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- Hatzolah of Central Jersey is issuing an urgent advisory following a significant rise in the number of pedestrian accidents across its coverage area in recent days and weeks, calling on drivers to slow down, particularly in residential areas and near schools, and to remain alert at all times, especially during peak pedestrian traffic hours. Drivers should be extra cautious at intersections and crosswalks, yielding to pedestrians as needed. It is also essential for drivers to minimize distractions and remain focused on the road, and as the season changes, turn on headlights earlier to improve visibility in fading daylight. Pedestrians are equally urged to exercise caution. Crossing streets at designated crosswalks and obeying pedestrian signals is critical to staying safe. Wearing reflective clothing or carrying a light at night.
- Verizon confirms service is back online after a major outage
- Hurricane Helene's death toll at least 126 people have been confirmed dead across six states – Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.
- Trump says he hasn't spoken to Biden about relief efforts from Hurricane Helene because he is probably "sleeping right now."
Trump also went off on the Biden-Harris administration for failing to act.
- Bingo Mismachei lev Yom Tov sale extended until Rosh Hashanah Oct 2
- Price of Salmon has come down in several
Local stores ahead of Rosh Hashana as low as $6.99
- Users reporting nationwide outage at Verizon Wireless.
- Rav Aaron Schustal shlita of BMG will deliver a shiur Khali in BMG as the next generation phases into the Hanhala and he will assume the title of R"M. The shiur is 12:45 pm at the Bais Sholom B"M and will be on the sugya of Shofar Gezula and MItzva Haba Baveira He's the oldest son of the Rosh yeshiva Rav Dovid Schustal shlita and a son in law by Rav Aharon Dovid Dayan Dunner from London.
- The Royal grove community in Jackson have permanently moved into their brand new Bais Medrash ahead of Rosh Hashana
- The Meadow Run community in Jackson have moved into their new Bais Medrash this week
- Lakewood Mayor Ray Coles was asked how the township raised over 8 million in Taxes besides getting an extra 7 million from Trenton the mayor responded that the increase is mostly due to higher salaries in the DPW Police and other departments/ Last year the taxes went up 4 million this year it went up another 8 million the 7 million from Trenton did not sem to make a dent in helping the residents to lower taxes
- Tonight is the annual Lakewood reception for Yeshiva Torah Vodaas with the participation of the roshei Yeshiva Rav Yisroel Reisman Rav Yosef Savitzky Rav Yitzchok Lichtenstein at 227 Autumn rd 8:00 pm special chinuch presentation based on the Mashgiach Rav Moshe Wolfson ZTL delivered by Rav Efraim Glassman Shlita
- Hundred of frum Jews were seen yesterday and today in Newark Airport as they head out to Spend Rosh Hashana in Uman
-Rav Yissochor Frand shlita will speak tonight at the Hashkafa in the work place series at Torah lInks followed by a Q&A
- For the first time since the Scheiner shul opened in Monsey, the gabbaim launched a campaign asking the mispalelim to help support the daily operations of the shul as it has become a center with thousands coming by daily for Torah and Tefillah.
Why shouldn't hundreds of Yidden run away from their nagging wives & boring RH davening to spend RH as a non stop party of sleeping, dressing, drinking, drugs, and nonstop moitze RH disco concerts! Lol
ReplyDeleteNon of your business
ReplyDeletePerhaps the bosselach are thinking, "Let's support the NJEA President, Sean Spiller for governor and we will get leverage." Consider that very few members of the Union care for whom the Union endorses. We are in the union for collective bargaining and for legal representation when a member's job is put at risk. The former CEO boss was wrong in 1995 when he told me the Vaad that he helped set up will be like a union, or a publisher, that only makes endorsements but the individual still has a choice. (We did agree that we needed two parties in the Township, not just same ole, same ole Republicans that Shanky endorsed). The Rosh Yeshiva, also back then, even told me that no one is forcing you to push any particular button in the voting booth. But I argued that is not how the oilam interprets it. There is much more obedience to the Vaad's endorsement.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, Spiller will not, and nobody will be able, to get a big enough voucher bill passed that will put a dent in the tuition crises. Here is the point, it is not the Union per se, but it is the teachers, real people, that will oppose. We are a nation of individuals that are civic minded and join together with common interests, but individuals nonetheless. It is not the union that you need, but the teachers, the public school parents and graduates (90% of the state), and the rest people of NJ who feel that it is in their interest to divert substantial funds away from the public schools. And it certainly will not happen until Lakewood gets its own financial house in order.
