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- Today, the Lakewood board of education put the bidding on the Ella G Clark school at $37.5 million for Feb 12th.(Submitted)
- The Agudah Moetzes meeting of the Chassidishe rebbes has concluded but did not issue any official or publicized decision opposing the draft law. However, a statement reportedly sent to frum media outlets said that the Council of Torah Sages “addressed with great severity the decrees and sanctions that are being sought to be imposed on yeshiva students, their families, and on the yeshivot themselves.”
Other reports indicate a decision against the giyus law was reached but at the request of the Degel Hatorah leadership who are supporting it they did not publicize it.
- Unfortunate tragedy in Westgate neighborhood R"L of a shooting which appears to be an isolated incident with no danger to the public.
- BDE: Petirah of Rav Uri Lopoliansky ZTL, 74, first frum mayor of Yerushalayim and founder of the Yad Sarah organization Levaya tomorrow in Yerushalayim.
-The New York Post editorial claims Mayor Mamdani’s tenant advocate Cea Weaver should be fired over past statements it calls extreme and divisive, such as describing homeownership as a tool of white supremacy and advocating for seizing private property, arguing these views are incompatible with holding a public position
- President Trump says he watched video footage showing a woman in Minnesota ramming an ICE agent with her car before being shot and killed. “The reason these incidents are happening is because the Radical Left is threatening, assaulting and targeting our ICE Agents on a daily basis”
- Trump Announces Steps to Block Big Investors from Buying Single-Family Homes
"People live in homes, not corporations," Trump says.Trump blamed inflation under Biden for pricing out younger buyers and pledged immediate steps to stop large institutional investors from snapping up more single-family homes. He plans to urge Congress to make it law and share more details at the World Economic Forum in Davos in two weeks.
- NJ Gov elect Mikie Sherrill will be sworn in on January 20, Sherrill will celebrate her inaugural ball at American Dream mall
- Governor Murphy signed S-4983, extending the period for parents to enroll a newborn in health insurance from 60 to 90 days after birth. Until enrollment, infants remain covered under their parents’ plan, ensuring continuous access to essential medical care.
-Deputy Knesset Speaker Yaakov Margi condemned online incitement celebrating the tragic death of yeshiva student Yosef Eisenthal z”l, saying that anti-Haredi rhetoric in the Knesset fuels hatred on social media.
This is the headline on a frum news website "Teen Killed as Ultra-Orthodox Draft Protest Turns Deadly in Jerusalem; Police Say Driver Was Attacked Before Crash"
- Satmar philanthropist Yoeli Landau, who is celebrating his sons wedding tonight, is giving out large amounts of tzedaka this morning at the Rivnitz Shul in Williamsburg, with hundreds lined up to receive donations.
-Lakewood’s 08701 ZIP code is ranked as the most populated ZIP code in the U.S., with a population of 136,784, according to sources compiling U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data Here
Confirmed Top 3 Most Populated ZIP Codes in the U.S.:
08701 – Lakewood, NJ: 136,784 residents
92336 – Fontana, CA: 103,393 residents
90650 – Norwalk, CA: 100,808 residents(HT/LA)
-The agudah moetzes meeting in EY about the giyus law has moved the location of its meeting to Yerushalayim at the request of the Belzer Rebbe so he could participate. Agudas Yisrael is expected to oppose, but the coalition majority remains intact for now to pass the las as Shas and UTJ have a combined 14 votes
- At the recent Torah Umesorah Presidents Conference, there was a discussion about the new “Big Beautiful Bill” signed by Trump, allowing taxpayers to donate $1,700 to an SGO (Scholarship Granting Organization) for education and scholarships. If 30% of New Jersey taxpayers contribute, it could generate $840 million for education.
Lakewood’s school deficit for mosdos that have to be fundraised is roughly $85 million after tuition, which would require about 50,000 donors at $1,700 each to cover. By tapping into employees in and outside Lakewood, schools could potentially solve the deficit, allowing them to raise salaries for teachers and rebbeim but not by lowering tuition for parents. Concerns were raised about running an SGO for profit it likely won’t be profitable even with the allowed 10% overhead. It’s still unclear if the NJ Governor will opt in, and mosdos would need to figure out governance of the SGO, including who receives funds. This was presented as a potential solution for school funding, easing the fundraising burden on roshei mosdos. Watch video Here
- New federal SNAP changes affect about 850,000 New Jersey residents, mainly by expanding work requirements for adults ages 18–64, who must complete 80 hours per month of work, training, or volunteer service unless exempt. Caregiver exemptions now end when a child turns 14. Benefit amounts for 2026 are up to $298/month for individuals and $994/month for a family of four, with New Jersey maintaining a $95 minimum benefit. Food purchase rules and income eligibility limits in New Jersey remain unchanged.
- Four months into the school year, Lakewood’s Board of Education has received only about $166 million of its $303 million operating budget, leaving a $137 million shortfall. The gap includes roughly $37.5 million expected from the sale of the Ella G. Clarke School, which has not yet materialized, raising concerns about how schools continue to operate.(APP)
- The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court extended the detention of Fakhri Khatib, the bus driver involved in Tuesday night’s bus ramming that killed a 14-year-old bochur. He will remain in custody until January 15 while investigators complete their inquiries, the police said.
