Oif Simchas Monday 25 Iyar

היום ארבעים יום שהם חמשה שבועות וחמשה  ימים בעומר/לעומר

Heavy traffic and road closures tonight along Rt 9 Central rt 88 Pine St. 

Chasunas:

Basch - Ehrnfeld Fountain Ballroom 

Reich - Jacobowitz Kesser Moshe Yehuda 

Cohen - Klein Ateres Blima 

Spetner  - Teitelbaum Ateres Esther 

Ausfresser - Gerson Ne'emas Hachaim 

Cweiber - Wechsler Ateres Chaim Elazar 

Levy - Dabbah Cedar Palace 

Monday May 11 News Updates Lakewood

 Weather: 58° Rain showers this morning with overcast skies during the afternoon hours Chance of rain 70%.

- Tzedek: President Trump announced today a major new step to expand fertility coverage in America through a proposed federal rule creating a new pathway for employers to offer standalone fertility benefits up to $120,000. This could significantly increase access to fertility treatment for millions of families across the country.

- Confrontations repprted tonight outside of Young Israel Synagogue of Midwood, in Brooklyn as Hamas supporters gathered outside to protest a event.  NYPD has a few hundred officers outside.

- Trump: "I am very much looking forward to my trip to China, an amazing Country, with a Leader, President Xi, respected by all. Great things will happen for both Countries! President DONALD J. TRUMP

- Romanian meat from Chicago Food Hot Dog Truck is now available in the Lakewood area for events and neighborhood visits under the KCL hashgacha.

- Drivers in Ocean County, including Lakewood, Toms River, and Manchester, should expect delays on Route 70 and Route 9 as a $10 million road project begins May 12. Daytime and overnight lane closures are planned through the coming months.

- New Rav at KAJ Brewers in Washington Heights: Rabbi Liron Rogovsky shlit”a has been selected as the new rabbi of the Khal Adas Jeshurun (KAJ) community. He is a musmach of Ner Yisroel in Baltimore and currently serves as a rosh kollel in the Monsey–Chestnut Ridge area. The previous rav, Rabbi Mantel shlit”a, has relocated back to Gateshead, UK.

- Trump to CBS: I intend to suspend the federal gas tax for a period of time and gradually reinstate it when gas prices fall

- Tyler Oliveira has officially been denied entry into Israel. Laura Loomer reports Israel’s Minister of Diaspora and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli exclusively tells me,“I’m proud to have denied entry to Israel today to an unfortunate YouTuber who is using the harassment of Jews as a way to get clout on social media. Furthermore, let this be a lesson to all Jew haters and supporters of BDS. Israel has strong immigration policies, and if you come to Israel with the intent on inciting violence and hatred against Jewish people, you will not be allowed entry into our country.”

- Keren Olam HaTorah delegation of gedolim arrives in South America including Rav Yaakov Hillel, Rav Avraham Salim, Rav Chaim Peretz Berman, Rav Malkiel Kotler, Rav Shimon Galai, and Rav Yosef Chevroni shlita.

-Tonight 25 Iyar marks the first yahrtzeit of three yeshiva bochurim Dovid Yitzchok Handler z”l, Chaim Zelig Berl z”l, and Refael Faham z”l\ who were killed in a car accident in Lakewood near North Hope Chapel Road. Their families will be holding siyumim and yahrtzeit seudos in their memory, l’iluy nishmasam. 

- Tonight marks the shloshim for Habachur Eliyahu Schepansky z”l of Lakewood, who was tragically killed in a car crash in Hamilton shortly after Pesach.

- Tehillim: name added for lakewood resident in serious condition name is Chaim Avraham Moshe ben Rivka who is undergoing a major procedure this morning 

- BDE: Petirah of Rav Dovid Shmidl zt”l, of Asra Kadisha at the age of 92. He dedicated his life against the desecration of Jewish graves and was known for his activism in protecting burial sites from construction and development projects. In his youth, He learned at the Slabodka Yeshiva, and he became close to the Chazon Ish zt”l during that time He was talmid of Rav Gedaliah Nadel zt”l, and Rabbi Moshe Shmuel Shapiro zt”l. The Brisker rav would send him on missions regarding desecration of kevarim 

- YouTuber Tyler Oliveira, whhas been spotted last night boarding an El Al flight and has arrived in Israel today. This afternoon he posted videos about Orthodox Jews in Lakewood and Monroe painting them in a bad light filled with misinformation.

- Thousands of NJ residents face food stamp cuts under new federal rules.

New Jersey officials say federal SNAP changes could cut benefits for many residents and potentially end assistance for about 47,000 people. New work rules now require some previously exempt groups to work or volunteer 20 hours weekly, and the state may also absorb higher program costs. The average benefit is about $194 per month for roughly 430,000 households.

- Shatnez Alert:

Vaad Lmishmeres Shatnez: A Shatnez warning was issued after linen shatnez was found in a Ricercato brand wool suit sold at an Igud Bnei Torah sale in Toms River before Pesach. Experts warned that even similar suits may contain shatnez, so garments should be individually checked, as other items from the same batch may also be affected. This finding should serve as a reminder to buyers that they cannot assume items are shatnez-free simply because they were sold at an Igud Bnei Torah or similar event.

- Attempted Trump Assassin Cole Allen Pleads NOT GUILTY in federal court today on charges that could put him away for life.

- Tax Dollars; LDC meeting today spending UEZ funds.

 $2 million dollars for snow removal equipment for on-site snow melting in the UEZ. The machine is capable of melting approximately 80 tons of snow per hour

 $440,000 in UEZ funds to continue the Downtown Clifton Avenue Clean Team program for Year II, covering personnel and supply costs.

 $35,000 in UEZ funds for drones and drone training for Chaverim of Central Jersey to assist the Lakewood Police Department and OEM with searches, within the UEZ area.

- Yisroel Beiteinu MK Avigdor Liberman accused Israel’s Charedi leadership of being “anti-Jewish,” claiming they care more about “power, money, and status” than Torah study. Speaking at the Shalom Hartman Institute, Liberman criticized efforts to keep yeshiva students out of the workforce and exempt from military service.

- Giyus: A crowd of frum residents in Dimona reportedly blocked military police from arresting a gerer chosid for alleged draft evasion by gathering and dancing outside his home overnight.

The anti-conscription Tzeva Shachor hotline said supporters quickly arrived after learning of the military police presence.

- At least one American has tested positive for the hantavirus as passengers exposed to the virus on a cruise ship are now back on U.S. soil. Seventeen U.S. passengers are headed to Omaha, Nebraska, where they’ll spend 42 days in quarantine as doctors urge the public not to spiral into COVID-style panic. Officials say the risk of hantavirus to the general public remains “very, very low,” with Admiral Brian Christine, MD, Assistant Secretary for Health, noting that the Andes variant does not spread easily and requires prolonged, close contact with a symptomatic person.

Trump Shabbos 250

Agudath Israel of America Statement in Support of the “Shabbos 250” Initiative

May 10, 2026 - 23 Iyar, 5786

Dear friends and supporters of Agudas Yisroel,

Last week, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month and included a call to Jewish Americans to observe a “national Sabbath” as part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of America. The President suggested Shabbos Parshas Bamidbar (May 15-16) as a day to be devoted to such observance.

At the direction of our senior rabbinic leadership, Agudath Israel of America supports the President’s initiative, and encourages our constituents to use the occasion to reaffirm our most sincere appreciation for the United States of America.

It is particularly appropriate to appreciate the bedrock principle of religious liberty upon which America was founded, and to reflect on the historic role America has played in serving as a haven for embattled Jews the world over. Rabbonim may want to use this opportunity to speak about hakaras hatov, particularly the importance of recognizing and appreciating the incredible good of our host nation. Families and individuals may want to encourage conversations at their Shabbos tables about ways to show their gratitude for the United States, which Harav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, referred as a “Malchus Shel Chesed”—a kingdom distinguished by kindness.

Throughout Jewish history, observance of our faith—and Shabbos in particular—has often been restricted or prohibited entirely. We are therefore fortunate to live in a nation whose legal and civic framework safeguards our ability to observe Shabbos openly and without fear. And now, with Shabbos observance being publicly acknowledged and encouraged by the President himself as an essential component of Jewish identity, our good fortune to reside in this country is compounded exponentially.  

