Lakewood Zmanim עש"ק פרשת לך לך תשפ"ז

Friday, October 23, 2026 / י״ב חשון תשפ״ז ערב שבת פרשת לך לך

Candle lighting 5:47 pm

Shkiah/Sunset 6:05 pm

Weather: tonight low 39

Shabbos day 63° generally sunny.

"וקוי ה' יחליפו כח יעלו אבר כנשרים ירוצו ולא ייגעו ילכו ולא ייעפו" ישעיהו מ' הפטרה פרשת לך לך"

There is מחלוקת  between the  אבן עזרא and the רד"ק how to pronounce the pasuk in the haftorah this week, either with a Tzeiri under the Yud as in וְקוֹיֵ or with the Tzeirei under the vov as in וקווי

Those who hope in Hashem will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Friday October 23 News Updates Lakewood

Friday, October 23, 2026 / י״ב חשון תשפ״ז ערב שבת פרשת לך לך

Candle lighting 5:47 pm

Shkiah/Sunset 6:05 pm

Weather: 59° Abundant sunshine.  tonight low 39

Shabbos day 63° generally sunny.

- Pittsburg rebbe will ne spending shabbos at the  Royal Grove community in Jackson 

- Admor Toldos Mordechai Vizhnitz of Lakewood will have a shabbos Oifruf for an einikel tefillos and tish will take place in the Nais Medrash on Clifton Ave and 12th st.

- In Eretz Yisrael they will be changing the clock this motzei shabbos while the USA will fall back next week.

- Rav Nissan kaplan  will attending a Yarchei jallah for his Talmidim this aSunday at Bell Works 

- Trump: The judge in the Charlie Kirk case is doing a terrible job! This case should be tried within a month, not three years — and it should be over with! The judge is desecrating the memory of the Great Charlie Kirk, while taking forever to ask questions that people already know the answer to. The whole Country is mocking him and our “Legal” System. JUSTICE FOR CHARLIE! President DONALD J. TRUMP

- A ElAL flight on the way  from EY  to Newark had a medical emergency last night for one kf the pilots and landed in Paris since it was too close to shabbos the frum passengers will be staying at a local hotel and continue their flight on Motzei shabbos.

- SAFECELL BULLETIN: FIG phone Siddur now show ותן טל ומטר as in EY they already started saying it. You need to change it in settings to USA. If anyone has trouble configuring it, they can bring it into Safecell at 1771 Madison (2nd floor). Safecell will also have the option of printed Siddurim so you can save yourself all this heartache (and from receiving SMS while davening).

Israel elections. The Charedi Achi party fkr sefardim, backed by Rav Chaim Yosef David Abergel, has announced its withdrawal from the race following heavy political pressure aimed at preventing vote fragmentation within the religious right-wing bloc. They reportedly have told their followers to vote for Likud.

A letter signed by  several American Roshei yeshiva in support of voting for UTJ Gimmel.

A large election rally with thousands took place last night in Boyan BM in Yerushalayim for Degel Attended by roshei yeshiva and rabbonim.

- Giyus: Whike Eight yeshiva bochurim were released from IDF Military Prison this morning after serving jail sentences. There's a few more who were arrested yet there's silence  from the frum knesset members about the arrests.

- An article by Rich Roberts in this weeks Voice magazine  addresses if frum Jews should vote for democrats in New Jersey since they will win anyways 

On voting for Cory Booker: "So now I’m being asked if we should support this Senate run because he will likely win in blue New Jersey. The US in 2026 is not Germany in 1933. But there are some too-familiar themes. Supporting Booker will not curry favor with him if the woke wave is against us. It will only show that our values can be compromised.

When Lakewood voted against the vaad

"When Christie ran against Corzine for New Jersey governor, the Lakewood leadership told the community to vote for the Democrat Corzine because he would win and we wanted to curry benefits from him. The Lakewood frum community re-voted and heavily favored Christie for one reason: the sanctity of marriage. That was the first time the yeshivah community didn’t follow the directive of the leadership."

Tuition relief only came from Trump

"More recently, the community leadership instructed us to abandon a Republican who had been loyal and dedicated to our community for many years in favor of a Democrat so that we would “have a seat at the table.” We were told that we would get tuition vouchers. The Democrat won, and the only chance for financial relief for school tuitions came from the Trump Republican party, which passed federal legislation that will help fund tuitions in states in which the governor of that state opts in. At the time that we abandoned a loyal Republican for a Democrat, violating our values, I publicly wrote that the Democrats only care about the support of the teachers’ union, so they will never support school vouchers. It was the Republicans in the House and Senate that passed this law.

- Chewing gum could be banned in the state of  New Jersey under a recently proposed law focused on reducing our inadvertent consumption of microplastics. The bill includes a list of daily products that could no longer be sold in the state if it’s passed. Gum was included in the bill after researchers discovered microplastics were released into the human body during the first few minutes of chewing. The Protecting Against Microplastics Act, introduced last month by Democratic Assemblywomen Shama A. Haider and Margi Donlon, proposes labeling products such as chewing gum and tea bags as including “intentionally added microplastics” for two years, before outright banning their sale in the state. Foodware  like plastic plates, forks, knives, and containers cleaning products and cosmetics are also included in the bill. NJ.com

Iran Israel Updates Friday Oct 23

- President Trump directed CENTCOM to prepare a strike plan against Iran without setting a target date, according to Kan News. Israel has reportedly heightened its security alert. Unlike previous rounds, however, the preparations have not resulted in approval for an immediate strike.

