dig describes its goals far more modestly: to determine whether the shape is entirely geological, or whether it shows any evidence of human activity.

This pattern isn’t unique to this site. Over the next few weeks, I’m launching a series fact-checking the Torah. One thing I’ll show is how many sensational claims have been made over the last 150 to 200 years. Some people claimed they’d proven the Torah false. Others claimed they’d proven a particular story true. Again and again, on closer inspection, the claim fell apart. Sometimes they were looking at the wrong site. Sometimes a new discovery reversed the verdict entirely. People sincerely believed they had found proof one way or the other, only to see it overturned.

Archaeology is a genuinely difficult science. Unless an inscription turns up that tells you what a place was, you often can’t know for sure.

This could be an incredibly exciting find. If the researchers turn out to be right, if this really is a wooden, man-made structure from the time of Noah, a boat that carried animal life and came to rest on this mountain, it would be one of the most sensational discoveries in history. It would matter enormously to everyone who believes in the truth of the Torah, and to all of humanity, believers or not.

Intellectual honesty requires intellectual caution. I plan to withhold judgment until far more rigorous work is done and the scientific community has had a real chance to study the results.

But intellectual honesty requires intellectual caution. I plan to withhold judgment until far more rigorous work is done and the scientific community has had a real chance to study the results. Whatever the truth turns out to be, it will be contentious. Some will grab any straw to say this is Noah’s Ark. Others will grab any straw to say it can’t be, even if the evidence overwhelmingly points the other way. For me, the best approach is to wait and see.

Extraordinary claims need extraordinary evidence. More importantly, the truth of the Torah doesn’t hinge on any archaeological find. The real message of Noah’s story isn’t sitting on a mountain in Turkey.

See full article on Aish.com

Hefkervelt
2 days ago

Oif Simchas Tuesday 3 Cheshvan

Hefkervelt2 days ago

Oif Simchas Tuesday 3 Cheshvan

Chasunas:

Wilner -Kahn Kesser Moshe Yehuda 

Ehrsnfeld - Zamel Fountain Ballroom Rosenblum - Bloom Ateres Blima

Eckstein - Canant Ateres Esther

Bernath - Schwartz Ateres Chaim Elazar

Atlas - Wenger Bais Faiga 

 Levy - Feitman Neemas Hachaim 

- LPD Traffic Alert: NJ DOT Contractor advises they will be performing repaving on RT 9 btwn Central/Hurley Ave & 3rd Street. This section of RT 9 will be fully closed - in both directions - overnight on Monday (10/12), Tuesday (10/13), & Wednesday (10/14) evenings, between 11:00pm & 7:00am. Detours will be in place. Plan alternate routes.

Hefkervelt
2 days ago

Iran Israel Updates Tuesday Oct 13

Hefkervelt2 days ago

Iran Israel Updates Tuesday Oct 13

- Trump: "Wait till you see what we do to Iran. We're gonna—we're gonna do a number. Wait till you see... We've had it."

- Netanyahu is seriously considering resuming strikes on Iran before Israel’s October 27 elections after discussing a renewed war with Trump, with U.S. officials believing the Israeli PM wants attacks to resume before the vote, per Israeli N12. The discussions included a potential large-scale joint U.S.-Israeli operation targeting Iran’s military and nuclear sites. A senior U.S. official said Trump told Netanyahu to “go ahead and prepare” but made no commitment on timing — meaning strikes could happen “now, later, or never.”

- President Donald Trump said a decision on Iran would be made “very soon” amid heightened security tensions.

- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warns that Iran and its proxies are attempting to orchestrate attacks aimed at influencing the outcome of Israel’s upcoming elections. Katz issued a direct warning: “Let our enemies know: anyone who attacks us, before or after the elections, will have their hand cut off and will pay the heaviest price.”

- Saudi Arabia says Aramco administrative building attacked in Dhahran, no casualties reported. An administrative building belonging to oil giant Saudi Aramco in the eastern city of Dhahran was targeted on Tuesday, causing a limited fire.

- Tanker and Cargo Ship Hit in Strait of Hormuz: The UK Maritime Trade Operations said a tanker and a cargo ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz, south of Iran, were hit by “unidentified munitions

Hefkervelt
2 days ago

Tuesday October 13 News Updates Lakewood

Hefkervelt2 days ago

Tuesday October 13 News Updates Lakewood

 Weather:  78° Mostly sunny.

Yartzeit of Rav Ovadia Yosef Ztl tonight with over 100k expected to visit his kever at the Sanhedria cemetery off Bar Ilan and Shmuel Hanavi intersection on Yerushalayim.

- New Jersey Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin announced today he will be introducing legislation that would establish universal free school breakfast in New Jersey, requiring every public school to provide breakfast to all enrolled students at no cost, regardless of household income or eligibility for federal meal assistance

- Youtuber Tyler Oliveira posts "Calling all non-Jews(Litvaks) to apply to this neighborhood and see if they’ll sell you a house" reposting a video of the new lakefront community in Okochobee,FL.

- Giyus: An attempt was made to hand over four bochurim from Yeshivas Chevron to the IDF military police, who were already on the scene along Route 1 near Sha’ar HaGai. After a call went out urging people to arrive and prevent the arrests, the bochurim were released.

-Trump: Why did Ilhan Omar report a Net Worth of up to 30 Million Dollars just a short time ago, and then immediately say, “Oh, I made a mistake! It’s really $100,000.” Could it be that her highly paid accountant actually reported the money that was stolen from her fraudulent activities in Minnesota? Would something like that be possible? Do you think the accountant actually gave the right number the first time, 30 Million Dollars, and then she was forced to disavow because she never would have been able to report where that much money came from? She must have freaked out when she saw that money! Where did her house come from, where did her cars come from, and what about her lovely place in Washington, D.C.? I didn’t know that Congressmen and women made that kind of money, but I do know her husband, according to information and belief, makes almost nothing, so it couldn’t have come from him. How many people did she illegally bring into our Country from Somalia? America wants answers, and we want them, NOW! President DONALD J. TRUMP

- Online conspiracy Following Ukrainian strikes on Russian data centers: Tucker Carlson's views dropped 71%

- Last day to register is today.  Election Day is 21 days away, and federal and local races are on the ballot. Today  Tuesday Oct 13 is the last day in New Jersey to register to vote in the midterm election. Eligible residents can register online or in person at their local election office until 9 p.m. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the state.

- Giyus: 80 Chareidi avreichim joined the IDF this morning as part of the “Ma’alot Tzur” program and will serve in the IDF’s operational activity units.

- No Agudah convention again this year Agudah announces the 2nd Action summit to take place in Newark, Nj from 11-30-12/02 in lieu of the convention.

- Three Lakewood electric power units have been included in six federal emergency orders this year allowing them to operate beyond normal air-permit limits when needed to support the electricity grid. The latest order, issued October 12 and effective October 13–16, also includes two Woodbridge units, bringing the total to five New Jersey units with approximately 1,006 MW of generating capacity.

The U.S. Department of Energy says the order is intended to reduce blackout risks amid elevated electricity demand, generator maintenance and transmission-line outages. It also allows PJM to call on backup generators at large facilities as a last resort during severe grid emergencies.

- Lakewood Residents: An Important Tax Update to Keep in Mind Before the Elections:

Lakewood’s reported 2026 municipal tax increase will affect homeowners’ property-tax costs, with the impact reflected in upcoming tax bills and potentially in monthly mortgage payments through escrow adjustments. The reported increase of 14.4 cents per $100 of assessed value would mean an additional $576 per year, or $48 per month, for a home assessed at $400,000. A home assessed at $500,000 would mean an additional $720 annually, or $60 per month, in municipal taxes alone. Residents should keep these figures in mind before Election Day, as the official tax bills reflecting the new rates are expected to arrive afterward. The estimates cover municipal taxes only and do not include separate changes in school or county taxes.

- Six Flags Great Adventure has temporarily closed its Nitro roller coaster in Jackson Township after a man died Monday after falling from a similar ride at Six Flags Over Georgia.

Nitro will remain closed until further notice while the company reviews the incident, a Six Flags spokesperson said

- Major 60 family development proposed at busy route 70-New Hampshire Ave intersection in Lakewood. Lakewood's Planning Board is set to hear an application Tuesday night for a major residential development proposing 60 dwelling units at the busy intersection of Route 70 and New Hampshire Avenue with the plans seeking numerous design waivers and apparently providing no on-site recreational facilities or shul more at FAAnews

Lakewood planning board meeting tonight 6:00 pm watch livestream Here see agenda Here

 Upcoming Applications

- Cedar Bridge Avenue: Applications for a three-lot subdivision, a warehouse for Tomchei Shabbos D’Lakewood, and two additional warehouse/office buildings.

- New Hampshire Ave. & Route 70 Kettle Creek Holdings seeks approval to subdivide the property into 30 lots.

- 1555 Avenue of the States:Spire Shoppes Equity seeks amended site-plan approval for a retail center.

- 1200 14th Street: Congregation Torah Veyirah D’Satmar seeks to subdivide the property into three lots.

- Turin Avenue: JMPM Equity seeks an extension for a previously approved four-lot subdivision.

- President Donald Trump was asked whether he plans to endorse a candidate in Israel's upcoming elections:“We haven't thought about it. I might be doing something about it.”

Trump left the door open to a potential endorsement but stopped short of committing to any candidate.

- New Eagleton Poll 82% of New Jerseyans support voter ID and 71% back proof of citizenship(NJ Globe)

- President Trump fired back at the fake news attacks on Press Sec. Katie Zacharia"I thought she was very good!" Now the fake news is pestering her about "where did she pass the bar exam?"Their obsession just proves they are worried she'll be too good.

- NJ Republican Senate challenger Justin Murphy drew loud applause at a New Jersey debate when asked what he'd tell Trump about the Iran war delivering a two-word answer as Sen. Cory Booker shook his head on the split screen.

Murphy, a former deputy mayor from the Pine Barrens, urged Trump to "put your cowboy hat on and get out there..." calling Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a "radical terrorist organization" that has deprived the Persian people of a decent life for decades. Booker fired back, blasting Murphy's stance as "yahoo cowboy foreign policy" that has "mired us in Middle East war after Middle East war" and drained the U.S. treasury.

- New Charedi Public Party Responds to Controversy Over Million-Shekel Surety. After reports that billionaire Daniel Hasidman, who has criticized Charedi subsidies and praised Avigdor Lieberman, provided one million shekels in surety for Moti Leitner of the Charedi Public Party, the party fired back at UTJ and Shas. The party accused the established  frum parties of having no answers for years of failure and resorting to bullying and intimidation. It also highlighted chasidman’s charitable support for programs helping charedim enter the workforce with dignity.

- Authorities are investigating a crash on Route 9 that killed two people and shut the southbound lanes of the highway down early Tuesday, Oct. 13.

- Trump: The Houthis are behaving very badly. I thought they learned their lesson a year ago when we bombed the HE.. out of them and, at their request, stopped. They’ve been silent for a long time, but now they’ve emerged again, probably at the behest of Iran, which is a Failing Nation, with No Navy, No Airforce, the World’s Worst Economy, and 301% Inflation, in a very nasty way, hitting Saudi Arabia, and purposefully trying to drive up Oil Prices, probably prior to the U.S. Elections — NOT NICE. Somebody should explain to them that I’m not running in the Elections, I’ve already won, IN A MASSIVE LANDSLIDE, but I’ll be there after the Elections, and I will never forget! President DONALD J. TRUMP

- Getty Images is poised to file for bankruptcy.

Getty that mostly provides stock photo for news media outle intends to go private after a $3.7 billion merger with rival Shutterstock fell through over the summer.

- "President Trump is the most family friendly president we've ever had."

New Press  secretary Katie Zacharia says President Trump knew she was raising four children when he entrusted her with a demanding White House role, and she believes that decision speaks volumes.

At the BMG Chavrusa Tumul photo Credit E. Cohen

At the Nikolsburg rebbe grandson wedding last night in Lakewood 

Hefkervelt
3 days ago

Oif Simchas Monday Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan

Hefkervelt3 days ago

Oif Simchas Monday Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan

Night seder begins 

Chasunas: 

Rappaport  - Kahn Kesser Moshe Yehuda 

Kaster -  Weingarten Bais Faiga

Pruzansky - Yenowitz Lake Terrace 

Klein - Halpert Ateres Chaim Elazar 

Petrekovsky - Grossmass Cedar Palace 

Jungreis - Moskowitz Ne'emas Hachaim 

- LPD Traffic Alert: James St westbound will be closed from Ridgeway Ave to Cross St for planned JCP&L construction. Plan alternate route if possible.

- LPD Traffic Alert: NJ DOT Contractor advises they will be performing repaving on RT 9 btwn Central/Hurley Ave & 3rd Street. This section of RT 9 will be fully closed - in both directions - overnight on Monday (10/12), Tuesday (10/13), & Wednesday (10/14) evenings, between 11:00pm & 7:00am. Detours will be in place. Plan alternate routes.

Hefkervelt
3 days ago

Monday October 12 News Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan Updates

Hefkervelt3 days ago

Monday October 12 News Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan Updates

Weather: 73° Mostly cloudy early, then sunshine for the afternoon.

Columbus day: Federal, state, and city government offices, public schools, post offices, and most major bank branches are closed, while the stock market, retail stores, and grocery stores remain open. Costco is open with limited hours.

- Trump:"I see so many comments from the Radical Left Morons and Lunatics that China and Russia are helping the “wonderful” Islamic Republic of Iran. If they are, it’s at a very low level, but I don’t believe they are at all. They have too much to lose, and we would know about it, and know about it very fast! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP".

- The Nikolsburg rebbe from klal Yisroel shul in woodbourne making a chasuna for a einikel in Lakewood 

- Lakefront community in Okeechobee, FL celebrates the first day of  children  going to Cheder as the community is launched.

- A small girls high school in Lakewood announced they were forced to close due to financial reasons with low enrollment.

- A American Bochur Accused Of Spying For Iran Released To House Arrest q after about four months in custody. Israeli Supreme Court President Justice Yitzchak Amit approved the release. Askan Rabbi Shimon Shisha, chairman of Merkaz Ezra Vayoetz, offered his apartment for the house arrest and Tzedek Association says it deposited 1 million shekel to the court as a guarantee.(Belaaz)

- BMG Chavrusa tumul going on today ahead of the new winter zman.

-ומוריד הגשם  Lakewood, New Jersey, had the second highest rainfall total, with 3.45 inches yesterday.The highest rainfall total was reported in the Loveladies section of Long Beach Township in Ocean County, with 3.48 inches as of Monday morning, according to updated numbers from the National Weather Service.

- A wedding that was scheduled ro take place tonight in Lakewood has been relocated to Montreal after family members could not get entry to the US due to updated immigration policies.(Kremel)

- Trump HAPPY COLUMBUS DAY TO ALL, in particular our great Italian American Community which was forced to suffer as the Radical Left Dumocrats, Socialists, and Communists rampaged through our cities and towns ripping down almost all of the beautiful statues of Christopher Columbus. Well, those days of plunder are over, and the statues are back, more magnificent than ever. This is a big day for our great Italian American Community, and the Country of Italy itself, maybe the biggest. Congratulations! President DONALD J. TRUMP

- New York City's teachers union, which supports Hochul ahead of the upcoming election, has vowed to fight to reverse her decision to opt in to the federal educational tax credit program. The civil rights organization NAACP has also warned that support for private education could encourage wealthier families to leave public schools, deepening segregation among students. 

-The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office is seeing a 10% decline in the willingness to vote among the chareidi sector.

- Tehillim: Tefillos for Rav Mordechai  Wolmark shlita Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Shaarei Torah in Monsey, who has been hospitalized name is Mordechai Gimple ben Chaya Avigail.

- A non-Jewish FedEx driver in Lakewood is going viral after a clip of him playing Hasidic music was posted on social media.  He learned Hershy Weinberger and other Hasidic songs just to make the Jewish kids on his route smile. "The music is so positive. How can you not like it? Singer Hershy Weinberger put out a social post seeking to meet the driver and thank him for spreading positivity (Tiktok on x)

- Lakewood Road closures on Rt 9 as night seder and wedding season resumes: A NJDOT contractor will be performing repaving operations along Route 9 between Central/Hurley Avenue and 3rd Street. Route 9 will be completely closed in both directions on Monday, October 12, and Tuesday, October 13, from 11:00 PM until 7:00 AM. Detours willedirect traffic around the work zone.

- Israeli election polls suggest that United Torah Judaism (UTJ) could lose up to two seats as a result of defections to the new Tzibbur Hacharedi party led by Moti Leitner. The emergence of the new party has prompted UTJ MKs to sharpen their attacks against Leitner and his movement, as they seek to protect their traditional Charedi voter base

- Trump: The European Union paid Russia 250 Billion Dollars for Energy, and the Fake News Media doesn’t want to get near that story. I made the right choice for the American People — ALWAYS, AMERICA FIRST! President DONALD J. TRUMP

- Giyus:  Hundreds of Breslov children gathered outside Prison 10 today, joined by senior rabbonim led by Rav Yaakov Meir Shechter, to protest the arrests of approximately 250 Breslov avreichim over the past month on charges of draft evasion. The demonstrators called for the release of the arrested yeshiva students, many of whom have been imprisoned for refusing to comply with military conscription orders

- Federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a court-authorized search warrant at Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Washington, D.C., home early Monday morning. According to Fox News, the investigation centers on possible immigration fraud involving paperwork completed by Omar’s late father when she was a child.

Bochurim in EY  return to yeshiva for the Zman

Hefkervelt
3 days ago

Why We Add ולכפרת פשע on ר"ח of A Leap Year

Hefkervelt3 days ago

Why We Add ולכפרת פשע on ר"ח of A Leap Year

On Rosh Chodesh  of a leap year we added in the Shemona Esreh of Mussaf  the words  ולכפרת פשע
In a Leap Year, in addition to praying for good and for bracha, for ששון and for שמחה, for salvation and comfort, for פרנסה and כלכלה, for life and peace, for pardon of sin and forgiveness of iniquity”, we add a 13th request in respect of the additional month: “ולכפרת פשע-and for atonement of transgression”.

A possible reason suggested is that in case the Leap Year was mistakenly designated, and in consequence Chametz was eaten on Pesach, we pray for forgiveness. (טעמי המנהגים)
The 13 pleas are corresponding to the 12 expressions of praise “הללוי’ה-הללו-הללוהו”, and the last sentence “כל הנשמה” is said twice, in respect of the Leap Year. (תהלים קנ – תניא רבתי)

- (Mi Yodea) There are three different minhagim (according to Kaf HaChayim) for the timing of this addition: only during Adar 2, all year long (Cheshvan to Elul), and from Cheshvan to Adar 2.

Rabbi Shelomo Min-HaHar z"l (former rabbi of the Bayit VaGan community in Jerusalem) explains that this last minhag (which you're asking about) is due to the fact that from Nissan onward one cannot declare that year as a leap year, so that's when the addition of "ולכפרת פשע" stops.

Given that there are 3 possibilities as brought down in the Mishna Brurah 423 or the Kaf Hachaim. However, the prevalent minhag among Ashkenazim is from חשון to אדר שני.

הוספת "ולכפרת פשע" בשנה מעוברת

אבל המנהג הרווח הוא, לפי הספרדים כל השנה, ולפי האשכנזים מתחילת השנה עד חודש העבור.

The prevalent minhag among the Sefardim is the entire year and among the Ashkenazim until the leap month (Adar II)

This explains the Ashkenaz minhag rationale.

Since Adar II is the last month of the year when counting by months, and Rosh Chodesh Nisan is the first month then the minhagim of Rosh Chodesh would follow that way of counting. Thus, the addition of ולכפרת פשע would end at the "end of the year" by months.

Even if you count by the change in the year number (Tishrei), by the end of Adar II, the leap month has been added and the months have been reset to synchronize with the seasons. If the Sanhedrin were to determine the leap year, the end of Adar would be the absolute last time it could have been done. As a result, we have now added the thirteenth month and the brachos for the months now revert to the normal 12. Once Rosh Chodesh Nisan has passed (without an extra month having been set to synchronize it) a leap year cannot be decreed until the following Adar.

It should be noted that the gemara mentions that Chizkiyahu decreed a second Adar at Rosh Chodesh Nisan and the Chachamim stated that he was wrong to do so. See Sanhedrin 12b.

The question would more likely be "why start saying it in Tishrei rather than the previous Nisan" if you count by Nisan as the first month.

ראש חודש הוא זמן כפרה על מיעוט הירח, כמו שדרשו בגמרא על שעיר ראש חודש 'הביאו עלי כפרה על שמיעטתי את הירח',

כל עיבור השנה נגרם ממיעוט הירח, שהרי אם היה הירח גדול כחמה לא היה הפרש ביניהם. כל ההפרש של י"א ימים בין שנת חמה ושנת לבנה, הוא מכח שנתמעט הירח.כאשר מעברים את השנה, מתקנים את מיעוט הירח במידה מסויימת, ועל פי הסוד זה התיקון של גלות השכינה הנרמזת בלבנה. מכיון שהקב"ה אמר 'הביאו עלי כפרה', מוסיפים 'ולכפרת פשע' כביכול כלפי הקב"ה, ואומרים  זאת בשנת העיבור שבו הוא בעיקר זמן התיקוןיותר   מכל השנים

Hefkervelt
3 days ago

Iran Israel Updates Monday Oct 12

Hefkervelt3 days ago

Iran Israel Updates Monday Oct 12

- Israel is expected to carry out strikes in Lebanon in response to the explosion of an unexploded Hezbollah cluster munition in northern Israel, which killed one person and injured 24 people. Jpost

- Update: BDE 1 Teen killed, 24 injured during school hike near Lebanon border, as unexploded Hezbollah munition blows up in student’s hands as he picked it up.

A Blast near Lebanon border wounds 20 schoolkids and teachers on hike; likely cause is unexploded ordnance Medics say 20 people injured  one critical and 2 seriously and 15 lightly hurt following an explosion in the Ramim ridge area in northern Israel, close to the border with Lebanon, the Magen David Adom ambulance service says. The injured are schoolchildren and teachers who were on a hike near the Pe’er observation point in the area. The cause of the blast is believed to be the result of unexploded ordnance, although this is still under investigation by authorities.

Lebanese newspaper Al-Moudon reports that Hezbollah has exploited the ceasefire period to rebuild its military capabilities both north and south of the Litani River, preparing for the possibility of renewed war with Israel

- Iran says it is “deeply concerned” by escalating attacks between Yemen’s Tehran-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia, after 14 people died in strikes on Riyadh’s airport over the weekend.

- Senior Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei warns that if war resumes, Iran will expand its target list to include communications hubs, data centers, AI infrastructure, and valuable American assets in the UAE and near the Strait of Hormuz.

I- ran says the US has now accepted some of its seven conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but Iran considers the response insufficient.

Hefkervelt
4 days ago

Oif Simchas Sunday Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan

Hefkervelt4 days ago

Oif Simchas Sunday Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan

יעלה ויבוא 

Cbasunas:

Yoffe -Eisenberg Bais Faiga

Goldstein - Goldstein Ateres Reva 

Benedek - Kushner Lake Terrace 

Goldenberg - Reiss Cedar Palace

Berman - Chekanow Ateres  Esther 

Markowitz - Huberman Ateres  Blima 

Gross - Feldbrand Fountain Ballroom

Hefkervelt
4 days ago

Sunday October 11 Rosh Chodesh מרחשון News Updates Lakewood

Hefkervelt4 days ago

Sunday October 11 Rosh Chodesh מרחשון News Updates Lakewood

Weather: 65° Rain. Winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible.

Tonight low 56° Showers with a possible thunderstorm early, then variable clouds overnight with Potential for heavy rainfall.  Chance of rain 90%.

Wednesday will be a high of 84

Tomorrow is Columbus day a federal holiday No garbage pick up, no USPS mail.

- United Airlines has reportedly told crew members that anyone holding citizenship or dual nationality in 29 listed countries cannot work flights entering Israeli airspace, even if they also hold a valid U.S. passport, according to an internal memo shared with Live and Let's Fly. 

- Trump: "I am pleased to announce that Katie Zacharia will be beginning her term as Press Secretary tomorrow, Columbus Day, and will be doing an introductory News Conference on Tuesday at 9:30 A.M. from the Press Briefing Room in the White House.""Katie has been with me, in spirit, from the very beginning, and will do a fantastic job! President DONALD J. TRUMP"

- Heavy flooding at local roads and parking lots

-Millions of Americans will  turn their clocks back an hour next month after a congressional effort to permanently eliminate the twice-yearly time changes stalled in the Senate, despite overwhelming approval in the House of Representatives and strong backing from President Donald Trump. Daylight saving time is scheduled to end on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 2 a.m., when clocks will move backward one hour to 1 a.m., giving Americans an additional hour of sleep while bringing earlier sunsets and darker evenings for the months ahead.

- Miami boys choir now coming to Lakewood they will take auditions for Lakewood boys looking to join the choir.

- Hachnosas sefer torah at Beis Medrash Torah Utefilah in Harmony Farms, Jackson. Procession at 5 pm. 81 Hickory Hill..

- Naftali Bennett launches an all-out attack on the Charedi establishment, speaking more forcefully than ever before: ‘We will abolish stipends for yeshiva students, shut down the Charedi education system, eliminate all exemptions, and dismantle the Charedi state within a state.’” There will be an influx of 1.5 million Charedim into the State of Israel. Think about how many doctors and engineers will come from among them.”

- Winter zman Begins tonight as yeshiva bochurim head back to the bais medrash for the long 6 months zman.

- Post Yom Tov restock sales at local supermarkets, Bingo sale on 'Lifetime" plastic products. Moishas in Howell store open ing within next few months.

- Mortgage rates just hit 7.4 percent, the highest since November 2023.

- Lakewood may spend $500,000 to defend against special education lawsuits. Last year, the Board of Education dismissed its former attorney Michael Inzelbuch in part because of high fees. This year, it has approved spending more than $500,000 to defend the district against a “substantial volume” of special education-related lawsuits, including a handful from that same former board attorney. (APP)

- Joseph Dream Burger will have an official grand opening celebration today from 1pm to 6pm at their new Lakewood location 1700 Madison Ave including raffles and giveaways.

- Trump: "Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!"

- Is this really what we want to promote in the Lakewood community? Luxury apartment developments in Yerushalayim are bombarding Lakewood  residents via social media with images and videos of extravagant living, targeting families whose reality is often kollel, hard work, and tight budgets. There’s nothing wrong with wanting a home in Eretz Yisrael. But when did luxury and materialism become the dream we’re selling to Bnei Torah? Yerushalayim should be about kedushah, Torah, and Avodah not marketing an unaffordable lifestyle that so many families can’t  even relate to.

- A resident who lives near a Orthodox shul on Old Freehold Road is asking a court to review a zoning board decision that allows the building to be significantly expanded.

-ICE agents arrested several individuals on Shabbos in Lakewood while they were working at a kiddush at a local shul simcha hall.

- The McDonald's location at Eeast Veterans and Hope near Kalamata is expected to close by November with reports of a kosher venue taking over the location according to news reports.

- Viral Facebook post from Toms River resident Booky Kaluszyner: I get dispatched as a Hatzolah volunteer to a motor vehicle accident in Toms River. Neither vehicle belongs to an Orthodox Jew. I approach one of the patients, and he tells me, “Get me the real 911. I don’t want your kind touching me.” No problem. We contact dispatch and request Toms River EMS. A few minutes later, two Orthodox volunteers responding with Toms River 911 EMS show up, they tell the patient that they are 911, yet the patient refuses to let them assist, The patient says the same thing: “I don’t want your kind touching me, I want real 911” So we wait for Toms River CSOs to arrive. They assess the patient and request paramedics. And guess who shows up? Two Hasidic paramedics with beards and payos sticking out! The patient finally gets to the hospital, only to discover that the nurse assigned to care for him is another Orthodox Jew. You have to wonder whether the patient is more concerned about his injuries or the religion of the people trying to save his life! And that’s the sad reality of what hatred can do to a person. Imagine being so consumed by hatred toward your Orthodox neighbors that you’re willing to delay your own medical care rather than allow one of them to help you. These are people who dropped whatever they were doing, left their families, their jobs, and their dinner tables to come help a complete stranger, without asking what religion that person practices. When hatred becomes more important than your own health and safety, perhaps it’s time to ask yourself who that hatred is really hurting.

- Lakewood Road closures on Rt 9 as night seder and wedding season resumes: A NJDOT contractor will be performing repaving operations along Route 9 between Central/Hurley Avenue and 3rd Street. Route 9 will be completely closed in both directions on Monday, October 12, and Tuesday, October 13, from 11:00 PM until 7:00 AM. Detours willedirect traffic around the work zone.

- Lakewood Police Department has charged Ericson Pring, 35, of Houston, Texas, in connection with a June burglary at a local business. On June 14, 2026, officers responded to the business following the activation of a burglar alarm. Upon arrival, officers discovered that the front glass doors had been shattered. The owner reported that approximately $250,000 worth of equipment had been stolen. Detectives determined that multiple individuals forced entry into the business during the early morning hours, damaged display cases, and fled with the stolen equipment. During the four-month investigation, detectives gathered evidence that led to the identification of Ericson Pring as one of the suspects. 

-

Hefkervelt
4 days ago

Iran Israel Updates Sunday Oct 11

Hefkervelt4 days ago

Iran Israel Updates Sunday Oct 11

- A Senior Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei warns that if war resumes, Iran will expand its target list to include communications hubs, data centers, AI infrastructure, and valuable American assets in the UAE and near the Strait of Hormuz.

- A senior Israeli security official told Channel 14 News:

“In recent weeks, there has been a significant increase in Hamas’s preparations to resume fighting. Intelligence assessments indicate that Hamas is preparing for an offensive of its own, although no exact date has been determined yet.“The senior official added that Hamas is recruiting new, young operatives, including terrorists as young as 17 or even younger, and training them within a week in preparation for an attack.”

- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding a security discussion at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv to discuss Iran, Gaza, and Lebanon, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel. Defense Minister Israel Katz and senior security officials are also in attendance. The meeting follows the Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia today and comes amid growing concerns of escalation in the US-Iran war.

- Two developments amid escalating tensions with Iran:

The USS George H.W. Bush has departed Phuket, Thailand, following a rest and replenishment stop. Tracking reports suggest the carrier is heading back toward the U.S. Central Command region.

Approximately 20 U.S. aerial refueling aircraft have reportedly crossed the Atlantic from the United States to Europe in recent days.

The combination of carrier movements and a reported surge in aerial refueling assets warrants close attention. Tankers are essential for sustaining long-range combat operations.

These movements do not establish that a new strike on Iran is imminent, but they could provide Washington with additional operational options. (Jewishwarrior)

- Putin sends Iran's proposal for ending war to Trump directly, he says Russia will have custody of highly enriched uranium of Iran. While Trump says needs a guarantee that Iran will not build nuclear weapon in future.

Russia may end war between the Washington and Tehran very soon.

-Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that, as President Trump indicated, any agreement with Iran will likely come after the November elections. Bessent declared that the Iranianaa regime is the biggest loser, arguing that Tehran attempted to weaponize the Strait of Hormuz and diesel prices to pressure Washington and failed.

- Senior Israeli security officials say Trump and Netanyahu have been holding intensive discussions in recent weeks over possible renewed military operations against Iran.

According to Channel 13, the IDF is preparing for three scenarios:

An independent Israeli strike.

A joint U.S.-Israeli military operation.

An Iranian attack requiring an Israeli response.

No final decision has been made. Netanyahu has reportedly expressed reluctance to act before the Israeli elections on October 27.

The military options remain on the table, and Israel is preparing for the possibility of another confrontation with Iran.

- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly condemned the terrorist attack on King Khalid International Airport, which killed 12 innocent people and injured hundreds. Netanyahu offered condolences to the victims’ families and wished the injured a full recovery.

- An outbound tanker was struck on its port side in the strait of Hormuz by an unidentified projectile today on October 11. The vessel sustained damage, but all crew members are safe.

- The IDF and Shin Bet announce the elimination of a Hamas Nukhba commander who led the October 7 assault on the Kissufim military outpost. According to Israeli security officials, the terrorist also participated in the abduction of Israelis during the massacre.

- Reports of explosions in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, as the Iran-backed Houthis accuse Saudi Arabia of striking Sana’a International Airport in Yemen.

- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warns that Khalil al-Hayya and other senior Hamas leaders remain targets for elimination. Katz accuses Turkish President Erdoğan of continuing to shelter Hamas terrorists and support their activities alongside the Muslim Brotherhood.