Sincerely,

Agudath Israel of America

Statement from Agudath Israel:

Agudath Israel of America Statement in Support of the “Shabbos 250” Initiative

Iran Israel Updates Monday May 11

- The United Arab Emirates has carried out military strikes on Iran, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing people familiar with the matter. The strikes, which the UAE has not publicly acknowledged, included an attack on a refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf, WSJ says, adding that the attack took place in early April

- Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf: Our armed forces are ready to respond to any aggression. A wrong strategy and wrong decisions will always lead to wrong results. We are ready for all possibilities - they will be surprised

- Advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Akbar Velayati: Trump, "Do not assume you can exploit the current calm in Iran and march victoriously to Beijing." First of all, learn the alphabet of the new geopolitical order in the Middle East. We defeated you on the battlefield; do not imagine you will come out victorious in the diplomatic arena."

- Iranian news agency Tasnim: Contrary to reports in the Western media, the Iranian proposal does not mention any agreement to remove the enriched uranium from the country. Additionally, Iran has set a timeframe in which it demands to receive the frozen funds

- CBS: Days after the ceasefire in the war at the beginning of April, Pakistan, mediating in the talks, allowed Iran to transfer Iranian aircraft to it, including an RC-130 reconnaissance and intelligence aircraft. This was to ensure they would be protected in case the US tried to bomb them. The aircraft were stationed at the main Noor Khan base near the city of Rawalpindi. Additionally, Iran also transferred civilian aircraft for a similar reason to Afghanistan. A senior Pakistani official denied the report

- Trump to Fox News: I am considering restarting the operation to free Hormuz (Freedom Project)

- Trump on Iran: "They think that I'll get tired of this or I'll get bored, or I'll have some pressure, but there’s no pressure, there’s no pressure at all. We're going to have a complete victory."

They're very dishonorable people, the leadership. They just change their mind... These people, you make a deal, and then they send you a document that takes 5 days to get there when it should've been there in 20 minutes.

- Trump: The Iranian people "want to go out on the streets. They have no weapons. We thought the Kurds were going to give [them] weapons, but the Kurds disappointed us”

- Trump: on the ceasefire in Iran: "After reading that piece of garbage they sent us... It's on life support."

- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is convening a security discussion after US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s response to his ceasefire proposal, and ahead of direct Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington later this week.

- Iran calls US greatest threat to international peace, says its demands are unreasonable

- WSJ: During his visit to Beijing this week, Trump will pressure China to mediate an agreement that will end the war with Iran

- Three IDF soldiers were lightly injured in a Hezbollah explosive drone attack in southern Lebanon this morning, the military says.

- Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee approves the extension of the call-up of up to 400,000 reservists until May 31, first authorized by the government in March.

- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghai at a press conference: "We demand to stop the maritime piracy against Iranian ships, and to release the assets belonging to the Iranian people that have been frozen for years in foreign banks due to American pressure."

- A highly classified document details on Hamas’s military rehabilitation in the Gaza Strip 

The document indicates that Hamas is adding dozens of fighters to each of its battalions, and is manufacturing hundreds of mortar shells, IEDs, and anti-tank missiles every month.

- CBS 60 minutes interview: Asked if it is possible to topple the Iranian regime, Netanyahu says: “I think that you can’t predict when that happens. Is it possible? Yes. Is it guaranteed? No. But I can tell you it’s like bankruptcy, you know? It… proceeds gradually and then it falls.”

- Netanyahu says that before Oct. 7, he was seen as ‘perhaps the most restrained PM in Israel’s history. Netanyahu says he believes Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is alive, despite the fact that he has not been seen or heard since he was appointed to succeed his slain father in early March.

- Israeli PM Netanyahu tells 60 Minutes he wants Israel to eventually stop relying on U.S. military aid: “It's time that we weaned ourselves from the remaining military support.”

- The IDF issues evacuation warnings for nine villages in southern Lebanon ahead of airstrikes targeting the Hezbollah terror group.

 

Oif Simchas Sunday 24 Iyar

היום תשעה ושלשים יום שהם חמשה שבועות וארבעה ימים בעומר/לעומר

Chasunas: 

Freishtat  - Zion  Cedar Palace 

Yakoel  - Safdieh Kesser Moshe Yehuda 

Tress - Holland Ateres  Chaim Elazar

Edison Yeshiva dinner at Bellworks

Sunday May 10 News Updates Lakewood

Weather: 78° slight chance of a rain showers tonight 50° Showers early, Chance of rain 70%.

Trump just one Shabbos:

JNS- Rabbi A.D. Motzen, Agudath Israel of America’s national director of government affairs, said he will be celebrating the national Shabbat, dubbing it “Shabbos 250.” “Shabbos 250 is an opportunity to celebrate the religious liberty we enjoy in this great country and to reflect on the gratitude owed to the United States by each and every one of us,” he stated. “We thank President Trump for recognizing the important role of the Jewish people and Shabbos in the history of the United States.”

Rabbi David Katz, executive director of the Israel Heritage Foundation, thanked the president and called his proclamation “historic,” noting that there was a time in America when Jews who “left work early on Friday to light Shabbos candles, or would not come in on Saturday to honor the Sabbath, often paid dearly.”

“They were told to choose between their paycheck and their faith,” he wrote. “How beautiful, how moving, how deeply healing it is to witness the opposite today.”

Rabbi Steven Burg, CEO of Aish, told JNS that he was “very moved” by the president’s message because it shifts the narrative from Jew-hatred to Jewish faith. “In a social media world, the overwhelming majority of the hate is coming towards the Jews,” he said. “The celebrating of Shabbos and everyone putting down their phones and putting down X, where all this hate lives, is actually really good and really healthy for society.”

-  Tehillim for Avrohom Moshe ben Rivka a Lakewood resident in serious condition  who ran into complications during a scheduled procedure and is having emergency surgery tomorrow morning.

- Adirei HaTorah:  The Philadelphia basketball team was disqualified from the playoffs avoiding any potential games on Sunday May,31. The Philadelphia hockey team was also  eliminated (Updated)

- Giyus: i24 news plays recording from Rav Dov Lando shlita that only the Torah learners are the ones saving us. When questioned about the Religious Zionist soldiers that are killedin battlehe said we are not learning enough and ‘They are being killed because their rabbis teach a distorted version of Torah.

- The Satmar Rebbe, Rabbi Aharon Teitelbaum, strongly condemned the modernization of dancing and singing at chassidishe weddings. He said that disgusting songs are being played together with disgusting dances involving strange body movements. The Rebbe addressed both bochurim and youngeleit, declaring that this music is: שקץ תשקצנו תעב תתעבנו כי חרם הוא

 utterly repulsive and forbidden.

- Rav Ezriel Auerbach is currently in Lakewood raising  funds for yeshivos in Eretz Yisroel. The  Lakewood Rosh  Yeshiva Rav Malkiel Kotler shlita will travel  to South America tomorrow joining up with the delegation of gedolei Yisroel from Eretz Yiroel raising funds in behalf of Keren Olam HaTorah.

- BDE: ADL deeply mourns the loss of our longtime national director, Abraham H. Foxman z”l. Abe, a Holocaust survivor, served his entire 50-year career at ADL, becoming one of the world’s foremost voices against antisemitism and hate. May his memory be a blessing. He was 86.

- Adirei HaTorah: Harav Uri Deutsch shlita the rav of Forest Park shul will deliver the keynote address at the upcoming Maamad Adirei Hatorah on Sunday, May 31st in Philly.

- Gas  in NJ could hit $5 by Memorial Day. A ‘70s-style gas crisis could soon follow, experts warn

- Edison yeshiva dinner tonight at Bellworks.

- A  lawsuit  was filed against the Manchester Township Zoning Board of discriminating against Pine Lake Park’s growing Orthodox Jewish community by denying a mikvah application despite extensive supporting testimony. The suit claims the decision violated religious land-use protection see full story at Faanews

- Giyus: Senior Charedi figure admits in closed conversations: "We are not satisfied with the draft law, it's hard to see it passing in the current knesset term also due to the question of the majority in the plenum. We have failed in our central mission in the Knesset." Reporter Ishay Cohen/Kikar

- People who lose weight on Ozempic are viewed worse than people who don’t lose weight at all: study NYP

- Major rally against antisemitism kicks off in London with thousands participating along Downing street.