- Netanyahu from Chevron: The army has carried out an extensive and powerful operation in the West Bank, the likes of which has not been seen since the Six-Day War.

- Two IDF soldiers HYD killed in terrosist shooting attack. The slain soldiers were named as Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, from Ashkelon, and  Yuval Shai Svilem, 20, from Hod Hasharon. After conducting a preliminary probe, the Israel Defense Forces said it believed the gunmen were planning to carry out a larger attack against Israeli civilians on Route 35, but realized they would not be able to reach the highway and decided to open fire at the temporary checkpoint instead.

- Palestinian terror attack five Israelis were wounded in the shooting attack in the southern West Bank. They include two critically wounded and three in light-to-moderate condition, according to first responders. The IDF says troops returned fire at the Judea Junction on Route 35 and killed two Palestinian terrorists.

- During a situation assessment, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said:“This is a serious attack. The rapid action of the soldiers prevented an even more severe attack and further harm to civilians and security forces. A large amount of ammunition was found in the vehicle in which the terrorists arrived at the attack scene, which was intended to be used to carry out an attack on a larger scale.”

- Netanyahu said Israeli military intelligence and Mossad had provided clear warnings that Iran and its proxies were considering ways to influence Israel’s elections.“They don’t want me elected,” Netanyahu said. He argued that Iran’s leadership, Hamas and Hezbollah want him defeated because they view his continued premiership as an obstacle to their goals.

- Mike Huckabee: The Palestinian terror attack this morning would have been an even worse catastrophic event had the IDF not acted so quickly. Will the media give this as much coverage as when olive pickers get detained for failing to report their activities?”

- Iran warns it will target U.S. aircraft carriers, American personnel, oil pipelines, energy infrastructure, airports and civilian and economic assets across the Gulf if the U.S. and Israel launch fresh attacks, per The Wall Street Journal.Iranian officials also warned that AI infrastructure, data centers and undersea internet cables across up to seven Gulf countries could be struck, declaring “zero red lines” if war resumes. A senior Iranian security official told Al-Mayadeen that Tehran will no longer distinguish between Trump and Netanyahu, warning that U.S. and Israeli targets will be struck without distinction.

- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would extend the offensive model used in refugee camps to urban neighborhoods from which terrorists emerged. He said the IDF would enter those neighborhoods, evacuate residents, conduct house-to-house operations and destroy terrorist infrastructure. Netanyahu said Israel was ready for a large-scale operation in Judea and Samaria.

Oif Simchas Thurs 12 Cheshvan

Chasunas:

Eidelman - Sauer Bais Faiga

Kanarek - Zeidel Ne'emas Hachaim 

Mann - Friedman Ateres  Blima 

Neuman  -  Kalmanowitz Fountain Ballroom 

Busel - Sperka Kesser Moshe Yehuda 

Endzweig - Cohen Beru hall

Kraushar  - Pfeiffer Ateres Reva 

Frost - Frankel Cedar Palace 

Burr - Mushell Ateres Esther 

Harris Ateres Chaim Elazar 

Skulen Bar Mitzva at the shul on Park Ave

- Chumash Shiur by Harav Yeruchom Olshin shlita 11:30 pm at B"M Ateres Bracha live 646-726-9977

LPD Traffic Alert: Joe Parker Rd will be closed from Spyglass to Long Beach Ave for planned NJNG construction. Plan alternate route if possible.

Thursday October 22 News Updates Lakewood

Weather 68° Sunny. Warmer

The lingering nor'easter became Subtropical Storm Josephine on Wednesday afternoon, but the effects on New Jersey are expected to be limited to gusty winds and some minor coastal flooding at the Jersey Shore

Yartzeits today 11 Cheshvan:

רחל אמנו ע"ה

Rav Yehuda Leib Chasman ZTL

Rav Baruch Mordechai Ezrachi ZTL

Rav Pesach Pruskin ZTL

Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel  ZTL

- Askanim are warning non-U.S. citizens not to vote. R' Yonasson Shwartz of Brooklyn said that two heimishe residents were arrested after voting with visas or green cards, mistakenly believing they were eligible. Congressman Mike Lawler is reportedly trying to help one of them.

Agudath Israel COO and NJ Assemblyman AviSchnall also warned that illegal voting can lead to criminal charges, immigration detention, and possible deportation. Only U.S. citizens who are legally eligible may vote in federal elections

- Admor Pittsburg rebbe is visiting Lakewood a Kabolas Panim will take place at 269 Ridge ave 7:30 pm the rebbe will be staying in  Jackson for shabbos 

- Agudah CEO Mr. Sol Werdiger, has endorsed NY Governor Kathy Hochul for reelection, citing her decision to bring New York into the new federal scholarship tax credit program that president Trump signed into law.

- Thursday of בה"ב today Behab minyan mincha with krias Hatorah of Vayechal at Rabbi Forcheimers shul 418 5th st 2:10 pm

-  Judaica Plaza  seforim in Lakewood Shtender podcast new episode "President Coolidge Saw His Yarmulke" featuring a conversation with Rav Moshe Scheinerman Shlita watch Here

- Rabbi Amnon Yitzchak will be in Lakewood November 3rd at Tiferes Bais Yaakov hall.