His warning: Hamas leaders will not enjoy immunity, regardless of where they operate

Hefkervelt
5 days ago

Motzei Shabbos Bereishis News Updates Lakewood

Hefkervelt5 days ago

Motzei Shabbos Bereishis News Updates Lakewood

Rosh  chodesh Cheshvan 5787

Rosh Chodesh of a leap year we add in the Shemona Esreh of Mussaf the words ולכפרת פשע

Weather: Tonight 59° Overcast 

Tomorrow 65° Cloudy with periods of rain. Winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible.

Widespread heavy rain is expected across New Jersey on Sunday from the remnants of Hurricane Isaias. Wind gusts up to 30 mph are possible inland, with up to 40 mph gusts along the Jersey Shore.

- BMG winter zman begins tomorrow might with over 800 new bochurim expected. The yeshiva is learning maseches Bava Kama and a new  Chabura will be learning at the Bais Medrash In Jackson.

- The Sunday funday Event scheduled for tomorrow in Ocean county park has been canceled due to the weather forecast.

- Tuition: After NY Governor Hochul said the state will opt in to the Trump federal scholarship program.  Residents are calling on New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill to opt the state into the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, that could give up to $3400 per couple who file jointly.

- Degel HaTorah Releases Election Jingle Ahead of Israeli Elections

GLZ Army News reports that Degel HaTorah’s election posters featured only images of Rav Dov Landau and Rav Dan Segal, while deliberately omitting Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, shlita. According to the report, the omission was allegedly driven by personal vendettas on the part of some young askanim involved in running the campaign.

- Trump: The Dumocrats, along with their partners in crime, the Fake News Media, are trying to create the false narrative that, Donald Trump is so “unpopular,” the Republicans are going to lose. Actually, it's just the opposite. I'm so “popular,” that the Republicans are going to WIN, and that's being proven by the Record Setting Rallies we're doing (including the one in Tennessee where I'll be in a short while — See you soon!). President DONALD J. TRUMP

- Iran has preserved its missile and drone factories and can replenish its supply of the weapons, unnamed Western officials told Bloomberg in a Saturday report, with one official saying Russia was also providing the Islamic Republic with missiles

- Reports say The US and Israel may strike Iran before the Israeli elections or midterms.

-  Trump reveals he’s considering renaming either the Pacific or Atlantic Ocean to “Trump Ocean.” or ocean of the Americas.

-A Houthi missile strike hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, killing 12 people, including an American, and wounding 309. The Iran-backed Houthi terrorists are escalating their attacks on Saudi civilian infrastructure and reports that President Trump is now considering direct U.S. military involvement against the Houthis.

- Trump: I settled 8 WARS, am close to ending or settling 2 more, got all of the Israeli hostages back, including the final 28, both living and dead, had hundreds of hostages, from countries all over the World, released and sent back home, won a war in Venezuela, and captured the violent dictator who so viciously ran that country, and stopped the number one state sponsor of terror, the Islamic Republic of Iran, from obtaining a Nuclear Weapon — AND MUCH MORE! Yet, with all of that I, or the United States of America, did not get the Noble Peace Prize. WOW

Hefkervelt
6 days ago

Friday October 9 News Updates Lakewood

Hefkervelt6 days ago

Friday October 9 News Updates Lakewood

 Friday, October 9, 2026 / כ״ח תשרי תשפ״ז ערב שבת פרשת בראשית

Candle lighting 6:08 pm

Shkiah/Sunset 6:26 pm

Rosh chodesh מרחשון is Sunday & Monday

Weather: Today 75° Sunshine and a few clouds. Tonight low 44°

Shabbos day: 69° Intervals of clouds and sunshine.

Sunday: 65° Rain likely.Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible.

The remnants of Hurricane Isaias are expected to reach New Jersey by Sunday, with widespread rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches. Minor coastal flooding is also a concern during high tides Sunday and

Good idea to take down the Sukka today with rain on Sunday.

- Tuition Relief  coming to frum communities New York State opts in to the Trump Tuition Federal education tax credit program. It was  Anounced by Governor Hochul today that after review it won't take away from public school kids.

New Jersey expected to follow and opt in

- Hurricane Isaias shuts down 72% of U.S. Gulf of Mexico oil production, halting 1.46 million barrels per day as the Category 3 storm approaches landfall.

- A 7.6-magnitude earthquake off Panama’s southern coast was felt in Panama City, according to the US Geological Survey. US authorities warned that tsunami waves could hit Panama within the next 3 hours.

-President Trump says he has reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to significantly increase diesel supplies to the U.S. and global markets.Under the announced deal: 300,000+ tons immediately

500,000 additional tons in November

1 million tons shortly thereafter

Up to 3 million more tons depending on Russian refinery capacity

- B"H Rav Elya Ber shlita was released today from hospital, continued tefillos.

- Trump has appointed Katie Zacharia as White House Press Secretary

- Two frum Jewish schools in Brooklyn,Yeshiva of Flatbush, and a chasidishe cheder in Williamsburg were evacuated after receiving bomb threats 6 minutes apart, but police searches found no explosives. The students were safely sent home, and police are investigating who was behind the threats. 

- The Sunday funday event planned at Ocean county park has been canceled due to rain in the forecast.

- Not only Lakewood, Sign welcoming new residents moving into Lakefront community in Okochobee Florida refers it as עיר התורה והחסידות

- Nichum Aveilim: Those sitting shiva after Yom Tov will be getting up today

- AMI magazine price increase to $10. There is a Yated Neeman issue this week.

- Approximately 800 mew bochurim expected to join BMG for this coming winter zman,with a new dormitory at 5th st and Lakewood Ave

- Continued tefillos for Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel shlita Eliyohu Dov ben Chava Esther.(After being hospitalized on Simchas Torah)

- What Bracha do you make on Dubai Chocolate.  The Visa house Harabanim has issued a peak that the bracha of Mezonos is made.

- Hundreds of kiddushim across local shuls this shabbos including those of chosson Torah & Chosson Breishis. Bar Mitzvas aufrufs,births  etc.. Minhag in some shuls to sell the first Aliya of shabbos Breishis.

 - Melava Malka at khal shedlitz this motzei shabbos for the yahrzeit of Rav Gershon of Shedlitz zya

- At the Lakewood Township Committee meeting, last night members of the heimishe communitie logged in and expressed concern about changes to the current shuttle bus system. The mayor explained that state regulations no longer allow municipal workers to be paid with UEZ funds for this service. The township is seeking state approval to bring in another transit company to expand and improve the service, including personalized pickups instead of fixed bus schedules. The plan still requires state, UEZ, and township approval.

- Reuters reports that the Trump administration has imposed sweeping sanctions targeting the International Criminal Court (ICC).The measures reportedly prohibit transactions with the court and restrict its access to financial resources, potentially disrupting its ability to conduct investigations and prosecutions. The move represents a significant escalation in Washington's confrontation with the Hague-based court.

- Appeals court to hear Lakewood Sunset Rd Sephardic shul application 

The appeal stems from the Lakewood Planning Board's approval of plans for a proposed two-story shul building, with neighbors challenging, among other things, the project's reliance on off-site parking at a nearby shopping center. More at Faanews

- Israeli authorities are preparing to introduce advanced surveillance technology and redesigned border-control gates at Ben Gurion Airport after discovering that 64 chareidi young men classified as military draft evaders managed to leave the country for Uman despite being subject to travel restrictions. Their departures were not recorded by the border-control system, and the irregularities were discovered only when they returned to Israel.

- Lakewood’s Board of Education voted 9–0 to restore free courtesy busing for 307 public school students, allocating approximately $245,000. Meanwhile, families with children in yeshivos and private schools must pay $675 per child for non-mandated busing. A proposal to provide comparable hazardous-route transportation to nonpublic students, estimated to cost $14.9 million, was blocked by the state fiscal monitor over funding concerns.

The decision has intensified criticism over unequal treatment, especially as homeowners face rising property taxes. Legal action is being considered by parents seeking equal transportation protections for all children. APP

Hefkervelt
6 days ago

Iran Israel Updates Friday Oct 9

Hefkervelt6 days ago

Iran Israel Updates Friday Oct 9

- Trump said Iran had been prevented from obtaining nuclear weapons and predicted that fuel prices would fall. He added that the war would end soon “one way or another,” claiming Iran has no functioning military capabilities and that no one is passing through the Strait of Hormuzaa

- Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted a tanker trying to “illegally" pass through the Strait of Hormuz, causing a massive fire, the country's state media reported on Friday.

- Israel’s Foreign Ministry urged Israelis abroad to remain vigilant and avoid demonstrations or areas at risk of clashes and antisemitic incidents ahead of protests expected tomorrow around the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre. 

- British Airways plans to resume flight services to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport on October 25, when it will begin operating a reduced schedule, it announced Wednesday.

- The IDF says it carried out a strike on a Syrian man it says was planning terror activity directed by Iran. In a statement, the military says it carried out an airstrike today along the Syrian-Lebanon border on Yusef Ali Al-Hassan, “a Syrian terrorist who advanced terror plots against Israeli civilians and IDF forces operating in southern Syria, under the direction of the Iranian terror regime.”

- According to findings released by UAE authorities, the Omani co-pilot intended to hijack the Flydubai aircraft and crash it into the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport in a suicide terrorist attack inspired by September 11, 2001. Investigators reportedly established that: His radicalization began as early as 2017 while studying in Australia. He passed all professional and security screening requirements without raising suspicion.He attacked the captain inside the cockpit with an emergency axe. A second captain, assisted by cabin crew and passengers, helped rescue the injured pilot and overpower the terrorist.

Hefkervelt
6 days ago

Zmanim Lakewood עש"ק פר' בראשית מברכים חודש מרחשון תשפ"ז

Hefkervelt6 days ago

Zmanim Lakewood עש"ק פר' בראשית מברכים חודש מרחשון תשפ"ז

מי שעשה ניסים לאבותינו וגאל אותם מעבדות לחירות הוא יגאל אותנו בקרוב, ויקבץ נדחינו מארבע כנפות הארץ, חברים כל ישראל ונאמר אמן     

   חסידים היו אומרים: ״היכן שיהודי מעמיד את עצמו בשבת בראשית - שם הוא יעמוד בכל השנה כולה״.

Friday, October 9, 2026 / כ״ח תשרי תשפ״ז ערב שבת פרשת בראשית

Candle lighting 6:08 pm

Shkiah/Sunset 6:26 pm

Rosh chodesh מרחשון is Sunday & Monday

- Molad will be Sunday morning, 43 minutes and 2 chalakim after 9:00 am

- Weather: Shabbos day: 69° Intervals of clouds and sunshine.

Sunday: 65° Rain likely. Chance of rain 100%. 

מפטירין מחר חודש

-Minhag in some shuls to sell the first Aliya of shabbos Breishis

A story in which the Maharik relates that in his time (fifteenth century), the custom in many shuls in France and Germany was to auction off the first aliyah in Bereishit. Large sums of money would thus be raised, serving to honor the Torah as well as to fund many communal needs. If a non-Kohen bought it, Kohanim would leave the shul. One time, a Kohen refused to leave and demanded to be given the aliyah. The Maharik ruled that the custom was acceptable, and the obstinate Kohen could be ignored (c.f. Beit Yosef, OC 135; Peri Chadash 135:3; MA 135:7).

Hefkervelt
6 days ago

A Few Tips for the Gabbai about Hagaba on Sefer Breishis

Hefkervelt6 days ago

A Few Tips for the Gabbai about Hagaba on Sefer Breishis

(Reposted)

Dear Gaabai, Please make sure that Hagba during these weeks is performed in a way that is proper kavod haTorah and shouldn't give anyone in shul, heart failure. There's been too many close calls where people near the bima end up catching the sefer.

 As we read the parshios of Breishis  the sefer Torah is rolled  that the left side is heavier making it harder for a righty to lift up during Hagbah. The newer sifrei Torah are lighter but older sifrei torah  are heavier.

The Mishna Berura writes that Hagbah should be given to someone who has the strength to lift and turn the Torah without needing to sit immediately. If one knows they do not have the strength to do it properly they should decline the honor. Although generally one should not turn down an invitation for an Aliyah, we don’t find this with Hagbah, albeit the greater honor.
 A Few important tips:

 1) Please whoever is performing Hagbaa ask them if they have the strength and technique to lift the sefer Torah. Try giving to lefty's or able bodied men.

  1. Gelilah should also be given to someone with knowledge to immediately secure the atzei chaim and begin rolling the sefer Torah

  2. Very important for the Gabbai to stand nearby within an arms length until after gelilah is done.

Thank You
K. H.

Hefkervelt
7 days ago

Oif Simchas Thursday 28 Tishrei

Hefkervelt7 days ago

Oif Simchas Thursday 28 Tishrei

Chasunas:

Weinberger - Silberberg  Kesser Moshe Yehuda 

Bixenspanner - Hasenfeld Ateres Chaim Elozer 

Keller - Bresler Ateres Reva

Lamm  - Weisz Ateres Esther 

Silberman  - Azatchi Ateres Blima 

Straus - Goldkrantz Fountain Ballroom

- Hachnosas Sefer Torah Seuda for Bochurin at Lake Terrace hall 8:45 pm drasha by Rav Uren Reich shlita 

Mir Yeshiva Dinner Ne'emas Hachaim 

- LPD Traffic Alert: Martin Luther King Dr. will be closed from Cedarbridge Ave.  to Center St. for planned NJNG construction. Plan alternate route if possible.

Hefkervelt
7 days ago

Thursday October 8 News Updates

Hefkervelt7 days ago

Thursday October 8 News Updates

Weather: Sunny. High 77F. Winds

Rosh chodesh Cheshvan is Sunday & Monday 

- At tonight’s Lakewood Township Committee meeting, members of the heimishe communitie logged in and expressed concern about changes to the current shuttle bus system. The mayor explained that state regulations no longer allow municipal workers to be paid with UEZ funds for this service. The township is seeking state approval to bring in another transit company to expand and improve the service, including personalized pickups instead of fixed bus schedules. The plan still requires state, UEZ, and township approval.

- BMG will be opening a Bais Medrash in Jackson for this coming winter zman with a chabura learning maseches Berachos.

- Hundreds of bichurim at Hachnosas Sefer Torah in Bais Yitzchok Bais Medrash this afternoon 

- Agudath of New Jersey is calling on New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill to opt the state into the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, which could provide thousands of dollars in additional tuition assistance annually to families sending their children to yeshivos and other private schools.

- Millions along the Gulf Coast are facing a potentially dangerous hurricane threat, with forecasts warning of storm surge reaching 7 feet and winds up to 75 mph. Fox weatherreports that roughly 30 million Americans are in the potential impact zone as residents from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle prepare for heavy rainfall, flash flooding and possible power outages. Forecasters warn that 5 to 8 inches of rain could fall, with coastal flooding posing a particularly serious threat. Rain Sunday in New Jersey. 

- President Trump just posted that the blockade stays, the oil is moving, and the U.S WILL NOT STRIKE Iran until after the Midterms. “We are having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran. I want to make it clear to everybody that, while Iran is in very bad condition, both Economically and Militarily. “and while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, with Oil flowing in Record Numbers of Barrels through the Hormuz Strait (22 Million Barrels, last night alone, with not one barrel coming from, or going to, Iran!)” “we will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd. IRAN WILL NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!”

- Giyus: Major protests against the arrest of yeshiva bochurim began Thursday afternoon in Yerushalayim and Gush Dan, causing heavy traffic on major roads. Police blocked Route 4 southbound near Bnei Brak, while near the entrance to Yerushalayim, there were reports of an attempted vehicle ramming during the protest with police using stun gernades. Police brutality on display beating an avreich mercilessly and a policewoman was seen dragging a bochur by his tzitzis.

Thousands of bochurim and avreichim are participating, following the call of their Gedolim and rebbeim.

Israeli media pundits have also called out Degel HaTorah and Shas party's for their silence as yeshiva bochurim are being arrested in their homes. They point out that just a few months ago, as the elections approached, the Yated Ne'eman ran a front-page call for a “war” against the draft. Now, they say, there is silence.

- More than 70 million U.S. children are now enrolled in Trump Accounts, special tax-advantaged investment accounts for kids, But it will be up to parents to activate those accounts and claim any federal seed money on the Trump account APP. The $1,000 in seed money is not automatically deposited under the auto-enrollment process. Parents or guardians will still have to request the money and claim their child’s account before they can make a deposit. Accounts are set up by filing Form 4547 with the IRS with taxes or at any time during the year. The IRS estimates it takes five to 10 minutes to establish an account.

- A Hachnosas Sefer Torah will take place today in memory of 3 Lakewood yeshiva bochurim who were killed in a tragic car accident last year, Dovid Yitzy Handler Z"L ,Chaim Zelig Berl Z"L, Refoel Faham Z"L will take place today 45pm Thursday in BMG with kesivas oisiyos in the Maarav B"M from 2:15 -4:15 With a procession to Bais Yittzchok across the street,followed by a seuda in Lake Terrace hall 8:45 pm.

- Courtesy busing reinstaed for non mandated public school students while Yeshiva and private school children must pay $700  per child to LSTA. Lakewood public schools reverse course on courtesy busing after protests. The Board of Education this week reinstated  “courtesy” busing to more than 300 public school students who had lost the free service last month after dozens of parents and students demanded the action at Wednesday's board meeting. In a unanimous 9-0 vote, the board agreed to fund the non-mandated service at a cost of $245,000. The transportation will be provided for 307 students. APP Reports.

 This comes on top of a record property tax increase on Lakewood residents that just went into effect costing another 700-900 a year.

- Chanukas Habayis today of Bais Medrash Chasdei Avos in Jackson at 922 Hyson Rd dedicated By the Stern family. Beginning with a Hachnosas Sefer Torah at 5:30 pm followed by Maariv and a seuda.

- Lakewood township committee meeting today 5:30 pm watch livestream Here see Agenda Here 

On the agenda Lakewood township is asking to use up to $4 million of its existing UEZ funds to improve local transportation. The proposal would combine Lakewood’s current fixed-route shuttle system with a new on-demand microtransit service is basically a small public shuttle that you request when you need a ride, rather than waiting for a bus that follows a set route and schedule. There's no money for courtesy busing Though.

- TAG Lakewood is now blocking Internet in cars! We have set up dedicated resources to help provide solutions to the tzibbur as Internet in cars becomes more and more commonplace.

There is now a dedicated information line for cars: 732.952.4TAG (824). You can find out if your car has Internet or speak to a TAG representative to find out what options are available for your car. A representative is available from 12:30-4:30PM Monday-Thursday. Otherwise, leave a message and someone will return your call. You can also email [email protected] to get more information, or sign up below to receive updates

- New Jerseyans see state becoming less affordable, poll says. No real difference between Democrats and Republicans in new Rutgers-Eagleton poll. Affordability problems worsen in New Jersey, with a new Rutgers-Eagleton poll released this morning finds 65% struggle with housing costs and 77% give state economy poor or fair ratings. New Jersey’s affordability problems are getting worse, with majorities of residents struggling to pay for housing, food, transportation and health care and more describing those expenses as very difficult to afford.(NJGlobe)

- Today marks the 1st Yartzeit of the four yeshiva bochurim who were killed in a tragic car accident on the NJ Turnpike .

Habachur Shlomo Abba Cohen Z”L

Habachur Chaim Simcha Grossman Z"L 

Habachur Yaakov Kilberg Z"L 

Habachur Aharon Nosson Lebovits Z"L

Hefkervelt
8 days ago

Hashkafa Q&A

Hefkervelt8 days ago

Hashkafa Q&A

Hashkafa With Rav Gershon Ribner shlita

The hidden wisdom of graphology
Should fierce opposition to Lubavitch morph into animosity? A great man declares himself the Messiah Endeavor of bringing the Messiah Matchmaking among the non-observant Scholars clash with laymen in the bomb shelters

Hefkervelt
8 days ago

Oif Simchas Wednesday 27 Tishrei

Hefkervelt8 days ago

Oif Simchas Wednesday 27 Tishrei

 Chasunas: 

Falk - Svei Fountain Ballroom 

Rosmerin - Follman Ateres Esther

Weitz - Tainsky Kesser Moshe Yehuda

Heisler - Gross Cedar Palace

- Tonight marks the 1st Yartzeit of the four yeshiva bochurim who were killed in a tragic car accident on the NJ Turnpike .

Habachur Shlomo Abba Cohen Z”L

Habachur Chaim Simcha Grossman Z"L 

Habachur Yaakov Kilberg Z"L 

Habachur Aharon Nosson Lebovits Z"L 

- LPD Traffic Alert: Martin Luther King Dr will be closed north bound from Center St to Cedarbridge Ave for planned NJNG construction. Plan alternate route if possible.

Hefkervelt
8 days ago

Wednesday October 7 News Updates Lakewood

Hefkervelt8 days ago

Wednesday October 7 News Updates Lakewood

Weather: 68° Plentiful sunshine. 

Good idea to Put sukka away before Sunday with forecast of heavy rainfall this coming Sunday. as the remnants of Tropical Storm Isaias could bring heavy rain to NJ. Isaias is expected to reach hurricane strength on Thursday before making landfall along the Gulf Coast late Friday according to the National Hurricane Center. 

- Every single eligible minor child in America has now been automatically enrolled in a Trump account."President Trump announces the nationwide expansion of Trump Accounts, saying the program creates an investment account designed to grow for children over time. More than 60 million additional eligible children now have accounts ready to be claimed, with parents, family members and employers able to contribute once a parent or guardian activates the account

- Car accident at Rt 9 and 9th st takes out a traffic light this evening 

- Dans deals: El Al: Fly Between Tel Aviv And NYC From Just $399 One-Way, Fly Round-Trip From NYC To Tel Aviv From $864! More

- Vaad L'Mishmeres Shatnez A Banana Republic men’s wool suit was found to contain shatnez. The suit contained a linen sandwich collar. Additionally, another shatnez concern has been identified involving GB-brand bekeshes. Several of these garments were found to contain highly recycled shoulder pads, which present a shatnez concern. This finding further underscores the importance of having garments properly tested for shatnez even when purchasing from a Jewish-owned store.  

- Bikur cholim of Lakewood  stocked  14,238 Portions of Food  in hospital pantries over Sukkos

- Kosher sourdough Pizza vending machine ar Exxon station in Lakewood now open

- No money for courtesy busing but

Lakewood township is asking to use up to $4 million of its existing Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) funds to improve local transportation. The proposal would combine Lakewood’s current fixed-route shuttle system with a new on-demand microtransit service. On-demand microtransit is basically a small public shuttle that you request when you need a ride, rather than waiting for a bus that follows a set route and schedule. For example, a resident could request a ride through an app or by phone, and a shuttle would pick them up and take them to a nearby destination or designated stop. The goal is to make it easier for residents and workers to get to jobs, businesses, shopping, and services. The resolution does not mean Lakewood is immediately spending $4 million it authorizes the Lakewood Development Corporation to apply for up to $4 million, which still has to be reviewed and approved by the state UEZ Authority.

- Giyus: Rav Ezriel Auerbach shlita callsProtests Called in Yerushalayim and Gush Dan after silence from Charedi leadership on the arrests of yeshiva bochurim and youngeleit plucked from their homes at 3am.

The Committee to Save the Torah World announced that, at the direction of Rabbi Azriel Auerbach, protests will take place Thursday at 4:00 p.m. in Yerushalayim and Gush Dan following the recent arrests of yeshiva bochurim and kollel avreichim by the Military Police. The announcement follows several recent incidents, including arrests in Beersheva and Eilat and an attempted arrest in Modi’in that drew large crowds. Rabbi Auerbach called for the protests over what he described as the “denigration of the honor of the Torah and its students as well as the terrible Chilul Hashem of yeshiva bochurim and kollel avreichim being thrown into prison. 

- At the Planning board meeting last night the applications for warehouses on Cedarbridge and airport rd were postponed to the next meeting. The Ohel Gittel yeshiva application will continue to be healed in November 10th meeting without notice. The board approved a lot line adjustment for the upcoming CHEMED medical village off  Lakewood airport.

There will be apartments constructed off Airport rd  for the workers of the chemed village no information was provided.

- Tomorrow  A Hachnosas Sefer Torah  will take place in memory of 3 Lakewood yeshiva bochurim who were killed in a tragic  car accident  last year, Dovid Yitzy Handler Z"L ,Chaim Zelig Berl Z"L, Refoel Faham Z"L will take place this Thursday in BMG  with kesivas oisiyos in the Maarav B"M from 2:15 -4:15 With a procession to Bais Yittzchok across the street,followed by a seuda in Lake Terrace hall 8:45 pm.

-APP reports: Lakewood Township is tightening its finances after facing a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall, cutting its 2026 spending plan from roughly $163.5 million to $155.5 million, imposing a hiring freeze and sharply reducing overtime. The cuts come despite another significant municipal tax increase, with the owner of a home assessed at $375,000 expected to pay about $541 more in municipal taxes. That follows increases of approximately $300 in 2025 and $225 in 2024, putting the combined increase over the three years at roughly $1,066. Officials say the 2026 deficit, which initially approached $8 million, was driven in part by rising snow-removal costs and lower-than-expected state aid. Township CFO John Barrett confirmed that officials are already considering a municipal layoff plan for next year, although no number of layoffs or affected departments has been announced. Mayor Ray Coles called it the hardest budget Lakewood has faced in many years.

- The Trump administration is considering a policy that would prioritize communities with high birth and marriage rates when allocating federal transit money, Politico reports.

Under the transit proposal, the Federal Transit Administration would cover up to 10 percentage points more of a project’s costs if an area’s average birth and marriage rates meet, exceed or are just below nationwide thresholds. Lakewood’s birth rate of 36.1 per 1,000 residents in 2024 was almost three-and-a-half times greater than the state’s (10.9) and nation’s (10.7) birth rates.(Onejerseyschorr)

-Ocean County is seeking bids for the next phase of Cross Street improvements, covering roughly 0.6 miles between Prospect Street and Augusta Boulevard in Lakewood expansion the entire Cross street to 5 lanes from Jackson to Toms River.

- List of Lakewood area kollelim for balei batim and avreichim 

cRc kosher list of beverages at Dunkin

Hefkervelt
8 days ago

Iran Israel Updates October 7

Hefkervelt8 days ago

Iran Israel Updates October 7

- Trump asks Pentagon for Iran strike options before midterms - report The White House has reportedly requested options for strikes before November 3, although no final decision has been made.

- Trump: Three years ago today, on October 7th, the World witnessed one of the darkest and most evil days in the history of Israel. Innocent men, women, and children were murdered, kidnapped, and subjected to unimaginable horrors at the hands of Hamas TERRORISTS. Today, we remember every innocent life taken, honor the survivors and their families, and remember the hostages who endured the unthinkable. I fought relentlessly to bring the hostages home, and reunite them with their loved ones, and I did, both the living and the dead! We will NEVER forget October 7th. We will NEVER forget the victims. And we will always stand against the forces of Terror and Evil. President DONALD J. TRUMP

- Israel’s defense establishment’s nightmare scenario: Iran is under heavy internal pressure to launch a preemptive attack on Israel even before the election, amid the economic collapse and the American blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The IDF and Shin Bet are also concerned about a scenario in which unrest breaks out simultaneously on several fronts. (i24NEWS)

- Israel marks 3 years since Oct. 7/Simchas Torah with memorial ceremonies

- Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Iran was given multiple opportunities to reach an agreement with the United States over its nuclear program and squandered every one of them. The message from Washington: Tehran had chances for diplomacy. It chose a different path.

- Fars News Agency reports that an adviser to the commander of Iran’s IRGC says “illegal routes” through the Strait of Hormuz will soon be closed.

-Maritime security sources tracking the incidents report that last week saw more attacks on tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz than any other week since the start of the Iran war, the highest weekly figure recorded so far. Reuters

- Ambassador Leiter gave another update on his son’s condition: ‘Neria has severe head injuries, but in recent days he has started breathing on his own. However, he is not conscious.

- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani releases a statement marking three years since the October 7 massacre in Israel. Mamdani mourns those killed and condemns Hamas, but the bulk of the statement is focused on Israel, accusing Israel of genocide and apartheid. “Three years later, we must refuse to accept a world in which occupation and apartheid continue, where war crimes are met with impunity, and our federal government continues its complicity with every arms shipment. To honor the dead, we must fight for a world in which every person can live with freedom, safety, and dignity,” 

- Vance: Iran needs to show ‘meaningful’ reduction in nuclear enrichment for a deal

- Over 75 retired US military leaders reject Gaza genocide allegations in open letter.

- Sec. Marco Rubio: “Three years ago today, Hamas terrorists tortured, mutilated, and murdered 1,200 innocent civilians in Israel. Among those slain were men, women, and children  including dozens of Americans. We will never forget this act of barbarism against an ally and recommit ourselves to the defense of civilization.”

- On the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani is scheduled to attend a vigil remembering the victims and then, shortly afterward, meet with Palestinian New Yorkers. His office has provided no further details about the meeting. 

- The US-backed Board of Peace issues a statement marking the third anniversary of the Hamas-led October 7 massacre, highlighting the tragedy of the attack as well as the subsequent suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians in the war “unleashed by Hamas,” and stressing its commitment to advancing Washington’s plan for Gaza’s “demilitarization and deradicalization.”

- A coalition of Jewish officials in New York City calls for a permanent memorial to the victims of the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught in Israel.

- In a statement marking three years since the October 7 massacre, Hamas military wing spokesman Abu Obeida says that “October 7 was an extraordinary military achievement, with God’s help” “Enemies and friends alike acknowledged the scale of the planning, execution and deception,” he says.

Hefkervelt
9 days ago

Oif Simchas Tuesday 26 Tishrei

Hefkervelt9 days ago

Oif Simchas Tuesday 26 Tishrei

Chasunas:

Schreiber - Epstein Fountain Ballroom

Mendelsohn - Dunoff Ateres Chaim Elozer

Paretzky - Rosen Ateres Blima 

Weiner - Goldstein Ateres Reva

Aboud - Arking Kesser Moshe Yehuda

Gorelick -  Berniker Ateres Esther

Zoberman - Thaler Ne'emas Hachaim

Hefkervelt
9 days ago

Iran Israel Updates Oct 6

Hefkervelt9 days ago

Iran Israel Updates Oct 6

- Israel’s National Security Council is warning Israelis and Jews abroad to exercise increased vigilance as the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre approaches. According to the NSC, Iran and its proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah and global jihadist organizations remain highly motivated to target Israelis and Jews overseas. Officials warn that October 7 could become a focal point for attempted terrorist attacks, violent demonstrations and disturbances. 

- US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the biggest problem for him is that nobody knows who is running Iran.

- Expected Iranian drone attack led to removal of US bombers from UK airbase. Iran has denied any involvement in any alleged plot at RAF Fairford, the preferred European ​base for US bombers.

- Recent satellite imagery reportedly shows renewed activity at the Min-Zadayi nuclear weapons development compound northeast of Tehran. Israel struck the secret facility on March 3, destroying several buildings and likely damaging underground infrastructure. The Institute for Science and International Security confirmed extensive destruction at the heavily secured site immediately after the strike. 

- Israeli sources tell CBS News that Israel was ready to shoot down flydubai Flight 1073 with all passengers onboard after the Omani copilot attacked the captain, scrambling fighter jets before calling them off as the plane went to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The sources say that as part of a protocol for a potential 9/11-style incident, the Israeli Air Force sought to contact the cockpit after the plane made a sharp plunge, but didn’t receive an answer. A committee formed in advanced was then swiftly convened and a command center was set up, as fighter jets were scrambled and Israel closed its airspace, according to the report.

- The warplanes were called back however once Israel realized that the plane was turning to Saudi Arabia, which had scrambled its own fighter jets.

- Qatar says the United States and Iran are still engaged in talks to end the Middle East war, despite an apparent deadlock seven months into the conflict.

- Defense Minister Israel Katz says he has instructed the military to “increase its readiness and be prepared for any possible scenario in Gaza” ahead of the third anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 onslaught tomorrow.

- Some 1,240 aircrew members from countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel have entered the country over the past year, according to Hebrew media reports citing leaked remarks from a closed-door meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

- The meeting today is said to be examining security failures surrounding the attempted terror attack aboard flydubai Flight 1073 last week,

- The White House pushes back after Democrats accuse US President Donald Trump of suggesting Iran should “take out” the major American cities of Los Angeles and San Diego.Viral footage shows comments by Trump at a midterm elections rally in Nebraska on Monday, where he said high oil prices from the Iran war were justified by the need to stop Tehran getting nuclear weapons. “It’s a little bit high. It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe,” Trump said. “They can take out a city. Let them take, let them take out Los Angeles, let them take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay, and it’s going to be over with very soon.”

- Hamas will try to carry out an attack ahead of the upcoming general election, claims Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting.