Another point. I often hear people say that our taxes are high because of this or that person or party. Wrong again. They are high because NJ is a home rule state. NJ has more municipalities and school districts than states ten times bigger. That means, for instance, the same geographic area or population in another state that would have one police chief, one township manager, one superintendent of schools, in NJ there will be about 30 of each. This is well known and will not change. The NJ constitution prevents forcible. municipal consolidation.
When I was studying Government at UT, think my Politics of the Texas Legislature course, we had a guest lecture from the director of Common Cause. He said something I never forgot. Lobbyist, money, interest groups, oil companies, political bosses, campaign contributions (no unions in Texas then), and all that we complaint about for eroding our democracy, cannot stand before the people when they organize together in common cause. It does not happen often, but when it does, the cause of the people is the most powerful force in America. One day, it will be a force to reckon with here too.
Besides teachers unions, school districts are jealous of their power, including $ power. Making sure no district gets more than them, per capita or other relatively fair way. Of course, Abbott districts confuse the comparison, making this jealousy even greater.
DeleteI don't know about NJ, but in NY, school districts are controlled by Teacher Unions. I'm sure basically in NJ too.
I don't know. I don't want to go on record because the union has provided me with thousands of dollars in legal help, but the point is that I don't know anyone in the union that casts their votes because the union tells them to. You just need the union for when you get in trouble. When people say the NJEA is powerful, what they really mean is that the union is vocal but it is the devotion of the teachers to the public schools, not their leadership that makes the difference. (Look at how both Trump and Biden tried to get the United Auto Workers even though the leadership already endorse the Democrats). The union exposed the voucher plan and you saw that huge list of interstate support, not just from unions but civil rights and other organizations. Everyone, including the governor, knew the teachers (ie. union) will go up in arms, but not because the union will tell them to, but because their own beliefs and interests. And the teachers have strong support of all the parents in NJ. Much more so than in other states.
DeleteThis is not academic. I don't want anyone to think that just because Sean Spiller promises them something, all 200,000 teachers and the millions of other supporters of public schools, will line up behind him. The union is not the Vaad. (Whatever the Vaad is. There is definitely no single leader for the big picture just a bunch of little factions protecting their own turf. We are dealing with institutional neglect in Lakewood, a complete breakdown of accountability and a vacuum of centralized power. The buck stops nowhere. I am told, "Oh, it is the responsibility of the BOE, or of the Igud." I say, "Yea, but it becomes a township matter, everyone's matter, when the BOE is bankrupting us by borrowing $100 million a year and look, we got an Abbott ruling that can fix it all." Some people are just too blind to see, or too set in their established ways (it's all about turf), to ride the wave of history when it comes roaring in. Change is coming.
BTW Thanks for your input but I will conclude one thing for sure, the union does not control the district. It is controlled by one man (one Bossela) and he is not even a member of the union. (I think his Momela was.)
Speaking of NY, I did a lot of work there with the new regents regulations. It is a very different system.
DeleteYou know though, it is at the same time a shame, but also good, that I never got the Ramapo case. A shame because we might have been able to win it, but good because maybe we would have lost. I knew I could win in Lakewood because it was my baby, my job, my organization, my company ladder to climb. This is also a shame, but also good. Good because I knew I would win, but a shame because I did win (and am looking for another job).
You are right about state funding. And that is exactly why all the politicians are wrong for thinking all of a sudden, that you don't need a court decision, and can accomplish the change in the legislature.
DeleteWe live in a home rule state. NJ has been called a multiplicity of municipalities. I think this is why the NJ Court has become so much more (polically) powerful than in other states. (NJ, in 1781, was the first court to overturn a legislative act). Abbott districts were created by the Court.