- Rabbonim are in the midst of constructing a large eruv that will cover a significant portion of Lakewood, strengthening existing neighborhood eruvin that are already connected and creating a unified kosher structure that can be relied upon.

- With seminary applications set to open, reports indicate that Israeli seminaries are implementing significant tuition increases across the board, with hikes amounting to thousands of dollars.

- Lakewood elections: Lakewood voters have plenty of choices this year both how to cast their ballots and whom to cast them for. and for voters looking for change in Lakewood government, FAA News is urging support for Moshe Raitzik for Township Committee more

 A Lubavitcher bochur from Crown Heights was stabbed from behind on Wednesday late afternoon, at around 5:45 PM, near West 47th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in Manhattan’s Diamond District. The victim, reportedly in his 20s, was treated by Hatzalah and transported to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition. According to reports, the suspect, a woman in her 30s, fled toward Sixth Avenue. The NYPD Hate Crimes Unit is investigating whether the incident was antisemitically motivated. The weapon used in the attack has not been officially confirmed but possibly a needle or syringe, and no arrest has been confirmed in the reports available. (shchuna)

 - Shas Pledges Tefillin for Every Child: Shas chairman Aryeh Deri pledged that every boy reaching bar mitzva age of 13 would receive a prayer shawl and tefillin kit from the Education Ministry. He also said Shas would seek to require schools to provide prayer spaces for students wishing to pray and put on tefillin. 

- After a caterer failed  to show up 45 Minutes Before Shabbos, Lakewood neighbors  in the Hearthstone area Pull Together to Save Entire Sheva Brachos read full story here

- Elon Musk has spent more than $500,000 to help re-elect Rep. Mike Lawler, the Hudson Valley Republican facing Democrat Cait Conley in a competitive New York 17th District race that could determine House control.

- Shalom in the chasidish  world: Great excitement among chasidim as  The Admor of Vizhnitz Rav Srultche spoke today with his brother-in-law, the Admor Rav Aaron of Satmar, following a prolonged rift that lasted several years.

- Israel Elections:Large public rallies  by UTJ will take place in Bnei Brak and Yerushalayim  ahead of elections this Tuesday. 

Out of fear of threats against the rabbonim  who support the new Tzibbur Hacharedi party Haredi Public Party,  the party is expected to reveal the names and letters of support from dozens of prominent rabbis, and famous admorim, after Shabbos.

- Ttrump: As the President of the United States, I have been watching Data Centers very closely, and have come to a very strong conclusion. New and large, in some cases gigantic, Data enters are mandated by me to make their own electricity, and give or sell any excess back to the local community, or grid, and therefore there is electric price increase. In fact, there could be a substantial decrease. Other elements likewise! If companies want to make their Data Centers popular, pay the community, and/or individuals within the community, a “dividend.” I have watched the process closely, and Data Centers that were highly unpopular in a certain area, have become extremely popular when a financial deal is struck. MAKE DEALS, and get them built!!! GREAT FOR THE U.S.A. President DJT!

- The Lakewood Police Department reminds residents that National DEA Drug Take Back Day is on  Shabbos, October 24, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 P Collection locations will be available throughout Lakewood.  Can't make it Saturday? The Lakewood Police Department has a Project Medicine Drop box available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, right outside the department!

A siyum to commemorate  the yartzeit of the Mir Rosh Yeshiva Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel ZTL

Iran Israel Updates OCT 22

- Trump on Iran: We’ve knocked the h.. out of them, and we may do it a little bit further

- An unnamed Iranian security official told Fars that Tehran is preparing on the assumption that a joint U.S.–Israeli attack is inevitable and considers Washington’s diplomatic efforts unreliable. The official claimed Israel dictates U.S. regional policy and blocks a diplomatic settlement, while pressure inside Iran is growing for decisive action to break the naval blockade.

- Hamas leaders conveyed an unusual message to Israel stating that the terror organization is prepared to carry out another attack like that of October 7, 2023. (Ynet)

- Trump: US Is Not Negotiating with Iran; “Something Will Happen Fairly Soon” “We’re doing very well militarily and financially against Iran,” Trump said, adding: “I think we’re not negotiating. Something one way or the other will happen fairly soon.

- New York Times: U.S. and Israel armies have formulated plans to resume strikes on Iran after the U.S. midterm elections on November 3.

- Defense Minister Israel Katz says any attacks on Israel in the future would be “licensed in the names” of opposition leaders who have criticized him and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for warning of potential attacks by Israel’s enemies in the lead-up to the election. “Every attack on Israel and all future terrorist attacks, if God forbid there are any, will be licensed in the names of Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennett, Yair Golan, and their friends in the opposition  who don’t stop attacking the prime minister and me and are casting aspersions on our efforts to warn and alert.

- IRGC says four vessels carrying oil hit mines near Hormuz, warns US of wider responses

- Hezbollah rebuilding military capabilities in Beirut as IDF prepares for possible renewed fighting."They are making a major effort to regain operational experience and return to peak combat readiness," a security official said about Hezbollah. Jpost.