- IDF says it recently demolished 1.5 km tunnel in north Gaza

Hefkervelt
9 days ago

Tuesday October 6 News Updates Lakewood

Hefkervelt9 days ago

Tuesday October 6 News Updates Lakewood

Weather:  Sunny. High 64F. 

Yahrzeit today 25 Tishrei 

Rav Levi Yitzchok ZTL of Berditchev The Kedushas Levi

 Rav Moshe Sofer ZTL The Chasam Sofer

Rav Shlomo Halioua ZTL R"Y Chaim Berlin

- Continued tefillos for Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel shlita Eliyohu Dov ben Chava Esther.(After being hospitalized on Simchas Torah due to dehydration, HaRav Elya Ber Shlit”a is expected to return home tomorrow B”H.)

- Moisha’s Supermarket, a Brooklyn-based kosher grocery chain, is preparing to open in the former Stop & Shop location at Lanes Mill Marketplace. Workers were recently seen renovating the 66,441-square-foot space, which has been vacant since Stop & Shop closed in 2024. The store will be the latest kosher supermarket to open in Monmouth County. App

- Schools resume for the long winter stretch. Mechanchim call this stretch from Cheshvan to Chanukah as the best 7 weeks of the year, as there are no interruptions following the yomim tovim were talmidim can get into a routine and focus on their learning.

 - This year several Lakewood girls schools did not officially set any days for midwinter vacation in the school calender. It dosent necessary mean there won't be vacation but rather that parents can't schedule an official trip in advance.

- Brisk to take on 300 -400 bochurim this zman. After not accepting new bochurim the past few zmanim Brisk yeshiva under Rav Avrohom yehoshua Soloveitchik has opened for this zman. Many talmidim also left and going to BMG and other yeshivos.

- Giyus: The IDF acknowledged that it did not initiate proactive arrests of "draft evaders" during the holiday period, and announced that proactive enforcement would resume in October. Last night there was an attempt to arrest a yeshiva bochur in Bnei Brak but the alert system worked and hundreds came to protest preventing the arrest.

- Giyus: A yeshiva bochur from  Chevron yeshiva was arrested in Eilat by IDF military police the boy is a nephew of Ashkenz chief Rabbi Dovid Lau.

- Hachnosas Sefer Torah today to BM Tiferes Pinchos Ridge Procession leaving at 5pm from 318 E.5th 6 pm to Tiferes Pinchos 

-  Lakewood Tax increase: Look out for new charges on your monthly mortgage or tax bill after Lakewood officially approved a major property tax increase right before Sukkos. Lakewood Homeowners: Another $541 Tax Increase For a home assessed at $375,000 Lakewood’s 2026 municipal tax increase is estimated at $541. That follows increases of approximately $300 in 2025 and $225 in 2024. Three-year increase: approximately $1,066 more per year in municipal taxes alone, not counting School county and fire tax.

For those upset about this and looking for change there's an election in 3 weeks and vote  by mail ballots have begun to arrive. There's new candidates running for township committee.

-Kashrus PSA: Aldi Fruit strips now have the Star-k hashgacha again on the box for both Strawberry and wild berry flavors. Important to always check for a hashgacha on Aldi products as it can change quickly without notice.

- Federal Scholarship Tax Credit: New Treasury rules allow a $1,700 tax credit per taxpayer, or up to $3,400 for a married couple filing jointly. The program begins in 2027, but New York and New Jersey have not yet opted in, so families in those states cannot currently take advantage of the credit.

- Lakewood Planning Board meeting tonight 6pm watch live stream here On the agenda:

-1900 Cedar Bridge Ave / Airport Road:Township Industrial Commission seeking a lot-line adjustment

-Cedar Bridge Ave – R26MSE922B, LLC: Proposed three-lot subdivision

-Cedar Bridge Ave – R26MSE922B, LLC: Plans for two warehouse/office buildings

-Cedar Bridge Ave  Tomchei Shabbos D’Lakewood: Proposed warehouse building

-140 Doria Ave  Ohel Gittel Inc.:Existing house proposed to be converted into a school

- Applications are now open for HEAP New Jersey’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program which helps eligible households pay home heating and medically necessary cooling costs. Applications for federal fiscal year 2027 opened Oct. 1 and will be accepted through June 30, 2027.

- FAA news: Trenton democrats advance bill allowing towns to report rental properties to Insurance companies . A bill moving rapidly through Trenton would authorize municipalities to notify insurance companies that activity occurring at a rental property violates the terms of the property's insurance policy..The proposal could be particularly significant in Lakewood where renting basement apartments is common. Assemblyman Avi Schnall voted in favor of the bill. More Here

- R' Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz is celebrating his grandson’s birth by donating approximately 10 million shekels, roughly $3.3 million, to support Torah in Eretz Yisroel Yeshivas Mir announced an extra yom tov bonus for its kollel youngeleit after Sukkos. Reports say approximately 7,000 married Torah students will benefit. Rechnitz also requested double stipends for hundreds of youngeleit in his kollel network in Yerushalayim, Beit Shemesh and Modi’in Illit, alongside additional donations to other yeshivos.

- Ocean County says the owner of three gas stations settled for $17,500 fine after investigators found the price on the sign didn’t match what customers were charged. Two of the stations are on Route 37 in Toms River, a Delta and a Sunoco, and the third is a Delta in Lakehurst. 

- The Brisker Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Velvel Soloveitchik, delivered a sharp critique over Sukkos of prominent chareidi institutions that hosted Israeli President Isaac Herzog, saying they had compromised longstanding principles in exchange for government funding. He declared that “the Chazon Ish must be trembling in his grave” over what was done to his home. Rav Soloveitchik also criticized another unnamed rosh yeshiva, who had previously spent time in the Brisker Yeshiva and later hosted Herzog before his talmidim at the beginning of Elul zman. Referring to him, Rav Soloveitchik remarked that he was someone who also knows how to sing Beshilton Hakofrim when it suits the situation.

- At last night’s Lakewood Zoning Board meeting, several applications were carried to future meetings. The board approved a single-family home application on North Drive, while another application was withdrawn by the applicant’s attorneys and will be brought to the Planning Board for further consideration. The board also entered closed session to discuss litigation matters.

- Trump: My Rally crowds and enthusiasm are unbelievable! Nobody has ever seen anything like it. We are flipping races all over the place. The Fake News knows it, but they don’t want to be truthful with their viewers. It’s all happening! The Dumocrats never counted on this. Thanks you to the great Networks that are covering the Rallies in full. They are being rewarded with BIG RATINGS. Watch for the “Midterm Surprise!” President DJT

- Trump: What’s happening in France is nothing less than out of control mass migration. This isn’t about schools, this is about Islam wanting to take over a once great Country! President DJT

Hefkervelt
10 days ago

Isru Chag Sukkos 5787 News Updates

Hefkervelt10 days ago

Isru Chag Sukkos 5787 News Updates

                             א געזונטע ווינטער

Isru chag sukkos

Weather 69° Clear most  of the week to put away sukkah.

- Isru Chag Sukkos registration deadline to sign up 2-3 year olds to playgroup for next year in 12 months. Some morahs have postponed registration to Chanuka.

- Isru chag Application to register for primary boys and girls starts today. Some girls schools signed a letter postponing registration to later on in the winter.

-First families are moving into the brand new Lakefront Development in Ockechobee, Florida. There will iy'h be 80 families there for this coming shabbos. (KH)

- BDE: Petirah of Rav Rephoel Dovid Ben Avrohom Abba Levi z'l (father of Reb Pesach shlit'a) Levaya will be tonight at 9:45 pm in the Chapel 613 Ramsey. Shiva at 124 Alan Ct. Until Monday morning - Besuros Tovos.

-  Simchas Torah in Lakewood

This year, Simchas Torah in Lakewood was marked by rain throughout the day. At BMG, thousands gathered for Simchas Torah, with the Bais Aaron Bais Medrash packed wall to wall with many bochurim.

A high dais was constructed in front of the Aron Kodesh to honor the Roshei Yeshiva. Rav Malkiel Kotler Shlita was given the distinguished honor of Chosson Torah and Rav Yeruchom Olshin was honored with Chosson Breishis. Rav Shneur Kotler was honored with Shlishi. In addition, special memunim were appointed  to ensure that any bochurim who were a bit tipsy remained outside. There were several layers of security and the Roshei yeshiva were surrounded during the dancing by a team of security. The Rowh ueshiva spoke during the hakafos and made leitzanus of smart phone use. There was earlier zmanim for Kris haTorah to receive  aliyos.

- Rav Dov Landau “It would have been better if [the state] had never been established and we had remained under the Mandate; the Religious Zionist fighters are being killed because of a distorted Torah. Amit Segal chanel 12 reposting old clip

- President Trump: What's driving up Gasoline is no longer the Strait of Hormuz, because Record Numbers of Barrels are coming out now on an almost daily basis, but the word, "Refineries," where Russia's are being blown up by Ukraine, and where ours are being closed up, in Blue States, like California, by the Dumocrats.

- Bus from Lakewood to Ribnitz yartzeit in Monsey leaving at 2 pm from starting at Hanover st corner Locust  Croos st corner River  Ave, Oak and rt 9, Squankum and Kennedy  $35 round trip 

- Bein hazmanim shiur today at Lutzk B"M 1 pm by Rav Simcha Bunim Londisnky shlita

- Shiva for Rav Raphael Yitzchok Issac Shain  ZTL is at 695 Nowlan Place Lakewood. Shacharis: 6:30 am Vasikin and a second minyan at  8 AM, Mincha 1:45 pm. Maariv 8 pm 

- Shiva for Rabbi Shimon Shalom Hershkowitz ZL is at 1375 Princeton Avenue, Lakewood. Shacharis: 7:45 am Mincha: 6:00 pm Maariv: 8:00 pm

Lakewood zoning board meeting tonight at 7pm. on the agenda:

– Westmount Group, LLC, 270 Albert Avenue, Block 855.01 Lot 1.01, R-20 zone. Use variance requested for a used car lot and sales office.

- 235 North Drive, Block 423 Lot 3, R-12 zone.Variance requested for combined side yard setback of 20 feet where 25 feet is required.

– Elroy Properties, LLC. Oak Street, Block 1006 Lots 2.01, 23.01, 1.04, HD-7 zone. To construct 4 duplex units and 2 single family dwellings.

 – SGS Development, Chestnut Street, Block 1159 Lots 40.08 -40.11 Use variance to develop duplexes in accordance to R-10A standards.

– Sterling Forest Homeowners Assoc. 144 Hadassah Lane, Block 423Lot 78.01. Use variance for a Mikvah.

- The Omani co-pilot of the FlyDubai flight had a second plan. If he could not crash the aircraft in Israel, he intended to crash it at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, a U.S. military base in Jordan. I24News

- The U.S. has authorized Israel to operate without previous restrictions in Iraqi airspace, reportedly allowing Israeli strikes against pro-Iranian militias in Iraq.

- Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz says 4,000 of the 6,000 terrorists who entered Israel on October 7 have been eliminated, leaving about 2,000 and Israel will pursue and eliminate the remaining terrorists, from senior leaders to lower-ranking terrorists 

- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, addressing the standoff with Washington: "Negotiations with an enemy that imposes terror, sanctions, pressure and threats on a daily basis is meaningless."

- Gov. Mikie Sherrill is taking billionaire Mark Cuban up on his offer to help New Jersey rein in the soaring cost of its public employee health benefits program, welcoming the billionaire entrepreneur to “Team Jersey” as her administration searches for ways to overhaul the troubled system. “Thanks for the offer. I appreciate your innovative work in this space as we bring all ideas to the table,” Sherrill told Cuban. “No more kicking the can down the road in New Jersey. I want accountability and results.”

Hefkervelt
10 days ago

Motzei Simchas Torah 5787

Hefkervelt10 days ago

Motzei Simchas Torah 5787

                              א געזונטע ווינטער

Isru chag sukkos

Weather tomorrow Morning clouds will give way to afternoon sunshine. High 71F. 

Tefilos for Rav Elya Ber Wachrfogel shlita R"Y South Fallsburg who was hospitalized on Simchas Torah during Hakafos after not feeling well. Name is אליהו דב בן חוה אסתר

- Yartzeit of the Ribniter thousands flocking to his kever in Monsey.

-The Omani pilot said during his interrogation that he had planned to crash the plane into Ben Gurion Airport. That is why he attacked the other pilot only while over Jordan, near Israel.

He planned to make a normal landing approach and, in the final seconds, when interception would no longer be possible, crash the plane into the terminal.

The plot was thwarted only thanks to the fateful decision of the injured Indian pilot to open the door at all costs.(Amit Segal)

- A Hachnosas Sefer  Torah in memory of 3 Lakewood yeshiva bochurim who were killed in a tragic  car accident  last year, Dovid Yitzy Handler Z"L ,Chaim Zelig Berl Z"L, Refoel Faham Z"L will take place this Thursday in BMG followed by a seuda in Lake Terrace hall

- BDE Petirah of chazzan Reb Chaim Adler z”l, from Tel Aviv who was niftar over Yom Tov at the age of 86

Hefkervelt
13 days ago

Lakewood Zmanim שמיני עצרת שמחת תורה תשפ"ז

Hefkervelt13 days ago

Lakewood Zmanim שמיני עצרת שמחת תורה תשפ"ז

 נגיל ונשיש בזאת התורה, כי היא לנו עוז ואורה 

Friday October 2, 2027/ כ״א תשרי תשפ"ז הושענא רבה

- Candle lighting 6:19 pm

 -Shkia/ sunset 6:37

 - Shecheyanu by Hadlokas Neiros 

Reminder to check bigdei shabbos for muktzah

-First day Yom Tov koheles /Yizkor/Tefilas Geshem/

 יהי רצון מלפניך , כשם שקיימתי וישבתי בסוכה זו כן אזכה לשנה הבאה לישב בסוכת עורו של לויתן

Hefkervelt
18 days ago

Chol Hamoed Sukkos 5787 Lakewood

Hefkervelt18 days ago

Chol Hamoed Sukkos 5787 Lakewood

First day Chol Hamoed Monday

וביום השני וביום השלישי

Weather tonight:

Cloudy. Low 57F. Winds light and variable.

Monday night Simchas Bais Hashoeva:

- For all yeshiva bochurim, at the Fountain Ballroom. 8pm

- Skulen 9pm

- Stolin

- Neimark shul 2461 Whitseville Rd Toms River 

- Breslov 944 E. County Line 9pm

- Mishpachas Brodt 14th st

 - Rubashkin Jackson

Weather: Rain showers early with some sunshine later in the day. High 68F. Winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Flood watch until 10:30 am

- Trump: Axios just released a story that “Trump” offered Sanctions Relief and Frozen Funds to Iran. This is untrue. I offered them NOTHING! Axios’ story, like most others, is a HOAX, used only for purposes of satisfying their Trump Derangement Syndrome. They should withdraw this fake story, IMMEDIATELY! President DONALD J. TRUMP

- Iran has agreed to haluranium enrichment in exchange for US sanctions relief.

-BDE: Petirah of the Dzirka Rebbe zt"l, Harav Aharon Brizel of Boro Park, niftar at 73.Levaya set for 3:30 PM, at the Jirka Shul, 5 Ditmas Ave. Kevura at Har Shalom, Airmont, NY.

Greater adventure learning program every morning in bais Faiga 10:30am - 11:30am 

Shiur in Lutzk by 1:00pm

- BDE: Petirah of Rav Yisroel Dov Birnhack Z"L from Brooklyn/Lakewood  Levaya in Lakewood at the. Chapel off 7th st. 10:30 am Kevurah in EY.

Tonight Simchas Bais Hashoeva for all yeshiva bochurim, at the Fountain Ballroom with the participation of the Lakewood  BMG roshei Yeshiva shlita and Rebbeim and Roshei yeshiva and mesivta across Lakewood special guest Rav Efraim Waxman shlita. Music by R Shloimy Daskal and R Hershy Weinberger with Yedidim choir. Starting with Maariv at 8pm.

Motzei Yom Tov first days. A Gut Moed.

Weather tonight Night Periods of rain. Low 59F. Winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch

Tomorrow Monday Cloudy. Periods of rain early. High 63F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.

Rest of week dry no rain temps in the 70's and upper 80's

For indoor trip ideas see Here

- BDE: Petirah of Rav Rephoel Yitzchok Isaac Shain -ZTL long time Rebbe in Adelphia Yeshiva son of Rav Moshe and rebbetzin Ruchama Shain. Levaya tomorrow in Lakewood at BMG Yoshon Bais Medrahsh 2:15 pm with kevurah in Lakewood.

- Simchas Bais Hashoeva motzei YT

Due to weather some may be indoors or canceled Simchas Bais Hashoeva motzei YT

Many Mesivtas and chadorim tonight 

Skulen 10pm

Westgate shul

Kumzitz in Jackson 6 Bear Trail 9:45pm

Arlington shul

R' Gissingers shul

Klausenberg Oak N vine

Kelmwoods shul Westgate 

Stolin E. 7th street 

Forest park BM

- A Memorable First Days of Sukkos in Lakewood

The first days of Sukkos in Lakewood were certainly memorable, with heavy rains and strong winds throughout Yom Tov. A  Nor’easter soaked parts of N.J. with 4+ inches of rain. The Lakewood area received bet 4-5 inches of rain.

B’H, on the first night of Yom Tov, the rain arrived later in the evening, allowing many people to have their first meal inside the sukkah. However, rain continued through much of the remainder of Yom Tov. A brief pause in the rain on the first day allowed time for a brief seudah, though the rain continued straight through the night, making it difficult for many to say the bracha of leishev basukkah and eat a kezayis in the sukkah on the second night. On the second day, the rain stopped early, allowing a few hours for people to have a seudah in the sukkah. The rain then resumed and continued for the rest of Yom Tov.

The weather also caused significant damage to many sukkahs. Some sukkahs collapsed, while in others the schach fell in, caved in, or was blown away. Some schach became extremely heavy from the accumulated rainwater on the shlock, causing the sukkah underneath to give way and, in some cases, topple inward. Many awnings also broke or were unable to withstand the strong winds. Despite the severe weather conditions, there were no reports of any power outages. In Ocean County, some 17,800 customers lost power around midday, including 10,800 in Brick, or 30% of the town. The Lexington area blackout from 930 to 1230.

Nearby areas in Ocean and Monmouth counties experienced much higher totals such as Toms River with 3.70 inches and Bradley Beach with over 5 inches while Lakewood remained on the lower end of the regional precipitation spectrum.

- Open tonight Aisle 9, Nutmeg,Evergreen 

All Pizza shops 

- President Trump has announced he will address the nation tomorrow from the Oval Office at 2 pm

- President Trump says he expects further talks with Iran this week, but made clear that renewed U.S. strikes remain on the table.

- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly flew secretly to Abu Dhabi and met UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed to discuss the Iranian threat.

Birchas Kohanim Monday at the Kosel

Rav Moshe Sternbuch Netilas Lulav 1st day Chol Hamoed Sukkos

Hefkervelt
20 days ago

Lakewood Zmanim ערב חג הסוכות תשפ"ז זמן שמחתנו

Hefkervelt20 days ago

Lakewood Zmanim ערב חג הסוכות תשפ"ז זמן שמחתנו

   ופרוש עלינו סוכת שלומך

Friday, September 25, 2026 / י״ד תשרי תשפ״ז

ערב סוכות

candle lighting: 6:30pm

shkiah/sunset: 6:48 pm

Chatzos 12:48

Weather update;

6pm  60% chance

7pm   65% chance of Rain

8pm 36% chance of rain

9pm 33% chance of Rain

10pm 64% chance of rain

11pm 67% chance of rain

12am 57% chance of rain

"ושמחת בחגך והיית אך שמח"

 אומר הגאון מווילנא "המצווה הכי קשה בתורה היא
מצוות שמחה בחג סוכות, שבה חייב אדם לשמוח כל רגע ורגע במשך שבעה ימים ברצף" כתב האר"י ז"ל- הקב"ה מחלק בחג זה פרנסה לכל יהודי כפי שמחתו" ולכן חג סוכות ניקרא "חג האסיף" כי בחג זה אוספים שפע פרנסה לכל השנה! 

כותב הזוה"ק- המארח עניים בסוכתו מתברך בברכות רבות ע"י האושפיזין בעצמם!!!

א סוכה’לע א קליינע

פון ברעטעלעך געמיינע

האב איך מיר א סוכה’לע געמאכט

צוגעדעקט דעם דאך

מיט אן ביסעלע סכך

זיץ איך מיר אין סוכה’לע באנאכט

א וינט א קאלטין

בלאזט דורך די שפאלטן

און די ליכטעלעך

זיי לעשן זיך פיל

עס איז מיר א חידוש

ווי איך מאך מיר קידוש

און די ליכטעלעך זיי ברענען גאנץ שטיל

צום ערשטן געריכט

מיט א בלאסן געזיכט

ברענגט מיר מיין טעכטערעל אריין

זי שטעלט זיך אוועק

און זאגט מיט שרעק

טאטעלע די סוכה פאלט באלד איין

זיי נישט קיין נער

האב נישט קיין צער

זאל דיר די סוכה ניט טאן באנג

עס איז שוין גאר

באלד צוויי טויזנט יאר

און די סוכה’לע זי שטייט נאך גאנץ לאנג

Hefkervelt
20 days ago

Friday Erev Sukkos 5787 News Updates

Hefkervelt20 days ago

Friday Erev Sukkos 5787 News Updates

Friday, September 25, 2026 / י״ד תשרי תשפ״ז

ערב סוכות

Candle lighting 6:30pm 

Shkiah: 6:48 pm

Weather today Cloudy with gusty winds. High near 70F. Winds NNE at 20 to 30 mph. Coastal flooding possible at high tide.

Tonight Windy. A steady rain this evening, with showers continuing overnight. Low 56F. Winds NNE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.

- The forecast track for a powerful nor’easter storm expected to bring high winds and tidal flooding to the Jersey Shore has shifted closer to the coast, with more widespread wind and rain possible inland through early Sunday. “The main impacts of the approaching storm still look to be primarily for marine and coastal-land areas, with tidal flooding and strong gusty wind “However, the forecast for the inland winds has increased, and northerly winds gusting 30-45 mph are forecast to occur as early as tonight through Shabbos night.”

- LPD Advisory: As Lakewood anticipates heavy winds and rainstorms over the weekend, we urge residents to ensure that all outdoor items are safely secured ahead of the difficult weather conditions.

- Some shuls will be davening maariv earlier than scheduled 

- Daled minim shuks open today until 2 pm

- Center of town open until 4pm

- Video: Learn how to make a lulav ring HERE

- Ami/Mishpacha magazines are $16 Zman is $18

- Reports of scalping  cleaning ladies during the busy erev sukkos season.

- Simchas Bais Hashoeva at BMG Wed night in Bais Aaron 9:00pm

- Att Westgate Lakewood commons residents, in previous years township garbage trucks would come at 5 or 6am to collect the garbage from the dumpsters while people are asleep in the sukka waking up the neighborhoods. Reach out to DPW if you want simchas Yom Tov

- American Philantrophists in Wretz Yisroel for Sukkos distributed money on the streets kf Yerushalayim to toshvei Eretz Yisroel leaved Yom Tov. R Yoeli Landau gave out envelopes of 1200 Shekel totaling 7 million shekels.

- JCP&L are ready for the storm: Forecasters, including FirstEnergy's in-house meteorologists, are monitoring the nor'easter developing along the eastern U.S. coast. JCP&L is prepared. We've activated our storm response plan and have additional crews and resources in place before the weather arrives. Line workers, forestry teams, substation personnel and support staff are pre-positioned across our service territory and ready to respond if outages occur.

- Vaad L'Mishmeres Shatnez A Tiglio-brand men’s wool suit was recently found to contain shatnez. Threads containing both wool and linen were discovered within the garment.

- Manasquan officials are urging residents in the borough’s oceanfront neighborhood to voluntarily evacuate as a powerful nor’easter approaches, raising concerns about significant coastal flooding

Hefkervelt
20 days ago

What To Do If It Rains The First Night of Sukkos

Hefkervelt20 days ago

What To Do If It Rains The First Night of Sukkos

What To Do If It Rains The First Night of Sukkos

Hopefully the forecast holds up and we get the meal in tonight.

 The weather forecast for the first night of Sukkos this year is not looking promising for the Lakewood area with rain in the forecast  although some weather stations are showing a later start after 12am others show earlier possibility after 9pm and late into the wee hours of the morning. 8 years ago in 2018 it rained the first night yuntiff.

 As people came home from shul the question was how long to wait before starting the meal. Do you hold out to chatzos hoping the weather will let up? what about the kids how late can they stay up?  Can you make a bracha of leishev ba’sukka in this weather?  Those with a shlock could unroll it and quickly make kiddush before the rain seeeps in.

For reference:

Some  Rabbonim announced in shul not to wait more than an hour, others held out longer for a small break in the weather enough to make kiddush hamotzie and  start the meal.

Chazal say its a סימן קללה if it rains on sukkos some say it is only referring to the first night and only applies to Eretz Yisrael. The piskei Teshuva brings down from the bikurei yaakov that according to the Rama that one can eat in the rain on the first night it is not considered a סימן קללה, to the contrary one gets more schar fr it.

For all halachick matters consult with your LOR.

 פסקי תשובות (סי’ תרלט אות יח) . ביכורי יעקב (שם ס”ק לט) כתב כי מאחר שדעת הרמ”א שניתן לאכול בסוכה כשיורדים גשמים בלילה הראשון, הרי דווקא בלילה זה אינו סימן קללה, שהרי הוא אוכל בסוכה, ואדרבה מתוך צער, ושכרו מרובה יותר. וכן הביא בשם שו”ת זכרון יהודה (גרינוולד, סי’ קפג).

Hefkervelt
20 days ago

Iran Israel Updates Friday Sept 25

Hefkervelt20 days ago

Iran Israel Updates Friday Sept 25

- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Tehran has presented Washington, through intermediaries, with a seven-day plan aimed at ending the war. Under the proposal, if certain conditions are met, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz by the end of the seventh day, followed by comprehensive negotiations with the United States over Iran’s nuclear program.

- Two IDF reservists were killed Thursday after a small explosive drone they were operating in the Gaza Strip crashed for an unknown reason and exploded shortly afterward, the military announced on Friday. The troops were named as Nadav Kali, 24, from Har Chalutz, and Ofek Moalem, 23, from Yerushalayim.

- Trump told Xi that China’s support for Iran is unacceptable

- NY Post Front Cover: Netanyahu Invokes His Hero Brother Yoni: “We’re Going To Win. We Have No Other Choice” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes the front cover of the. Y POST as they cover the delivery of his forceful message to the UN General Assembly, declaring that Israel and the United States would prevail in the war with Iran. Netanyahu invoked the words of his late brother, Yoni Netanyahu, the legendary Israeli commando who was killed leading the 1976 Entebbe hostage-rescue operation, recalling what Yoni said during the 1967 Six-Day War:

“We’re going to win. We have no other choice.”

- The Israeli military warns that it will continue to target Hamas members involved in financing the terror group’s military wing. Since the start of the war, the IDF says that it has killed 16 “key” Hamas financial officers, involved in transferring more than $1 billion in funds to the terror group and financing its military activities, “using a network of dozens of money changers in Turkey and the Gaza Strip.”

- Two Hamas operatives, including a terrorist who invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, and held hostages in captivity, were killed in Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip earlier this week, the military announces.

- The IDF says it is bolstering forces across all fronts ahead of the Sukkot holiday, following similar moves conducted ahead of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Hefkervelt
20 days ago

Sukkos Weather Update

Hefkervelt20 days ago

Sukkos Weather Update

B"H the latest forecast has the rain developing tonight after midnight between 12am - 1am. However once the rain begins it will be a washout mostly thru both days of Yom Tov. There's a small chance of clearing after 2pm on Shabbos and again for the 2nd night after 8pm.

Friday night: Windy with rain developing after midnight. Low 56F. Winds NNE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph

1st day Sukkos Shabbks: Rain and wind. High 59F. Winds N at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall may reach one inch. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.

Motzei Shabbos 2nd night: Cloudy and windy at times with periods of rain. Low near 55F. Winds N at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near an inch. Coastal flooding possible at high tide.

Second day Yom Tov Sunday: Windy with rain likely. High 63F. Winds NNE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall possibly over one inch.

Sunday Night Motzei YT: Rain likely. Low 58F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a half an inch

 The main elements of the coastal storm won’t reach New Jersey until Friday night or Saturday, so many areas of the state will see partly sunny skies during the day on Friday, with highs in the upper 60s. The weather service says there’s only a slight chance of rain showers after 2 p.m. Friday, but winds will be blowing at about 15 mph and gusting to 30 mph. Clouds will increase on Saturday, and gusts will continue to reach 30 to 35 mph at times in inland areas and higher near the coast. Once again, the strength of the winds will be determined by how far or how close the storm’s center gets to New Jersey. As of now, rain showers are likely in the late afternoon and Saturday night, then again on Sunday. The storm should be gone from our region by Monday, with partly sunny skies returning and highs reaching the mid- to upper 60s.

Hefkervelt
21 days ago

Halacha: Eating the First Nght Sukkos When It's Raining

Hefkervelt21 days ago

Halacha: Eating the First Nght Sukkos When It's Raining

By Rav Doniel Nuustadt shlita Rav Pine River Village Lakewood

See PDF Here

Question: Are we required to eat a k’zayis of bread in the succah when it is raining?

Discussion: There are several disputes among the poskim concerning the obligation to eat in the succah on the first night of Succos if it is raining. The following points are debated:

If rain is falling, is one obligated to eat in the succah or not?

If it is raining, is one obligated to wait and see if the rain will stop so that he can eat in a dry succah?

If one does eat in the succah while it is raining, can a blessing be recited?

If a person ate in the succah while it was raining and then the rain stopped, is he required to eat in the succah again?

If a person ate in the succah while it was raining and then went to sleep, is he obligated to get out of bed to eat again once the rain has stopped?

Since there are various opinions on all of these issues, the following is a summary of the majority view[30] and the accepted practice:

If it is raining steadily and there is a reliable weather forecast for rain all night, one should make Kiddush [with shehecheyanu] and eat a k’zayis [or slightly more than a k’beitzah] in the succah. No blessing over the succah is recited. The rest of the meal is eaten in the house.[32]

If (as is often the case) there is no reliable weather forecast and there is a possibility that the rain will stop, e.g., it is drizzling or it is raining off and on, it is proper to wait an hour or two for the rain to subside.[33] The poskim agree, however, that if the delay will disturb the dignity and pleasure of the Yom Tov, or if the family is hungry and/or tired, there is no obligation to wait.

If the rain stops while the meal is being eaten in the house or even after the meal is finished, one is obligated to go to the succah, recite leishev basuccah, and eat at least slightly more than a beitzah[34] of bread. Even if the rain stops after midnight, that amount of bread must be eaten in the succah. If one has already gone to bed and then the rain stops, there is no obligation to get out of bed in order to eat in the succah.[35]

Footnotes

[30]   Based on rulings of Mateh Efrayim and Mishnah Berurah.

[31]   Mateh Efrayim 625:51, 62 and Elef Lemateh 84. See, however, Ketzei Hamateh, who maintains that in this case a k’zayis is sufficient according to all of the views quoted earlier.

[32] When reciting hamotzi, one should have in mind that he will recite Birkas hamazon in the house.

[33]   Some poskim are more stringent and recommend waiting until midnight.

[34]   In this case, because of the blessing which is to be recited, a k’zayis is not enough.

[35]   A minority opinion (Moadim U’zemanim 1:86, based on his understanding of the Gaon of Vilna; Rav M. Soloveitchik, quoted in Reshimos Shiurim, Succah, pg. 92, and in Mesorah, vol. 14, pg. 57) maintains that even after going to sleep, one is obligated to wake up and get out of bed in order to eat in the succah

Hefkervelt
21 days ago

Thursday September 24 News Updates Lakewood

Hefkervelt21 days ago

Thursday September 24 News Updates Lakewood

Weather: 66 Generally cloudy Winds 15 to 25 mph. Coastal flooding possible at high tide

Friday erev Sulkos  Cloudy skies. Windy during the morning. High near 70F. Winds 20 to 30 mph.

Friday Night Showers in the evening, then cloudy overnight. Low 58F. Winds 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Shabbos Day Windy with periods of rain. High around 65F. Winds 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.

2nd Night Overcast with rain showers at times. Low 56F. Chance of rain 70%. 

Sunday Rain. High 63F. Winds N at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a half an inch.