- JetBlue is adding dozens of new flights from Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida to replace routes lost when Spirit airlines shut down last week. 

- The weekly Chumash shiur by Rav Avrohom Yehoshua Soloveitchik of yeshivas Brisk  was canceled motzei shabbos after a resident allegedly sprayed pepper spray or another irritant at arriving bochurim, causing coughing and panic. Witnesses also said garbage and liquids were thrown at the residence amid ongoing tensions over the large weekly crowds.

Talmidim say a known, troubled man complains about thr gatherings at the RY home and still occasionally disrupts things and makes threats despite a prior arrangement. Bhol.

 

- Lakewood committeeman Meir Lichtenstein tells TVOL  he opposed the planned ban on left turns along Route 9 and proposed an alternative traffic plan to the Department of Transportation. His proposal would have kept left-turn lanes while adding an extra lane in each direction by narrowing lanes and reducing shoulders instead of widening the road. The state rejected the idea, arguing that shoulders are needed for drainage, bicycle safety, and emergency vehicles. Lichtenstein expressed concern that banning left turns may not improve Route 9 traffic and could instead worsen congestion on nearby roads such as Route 88, South Clifton Avenue, and James Street. 

- Affordable Homes New Jersey has opened a waiting list for 90 affordable rental apartments at The Sylvan, a residential development in Englewood Cliffs set to be completed this summer. The housing lottery is open to very-low-income, low-income and moderate-income households. Rentals range from $559-a-month studios to $1,766-a-month three-bedroom apartments

- Update from reporter Omri Maniv

Six directors at KKL-JNF submitted a proposed resolution for board approval stating that “the events described may give rise to suspicion of criminal offenses and are requesting that KKL-JNF freeze all engagements with the nonprofits mentioned in the investigation.

Israel channel 12 investigation: An investigation alleged that associates of Eretz Hakodesh and Degel HaTorah party gained senior positions in the JNF Keren Kayemeth Lyisroel and other Zionist institutions, after which nonprofit organizations linked to them received large amounts of funding for alleged Zionist activities. The report claims some of the activities may have been fictitious and raises concerns about conflicts of interest involving relatives or associates employed by the nonprofits. Following the investigation into KKL and Degel HaTorah, an external audit committee headed by former District Court Judge Esther Shitrit will examine the transfer of millions of shekels to associations linked to the Degel HaTorah party/and Eretz Hakodesh. The funds were allegedly allocated for fictitious activities, amid concerns over a possible conflict of interest according to Investigative journalist Omri Maniv. 

MK Moshe Gafni responded that those are private individuals and not political figures, adding that the party involved is “Eretz HaKodesh and not degel haTorah.

MK Yitzchak Pindrus said that, under the guidance of Rav Chaim Kanievsky, he advised personell of “Eretz HaKodesh” five years ago, but later withdrew from involvement following instructions from Rabbi Dov Lando shlita.

Shavuos Yom Tov sales;

Bingo mehadrin ilb farmer cheese $5,79 mehadrin ? Milchig ice cream $6.99 blooms Chocolate chips 2 for $5

GG 100 case 9×13 $24, Chocolate chips 2 for $5 ,Rosemarie chocolate bar $3.29 Cream cheese $2.99

Kosher west Cream cheese $3.49 chocolate chips 2 for $5, chicken legs $1.99 lotus cream $4.99

NPGS cream cheese 2.99 London Broil Meat Maven $11.99

Seasons cream cheese $3.49 London broil shoulder 10.99

Nutmeg Canola Oil $7.99 

Corn beef 1st cut brisket $10.99

Depending high gluten flour $4.99

Iran Israel Updates Sunday May 10

- IDF reservist  killed  by Hezbollah explosive drone at the Lebanon border. Alexander Glovanyov, 47 from Petach Tikva.

-In a interview with CBS's 60 minutes, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to acknowledge he has some responsibility for the failures that enabled Hamas’s cross-border invasion and onslaught of October 7, 2023, but claims that “everyone” from the top to the bottom bears responsibility as well, and the “real issue” is what has happened since that attack and not what preceded it.

- Iranian English-language channel: “Iran rejected an offer designed to subjugate it to Trump's excessive demands”

- TRUMP: I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called ‘Representatives.’ I don’t like it  TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP

- WSJ: Iran's response to the US does not include the US demand for Iran's commitments to the nuclear program and the enriched uranium stockpile. Iran offered to end the war and gradually open the Strait of Hormuz, removing the naval blockade by the US

- Trump: “Iran has been playing games with the United States, and the rest of the World, for 47 years (DELAY, DELAY, DELAY!), and then finally hit “pay dirt” when Barack Hussein Obama became President. He was not only good to them, he was great, actually going to their side, jettisoning Israel, and all other Allies, and giving Iran a major and very powerful new lease on life. Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and 1.7 Billion Dollars in green cash, flown into Tehran, was handed to them on a silver platter. Every Bank in D.C., Virginia, and Maryland was emptied out — It was so much money that when it arrived, the Iranian Thugs had no idea what to do with it. They had never seen money like this, and never will again. It was taken off the plane in suitcases and satchels, and the Iranians couldn’t believe their luck. They finally found the greatest SUCKER of them all, in the form of a weak and stupid American President. He was a disaster as our “Leader,” but not as bad as Sleepy Joe Biden! For 47 years the Iranians have been “tapping” us along, keeping us waiting, killing our people with their roadside bombs, destroying protests, and recently wiping out 42,000 innocent, unarmed protestors, and laughing at our now GREAT AGAIN Country. They will be laughing no longer! President DONALD J. TRUMP”

-Trump on Iran: "We could go in for two more weeks and do every single target, we have certain targets we wanted of which we've done 70%. There are more that we could conceivably hit" 

- Trump on Iran's enriched uranium, buried deep under rubble: "We'll get that at some point... We have it surveilled. I did a thing called Space Force, and they are watching that... If anybody got near the place, we would know about it and we'll blow them up."

- Iranian ISNA News Agency: "Iran's response to the US proposal focuses on ending the war and ensuring the safety of maritime traffic in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. 

Apparently No talks in Nuclear issue for now. 

- Report from Iran: Response to the US proposal has been conveyed to Pakistan.

- Iran fires two drones at the United Arab Emirates, the Emirati Defense Ministry says.

Both were “successfully engaged,” according to the UAE.

Iran:The response to the US proposal is expected to be delivered today

- IDF  says it intercepted several rockets and apparent drones launched by Hezbollah at troops stationed in southern Lebanon today.

No injuries were caused in the incidents.

- Likud Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar says the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack was “concocted” during the term of the short-lived government led by former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, which left office in late 2022. He claims that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar planned the attack under the previous government “the moment he saw [their] weakness.”

- Iraqi security source to Saudi Al-Hadath channel after the report that Israel established a secret military base in Iraq: During the war in Iran, a "suspicious" military presence was observed in the western desert of Iraq. We failed to identify the force that was present in the Najaf desert. The US warned us against approaching them for security reasons

Motzei Shabnos News Updates Lakewood

היום שמונה ושלשים יום שהם חמשה שבועות ושלשה ימים בעומר/לעומר

Weather  tomorrow  75° Cloudy skies with some morning fog. Slight chance of a rain shower

-Power outage rt 9 South due to a transformer fire at Todd plaza

- The Levaya of Rebbetzin Necha Weiss A"H, the wife of Rav Gershon Weiss ZT"L, will take place tomorow Sunday morning 11:30 am  at Tiferes Bais Yaakov 613 Oak Lakewood with kevurah in the Lakewood bais olam.

- Sephardic chief Rabbi  David Yosef, shlita, issued a call urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Yitzchak Herzog to publicly join U.S. President 

Donald Trump  Shabbos 250” initiative as he called on American Jews to observe Shabbos this coming week parshas Bamidbar.

- A two-alarm fire damaged two abandoned homes on 5th Street near Clifton Avenue in Lakewood early Shabbos morning. Firefighters brought the blaze under control with no injuries reported. Officials suspect squatters may have been involved, and the cause is under investigation.

- Agudah: New York Governor Kathy Hochul publicly expressed her intention to opt in to the new federal scholarship tax credit (FSTC).

While 27 states have already joined, only one Democratic governor, Jared Polis of Colorado has opted in so far. Governor Hochul’s support can help encourage other states to opt in.