- Dozens of Israeli fighter jets and refueling aircraft reportedly flew over Syria and Iraq toward the Iranian border earlier this week, following a flight path resembling an attack on Iran. The aircraft turned around shortly before reaching Iranian territory and returned to Israel, according to Axios . Israel informed Washington of the sortie in advance, saying it was a military exercise and a show of force intended to deter Iran from attacking ahead of next week’s election, the sources told Axios.

Oif Simchas Wed 11 Cheshvan

Chasunas:

Salel  - Gewirtz Bais Faiga 

Doppelt  - Draisin Cedar Palace 

Kleinman - Gottleib Ateres Esther 

Gobioff  - Roth Fountain Ballroom 

Goldman - Freund Kesser Moshe Yehuda 

Jacobowitz - Goldstein Ateres Blima

Levovitz - Gelbfish Ne'emas Hachaim 

Hochman- Lowenthal Ateres Chaim Elazar 

Blitz - Seiff Ateres Reva

Tonight: Yartzeit of Rachel Imeinu

Mesilas Yesharim Shiur by Rav Simcha Bunim Cohen shlita at Ateres Yeshaya 10:00pm after 9:45 Maariv

Challah Bake event lzechus Malka bas Yuta Tzipprah at Chailifeline Jackson.

Tomorrow Thursday of Behab בה"ב

Wednesday October 21 News Updates Lakewood

Weather: 62 A mix of clouds and sun 

A nor'easter lurking far offshore will bring gusty winds and coastal flooding to the Jersey Shore again on Wednesday.National Weather Service.

- Tonight Yartzeit of  Rochel Imeinu A soul-stirring address by Horav Michoel Sorotzkin, recounting Reb Chaim Shmuelevitz’s tearful plea at Kever Rochel for Mamme Rochel to weep for her children, and revealing the profound power of her tears in safeguarding Klal Yisroel throughout the long exile, as foretold by Yirmiyahu Hanavi watch HERE

- The special day of י' מרחשוון The Sefer (מועד לכל חי ר' חיים פלאג'י writes, "The 10th of Cheshvan, the birthday of גד בן יעקב is a lucky day.

The זכות of גד hovers over us all day long."

The מזל of גד raises our מזל for all our needs.(source)

Bingo: crazy sales Tasters choice $14.89,Kleenex tissues 10pk $19, Oil $6.49

- JD Vance, U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche and others announced some of the findings of what they said was the first nationwide surge focusing on SNAP fraud uncovering $42 million in fraud.

- BDE: Petirah of Rav Binyomin Grunwald Z"L of Cleveland following a illness he was 81. Son is Reb Yehoshua shlita of Lakewood. Levaya in Lakewood today 4:30 pm at the  chapel with kevura in EY. Zoom link HERE Passcode:794029 Phone hook up 646-931-3860 PIN 84095309125#

- BDE: Petirah of Rav Yitzchok Zev Rosengarten ZL long time baal Tefilh at B"M Emunas Yisroel in Boro Park he was 100 years old. Levaya took place in EY.

- Lakewood’s Tax Hikes: As early voting begins this weekend, there’s little local media coverage of the significant tax increases Lakewood residents are now facing. Residents are questioning the township’s confusing “For Advice Only” tax notice, which fails to clearly explain the increase or when payments are due. Some are questioning whether the timing and format are deliberate, coming just ahead of the elections. Taxpayers deserve transparency and clear answers not confusion when it comes to their money.

- Ocean County NJ Among the Nation’s Top Counties for Home Value Growth. Ocean County home values have increased 4.8% over the past year with the typical home now valued at approximately $551,000. Rising home values mean more equity for existing homeowners, but they also make it increasingly difficult for young families and first-time buyers to afford a home in the area. Homeowners are gaining equity, but affordability remains a growing challenge. Source: Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026. 

- U.S. House Judiciary Committee subpoenas the Gov Sherrill administration over the improper registration of 6,600 noncitizens to vote in New Jersey. GOP lawmakers accused the state of withholding records.NJ globe

- Satmar spokespersons Rabbi Moishe Indig:

We have hakaras hatov. We remember who stands beside us, who has the Jewish community’s back when it counts, and which friends we can always count on. Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James, and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli have been those friends, and now we stand with them.

We ask every eligible voter to show up for them at the ballot box. They have earned it.

- Rav Dov  Landau addressed the emergence oàaf alternative chareidi parties for the first time, warning that dissatisfaction with the established political leadership does not justify supporting factions that lack the approval of the Gedolei Yisroel.

- Moti Leitner, chairman of the "HaTzibur HaChareidi" party, said he is staying in the race

 I am not withdrawing. We think we have a chance to pass the threshold." : "But in parallel, the heads of United Torah Judaism and Shas along with their emissaries are sending harsh threats against us; they shy away from nothing powerful systems, petitions with the full force of a monopoly; power corrupts."

- Trump: Numerous people, who requested that sanctions be immediately imposed on Russia, have called to apologize to President Trump in that they didn’t know that he was negotiating the release of Stephen Hubbard, a truly big and important deal for the U.S. If sanctions would have been placed, certainly those negotiations would have come to a complete and total halt

- A bill in the state Legislature would lift some of the most controversial and restrictive requirements of New Jersey’s new e-bike law by deregulating the slowest low speed models.