Sukkos weather  update: Friday night meal theres a 34% chance or rain until 10 pm followed by cloudy skies

Shabbos day heavy rain in forecast from 11am and on and rain all the wy thru second night Yom Tov into Sunday 

- A powerful nor’easter is increasingly likely to track closer to the East Coast and pound the Jersey Shore with tidal flooding and up to 60 mph winds into the weekend. “The latest trends suggest it could certainly get close enough Friday night and/or Saturday during its peak strength to cause high winds along our immediate coastline,” the National Weather Service said early Thursday.

News Updates:

- BDE: of Rebbetzin Devorah Marcus A”H, wife of Rav Mordechai Marcus ZT”L, who was Rav of the Lakewood Minyan in Flatbush. The Levaya will take place Tonight 10:15 pm at the Lakewood Chapel, off 7th street 

- Gov. Mikie Sherrill has given Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell until tomorrow to resign after a scathing internal investigation substantiated harassment and ethics violations.

- BDE: Petira of R' Chaim ben R' Shmuel Friedman Z"L of a country place. The levaya will be at 7:30 at the Lakewood Chapel  off 7th street.  His son R' Yanky is sitting Shiva tonight and tomorrow at 12A Carnation Dr. On a country place. Shachris 8:00am

- Lakewood Hazardous busing update: At the BOE meeting the state monitor denied any funding for non mandated hazardous busing for yeshiva non public schools but allowed Hazardous routes for the public school kids even though the Board attorney said that Hazardous busing must be applied across the board 

- Adirei HaTorah: This yom tov, an additional $5.4 million will be distributed to the youngeleit, above their regular kollel checks.

- Video: At the Lakewood Arba Minim Shuk Across BMG! Here

- List of all simchas Bais Hashoeva and Sukkos events in Eretz Yisroel Here

- On Tuesday night, shortly before 3:00 a.m., the Amshinover Rebbe made Havdalah over a cup of wine, marking the end of his 56-hour fast, which began on Yom Kippur.

- Township of Brick Launches Township-Wide Property Tax Revaluation as Residents Brace for New Assessments

- End of an Era:  Sunkist fruit gems have been discontinued After more than a half-century of sweetening Jewish events, the kosher staple Sunkist Fruit Gems has been discontinued as of May, eJewishPhilanthropy has learned. The neon-colored candy is ubiquitous with Jewish celebrations; nearly every bar and bat mitzvah and aufruf in America features the celebrants getting showered in the candy. The omnipresent gems line tables at nonprofit galas, propel candy drives and fill Purim-fundraiser mishloach manot.

- A Photo of a Sukkah on Scaffolding in Lakewood is making the rounds on Social media its located off rt 88

ㅤ

- CNN, MS NOW, & Politico accuse the White House of not complying with the federal court order after their reporters were still denied access this morning

 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu landed at  stewart airport in New York ahead of his address to the UN General Assembly in New York. He is expected to remain in New York for only a few hours and return to Israel in the evening, reportedly because of coordination issues and concerns about protests.

- Yonatan Karlinsky, a 49-year-old Breslov chassid from Beitar Illit who holds Israeli and Ukrainian citizenship, was detained at the Romania-Ukraine border about a week and a half ago after traveling to Uman for Rosh Hashanah. He is being held at a detention camp near Odessa and will be assigned as a doctor to a military unit near Kharkiv, away from the front line, according to the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities say he is obligated to serve.

- Speaking from the hospital in a hoarse voice, Ambassador Yechiel Laiter expressed hope for his son’s recovery: “I feared you would land without hope. Senior doctors are working on him. In the hundreds of synagogues and Christian churches I have visited, hundreds of thousands of people are praying together — Jews and non-Jews.“He is my second son, after Moshe. They grew up in the same room. After Moshe fell, he became the one who helped lead the family. “We are full of hope that he will return to us healthy and whole.”

- A federal judge blocked President Trump’s White House ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, ordering the administration to immediately restore the outlets’ press credentials.

Israeli study claims Rise in the rate of those leaving ultra-Orthodox society - according to new  data  15.3% of every cohort of men up to age 30 leave ultra-Orthodox society (compared to 13.5% until now)  

11.9% of every cohort of women up to age 30 leave ultra-Orthodox society (compared to 9.6% until now)  Significant worrisome increase,if true.

- Trump:The Dumocrats make up lie after lie. The new one is that I want Ford’s Theater named after me. That’s where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Who would want that? I don’t! It is FAKE NEWS started by MSDNC AND CNN.

Erev sukkos vibes in Yerushalayim Geula Kikar Shabbos area.

Hefkervelt
21 days ago

Iran Israel Updates Thurs Sep 24

Hefkervelt21 days ago

Iran Israel Updates Thurs Sep 24

- Qatar rejects Netanyahu's accusation that it conducts campaign to influence public against Israel. 

- Mamdani hits back after Israeli PM Netanyahu singled him out at the UN, telling the mayor "shame on you" and called him out for attempting to "silence" him: "As he has done time and again, Prime Minister Netanyahu used his speech to repeat baseless lies meant to sanitize his genocide of Palestinians.""Yet no lie can change the fact that he remains the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

- Netanyahu at UN: “If there are any other moral cowards who haven’t yet left this hall, please do so now.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York with a sharp rebuke as a number of delegates walked out of the hall in protest of his speech. "Now, you want to hear the ultimate irony? Israel is also defending many of the countries whose delegates just left this hall. In fact, I want you to know that many of their leaders even thank us privately for taking out Iran's nukes." 

- Netanyahu: "There's an eighth front to this war. It's the war for truth. It is waged in the world's media and, most perniciously, in social media. Several foreign countries have spent untold billions to spread lies about my country. The first to do so was Qatar, decades ago. It started massively funding American universities and toxic media outlets like Al Jazeera. They did the same in Europe, by the way. And their goal was clear: brainwash young minds to hate Israel, hate America, hate the West."

- Netanyahu: “Fourteen years ago, I stood on this podium and I drew a red line. I vowed to prevent Iran's murderous dictatorship from developing atomic bombs — nuclear weapons aimed at destroying Israel, nuclear weapons that could threaten the entire world. That's exactly what we did.” “Devastating Iran's nuclear facilities was hard. It was very hard to do. But for me, it was one of the easiest decisions I've ever had to make as prime minister, because if we hadn't done it, we'd all be dead!” “Now, you want to hear the ultimate irony? Israel is also defending many of the countries whose delegates just left this hall. In fact, I want you to know that many of their leaders even thank us privately for taking out Iran's nukes.”

- Netanyahu to Syria’s Jolani: “Mr. al-Sharaa, you should know the Jews have been on the Golan Heights since the days of Moses. You can read it in the Bible.”

- Netanyahu “Mr. Mamdani, since you were elected mayor of this city, many Jews no longer feel safe in New York. They tell me, "This isn't the city we remember. It changed so quickly." No, it's no wonder.”“You praise criminals convicted of supporting Hamas. You count as friends people like Hasan Piker, who said America deserved 9/11.” “You invite into your home a Palestinian journalist who filmed Hamas terrorists beating and torturing Israeli hostages, and later admitted that he refused to publish the videos in order to protect  you guessed it  the terrorists.” “Your wife liked the post praising the October 7th massacre. She liked another post saying Tel Aviv shouldn't exist. You refuse to condemn any of them.”

- Netanyahu arrives at UN. Dozens of activists are detained by police for blocking a street near the UN at a rally led by the anti-Zionist Jewish Voice for Peace.

- The US is again moving large numbers of strategic tankers and C-17 military transport aircraft toward the Middle East, with multiple aircraft tracked landing in Israel as a new US air bridge takes shape ahead of a potential large-scale attack on Iran, per Flightradar.

- An Israeli source to Saudi channel Al-Hadath: Another round of attacks against Iran is a matter of time. Iran is increasing the transfer and fortification of its nuclear project at Mount Mokush. Israel is tracking Iranian attempts to pre-empt a strike by activating the nuclear program. If Iran crosses the red lines, Israel will hit the nuclear facilities again, with or without the United States. The source added that Israel sees no real chance of an agreement between Washington and Tehran.

- Hamas 'ready' to move forward with Board of Peace ceasefire roadmap for Gaza, terror group says. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem accused Israel of escalating aggression against Gazans, claiming that the Board of Peace and its director-general were unable to stop the Israeli government.

- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who is making his way to manhattan for his address to the UNGA has now entered New York City jurisdiction and is being escorted by the NYPD

- The UAE Civil Aviation Authority suspended Iranian airlines’ flights to and from the country from Thursday until further notice. The decision followed US sanctions on Iranian airlines over their use of airports worldwide.

Hefkervelt
22 days ago

New Sukkos Medlies

Hefkervelt22 days ago

New Sukkos Medlies

New releases for Succos 5786

יום-טוב-דיג סוכות תשמ"ו | הערשי וויינבערגער - צאלי גאלד - אהר'לע סאמעט | Sukkos 1986 Sukkat Shalom Sukkot Instrumental Music Sruly Green • Vesumachtu Bechagechu • שראלי גרין

Hefkervelt
22 days ago

Wednesday September 23 News Updates Lakewood

Hefkervelt22 days ago

Wednesday September 23 News Updates Lakewood

Sukkos Bein Hazmanim first day of Fall 2026.

Weather:  67° Windy with mostly cloudy skies. High 67F. Winds 20 to 30 mph. Coastal flooding possible at high tide. 

Tonight kiddush Levana opportunity IYH. low 56° Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. 

- KIDDUSH LEVANA  7:00pm Moon is out already 

- Several Sukkah have been knocked down by the winds.

- Lakewood Rosh Yeshiva Rav Malkiel Kotler shlita visits the Daled Minim should at BMG Clifton Ave.

- Agudas Yisroel of America urges all to daven for for Neria Leiter, Neria Dov ben Chana, who was critically wounded in a terrorist ramming attack today, and is in need of a refuah shelaima, b'soch she'ar cholei amo Yisroel. Neria the son of Ambassador Dr. Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States and the younger brother of Moshe Yedidya Leiter Hy”d, who was killed in battle in Gaza. Ambassador Leiter has asked the public to daven for his son, saying, “I believe in the power of prayer, and I believe that when the people of Israel unite, miracles happen. Neria needs a miracle.”May we share besoros tovos.

- Daled Minim shuks open at 400 Oak Street and Clifton Ave and 9th street 

- Lakewood BOE meeting tonight large crowd of public school students expected demanding action regarding courtesy busing.

- Sukkos magazines out now  both Ami and Mishpacha front covers feature articles with Rav Bunim Schreiber shlita, coverage on Whitehouse visit by gedolim. Price for YT edition $16

- Fire in Meah Shearim 10 Sifrei Torah reportedly damaged R"L at the Bais Shalom Mordechai shul. A large fire broke out in a building on Rechov Avinoam Yellin/Sharei Pinah near Karlin Stolin shul. Fire and Rescue Services reported heavy smoke as crews searched the area to determine whether anyone was trapped. People were seen carrying out the sifrei Torah. No reports of anyone injured.

- Governor Mikie Sherrill: A coastal storm is expected to impact New Jersey over the next several days, with the biggest impacts coming Wednesday and Thursday. Strong winds, coastal flooding, high surf, and beach erosion are possible, especially along the Jersey Shore and tidal waterways. Some power outages and downed trees are also possible. Please monitor your local forecast and emergency alerts, charge your devices, and never drive through flooded areas.

- Record-Breaking Sukkos in Yerushalayim: Israel media reports: Chareidi America is emptying out as Yerushalayim sees a record influx of American families for Yom Tov Luxury apartments are reportedly going for over $120,000 for 10 days, charter flights are sold out, and there are major shortages of apartments and rental cars Household help is reportedly reaching $100 an hour, with private chefs also in high demand. 

- Breeze Airways launched service from New Jersey’s Trenton-Mercer Airport on Sept. 20, offering travelers new nonstop options to South Carolina and Florida, with introductory one-way fares starting at $59.

Lakewood Homeowners Face Major Tax Increase

- Lakewood homeowners will see a significant property tax increase under the newly adopted 2026 municipal budget, officially approved today by the Township Committee. The brief meeting included no discussion of the increase or its impact on homeowners before the budget was adopted. Committeeman Lichtenstein was not online for the virtual meeting and did not vote.

- PSA: Lakewood township authorizes accelerated tax sales: The Township Committee approved a resolution allowing the Tax Collector to begin selling liens on properties with delinquent 2026 taxes and water/sewer charges starting November 11, with the tax sale scheduled for December. Property owners will be charged a $25 tax-sale notice mailing fee.

- Trump: Canada is destroying itself by allowing millions and millions of people into the Country, essentially unchecked and unvetted, and who are causing problems that will soon be too big to handle. It is a Liberal takeover that will end very badly. Already showing up in their numbers. Big unemployment. ‘Oh Canada! President DJT

- Netanyahu ahead of his speech at the UN: “I’m going tonight to New York to defend the State of Israel and IDF soldiers from the UN podium. I will fight against the lies. I will fight for the truth of our soldiers, for the truth of our country. Yes, there will also be surprises." 

- Netanyahu will land in New Jersey instead of New York in order to avoid any  entaglment with NYC officials in coordinating the trip. He will not stay overnight and will be in the US fkr a total of 7 hours before returning to Israel 

- New Jersey DEP issued a $1.07M fine against the DataOne AI data center in Vineland after inspectors discovered 62 unauthorized power generators operating w/out mandatory state air pollution permits.

- Tyler Oliveira’s ‘Jewish fraud ring’ video goes viral as key allegations remain unproven Nearly 10 million people watched Oliveira accuse Orthodox Jewish schools of fraud, but none of those targeted in his new claims have been charged; the video, posted before Yom Kippur, meaning much of the Orthodox community it portrayed was offline during the period in which the claims spread most rapidly.quickly drew a wave of antisemitic comments across social media (Ynet)

- Rosh Yeshiva Harav Moshe Hillel Hirsch wrote a letter of support to Harav Eliyahu Meir Feivelzon after receiving a letter from him. The letter was reportedly written after extensive consideration and discussion by the Rosh Yeshiva. He later issued a strong protest against an extremist group that, according to the report, has been pursuing and degrading the honor of Torah of Rav Feivelzon, calling their conduct “false zealotry.” Rav Hirsch also encouraged Rav Feivelzon to continue spreading Torah and daas to his students and bringing them closer to their Father in Heaven. Bhol

Rav Ezriel Auerbach  shlita 

Yidden in Williamsburg waiting for the Levana

Scaffold structure for a Sukka outside the home of Rav Moshe Sternbuch shlita

Hefkervelt
22 days ago

Iran Israel Updates Wed Sept 23

Hefkervelt22 days ago

Iran Israel Updates Wed Sept 23

- A IDF reservist Neria Dov ben Chana, son of Israel’s U.S. Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, was seriously wounded Wednesday in a car-ramming attack at the Macaabim checkpoint near Route 443. He was taken to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in serious condition. The attacker was shot and killed at the scene. Please daven for נריה דב בן חנה.

This is not the first tragedy to strike the Leiter family: Ambassador Leiter’s eldest son, Maj. Moshe Yedidya Leiter, was killed in combat in Gaza on November 10, 2023, while leading IDF forces

- Ambassador Yechiel (Michael) Leiter: I am grateful to the IDF, to the medical team at Shaare Zedek who are now fighting to save the life of Neria Dov ben Chana, and for the prayers of the people of Israel. I believe in the power of prayer, and I believe that when the people of Israel unite, miracles happen. Neria needs a miracle. Neria continued to serve in the reserves after losing his older brother, Moshe Yedidya Leiter, of blessed memory. Since October 7th, he has served hundreds of days in the reserves on multiple fronts. Palestinian terrorism seeks to uproot the people of Israel from their land. They choose death - we choose life.

- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that a deal with Iran would involve hard work over a period of time, telling reporters that US President Donald Trump also has military options

- Netanyahu ahead of his speech at the UN: “I’m going tonight to New York to defend the State of Israel and IDF soldiers from the UN podium. I will fight against the lies. I will fight for the truth of our soldiers, for the truth of our country. Yes, there will also be surprises

- Tehran is reviewing Washington’s response to Iran’s proposal to end hostilities, a senior Iranian official tells Reuters. The development indicates that diplomatic exchanges between the two sides remain active following indirect talks mediated by regional countries. The talks covered reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports. Iran has now received the American response and is reviewing it.

- Rubio: Trump doesn’t think the world ‘needs a West Bank crisis’ right now “The president has made it clear… that we don’t want to see additional flashpoints there, given everything that’s going on in the region now,”“The last thing this region needs is an additional flashpoint, and the last thing we thi

- The U.S. delegation walked out as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the United Nations General Assembly. The walkout came as Pezeshkian criticized the United States and rejected accusations that Iran supports terrorism.

- Iran now announces there is no longer time for negotiations, only time to act, with SNSC Secretary Mohsen Rezaei declaring the Americans must first fulfill Iran’s seven conditions — “otherwise, neither the Strait of Hormuz will be opened, nor will negotiations begin, per Iran’s State TV. Rezaei said no talks are underway in New York, that Foreign Minister Araghchi has already delivered the seven conditions to intermediaries, and that Tehran will not return to the Islamabad memorandum or the earlier Bern track. The publicly named terms include an end to the war on all fronts, the release of frozen Iranian funds, and the lifting of the US naval blockade.

Hefkervelt
22 days ago

Lakewood 2026 Tax Increase Officially Approved

Hefkervelt22 days ago

Lakewood 2026 Tax Increase Officially Approved

Get ready to start paying more on the monthly mortgage or tax bill.

Lakewood homeowners are now facing a significant municipal property tax increase after the Township Committee officially adopted the 2026 budget today.

The brief virtual meeting focused on formally adopting the budget, with no discussion of the size of the tax increase or what it will mean for homeowners before the vote.

Based on the previously discussed 14.4-cent increase per $100 of assessed value, a property assessed at $450,000 roughly the assessment of an average duplex would see an estimated $648 increase in its annual municipal property taxes, or about $54 per month

For comparison, the estimated municipal increase would be approximately $720 per year on a $500,000 assessment, $1,080 on $750,000, and $1,440 on a $1 million assessment.

The increase comes as Lakewood officials have cited reductions in state aid and the lack of FEMA reimbursement for snow-removal expenses from this past winter as factors contributing to the budget pressures. The Township Committee had previously introduced the budget amendment following approval by the Local Finance Board. Today’s meeting formally completed the budget adoption process.

Committeeman Lichtenstein was not online for the virtual meeting and did not vote.

The figures above represent the municipal portionof the property tax increase. A homeowner’s total tax bill also includes school, county and other taxes, so the overall increase on an individual property will depend on its assessment and the applicable tax rates.

Hefkervelt
22 days ago

Sukkos 5787 Weather Outlook Lakewood

Hefkervelt22 days ago

Sukkos 5787 Weather Outlook Lakewood

Sukkos Weather Outlook – NJ/NY Area. Sukkos Nor’easter Threat: Heavy Rain, Strong Winds and Coastal Flooding Possible; Storm Track Remains Uncertain.

See below about tying down Schach

A developing  nor’easter could bring heavy rain, strong winds and coastal flooding to the New Jersey/New York area over Sukkos with conditions potentially beginning Friday and becoming more unsettled over first day/Shabbos and Sexind day Yom Tov on Sunday.

Yom tov meals forecast

1st night Friday night, 7–11 PM: Around 66° at 7 PM, dropping to the upper 50s by 11 PM. Chance of rain around 35–37%, with strong winds and gusts potentially reaching 30–36 mph.

Shabbos day, 11 AM: Around 62°, with north winds gusts around 31 mph. About a 44% chance of rain.

Second night Motzei Shabbos, 8 PM–12 AM: Around 61° at 8 PM, dropping to about 57° by midnight. Around a 55% chance of rain, with winds easing to 11–15 mph.

Second day Sunday morning, 11 AM: Around 63°, winds gusts around 30+ mph. Rain remains possible, around a 45% chance.

Bottom line: Friday night is mainly a wind concern, Shabbos day is cool and windy with some rain risk, Second night has the highest rain risk, and Sunday morning remains cool, windy and potentially wet.

Friday  Erev Sukkos:Rain chances are currently around 20%–40% along the Jersey Shore, with showers potentially spreading inland later in the day. Forecast confidence remains low because models differ on the storm’s eventual track.

Friday Night –First Night Sukkos: The main concern is increasing rain and wind particularly closer to the coast. Conditions could range from relatively manageable to wet and windy depending on the storm’s track.

Shabbos Day: Rain chances are expected to expand inland toward the I-95 corridor, with stronger winds possible. Along the Jersey Shore, conditions could be significantly rougher, with gusts potentially reaching around 50 mph, high surf, dangerous rip currents and beach erosion.

Motzei Shabbos second Night Sukkos: The unsettled weather could continue, with rain and wind remaining more likely near the coast. The exact severity will depend heavily on how close the coastal low tracks to New Jersey

Sunday:Rain chances could become statewide with continued wind and potentially heavy rain at times. The current outlook suggests the storm may affect New England more significantly than the Jersey Shore, but that remains uncertain.

Sunday Night into Monday: The storm is expected to begin pulling away, allowing rain chances and winds to gradually decrease.

Bottom line: Right now, the Jersey Shore appears more vulnerable than areas farther inland, but it is still too early to know exactly how much rain and wind Lakewood and the surrounding areas will receive. The biggest forecast question is the storm’s track: a farther offshore track would mean less impact locally, while a closer track could bring heavier rain, stronger winds and coastal flooding. The forecast should become much clearer as we get closer to Friday.

To secure the Schach one can place 2×4 beams or branches over it. You can tie down schach using natural twine made from unprocessed plant materials suchas cotton or Hemp. 

Using zip-ties to tie down the schach so that they don't blow away is a problem if otherwise the schach would blow away in a Ruach Metzuya a normal wind. After the fact, the sukkah is still acceptable, though it should be avoided. If the schach is secure enough that it'll stay for a normal wind then using the zip-ties is totally fine since it is only adding extra security to avoid uncommon winds  Rav Nissim Karelitz (Chut Shani p. 210) writes that a person should not tie down his schach with zip ties. But if his schach would have stayed in a normal anyway without the zip ties it is fine to use them because of an abnormal wind. Piskei Teshuvot 629:11 agrees and also quotes this from Avnei Yishfeh 1:120. Rav Aryeh Lebowitz explains that the only issue of zip ties is maamid since it enables the schach to be held in place and not blow away. The entire issue of maamid is rabbinic and initially an issue but not after the fact. If the schach would be able to withstand normal winds then you can add the zip ties to add security so it doesn't blow off in an uncommon wind (ruach sheino metzuya). Star-K and OU come to the same conclusion in terms of it only being an issue if it is going to blow away in a normal wind. (Miyodea)

Hefkervelt
23 days ago

Iran Israel Updates Tuesday Sept 22

Hefkervelt23 days ago

Iran Israel Updates Tuesday Sept 22

- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrives in New York, where he’s set to address the UN General Assembly

- President Trump says a deal may be taking shape: “I think a settlement is going to be reached.” He added that Iran was talking with the U.S. “even today” and said the relationship “is developing.”- 

- Trump: U.S. officials met with the Iranian delegation for three hours on Tuesday

- Trump: I have a big decision to make: Will there be a deal with Iran that allows them to build a great nation, or will I eliminate them and do it quickly – will I send them to hell? But I believe there will be a deal by the midterm elections.

- JNS reports that Hamas terrorists made three separate attempts in the past month to kill and kidnap IDF soldiers near Gaza’s Yellow Line. According to the report, dozens of terrorists prepared a large ambush involving explosives and heavy gunfire, with the apparent goal of creating chaos and then abducting soldiers. Ten terrorists were later found dead at one of the sites. In another incident, an unmanned IDF bulldozer struck a second explosive device. A third attempted operation reportedly ended with Israeli forces withdrawing after multiple tanks suffered technical failures.

- Trump: The Supreme Leader of Iran celebrated the massacre and called it a "service to humanity." That same regime has murdered over 72,000 of its own citizens this year. Just imagine what a vile regime like that would be capable of if it ever had the ability to carry out large-scale terrorist attacks under the cover of a nuclear umbrella. That was the reality we were facing – a reality that too many people chose to ignore.

- Benjamin Netanyahu sends a scathing message to NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani as he heads to New York for the United Nations General Assembly."I am coming to the UN. I'm going to tell the truth about our heroic soldiers... and I'm going to tell the truth about you."“Shame on you, Mr. Mamdani. Shame on you for supporting the Hamas monsters who butchered our people. Shame on you for inciting riots against New York Jews. I’m coming to the UN. I’m going to tell the truth about our heroic soldiers, and I’m going to tell the truth about you.”

- New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani rejected Benjamin Netanyahu’s video claims about him as untrue. Mamdani cited the International Criminal Court arrest warrant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity and accused Netanyahu of orchestrating “a horrific genocide against Palestinians.” 

- New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani rejected Benjamin Netanyahu’s video claims about him as untrue. Mamdani cited the International Criminal Court arrest warrant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity and accused Netanyahu of orchestrating “a horrific genocide against Palestinians.”

Hefkervelt
23 days ago

Tuesday September 22 News Updates Lakewood

Hefkervelt23 days ago

Tuesday September 22 News Updates Lakewood

11:30 pm Kiddush Levana opportunity moon in and out of the clouds

Weather: 66 ° Becoming partly cloudy and windy. Winds  20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.

Tonight 56° Partly cloudy skies early will become overcast later during the night. 

First night Yom Tov rain after midnight. First day rain starting at 11am.

- Erev Sukkos and first day Yom Tov A coastal storm is expected to batter the Jersey Shore with multiple rounds of tidal flooding and wind gusts up to 45 mph through Friday, and possibly into the weekend.The fate of the storm system heading into the weekend is uncertain.National Weather Service “While not currently forecast, the threat for major flooding is not off the table, especially getting near the full moon,” the weather service said. A wind advisory has also been issued for most of the Jersey Shore from 6 a.m. to midnight Wednesday. Sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph could gust up to 45 mph. Pp

11:30 pm Kiddush  Levana Opportunity 

- President of Argentina Javier Milei bisits Yeshivas Darchei Torah on Far Rockaway.

- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrives in New York, where he’s set to address the UN General Assembly

- Vaad L'Mishmeres Shatnez:  Shatnez Found in Women's Top!

The obligation to test woolen garments and linen garments for shatnez cannot be overstated!. A wool-blend women’s top by the brand Azalea was recently found to contain linen bridges inside the garment, connecting the top to the shoulder pads. This finding highlights the importance of having garments tested by a qualified shatnez laboratory, even when the presence of shatnez may not be apparent from the garment’s exterior or its fiber-content label.

- Hachnosas sefer Torah today procession 5:45 pm from 411 Ashley Lakewood to B"M Arlingtom Khal Rayim Ahuvim 

- Drivers who speed in construction zones on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and other MTA crossings could face fines starting today Tuesday. The MTA announced it will begin fining motorists caught going 10 miles per hour over posted limits in construction zones on the bridges and tunnels the agency operates. Fines will start being issued Tuesday

- Dozens of flights into and out of Newark Liberty International Airport were cancelled on Tuesday, a day after a construction crew accidentally cut a fiber line. As of 8 a.m., 22 scheduled flights out of Newark and 36 inbound flights have been scrapped, according to FlightAware.com. Another 44 are delayed.

- Bein Hazmanim shiur today by Rav Michoel Sorotzkin shlita at Lutzk B"M 12:45 pm

- Kollel Chazu resumes fkr Sukkos Bein Hazmanim

- New trend: Videos of photos posted across social media of yom kippur davening in shuls at the end of Neelah after the zman.

- Erev Yom Tov shopping  local stores with extended hours 

- President Trump declares at the UN General Assembly that Artificial Intelligence is now officially known as "Super Intelligence."

- Trump at the UN: "I have a BIG decision to MAKE! Will I make a deal, or do I ANNIHILATE the Islamic Republic, "Do I DRIVE THEM INTO H...? With NO CHANCE of survival? "

"But I believe we’ll make a deal right after the election, because it doesn’t make sense for them not to."

- Lakewood Airport to get a official Helipad to accommodate the many helicopters which land daily at the airport off Cedarbridge  Ave.

- Daled Minim shuks open at Mattel Leah halls on Oak Street and at Clifton Ave parking lot corner 9th street 

-A shul in Lakewood had a fire  last week which officials say started from a battery of  the donation kiosk on the wall.

- Lakewood Police Investigate Shots-Fired Incident Lakewood Police are investigating after a driver reported that someone inside a passing vehicle fired a shot toward his vehicle late Monday night.

At about 11:00 p.m. on September 21, officers responded to a residence on Massachusetts Avenue following a report of gunfire on Sunset Road. The driver told police that he was following a white four-door sedan when an occupant fired a single round toward his vehicle.

Police said the sedan was believed to have been stolen in Lakewood earlier that evening. Authorities later received information that a vehicle matching the same description was reportedly involved in another shots-fired incident in Howell.

- ICE activity has increased over the last few days in Howell and Lakewood with arrests reported.

- Tyler Olivera drops a video over Yom Kippur about the Orthodox community with over 2.6 million views on YouTube.

- Lakewood BOE public meeting tomorrow regarding courtesy busing, large crowds expected.

Hefkervelt
24 days ago

Motzei Yom Kippur 5787

Hefkervelt24 days ago

Motzei Yom Kippur 5787

A Gut Kvittel

לך אכול בשמחה לחמך כי כבר רצה אלקים את מעשיך

- Weather tonight 61° Cloudy skies with a few showers after midnight. Chance of rain 30%

Tomorrow 65° Cloudy with showers. Chance of rain 70%.

Kiddush Levana slight chance Wednesday night

- Motzei Yom kippur learning seder at BMG Bais Aharon  from 9-12am Liluy Nishmas Harav Chaim Stein ztl

- Daled Minim shuk open tonight's at  Clifton ave parking lot 10:00 pm tomorrow 2pm

- Daled Minim shuk at Mattel Leah halls on Oak street  opening tomorrow at 12pm

- Bingo, Aisle 9  both locations Evergreen Nutmeg, Judaica plaza open tonight

- BDE. Petirah of Rav Yeruchem Septimus Z”L, of Lakewood who  was niftar motzei YK following a prolonged illness. He was 79. He was a Halacha rebbe at Bai Kayla high school. The Leavya will take place Tuesday morning at 10:30AM at the Lakewood Chapel with kevura at the  adjacent bais olam. Shiva at 1421 Oakwood Lakewood 

Maftir Yonah at the minyan of Rav Don Segal was bought  for $30,000 which came with a mi sheberach for Keren Olam HaTorah (Updated)

- A gunman opened fire outside a shul in Ontario, Canada, during Yom Kippur, with at least 23 bullets striking the building’s windows 

The shooting occurred outside Bnei Yaakov Shul in Belleville, Ontario. The 29-year-old gunman fired repeatedly toward the shul while peoplewere inside BH no one was injured.

A police officer who responded to the scene was shot and critically wounded before he shot and neutralized the suspect,

- President Trump considered ordering U.S. strikes against the Houthis in Yemen over the weekend, but ultimately decided to hold off for now, according to two senior U.S. officials

Trump: The White House is not instituting an assault on the Free Press, something which I cherish. It is instituting an assault on the FAKE NEWS, something that has grown like Cancer in our beloved United States of America. It is corrupt, purposeful, pervasive, fully coordinated, and totally out of control. It is a threat to our National Security, and must be stopped, NOW! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP

Trump: While in New York City, I’m on the way to one of my favorite places in the World, Gracie Mansion. I spent lots of hours there over the years, with some great Mayors, some average Mayors, and some bad Mayors. It will be interesting to see how it looks now, invited by Mayor Mamdani. Look forward to it. MAKE NEW YORK CITY GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP

Rav Moshe Hillel at Kiddush Levana

  

      Birchas Kohanim took place at Belz after  Neelah thr first time in 30 years

At Khal Pnei Menachem R Levi Yitzchok Niggun

Traditional March at Yeshjvat Hakotel to the Kosel

Hefkervelt
25 days ago

Zmanim Erev Yom Kippur 5787 Lakewood

Hefkervelt25 days ago

Zmanim Erev Yom Kippur 5787 Lakewood

Sunday, September 20,  2026 ערב יום כיפור תשפ"ז ט' תשרי 

יַעֲלֶה תַחֲנוּנֵנוּ מֵעֶרֶב וְיָבוֹא שַׁוְעָתֵנוּ מִבֹּקֶר וְיֵרָאה רִנּוּנֵנוּ עַד עָרֶב.

    כִּי הִנֵּה כַּחֹמֶר בְּיַד הַיּוֹצֵר בִּרְצוֹתוֹ מַרְחִיב וּבִרְצוֹתוֹ מְקַצֵּר כֵּן אֲנַחְנוּ בְיָדְךָ חֶסֶד נוֹצֵר לַבְּרִית הַבֵּט וְאַל תֵּפֶן לַיֵּצֶר.