 Governor Hochul hasn’t opted in just yet and may wait until the rules come out of Treasury. Agudah is working with its allies to ensure that the regulations are reasonable and achieve the goals of the tax credit to help students and families in every state.

- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that the conflict in Ukraine is nearing its end after he oversaw a military parade on Red Square

- Keren olam HaTorah  delegation of Gedolei Yisrael, from EY departed tonight on a  fundraising  mission to Brazil and Argentina.

Iran Israel Updates Motzei Shabbos Behar Bechukosei

- Over Shabbos Hezbollah launched several salvos of explosive-laden drones and rockets at Israeli forces. One drone struck Israeli territory, close to the border with Lebanon, seriously injuring a reservist soldier and moderately wounding a reservist officer and another reservist soldier.

- At  least 12 terrorists were reported killed in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon as IDF carried out a series of strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon after issuing evacuation warnings to nine villages. IDF struck over 100 targets in 24 hours.

- US intelligence assesses that the new Supreme Leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei, plays a "critical" role in shaping the war strategy alongside other senior Iranian officials. (CNN)

 -Today, Axios reported that SoS Rubio and WH envoy Witkoff met in Miami with Qatari PM al-Thani as part of efforts to reach a deal to end the war in Iran. The report says the US and Iran are now negotiating over a one-page memo meant to stop the fighting and create a framework for broader, more detailed talks.

- According to a report published in the WSJ, Israel secretly built a covert military outpost in Iraq’s western desert before Operation Roaring Lion and used it to support the air campaign against Iran. Israel built the base deep in a remote area of the Iraqi desert, just before the war started with the knowledge of the US. The site housed special forces units and served as a logistical and CSAR hub for the Israeli Air force. The base helped support thousands of Israeli airstrikes during the five-week war.

- President Trump on stopping the Project Freedom operation to free the ships in the Strait of Hormuz: "We will take a different path if everything is not finalized and agreed upon. We might return to Project Freedom if things do not progress, but it will be Project Freedom Plus, meaning it will come with additional things."

Lakewood Zmani. עש"ק פרשת בהר/בחקתי .שפ"ו

"Oib Mir Vill UpShatzen A Yid Darf Min zen vu er halt noch er geit durch a toichecho" 

friday, May 8, 2026 / כ״א אייר תשפ״ו ערב שבת פרשת בהר-בחקתי

Candle lighting 7:40 pm

Shkiah/sunset 7:58 pm 

Weather: Friday night low 51°

Shabbos day 67° Cloudy with rain developing later in the day. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a half an inch.

- Remember Sefiras Haomer

- Sof zman Krias shema Gra 9:21 am

- Pirkei Avos Perek 'ה

                                        

אם בחוקותי תלכו...ונתתי שלום בארץ, ושכבתם ואין מחריד...ואכלתם לַחְמְכֶם לָשֹׂבַע, וִישַׁבְתֶּם לבטח   בְּאַרְצְכֶס.  שבת שלום, חזק חזק ונתחזק

Reb Moishe Feinsteins Vort On Parshas Bechokoisai (Toras Abba)
 Last year an older man came to speak in the shul i daven in He said shortly after the war he saw a sign that Reb Moishe was speaking in  a shul on the Lower East Side Of New

Friday May 8 News Updates Lakewood

 friday, May 8, 2026 / כ״א אייר תשפ״ו ערב שבת פרשת בהר-בחקתי

Candle lighting 7:40 pm

Shkiah/sunset 7:58 pm 

Weather: 67° A mix of clouds and sun Friday night low 51°

Shabbos day 67° Cloudy with rain developing later in the day. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a half an inch.

Welcome home yeshiva bochurim as many mesivtas have an off shabbos this week

- Today, 21 Iyar, is the 28th yahrtzeit of Rabbi Moshe Sherer zt'l, leader of Agudas Yisroel 

- This shabbos 17 yeshiva bochurim are sitting in Israeli military prison for draft dodging 

- Rav Ezriel Auerbach shlita will be spending shabbos in Lakewood in the New Central area

- BDE: Petirah of Rebbetzin Necha Weiss a”h, wife of Rav Gershon Weiss zt”l, longtime menahel  at Yeshiva of Staten Island. Levaya details TBA.

- Tehilim:  Belaaz reports Three people were struck by vehicles in three separate accidents in Boro Park within a span of approximately 25 minutes on erev Shabbos, leaving all three critically injured with brain bleeds, Two of the victims are 13-year-old boys:

Yaakov Tzvi Hirsch ben Chana Yettel and

Chaim ben Feiga Rivka

- Tucker Carlson: When Tyler Oliveira exposed Somali welfare abuse in Minneapolis, Republicans praised him. When he did the same thing in an orthodox Jewish community in New York, the very same people called him a Nazi.

- NJ Governor Mikie Sherrill The New Jersey Department of Health been notified by the CDC that two New Jersey residents were potentially exposed to a person infected with hantavirus after that individual departed from the cruise ship MV Hondius. The residents were not passengers on the ship, and the potential exposure occurred during air travel abroad. Both individuals are being monitored in coordination with local health officials and are not currently showing symptoms.

Risk to the public remains very low. There are no confirmed cases of hantavirus in New Jersey.

We will continue to keep residents informed as the situation develops.

- Two New Jersey residents may have been exposed to Hantavirus infection after contact during international travel with someone linked to an outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius. Health officials say neither resident is showing symptoms, and there are currently no confirmed cases in New Jersey.

- Trump announces 3 day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine 

Trump: “I am pleased to announce that there will be a THREE DAY CEASEFIRE (May 9th, 10th, and 11th) in the War between Russia and Ukraine. The Celebration in Russia is for Victory Day but, likewise, in Ukraine, because they were also a big part and factor of World War II. This Ceasefire will include a suspension of all kinetic activity, and also a prison swap of 1,000 prisoners from each Country. This request was made directly by me, and I very much appreciate its agreement by President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War. Talks are continuing on ending this Major Conflict, the biggest since World War II, and we are getting closer and closer every day. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP”

- Keren Olam HaTorah: Rav Moshe HIllel Hirsch shlita will not be joining the delegation to south America this coming week due to his wife's health issues name for tehillim is  Gittel Avigayil bas Chava Miriam.

- President Trump has directed federal agencies to begin the process of identifying and releasing government files related to UFOs and extraterrestrial life.The move follows  promises a level of transparency into unidentified aerial phenomena never before seen from the U.S. government.

- The new traffic signal at Pine Street and James Street is reportedly causing significant backups on Route 9. The concern is that while the light allows more vehicles to turn onto Route 9, it also leads to congestion when turning traffic gets stuck and ends up blocking the flow of cars coming down James Street, worsening overall traffic in the area.

- New store "Prachim"  a flower shop now open in Todd Plaza Lakewood.

- Tribute articles for Rav Chaim Abadi ztl in this weeks news papers front cover story in Ami Magazine see article Here 

- This Tuesday, 25 Iyar, marks the first yartzeit of the three yeshiva bochurim who were tragically killed in a car accident on Hope Chapel Road in Lakewood. Yartzeit seudos will be held Monday night to commemorate and honor their memories l’zecher nishmasam.

- Smash House kosher burger introduces a new item, Pastrami Heimishe cholent adding to the items on the menu in contrast to the parcel cheese and bacon. 

- A week after the changes along Route 9, there has still been no official statement or update from authorities or local officials, leaving drivers confused about the new traffic pattern. Motorists continue attempting to navigate the altered intersection, while the new northbound left lane on Route 9 reportedly remains underutilized, contributing to ongoing congestion and uncertainty in the area.

- Trump: “Huge win for the Republican Party, and America, in Virginia. The Virginia Supreme Court has just struck down the Democrats’ horrible gerrymander. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP”

- Trump: “As for my promise to you, the Department of War has released the first tranche of the UFO/UAP files to the Public for their review and study. In an effort for Complete and Maximum Transparency, it was my Honor to direct my Administration to identify and provide Government files related to Alien and Extraterrestrial Life, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, and Unidentified Flying Objects. Whereas previous Administrations have failed to be transparent on this subject, with these new Documents and Videos, the people can decide for themselves, “WHAT THE ... IS GOING ON?” Have Fun and Enjoy! President DONALD J. TRUMP”

- Israel channel 12 investigation: An investigation alleged that associates of Eretz Hakodesh and Degel HaTorah party gained senior positions in the JNF Keren Kayemeth Lyisroel and other Zionist institutions, after which nonprofit organizations linked to them received large amounts of funding for alleged Zionist activities. The report claims some of the activities may have been fictitious and raises concerns about conflicts of interest involving relatives or associates employed by the nonprofits. Following the investigation into KKL and Degel HaTorah, an external audit committee headed by former District Court Judge Esther Shitrit will examine the transfer of millions of shekels to associations linked to the Degel HaTorah party/and Eretz Hakodesh. The funds were allegedly allocated for fictitious activities, amid concerns over a possible conflict of interest according to Investigative journalist Omri Maniv. 