The measure, introduced on Oct. 15 by state Sen. Raj Mukherji, D-Hudson, would also amend the current law to remove a requirement for a person to register and obtain a license to operate a low-speed class 1 or 2 electric bicycle.

-  Giyus  another yeshiva bochur arrested learning in Yeshiva Torah Btifarta.

- A new New Jersey water-quality analysis found PFAS “forever chemicals” in 91% of 86 water samples from the Raritan River watershed. PFAS were detected at all sampled locations upstream of a Bridgewater drinking-water intake. These chemicals are highly persistent and have been linked to several health concerns, including some cancers.

- Nurses Are in High Demand, but Many Are Leaving Bedside Care in Droves - WSJ

Despite strong demand and rising salaries, hospitals across the United States are struggling to retain nurses as burnout, understaffing and workplace violence push many away from bedside care. According to The Wall Street Journal, the median annual income for nurses has climbed to $97,550, yet many are seeking less stressful roles in urgent care, remote patient monitoring and other fields

- Brad Lander NY Democrat: I’ve been detained by the IDF, along with a group of rabbis & volunteers. We were simply harvesting olives in a grove near Nehalim in the West Bank. The IDF issued a statement Due to the security risk posed by conducting an uncoordinated harvest near an Israeli community, IDF soldiers, Border Police forces in Judea and Samaria, and officers from the Judea and Samaria District Police arrived at the scene and detained those present

- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said 

 he would accept a peace deal that freezes the war along the current frontlines, calling it a realistic way to stop the fighting. He says Ukraine would then seek security guarantees from President Trump and European allies to ensure peace and security.

- New Jersey lawmakers are advancing legislation that would require annual inspections of baggage scales at Newark Liberty International Airport after an investigation revealed that more than one-quarter of the airport’s scales produced inaccurate readings, potentially exposing travelers to unwarranted overweight baggage charges.

Iran Israel Updates Wed Oct 21

- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the IDF and Mossad to overthrow Iran’s regime during an IDF officer cadet graduation ceremony Wednesday afternoon. “My directive to the IDF, the Mossad, and the defense establishment… is to overthrow the regime in Iran,” 

- The U.S. State Department is preparing to order some embassy personnel and their family members to leave Gulf countries, Reuters reports, citing U.S. officials.

- Israeli Defense Minister Katz warns the Iranian regime against attacking Israel amid the upcoming elections: "If Iran attacks Israel, Iran will burn!" "In recent days, we have identified attempts by our enemies, led by Iran and its proxies, to carry out attacks intended to influence the outcome of the elections in Israel," "The Iranian regime is at its weakest point ever, and we recognize that this weakness could drive it to take the most extreme measures, including against Israel. Our message to the Iranian regime is clear: We see your attempts, we are prepared to thwart them, and we are ready to strike back with full force."

-Netanyahu warned that Iran is once again pursuing nuclear weapons under its new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. “Iran is once again trying to develop nuclear bombs. Mojtaba Khamenei has decided to follow in his father's footsteps, and he has pulled the pin.”“There is only one way to remove this threat: overthrow the regime in Iran.”

- Report: Israel Planned to Attack Iran This Month but Was Blocked by Trump: The Financial Times reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the IDF to plan a major, multi-day air campaign for the weekend of October 10, targeting civilian infrastructure, nuclear facilities and regime-linked sites. The operation was ultimately canceled because US President Donald Trump opposed renewing the conflict before the midterm elections.

- United Airlines Pilot Barred From Operating Flights to Israel: An Iranian-born United Airlines pilot will not be allowed to serve on flights to Israel following information provided to Israeli security and transportation authorities. Social media posts allegedly showed Sina Amjadian expressing support for the Iranian regime, the Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah

- Pakistani army chief Asim Munir carried a final U.S. warning into Tehran during his visit yesterday, according to leaks cited by the Lebanese paper Al-Akhbar. Iran is to concede on the nuclear issue before any other step, or face a wide-scale attack directed mainly at its nuclear facilities at Pickaxe Mountain.

- Israel may be forced to act as Iran rebuilds military capabilities before election, officials warn Israel is tracking Iran's efforts to rebuild its military capabilities, warning that renewed threats could force action despite upcoming elections. Jpost

- Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei told visiting Pakistani army chief Asim Munir on Tuesday that Tehran will not allow nuclear material to leave the country, according to state TV, and delivered the message that there would be no talks with Washington until its demands were met.

Oif Simchas Tuesday 10 Cheshvan

Chasunas:

Blier - Kruger Cedar Palace 

Braun - Green Fountain Ballroom 

Gornish  - Simon Bais Faiga

Bursztyn - Tober  Ateres Reva 

Badouch  - Jena Kesser Moshe Yehuda 

Kagan - Rottenberg Ateres Chaim Elazar 

Millman  - Teller Lake Terrace 

Niasoff  - Gindoff Ateres Blima

Madison Ave construction  road closures

Traffic New Hampshire and Cedarbridge  closed due to accident

Tuesday October 20 News Updates Lakewood

Weather: 68 Plentiful sunshine.

The nor’easter churning off the East Coast will bring increasing wind gusts and coastal flooding at high tides along the Jersey Shore over the next three days. but No rain. A coastal flood advisory for Ocean, southeastern Burlington, Atlantic and Cape May counties will be in effect from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, with minor coastal flooding expected.