שנה טובה, גמר חתימה טובה,  וצום קל – שיתקבלו תפילותינו לרצון לפני אדון כל

-Yizkor/Yom Kippur candle reminder

-Chatzos 12:49 pm

-Candle lighting 6:39 pm

-Shkiah/sunset 6:57  pm

What time is fast over? -Yom Kippur ends Monday night at 8:08 pm (72 minutes)  

Weather: today Weather 73° Chance of rain 60%.

Yom Kippur night: 60° overcast chance of rain

Yom Kippur day: 69°Overcast chance of rain

Seder Limud Motzei Yom Kippur at BMG  share in the zchus HERE לע'נ רב חיים שטיין זצ"ל 

-Gourmet Glatt open till 3 pm, Seasons 3 pm Evergreen  3 pm, NPGS 3 pm, Bingo 3:30 pm,  Judaica plaza 2 pm, Aisle 9 untill 4pm.

Mikva Erev YK for Nashim- Chesterfield 11-2

Coventry 10 am-2 pm

Westgate Ohel Blima morning hours

Bais Shmuel (Perl) 732 703-1829.

  כפרות לפנות בוקר  עיוה'כ אם שחיטה  אצל ר' אייזקוביץ רחוב  שבע ליד במ"ג, 229 רחוב חמש ,ב"מ שבילי דוד אוק און  ווין , מורדיס שטיבל,

Hefkervelt
25 days ago

Erev Yom Kippur 5787 News Updates

Hefkervelt25 days ago

Erev Yom Kippur 5787 News Updates

Candle lighting 6:39 pm

Shkiah/Sunset  6:57 pm

- President Trump told Fox News Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst that he is in a “deciding mode” and "very big things" are going to happen in the near future regarding the US-Iran war. Trump said, "My question is, if and when do I blow the entire nation up? They better behave." Trump also said he's "open" to meeting with Iran's president after Tehran sent a list of war-ending demands

Trump reportedly described three options under consideration:

Destroy Iran militarily.

Allow Iran’s economy to collapse.

Reach a deal.

- Shooting attack on Erev Yom Kippur  The victim of the attack: Natanal Shkron, ZL HYD, from Eli Zahav, father of six children was killed by a Palestinian arab terrorist as he went to tovel in a spring in the northern West Bank on erev Yom Kippur. Security forces captured  the terrorist in a hospital in Ramallah.

- President Donald Trump is proposing a new name for artificial intelligence, arguing that the term used to describe the rapidly advancing technology is both inaccurate and inelegant. The President posted a poll on Truth Social offering followers three possible replacements for “AI.” “Superior Intelligence,” “Extreme Intelligence” and “Supreme Intelligence.” 

Trump uldates “Supreme Intelligence,” probably because of its relationship to the Supreme Court, is losing badly to both “Superior” and “Extreme Intelligence.” Therefore, we are going to take “Supreme Intelligence” OUT, deleting it as a qualifier, and let you vote for the Final Two: Superior Intelligence, or Extreme Intelligence. A fresh Vote begins now! President DONALD J. TRUMP.

Daf Yomi begins Maseches Bechoros.

Hefkervelt
26 days ago

Laws of Fasting on Yom Kippur for Expectant Women

Hefkervelt26 days ago

Laws of Fasting on Yom Kippur for Expectant Women

                                                                הלכות יום כפור לנשים מעוברות

The laws and Halachos of fasting on Yom Kippur for Expectant Women Reviewed by Harav Shmuel  Felder shlita the information was compiled in collaboration with highly experienced OB/GYNs and frum nurses (see brochure below). For questions and additional copies call the Rav 732-942-9609

Hefkervelt
26 days ago

Moitzei Shabbos Haazinu Erev Yom Kippur

Hefkervelt26 days ago

Moitzei Shabbos Haazinu Erev Yom Kippur

Erev Yom Kippur 5787

Cloudy tonight no kiddush Levana opportunity for those who say before YK.

Weather 73° tomorrow Cloudy with showers. Potential for heavy rainfall. Chance of rain 60%.

Yom kippur Night Overcast with rain showers at times. Low near 60F. Chance of rain 60%.

Yom Kippur day Overcast. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 69F.

All major supermarkets open tonight untill 12 or 1am

Kaparos all might through 2pm tomorrow at 229 5th street shechita available after 4am. Kaparos at Satmar Rockwell with shechita early morning.

Time Release capsule Tylenol, Advil, Electrolytes, Aspirin & Caffeine Pills for Yom Kippur. Available at all stores. $10 to $12

Mikva app Erev YK for Nashim

 Chesterfield 11-2

Coventry 10 am-2 pm

Westgate Ohel Blima morning hours

Bais Shmuel (Perl) 732 703-1829

- Daf Yomi makes siyum on Maseches Chulin begins maseches Bechoros.

-BDE: Levaya of Rav  Chaim Yisroel Weinfeld ZTL will take place tonight at his shul 2201 Ave L and E 22nd in Flatbush with kevura in New Jersey.

- BDE: Petirah of Rav Mordechai Auerbach zt”l, son of Rav Shlomo  Zalman  Auerbach ztl who served as rav and av bais din of Kehillas Abir Yaakov in Tel Aviv, headed Yeshivas Halichos Shlomo,He was 84. Levaya took place in Yerushalayim at Shamgar with Kevura in Har Hamenuchos.

- BDE: Petirah of Chacham Leon Gindi ZT”L, of Flat longtime Rav in the Syrian Jewish community. He was 79 years old. Chacham Gindi was delivering a speech before a large crowd at Shaare Zion  Shabbos afternoon when he suddenly suffered a massive heart attack.

The Lakewood dated Minim shuk at Mattel Leah halls parking lot will first open Tuesday 12pm

- US Embassies across the entire Middle East, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman have just issued new STEP security alerts, warning Americans of flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruptions amid a risk of sudden escalation.

- Reports suggest US may attack Houthi rebel positions and in response Iran may shoot missiles at Israel 

- After a widespread State Department alert for the Middle East, U.S. President Donald J. Trump is set to return early from Camp David, citing the potential for significant escalation in the region due to the Houthi’s attacks against Saudi Arabia, the president will return early from Camp David. Trump is preparing for a major week in New York, where the Iran conflict is expected to be a focus as world leaders gather for the U.N. General Assembly. Iran says it has presented conditions for ending the conflict and is awaiting Trump's response.

- Tips on how to prepare for the fast of Yom Kippur according to Rabbi Yechezkel Aschayek author of the sefer חיים בריאים כהלכה One should start preparation from the morning 2 days before by drinking 50 % more water of your daily intake. Drink 20 minutes before eating and after meals, don't drink until the food is digested in order not to dilute the acids that digest the food. The food should be chewed well before swallowing in order for the body to digest it and not have it sit in the stomach. One should increase protein starting 2 days before, such as eggs fish etc. By the seudas Hamafsekes one should drink 20 minutes before and no need to drink afterwards

Last night of Selichos 100,000 at the Kosel

Levaya of Rav .Mordechau Auerbach ztl his Brother Rav Ezriel shlita being maspid.(JDN)

Hefkervelt
27 days ago

Lakewood Zmanim עש"ק פרשת האזינו שבת שובה

Hefkervelt27 days ago

Lakewood Zmanim עש"ק פרשת האזינו שבת שובה

 Friday, September 18, 2026 / ז׳ תשרי תשפ"ז

ערב שבת פרשת האזינו שבת שובה

-Candle lighting 6:42 pm

- Shkiah/sunset 7:00 pm

אומרים המלך הקדוש במגן אבות , א''א ויהי נועם במוצ''ש

אמר הרבי מרוז'ין  הקדוש ברוך הוא מבטיח לכל יהודי  "אם תשיב משבת רגליך" - אם בשבת-שובה תשוב מהרגל לא טוב אחד שלך - תזכה ל"עשות חפציך ביום קדשי": אני, הקב"ה, אמלא את כל חפציך ותפילותיך

ביום הכיפורים  הקרוב

שבת שלום גמר חתימה טובה

Hefkervelt
27 days ago

The Inspiring Story of Rabbi Avner, the Sinner

Hefkervelt27 days ago

The Inspiring Story of Rabbi Avner, the Sinner

פרשת האזינו אמרו חז"ל "גדולה שירה זו, שיש בה עכשיו ויש בה לשעבר ויש בה לעתיד לבוא ויש בה בעולם הזה ויש בה לעולם הבא", ובלשון הרמב"ן "שהיא כוללת כל העתידות למו,  ולכן זו הירושה המיוחדת שמותיר לנו משה רבינו ביום מותו, ויש ציווי מיוחד לשנן אותה: "וְעַתָּה כִּתְבוּ לָכֶם אֶת הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת וְלַמְּדָהּ אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שִׂימָהּ בְּפִיהֶם לְמַעַן תִּהְיֶה לִּי הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת לְעֵד בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל". ובשם ר' דב בער, המגיד הגדול ממעזריטש (תלמידו-ממשיכו של הבעש"ט) נמסר שכל יהודי צריך לדעת את שירת האזינו ממש בעל-פה

The Inspiring Story of Rabbi Avner, the Sinner

The Ramban had a disciple, Avner, who strayed from the path of observant Judaism, left his community, and became an important official in the government. One Yom Kippur, Avner sent guards to the synagogue, ordering the Ramban to appear before him. In his palace, before the eyes of his former teacher and master, Avner slaughtered a pig, roasted it, and ate it on this holiest of fast days.

The Ramban couldn’t contain his anguish and cried, “What caused you to fall so low?! What compelled you to abandon the holy teachings of your ancestors?” “It was you, my master!” Avner roared derisively. “Your teachings completely disillusioned me and caused me to reject Judaism.
“You were once teaching the Torah portion of Haazinu,” he explained. “You taught us that in this brief Torah portion of fifty-two verses, the Torah encodes all the details of the long history of the Jewish people until the coming of Moshiach. You claimed, too, that encoded in its verses are the names of every Jew to have ever lived.

“This is obviously preposterous!” Thundered Avner. “How could 4000 years of history and millions of names be compressed in 614 words?”

“What I said is absolutely true,” declared the Ramban.

“If so, then I must be found there too. Where is my name and where is my fate?”

The Ramban’s expression grew serious. He prayed silently to G‑d to reveal this secret.

“Your name, Avner, can be found in verse twenty-six. Tell me what is the third letter in these words: AmaRti (Resh) AfEihem (Aleph) AshBita (Beit) Me’eNosh (Nun) ZichRom (Reish).”

In this verse, G‑d is rebuking the Jewish people for turning away from the path of the Torah and becoming so evil that He wanted to destroy them.

The verse reads: “I (G‑d) said in my heart, that I would scatter them, causing their memory to cease from mankind.”

Avner turned a deathly white and began to wail bitterly.

“Is there any hope for me?” he begged. “Is there anything that I can do to rectify my terrible sins?”

The Ramban looked compassionately at his former student. “The verse itself has provided the rectification. It says that G‑d will scatter them till their memory is erased. You must run away, never to be heard from again.”

Avner boarded a ship and was never seen again.

The third letter, in each of the words of this verse, spell out R’Avner, Rabbi Avner.

Notice that the name encoded is not Avner, but includes the prefix “R”, which stands for Rabbi Avner. Even though up until this point, Avner lead a life that was the complete antithesis of what a rabbi stands for, the Torah calls him Rabbi.

Avner had free choice to choose whether or not he would repent. But the Torah is confident that ultimately the holiness of his soul will shine through and that through repentance, he will have transformed himself not only into an Avner, but an illustrious Jew, a rabbi.

“G‑d devises means so that no one shall be forever banished from him.” (Samuel 14:14) Ultimately, the holiness and greatest potential of every Jew will emerge.

Through these encrypted verses, the Torah teaches us how we must view every Jew—with the confidence that even a great sinner like Avner can, and will, become a great rabbi.

Hefkervelt
27 days ago

Friday September 18 News Updates Lakewood

Hefkervelt27 days ago

Friday September 18 News Updates Lakewood

Friday, September 18, 2026 / ז׳ תשרי תשפ״ז

ערב שבת פרשת האזינו

Candle lighting 6:42 pm

shkiah/sunset: 7:00 pm

Weather today 82° Cloudy  Slight chance of a rain shower. 

-shabbos say 71° Partly cloudy skies..

-Sunday Erev Yom Kippur Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers in the afternoon. Potential for heavy rainfall.Chance of rain 40%.

-Yom Kippur night: 62° night Rain Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a half an inch.

-Yom Kippur day: 70°  Cloudy with occasional rain showers. Chance of rain 40%.

- BDE: Petirah of Rav Chaim Yisroel Weinfeld zt”l, the longtime rav of Khal Toras Chaim D’Flatbush, "Rav Weinfelds shul" at Ave L and East 22nd in Flatbush 

Rav Weinfeld suffered a heart attack earlier on Friday after 1pm he was niftar shortly before 4 p.m. The devastating news spread rapidly through Flatbush in the hours before Shabbos, leaving his family, mispallelim, talmidim, friends and countless others stunned by the sudden loss. Levaya details TBA

- No Yated Ne'eman this week due to the schedule. Other papers did print a Shabbos Shuva edition.

-Rav Simcha Bunim Cohen shlita will give a shabbos shuva drasha for men at 5:00 pm and women on Motzei shabbos 9:30 pm at Ateres Yeshaya

- Shedlitz Rav will give a drasha shabbos morning before krias Hatorah at 10:10 am in the B"M on Somerset Ave 

- A delegation of Agudas Yisroel Siyum Hashas committee-members attended the shiur today at MDY presenting the magid shiur with a plaque  ahead of the siyum Hashas

- Daled minim in Bais Faiga will be open MOtzei shabbos 9:45 pm - 12:15 am

- A shul in Lakewood had a fire which officials say started from a battery of donation kiosk on the wall

- Jackson officials get  death threats NJ.com reports: Candidate Eli Shem Tov said “Jackson Township is facing deep, systemic issues right now that need our urgent attention,” We cannot allow this situation to be used as a political distraction to avoid talking about real solutions for our community.

- Fatal shooting in Toms River: Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office...are currently investigating a fatal shooting that occurred this morning at approximately 7:20 a.m., in the parking lot of the Wawa convenience store located at the corner of Route 37 and Garfield Avenue in Toms River.

Amshinov rebbe at Tashlich

Selichos At the Kosel last night

Hefkervelt
27 days ago

Tzedaka Priorities

Hefkervelt27 days ago

Tzedaka Priorities

       ותשובה ותפילה וצדקה מעבירין את רוע הגזירה

 To Whom Do We Give Tzedakah and Who Comes Before Whom?

Aseres Yemei Teshhuva between  Rosh hashana and yom kippur when many tzedaka requests are made by  Mosdos, Yeshivos individuals and organizations asking for donations as klal yisrael is in a giving mode of tzedaka during this time. we are bombarded by Tzedaka letters in the mail, robo calls, telemarketers soliciting donations, emails, a meshulach knocking at your door or approaching you in shul. Some have family obligations to support a relative.   
If one can afford to give to all that would be wonderful, however not everyone is capable of that.  The question is is whom do I have to give

According to Halacha there are priorities in who to give tzedaka to first. Please discuss this with your Local Rabbi as there are differences of opinions.
Some Poskim rule that Hachzokas hatorah is the highest form of giving tzedaka.  categories in giving based on the shulchan aruch Yore Deah: The Laws of Tzedakah siman 251

Category 1: Captives, prisoners and matters of life and death- pikuach nefesh
Category 2: Very close relatives

Category 3: Needy Torah scholars, support for dissemination of Torah learning, and other poor persons
Category 4: Communal needs
Category 5: To finance the cost of mitzvos
  Rav Moshe Feinstein rules (Igros Moshe Yore deah 144) that the giver of charity has the right of disposition and the system of detailed priorities applies only to communal Tzedaka funds. An individual has more leeway on the concept of Tovas hana'ah in giving. Some Poskim rule that Hachzokas hatorah is the highest form of giving tzedaka. see more about the halachos of Tzedaka HERE

Hefkervelt
28 days ago

Hashkafa Q&A

Hefkervelt28 days ago

Hashkafa Q&A

 Hashkafa with Reb Gershon Ribner shlita

Setting standards for a Kehila in formation Growing with your spouse at the same pace The suffering classmate caused by High School cliques is often unforgivable

When concentration during Davening is an irrelevant interference Early detection in a shidduch prospect of corruption

Hefkervelt
28 days ago

Thursday Night 7 Tishrei

Hefkervelt28 days ago

Thursday Night 7 Tishrei

Daled Minim today only at Ateres Esther hall

Dated Munim at Bais Faiga until 11:45

- Yeshiva Nesiv HaTorah a night of chizuk and song with Reb Abish Brodt at 2030 Whitesville Toms River 

- Mashpia Rav Shimon Spitzer  shlita will speak at chateau park sefard  9 pm

- HaRav Shlomo Eisenberger Shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Telshe Yeshiva Cleveland, will deliver Divrei Chizuk tonight, at Khal Kol Chaim, 618 Carnetta Drive, at 8:00 PM

- Chumash Shiur by Harav Yeruchom Olshin shlita 11:30 pm at B"M Ateres Bracha live 646-726-9977

Hefkervelt
28 days ago

Thursday September 17 News Updates Lakewood

Hefkervelt28 days ago

Thursday September 17 News Updates Lakewood

Day 6 of עשרת ימי תשובה

Weather: 84° Sunshine and clouds mixed Tonight Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 69F. 

Rainy forecast next week of Sukkos

- President Trump announces he will now be deciding between "ANNIHILATING" IRAN, or wrapping it up entirely "Anything could happen with me. Axios reports

- N'shei Adirei Hatorah 2026 “All Because of You”watch Here

- There will be a minyan for selichos tomorrow at Bobov B"M in Lakewood of for those who say selichos in order, the Yud Gimmel middos will be said tomorrow 6:30 am 100 Astor Dr.

- Mr. Nicholas Kent Under Secretary of Education,  paid a visit to BMG Lakewood yeshiva this morning.

- ICE activity and arrests this morning reported in Lakewood in the county line area 

- The Lakewood Township Committee held a brief 2 minute meeting Thursday to introduce amendments to the 2026 municipal budget, after approval by the Local Finance Board. Officials blame the looming tax increase largely on cuts in state aid and the lack of FEMA reimbursement for last winter’s snow-removal costs. Critics are questioning why the township has not also proposed significant spending cuts, reductions in high salaries, or changes to tax abatements before passing the increase. A public hearing and final vote on the 2026 budget is scheduled for September 23. The meeting was held on zoom, a reporter for APP attempted to speak during public comments  ut there was some technical difficulties.

- The Keren Olam HaTorah fund is shifting from relying mainly on wealthy donors in chutz Laaretz to involving the broader Torah community, after the falling dollar reduced donations by about 20% and institutional needs continued to grow. As part of the new model, 80 seminaries and thousands of Bnos Yisroel are participating in the emergency “L’maan Torasecha” campaign to support the Torah world.

There was some criticism in the Israeli media over the idea of using seminary girls as fundraisers. Others suggest the campaign could also serve as an opportunity to have the girls vote in the upcoming elections and encourage support for Degel HaTorah after receiving the guidance of the Gedolim

- HaRav Shlomo Eisenberger Shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Telshe Yeshiva  Cleveland, will deliver Divrei Chizuk tonight, at Khal Kol Chaim, 618 Carnetta Drive, at 8:00 PM, 

- Rav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin is in Lakewood following spending Rosh Hashana in Uman 

- The Supreme Court is set to hear a case brought by a man whose hometown sought to block him from holding a minyan in his residence, a case that Jewish community advocates argue could have profound implications for religious Jews as well as those of other faiths

- Jewish students in grades 7–12 from SAR Academy and the Ramaz School will lead Friday morning services outside NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s official residence, Gracie Mansion. Organized with IMPACT and other Jewish groups, the gathering will include prayer, speeches and music amid concerns over antisemitism in New York City.

- The US House has left Washington DC until after the midterms, but Speaker Johnson says ALL members are on a 48-hour notice to rapidly return to DC if the Senate gets anything done "700 bills are waiting in the Senate. The House has done its job. We're on a 48-hour notice to return as necessary. We're hopeful the Senate can send us bills of substance." "The House has passed 70 bills THIS WEEK ALONE, 900 total this Congress!

- New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport has joined a multistate lawsuit challenging a new Trump administration rule that gives immigration officials broader discretion to consider an immigrant’s use of means-tested public benefits when determining whether the person is likely to become a “public charge.”

At nshei Adirei HaTorah event (photo credit to the photographer(

Hefkervelt
28 days ago

Iran Israel Updates Thurs Sept 17

Hefkervelt28 days ago

Iran Israel Updates Thurs Sept 17

- President Trump announces he will now be deciding between "ANNIHILATING" IRAN, or wrapping it up entirely  "Anything could happen with me. Axios reports

-Iran declares the Strait of Hormuz will stay closed until Trump and Netanyahu are removed from power, 

- Update  IDF says sirens in Israel's north were due to false identification. Rocket & Missile Attack &  Hostile Aircraft Intrusion  Upper Galilee & Golan (3 locations). Updating... Enter the safe room and remain until instructed otherwilse.

- Trump on the war with Iran: "Well, hopefully we're toward the end of the war. They want to make a deal. We'll see how that works out."

- Hunter Biden is now peddling a conspiracy theory saying Israel let October 7th “happen” in order to get the “green light” for a plan no one would let them do otherwise

- Iran strikes a U.S.-contracted vessel carrying American personnel near the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions around the critical shipping route continue to escalate.

- IDF: Hamas Nukhba commander involved in Oct. 7 attack eliminated. The IDF says it eliminated Jihad Sami Mahmoud Ismail, identified as the head of a Hamas Nukhba cell, in a strike in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza last Wednesday. According to the IDF, Ismail infiltrated Israel during the October 7 attack and participated in the assault on an Israeli tank crew. The IDF says the encounter resulted in the abduction of Lt. Omer Neutra, Sgt. Oz Daniel, and Cpl. Nimrod Cohen, while the tank’s driver, Cpl. Shaked Dahan, was killed

- Saudi Arabia is reportedly running short of missile interceptors as Houthi missile and drone attacks intensify, forcing Riyadh to seek additional air-defense support from regional and Western partners.

The U.S. State Department says it is extending visa sanctions on Palestinian Authority officials and PLO members, a move that will prevent PA President Mahmoud Abbas and a senior Palestinian delegation from attending this year’s UN General Assembly in New York in person. Washington says the PA and PLO have again failed to meet commitments under U.S. law.AP

Hefkervelt
28 days ago

N'shei Adirei Hatorah 2026 - A Woman's Role

Hefkervelt28 days ago

N'shei Adirei Hatorah 2026 - A Woman's Role

Video: Nshei Adirei Hatorah 2026

Hefkervelt
29 days ago

Wednesday Night 6 Tishrei

Hefkervelt29 days ago

Wednesday Night 6 Tishrei

- Tonight the annual Nshei Adirei HaTorah event 15-20000 expected will take place at 1600 Avenue of the States, Tower 5 doors open 6:45 pm program 7:30 pm 

- Edison Yeshiva Parlor meeting at 1663 Hidden Lane Lakewood 8:00 pm

- Siyum and Chanukas Aron Hakodesh at KNA Roberts shul

- Att Torontonians Yartzeit  seuda for Rav Menchem Adler ZTL Rav ofbl Imrei Noam Toronto. Seuda at Skulen B"M 547 Park Ave Maariv 10:30pm

- LPD Traffic Alert: Clifton Ave North Bound will be closed from 2nd St to 3rd St for emergent NJAW construction. Plan alternate route if possible.

- Selichos tomorrow: Minhag When the scheduked selichos for 5th day of Aseres Yemei Teshuva falls out on Thursday which has krias Hatorah and Yud Gimmel midos the selichos of יום חמישי is said instead of the selichos for יום רביעי which will be said instead on Friday. The Lakewood yeshiva does so too.

Schedule  for Satmar Monroe Tomorrow 

Hefkervelt
29 days ago

Wednesday September 16 News Updates Lakewood

Hefkervelt29 days ago

Wednesday September 16 News Updates Lakewood

5th day of עשרת ימי תשובה 

Weather: 81 Lots of sunshine

For tomorrow: Minhag When the  scheduked selichos for 5th day of Aseres Yemei Teshuva falls out on Thursday which has krias Hatorah and Yud Gimmel midos the selichos of יום חמישי is said instead of the selichos for יום רביעי which will be said instead on Friday. The  Lakewood yeshiva does so too.

- Multiple world leaders have reportedly fallen ill, after attending BRICS summit in India including  president Xi of China and the South African president. Reports say they suffered a minor stroke.

- Trump: Interest Rates in the United States should be 1%, or less, because we are the Best Credit in the World — BY FAR. Our Country is BOOMING with new Investment! If we stopped Trading with every country that we have a Deficit with, which is most of them, we would make, at least, 1.5 Trillion Dollars a year. The word “Deficit” is nothing more than a fancy word for LOSS. We are “carrying” almost every country in the World, and that cannot go on any longer. LOWER THE INTEREST RATES FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND FAST! President DONALD J. TRUMP

- Tonight the annual Nshei Adirei HaTorah event 15-20000 expected will take place at 1600 Avenue of the States, Tower 5 doors open 6:45 pm program 7:30 pm 

 with The participation of the Lakewood Roshei HaYeshiva shlita,  guest speakers,  HaRav Dovid Breslauer shlita , Rosh Kollel Zichron Moshe, Yeshiva of South Fallsburg HaRav Uren shlita Rosh HaYeshiva, Ohr Zechariah, Woodlake Yeshiva.  An unforgettable story brought to life by R’ Yechiel Spero Live music & an exclusive music video highlighting a woman’s role 

Admission: Free of charge; ticket required for entry Free gift with entrance ticket

- The Lakewood planning board last night approved the new shul building for Toldos Yehuda under the leadership of the Stutchin rebbe Rav mOttel Zilber shlita. The shul will be at the corner of Madison and 14th street in Lakewood several neighbors addressed safety concerns which the board and shul members took into account with the resolution to approve. 

- At the LDC meeting members of the heimishe communities in South Lakewood called in again via public comment to thank the board for the shuttle bus and asked if they can have a tracking system installed so people can know when the bus comes. This shuttle service has not been given to the Lakewood senior community developments, many who can't drive anymore. 

- Mir yerushalayim, starting next zman there will be a separate dining room for the American bochurim with an American chef making the food. 

- A pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle in Lakewood on Friday evening, authorities said. The person was hit at 7:04 p.m. Friday on Lenape Trail, according to State Police fatal crash data. The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office referred questions about the incident to Lakewood police, who didn’t respond to inquiries from NJ.com on Monday or Tuesday.

Lenape Trail is just off County Line Road and runs along the Jackson border

- ICE agents in Lakewood area today Rt 9.

- Sukkos shopping  Home Depot in Howell with signs directing customers for all sukkos related items. 

- Free delivery is back at Lakewood pharmacies. After adding a $4 delivery fee by a group of Lakewood area pharmacies they have now backtracked and announce free delivery.

- Baruch Matir Asurim: Binyamin Chasin, also known as Binyamin ben Limor, spent nearly 10 years imprisoned in Iraq under threat of execution after being convicted in the death of a taxi driver. A global Pidyon Shvuyim campaign raised $250,000 for a traditional sulcha reconciliation agreement with the driver’s family. The agreement led to the cancellation of his death sentence and a short remaining prison term

- The Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates today for the first time in three years, over fuel prices. Investors are pricing a quarter-point move to a 3.75–4% range. That is the first hike since 2023. It will make car loans, credit card balances, and small-business lines of credit more expensive. 

- New trend as Tiktokers are coming to Lakewood trying to engage locals to film them and upload the videos to social media.

- Toms River: APP reports Lawyers representing two Orthodox Jewish shuls that filed a religious discrimination lawsuit against Toms River five years ago are asking a federal judge to sanction the township for failing to preserve and produce information stored on elected and appointed officials' laptops and phones.

- Keren Olam HaTorah national fundraiser today across Eretz Yisroel with thousands of seminary girls recruited to volunteer at the call centers reaching out to donors.

- Rumors are emerging that Kamala Harris and AOC are considering running together in 2028. Many Democrats say that a Kamala AOC ticket would win every state in 2028. They would support it 100%. (Conservative media)

- The U.S. House of Representatives passed bi-partisan legislation on Tuesday that would require automakers to provide access to AM broadcast radio as standard equipment in new vehicles at no additional cost to consumers

- The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection says none of the 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel which spilled from a data center in Secaucus into a nearby Meadowlands creek last week made it into the Hackensack River. The spill was a result of a failure of two valves that are used as part of the filtration process for the fuel, according to the company that has operated the data center since 2001.(Onejersey)

Rav Dov Landau pays a visit to the home of Rav Avrohom Yehoshua Soleveitchik R"Y Brisk. He also visited the Gerer rebbe and spoke at Mir Yerushalayim

Singing עוצו עצה ותופר  in the Mir

Hefkervelt
29 days ago

Eating Pas Yisrael During Aseres Yemei Teshuva

Hefkervelt29 days ago

Eating Pas Yisrael During Aseres Yemei Teshuva

According to the Shulchan Aruch everyone should follow the stringency of pas Yisroel during the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah. This Halacha is based on a Gemara Yerushalmi that says, “Reb Chiya said to Rav, if you can eat ordinary food in purity [ חולין בטהרה ] all year long, eat. And if not, eat [in purity] seven days of the year.” The mefarshim explain that this refers to the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah.

Eating Pas Yisrael During Aseres Yemei Teshuva
By Rabbi Doniel Neustadt shlita  (Torah.org)
As part of their overall strategy to guard the Jewish People from assimilating among the nations of the world, our Sages decreed against eating [kosher] bread that was baked by a non-Jew.(1) This edict was one of several which served to limit social interaction between Jews and non- Jews. Thus non-Jewish wine, bread, and certain cooked foods were all declared off-limits for the Jew.(2)

Since bread is so much more of a dietary staple than other cooked foods – indeed, the Rabbis call it chayei nefesh, the vital element of the diet – the decree against non-Jewish bread was not as widely accepted as the decrees against other cooked foods.(3) Consequently, in many communities where quality Jewish-baked bread was not easily available, it became customary to eat pas palter, which is kosher bread that is baked in non- Jewish bakeries. The rationale behind allowing pas palter is that eating bread that was baked in a non-Jewish bakery does not lead to mingling and socializing with non-Jews.(4)

Although eating pas palter became commonplace and was endorsed by the leading authorities of the day, it was not universally accepted. Indeed, as soon as Jewish-baked bread was available, the Rabbinical decree against pas palter was reinstated in some communities, and non-Jewish bread was not an option. Only Jewish-baked bread, called pas Yisrael, was allowed. Thus, depending upon the locality, this Rabbinic decree was observed in varying degrees:

1. Some communities adhered to it strictly, not allowing any pas palter at all.(5)

2. Some communities allowed pas palter only when there was no other pas Yisrael available.(6)

3. Others allowed pas palter to be eaten even when there was pas Yisrael available, but only if the pas Yisrael was not of the same quality or type.(7)

4. Others allowed pas palter to be eaten even when pas Yisrael of the same quality and type was available.(8)

Even today, when pas Yisrael of the best quality is available almost everywhere, there are still many communities who rely on the custom of yesteryear and allow the consumption of pas palter,(9) especially when pas Yisrael of similar quality or type is not available.(10)

Shulchan Aruch advises, however, that during Aseres yemei teshuvah everyone should be careful to eat only pas Yisrael.(11) There are several reasons, all inter-related, for this halachah: a) so that we conduct ourselves with an extra measure of purity during these Days of Awe;(12) b) to serve as a reminder of the unique status of these days;(13) c) to beseech Hashem not to judge us stringently, just as we have adopted a practice which is not strictly required of us.(14)

The following rules, therefore, apply to those who observe the halachos of pas Yisrael all year round, and for everyone during Aseres yemei teshuvah.

WHICH FOODS ARE REQUIRED TO BE PAS YISRAEL?

Only bread or bread-family products made from the five species of grain are required to be pas Yisroel. Rice, corn, legume and soy bread do not need to be pas Yisrael.(15)

“Bread” includes any baked item over which one would recite ha-Motzi if he were to make a meal (kevius seudah) consisting of that food.(16) Thus, all breads, cakes, cookies, crackers, pretzels, etc., are included in the category of bread.(17) Pasta, flat pancakes, crepe-like blintzes, farfel, soup croutons, doughnuts, etc., are not considered “bread”, and need not meet the requirements of pas Yisrael.(18)

Many poskim hold that pure mezonos cereals whose raw batter rises just like bread dough rises, e.g., Cheerios, Grape Nuts, Wheat Chex, are also required to be pas Yisrael.(19) Most other cereals, though, are not considered bread family products and may be eaten during Aseres yemei teshuvah even though they are not pas Yisrael. [Nor do these cereals fall into the category of bishul akum, since they are not considered “important” foods which would be served to dignitaries. See The Daily Halachah Discussion, pgs. 255-258, for more details concerning the laws of bishul akum.]