- Newly sworn-in NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani faces his first test on Jewish community safety as anti-Israel activists plan to protest a Nefesh B’Nefesh “NBN on Tour” event in Manhattan. The protest is being organized by the Palestinian Assembly for Liberation Al Awda NY/NJ (PAL-Awda NY/NJ).
- The U.S. seized the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera in the North Atlantic after a two-week pursuit for violating sanctions linked to Venezuela. The seizure followed a U.S. federal court warrant and tracking by Coast Guard vessels, as part of efforts to enforce sanctions and prevent illicit oil shipments.
- A 51-year-old man from Newark was killed in a wrong-way crash on Route 88 in Brick on Dec. 29. Police say a 2021 Kia Sportage driven by 67-year-old Cathe J. Schaefer of Brick entered the westbound lane heading east, causing the fatal collision near Ocean University Medical Center.
- Donald Trump claimed NATO allies were not paying their fair share until he pressured them to increase defense spending, said he prevented Russia from taking all of Ukraine, and asserted he ended multiple wars and rebuilt the U.S. military. He argued NATO depends on U.S. strength, warned Russia and China do not fear NATO without America, and said only a strong U.S. deters them.
- Leading rabbanim in Lakewood, led by Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel, met to address spiritual and social risks of AI chat tools, especially for children and yeshiva students. They called for a day of tefillah and fasting and urged rebbeim to teach about AI dangers, reinforce Torah values, and implement practical safeguards like blocking AI access on phones and devices. No date has been set yet for the yom tefillah and taanis.
- Report: "Habachur Yosef was not involved in the demonstration. He was on his way home and was not involved in any way in the attack against the driver," Rabbi David Zucker, the spokesperson for the bnei Torah faction, told about the tragic event yesterday in Yerushalayim.
- Large crowds today accompanied the levayah of the choshuve bochur Yosef Eisenthal z”l, a talmid of Yeshivas Ohel Torah–Ponevezh, who was tragically killed after the Atzeres against the draft law in Yerushalayim The levayah departed from the yeshivah in Ramot, where hespedim were delivered by Rav Ezriel Auerbach shlit”a, his grandfather, the mara d’asra of Ramot Gimmel, Rav Uriel Eisenthal shlit”a; the Roshei Yeshivah of Ohel Torah,and his father, Rav Shmuel Eisenthal shlit”a, one of the roshei yeshivah of Ohel Torah. “The Ribono Shel Olam decreed such a gezeirah. Everyone feels that this is a korban tzibbur; how many tears were shed by Klal Yisrael on this final day. Oy, what a korban. But we know what Reb Elchonon said that one must be careful that there should be no machshavos pigul. Ribono Shel Olam! Ribono Shel Olam! We do not ask ‘why’ it is forbidden to ask ‘why.’ We say thank You: for fourteen years You entrusted us with such a pikadon, such a neshamah. I hope we guarded the pikadon properly. We did all the hishtadlus we could, both b’gashmiyus and b’ruchniyus. Tatty, we return to You a neshamah tehorah, a neshamah that left this world מתוך דבר מצוה.”
Satmar Rebbe Rav Aaron in Palm Springs,CA
reb yoel landau is proof we dont college, secular education all this narishkeit espoused the YU/ Young Israel crowd. Ruby Schron is a billionaire with access to Trump and he didnt go to college. I say this to all my nephews just learn and thats it.
ReplyDeleteClassic chareidi think. Let's showcase the super successful as a reason why the 95 percent should struggle to stay afloat without professional training.
DeleteI agree, college is a shtus. But you gotta go to work and at least buy a few nursing homes or apartment buildings. If you're not going to do that, then you do need to go to college. (Or you can be a cashier in Shloimys)
DeleteRight. Everyone has entrepreneurial skills and the mazal of Yoel Landu and Ruby Schron. Why do you point to them to your nephews, what about you yourself and the people around you? I think that a lot of the endless farbissener comments here on hefkervelt are coming from people who have no parnossah,
DeletePerhaps, if you went to college, or even learned properly in Yeshiva, you would realize how foolish your proof from Yoeli Landau is.
DeleteI am almost sure Ruby went to college and started out as an accountant.
DeleteRegardless to say that nobody should go to college or earn a profession license to earn a parnasah goes against what most gedolim have said that a person should do. Where does it say that someone should now work? That someone should not know basic writing/spelling? Just learn (Hopefully) and dont worry about parnassa? How many people are struggling with shalom bayis? Children? Because they dont have parnasah? 'Chochom is roeh es hanoled'.. Do your hishtadlus and work hard and bezh you will pay the bills.
Be prepared when the people you dismiss inform you that Rav Pam, Gifter, Perlow and others went to college and went on to be Gedolim. And when they inform you that Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch went to American high school. So much for the Chareidi narrative in EY that if you learn Arithmetic you can't become a Gadol.
DeleteProbably the most immature and foolish comment I've ever seen; but it's very well-written, almost as good as one who attended college.