Yartzeit of Rav Shimon Shkop ZTL

- Accident shuts Cedarbridge New Hampshire intersection this evening 

-Trump has revealed his new anti-fraud program set up to reward people who expose fraud with a 1% commission on the money uncovered. "If you turn somebody in and you, let's say report and you find $1 billion, we are giving a commission to that person of 1%."

- Video: BMG’s Massive Kitchen! 12,000 Portions Every Single Day! Efraim Feder goes Behind the Scenes With Head Chef Eli Rand! Watch HERE  

- Giyus: 40 Chabad Bochurim Temimim have agreed to enlist in the IDF after they were arrested at the airport upon their return to Eretz yisroel after spending a year at 770.The IDF says all 40 Chabad chassidim apprehended at Ben Gurion Airport after arriving in Israel have now signed affidavits committing to enlist. The final 13 signed after initially refusing, joining 27 others who had agreed earlier before a judge. The military says they will be assigned to various Chareidi service tracks in the coming period.

- PSA: Jackson property that have a lien and will be sold in 2 weeks. Look and see if maybe you or your friend is on it and let them know. These are a lien for sewer water or tax  HERE. 

Submitted.

- Gov. Mikie Sherrill faces a January 1, 2027, deadline to decide whether New Jersey will join a new federal scholarship tax credit program. The program offers taxpayers a federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for donations to scholarship organizations supporting eligible students, including those attending private schools. Supporters say opting in could bring millions in scholarship funding to New Jersey, while public-school advocates warn it could undermine public education. Sherrill’s decision remains pending. Nj.com

- Lakewood residents are questioning the township’s confusing “for advice only” tax notice, which fails to clearly explain how much taxes increased or when payments are due. Some are questioning whether it was deliberately issued in this confusing manner ahead of the elections. Frustrated residents say the lack of transparency is unacceptable.

- At last night’s Zoning Board meeting, a large group of seniors showed up to oppose an application by the Lakewood MUA for a 100-foot communications tower. The MUA operates a well at the proposed location, and the existing fiber-optic lines buried in the ground are failing. After more than two hours of testimony and public comment, the Board voted to adjourn the application and continue the hearing at its November 19 meeting.

The Zoning Board also denied an application for an office building on E. County Line Road after nearby residents came out to oppose the proposal. An application for a mikvah was approved. A application, concerning duplexes on James Street and Route 9, was pushed to the next meeting because the Board ran out of time.

- Bobover rebbe ends  the selling of aliyos on shabbks by krias HaTtorah as it causes too much of a break and a time to talk.

- LTRAP reopens section 8 housing applications november 2–10, 2026. The Lakewood Township Residential Assistance Program (LTRAP) has announced that applications intake will reopen from 9:00 AM on Monday, November 2, until 11:59 PM on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. LTRAP administers the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, which helps eligible low-income households afford rental housing.in the previous 2022 intake, 3,000 applications were selected through a computerized lottery and placed on the waiting list. Applicants should visit the official website for application instructions, eligibility information and updates: https://www.ltrap.org

- Trump: Because of my belief in the Republican Party, and all of our Policies and Principles, and especially after witnessing what is taking place in France, and other locations throughout Europe, I am pleased to announce that, having to do with the Most Important Midterm Elections in our Country’s History, I have spent, or will be spending, over 400 Million Dollars by Election Day. More than 300 Million Dollars has already been spent on Advertising, Direct and Indirect Voter Contact, Rallies, Rally Arenas, Telerallies, Get Out the Vote Programs, Election Integrity, and more. It is my Great Honor to do so on behalf of the Republican Party, which has done so much to bring our Country back from the Edge of Oblivion. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP

- Giyus: Netanyahu says: “We must preserve the world of Torah because it preserved us. These arrests are a deliberate attempt to harm the process of drafting Haredim without coercion.” At the same time, he says that “anyone who does not study” at yeshivas “should go enlist.”

- Trump: The choice in this Election is very simple. You can vote for the Radical Left Dumocrat Communists to loot your Wealth, raise your Taxes by 5 Trillion Dollars, annihilate your Borders, decimate Kansas Farms, mutilate your Children, and give 25 Million Illegal Aliens Amnesty and the Right to Vote. OR, you can DEFEAT the Dumocrat Communists, and VOTE FOR MORE MONEY IN YOUR POCKETS, BIGGER PAYCHECKS FOR YOUR FAMILIES, LOWER TAXES, LESS CRIME, A BOOMING KANSAS ECONOMY, AND NO AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS. YOU MUST VOTE REPUBLICAN! President DONALD J. TRUMP

- Boro Park: FBI uniforms and plated vehicles were spotted on the streets of Boro Park as multiple agencies conduct raids an Adult Day Care facilities per reports

Iran Israel Updates Tues Oct 20

- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s political leadership believe military action against Iran should be taken as soon as possible, while senior security officials are urging a more cautious approach, according to an exclusive report by i24NEWS. The report comes following Monday’s meeting with U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at Ovda Airbase

- IDF kills Hamas terrorist involved in October 7 abduction of Shani Louk. In the aftermath of October 7, 2023, Tamer Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Zabaq advanced terrorist attacks against Israeli troops and attempted to rebuild Hamas terrorist infrastructure in Gaza.

