Friday Rosh Chodesh Kislev November 21 News Updates Lakewood

Friday, November 21, 2025 / א׳ כסלו תשפ״ו

ערב שבת פרשת תולדות ראש חודש כסלו

Candle lighting 4:17 pm

Shkiah/Sunset 4:35 pm

- Powerball lottery drawing motzei shabbos 11pm Estimated Jackpot $629 Million

Cash Value $291.6 Million

- This Shabbos marks the yartzeits of Rav Aharon  Kotler zatzal and Rav Nosson Wachtfogel zatzal There will be a shiur zikaron delivered by Rav malkiel Kotler shlita between Kabolas shabbos and Maariv in the Yoshon B"M. A Melava Malka  and siyum Hashas will be held on Motzei Shabbos, featuring divrei zikaron from Rav Malkiel Kotler shlita and Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel shlita.at the Yeshiva dining hall 9:00 pm

- The Lakewood Daf Yomi chaburah, currently on a Yarchei Kallah in Eretz Yisroel, are spending Shabbos in Teveria at a hotel on the Kinneret.

- The Satmar Rebbe, Rav Aharon, is spending Shabbos in Meron together with thousands of chasidim, creating an atmosphere described as reminiscent of Lag BaOmer. On Motzei Shabbos, there will be a hadlaka at chatzos near the kever of Rashbi.

- Chasidei Spink are celebrating a shabbos aufruf this week at the bais Medrash in the Ridge area  615 Bergen st Lakewood 

- The Kozmir Rebbe, who is visiting Lakewood on behalf of his institutions, is staying at the home of the philanthropist R' Chaim Atlas.

- Oraysa Global siyum this Sunday night at the Cure arena in Trenton theres a special arrangement for bochurim $20 a seat call  718.521.2006

- After niturei karta rallied outside  the Park east synagogue  in New York hosting a Nefesh B’Nefesh event promoting Aliya to Israel, New York City’s mayor elect Mamdani chose not to rebuke them. Instead, he accused the Aliyah event itself of promoting violations of international law. His spokesperson followed with a statement that sacred spaces should not be used for activity that “breaches international law.”

- Governor-elect of NJ Mikie Sherrill, who will be sworn in on January 20,  said she will select an Attorney General who’s “willing to take on the Trump administration.”

- Trump to Meet NYC Mayor-Elect Mamdani in Oval Office The closed-press meeting at 3 p.m

- CNN: As the first year of President Trump's second term in the White House nears completion, the news network claims that Trump is expected to conduct a "shake-up" in his cabinet. The most notable among them is the office of Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security

- Rav Kalman Epstein, Rosh Yeshiva of Shaar HaTorah in Queens, remarked that during Covid people stopped making big, fancy weddings, and we thought this would inspire a real change in our community. We hoped the simplicity would continue even after Covid  that we would return to the basics, living a life of hatzne’a leches, without 20-man bands and fancy shmorgs at weddings and without the pressure to show off.

Today, the airport in Lakewood is filled with private planes. But that is not who we are supposed to be. Yidden are meant to live without extravagance and without displaying wealth. When we immerse ourselves too much in gashmiyus, we inevitably lose ruchniyus; excessive materialism stands in direct contradiction to kirvas Elokim. Unfortunately, the lessons of the Covid era did not bring lasting change.

Similarly, during the recent tekufah of the hostages, we should have refrained from extravagance as well to share in the pain. In Eretz Yisroel, some gedolim slept on a simple board to feel the pain of the captives. An 11-year-old boy in Lakewood slept without a pillow for 2 years for the same reason. We should take this to heart even though we are not required to take on discomfort, we should at least be misbonen and recognize what truly matters. As a mamleches kohanim, we must live without unnecessary luxury and avoid letting gashmiyus define us.One hopes that after these difficult years, we will all absorb the lessons about what the truly important things in life are. May we be zocheh to see the bracha of Rosh Chodesh  a new beginning filled with geulos and yeshuos.

- Audio: Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman shlita decries the danger of the pending Giyus draft bill that calls for recruitment of 50% of Yeshiva bochurim and shades on frum boys 

- In Kiryas Yoel this Motzoei Shabbos, a centralized Havdala will be held for all the women whose husbands have traveled to Eretz Yisroel to spend Shabbos with the Satmar Rebbe in Meron.

- APP: A 41-year-old social worker and business owner who described the Board of Education’s challenges as “difficult and thorny” will soon join the board after getting more than 5,000 write-in votes, according to officials.Joel Kleinman, a 15-year Lakewood resident and parent, won the seat with 5,005 write-ins out of 8,641 cast in the Nov. 4 election. Due to the large write-in turnout, it took more than two weeks to count all the ballots, officials said.

Hisachdus Harabonim letter against the Draft bill

Front page of Hapeles newspaper today