MK Moshe Gafni responded that those are private individuals and not political figures, adding that the party involved is “Eretz HaKodesh and not degel haTorah.

MK Yitzchak Pindrus said that, under the guidance of Rav Chaim Kanievsky, he advised personell of “Eretz HaKodesh” five years ago, but later withdrew from involvement following instructions from Rabbi Dov Lando shlita.

- About 100 Camden school employees are expected to be laid off at the end of the school year as the district contends with financial difficulties due to increased costs and declining enrollment.

- WhatsApp founder Jan Koum is donating $200 million to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in what is being described as the largest philanthropic contribution in the history of Israel’s healthcare system, officials from the Jerusalem hospital told JNS on Thursday.

Iran Israel Updates Friday May 8

- Tansim Iranian News reports: The situation in the Gulf is calm for now, but if Americans try to enter there again and cause trouble for Iranian ships, confrontations are possible

- Three IDF soldiers hurt, one seriously, in Hezbollah explosive drone attacks

- Secretary of State Marco Rubio: Awaiting Iran's response today

- Hezbollah fired a barrage of several rockets at the Western Galilee and Haifa Bay area a short while ago. The IDF says one of the rockets was intercepted by air defenses, while the others struck open areas. There are no reports of injuries in the attack.

- UAE: Iran launched 2 ballistic missiles and 3 drones at the us today. Three people were injured with moderate injuries.

- The IDF says it is preparing for the possibility that Hezbollah will fire rockets from Lebanon at northern Israel in the coming hours, “against the backdrop of recent developments.”

- The Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi refers to "intelligence assessments" published by various US media outlets and declares: Our current missiles and launchers are not 75% of what we had on 2/28, but 120% compared to this date…. Our readiness to defend our people stands at 1000%….

-  CENTCOM: As of today, there are more than 70 tankers prevented from entering or leaving ports in Iran following the US blockade. These merchant vessels have the capacity to transport more than 166 million barrels of Iranian oil, valued at an estimated more than $13 billion.

- Trump on Iran: “They trifled with us today. We blew 'em away... If there's no ceasefire, you're not going to have to know. You're just gonna have to look at one big glow coming out of Iran and they better sign their agreement fast."

Oif Simchas Thurs 21 Iyar

היום ששה ושלשים יום שהם חמשה שבועות ויום אחד בעומר/לעומר

Chasunas:

Mintz - Nussbaum Ateres Blima 

Friedman  - Arem Lake Terrace 

Goldstein - Lieber Fountain Ballroom 

Dabbah  - Dabbah Kesser Moshe Yehuda 

Yarmusch  - Adler Ateres Esther

Khiyayev  - Zak Ateres Reva 

- Tech talk asifa for kedushas Yisroel at the bias Horaah Madison manor hall speaking Rav Aron Zuckerman shlita 

- Yahrtzeit seuda and siyum mishnayos in Memory of Rav Zalman Leib Gruber ZTL at his shul B"M Zichron Yoel 1013 Lawrence Ave Lakewood Maariv 9:10 Birchas Hamazon 10:45pm.

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

Thursday May 7 News Updates Lakewood

weather: 63° Sun and clouds mixed. 

- New York state will opt in to the  Federal School Choice Tax Credit that was passed earlier this year in the big beautiful bill signed  by President Trump.

New Jersey yet to anounce. 

Governor Kathy Hochul told a meeting of Agudah representative  today that New York will opt into the federal Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA), that will provide $5 billion annually in K-12 scholarships nationwide.

Beginning in 2027, donors in every state that opts in can receive a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit for contributions to nonprofit scholarship organizations SGO, which will then distribute K-12 scholarships to eligible students.

The maximum contribution per taxpayer is capped at $1,700, but the program carries no overall national cap allowing communities to raise scholarship funds from taxpayers across the country. 

-Reporter: Are you considering going back to Project Freedom now that gas prices are more than $4.50?  

Trump: No. Gas prices have come down today. Have you looked? They came down very substantially today. Gas prices are way down, and the stock market is way up today.

- An opinion article in Jpost highlights growing financial pressure on America’s Orthodox Jewish middle class,The death of the US Jewish Orthodox middle class 

Why $400,000 a year isn’t enough and what our community must do about it. Families earning $300,000–$500,000 annually are struggling in major frum communities. Rising housing prices, yeshiva tuition, kosher food, healthcare, and the costs of raising large families were cited as major burdens. Many families reportedly earn too much to qualify for assistance programs, yet still face significant financial strain, with some relying on loans, savings, or outside support to manage expenses. The report calls for stronger financial planning, business development, and long-term community economic strategies to help stabilize the Orthodox middle class. 

- The U.S. government will begin revoking passports of parents who owe $100,000 or more in unpaid child support and plans to soon expand enforcement to those owing as little as $2,500, according to AP.

- Gedolim to rule on Giyus bill: Members of Degel HaTorah in the Knesset reportedly met today at the home of Rav Dov Landau shlita to discuss a potential go-ahead on the conscription law. According to reports, Rav Landau told them: “A final decision on the conscription law will be made in a few days, possibly at the beginning of next week.”

- 7-Eleven is offering fuel savings for Rewards members: 50¢ off per gallon on the 7th and 11th of each month through July 11th (text ALLIN to 711711), plus 11¢ off per gallon on your first 7 fuel-ups with Fuel Rewards. Stacking offers may increase total savings at the pump.

- Deadline to register for the primary elections is May 12 the elections will take place on Tuesday June, 2.

- Yahrzeit seuda and siyum mishnayos  in Memory of Rav Zalman Leib Gruber ZTL at his shul B"M Zichron Yoel 1013 Lawrence Ave Lakewood Maariv 9:10 Birchas Hamazon 10:45pm.

- WSJ: President Trump’s advisers are worried that the GOP will pay a political price for high fuel costs. Many of those advisers are eager to end the war, hoping prices will begin to fall before the midterm elections.

- Giyus: Protests are taking place today at the entrance to Yerushalayim following the arrests of yeshiva  bochurim for draft  dodging. Police responded with force and water cannons.

- Adirei HaTorah tickets have officially sold out including obstructe view seats.

Finding a larger venue is challenging due to the FIFA World Cup coming to New Jersey this June and July, with many area stadiums already booked for team practices and related events.

- Submitted: The claim that “Lakewood has a traffic fatality rate of 7.76 per 100k” is based on the WRONG population data. They used the population of the “Lakewood CDP” (about 69k people) instead of all of Lakewood Township (about 139k people).Real numbers:

• 27 fatalities over 5 years = 5.4 per year

• Actual Lakewood fatality rate = 3.9 per 100k

• NJ average = 6.79 per 100k

That means Lakewood is actually about 42% SAFER than the NJ average. Bad data created a false narrative. The original claim dramatically overstated Lakewood’s fatality rate by using the wrong population data. In reality, Lakewood is statistically safer than the statewide average.

- TAX dollars: The Lakewood Development Corporation is requesting UEZ funding of $2 million dollars for snow removal equipment for the Township’s Public Works Department. The equipment is intended to improve winter storm response by increasing snow removal efficiency and enabling on-site snow melting in the UEZ. The machine is capable of melting approximately 80 tons of snow per hour

- A elementary  boys yeshiva in Lakewood sent notice to parents reminding them that fade/step-style haircuts or any similar modern styles considered Chukas Hagoyim are not permitted. Children arriving with such haircuts will be sent home to get them fixed.Parents are urged to clearly instruct the barber beforehand. Additionally, it references Halacha prohibiting cutting the peyos too short the hair must remain long enough to bend and touch its root. known as Lakuf Roisho L'ikro based on the Rambam and Minchas Yitzchok.