HOW DOES BREAD BECOME PAS YISRAEL?

There are three halachic phases in the bread-baking process: a) pre- heating the oven; b) placing the dough into the oven; c) regulating and adjusting the temperature. If a Jew was involved in any one of these three phases, even if he merely adjusted the temperature by a few degrees, the bread is considered pas Yisrael.(20) If a Jew was not involved in any of the phases of baking, however, the bread is prohibited.

[There is a minority view that tends to hold that factories which produce foods on an assembly line, in a process which is totally different from the one used in standard bakeries, were not included in the prohibition of pas palter.(21) The majority of contemporary poskim do not accept this leniency.(22)]

There are certain food items which are only partially baked at the factory and the consumer completes the baking process before serving. Those items are considered pas Yisrael, since some part of the baking will be done by a Jew.(23) [For this reason all pasta products do not need to be pas or bishul Yisrael, since they require further cooking or baking before serving.]

QUESTION: May one who lives in a community where pas Yisrael products are not available even during Aseres yemei teshuvah eat pas palter like he does during the rest of the year?

DISCUSSION: If pas Yisrael is available within an 18-minute drive from his community, he should drive there and purchase it. If pas Yisrael is not available within that distance, one should try to bake his own bread or bread-family products. If pas Yisrael is not available and one cannot bake his own bread, then he may eat pas palter.

If one is on the road, and he knows that within a 72 minute drive ahead [or 18 minutes back] there will be pas Yisrael available, he must travel that distance in order to obtain pas Yisrael. More than that he is not required to travel and may eat pas palter. (24)

QUESTION: It often happens during Aseres yemei teshuvah that one forgets and prepares a dish containing pas palter (e.g., an ice cream dessert with cookie crumbs, etc.). May such a food be eaten during Aseres yemei teshuvah?

DISCUSSION: If the pas palter is recognizable, as it is in the above case, it is prohibited. If the pas palter is not recognizable, e.g., it dissolves, or all visible pas palter is removed, it is permitted, as long as pas palter is not the majority ingredient. [There is no requirement of shishim for this prohibition to be bateil .(25)]

If pas Yisrael items were baked in a clean utensil which was previously used for pas palter, the food may be eaten during Aseres yemei teshuvah.
see footnotes at Torah.org

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1 month ago

Tuesday Night 5 Tishrei Events

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Tuesday Night 5 Tishrei Events

- Daled Minim Shuk in Jackson tonight at Bais Faiga location 60 Citadel Drive until  11:30 pm

- Kabolas Kahal  Djikov Vizhnitz Rebbe at 70 Cherry st Lakewood 

- Ohel Sarala event for girls in Shidduchim at Eagle Ridge

- Nesivos Parlor meeting in Jackson Stacy Ct.

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1 month ago

Tuesday September 15 News Updates Lakewood

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Tuesday September 15 News Updates Lakewood

Day 4 of עשרת ימי תשובה 

Weather: 72° Plenty of sunshine.

Today 4 Tishrei Yartzeit of Rabbi Avraham ben Yechiel Michel Danzig (1748–1820) "The Chayei Adam"He was a prominent dayan in Vilna.

- Anchor Tax rebate checks begin to arrive in the mail.

- Degel HaTorah party reportedly partnering with the MDY shiur to get back supporters who may have moved to other parties. Israel media says a Prominent Rosh Yeshiva may attend the shiur.

- BDE:Petirah  of Tanchum Portnoy A”H, of the 5 Towns community. Tanchum Portnoy, composed the beloved melody for Eitz Chaim sung in shuls around the world. He composed it at just 22 years old. Since then, his melody has become part of the soundtrack of Jewish life, sung by generations as the Torah is returned to the Aron Kodesh. It was later popularized by leading chazzanim and musicians, including his good friend Shlomo Carlebach, and became a cherished part of Shabbos in shuls across the world. Born July 22, 1951 in Brooklyn, New York, he was a longtime resident of Lawrence, New York, and his kevurah was in Beit Shemesh, Israel. He is survived by his wife and his children. More 

His father  Rav Eliezer Portmoy was a talmid of Mir yeshiva in Poland and was instrumental in securing the documents to help the yeshiva escape to Japan during WW2.

- Congressman Jeff Van Drew: Elections can come down to one vote. So when hundreds of noncitizens cast ballots in New Jersey, we asked a pretty simple question: how did this happen? Instead of answers, the state has stonewalled us every step of the way

- Mashgiach Rav Reuven Hechster shlita will deliver a shmuz today during Mussar seder at BMG

- Keren Olam HaTorah hosts a gathering of thousands of seminary girls in EY  attended by gedolei Yisroel who addresed the large crowd ahead of a fundraiser  that will take place tomorrow

- BDE: Petirah of R’ Shui Englard Z”L, of Lakewood,  Arlington area, after a brief illness he was 50 years old.  He Talmid of Yeshiva Torah Temima and a magid shiur for Oraysa.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Rivka Englard (nee Oberlander), and their five daughters. The Levayah is today in Lakewood 4:00 pm at the Arlington Shul 501 Arlington Ave followed by Kevurah in Lakewood

Watch Levaya livestream HERE

- Lakewood planning board meeting today 6:00pm on the agenda:

-Bais Reuven Kamenitz, 831 Ridge Avenue – request to  modify approved fencing

-Bais Medrash Toldos Yehuda Stutchin new shul building application 1314 Madison Avenue  corner 14th st.

-Gefen Construction 165 Ridge Avenue Block 

Minor Subdivision to create four lots.

- Tax Increase: Lakewood township will hold a special meeting on Sept 17 and 23 to adopt and vote on the 2026 budget. After they revised it and cut it down by $7.5 million in spending. The tax levy on lakewood homeowners stays the same at $114 million. Taxes will increase tremendously for the municipal portion alone. Fire taxes went up as is the school and county taxes.

- Sefardi chief Rabbi HaRav Yitzchak Yosef shlit"a, on the minhag of Kapparos

- To be meticulous with poultry that has veterinary supervision.

- It is obligatory to be meticulous regarding conditions of preventing cruelty to animals.

- It is preferable to do Kapparos with money, as was the practice of his father Rav Ovadia Yosef zt"l.

The amount for this year: 35 Shekel.

- Kikar reports. For the first time since the split within Gur and the establishment of the Pnei Menachem community led by Rosh Yeshiva Rav Shaul Alter, a historic development has taken place. A precedent-setting compromise agreement has been signed between the two sides. The agreement includes Gur representatives taking responsibility for past incidents, along with an explicit commitment to maintain peace and prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

Earlier today Rav Shaul Alter kehila held a ceremony for a cornerstone  laying on rechov Torah Metzion the future site of their new Bais Hamedrash of mosdos Pnei Menachem. (See video below)

- Manchester Township Council removed a provision from a redevelopment plan on Sept. 14 that could have allowed the construction of a large-scale data center on a former mining quarry on the Jackson-Manchester border.

- Trump: Everybody knows the Crooked Joe Biden FBI didn’t do what they should have with respect to the Lunatic who shot me in Butler, PA. By the time I got into Office, on January 20th, most of the information was missing, altered, corrupted, or gone. New info was just found! Why wasn’t it seen long ago? This was all a Democrat Plot, to get me out of the Election, that failed. Dirty Cop Christopher Wray should pay a price for the way he handled this assassination attempt, and certainly for the things he said. GOD BLESS AMERICA — MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP

- Shidduch crisis: The number of single young men in the U.S. has surged to a record high, as the “male loneliness epidemic” intensifies.

- TAG Lakewood is expanding its internet-filtering program to internet-connected vehicles, as many newer cars now have built-in Wi-Fi, browsers and entertainment systems. Tesla owners can register for filtering at cars.tag.org. Starting Sept. 16, TAG will have a dedicated car-information line at 732-952-4824 (4TAG) for questions and vehicle-specific guidance. The general email is [email protected]. TAG notes that vehicle filtering is a developing service and staff are still being trained on the available solutions.

- At his Shabbos Shuvah drasha, Rav Moshe Sternbuch shlit”a delivered a strong warning about the dangers of the internet and technology, urging the public to strengthen themselves in prishus and distance themselves from these nisayonos. He also spoke about the 80 bochurim who spent Yom Tov in military prison, and emphasized the need to stand firm against pressures threatening the Torah community. He further called on everyone to strengthen their Shabbos observance and regularly learn Hilchos Shabbos, explaining that since Rosh Hashanah fell on Shabbos this year and there was no shofar, the zechus of Shabbos is especially important to sweeten the dinim.

- A 40-hour work week would be a thing of the past under a new proposal.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, and Rep. Mark Takano, D-California, reintroduced a bill that would establish a 32-hour work week for Americans with no loss of pay or benefits. The 32-Hour Workweek Act would also require overtime pay at time and half for workdays longer than eight hours and overtime at double a worker’s regular pay for days where they on the job longer than 12 hours.

- FBI arrests a 21-year-old Pennsylvania man accused of preparing a mass shooting on behalf of ISIS

- At the Links event last night in Jackson there was a Q&A session with Rav Yaakov Bender Rav Shalom Kamenetzky and R' Nussi Muller a question was asked what would it take for the rabbonim to spend Rosh Hashana in Uman, it did not receive a response.

- Speaker Mike Johnson warns voters that Democrats are focused on "political retribution" as he draws a sharp contrast over what each party would do with power.

Johnson says Republicans want to stay on course, while accusing Democrats of seeking to reverse GOP tax cuts, pursue amnesty for illegal immigrants, reopen the border and restore taxpayer-funded health care for illegal immigrants."That's quite literally what they're going to do if you give them the reins back. We can't do that."

- Trump: Republicans just got another bad decision from the United States Supreme Court, one that the Court System took forever to give, and then blamed it, in part, on no time left to implement a solution to our totally CORRUPT and out of control Mail-In voting “disaster,” which is a laughing stock all over the World, and where we are the only country that has to endure such a Nation Destroying SCAM. Justices Alito and Thomas, legends both, strongly disagreed with this horrible, highly political, ruling. It is a big loss for Republicans, and America itself, and makes cheating by the Radical Left “Dumocrats,” on Mail-In Ballots, a much easier thing to do - And now they have an open field to do so! The Supreme Court has really let our Country down! Certain Justices are petrified of these crazed and depraved Democrats, and are totally unable to show the courage necessary to save our America. Their horrible decision on Tariffs will be costing the U.S.A., for many years to come, Trillions and Trillions of Dollars. They didn’t even state, “money paid does not have to be paid back,” much to the benefit of entities that truly hate our Country, and have been RIPPING IT OFF FOR YEARS, unnecessarily costing us, immediately, Billions of Dollars. Likewise, the Supreme Court’s Decision on Birthright Citizenship is a complete and total disaster for America, and has already led to massive corruption with respect to “citizenship” in our Country. The damage done to America is incalculable, and they know this, just as everyone else does - It is an irreparable and unrecoverable harm! The Court’s inability and unwillingness to do the right thing for our Country will go down, in a very negative way, in the annals of History. This Supreme Court is bullied and cajoled by the Radical Left into making decisions that have set America back at least a hundred years. These are not the people I interviewed to serve on the United States Supreme Court, they are merely a shell of their original selves, a Court that is costing the United States Trillions of Dollars with shockingly bad rulings that are of such magnitude that it won’t be easily possible for our Country to recover or heal. It is a Court that will go down as having rendered some of the most destructive, hurtful, and damaging decisions in our Country’s history. It is not easy for me to write this criticism of the United States Supreme Court - it will likely cost me dearly for years to come - but I feel it my obligation and duty, as President, to do so for the America we love! Thank you for your attention to this very important matter. God bless the U.S.A. President DONALD J. TRUMP

Video: At the הנחת אבן הפינה for Mosdos פני מנחם in Yerushalayim on Rechov תורה מציון

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1 month ago

Iran Israel Updates Tuesday Sept 15

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Iran Israel Updates Tuesday Sept 15

- The IDF and Shin Bet confirmed that Nail Abu Obeid, commander of Hamas’s Rafah Brigade and head of its operations array, was killed in a strike in Khan Younis. Defense Minister Israel Katz said the policy is to eliminate militants and threats without targeting civilians, adding that no militant is immune.

-Explosions Reported on Qeshm Island Near the Strait of Hormuz: Explosions were heard on Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency. 

- Panama-flagged oil tanker attacked in Strait of Hormuz, two crew members still missing An Omani naval vessel evacuated 23 crew members, while two remain missing.

- Hezbollah will mount significant attack after regrouping, studying Israeli activity, IDF warns According to IDF assessments, Hezbollah's senior leadership is closely awaiting developments in the Iranian arena, with everything dependent on Iran.

- Negotiations are underway between Israel and Saudi Arabia, facilitated by the U.S. Central Command, to provide intelligence assistance to Saudi Arabia against the Houthis.

- IDF Says Two Hamas Militants Killed: The IDF said it killed Rafat Abu Zamer, a company commander in Hamas’s military wing who led militant training before 7 October and during the current period, in the Khan Younis area yesterday. In a separate strike in Gaza City, it killed Hamad Khader Fahmi Agur, who was involved in weapons production. 

- Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed that Iranian troops shot down a US MQ-1 drone over the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reported on Tuesday.

- The IDF and ISA struck in the northern Gaza Strip and eliminated the terrorist Ahmad Batash, commander of the Jabaliya Battalion in the Northern Gaza Brigade of Hamas’ military wing.

- Palestinian Reports: Hamas Battalion Commander Killed in Gaza City: Palestinian media reported that Ahmad al-Batsh, known as "Abu Osama," was killed last night in a vehicle strike in Gaza City's al-Saftawi area. He was reportedly a senior figure in Hamas's Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades and, according to several Palestinian sources, served as commander of the Jabalia Battalion. 

 - Lebanon: Lebanese media reported that a drone struck the village of Al-Jarmak in southern Lebanon.

- UN Seeks Gaza War Crimes Investigation: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged Israel to allow international investigators into Gaza to help collect evidence amid concerns over alleged violations and war crimes. He said the discovery of numerous bodies under rubble could indicate war crimes and other atrocities.

 - UN Security Council to Discuss Houthi Takeover of Bab al-Mandab: The UN Security Council will hold a discussion tomorrow on the escalation in Bab al-Mandab following the Houthis’ takeover of the strait, according to two French diplomats cited by Reuters. 

- Trump: "Oil is flowing through the Hormuz Strait. The Countries of the World, which have been no help to us whatsoever, should, and will, reimburse the United States of America when this SCAM Confligration is all over. We are doing it much more for others, than we are for ourselves, and we have been for Generations! President DONALD J. TRUMP"

- Trump: "I’ve just received a Report that the United States is producing more Exquisite and Elite Weapons than at any time in our History. They are being delivered on a daily basis to our Forces in the Middle East, and beyond. Our Defense Company Factories are moving 24/7, while at the same time building, on average, 4 to 5 largescale brand new Plants, each! A primary focus of this production has been Patriots, THAAD Systems, Tomahawks, and other Standard Missile Systems, of which we already have large numbers in stock. President DONALD J. TRUMP"

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1 month ago

Yomim Noraim Medely 5787

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Yomim Noraim Medely 5787

קדושת היום / סליחות Selichos Medley

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1 month ago

Motzei Tzom Gedalia Lakewood

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Motzei Tzom Gedalia Lakewood

Weather: 56° Clear skies

- Parlor meeting ro benefit The Freehold Kollel. The Kollel 9pm a t18 Glen Ave Divrei chizuk by Rav Shlomo Feivel  Schustal shlita

- LinksFamily  fundraiser at 16 Pointe circle Jackson 8pm

- Yartzeit farbreng for Habachur Chaim Tzvi Chatzi Katz Z"L  at the hall 40 chestnut street Lakewood

- Daled Minim shuk @Bais Faiga 8:45pm - 11:30pm

- Bingo open until 12am

- Yeshiva Ner Yisroel of Baltimore will have a alumni event with divrei Hisorerus by Rav Nochum Lansky shlita at the Square 3rd and Clifton Lakewood 7

- LPD Traffic Alert: Martin Luther King Dr. will be closed Northbound from Center St. to Cedarbridge Ave. for planned NJNG construction.

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1 month ago

Monday Tzom Gedalya 5787 News Updates Lakewood

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Monday Tzom Gedalya 5787 News Updates Lakewood

 Weather: 77° 

Puting  up sukka weather this week is clear. Next week is called for rain from Erev Yom Kippur through the first days of Sukkos with a rainstorm in forecast for first days.

Fast is over 50 minute zman 7:57

Tzom Gedaliah, observed on 3 Tishrei, day after Rosh Hashana, commemorates the murder of Gedaliah ben Achikam, whom Nevuchadnetzar appointed as governor over the Jewish remnant in Eretz Yisroel after the churban of the First Beis Hamikdash. Yishmael ben Netanyah murdered Gedaliah and many others, causing the remaining Jews to flee to Egypt. His death brought an end to the last remnants of Jewish settlement and independence in Eretz Yisroel after the Churban. Chazal established the fast to commemorate this tragedy and its devastating consequences.

- Tefilos for  the Vizhnitz rebbe Reb Srultche  shlita from Bnei Brak who will be undergoing a medical procedure tomorrow morning to install a pacemaker, name is Yisroel ben Leah Esther.

- The Supreme Court today has refused to let USPS’s new mail-ballot rules take effect for the 2026 midterms. Justices Alito and Thomas dissent. Ina 7-2 Ruling. The case is still open.

- Trump asked Rabbonim about Rubashkin  More details of Admorim meeting with President Trump at the White house

- Ami Magazine reports  on a conversation between President Trump and the Rebbes in the Oval Office before Rosh Hashanah.

"You guys are funny," Trump told the Rabbonim. "I send B-2 bombers to Iran, I bombed them to smithereens. If I wouldn’t have bombed them, they would have wiped out Israel, but I don't get a thank you. But I pardoned this butcher from Iowa - he has some kind of funny name - and everybody is happy."

"Rubashkin," someone promoted him.

"Yeah, Lubashkin [sic]. Is the guy still alive?" the President responded. 

The attendees assured him that Reb Shalom Mordechai Rubashkin is doing fine, to which Reb Yoel Rosenfeld (an askan who accompanied the Bobover Rebbe) added, "Mr President, I want to tell you there was dancing in the streets of Brooklyn when this happened."

Trump replied classically, "Brooklyn? I got 94% of the vote in your areas." 

He then shifted back to the Rubashkin case.

"That was total antisemitism. I called the prosecutor and asked, 'Why'd you give this person 28 years? He had some illegal immigrants, but who doesn't have? You get a fine, not 28 years.' The prosecutor said, 'he deserved much more.' I told him, 'You're an anti-Semite. I'm pardoning him."

Source: Ami Magazine issue 784.

- Peta activists were at kaparos locations today around Lakewood with signs about animal cruelty and to use coins and not live chicken. On social media too there the usual buzz 

- Trump: I am the Hoax Buster, and I’m right now breaking another Hoax — That AI is going to take over, consume, and destroy the World, and that Robots will be marching into our Cities, and getting rid of us all! This is even wilder than the RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA HOAX, or the Global Warming Scam. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP

- Jackson mayor receives 'disgusting' messages; cops investigating APP reports In recent months, someone has wished Jackson Mayor Jennifer Kuhn dead, compared her to both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a Nazi in the same breath, and has advised her to leave the country with her family.

- Kaporos today at Bingo $5 a chicken  at 1pm

-Tat כפרות  3 locations at Bais Aharon, Ateres Reva and Neemas hachaim parking lot from  2pm- 7pm  $8.50 a chicken

- Yeshiva Ner Yisroel of Baltimore will have a  alumni event  with divrei Hisorerus by Rav Nochum Lansky shlita at the Square 3rd and Clifton Lakewood  7:15 pm followed by Maaeiv and light refreshments 

- LDC virtual meeting today 4:30pm

-There's ben renewed ICE activity in Lakewood with some arrests over the last few days

- Daled Minim shuk at Bais Faiga today

- At the BOE meeting last Wednesday The Lakewood school board voted to extend hazardous busing to private schools, the state monitor blocked it. School attorney warns it could bring lawsuits. The BOE did not day who will pay for the 14 million dollars in funding

- Trump lashes out at 'sick conspiracy' against AI and data centers, warns 'Conspiracy Theorists, Treasonists, Traitors, and Leakers after  a report of A sudden burst of warnings about the potentially catastrophic dangers of artificial intelligence  coming from Barack Obama, Democratic lawmakers and some of the most powerful figures in the AI industry just as the 2026 midterm campaign enters its final stretch  is drawing questions about whether an emerging technology debate is becoming a coordinated political issue.

- Americans are expected to pay more for coverage in 2027 as hospital, doctor and drug costs rise. Employer health-benefit costs are projected to jump 8.2%, the biggest increase in 13 years.

- A Red Bank man an illegal immigrant has been sentenced to a combined 20 years in New Jersey State Prison for a horrific 2025 crash in Lakewood that claimed the lives of a 42-year-old woman and an 11-year-old girl. He had a previous DWI arrest. The Whitehouse previously used this case to highlight what happens in sanctuary states that don't allow cooperation between local authorities and ICE.

- Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Memorial Event Canceled: Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s position to the religious ministry to cancel a major memorial event because of its proximity to the election. Baharav-Miara had recommended holding it afterward due to concerns that it could serve as Shas election propaganda.

- BDE: Petirah of Rav Moahe Riegler Z"L of Brooklyn/Lakewood Enclave community. Levaya in Boro Park 1:00pm at Bobov 45 Bais Medrash at 49th st.

- BDE: Petirah of R Yosef Dovid Schur Z"L from Chicago/Lakewood a talmid of Rav Aharon Kotler ZTL. He lived in a Country place in Lakewood. Levaya and Kevura in Eretz Yisrael.

- BDE: Petirah of Rav Chaim Tzvi Ehrenreich zt”l, of Williamsburg, Gaavad of Shamloi and mechaber of aefer Maayan Yeshuah, who was niftar on the second day of Rosh Hashanah He was 94.

- Trump: I hope everyone realizes that price increases throughout America were caused by Sleepy Joe Biden and the Biden Administration, not by “TRUMP.” Even Oil was higher under Biden than it is right now, and we prevented Iran from having a Nuclear Weapon! With the temporary exception of Oil, prices are coming down sharply, and Oil will drop like a rock as soon as the Military Conflict with Iran is over, and that will not be long. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP

- In Lakewood thousands davened in BMG minayim,  this year Rav Shneur Kotler shlita ben Rav Malkiel shlita davened for the amud in the new Minyan at Princeton BM. Several new balai tefilah were introduced to serve as shliach tzibbur.

Trump: The $5,000 Trump Dividend, to be given to all Adults in the United States due to the fact that our Country is taking in Trillions of Dollars of Economic Development, Investment, and Pure SUCCESS, is being criticized by “Dumocrats” who are hoping that it never happens — But it will! As an example, the Dumocrats said THE GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL, one of the largest ever approved by Congress, or signed into Law by a President happened, despite the Dumocrats saying it would be impossible to get approved — Or the Gift of $1776 that I gave last year to our Military, was an almost guaranteed Non Starter, everyone said it could not be done, but it was, our Military Patriots got the money, and loved it. When I say something, I mean it! The $5,000 Dividend will happen because the People of our Country deserve it. VOTE REPUBLICAN — MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP

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1 month ago

Motzei Rosh Hashana 5787 News Updates

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Motzei Rosh Hashana 5787 News Updates

                          גמר חתימה טובה

- Fast of Tzom Gedalia begins at 5:15 am or 5:24 am

- Open tonight Evergreen, Nutmeg, Aisle 9 until  1am

-Kaporos tomorrow's at Bingo $5 at 1pm

-Tomorrow Tat כפרות at Bais Aaron  and Ateres Reva 2- 7  $8.50 a chicken New location this year at Neemas Hachaim 

Selichos list for those who don't say all of them for צום גדלי  

מו,מז,מח,מט,נב,נג,נה,נז. 

- Official numbers 65,000 spent Rosh Hashana in Uman.

- Giyus over 80 bochurim and Youngeleit spent Rosh Hashana in IDF military prison for Draft dodging. 70 Broslevers who were arrested as they tried leaving for R"H to Uman. Others were released ahead of Yom Tov.

- There will be a yartzeit farbreng for Habachur Chaim Tzvi Chatzi Katz Z"L on  motzei Tzom Gedalya at the hall 40 chestnut Lakewood 

- President Trump insists the $5,000 "Trump Dividend" will happen, despite Democrat criticism and efforts to stop it. "When I say something, I mean it! The $5,000 Dividend will happen because the People of our Country deserve it." In his attack on Democrats "hoping it never happens," Trump uses the Big Beautiful Bill and $1776 checks to the military as examples that he keeps his word.

- At the beis medrash of Rav Dan Segal in Givat Moshe, Yerushalayim, where the mashgiach led Mussaf on both days Rosh Hashana, the Levi aliyah and the pesichah on both days were sold in his zechus for $50,000.

- Historic Moment in Dushinsky: Belzer Rebbe Included in Mi Shebeirach After 50 Years of Estrangement when the Dushinsky Rebbe publicly included the Belzer Rebbe in a Mi Shebeirach for those in need of a refuah.

- Trump: The White House was in very bad condition, both inside and out. Frankly, it was a “dump!” Past Presidents did not take care of it. I love renovating it during my spare time, which is not much. The Department of Interior, and various contractors, are doing a fantastic job. Attached are pictures of BEFORE and AFTER. The exterior “skin” of the Building was practically falling off! It is now in better shape than when built in 1792. Such an Honor to have the privilege of saving this Great Structure! More time without renovation would have destroyed our beloved White House! President DONALD J. TRUMP

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

Lakewood Zmanim ראש השנה תשפ"ז

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Lakewood Zmanim ראש השנה תשפ"ז

                             כתיבה וחתימה טובה

Erev  Rosh Hashanah 5787 Friday, September 11, 2026 / כ״ט אלול תשפ"ו לייקווד

Rosh Hashana is on shabbos and Sunday Sep 12 & 13

-Chatzos: 12:54pm

-Candle Lighting: 6:54 pm

-Shkiah/ sunset: 7:12 pm

72 minutes 8:25 pm

Shalosh seudos ט שעות: is 4:01pm

Weather:

- First day R"H: 81° cloudy

 2nd night 68° A steady rain early. Showers with perhaps a rumble of thunder Chance of rain 90%.

2nd day Sunday 81° Thunderstorms likely in the morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Chance of rain 80%.

           תכלה שנה וקללותיה תחל שנה וברכותיה

                                מהפיוט "אחות קטנה" מאת רב  אברהם חזן מגירונדי, ספרד, במאה 13 ה

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

Erev Rosh Hashana 5787 News Updates

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Erev Rosh Hashana 5787 News Updates

 Monday, September 22, 2025 / כ״ט אלול תשפ״ה

ערב ראש השנה

Chatzos: 12:54pm

-Candle Lighting: 6:54 pm

-Shkiah/ sunset: 7:12 pm

72 Minutes 8 25 pm

- America commemorates the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 Attacks President Trump Attends 9/11 Ceremony at the Pentagon

All members of the moetzes of Agudas Yisrael in EY, including the Admorim of Ger, Belz, Vizhnitz, and Sanz, together with dozens more oAdmorim,  signed a pointed letter against joining the IDF Charedi tracks including the Kodkod and Ma'alot Tzur tracks. 

- BMG will have thousands davening over RH with minyanim in 6 Botei medrashim new minyan at Princeton B"M

- Lakewood – Do the township’s tens of thousands of private school students deserve the same free busing as their public-school counterparts? That question sparked a fierce debate at the Board of Education and concerns about potential lawsuits. APP 

- Tens of thousands in Uman participate in the central recital of Tikun Haklali

- Ami &Mishpacha magazines YT issue is $12.

- Mikva

Main Mikva at 11th and Madison will have police directing traffic in the area

-Tashlich

As in previous years the men will recite Tashlich at Lakewood Avenue via 5th street and the ladies will say tashlich at 2nd Street and North Lake drive.

Rav Moshe Sternbuch message Erev Rosh  Hashana 5787. The situation is not good, but I am forbidden to speak as he calls on us to do Teshuva.

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1 month ago

Places For נשים To Hear תקיעת שופר

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Places For נשים To Hear תקיעת שופר

Rosh Hashana 5787 If anyone needs to hear at Kimball hospital call 732-552-9197 before YT or leave a message at the front desk on yom tov

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1 month ago

Halachos and Minhagim Erev Rosh Hashana 5787

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Halachos and Minhagim Erev Rosh Hashana 5787

 Minhagim for Erev Rosh Hashana 5787 and Halachos for Shabbos R"H תשפ"ז

תשמע שועתנו פרנסנו זוננו

תהא שנת פריילעך זיין

תאריך שנותנו פתח זבולך

תהא שנת פרנסה זמינה, זיווגים

תהא שנת זהב פז

תהא שנת פרשת זכור.

תפתח שערי פתחי זבולך

תהא שנת פלפול זך

תהא שנת פתחון זכות

תהא שנת פנימיות זכה

ה יה ת הא ש נת פ דות ז רעינו

-Some have a minhag to purchase a new knife on Erev Rosh hashana as a  segulah for parnassah. החותך חיים לכל חי

- List of Selichos Erev Rosh Hashana for those that skip. 23, 24,25,26,29,32,34,35,38 said as pizmon followed by אל תבוא במשפט the פתיחה for 40 is said chazan Kahal, 40 pizmon and 42 Pizmon.

שמע קולנו and ובכן skip to משיח צדקך 

-The minhag is for men to fast on erev Rosh Hashana up to chatzos (12:54 pm in Lakewood)

-Some go to visit kivrei tzadikim on erev Rosh Hashana.

-Minhag is to go to the mikva on erev yom tov.

- This year the bracha on candle lighting for

 Rosh Hashana is להדליק נר של  שבת ושל  יום טוב and שהחיינו (some do say Yom Hazikaron)

-Remember to recite all additions for shabbos during the tefilos

 -Maariv: Kabolas shabbos/ Mizmor shir after mincha

-Vayechulu/ Magen  Avos

-kiddush friday night vayechulu

-First day Shabbos NO Avinu Malkeinu, Tekias Shofar or Tashlich.

-Shalosh seudos ט שעות: is 4:01pm

-Mincha with Krias Hatorah

2nd night Maariv ותודעינו

Yaknehaz kiddush (Purchase a Yaknehaz candle)

72 minutes 8:23 pm

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

Iran Israel Updates Thurs Sept 10

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Iran Israel Updates Thurs Sept 10

Israel on high alert as Ali Taher Ridge operation nears end amid fears of Iranian response. IDF says Hezbollah’s main underground complex has been cleared and work continues to neutralize tunnels and remaining infrastructure.

- Sky News: "President Trump's advisors are pressing him in recent hours to resume the war with Iran at an exceptionally high intensity and in an immediate manner in order to launch a new and powerful campaign ahead of the midterm elections."

- Report: Iran resumes ballistic missile production at underground sites despite heavy wartime damage. The Wall Street Journal reports Tehran is assembling new missiles from stockpiled parts at sites including Khojir, despite heavy US bombings.

- IDF on the destruction of the Ali Taar ridge: "Hezbollah failed and abandoned its men to die inside. Terrorists who tried to abandon the route or to supply the terrorists besieged in it were eliminated. Some of the terrorists who tried to flee were eliminated in close-quarters combat when they encountered ambushes by our forces.

IDF used more than 1,100 tons of explosives to destroy the tunnels. Each ridge in Al-Tahar had 8 tunnels totaling 5.4 km in length, and dozens of drones, UAVs, and rockets were found inside them

- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:

President Trump announced tonight that Iran is attempting to rearm with nuclear weapons, and this is correct. After we destroyed its immediate capability to produce nuclear bombs, both in Operation Iron Swords and in Operation Rising Lion, they are trying again. I commit to you here, at the Western Wall, ahead of Rosh Hashanah: As long as I am Prime Minister, Iran will not have nuclear weapons. In parallel, we are striking the Iranian axis, not only very hard in the Gaza Strip, but also in Lebanon. We destroyed the Boufort Ridge and are now dealing with the Ali Taar Ridge.