- Netanyahu Says He Discussed Overthrowing Iran’s Regime with Trump: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he spoke with US President Donald Trump, including the day before yesterday, about the need to overthrow Iran’s regime. He argued this was the only way to prevent renewed nuclear weapons development and reconstruction of Iran’s regional axis, alongside eliminating Hezbollah

- US Accepts Iranian Proposal to Resume Negotiations: Qatari sources said Qatar and Pakistan presented a mediation proposal addressing US and Iranian demands, aimed at preventing escalation and returning both sides to negotiations. The plan reportedly received US and Iranian approval and partially addresses Iran’s demand to release frozen funds.

- Two tankers were set ablaze and brought to a halt south of the Strait of Hormuz after hitting Iranian mines, the Revolutionary Guards' Navy said in a statement shared by state media on Tuesday.

- Iranian security source told Tasnim that a major obstacle in negotiations is Tehran’s distrust of whether American interlocutors have the authority to make final decisions. The source claimed it remains unclear whether Vance, Witkoff, Rubio, or Kushner holds ultimate responsibility for significant decisions. According to the source, that uncertainty—combined with alleged political rivalries and internal disputes ahead of U.S. elections—has complicated indirect talks and exchanges of messages.

- Senior Iranian officials told Reuters that Tehran is deliberately prolonging negotiations with Washington to politically weaken President Trump ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. According to the officials, Iran is withholding concessions to deny Trump a diplomatic achievement before the vote. Tehran also believes he is prepared to launch another wave of strikes to break the deadlock in the war.

- US oil price soars over 5% on Mideast conflict

- Three Hamas weapons depots were destroyed in airstrikes in the Gaza Strip last week, the military and Shin Bet announce. The IDF says the sites struck on Thursday had been used by Hamas to store dozens of weapons, including Kalashnikov rifles, rocket launchers and rockets, RPGs, and other equipment.

בד"ה הרה"ג רב ישראל מאיר קאגאן זצ"ל ראש ישיבת תורת חיים דענווער

Levaya tonight in Lakewood in BMG 6:30 pm apprx. Kevura in EY

Phone hook up BMG conference 857-347-0100 Access codes: #125000, #125001, #125002

Live stream Levaya Harav Yisroel Kagan Ztl

Watch Here 

Video replay Levaya in Denver Yeshiva HERE

תורה תורה חגרי שק Petirah of Rav Yisroel Meir Kagan zt”l, rosh yeshiva and cofounder of Yeshiva Toras Chaim of Denver, Colorado, whose decades of extraordinary dedication to harbotzas haTorah helped establish one of the most prominent Torah institutions in the American West and produced generations of Talmidim bnei Torah,

Matzav reports: Rav Kagan was among the distinguished talmidim of Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l who carried their rebbi‘s vision of uncompromising Torah learning beyond the established yeshiva centers of the East Coast.

Together with his longtime colleague, Rav Yitzchok Wasserman, he established a makom Torah in Denver in 1967, at a time when the idea of building a major yeshiva so far from New York and Lakewood was an ambitious undertaking. For nearly six decades, Rav Kagan devoted himself to the growth of Yeshiva Toras Chaim and the development of its talmidim. His influence extended far beyond the walls of the yeshiva, helping transform Denver into a recognized Torah community and demonstrating that the ideals of the great yeshivos could take root and flourish even in a city far removed from the traditional centers of American Torah life.

Rav Kagan was a prominent talmid of Rav Aharon Kotler at Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, where he absorbed the derech halimud, hashkafah, and commitment to Torah that would guide his life’s work. During his years in Lakewood, he was involved in giving chaburos, reflecting his stature as a serious ben Torah and his ability to transmit Torah to others.

The founding of Yeshiva Toras Chaim grew out of an initiative by members of Denver’s Jewish community who recognized the need for a yeshiva that would provide young men in the western United States with an authentic Torah 

In 1966, a delegation from Denver traveled to Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood to seek leadership for the proposed institution. Their efforts ultimately led to the arrival of Rav Yitzchok Wasserman, Rav Chaim Kahan, and Rav Yisroel Meir Kagan, who came with their families to Denver for the opening of the 1967 school year...

Oif Simchas Monday 9 Cheshvan

Cbasunas:

Donnebaum - Pitterman Cedar Palace

Svei - Sperling Lake Terrace 

Haber - Biegeleisen  Ateres Chaim Elazar 

Friedman - Blum Neemas Hachaim

Kaluszyner - Berger  Bais Faiga 

Bromberg - Goodman Ateres Reva 

Alterman - Landesman Ateres Esther 

Cohen  - Gindi Ateres Blima 

Schulman - Friedman Fountain Ballroom 

Meyer  - Cohen Kesser Moshe Yehuda 

Monday October 19 News Updates Lakewood

Weather: 62° Abundant sunshine

A Nor’easter to bring 35 mph winds, coastal flooding to Jersey Shore this week Tues through Thursday 

- U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reportedly traveled to Israel and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at an IDF military base in southern Israel. The meeting comes amid escalating tensions with Iran and ongoing U.S. diplomatic efforts involving Tehran