- Lakewood Rosh Yeshiva Rav Malkiel Kotler shlita will be traveling next week to South America on behalf of Keren Olam HaTorah A delegation of leading Gedolei Yisroel, including Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rav Yaakov Hillel, Rav Shimon Galai, Rav Avraham Salim, and Rav Yosef Chevroni, are set to travel to South America on behalf of Keren Olam HaTorah. The mission begins Motzaei Shabbos, with travel via Paris en route to Brazil, arriving in São Paulo on Sunday. They will later be joined by Rav Malkiel Kotler and additional U.S. board members.

The trip includes a packed schedule in Brazil and Argentina focused on fundraising and community engagement.

- NJ Transit has agreed to lower the price of their roundtrip ticket for the upcoming FIFA World Cup at New Jersey's MetLife stadium to $105 - down from the $150 they announced last month,

- Israel justice Minister Yariv Levin says that if the two hardline conservative academics he wants appointed to the Supreme Court do not get appointed, he will let the court “disappear” by refusing to make any new appointments to the top court at all.

- Trump: “This lunatic, Hakeem “Low IQ” Jeffries, should be charged with INCITING VIOLENCE! The Radical Left Democrats actually want to Destroy our Country. President DJT”

- BDE: Petirah of Rebbetzin Meirah Edelstein A"H the alman Of Rav Yaakov Eidelstein Zatzal the Rav in Tel Aviv. Levaya took place in Bnei Brak on the way to Yerushalayim.

- Lakewood, NJ has been awarded more than $170,000 by the state Department of Environmental Protection under the annual New Jersey Clean Communities grants program. The grants, target littering and keeping communities clean throughout the state Toms River was awarded $270,000

- The World Health Organization is trying to ease global concerns about the recent hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, drawing comparisons to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove clarifies that the newly identified hantavirus is vastly different from the coronavirus: "This is not coronavirus, this is a very different virus, we know this virus. Hantaviruses have been around for quite a while... This is not the start of a COVID pandemic, this is an outbreak that we see on a ship, there’s a confined area, we have 5 confirmed cases so far."

Iran Israel Updates Thurs May 7

- Trump: “We're negotiating with the Iranians….we took our 3 destroyers, and we rammed them through some pretty big stuff today.... The destroyers weren't hurt in any way."

- Trump: Three World Class American Destroyers just transited, very successfully, out of the Strait of Hormuz, under fire. There was no damage done to the three Destroyers, but great damage done to the Iranian attackers. They were completely destroyed along with numerous small boats, which are being used to take the place of their fully decapitated Navy. These boats went to the bottom of the Sea, quickly and efficiently. Missiles were shot at our Destroyers, and were easily knocked down. Likewise, drones came, and were incinerated while in the air. They dropped ever so beautifully down to the Ocean, very much like a butterfly dropping to its grave! A normal Country would have allowed these Destroyers to pass, but Iran is not a normal Country. They are led by LUNATICS, and if they had the chance to use a Nuclear Weapon, they would do it, without question — But they’ll never have that opportunity and, just like we knocked them out again today, we’ll knock them out a lot harder, and a lot more violently, in the future, if they don’t get their Deal signed, FAST! Our three Destroyers, with their wonderful Crews, will now rejoin our Naval Blockade, which is truly a “Wall of Steel.” President DONALD J. TRUMP

- A senior US official to Fox News: The US attacked one of Iran's oil ports on Qeshm Island in response to the launch of 15 ballistic missiles and cruise missiles this week towards the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. This is not the end of the ceasefire

- CENTCOM: US. forces intercepted unprovoked Iranian attacks and responded with self-defense strikes as U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Oman, May 7. Iranian forces launched multiple missiles, drones and small boats as USS Truxtun (DDG 103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), and USS Mason (DDG 87) transited the international sea passage. No U.S. assets were struck. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) eliminated inbound threats and targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking U.S. forces including missile and drone launch sites; command and control locations; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance nodes

- Fox News: The US attacked on Qeshm Island and Bandar Abbas in Iran. A senior US official told the channel: "This is not a renewal of the war."

- Spokesperson of the Iranian Armed Forces: "The US violated the ceasefire Iran will respond strongly and without hesitation to any attack."

- According to Iranian state TV, after the US military attacked an Iranian oil tanker, Iran launched missiles at a US destroyer in the Strait of Hormuz, forcing them to flee after sustaining losses.

- Tasnim Agency: There are signs that this is an attack by the UAE on Qeshm Island

- Iran Fars Agency: There was an exchange of fire between the Iranian army and the “enemy” after explosions were heard near the city of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.  According to reports, the source of the explosions is fire carried out by the Revolutionary Guards against "unauthorized" ships that attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz

- WSJ: Trump may restart Project Freedom" operation in Hormuz this week - after Saudi Arabia and Kuwait removed their opposition to the US operating from their territory

- WP: Iran holds about 75% of the mobile launchers it had before the war, and about 70% of the missile stockpiles it had before the war

- Donald Trump posted a chart on Truth Social

 comparing the length of major U.S. wars, including Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam, with what he called an “Iran Excursion,” which the graphic listed as lasting six weeks.

- U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz lays out what the Trump administration and the international community are demanding from Iran: "Cease its attacks on commercial shipping, cease mining and remove its mines from an international waterway, cease tolling, charging illegal tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, and allow the UN to move forward with humanitarian aid, lifesaving aid, through that international corridor. It's really just that simple."

- Announcement in Mirom for crowds to evacuate from kever Rashbi due to fear of Hezbollah rockets  

- US President Donald Trump halted the naval operation to guide trapped ships through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz after Saudi Arabia told Washington it wouldn’t let American aircraft involved in the effort use the kingdom’s airspace, NBC News reported Thursday. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states were surprised by Trump’s announcement of Project Freedom on Sunday,

- Iran on Thursday is expected to give mediators its reply to a US proposal for ending the war. CNN

- Due to the possibility that Hezbollah will fire rockets at Israel in response to the killing of the commander of the terror group’s elite Radwan Force, the IDF says it is canceling several civilian events on the northern border that had been exempt from the Home Front Command’s wartime guidelines. The current guidelines in the Lebanon border communities limit gatherings indoors to 600 and outdoors to 200.

- IDF says it destroyed 30-meter Hezbollah tunnel in southern Lebanon

- Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian says he met recently with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, state media reports, offering a first public account of him meeting Khamenei after the latter suffered severe wounds at the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran.

- Trump: The war will be over quickly, Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon

“When you look at the kind of things that are happening, we are doing that for one very important reason: We cannot allow them to have a nuclear weapon. So I think most people understand that. They understand that what we are doing is right, and it’ll be over quickly,” Trump tells a tele-rally for Georgia Republican governor candidate Burt Jones.

-WSJ: President Trump’s advisers are worried that the GOP will pay a political price for high fuel costs. Many of those advisers are eager to end the war, hoping prices will begin to fall before the midterm elections.

Hashkafa Q&A

Hashkafa With Rav Gershon Ribner shlita

Operating a vehicle with a youthful sense of immortality. audio   

Oif Simchas Wednesday 19 Iyar

היום חמשה ושלשים יום שהם חמשה שבועות בעומר/לעומר

Chasunas:

Kramer - Taub Ateres Chaim Elazar 

Peynur  - Messner  Fountain Ballroom 

Gardner  - Schwartz Ateres Blima 

Goldblatt - Gutwirth Ateres Esther 

Brecher  Bais Faiga 

Wednesday May 6 News Updates Lakewood

 weather: 73° Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain for the afternoon.Chance of rain 100%.

- Jackson Township officials say a recent audit found 458 rental properties out of compliance with local registration rules, leaving $4,580 in unpaid fees and exposing landlords to potential fines of $500 per property—totaling $229,000. Altogether, the township estimates $233,580 in outstanding fees and penalties, and beginning May 8, 2026, its Rental Safety Housing Bureau will start issuing Notices of Violation to affected landlords

- MIr Yeshiva to build campus in Bet Shemesh A new branch of Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim was approved in Beit Shemesh on a five-dunam site in Ramat Beit Shemesh Hei 2. Planning for construction is underway.