- IDF eliminated a Hamas terrorist who infiltrated Israel on 10/7 and participated in the killing of the IDF commander of the Nahal Brigade, Colonel Jonathan Steinberg, ZL

- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz in a joint statement: "The IDF has now destroyed the underground infrastructure of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the Ali Taher Ridge, thus completing the organization of the security zone in southern Lebanon"

- Over 100 U.S. military advisers are on Saudi soil, feeding intelligence and targets to Saudi forces in the operation against the Houthis. The U.S. is providing geospatial targeting and a tool that lets officers track the battlefield in real time, but is not joining strikes or refueling. American officials now believe hundreds of Revolutionary Guards officers are inside Yemen. One assesses the Iranian officers are working with the Houthis to eventually close the Bab al-Mandab strait, a move described as Tehran's "doomsday weapon" if talks with the U.S. collapse

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

Thursday September 10 News Updates Lakewood

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Thursday September 10 News Updates Lakewood

Weather:  89° Sunshine and clouds mixed. Warm. Night cloudy skies late. Slight chance of a rain shower 

Reminder for Yaknehaz candle 2nd night Rosh Hashana.

Up to 50,000 expected in Uman over Rosh Hashana 5787.

- Bingo Kaporos Tzom Gedalia $5 a chicken from 1pm

- A federal appeals court is pumping the brakes the Trump administration's new rules for mail-in voting while the legal challenge continues, saying the rules are likely unlawful. The administration says the changes are meant to protect election integrity, while opponents argue states, not the federal government, should decide how mail-in voting is handled.

- The Lakewood Yerushalayim Vizhnitz rebbe Rav Lazer hager shlitsa will be spending Rosh Hashana with Chasidim in EY 

- Nshei Adirei HaTorah event will take place Wednesday, September 16 Aseres Yemei Teshuva  1600 Avenue of the States, Tower 5 Free of charge; ticket required for entry

- Moishas supermarket in Howell getting closer to opening with signs going up (Feder status)

- Trump’s proposed $5,000 dividend for every adult U.S. citizen would cost roughly $1,226,375,630,000.00.

- Now open in Lakewood Oh Délices Patisserie and Cafe, authentic taste and charm of France to Lakewood! Oh Délices is a full-service café with a complete menu featuring sandwiches, croissants, fresh salads, soups, specialty coffees, drinks, French pastries, beautiful desserts, and a full line of authentic Israeli salads and dips!  Located at Todd Plaza. This is the 2nd French Cafe to open in Lakewood this year.

- Bais Medrash Toldos Yehuda Stutchin will be iyh building a new shul in the heart of Lakewood at Madison Ave corner 14th st. The shul application will be heard by the planning board next week.

- On the 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks, Former President George W. Bush and Condoleezza Rice revealed that for roughly 10 minutes on Sept. 11, 2001, they believed the U.S. military might have shot down United Airlines Flight 93  a civilian aircraft full of passengers. Rice described the scene inside the White House bunker: Bush had given the order through the vice president that any plane failing to properly identify itself should be shot down, because "every plane had become a missile." When Flight 93 went down, the immediate assumption was that the military had carried out that order

- BDE: Petirah of Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Greenhaus Z"L Baltimore/Lakewood. Levaya today 6:30 pm  at the chapel off 7th st.  Shiva at 61 Radin Village Drive Westgate getting up tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 pm. Maariv tonight 10:30pm Shacharis Erev Rosh Hashana: 6:30 am, Mincha 1:30pm.

- Giyus: Unconfirmed report Israeli police officers who encounter draft dodgers in Uman have been instructed to mark their passports so that they can be arrested upon landing in Israel. This was reportedly conveyed by a police officer who came to conduct an inspection at an apartment in Uman.”

- Electric bills this months are significantly higher with new surcharges. This is before the 9% increase coming next year.

- AAA says the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in NewJersey has risen to $4.36, an increase of about 5 cents overnight. In Lakewood it's closer to $4.50 a gallon.

- NJ Transit announced that free Wi-Fi is now available on more than 1,500 buses across New Jersey as part of a major technology upgrade.

- President Donald J. Trump announces $500 rebate checks to nearly 1 million hardworking Americans who were wrongly overcharged through Obamacare."Our Administration is doing the right thing and giving the money back to the people who were wrongly ripped off."

- APP: Former Lakewood board attorney suing the district for parents. Again Former Board of Education attorney Michael Inzelbuch who was ousted more than a year ago after charging nearly $7 million in fees over eight years has been involved in filing more than a dozen legal complaints against the district.

- Clementon Park & Splash World, one of New Jersey’s oldest amusement parks, is closing permanently and will be offered for sale, its owners announced Wednesday.

- A  donor reportedly paid 3 months of overdue paychecks for yeshiva Ateres Shlomo yungeleit, on condition that Rosh Yeshiva Rav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin join him in Uman for Rosh Hashonah. They flew together and are on their way after landing in Moldova.

- N.J. State Commission of Investigation report warns of deed fraud and seller impersonation and tells the legislature it needs to adopt safeguards

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

Iran Israel Tuesday Sept 9

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Iran Israel Tuesday Sept 9

- Wall Street Journal: Senior officials in the Trump administration, including Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Rubio, warned the President that a war with Iran could last until the end of his term

- Trump on the war with Iran: “The war's gonna end immediately after the election. Because they can't hold out any longer. They're desperate to try and affect the election so that we can get a nice weak group of people in there and leave them alone and let them have their nuclear weapon. All they want is a nuclear weapon. And if they had a nuclear weapon, the whole world is in deep trouble."

- Trump on the sanctions from the UK on Israel: “I'll be speaking to Israel, I'll be speaking to them, and I'll find out what they're thinking…I understand what's going on. But I want to find out why all of a sudden has that happened

- IDF: Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago regarding a hostile aircraft infiltration in several areas in northern Israel, it qwas determined to be a false identification.

Satellite imagery shows a construction surge at Iran's deeply buried Pickaxe Mountain site near Natanz, a possible future enrichment or nuclear safe-haven facility.

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

Wednesday September 8 News Updates Lakewood

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Wednesday September 8 News Updates Lakewood

Weather: 86F Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds.

- President Trump makes a major promise at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas: $5,000 for every adult U.S. citizen if Republicans win both the House and Senate in the midterms.“I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000.”

- Karoline Leavitt just revealed that President Trump is getting ready to drop MAJOR NEWS during his speech at the RNC Midterm convention. "You’ll hear news from the president tonight. He’s gonna announce some new blockbuster policies for the Republican Party in the next two years

- Israel media report Rav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin, rosh yeshiva of Ateres Shlomo, is expected to spend Rosh Hashanah this year in Uman, Ukraine, after a major American donor pledged a multimillion-dollar contribution to the Ateres Shlomo institutions on condition that the rosh yeshiva spend the Yom Tov with him there.

- Belzer rebbe has returned home and was taking kvitlach tonight from chasidim at his home.

-  Trump on the sanctions from the UK on Israel: “I'll be speaking to Israel, I'll be speaking to them, and I'll find out what they're thinking...I understand what's going on. But I want to find out why all of a sudden has that happened

- Lakewood officials finally question hazardous busing disparity After years of ignoring the issue, local elected officials spoke out at tonight’s Lakewood BOE meeting about thousands of yeshiva students who live along hazardous routes and have been paying for LSTA busing.

The question raised was straightforward: If hazardous-route transportation is being provided to non-mandated public-school students, why isn’t the same transportation available to non-mandated private-school students?

Under New Jersey law, officials questioned whether the district can provide hazardous transportation to one group of non-mandated students while denying it to another based on whether they attend public or non-public schools.  The NJ statute says that if they don't provide courtesy busing to public school they can't provide hazardous busing to non public. Yet there was some conflicting interpretation between the  state monitor and school attorney.

The school district attorney acknowledged that the regulations and district policies are complicated and called for a committee to review and clarify the rules.

Officials also asked the Township to update the list of hazardous roads which could directly affect which students qualify for transportation.

-Today the Lakewood Board of Education will have a special meeting on hazardous bus transportation. The agenda includes a resolution authorizing up to $14.88 million for the Lakewood Student Transportation Authority (LSTA) to provide hazardous route  transportation for eligible nonpublic-school students. The funding is based on up to 12,642 students at a maximum of $1,177 per student, with the final amount subject to verification. Meeting  at School Commons 855 Somerset Avenue Lakewood, NJ 08701 watch live Here

- Shiva for rebbetzin Sarah Bressler AH is at 218 St. Nicholas Lakewood getting up Friday. The R"Y Rav Chaim Bressler shlita and daughter Mrs. Pritzker will be leaving to Scranton Thursday night for rest of shiva.

- BDE: Petirah of R 'Shimon Simchowitz Z"L who took ill many years ago and was living in EY..evaya was last night in EY.  Family is sitting shiva in Lakewood at 1884 New Central Ave. Mincha 7pm,Maariv 10:30 pm.

- Shiur hachana for the yomim noraim tonight with Rav Avrohom Schorr shlita at B:M Chasam Sofer  890 Manetta in Ridge area  10:00 pm

- Shiur Hachana for yomim Noraim Talmidei NOvominsk by the Admor shlita at B"M Ohr Tuvia  969 East End 8:30 pm.

- Uman Rosh Hashana the border  between Ukraine and Moldova has been closed due to security reasons as Russian missiles have landed in the area 

- A new state law restricting cellphones in New Jersey classrooms is now in effect.But there are still questions about how the new “bell-to-ball” ban will be enforced and what impact it will have on the state’s schools.

- The emergency inflatable slide deployed on the new Qatar-gifted Air Force One while President Trump sat in Marine One. It looks like the working plan may be to fly him to Dallas on the older Air Force One instead for the pre midterms convention. This comes as it's reported the new Air Force One is not as safe as the legacy plane

- The L bus shuttle in Lakewood will begin charging soon as the township faces budget crisis

- Ahead of Rosh Hashana Lakewoods Judaica Plaza  launches the shredder podcast featuring R'Shalom Rosenberg veteran Baal Tokeah and mechaber seger on Shofros What Most People Don’t Know About Shofar watch HERE 

- New Jersey residents receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will see higher maximum monthly benefit levels beginning October 1, as new federal cost-of-living adjustments take effect. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released its SNAP benefit levels for the 2027 federal fiscal year. The annual adjustment increases the maximum allotment available to households in New Jersey and the other 47 contiguous states, as well as Washington, D.C. Under the new amounts, the maximum monthly SNAP allotment for a one-person household will increase from $298 to $306, while the maximum for a family of four will rise from $994 to $1,023.

- Concerns in Yerushalayim from UK sanctions

The UK is advancing a trade ban on goods from the West Bank, and in Jerusalem there are concerns that the move could spill over to Israeli companies throughout the country. Winery owners in the area report European customers who fear arrest as a result of purchasing wine. They warn of the consequences and make it clear: anyone who thinks this will stop with us is simply naïve.

- Hersheypark has officially concluded its 120th summer season and confirmed the permanent retirement of Tidal Force. The 32-year-old water ride, known for its 100-foot drops and 50mph speeds, took its final voyage on September 7, 2026. While the park reopens for its fall schedule on September 12, the splash zone will remain empty.

- Tax Dollars: Lakewood Fire Department Expands Career Ranks as Township Growth Drives New Demands: Lakewood's growing career fire service now has 48 firefighters 

- President Trump insisting gas prices will fall below $2 a gallon after the midterms, saying current high prices are the cost of keeping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon."Right after the election, oil prices are going to be tumbling downward. They're going to be tumbling down, and we'll get them down, I think for gasoline, we'll get them below $2 a gallon.

- Faanews  a 45 page court brief was filed defending Lakewood zoning board denial of duplex in Chestnut area. More

 - Trump reposts "Deport every single 3rd world migrant, illegal alien and America hating Visa holder...""...or surrender your nation the way the UK have, and watch your society collapse in the coming years.

Yiddish media newspapers  coverage of the historic visit of Admorim  at the White house with president Trump

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

New National Fund Launched to Bring Federal Tuition Tax Credit Dollars to Yeshivos

Hefkervelt1 month ago

New National Fund Launched to Bring Federal Tuition Tax Credit Dollars to Yeshivos

Agudah & Torah Umesorah Endorse National Scholarship Fund to Maximize New Federal Tax Credit for Yeshivos

The Opportunity Fund for Jewish Education 

Agudath Israel of America and Torah Umesorah recently announced that they are jointly endorsing the Opportunity Fund for Jewish Education, a national Scholarship Granting Organization backed by the Orthodox Union and Teach Coalition, Jewish Federations of North America, and Prizmah.

The organizations said they spent months studying how the Orthodox Jewish community could maximize the benefit of the new tax credit, including extensive deliberations by the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and the Vaad Roshei Hayeshivos.

Their conclusion was that the community would be better served by working through a single national SGO with the scale and infrastructure to attract the maximum amount of funding.

The Opportunity Fund says donors will be able to designate participating yeshivos and schools to benefit from their contributions. It also says that 100% of every dollar designated to a school will go toward scholarships, with administrative and operating expenses funded separately.

The New York and New Jersey Problem

While the federal law is scheduled to begin January 1, 2027, participation is not automatic.

The IRS's most recent official list shows that 30 states have made advance elections to participate for 2027. New Jersey is not on the list. New York is also not on the official participating-state list.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, however, has indicated that she intends to opt New York into the program, saying her administration supports the potential benefits but is awaiting additional information from the federal government.

Official Agudah and TU announcement:

Dear Yeshiva Leaders and Members of Our Communities, 

The new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit represents an unprecedented opportunity to bring significant new resources to our yeshivos and to ease the tuition burden on families across the country. 

Over the past several months, Agudath Israel of America and Torah Umesorah have carefully studied how our community can best take advantage of this opportunity. 

These discussions included extensive deliberations by the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and the Vaad Roshei Hayeshivos, with one overriding question in mind: What approach will maximize the benefit of this tax credit for our yeshivos, our families, and the future of chinuch?

 The conclusion was that the strongest course is to work through a single Scholarship Granting Organization with the scale, reach, and infrastructure necessary to bring the greatest possible number of dollars to our mosdos. 

Accordingly, Agudath Israel of America and Torah Umesorah are proud to endorse the Opportunity Fund for Jewish Education, a new national Scholarship Granting Organization launched by the Orthodox Union and Teach Coalition, Jewish Federations of North America, and Prizmah.

 The Opportunity Fund for Jewish Education www.jewishopportunity.org 

The Opportunity Fund pairs national strength with local connection. Its reach can open participation across the country, while its structure allows communities, parents, alumni, and supporters to stand behind the schools and yeshivos they know and care about.

 What This Means for Our Families and Yeshivos 

Beginning January 1, 2027, eligible taxpayers can contribute to the Opportunity Fund for Jewish Education and receive a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit of up to $1,700. In participating states, those contributions can fund scholarships at yeshivos, bringing meaningful tuition relief to families. 

Local dollars stay local. Contributors can designate their contributions to participating yeshivos and schools, and communities can mobilize their parents, alumni, and supporters to direct new resources to their mosdos.

 A unified platform strengthens that designation: it broadens awareness, reaches contributors our institutions could not reach on their own, and ensures that yeshivos in communities of every size can benefit. 

Importantly, 100% of every dollar designated to a school will go directly toward scholarships for its students, with none used to cover the Fund’s administrative or operating costs. The Fund’s scale and partnerships uniquely position it to raise separate philanthropic support for those costs. We believe that, b’ezras Hashem, this effort can bring meaningful new resources to our mosdos and real tuition relief to families throughout the country.

 The Path Forward For taxpayers

 You can pledge your $1,700 contribution today and be ready to contribute when the program begins in 2027. Pledge Today

 For yeshiva and school leaders Schools can register with the Opportunity Fund now to receive additional information and learn about the next steps for participation. 

Register Your School 

In the coming months, Agudath Israel and Torah Umesorah will continue working closely with our yeshivos to help them prepare to take full advantage of this historic opportunity. With continued hatzlacha in your avodas hakodesh, 

Ksiva V’Chasima Tova 

Agudath Israel of America, Torah Umesorah

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

When Rosh Hashana Falls On Shabbos, No Shofar Could be A Good Year Ahead

Hefkervelt1 month ago

When Rosh Hashana Falls On Shabbos, No Shofar Could be A Good Year Ahead

 (א"ר יצחק, כל שנה שאין תוקעין לה בתחילתה, מריעין לה בסופה, מאי טעמא, דלא עירבב שטן" (ר"ה, טז ע"ב
 Any year that we do not blow the Shofar on Rosh HaShana we will have a bad year at the end (Rosh HaShanah 16b). There are opinions that the gemara refers to a regular year where there was no shofar blowing others say it is talking about  when shabbos falls out on Rosh Hashana such as this year. The Aruch Laner, (in his Minchas Ani, Parshas Haazinu) He discovered that whenever Rosh Hashanah fell on Shabbos, that year was either a terrible or a fantastic one for Klal Yisroel. Either way, it is almost never an uneventful somewhat forgettable year.

Article in the Yated  By Rabbi Yaakov Feitman -  No Shofar, No Chain, But Shabbos is Always There for Us
This year, we will not hear the sound of the shofar on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. ...It is simply that our rabbonon decreed that we may not blow the shofar on Shabbos (Rosh Hashanah 29b; Rambam, Shofar 2:6). It may seem too early to discuss this subject, but if anything, it is a bit late. As we have indicated in these columns in the past, many of our sages have taught us that everything important requires preparation. Here, too, there is a special power to a Shabbos Rosh Hashanah. Rav Yaakov Ettlinger, author of the Aruch Laner, shares with us (in his Minchas Ani, Parshas Haazinu) the results of a historical study he completed. He discovered that whenever Rosh Hashanah fell on Shabbos, that year was either a terrible or a fantastic one for Klal Yisroel. Either way, it is almost never an uneventful somewhat forgettable year.

Rav Ettlinger offers several dramatic examples of this thesis: The destructions of both Botei Mikdosh took place in such years, as did other national tragedies. In fact, the Gemara itself (Rosh Hashanah 16b) declares that “a year when the sound of the tekiah is not heard in the beginning [on Rosh Hashanah], the sound of the teruah will be heard at its end.” This refers to evil tidings in such a year
. On the other hand, he continues, the day of Yom Kippur, when we were forgiven for the sin of the Eigel, was also such a year. That year, we were also commanded to build the Mishkon, as was the year when we entered Eretz Yisroel with miracles. What is the meaning of this strange dichotomy? The Aruch Laner explains with a moshol, a complex parable, which we condense here in the interest of brevity:

An officer of the king sinned egregiously against him. None of his attorneys or advisors could budge the angry monarch. Finally, his wife tearfully stood before the king and poured out her heart. “Your majesty, my husband did indeed transgress toward you. However, it was a one-time aberration; he is truly loyal to you. Please, I beg you. Do not execute him and leave me as a widow and my children as orphans.”

The king was moved by her honesty and pain, by the thought of the innocent children, and granted clemency. A few months later, the story replayed itself with another officer, who suggested to his wife to do the same. A soon as she appeared before the king, he took note of the fact that she was covered with bruises and wounds. He ordered an investigation and discovered that it was the husband’s doing, immediately sentencing him to death. When this second defendant cried foul, the king answered him sternly. “Your wife did not speak out of her love for you. She spoke out of fear of your wrath. For that, there is no clemency.”

The Aruch Laner concluded: “Shabbos is the bride of Klal Yisroel (Bereishis Rabbah 11:8). When Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbos, we do not blow the shofar because we are concerned that someone will desecrate Shabbos in order to learn how to blow shofar. Imagine! Because of the rather far-fetched possibility that one Jew in millions will desecrate Shabbos, we deny the multitudes all the merits, power and value of the shofar. On those years, Shabbos herself comes to the defense of Klal Yisroel and pleads our case, because we have such a mutually loving relationship with her. We care so much about her that we have given up our most powerful weapon in obtaining a good year. Hashem hears her cries and supplications and forgives us because of her. That is why a shofar-less Rosh Hashanah often brings the greatest of blessings. However, if Shabbos has been injured and abused, if Shabbos has been treated unkindly and there is no shofar to bring us forgiveness, Shabbos cannot make a winning presentation either and the year becomes a dangerous one indeed.”

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

Tackling Today's Challenges

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Tackling Today's Challenges

Tackling Today's Challenges Q&A  at Hashkafa In The Workplace Vaad Labor Day, Beru hall Lakewood

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

Tuesday September 8 News Updates Lakewood

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Tuesday September 8 News Updates Lakewood

Weather: 83° Mostly sunny 

Last day of Bingo/Mesamchei Lev Yom Tov sale

- A hafgana took place tonight in Yerushalayim, organized by the Hifkadeti organization, to protest the arrest and continued detention of an American yeshiva bochur who has been jailed for the past three months following his involvement in opposition to the Jerusalem Light Rail. Rav Velvel Soloveitchik, Rosh Yeshiva of Brisk, was on hand to show his support for the protesters. The demonstrators marched down Kikar Shabbos, making their way toward Bar Ilan Street. Police eventually called off the protest and arrested two additional bochurim.

- Trump’s proposed stay-at-home parent benefit would reportedly require recipients to be married & have one spouse working 35+ hours a week, with benefits averaging around $9,000 per child.

- United Torah Judaism Submits Knesset Candidate List: United Torah Judaism submitted its list for the next Knesset. The top 10 candidates are chairman Yaakov Asher, Yitzhak Goldknopf, Yitzhak Pindrus, Meir Porush, Moshe Rosenthal, Elyakim Stark, Yehuda Weissfish, Yaakov Tessler, David Salz and David Ochana

- Police in Lakewood, NJ responded Tuesday morning to a report of a possibly armed person near Laurel and Clover, prompting nearby school lockdowns. Officers located the individual but found no weapon. Police say there is no known threat to the public and no ongoing threat

- There's still a handful of girls not placed yet in school for primary a week into school year

- New rideshare to yeshiva. The Yeshiva Carpool is a simple ride-sharing system that helps youngeleit get to and from yeshiva. Passengers  call and enter their location, and get connected with a driver in their area who calls in to the system with his pick up locations.

- Will playgroup registration also be postponed to later in the year, following the letter issued by the  girls elementary schools stating that registration will begin Rosh chodesh Shevat? Some are wondering whether the Rabbonim will implement a similar policy for playgroups, especially since registration for two-year-olds currently begins on Isru Chag Sukkos—almost a full year before parents can know how the child will adjust and behave in a playgroup setting. Additionally, in Manchester, the Rabbonim have capped the monthly fees, following a tremendous increase in playgroup prices over the past few years.

- NJ Gov. Mikie Sherrill said Tuesday that any credible report of inappropriate behavior or misconduct involving members of her administration must be “fully examined and addressed,” but did not directly address an internal investigation into her lieutenant governor, Dale Caldwell. “Public service is an honor,” Sherrill said in a statement. “And I have spent a lifetime of service in the Navy, as a prosecutor, in Congress, and now as Governor.”“I demand that everyone in my administration hold themselves to the highest standards and put their obligations to public service first,” she said.

- ICE activity in Lakewood today

- Rav David Yosef sefardi chief Rabbi paid a visit to the Skver rebbe yesterday while he's in the US ahead of Yomim Noraim.

The former yeshiva chofetz Chaim building in Radin was bought back and a chanukas Habyis is planned after Sukkos with a kollel expected to open there.

- British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband on Tuesday announced an import ban on goods from illegal settlements in the West Bank, as well as sanctions against specific individuals and businesses that provide services such as construction, instruction, financing or real estate for settlement expansion. The announcement was carried out in coordination with France and Canada.

- Israel announced counter sanctions on Britain: The closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem, which has been operating since the 19th century, and the expulsion of British representatives from the headquarters in Kiryat Gat that handles Gaza.

- Internal turmoil within Degel HaTorah party. The chatter of Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlita denies that the RY saw pr approved the letter in the Yated Neeman or supported the ouster of MK Gafni and Maklev.

 Reporter for CH 13 says It’s hard to get over the twisted way they are trying to rewrite history here: Gafni and Maklev are ousted in the dead of night and in a humiliating manner, and then they are “thanked for their contributions and service.” After that, their aides and associates, who were simply trying to defend their bosses and their livelihoods, are publicly blamed and dismissed. Then a video is circulated claiming that all these steps were supposedly taken with the approval of Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch. Only one small mistake was made along the way: Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch did not approve this forceful document.

- Icecream House in Lakewood has added more parking spaces with two additional parking lots behind the building to accommodate the customers (feder status)

- A growing dispute within the Agudas Yisroel faction of Yahadut HaTorah could lead to a major political shakeup ahead of the next Knesset election. MK Porush and Belz MK have announced they will run on their own party within UTJ  a procedural move that allows them to not be beholden to Gur. The conflict centers on Ger’s demand to remove Sanz representative Moshe Shimon Roth from the fifth spot because he would not commit to following Ger’s Central Faction on every vote. The dispute has become so serious that other Agudah factions are now considering running with Degel HaTorah without Ger or forming their own electoral bloc, and negotiations on a joint Degel-Agudah slate have reportedly been delayed.

- Uman Rosh Hashana: Hundreds of Breslover Chassidim traveling to Uman for Rosh Hashanah were left without their luggage after HiSky flights from Ben Gurion Airport to Kishinev, Moldova, departed without passengers’ suitcases. The missing luggage contains clothing and other essential supplies, leaving many travelers scrambling to manage ahead of Rosh Hashanah.

- Trump holds phone call with Putin, telling him he wants the war in Ukraine ended “as soon as possible.”

- NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani says he will attend Friday’s 25th-anniversary 9/11 ceremony at Ground Zero, despite former Mayor Rudy Giuliani criticizing his attendance. Mamdani said the event should focus on the nearly 3,000 victims, their families and the first responders who responded to the attacks.

- Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, the Chief Rabbi of Britain: "This is truly a dark day for British Jews. Today, our government chose to ignore the deep concerns expressed by so many of us. The steps announced today are nothing more than a political flag-waving for false rhetoric against Israel and those who hold a dangerous obsession with the Jewish state. These steps will only succeed in strengthening the very extremism they claim to be combating

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

Iran Israel Updates Tuesday Sep 8

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Iran Israel Updates Tuesday Sep 8

- Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Claim Attacks on 2 US Vessels and 8 Tankers: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they attacked 2 US vessels and 8 oil tankers in the Gulf in response to a US strike that destroyed 5 Iranian tankers. They claimed the 10 vessels had tried to cross an area of the Strait of Hormuz designated “prohibited and unsafe.” 

- Jordan says it intercepted 18 of 20 missiles, with no injuries reported. Iran says there was heavy damage.

- Iranian missiles explosions over Jordan were seen in Israeli skies including from Yerushalayim 

- Israeli official: Israel had a warning regarding a planned strike by the Revolutionary Guards into Jordan, but was surprised by the scale there had been no warning of an attack of this magnitude.

- US announces it destroyed 5 Iranian crude oil tankers tonight, in response to the IRGC attack on the US nuclear aircraft carrier with ballistic missiles, per CENTCOM.

- Iran launched barrage of  missiles at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan; a large number of interceptors were fired. Explosions at the Muwaffaq Salti and Prince Hassan US air bases in Jordan minutes ago, the first targets. Initial reports of direct impacts at Muwaffaq with cluster munitions

- The US military is currently striking Iranian oil tankers near Kharg Island, a US official says, with Iranian media reporting multiple loud explosions heard near Kharg in the past minutes. Initial reports from Iran say the US struck 2 more oil tankers near Jask, +800km southeast from Kharg.

- Iran's IRGC warns all crews serving US oil tankers in and around the ports of Kuwait and Bahrain to "immediately leave their vessels whether at anchor or at the ports" because the tankers will be targeted, citing the US strikes on several Iranian oil tankers, in a statement just released. The IRGC names Kuwait and Bahrain as hosts and partners of the US military in the strikes, widening the imminent response from the US bases Iran named an hour ago to US shipping sitting in two Gulf states' ports.

- Netanyahu’s Office Denies UAE Warning Before 7 October: Netanyahu’s office called reports that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned him before 7 October “false,” saying any relevant information would have been shared through intelligence channels. The UAE declined to address the reports directly, stating that it does not comment on speculation about conversations and that both countries maintain open communication and share relevant intelligence when necessary.

- Trump on Iran: "And I will tell you, we're right now fighting because we have a certain nation that wanted a nuclear weapon; they were very close to getting it, and now they have no chance of getting it. They will never have a nuclear weapon; Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. And they've been punished greatly"

 - Days before Oct. 7, UAE leader warned Netanyahu Hamas was planning war, but PM did nothing with the info.  Some 10 days before Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was personally warned by the leader of the United Arab Emirates that Hamas was planning a major offensive move against Israel, but did not update Israeli security leaders and did nothing with the information, according to a report on Tuesday in Haaretz.

- Israel announced counter sanctions on Britain: The closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem, which has been operating since the 19th century, and the expulsion of British representatives from the headquarters in Kiryat Gat that handles Gaza

- British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announces a sweeping sanctions package targeting Israeli settlements in the West Bank as well as a range of other punitive measures, during a speech in the House of Commons featuring Britain’s strongest-ever criticism of the settlement enterprise. Denouncing Israel’s entirely “unlawful occupation” of the West Bank, Miliband decries spiraling instances of settler violence against Palestinians, saying “settler terrorism is rampant,” and citing United Nations reports of an “average of six violent settler attacks against Palestinians per day this year, the highest on record.”

- Bloomberg: British diplomats updated the US that the sanctions planned by British Foreign Secretary David Miliband against the “settlements” are "largely symbolic and will not have a real impact on the broad relations between Britain and Israel in trade and security

- 12 countries jointly declare support for European measures against West Bank settlements. After UK Foreign Minister Ed Miliband announced wide-ranging sanctions against Israeli West Bank settlements, a group of Western states jointly declare their intention to support European measures against settlement products and to introduce new sanctions. Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK release a statement confirming their “intention to introduce national and/or support European restrictions on trade in goods with settlements which are illegal under international law, or that they are actively considering these and other measures, in accordance with their national procedures.”The 12 countries underscore their commitment to a two-state solution. They call on Israel to “immediately halt the expansion of settlements and civilian administrative powers, ensure accountability for settler violence, and investigate allegations against Israeli forces.

- US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee” This is an irrational action... if the UK is really interested in dealing with issues they feel are wrong, where are the sanctions against North Korea, China, Russia?

- Israel Foreign Minister Saar: The Labor Party's move is particularly absurd, especially given the Balfour Declaration by the British government, which officially recognized the right of the Jewish people to establish the State of Israel in the Land of Israel, including Judea and Samaria

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

“Too Dangerous to Walk”: Mayor Responds to Parent’s Hazardous Busing Concerns

Hefkervelt1 month ago

“Too Dangerous to Walk”: Mayor Responds to Parent’s Hazardous Busing Concerns

Hazardous Busing: A Safety Issue for Every Child

Tomorrow  the Lakewood Board of Education will have a special meeting on hazardous bus transportation. The agenda includes a resolution authorizing up to $14.88 million for the Lakewood Student Transportation Authority (LSTA) to provide hazardous-route transportation for eligible nonpublic-school students. The funding is based on up to 12,642 students at a maximum of $1,177 per student, with the final amount subject to verification.

At the Lakewood Township  meeting last Thursday, Mayor Raymond Coles addressed the issue of hazardous busing in response to a parent who had sent emails to the Township and spoke up during the meeting online about the safety of children traveling to school.

According to Mayor Coles, the Board of Education will be paying for courtesy busing for non-mandated public-school students who live on hazardous routes. However, approximately 300 students will still not be covered.

As for hazardous busing for yeshiva and private-school students, the mayor said they are looking into the issue and indicated that the money should go “across the board.” to both private and public school.

A parent, who has children attending a yeshiva on Cross Street, pointed out that the route is too dangerous for children to walk. He questioned why parents are being forced to pay exorbitant amounts for LSTA transportation while there is no money specifically allocated in the new budget for the safety of children getting to school.

This raises a fundamental question: If a road is considered too hazardous for children to walk, shouldn't safe transportation be provided equally to all students public, yeshiva, and private?

Would you let your child walk to school down Cedarbridge Avenue, Cross Street, County Line Road, Route 88, or any other hazardous road with no sidewalks and heavy traffic?

For many parents, the answer is obvious: No.

Most of Lakewood is not safe to walk to school with no sidewalks, safe shoulders, and safe crossings at busy intersections.

And that is precisely the problem. There are roads in Lakewood that are recognized as hazardous for children traveling to and from school. New Jersey itself recognizes hazardous walking routes and allows districts to provide transportation for students who would otherwise have to walk along those routes.

Yet under current New Jersey law, a student who lives within the mileage threshold is not automatically entitled to transportation simply because the route is dangerous. Districts may provide courtesy or subscription busing and may charge parents for that service.