Deleteyes, the "proofs" from yoel landau and schron are silly, but it is true that most college is a scam and most of the time and money spent on it goes completely to waste. b'h, one can now receive an undergraduate degree from a yeshiva, so one can skip the complete waste of time of getting a bachelor's degree and go straight to getting a degree for the field he wants to get into - for example, social work, accounting or law. if one wants to go into business, it is far better to take an entry level position and learn on the job - steadily increasing your income - than to waste time and money on business school. unless one just wants a college degree to show off.
Deletealso, the poster who tried to bring proofs to something or other from Rav Pam and Rav Gifter going to college is not very intelligent. they themselves were not proud of it and would tell their students not to do that (Rav Gifter especially). And no one in the EY ever said that if you learn arithmetic you can't become a Gadol.
all those examples you give, plus be anti Tziyoni.
Deletehow does anyone still consider themselves a Zionist, when so much bitul Torah and suffering is coming from them?
ReplyDeleteYou can say the same thing about Eitz and other kanoim
DeleteIt is expected that over the next few weeks a lot more cell phones will have AI block available. Unfortunately Ani Choma phones cannot be blocked 100 percent. Roshei Mosdos are looking into Vaad Hakehillos as a good alternative.
ReplyDeleteWIC does allow CY yogurt. But only plain and no longer allows vanilla flavored.
ReplyDeleteThere's a narrative being pushed by certain kanaim (not TAG and not the Roshei Yeshiva) that AI is beyond us and there's no solutions. The reality is that on a computer it is filtered and on phones TAG has a robust block available. The panic is misplaced.
ReplyDeletePanic is not misplaced at all, ask any menahel.
DeleteOn one hand they say teenagers don't have the maturity to navigate this challenge and the same leaders will tell teenage boys that the IDF is shmad, out to destroy Torah and are like the Nazis, but expect those boys to protest responsibly . And they don't.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete- Report: "Habachur Yosef was not involved in the demonstration. He was on his way home and was not involved in any way in the attack against the driver," Rabbi David Zucker, the spokesperson for the bnei Torah faction, told about the tragic event yesterday in Yerushalayim.
He confirms that others attacked the driver. Doesn't seem to bother him very much.
For shame!
lol these communists that say “starve the middle class” are hilarious when they are found to be children of landlords and successful businesspeople. It never worked and never will work.
ReplyDeleteWhat will your ilk argue ,if it works
DeleteToday, the Lakewood board of education put the bidding on the Ella G Clark school at $37.5 million for Feb 12th.
ReplyDeleteIt would be a disaster for the neighborhood if a developer were allowed to come in and put up a hundred houses.
The ridge area is overcrowded and as it is, the electric grid has a hard enough time providing for the existing homes.
To the fellow who talked about Mr. Landou and college.
ReplyDeleteIn 1979 I heard the following words from Rav Hutner- in his office -“ AZ A BOCHOUR GEIT AROUS FROM THE KOSLEI HAYISHVA- ZOL ER LEIBEN OF LUFT?” He then clearly told me to learn a profession is 100% fine, which many of talmidim did. You can learn a lot more everyday as you get older when you can make a proper living.
Remember when people make parnosa bkovod rebbiem get paid bkovod on time because more people pay full tuition.
Lastly - become a plumber etc- trade school type jobs are amazing ways to support your family. the chasidic world has figured that out- the litfishe velt has not.
Humbly
Moshe Engel
Kew Gardens Hills
Thank you for sharing
DeleteOf course. To anyone who knew Rav Hutner there is no surprise here. He also refused to join a ban on Touro College. And his policy was that if someone in Kollel goes into debt to continue learning, it is time to leave.
DeleteYoeli L should not be mentioned in the same sentence and Ruby Schron
ReplyDeleteYoeli basically called all the Litvishe RYs from Rav Ahron to Rav Shach a bunch of wimps and is challenged both with humility and gastronomically on the other hand Ruby is cloaked in humility and considers himself a public domain of all Gedolei Yisrael
Chassidim like to GIVE money, litvaks only know how to TAKE money
ReplyDeleteI am not sure how that proves Yoeli L`s public accosting against Rav Ahron is warranted.
DeleteOh you mean because he has a lot of money and can hide behind a rebb he is allowed to push an agenda.
Or is it that he knows how to throw a good party
Just making sure I have this straight
What happened in westgate? Suicide??
ReplyDeleteI really think we need to address this issue. I’m concerned many people are holding in so much and resort to this because of how we neglect it.
DeleteHow childish of the poop to celebrate some kids from Lakewood joining the IDF
ReplyDeleteLike a 2 year old trying to get his father angry.. seeking attention
Pathetic that this is a media in Lakewood
Re: hafganas
ReplyDelete'The rioters rioted because it was enjoyable. Banfield quotes one person involved in the 1967 Detroit riots, who said, “A lot of people have a misconception of it.” It was not about politics but about “pure lawlessness. People were trying to get what they could get. Police were letting them take it.” Another contemporaneous rioter declared it was “just like a holiday"'
Those who take the secular college track generally turn out more of a mentch
ReplyDeleteMost of the rich without it are so grubbe