- S&P 500, Nasdaq end at record highs on hopes for US-Iran peace deal Wall Street stocks jump, extending a global rally and lifting major indices to fresh records as oil prices tumbled amid hopes for a US-Iran peace deal.The broad-based S&P 500 rises 1.5 percent to 7,364.99, a second straight all-time high, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index surges 2.0 percent to 25,838.94, also a second record in a row

- Rav Ezriel Auerbach shlita in Lakewood to raise funds for yeshivos in EY.

- ועל נסיך שבכל יום עמנו 

A 2026 traffic safety analysis found that residents of Lakewood, New Jersey face a higher-than-average lifetime risk of being involved in a fatal car crash compared to the rest of the state. The report estimated a lifetime fatal crash probability of about 1 in 165 (0.61%), compared to the New Jersey statewide average of 0.53%, making Lakewood’s risk roughly 14% higher. Over the past five years, the township recorded 27 traffic fatalities, averaging about 5.4 deaths per year, and a fatality rate of 7.76 per 100,000 residents, compared to 6.79 statewide. The study attributed the elevated risk to rapid population growth, increased congestion, and heavy pedestrian activity in densely used residential and commercial areas (Shore news)

-The dollar has weakened sharply, with $1 ≈ ₪2.90–₪2.92, strengthening the shekel to its highest level in decades. This is increasing costs for those paying in shekels (like diras for bochurim) and making Israeli exports—such as food products and seforim—more expensive in the U.S., leading some distributors to consider shifting publishing or production to America.

- Giyus: PM Benjamin Netanyahu urged Charedi parties to delay the conscription  giyus bill, saying there’s no majority in the Knesset and it’s the wrong time due to elections and security concerns.He suggested pushing it after elections, before the next knesset session but Charedi leaders have not agreed. MK Gafni denied the report

- Adirei HaTorah: with tickets sold out there's currently a Waiting list to sign up Here List https://www.adireihatorah.com/tickets does not guarantee that tickets will become available or be reserved for you.  Organizers say they are exploring all options.  With both Philly Basketball and Hockey teams in the playoffs there a  possibility for a potential game on Sunday may 31 the day of the maamad .

- Today marks 89 years since the Hindenburg disaster in Manchester, New Jersey after it caught fire while attempting to dock with its mooring mast at the Naval Air Station in Lakehurst. 35 of the 97 people on board were killed, along with an additional fatality on the ground.(Onejersey)

 

-Shavuos order deadline at Lilac & cream for Corporate & Bulk Orders:  May 7th at 4:00 PM Standard Orders: May 11th at 4:00 PM 

-Giyus: This Sunday on recruitment day  231 Charedi recruits enlisted this week for combat roles in  chashmonaim and Netzach Yehuda brigades and 131 for combat support roles. This falls short of expectations, which were about 300 combat recruits and 200 support recruits for the cycle.

- Shiva for Reb Chaim Abadi ztl is at Mimi CT Jackson Shachris 9am, Mincha/Maariv 7:45pm

Break time 12pm-2pm

- ADL antisemitisim audit Antisemitic Incidents in New Jersey Remain at Historically Elevated Levels Despite Modest Decline

In Lakewood, two trends emerged relating to the rhetoric used in harassment incidents. First, the Holocaust was commonly referenced by perpetrators. Second, we saw resentment about the Orthodox community’s presence in the neighborhood.

In January, an Orthodox Jew at a gas station in Ocean County was told “your grandparents are on a train to Auschwitz.”

In Jackson, a constituent reported that a man came up to her visibly Jewish son in a park and pointed a gun at the child and said, "Dirty Jew."

ADL: In 2025, recorded 6,274 antisemitic incidents across the U.S. Incidents occurred in all 50 states New York led the nation with 1,160 reported antisemitic incidents. New Jersey ranked third in the nation with 687 reported antisemitic incidents (a 4% decline compared to 2024).

Audit found that antisemitic incidents in New Jersey were recorded in 20 of 21 counties, with the highest numbers in Bergen (139), Middlesex (80), Monmouth (76), Mercer (61), and Ocean (50).  At the municipal level, Princeton recorded 30 incidents (including 6 at Princeton University, mostly vandalism), Lakewood had 29 incidents (about 75% harassment), and Teaneck had 26 incidents (about 80% harassment).

See Audit HERE

- Belgian authorities filed criminal charges today against three mohalim in Antwerp for allegedly performing bris milahs without a licensed doctor present, sparking backlash  Jewish leaders around the world

- The FDA approved its first fruit-flavored e-cigarettes for adult smokers, marking a policy shift after industry pressure tied to Donald Trump.Supporters say vaping can reduce harm compared to smoking, while critics warn flavored products may attract teens despite youth vaping recently declining.

- Donald Trump said a new White House ballroom is being built larger and higher quality than originally planned, raising the cost from about $200M to under $400M.

He claims it’s necessary, ahead of schedule, under budget, and criticized media coverage as misleading.

- An 80-year-old New Jersey crossing guard was killed Monday after pushing two children out of the path of an oncoming car in Woodland Park, New Jersey. Jean Schultz was struck just after 3:30 p.m. and later died at the hospital. The children were hospitalized in stable condition.

- Alan Dershowitz: “Bernie Sanders is the MOST antisemitic senator in modern history! He’s Jewish!  thousands of Jews voted for Adolf Hitler  in the 1932 election in Germany And Bernie Sanders would have voted for Stalin! I have no doubt about that … He’s an evil, evil man!”

- Video Satmar Hachnosas Sefer Torah on Lag Baomer in Williamsburg 

Iran Israel Updates Wed May 6

- President Trump's decision to cancel his plan to assist ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz was made after Saudi Arabia suspended the US military's ability to use its bases and airspace for the operation NBC

- Trump on Iran: "We'll see if we get there. They can't have nuclear weapons. We have to get what we have to get. If we don't do that, we'll have to go a big step further; they want to make a deal. We've had very good talks over the last 44 hours

- Iran's Oil Ministry to the New York Times: Iran has begun to reduce production in some of its oil wells to cope with a storage crisis caused by the naval blockade. According to him, within 40-45 days, land and sea storage space may run out.

- Son of senior Hamas figure Khalil al-Hayya, who was a Nukhaba terrorist, has been eliminated

- Trump sets a new deadline for Iran. In a phone call with Fox News, President Trump said he gives Iran one week to sign a deal.

- IDF struck a building in Beirut The target Commander of the Hezbollah Reduan force, Major Alak Blout. The elimination was coordinated with the US, Netanyahu andDefense minister Katz say Radwan Force operatives “were responsible for firing [rockets] at Israeli communities and harming IDF soldiers.”

- Netanyahu says that he will speak with US President Donald Trump tonight, as the US is reportedly moving toward an agreement with Iran to end the war before resolving Iran’s nuclear program. “We maintain continuous contact with our friends in the United States,“I speak with President Trump on an almost daily basis.”

- Three soldiers were injured in Hezbollah explosive drone attacks in southern Lebanon, as the Iran-backed terror group continued to launch attacks on troops and on northern communities on Wednesday.

- Chairman of the Iranian Parliament, Ghalibaf: "We do not rule out the possibility of a military attack. I am surprised how our enemies still haven't realized that we are ready to die and not give up."

US, Iran said closing in on framework to end war; Trump warns ‘bombing starts’ if Tehran rejects proposal

- Trump: “Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran. If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP”

- Following reports from Axios that the U.S. and Iran may be nearing a 14-point memorandum of understanding, U.S. President Donald J. Trump warned that if Tehran fails to finalize a deal, military operations against Iran will resume at a far more aggressive pace.

- Israel was unaware that US President Donald Trump was close to reaching an agreement with Iran to end the fighting and open the Strait of Hormuz, an Israeli official tells Army Radio.

“We were preparing for an escalation,” says the official.

- Reuters from Pakistan: US and Iran close to one-page agreement to end the war.

- According to sources cited in a report obtained by Axios, the parties are closest to an agreement since the war began. Here are the details.

 -The naval blockade by the US and Iran will be lifted gradually during the period of the detailed ceasefire.

-The US will be required under the memorandum of understanding to lift sanctions and release hundreds of billions of dollars gradually.

- Ceasefire negotiations are still ongoing for the duration of the uranium enrichment freeze. Three sources said the freeze would be for at least 12 years, and one source estimated the outcome would be 15 years. Additionally, the US wants to include a clause in the agreement stating that any Iranian violation regarding uranium enrichment will extend the freeze period.