The 1948 constitution gave the governor strong powers, but when all is said and done, the state is still a collection of fiefdoms with their own bosses. It is said since there are no TV stations or big city papers in the state, it was impossible for the governor to become a unifying force statewide despite his new powers. That should be a lesson for Lakewood because we too cannot find a way to inform, to gauge, and to channel public opinion into public policy in Lakewood.
AL 4:22 --
DeleteYes, the bigger problem is that each school district is out to make sure no other district gets more state aid than another.
For some reason, they let the Abbott Districts get almost all of the state pie. Truth is, state aid to local schools doesn't add up to much anymore, after taking Abbott out of the equation.
Those districts that are now suing the state, or rather announcing they're suing are right, but not politically correct
The only ground they have to sue is the say the SFRA is the minimal constitutional level. The people who are helping me say that is the case, but the Court never said it. They will lose. In the case of Lakewood, I had to prove that in the trenches, the kids are harmed and the education is pitiful. Prof. T. is so brilliant that he won Abbott without even being a teacher. I would have never been able to do it if I was not an employee for two decades. Now I (really Prof. T. is now leading but I am still the attorney of record) have to prove that it is the fault of the formula. The state is claiming that you have to look at everything holistically, that the loans should count toward the amount of funding that is considered. They will lose on that. If the state were right, we would likely see the collapse of Lakewood. The debt will be a billion dollars in five years and there is only so much a friendly governor can do. Our time is running out.
Delete
ReplyDelete"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
Yes. Maybe it will happen, but I gather some other important event has to take place first, perhaps the final court victory. Even if not that, it will happen after some other failure of the present leadership.
DeleteOur present municipality has proved incapable of the most obviously salutary measures, but we are still not ready to change it. Even a strong chief executive will just be that on paper. A mayor-city council system might not be an improvement if the majority of the city counsel and the mayor continue to be primarily motivated by disbursing favors to those who in turn ask the oilam to vote for them because of hakaros hatov. The city executive and legislative body have to hold themselves accountable to the people not the other way around.
Lol the Rav of Uman gave a pre RH address begging the oilam not to bring drugs
ReplyDeleteLeaving the USA for Uman is one thing. Not something I can really identify with, but I'm sure there are some who do it Leshem Shamayim. But how can people leave the Heilige Land of E'Y for R"H to go to Uman?!? Even those who go Leshem Shamayim, what can be holier than E"Y?!?
ReplyDeleteAnd what about the bobover chassidim that come to the USA fo spend rosh hashanah with their rebbe if you aren't a chosid you won't understand
DeleteI'm no Breslover but see the Sdei Chemed Maarches Eretz Yisroel for the many poskim who discuss leaving Eretz Yisroel to daven by Kivrei Tzadikim. Go through those maare mekomos and you will understand that tzad
DeleteI never heard anyone criticize those who go to Jordan to daven at what they believe to be Ahron's kever. I never heard anyone criticize the common practice among sefardim who leave EY to go to Egypt and Morocco on certain yartzeits of major figures in the sefardi world to daven at their kevarim. If there would be a major pilgrimage from EY to Warsaw to daven at the kever of R' Chaim Brisker no one would be saying why are they leaving EY to daven at a kever in Chu'l
DeleteDid Ray Coles talk about the lucrative salaries the committeemen give themselves for their very part time positions? Did he talk about the additional hundreds of thousands in health and other benefits they help themselves to from our taxpayer funds?? Of course not, he just points his finger at other people.
ReplyDeleteHow do all the Rebbes & Roshey Yeshiva in EY leave to go on vacation in Switzerland????
ReplyDeleteSwitzerland is not nearly as bad as where the balebatim go? How can a balebuss shlep his kid into Miami Beach or Cancun or some of the places the gvir party committee travels to?
DeleteThat שנאת התורה is breathtaking.
DeleteOne Rosh Yeshiva goes to Switzerland from EY. Precisely one. No more. And his wife's family is from there. But all Roshei Yeshiva are attacked for it.