Monday February 23 News Updates

Weather 36° Snow, heavy at times. Gusty winds will lead to blizzard conditions. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds NW at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of snow 90%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches. Higher wind gusts possible.

Blizzard Warning and a Coastal Flood Advisory both remain in effect through Monday evening.

Two more potential snowstorms on the radar. Friday this week and purim day Tuesday 

- A child fell into a huge snow mound this evening and was rescued after having been trapped for over an hour off Prospect street.

- Many girls schools will be open with no transportation parents will have to carpool.

- A YouTuber who previously released a hit piece documentary on Kiryas Yoel has now posted a new video focusing on the Lakewood-area Orthodox community. The video, titled “Exposing  New Jersey’s Jewish invasion ” has already garnered more than 70,000 views within just a few hours of its release.

The documentary centers on the expansion of the Orthodox Jewish community into neighboring towns and starts off with a similar visit to Monsey. It features interviews with local residents, some of whom express frustration, claiming that new neighbors tend to remain insular and do not encourage interaction between children from different communities.

Lakewood philanthropist Dr. Richard Roberts is also interviewed in the video. He responds to criticism regarding the community’s use of government programs and its support for zoning changes, particularly in Jackson, defending what he describes as lawful growth and community development.

The video includes troubling elements, such as antisemitic references that highlight overflowing trash bins and blame newcomers for a reported rat infestation. While some residents agreed to appear on camera, others declined, citing concerns stemming from the filmmaker’s previous Kiryas Yoel documentary.

The documentary concludes by acknowledging that the Orthodox Jewish community shares a strong sense of collective purpose that unites its members, even amid ongoing tensions with surrounding communities.

- There's No LSTA bus transportation tomorrow several girls schools have canceled classes for tomorrow.

-Yartzeit of Moshe Rabbeinu ז אדר celebrated in Miron tonight with singing and dancing 

- Trump says reports that the Pentagon is warning him against attacking Iran are "100% incorrect," and if the U.S. military goes to war with Iran "it will be something easily won."

- President Trump says his State of the Union speech tomorrow is going to be a “long speech” because he has so much to talk about. The men’s US hockey team has accepted President Trump’s invitation to come to his State of the Union address tomorrow.

- The Trump admin expects to receive from the Iranians by tomorrow a draft agreement: a real proposal - no more principle documents and ideas. After the draft is received, Trump and senior officials will discuss it to decide whether to pursue face-to-face talks.

- PSA:  Good time to towel the keurig coffee machine in the snow

From Star K: In case of great need, it is permitted to tovel glass and china in snow if there is at least 240 cubic feet of snow joined together in any area. For example, four inches of snow in a field which has an area of 27′ X 27′ would be large enough to tovel the keilim. The snow must fill the inside and cover the outside of the keili, and the vessel must be connected to the required amount of snow

-Campaign in Iran looming 

 Israeli official told the Saudi channel Al-Hadath: We are considering evacuating several embassies. We have raised the alert level at embassies in Europe, the Far East, and Latin America. We asked former senior officials in the defense establishment and the civil service to return to the country as soon as possible.

- Netanyahu delivers an unusually short and dramatic speech in the Knesset:

“We are in very complex and challenging times, concerning the life of the state.”

“No one knows what tomorrow will bring. We are keeping a watchful eye and are prepared for any scenario. If Iran makes a mistake perhaps the most serious mistake in its historyand attacks Israel, we will respond with a force they cannot even imagine.”

And at the conclusion:

“In these days we must close ranks and stand shoulder to shoulder. We have already proven that when we stand together, we achieve great accomplishments. On the eve of the Purim holiday, we will stand together—and, with God’s help, we will ensure the eternity of Israel(Amit Segal)

- Yair Lapid responds to PM Netanyahu regarding Iran: There is a good chance that we are on the verge of a campaign in Iran. If this campaign happens and it should happen we will all put everything aside. All disagreements will be put in deep freeze until the end

- Trump: Any Country that wants to “play games” with the ridiculous supreme court decision, especially those that have “Ripped Off” the U.S.A. for years, and even decades, will be met with a much higher Tariff, and worse, than that which they just recently agreed to. BUYER BEWARE!!! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP

- Rav Dov Landau, sharply criticized the phenomenon of filtering girls during admission to seminaries based on criteria of abilities and suitability.

The questioner: "Girls who are excellent in spirituality, the families are excellent in spirituality, but the girls are not the most brilliant. The big seminaries don’t want them.

Rav Landau responded לא יהיה כלי גבר על אשה

- zTrump: As President, I do not have to go back to Congress to get approval of Tariffs. It has already been gotten, in many forms, a long time ago! They were also just reaffirmed by the ridiculous and poorly crafted supreme court decision! President DJT

Lakewood Rosh Yeshiva  Rav Malkiel Kotler shlita walking home from Yeshiva