In Lakewood, until a few weeks ago the Township paid the Board of Education for courtesy and hazardous transportation for public-school students. Private-school families, however, are required to pay out of pocket when they opt into courtesy transportation through the LSTA. With the annual fee increasing to $675, families are being asked to pay for transportation because the alternative is for children to travel along roads that have been designated hazardous.

This should not be a question of whether a family can afford the bus. A child's safety should not depend on whether his or her parents can afford the transportation fee.

A distance measured on a map does not tell us whether a child can safely walk that route. Two miles on a sidewalk is not the same thing as two miles along a road with no sidewalk, heavy traffic, high speeds, blind curves, dangerous crossings, or other hazards.

The mayor's response is an important step, but the question remains: Will the new budget provide funding for hazardous transportation for every child who needs it, regardless of which school they attend?

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

Oif Simchas Events Monday 26 Elul

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Oif Simchas Events Monday 26 Elul

Chasunas:

Neiman - Kurz Neemas Hachaim 

- Kabolas Panim reception  for the Roshei yeshiva of Torah Vodass Rav Yisroel Reisman, Rav Yitzchok Lichtenstein  Rav Yosef Savitzky shlita Hachana for Yomim Noraim at 227 Autumn Rd Lakewood Maariv 8:40pm Kabolas Kahal 9:30pm

- Adirei HaTorah Parlor meeting at Jackson 21

- Yartzeit of Rav Menashe Klein ZTL and Kabolas Kahal with the Ungvar Rav Shlita 1002 W. Kennedy Blvd Lakewood Maariv 8:40 p.

- Fundraiser for Keren Hatzolah Satmar at 47 Arosa Hill Lakewood 

Selichos Stolin B"M 9:45 pm

Neimark Toms River 10:00pm

Lutzk 10:15 Simcha Hall

Chestnut shul, Kol Shimshon, Satmar, Lutzk, Alumni 12:45am

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

Iran Israel Updates Monday Sep 7

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Iran Israel Updates Monday Sep 7

- Israeli officials admit: "We have no idea when the 'spark' that will ignite the protest in Iran will arrive - but it will arrive"..

- Iran launches multiple waves of anti-ship cruise missiles and Shahed-136 drones from Sirik, southern Iran, toward vessels under US Navy escort in the US-backed southern Omani corridor of the Strait of Hormuz, per initial reports.

- UK set to announce ban on trade with Israeli settlements in West Bank. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told the House of Commons last week the UK needs “a comprehensive reset of our policy” when it comes to the West Bank.

- Jared Kushner on Gaza and Israel: "We are working on several political issues in Israel. I think we agree with them on the desired end state. It's just that they have crazy elections, and that makes them a bit irrational in certain aspects.

- Iran: IRGC Deploys in Isfahan: IRGC and Basij forces are deploying in large numbers across Isfahan Province. This move precedes a petrol price hike scheduled to take effect at midnight local time.

- Strait of Hormuz: Mine Clearance OperationThe US Navy spent four months secretly clearing Iranian naval mines from the Strait of Hormuz. Divers, robotic boats, and underwater vehicles located and neutralized mines, though commercial shipping remains cautious due to ongoing threats.

- Jizan: Aramco Facility StruckSaudi Aramco's Jizan oil facilities were struck, marking the second attack in just over a month. NASA FIRMS detected three thermal anomalies at the facility, which has not fully operated since late July.

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

Monday September 7 News Updates Lakewood

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Monday September 7 News Updates Lakewood

Weather:  80° Abundant sunshine.

Labor day major retail stores and grocery chains are open on Labor Day, while government offices, banks, and mail services are closed. Costco is closed.

Today The 25th of Elul marks the anniversary of the first day of creation, of the ששת ימי בראשית 

- Trump: Oil prices will drop precipitously, like everything else is dropping (but more!), when we WIN the war with Iran. Three Dollars a gallon, but ultimately, below Two Dollars a gallon. It will all happen quickly, and Iran will never have a Nuclear Weapon. MAGA! President DJT

- Update on White House Admorim visit 

Repprt: Jared Kushner called Rabbi Yisrael Moshe Spitzer, the mayor of New Square, and told him that President Trump had read the letter from the Skverer Rebbe, shlita. Trump then told his daughter, Ivanka Kushner, that the letter was an extremely warm and heartfelt letter, and that it was a beautiful and wonderful letter.

- BDE: Petirah of Rebbetzin Sarah Bressler A"H wife of  Ybl"C Rav Chaim Bressler shlita  rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Bais Moshe of Scranton, Pennsylvania.  Levaya tonight in Lakewood 10pm at the chapel she was 87.

Rav Bressler along with Rav Schnaidman arrived in Scranton as young talmidim of Rav Aharon Kotler in 1965 to establish the yeshiva Rebbetzin Bressler accompanied and supported that mission throughout. Recently Rav and Rebbetzin Bressler  relocated to Lakewood, New Jersey, where they settled in the A Country Place neighborhood. Rebbetzin Bressler leaves behind her husband, Rav Chaim Bressler, as well as their distinguished family of children and grandchildren who continue in the path of Harbotzas haTorah  The levayah will be held in Lakewood tonight, Monday night, at 10 p.m. at the  Chapel,  off 7th street. 

Zoom link HERE Passcode 622300

- MK Moshe Gafni will remain as party chairman after he was removed off the list from serving as a knessset member after the elections. MkUri Maklev will remain with the party in a supporting role.

- New Jersey’s Democratic governor Sherrill is facing heat over her immigration policies after an illegal immigrant fleeing a targeted ICE operation crashed into multiple vehicles, injuring the wife of a Democratic mayor. The incident is renewing criticism from Republican lawmakers who have opposed New Jersey’s restrictions on cooperation between local police and federal immigration authorities. 

- Polymarket Centrist former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot is now projected to be Israel's next prime minister, unseating Benjamin Netanyahu.51% chance.

- Hashkafa in the work place Labor day learning event with Q And A panel at the Beru hall in Tims River today.

- President Trump appears to be switching up his signature look, and social media is taking notice. Trump stepped off Air Force One in New Jersey with his famously blond hair appearing noticeably darker, sparking a wave of speculation online over whether the president debuted a new color.

- The NJ GOP is now calling for Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell's resignation following a report about an ethics investigation of inappropriate behavior that was kept secret for  a while.

- Infestation updates for Rosh Hashonah here

- Belz  chasidus announced that MK Yisroel Eichler will not run on United Torah Judaism’s Agudas Yisrael slate and will be replaced by Rabbi Eliakim Stark. Eichler has served almost continuously as a lawmaker since 2003 and recently held the post of deputy communications minister. Israeli political reporters note this was a last minute switch the hospitalization of the rebbe was a factor.

- White house meeting with Admorim, activist Yossi Gesterner in a  interview from behind the scenes leading up to the historic meeting says very powerful forces tried stopping it up to the last minute. The Complicated Path to the Historic White House Visit watch Here

- For the girls who are still not placed in school Submitted: Beautiful initiate for girls out of school. This is a temporary program for girls currently waiting for school placement — iy”H they’ll all be in schools very soon! We’ll be running Monday–Thursday, 10–2, with Monday & Tuesday at Dr. Suss Stables and Wednesday & Thursday at Rosenfeld Ranch. Just heard about this and it would be a chesed to share with those out of school.

- Kosher Pizza vending machine at Exxon kosher, to go live this week

- Trump: Happy Labor Day to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics, Communists, and Dumocrats who will do anything possible to destroy our Country. These Deranged People, after fighting for 10 years, should finally acknowledge that your Favorite President (ME!), knows how to WIN! They should be exhausted by now but, sadly, they’re not. They’re going to give it one last shot at ruining America, but we’re not going to let that happen. We’re going to win the Midterms, BIG, and SAVE AMERICA! President DONALD J. TRUMP

- First Delta airlines flight arrived in Israel as the company resumes flights since October 7th.

- Israir Airlines will begin selling tickets tonight for its new Tel Aviv–New York route after investing $85 million in two Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft. The first flight from Tel Aviv is scheduled for September 15, with the first return from New York on September 17.

- Lakewood busing NJ 12 reporter joined students who are now walking to school since courtesy busing was cut "According to an attorney for the Lakewood School District, Lakewood Township previously paid for courtesy bussing. However, the township has stopped funding the service and the district's council said the school system cannot afford to cover the cost on its own."

There will be a Special  BOE meeting this Wednesday open to the public to discuss Hazardous busing for both public and private mon mandated students.

- Uman Rosh Hashana thousands have arrived already ahead of RH. Earlier today near Uman air sirens went off of possible Russian attack  forcing people to seek shelter.

- President Trump posted a video of him changing New Mexico State to New America

- A Hafgana is planned tomorrow at Kikar Shabbks for an American Yeshiva bochur who is in jail for 3 months following protects against the light rail construction in Yerushalayim.

The annual pre Rosh Hashana cleaning of the paper kvitlach from the Kosel

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

Hashkafa Q & A

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Hashkafa Q & A

Hashkafa With Rav Gershon Ribner Shlita

 

The Shaila that stumped the great Posek of all time Failed initiatives to solve shidduch crisis Halachic and ethical boundaries for Rabbinic interactions with women
 The one student who built up HG”R Nochum ז”ל The State of Israel's scorn of the chareidim

Essence of cantorship: voice, character, spirituality Generals of faith choose which battle matters most

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

Sunday September 6 News Updates Lakewood

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Sunday September 6 News Updates Lakewood

 יום א סליחות שבוע של ראש השנה

Weather: 74° Considerable clouds this morning. Some decrease in clouds later in the day.

24 Elul:  The 93rd Yartzeit of R' Yisrael Meir Kagan HaKohen of Radin, the Chofetz Chaim (1838-1933)

Last full Sunday before Sukkos due to calender schedule this year.

Bingo Yom Tov sale going on thru Sept 8

-Trump: Many people suggested changing the name of New Mexico, one of the great vote cheating states of all time, to NEW AMERICA. So much more prestigious and beautiful for the people of that potentially incredible State. Wow, I Love It!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP

- Trump declares "The Moon is ours"

- Channel 13 reports: The drama within Degel HaTorah party Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman, the senior rabbinic authority of Degel HaTorah, is refusing to sign today on the removal of Knesset members Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev. Rav Berel Povarsky, head of the Ponevezh Yeshiva, is also refusing to sign. They believe that ulterior considerations are behind the move to oust Gafni and Maklev.

- Update 5 killed and 5 injured. An Amazon Prime Air Boeing 767 cargo jet overran the runway at Miami International Airport, crossed a perimeter road and caught fire. Heavy black smoke is visible across the area. The FAA has issued a ground stop. The flight was arriving from San Juan. Details on the crew remain limited. 

- A Cargo Plane Crashes Near Miami International Airport Runway unconfirmed reporte say  3 Dead & 1 Ground Fatality after it overruns the runway.

- The Belzer Rebbe was taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital for medical tests after not feeling well. He did not attend Selichos.  ישכר דוב בן מרים לרפו"ש

- Hanochas Even Hapina at Yeshiva Heichal  Hatalmud R'Y Rav Moshe Weiss shlita today 3:00pm Bellevue corner Newport st Lakewood

- Chanukas Habayis at Rachmastrivka  aisle Medrash in Lakewood on Oak and Vine intersection.

- Hachnosas sefer Torah to Bais Medrash Shvilei Dovid Oak n Vine procession leaving 4pm from 101 Oak st to the Bais Medrash 74 Broadway.

- Hachnosas Sefer Torah to Bais Medrash of Pine Street LKewood procession leaving from 1 Treeside at 5:30pm to the B"M.

- Hachnosas sefer Torah at BM Ohev Yisroel Opta at Oak N Vine procession leaving from 82 Wadsworth Lakewood at 6pm

- Breslov rabbonim urge those with draft issues with IDF to not attempt going to Uman but to spend Rosh Hashana in Miron instead.

- Trump: Canada’s (currency) Dollar imbalance with the U.S. is unacceptable. It has been that way for years - but no longer! President DJT

- The Lakewood BOE is set to hold a special meeting Wednesday afternoon to address courtesy busing and hazardous routes, The special session is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 4:30 p.m., with the Board expected to discuss transportation for both public and private school. Meeting will be open to the public.

- Pre yom tov semi annual warehouse sale for women's and girls clothing will take place at American Dream mall tomorrow and Monday Labor day at the brand new event center 11am -8pm

- Shas moetzes keeps all incumbent knesset members for upcoming elections and adds new names

- Degel ousts MK Gafni and Maklev amid internal  turmoil followed by a letter sent motzei shabbos from Rav Dov Landau notifying of their  termination. Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch has not issued any statement or signed the letter.

- Agudah Ger rebbe instructed party that MK Goldknopf will remain in the kneesset.

- Deal, New Jersey known for its luxury estates, tops the list as the borough with the greatest increase in home prices, followed by Bay Head and Sea Girt all three Jersey shore towns the towns with the fastest growing home prices in Monmouth and Ocean counties: 

Deal Typical home value: $4,570,316

1-year price change: +$615,185 (+15.6%)

5-year price change: +$1,876,391 (+69.7%)

- Naftali Bennett announces B’Yachad list for October elections Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid party is running on a joint list with Bennett, and the final list will include a merger between the two parties' members,

- Submitted: Some phones got an update over shabbos, asking people to sign in to their SMS. This is security vulnerability, it is NOT recommended to sign in or to give over any information; as this allows the app to see all your text messages.

- US peace envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv today Sunday as the Trump administration renewed its push to end Russia's four-and-a-half-year war in Ukraine, Report informs via Reuters.

Kushner and Witkoff travelled from Moscow, where ‌they held three hours of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Shabbos but did not appear to secure a breakthrough in the conflict.

- President Trump and JD Vance are making it Possible for Stay Home Parents to Collect Federal child-care Subsidies, Possibly up to $9,000 per Child The Trump administration is drafting a rule change that would let married couples collect federal child-care subsidies if one spouse stays home with the kids while the other works. Critics say 9k is not enough to replace a salary plus childcare cost savings 

Selichos at the newly renovated Satmar  Rodney Bais Medrash in Williamsburg

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

Iran Israel Updates Sunday September

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Iran Israel Updates Sunday September

- US President Donald Trump posted two inverted maps of the Middle East on Truth Social, one showing Iran in its real shape while the other shows the country in the shape of his head's silhouette.

- Energy Secretary Chris Wright: "A nuclear deal with Iran may not happen; we will simply continue to destroy their ability to achieve it. Any agreement may have to wait for the next government in Iran; we don't know that yet."

- Ali Abdullahi, commander of the Iranian armed forces: "The expectation of the United States that Iran will surrender is an illusion that will never come true."

- Hezbollah fired drones at Israeli soldiers. Israel responded with fire. The IDF describes the coming days as “particularly sensitive,” partly due to the operation in the Beaufort area and the fact that Hezbollah and, to a certain extent, Iran as well have threatened to respond to the advance of ground forces beneath the Ali Taher Ridge.

- IDF Chief Warns of Tense Period During Surprise Drill: IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir held a General Staff assessment as part of the surprise exercise “Dawn 2.0,” which began this morning. Zamir said the situation across all arenas is tense and volatile, stressing that the IDF is preparing for the upcoming holidays and maintaining readiness for a surprise attack.

- Israel Security Council issued a warning to Israelis traveling abroad: Iran’s Quds Force and Hamas abroad will intensify efforts to harm Israelis during the holiday period in countries around the world

 New York Times report: Iran has gained confidence in its ability to strike targets in the Middle East and appears determined to continue the confrontation for months to frustrate the United States, according to recent US intelligence reports.

- U.S. forces have destroyed three Iranian oil tankers after Iran attempted to fire ballistic missiles at two U.S. Navy warships, according to CENTCOM. An aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer were targeted but not hit. 

No Americans were injured.

CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper: “Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost  taking out three of yours.”

- US Central Command: Thanks to the precision and professionalism of US service members, the oil tanker M/T Kylo sank today in the Gulf of Oman and joined the Iranian fleet on the seabed.

- NYP: “The Islamic Republic is allegedly plotting to repeat Hamas’ barbaric Oct. 7 attacks  which saw more Jews killed in a single day than any time since the Holocaust but this time with full coordination of their sprawling terrorist network, which includes Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officials have sought to revitalize its “Axis of Resistance” terrorist network and have held multiple planning meetings with leaders from Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iraqi militias about an escalation against Israel, the outlet reported.”

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

Motzei Shabbos Nitzavim Vayelech News Updates

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Motzei Shabbos Nitzavim Vayelech News Updates

 Tonight 64 clear tomorrow Cloudy skies with a few showers later in the day. High around 75F. Chance of rain 30%

Tomorrow is the only full Sunday before Sukkos.

                     במוצאי מנוחה קדמנוך תחילה 

- Selichos Motzei Shabbos in BMG at the Yoshon, Princton, Forest, Bais Aaron, Bais Sholom starting at 1:00am. Harav Yeruchom Olshin shlita will speak in Bais Aaron at 12:30 pm 4:35am in Zemel BM,5:15 an vasikin ,6:40am Carey BM

Lutzk motzei shabbos 12:45 Sunday morning before the 7/8/9 minyanim

- Khal Bnei Yissosscher Toms River 1767 Whitesville Selichos 10:00 pm,12:15am and 12:45 am and tomorrow Am minyanim

In light of the letter by gedolei EY against the musical selichos some have changed to are selichos kumzitz followed by with regular selichos.

- Political  Shakeup in Degel HaTorah party as Mk Moshe Gafni and Mk Uri Maklev are forced out after a lengthy career. Rav Dov Lando, sent letters to Moshe Gafni,  and Uri Maklev, thanking them for their years of service in the knesset citing the need to "refresh" the party's presence in the Knesset as the reason for the two members' departures and requested that Gafni remain the party's chairman.

-  The Lakewood Board of Education is set to hold a special meeting Wednesday afternoon to address courtesy busing and hazardous routes, The special session is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 4:30 p.m., with the Board expected to discuss transportation for students attending nonpublic schools and, in particular, how Lakewood’s policies governing roads deemed hazardous should be applied under New Jersey law. The issue could have significant implications in Lakewood, where thousands of children who live within the state mileage limits for mandatory transportation nevertheless travel along heavily trafficked roads that the district itself has formally classified as hazardous. “A hazardous road is hazardous regardless of what school a child attends. Matzav.

 - The mayor of Jackson Township, New Jersey, is calling for the state’s sanctuary policies to be rolled back after an illegal immigrant struck a family in a grocery store parking lot, killing a 9-month-old baby. Mayor Jennifer Kuhn reveals that local police cannot contact ICE when they encounter someone who is undocumented — and that has to change.“Condolences at this point are not enough. Leadership needs to step in.”

- Trump officials draft plan that would pay parents to stay home & raise their children using federal child care funds. The program could be $9K per year for these families The goal: make it easier for married Americans to let one parent take care of the children, rather than both work and pay others to take care of the children This could create an incentive for parents to "stay at home with their chilren"

- Pre yom tov semi annual warehouse sale for women's and girls clothing will take place  at American Dream mall tomorrow and Monday Labor day at the brand new event center 11am -8pm

 - NYP: “The Islamic Republic is allegedly plotting to repeat Hamas’ barbaric Oct. 7 attacks — which saw more Jews killed in a single day than any time since the Holocaust — but this time with full coordination of their sprawling terrorist network, which includes Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, according to the Jerusalem Post.Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officials have sought to revitalize its “Axis of Resistance” terrorist network and have held multiple planning meetings with leaders from Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iraqi militias about an escalation against Israel, the outlet reported.”

Wearing the tallis of his his Grandfather, the Imrei Chaim the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, Rav Yisroel Hagar Shlita, led the first night of Selichos in the Beis Medrash Hagadol in Bnei Brak tonight.

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

Lakewood Zmanim ‌עש"ק פרשת נצבים וילך שביעי דנחמתא

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Lakewood Zmanim ‌עש"ק פרשת נצבים וילך שביעי דנחמתא

Friday, September 4, 2026 / כ'ב אלול תשפ"ו ערב שבת פרשת נצבים-וילך
-Candle lighting: 7:05 pm
-Shkia/sunset: 7:23 pm

Weather shabbos tonight 66° Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible.

Shabbos day 81° Partly cloudy

Pirkei Avos 6

The Bris Avrohom of Slonim would say: Since Chazal write, “One day of the year can be considered like the complete year” (Rosh Hashanah 2b), it is possible for one to rehabilitate the entire year even on its final day. Certainly the same applies to the last Shabbos of the year: It is possible to elevate the Shabbosos of the entire year on this final Shabbos. His son in law, the Nesivos Shalom adds: Aside from the restoration of the past year that can be achieved on this final Shabbos, this Shabbos serves also as the gateway and preparation for the awesome Yomim Noraim of the following year

פרשת ׳ניצבים׳ נקראת תמיד בערב ראש השנה, כדי להנחיל מסר חשוב: ״אתם ניצבים היום כולכם״ - כשאתם יחד, באחדות, במצב של ׳כולכם׳ וכאיש אחד או אז אנו מובטחים כי נתייצב איתן ביום הדין, יום הרת-עולם, וניכתב לשנה טובה ומתוקה. ״ברכנו אבינו״ - כאשר ״כולנו כאחד״

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

Friday Sept 4 News Updates Lakewood

Hefkervelt1 month ago

Friday Sept 4 News Updates Lakewood

 Friday, September 4, 2026 / כ״ב אלול תשפ״ו ערב שבת פרשת נצבים-וילך

Candle lighting 7:05 pm

Shkiah/Sunset 7:23 pm

Weather: 86° Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. 

Tonight 66° Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible.

Shabbos day 81° Partly cloudy

Last shabbos of the year The Nesivos Shalom adds: Aside from the restoration of the past year that can be achieved on this final Shabbos, this Shabbos serves also as the gateway and preparation for the awesome Yomim Noraim of the following year.

Selichos begins this Motzei Shabbos. Rosh Hashana is next shabbos and Sunday. This coming Sunday is the last regular  Sunday before Sukkos.

This shabbos 23 Elul is the 25th yartzeit of the yidden who were killed in the September 11 attacks.

- Admor M"Kaliv will be spending shabbos in Lakewood at the Stamford Meadows community and selichos motzei shabbos will be in New Square.

- Rachmastrivka Oak and Vine will have Selichos at the new B"M building corner Oak and Vine Lakewood 

Sefardi chief Rabbi the Rishon L'Tzion Chacham David Yosef will be spending shabbos in Deal, New Jersey 

- Bingo/Misachei Lev Yom Tov sale going on now thru September 8. Side of Salmon $6.99 a LB

Wooden Sukka panel $35

Electric small car $5k at the Lakewood store

- Toms River’s zoning board has approved Rabbi Moshe Rotberg’s plan to expand Khal Zichron Yechezkel, an Orthodox synagogue on Old Freehold Road. The project will add 4,000 square feet to the existing 3,000-square-foot building, bringing it to about 7,000 square feet. App

- The Skver Rebbe’s son who was at the meeting with Trump said after learning 99.9% of New Square voted for him, Trump jokingly asked who the remaining 0.1% were.

- From the township meeting last night

Hazardous Route Busing: Mayor Coles said the Lakewood BOE will pay for courtesy busing for non-mandated public school students who live along hazardous routes. However, approximately 300 students will not be covered.

As for hazardous-route busing for yeshiva and private school students, the mayor said officials are looking into the issue, adding that the funding should go “across the board.”

A parent whose children attend a yeshiva on Cross Street told the mayor that the route is too dangerous for children to walk, while parents are still required to pay for LSTA. He questioned why the new budget does not include funding to help ensure the safety of children traveling to school.

- Budget Vote Delayed: The Lakewood Committee did not vote on the budget tonight. The budget still requires approval from the Division of Local Government Services and must be advertised again. The committee hopes to vote on the budget next month, before the fourth-quarter tax bills go out.

Terrorist attack thwarted near the kosel after selichos last night A 33-year-old knife-wielding attacker attempted to chase and stab Jews and Border Police officers in the Old City early Friday near shaar Shchem at Damascus gate. Police shot the terrorist, preventing casualties.

- Giyus: A Charedi dual American-Israeli citizen was arrested while attempting to leave Israel over alleged draft refusal, hours after rabbonim  met with President Trump about this specific  scenario  asking for diplomatic intervention on the arrests of American citizens by IDF military police.

- State employees in New Jersey next year will pay about 13.3% more for their health insurance premiums and local public workers will pay an average of 22% more under rate plans approved Thursday. This is the fourth consecutive year the 450,000 state, county, and local government workers and retirees who belong to the State Health Benefits Program have faced double-digit premium increases. This will increase property taxes across New Jersey.

- Trump: Great jobs number just announced, breaking all estimates (except mine!) by double and triple - And you haven’t seen anything yet! EMPLOYERS ADDED 162,000 JOB IN AUGUST. Lower the interest rates because the U.S.A. is a much stronger credit than it was just a short time ago! A STRONG COUNTRY MEANS A LOWER INTEREST RATE - IT’S A BETTER CREDIT…Very simple! We should have the LOWEST RATE of any country in the World, like “the old days.” Without the United States agreeing to allow them their big surpluses, and we could stop that immediately, they would no longer be considered financially ELITE! LOWER THE RATE OR I’LL STOP TRADING WITH COUNTRIES WITH WHICH WE HAVE A DEFICIT, which the U.S. Supreme Court, in its ridiculous and very costly Tariff decision, strongly acknowledged “the President” has an absolute right to do. ITS BETTER THAN TARIFFS! The Fed Board, with its great new leader, must get smart - BE PATRIOTS for a change. High interest rates put the U.S.A. at a very unfair disadvantage, and I won’t allow that to happen! President DONALD J. TRUMP

Hefkervelt
1 month ago

A Cordial and Historic White House Meeting: Chassidic Leaders Bring Community Concerns Directly to President Trump

Hefkervelt1 month ago

A Cordial and Historic White House Meeting: Chassidic Leaders Bring Community Concerns Directly to President Trump

Inside the White House Meeting: Reb Gedalia Segedin of Kiryas Yoel shares new Details of the Historic Gathering

                         White House photo 

A delegation of leading Chassidishe Rebbes, Roshei Yeshiva and community representatives met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday, September 3, ahead of Rosh Hashanah. The gathering brought together senior rabbinic leaders representing major Chareidi communities in New York and New Jersey.

Among those present were the two Satmar Rebbes, the Bobover Rebbe, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey, Rav Malkiel Kotler, Rosh Yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, and Rav Aharon Mendel Twersky, who represented his father, the Skverer Rebbe. Community representatives included Reb Gedalia Segedin and others. 

Kosher Food for Jewish Prisoners

One of the issues raised with administration officials was the difficulty Jewish inmates in federal prisons face in obtaining edible kosher food. The delegation explained that the kosher meals currently being provided can be problematic for frum inmates, while kosher meat and other kosher food products are more expensive than the standard daily food allowance allocated per prisoner.

A proposal was therefore presented to prepare ready-made kosher meals in Kiryas Joel kitchens. The community has facilities capable of producing large quantities of prepared food, and the delegation suggested that meals could be produced at a cost that would remain within, or close to, the government's existing per-inmate food allowance.

The proposal would potentially address two issues at once: providing Jewish inmates with genuinely edible kosher meals while avoiding a substantial increase in government expenditures**.**

Appreciation for the COVID-Era Reopening of Yeshivos and Batei Medrash

During the Oval Office meeting, the Kiryas Yoel Satmar Rebbe expressed appreciation to President Trump for his actions during the COVID-19 period that allowed batei medrash and Jewish institutions to reopen. The delegation emphasized the importance of being able to resume Torah learning and communal religious life at a time when many institutions were facing restrictions.

Vaccine Requirements and the Schools

Another subject discussed was New York State's vaccine requirements for children and their impact on yeshivos and Jewish schools. The delegation explained that the community should not be characterized as "anti-vax." Rather, the concern being raised was specifically about vaccination schedule and the practical consequences for schools and families

They thanked the president for the newly introduced child vaccine protocol lowering the amount of shots per well visit. Some Satmar schools had received fines from New York State for failing to comply with the state's vaccine protocols. The delegation explained that the new approach to the vaccination schedule would work substantially better for the schools and the communities they serve.

A Discussion About New York Politics

President Trump also asked the rabbinic leaders about voting patterns in New York, particularly why Democratic candidates continue to receive significant support in parts of the state. The response was that the community has to be pragmatic about politics.

The Chareidi communities do not have enough votes by themselves to flip or control every state legislative or congressional seat, and therefore their political approach must take into account who actually holds power in Albany and Washington. The explanation was essentially that political engagement is based on the practical interests of the community rather than simply on party identification.

The Question of Netanyahu

According to Segedin's account, President Trump also asked the Satmar Rebbes about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Jared Kushner was present during the discussion and reportedly waved off the subject, indicating to Trump that the Satmar leadership does not involve itself with Israeli politicians.

The publicly reported accounts confirm that Kushner joined the Oval Office meeting at Trump's request, but the specific Netanyahu exchange has not been independently reported in the sources reviewed here. 

The IDF Draft and Religious Freedom

A major issue raised with the president was the situation facing Chareidi yeshiva students in Israel amid the IDF draft crisis. The rabbinic delegation signed a letter asking President Trump to protect religious freedom for those who are being compelled to serve in the Israeli military despite their religious commitments. The appeal also raised the situation of American citizens who hold dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship and who have faced arrest or other restrictions connected to draft evasion.

The Lakewood Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Malkiel Kotler, personally delivered the letter to President Trump. 

Trump Came Prepared

One of the more striking details from inside the meeting was the preparation President Trump had made beforehand. Trump reportedly had a card prepared for each Rebbe and Rosh Yeshiva who was attending. Each card included a photograph of the rabbinic leader as well as information about him and facts about the community he represents. The preparation appeared to impress the delegation and demonstrated that the president and his staff had made an effort to familiarize themselves with the individual leaders and the communities they represent.

Trump also appeared familiar with the communities' voting patterns. According to the reported account, he was told that he received approximately 98% of the vote in Kiryas Yoel and 100% in New Square.

The Meeting With Trump

Rav Aharon Teitelbaum first had a private meeting with President Trump, accompanied by Gedalia Segedin. The discussion lasted approximately 10–15 minutes and focused primarily on pidyon shvuyim and other urgent communal concerns, including the Chareidi draft crisis. 

The remaining delegation subsequently entered the Oval Office. At one point, Rav Aharon recited the traditional Hanosein Teshuah prayer for the welfare of the government. Segedin translated the prayer into English for President Trump. Trump then asked that Jared Kushner be brought into the room, reportedly saying that Kushner "must be here" for such distinguished guests. The meeting continued with discussions of the various communal issues and requests.

Additional Details from the White House Meeting

Preserving Jewish Cemeteries and Kevarim in Europe

Another issue brought before the president was the condition of Jewish cemeteries and kevarim throughout Europe. The delegation explained that many historic Jewish burial sites have been vandalized, neglected and allowed to fall into serious disrepair. These cemeteries are the resting places of generations of European Jewry and, for many communities, contain the kevarim of prominent Rabbonim and ancestors.

The delegation noted that previous U.S. administrations had recognized the importance of preserving Jewish cemeteries and had established efforts and committees to address the problem. They specifically referenced the administrations of Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan and asked President Trump to continue and strengthen those efforts.

The request was presented not simply as a historical or preservation matter, but as an issue of kavod ha'meis and the responsibility to protect Jewish burial places that remain vulnerable across Europe.

The Atmosphere Inside the White House

There had also been considerable discussion on social media beforehand about how the meeting might be received by various political groups, including elements of the right wing. According to those who were present, however, none of that was felt inside the meeting itself. The atmosphere was described as extremely friendly, cordial and respectful. The discussions were conducted in a calm and constructive manner, with the president listening to the concerns brought by the rabbinic delegation and engaging directly with the Rebbes and representatives.

Those present said there was no sense inside the room of the political controversy or social-media reaction that had surrounded the meeting from the outside. Instead, the focus remained on the issues affecting Jewish communities and on the opportunity to bring those concerns directly to the president.

The hope expressed afterward was that the meeting would ultimately have a positive practical effect and lead to concrete assistance on some of the issues raised particularly matters affecting frum Jews and Jewish communities in America.

For the delegation, the purpose of the meeting was not simply the symbolism of having Rebbes in the Oval Office. It was an opportunity to bring specific communal concerns to the highest level of government and to advocate for the needs of Jewish families, schools, prisoners, religious institutions and communities.

A Broad Representation of the Chareidi Community

The participants emphasized that the Rebbes and Roshei Yeshiva represented communities numbering well over 250,000 Jewish residents. The delegation's message was that these communities constitute a significant voting population, while at the same time their political strategy in New York is shaped by practical considerations and the realities of the state's political landscape. The meeting therefore served not only as an opportunity to express hakaras hatov to President Trump, but also to place a broad range of communal concerns directly before the president and senior administration officials.