-Two sources claimed Iran will agree to remove the highly enriched uranium it holds outside the country.

-The United States expects to receive Iran's response to several key points in the draft framework agreement within the next 48 hours.

Oif Simchas Tuesday Lag Baomer

Chasunas

Feurst - Leiser  Cedar Palace

Stein - Hellman Lake Terrace 

Rockove  - Lurie Ateres Blima

Schorr  - Shonfeld Kesser Moshe Yehuda 

Bak - Kurland Fountain Ballroom 

Rapport Bais Faiga

Weather tonight low 60°Winds 10 to 15 mph

Tuesday May 5 Lag Baomer News Updates Lakewood

 Weather: 82° A good deal of sunshine. Higher wind gusts possible.

Allergy alert high pollen count today at 11.5 

Today marks the 5th yahrzeit of 45  Kedoshei Miron 

-About 100 pro palestinian protesters wearing  Keffiyehs gathered near Park East Synagogue in Manhattan  tonight during an event promoting real estate in Israel and the West Bank; some clashed with police after trying to breach barricades, injuring one officer, and the protest later continued toward Hunter College with no arrests reported. Mayor Mamdani didn't comment.

-  Tens of thousands of Satmar chasidim  men - women a day children line the streets of Williamsburg for a hachnosas Sefer Torah with the Satmar rebbe Rav Zalman Leib dedicating it to the shul on Rodney Street today at the close of Lag Baomer.

- Gas prices are closer to $5 and gallon as average around Lakewood area has jumped to $4.70

- Thousands headed to Deans,NJ Floral Park cemetery onag Baomer to daven at the kever of previous Bobover Rebbe Reb Naftoli Halberstam, who said “Rabi Shimon ben Yochai will be by me on Lag BaOmer”. There's tents with food for all those coming. 40 minutes from lakewood 

- List of Hadlokas Lag Baomer day Lakewood area.

- Bais medrash Erech Shai 1st & Madison 7:00

- Yeshivas Harama E 9th st 7pm

- Shedlitz  1151 Somerset Ave Lakewood 6pm

- Yeshiva cheshkas hatorah 704 Whitmore 4 pm

Kol Aryeh 6pm

-Coventry area 5-7pm

Satmar Kennedy 7pm

- UPDATED:Minyan Shelanu WILL e having the annual BBQ today at Blueclaws stadium.

- Thousands participated last night at the Hadlaka of the Skulener rebbe in Lakewood Over 10,000 came throughout the night. 

- Long lines at local barbershop with haircut prices going up.

- Newly paved roads off Central Avenue were ripped up just days after crews finished repaving part of a growing pattern across Lakewood. Officials say utility companies, including gas and water, are not coordinating with each other, leading to repeated disruptions. Township officials are facing criticism for failing to take charge and properly coordinate the work.

- President Donald Trump called on Americans especially Jewish communities to observe Shabbos (May 15–16, 2026 parshas Bamidbar) as part of the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations. In a proclamation for Jewish American Heritage Month, he highlighted Jewish contributions to the U.S., emphasized religious freedom, and linked the initiative to efforts to combat antisemitism.

- Brick Township Public Schools approved a $178 million 2026–27 budget that raises taxes, cuts about 40 positions—including teachers and support staff—and will increase class sizes across all grade levels, according to Superintendent Thomas Farrell.

- At the Lakewood  zoning board meeting last night , three applications were carried to the next session, and a new member, Mr. Shalom Friedland, was added. A proposal for 16 units on Prospect sparked debate, with residents raising concerns about families in an industrial area and the lack of space for a shul. The board responded that the use had already been approved years ago and said the current issue is density. Officials advised the applicant to revise the plan making it less crowded and including space for a shul before it returns for discussion in June.

- Many traveled to Miron by foot trekking for a few miles to be there during lag baomer as authorities closed road access.  Parents brought their little boys for upsherin outside miron as close as they can get to the Rashbi.

Later today police reportedly opened the gets letting the crowds in.

- BDE: Petirah of Rav Rachamim Eliyahu Mazuz ztll a noted gaon and posek in Eretz Yisrael   He was the younger brother of Rav Meir Mazuz zt”l  Rav Rachamim served as head of the “Machon Harav Matzliach” publishing institute. 

- The Lakewood Police Department joined regional law enforcement at a “Click It or Ticket” safety event at Citizens Bank Park, to promote seat belt use. The campaign runs May 11–31 with increased enforcement expected.

- $1 million, Powerball, April 29: sold at Exxon on Route 37 in Toms River (Ocean County)

- Smash house giving 10% off to teachers this week out of appreciation 

- Main seating tickets for Adirei HaTorah have sold out, with only a limited number of obstructed-view tickets still available online. Organizers are reportedly exploring the possibility of moving the event to a larger venue, potentially outdoors in Philadelphia or at a stadium in Piscataway, NJ, though no official updates have been announced yet.

- Jonathan Pollard, who previously served 30 years in a U.S. prison, announced that he is entering Israeli politics and intends to run in the upcoming elections.

- A Stockton University poll found that 75% of New Jersey residents support stronger regulations on children’s social media use, even if it limits some freedoms, while 17% prioritize online freedom. Women showed higher support for increased government oversight than men.

- Police in Toronto arrested Michaelo Markicevic, 67, for the fatal shooting of a Jewish man Daniel Stopnicki, 47, who was killed while walking his dog in a North York park. He was charged with second-degree murder, but the motive remains unclear and no link between the two has been confirmed. The incident comes amid a broader rise in antisemitic attacks in Canada, though police have not determined if this case is related. 

Today May 5 is Cinco Demayo Mexican holiday

Iran Israel Updates Tuesday Lag Baomer

- President Trump says at the request of Pakistan and others “Project Freedom” ship movements through the Strait of Hormuz will be paused while a final agreement with Iran is worked out.

Trump:"Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed. President DONALD J. TRUMP

- US officials: If the president thinks the negotiations are at a dead end, he will not hesitate to take short and deadly action against Iran." - N12

- Trump on Iran: "They should wave the flag. The white flag of surrender. In hockey, they say uncle, right? When are they going to cry, uncle?"

- Trump: "Iran has no chance, they never did, they know it, they express it to me when I talk to them, then they get on television they say how well they're doing"

- Reporter: "[Iran] fired at us several times in the last 24 hours. What do they need to do to violate the ceasefire?"

 TRUMP: "You'll find out, because I'll let you know... They know what to do, and they know what not to do."

- Fox News quoting US officials: We are closer to resuming large-scale fighting in Iran than we were 24 hours ago.

- UAE says 15 missiles, 4 drones fired from Iran, sparking fire at oil facility in first major attack since ceasefire.

- US says it sunk 6 small Iranian boats as ships come under missile fire

- Israel and the US are coordinating preparations for a potential new round of strikes on Iran as the ceasefire appears increasingly at risk amid escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, an Israeli source tells CNN.“The intention would be to carry out a short campaign aimed at pressuring Iran into further concessions in negotiations,

- Trump: on Iran: "They've run out of areas for [oil] storage and they said that in two weeks... they're going to have a natural explosion of their oil that's going to make it impossible for them to really recover

- Donald Trump indicates that if he decides to return to war against Iran, it would take 2-3 weeks to achieve his goals in the war.

“We’ve taken out much of what we’d have to do, probably another two weeks, two weeks, maybe three weeks,” 

- Israeli source to CNN on the coordination between Israel and the US that includes preparations for a wave of attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure and senior Iranian officials: “The intention is to carry out a short operation aimed at pressuring Iran to make further concessions in negotiations.”

- A Hamas commander who participated in the massacre at the Nova music festival on 10/7 was eliminated by the IDF

-Hezbollah attempted to shoot down an Israeli Air Force drone over southern Lebanon a short while ago, the military says. The IDF says the surface-to-air missile “failed” and no damage was caused to the drone.

-CBS: 2 US Navy destroyers broke the Iranian blockade on Hormuz and crossed the strait into the Persian Gulf. This is the first time that military vessels have crossed the Iranian blockade since it was imposed, even though the Iranians have publicly announced more than once that they will sink any military vessel, especially US Navy ships, that tries to cross Hormuz: the two-faced missiles, uncrewed underwater vehicles, and small boats fired by the Iranians towards them. The destroyers were accompanied by helicopters and other aircraft that assisted them in dealing with the threats.