Wednesday May 13 News Updates Lakewood

Weather: 72° Mainly sunny few afternoon clouds. 

Tonight 53° Rain early..with showers overnight. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.

- BDE: Petirah of R’ Yosef Chaim Lieberman ZT”L, at the age of 98. From the original talmidim of Rav Aharon Kotler zatzal, he lived in Lawrance Ave and than in Brookhill. The levayah is scheduled for 2:30 PM Thursday in Lakewood at the chapel off 7th st with kevurah in Deans, NJ.

- The kever of R' Hershel Spinker ztl will be open 24 hours for erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan mundane at Floral Park  cemetery Deans NJ.

- Falling debris keeps part of George Washington Bridge closed through rush hour The New Jersey-bound lower level  is expected to remain closed through the evening rush as crews work to make repairs

- Vizhnitz rebbe of Bet Shemesh will be in Lakewood today with Kabolas Kahal at 6 Riverside Ct. 

-The government coalition has submitted a motion to dissolve the Knesset. This paves the way for early new elections. "The 25th Knesset will be dissolved before the end of its term, According to Israeli media reports, the bill could be put to a vote on wednesday May 20.

- Satmar rebbe Rabbi Zalman Leib Teitelbaum departed on a special trip to Europe יwith approximately 400 donors and supporters. The group is scheduled to spend Shabbos in Kraków, Poland.

- Vice President JD Vance announces the federal government is deferring over a billion dollars in Medicaid reimbursements to California, citing a failure by the state to combat systemic fraud

- The Hidden Cost of Buying a House You Can’t Afford Rabbi Eliezer Gewertzman od lakewood speaks very honestly about the pressure people feel around money, buying homes, keeping up appearances, and living within your means. watch episode HERE 

Call-in  number: 605-477-2100

- Keren Olam Hatorah delegation is in Argentina  before they will head back.

-President Trump has arrived in Beijing for his high-stakes meeting with President Xi Jinping

- Tefillos for Mekubal Rav Dov Kook shlita of Tveria and son in law of rav Yitzchok Zilberstein who is hospitalized with a severe case of pneumonia name is aDov ben Shoshana 

- New Jersey Democrats just advanced a bill to expand legal protections for transgender healthcare providers and patients, including protections tied to blockers, hormone therapy, and other gender-affirming care. The vote heads to the Assembly tomorrow.

- Tefilas Hashla since  erev Rosh chodesh Sivan is on Shabbos this year some recite the tefilas Hashla on Thursday.

- An editorial in HaPeles criticizes certain ultra-Orthodox parties for remaining aligned with Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc for an extended period and only distancing themselves as elections approach. It questions their recent declaration that they will act solely in the interests of the Charedi public, arguing that this raises doubts about whether past political cooperation truly reflected those interests or achieved meaningful gains for yeshiva students.

- The 2026 Yeshiva Summit is taking place today in Staten Island, for yeshiva leaders, special education professionals,The event features sessions on funding, compliance, legal updates, and school operations, along with networking opportunities to help strengthen and support yeshiva administration.

- CHEMED announces the new medical village on Lakewood on Airport Rd The project, will bring more than 50 specialties under one roof in a purpose-built, outpatient-first facility designed to eliminate the fragmentation that typically forces patients to navigate multiple providers across multiple locations. Planned services include primary care, dental, mental health, pediatric specialties, women’s health, a standalone emergency department, an ambulatory surgery center, and a state-of-the-art diagnostic radiology center. The facility will be exclusively outpatient and non-hospital,

- While President Trump has proposed suspending the federal gas tax, NJ Gov. Mikie Sherrill is skeptical about a similar move in New Jersey. Some experts also argue that suspending the gas tax would likely provide little real relief to drivers, with limited impact on overall fuel prices

- Stickel Packaging Supply in Lakewood acquired by Veritiv a leader in innovative specialty packaging, facility and print solutions

- CIA whistleblower James Erdman III "Dr. Fauci's role in the cover-up was intentional." lays out the "cover-up" of the COVID pandemic, claiming scientists and analysts were skewed from the start, all stemming from Dr. Anthony Fauci. "Public health policy would have been very different had the American public been made aware that a virus from a lab in China was going to serve as the foundation for an emergency use authorization M-RNA products."

While President Trump has proposed suspending the federal gas tax, NJ Gov. Mikie Sherrill is skeptical about a similar move in New Jersey. Some experts also argue that suspending the gas tax would likely provide little real relief to drivers, with limited impact on overall fuel prices.

- Howell update: 

A Howell Township council meeting last night was canceled after officials determined the council chambers and overflow room had reached capacity due to a large resident turnout. Several ordinances up for vote were meant to target the frum community 

 Before the cancellation, the council approved the 2026 budget, which includes a $3.2 million spending increase and a $1.7 million tax increase, reportedly without public comment on the budget prior to the vote. The remaining agenda items, including several land-use ordinances, will be rescheduled for a future meeting at a larger venue. The proposed ordinances include requirements for commercial mercantile licenses and new regulations on impervious coverage, driveways, garages, and accessory structures such as sheds and detached buildings.

The ordinances discussed in Howell Township would tighten local land-use and business regulations. One would require all commercial businesses to obtain a mercantile license. Others would set limits on impervious surfaces like pavement and buildings, regulate residential driveways and require garages for certain home sizes (with existing homes exempt), and establish rules for accessory structures such as sheds, pool cabanas, storage buildings, and detached garages, including how they can be built and used.