Tuesday December 23 News Updates Lakewood

Weather: 40° Cloudy with occasional rain showers.Chance of rain 60%.

 winter weather advisory remains in effect until 4 p.m. Tuesday for Morris, Sussex, Warren, eastern Passaic and western Bergen counties.

Motzei shabbos Watching a potential winter storm  Snow accumulating 3 to 5 inches.

Powerball jackpot $1.7 Billion drawing Wednesday night

- With many health insurance plans seeing premium increases through the Marketplace, residents should be aware that several medical providers in the Lakewood area and across New Jersey are changing which insurers they accept. Some hospitals and medical groups have announced they will no longer accept Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in 2025–2026, prompting patients to check their coverage options and consider alternatives such as Oscar, AmeriHealth, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, or other insurers

- At the levaya of Rav Shlomo Weisberg zt”l, it was noted that the day coincided with the yartzeit of his rebbe, Rav Chaim Shmulevitz zt”l. Divrei hesped were delivered by Rav Yaakov Lazer Schwartzman shlit”a, Rosh Yeshiva of Lakewood East, where Rav Shlomo zt”l was among the founding talmidim.

- A mass casualty incident was declared after a suspected gas main leak caused an explosion and fire at Silver Lake Nursing Home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, leading to partial building collapse. Multiple people were injured and trapped, and search and rescue operations remain ongoing as emergency crews from across the region continue to respond.

- Shiva info: The Mitnick–Kanarek families will be sitting shiva for Mrs. Malkie Mitnick a”h in Lakewood from tomorrow through Friday at 1511 Cindy Court, Raintree.

- The U.S. Supreme Court blocked President Trump from deploying the National Guard to Chicago to protect federal immigration enforcement agents. The decision was 6–3, with Justices Alito, Thomas, and Gorsuch dissenting.

- Gas prices have dropped to a record low of $2.74 per gallon this year, but are expected to rise by 4 cents after January 1 following a gas tax increase approved by New Jersey lawmakers.

-Cuts to Medicaid are expected to cause an estimated 350,000 New Jersey residents to lose coverage. Health insurance premiums are rising dramatically, with some Affordable Care Act plans in New Jersey increasing by as much as 175%.

Hospitals say they will be hit two ways financially. Fewer Medicaid patients means less guaranteed income. And hospitals will likely provide more free treatment under the state’s charity care law to those who have no insurance.

-President Trump said tariffs are driving strong U.S. economic results, claiming no inflation and improved national security.

- BDE: Petirah of Harav Shlomo Weisberg zt”l of Lakewood, son of R’ Yaakov Weisberg zt”l who was from the early talmidim of Rav Aharon Kotler zt”. Rav Shlomo a  known Talmid chochom and talmid muvhak of Rav Nochum Parzovitz ztl and Rav Shneur Kotler zatzal. He was a  magid shiur in Peekskill yeshiva years ago.  He is survived by his family, including his son, Rav Yosef Weisberg shlita, the Rav of Bais Medrash of Pine Lake Park in Manchester. and brothers R' Momshe Zev of Lakewood and R' Isser Zalman of Monsey. 

The levaya is scheduled to take place on Tuesday at 2:00 PM at BMG’s Yoshon Bais Medrash on 7th street.

A follow up levaya at JFK cargo  aeea with Kevurah in Eretz Yisroel.

- A serious fire broke out early Tuesday morning at the Korn’s Bakery factory  in Boro Park on 15th Avenue, halting production and causing significant damage throughout the facility.

- Jewish students feel unwelcome  and under attack  at N.J. colleges. The FBI is paying attention. (Nj.com) 

-The FCC has banned DJI drones, affecting first responders nationwide, including the Lakewood Police. Police in Lakewood say drones are helping them respond in a smarter and safer way.(NBC Philadelphia)

-Lakewood planning board meeting today 6:00 pm  watch livesrream on the agenda

Minor subdivision on Forest Ave to create 2 lots

Minor subdivision on June St & Farry St to create 8 lots

Minor subdivision on Spruce/Washington/Lincoln Aves to create 2 lots

Major site plan for a warehouse on Ocean Ave

Major site plan for Bais Kaila school addition on Spruce Street

Yeshiva Yaaros Devash,  1420 Oak Street  request to install a chain link fence trash enclosure instead of concrete block wall

- Satmar Rebbe Rav Aaron Teitelbaum was ranked No. 34 on the list of the Top 100 Most Powerful New Yorkers, making him the most influential rabbi in Rockland County. He leads the Ahronim Satmar community and recently urged followers to consider relocating from Williamsburg to Rockland and Orange counties due to rising housing costs. During the recent election, they endorsed Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and said that he did not consider Mamdani to be antisemitic.  Source 

- Registration has reopened for New Jersey’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) for eligible Ocean County families, with limited spots available. The program helps cover child care costs for working parents or those in approved education or training. Registration is currently limited to priority groups, including families experiencing homelessness, children with special needs, and households earning under 100% of the federal poverty level.

- A Lakewood man was arrested after police linked two overnight incidents involving a firearm and reported gunfire. Officers recovered shell casings and later stopped and arrested 39-year-old Julio Cordongiron without incident. He was also found in possession of suspected controlled dangerous substances.

- The New Jersey Legislature approved a bill yesterday that would establish a new automatic voter registration system in the state, by switching the Motor Vehicle Commission voter registration process to an opt-out standard.

Any eligible citizen applying for a license or REAL ID will now automatically be registered to vote, with an option to later opt out. The bill now awaits Governor Murphy's signature. (One jersey schorr)

- Transportation Secretary Duffy says he’ll pull roads and bridges funding from blue states that are giving driver’s licenses to illegals.

- New Epstein files say Trump flew on Epstein’s jet at least 8 times in the 1990s—more than previously reported

-DOJ official twitter post: The Department of Justice has officially released nearly 30,000 more pages of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. Some of these documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election. To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already. Nevertheless, out of our commitment to the law and transparency, the DOJ is releasing these documents with the legally required protections for Epstein’s victims.

-Giyus: Israel Hayom': Head-to-head between Agudat Yisrael and 'Degel' - Outrage in Degel HaTorah over Agudat Yisrael's campaign against the draft law. A senior party official: "This involves misleading and inaccurate information, to put it mildly. Agudat Israel is trying to mislead the public that doesn't know the law. Meanwhile, we are the only ones truly caring for the Torah scholars."

- Trump admin to begin garnishing wages of defaulted student loan borrowers in January 

- An article published on a local website regarding ICE enforcement in Lakewood has placed the community in the spotlight and triggered a wave of antisemitic comments targeting the community.  Some remarks accuse the community of hypocrisy, alleging gentrification while claiming concern for undocumented immigrants.

It is important to note that these online news platforms and comment sections do not reflect or represent the Lakewood community in any way, nor do they speak for the community at large.