Wednesday August 26 News Updates Lakewood

Weather:  83° A mix of clouds and sun. High 83F

13 Elul Yartzeit of the Ben Ish Chai.

- Satmar rebbe Rav Zalman Leib shlita  paid a visit today to the Lakewood kehila in Rockwell ahead of the yomim Noraim

- Delta Air Lines will resume daily nonstop service from New York JFK to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport on September 6, using Airbus A330-900neo aircraft. “The safety and security of our customers and employees remain our top priority.”

- United plans to resume September 8. American remains suspended through March 27, 2027.

- Schools were urging parents to opt in to LSTA new busing fee by the 5pm deadline despite the steep increase since carpooling will mean more traffic and safety issues.

- BDE: Petirah of Mrs. Chanie Jacobs A"h (nee  Bresler) after a illness, wife of Rav Chaim Jacobs shlita from Forest Ave, rebbe in Kamenitz yeshiva. Levaya today at the Lakewood chapel off 7th st 6:30 pm with Kevura in Lakewood. She was in her 50's.

-BDE: Petira of Rebbetzin Frieda Fried A”H, wife of Harav Psachya Fried Shlita, she was suddenly Niftar at her home in Lakewood today.. The Levaya will take 5:00 PM at the Lakewood Chapel, followed by Kevurah in Eretz Yisroel.

- Bloomberg: Talks between Russia and Ukraine are at a dead end; Putin plans to escalate the war

- Admor M'Chernobyl shlita from Brooklyn will be in Lakewood this evening for kabolas Kahal ahead of the Yomim Noraim. At  Cedarview ave starting with 7:30 Mincha until 10:30pm.

- Biala rebbe shlita will be in Deal,NJ today for a short  visit.

- At the Jackson council meeting last night the Township passed an ordinance prohibiting data centers in all zoning districts of the town . Four council members voted in favor while one opposed it.

- Youtuber Tyler Oliveira is reportedly back in Lakewood today and has been approaching residents and schools, he was in other jewish neighborhoods in brooklyn yesterday trying to engage people for interviews with a film crew. 

- Over 40 girls still not placed yet in high school. In previous years the nashgiach Rav Mattisyahu Solomon would not allow schools to. Begin the year untill all girls were placed.

- Chavivim of Ocean county ads 9 new members to expand services for the community 

- Tomchei Shabbos of Lakewood dedicates the Fischl family warehouse in Lakewood  on Summer Ave, that will serve as a distribution place for the food packages.

- Moishes supermarket in Howell was set to open ahead of the yomim tovim shopping season, as of now there's no official opening date announced yet.

- LSTA deadline for opting in has passed there's no data yet about what percentage of parents decided, yet several parents of mesivta age boys have organized their own carpool as the morning  shacbris buses arrive too early with empty routes that are not utilized. 

- FAA news LSTA drama leaves more questions than answers. Lakewood residents are still seeking answers about the LSTA’s revised $675 busing charge. Where did the approximately $290 reduction come from, and was LDC, UEZ, or other funding pursued? What happened to tbe $1.6 million loan. Questions also remain about who approved the original $945 charge and the reduction, board member current role with LSTA and Igud, and whether any conflicts of interest exist. Most importantly, residents want a clear explanation of why courtesy transportation is funded differently for public and nonpublic students and who ultimately pays for each program. Here

- BDE: Petirah of Rabbi Aron Gertz zt”l, a longtime rebbi at Yeshiva Karlin-Stolin of Boro Park, who spent many years dedicated to the chinuch and growth of generations of talmidim Originally from Kensington area and relocated in the later years he suffereda beart attack a few weeks ago. Levaya in Lakewood today  11am at the chapel off 7th st.

- APP reports Families of non-mandated private and religious school students in the township are scrambling to adjust to a steep financial shock after the Lakewood Student Transportation Authority announced that courtesy busing fees will more than double for the upcoming 2026–27 school year.

- Hatzolas Nefashos Calls for Apology at Jackson Council Meeting. A representative of Hatzolas Nefashos called on a Jackson council member to publicly apologize for remarks made about the volunteer emergency medical organization two weeks earlier, including referring to it as a “copycat” ambulance service. The representative invited the council member to tour the organization’s operations, meet its volunteers and medical teams, and observe their training firsthand. He also disputed claims that Hatzolas Nefashos volunteers are improperly trained or primarily based outside Jackson, and said a video showing a vehicle running a red light did not involve the organization. The representative emphasized that Jackson residents volunteer around the clock to help save lives and provide emergency transportation, including free transports in some circumstances. “Judge us by our actions and not assumptions,” he said, adding that the organization is here to serve Jackson residents and deserves an apology for what he called inappropriate public remarks.

A Council member echoed the statement saying there's no need for competition among volunteers  everyone  should be welcomed to serve along with the EMS for the. Benefits of the community. The council member who made the earlier remarks took up the offer to get a personal tour of Hatzolas Nefashos.

- Toms River shul application  coming up at the zoning board in 2 weeks for a Shul building  on three lots totaling slightly more than two acres in size  at 2030 Whitesville Road. A 1.5-story home is located on one of the properties; total property taxes paid on the three parcels is $21,304 this year, according to Ocean County tax records. APP reports

- Yair Netanyahu was evacuated from Miami several months ago after an Iranian cell was uncovered that was spying on him and preparing to assassinate him

- Beginning October 1, 2026: Some non-citizen immigrants may no longer qualify for NJ FamilyCare

- Catastrophic flash floods and mudslides have struck Jilong Port in Tibet near the Nepal border. Three Americans are among the hundreds feared dead in the disaster.

- Jackson  Police are investigating a series of vulgar, threatening voicemails left for Jackson Township Mayor Jennifer Kuhn amid a heated mayoral race. No matter what side of the aisle you are, please don't do this at all Callers used extreme language, including death threats. Both Kuhn and her opponent Elliott Shem-Tov condemned the messages, saying real change happens at the ballot box. Authorities have stepped up presence around Town Hall because of this NJ12 reports 

- United Torah Judaism chairman Moshe Gafni drops a bombshell with his plan: “I know whom I will recommend for prime minister, and it won’t be Netanyahu.  Pundits say, With the left, it’s much easier to move forward.