- Trump  A BIG THANK YOU to our legendary friend, Elon Musk, for his incredible generosity in giving SpaceX Stock to millions of American children through TRUMP ACCOUNTS! This is exactly what was envisioned when we created TRUMP ACCOUNTS — Bringing together the GREAT PRIVATE SECTOR, Elon and so many more, to invest in our children, by far our greatest and most important asset, and give every American Child a piece of the American Dream. Thank you Elon! President DONALD J. TRUMP

-- Trump: The Dumocrats are the Party of Abdul Mohammed al-Sayed, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, A.O.C., James TalaFREAKO, Elizabeth “Pocahontas” Warren, Maxine Waters, Chuck Schumer, and Nancy Pelosi, representing all the Fraudsters, Thieves, and Thugs driving around in luxury cars, while receiving welfare checks paid for by American Taxpayers. A vote for ANY Democrat this year is a vote to let that small and dangerous group of Extremists hold all of America hostage. In 15 days, we are going to re-elect Roger Marshall, and DEFEAT the Communists, Jihadists, and corrupt anti-American Lunatics once and for all! President DONALD J. TRUMP

- Trump: New Mexico should immediately change its name to New America. We are not Mexico, we are the United States of America! The name would add great value and prestige to the State! Home Values and Incomes would rise, and you would be even prouder while saluting our beautiful American Flag! Maybe even the Crooked Elections, that New Mexico is known for, would become honest again!

President DONALD J. TRUMP

- About 12,000 SNAP recipients in Monmouth and Ocean counties still haven't activated their new EBT chip cards, The old magnetic-stripe cards stop working tomorrow on Oct. 20. The new cards arrive in an unmarked envelope from Kentucky, so many recipients may mistake them for junk mail. If you haven't gotten your card, check your mailing address at NJFamiliesFirst.gov or call your county social service agency. Activate the new card at NJFamiliesFirst.gov, on the ConnectEBT app, or by calling 1-800-997-3333

- First Monday of בה"ב today Behab minyan mincha with krias Hatorah of Vayechal at Rabbi Forcheimers shul 418 5th st 2:10 pm

- Chaim Medical resources opened a office in Lakewood located at 920 E. County Line rd. There was a Chanukas Habayis event yesterday attended by the Lakewood Rosh Yeshiva Rav Malkiel Kotler and the Skukener rebbe. The organization is dealing with many local cases.(Federstaus)

- Supreme Court agrees to review the constitutionality of a nearly 160-year-old federal ban on distilling liquor at home

- Noribar, the Brooklyn kosher sushi restaurant group, is opening a new location in Lakewood, New Jersey, its first outside New York City. The company announced that the restaurant is coming soon to River Avenue, in the space that was home to Dips Lakewood. It will be Noribar’s fifth location.(YTKosher)

- Moishas in Howell opening getting closer as the store is getting ready with last minute preparations and shelf stocking. 

The NJ governments collect $9,178 in taxes per resident, about $2,100 more than the U.S. figure of $7,038 and 5th highest in the nation, 

- Benny Gantz withdrawing from knesset election race: “I will not run in the upcoming elections. I will continue fighting for unity. This is the only solution that will prevent another disaster and safeguard Israel in the face of all the challenges, both domestic and external.” He did so not to lose votes for the left. Pressure is on the small right wing parties to drop out and not burn votes estimated to be 5 mandates.

- IDF on highest alert as troops ordered to remain on bases ahead of elections. IDF Chief Eyal Zamir orders all units to suspend leave starting Thursday and deploys additional forces to the West Bank ahead of October 27 vote; Netanyah.

- BDE: Petirah of Rav Menachem Mendel Porush zt”l, Rov of the Masmidim kehilla in Modi’in Illit and a prominent Biala Chassid. He was 71. A talmid of Harav Shach zt”l and Harav Leib Mintzberg zt”l, he was renowned for his vast Torah knowledge and decades of harbotzas haTorah.

- NYS Governor Kathy Hochul is expected to visit several major Jewish communities today, including Kiryas Joel, New Square, and Monsey.

In Kiryas Yoel, the Governor is expected to receive a massive welcome, with girls from Satmar school gathering for a special event to thank her and show their appreciation.

- Elon Musk announces plans to give every child in America one share of SpaceX stock next year.

- Lakewood zoning board meeting tod ay watch livestream Here on the agenda. 

Westmount Group, LLC 270 Albert Avenue, Block 855.01, Lot 1.01, R-20 Zone. Use variance for a used car lot and sales office.

2. Lakewood Township MUA 8 Four Seasons Drive, Block 1449, Lot 22.61, R-40 Zone. Height variance for a 100-foot lattice tower.

3. River James, LLC River Avenue and James Street, Block 415, Lots 14 & 15, HD-6 Zone. Construction of two duplexes.

4. Candlite USA, LLC 1763 Lanes Mill Road, Block 187.15, Lots 16 & 104, OT Zone. Minor subdivision into four lots for two duplex structures.

5. Kennedy Boulevard, Block 140, Lots 5 & 6, OT Zone. Use variance for a duplex.

6. 16 Adams LLC 16 Adams Street, Block 9, Lot 8, R-15 Zone. Use variance to construct a mikvah.

7. 1127 CL, LLC 1127 East County Line Road, Block 183, Lot 101, R-15 Zone. Use variance for an office building.

- Israel weighs scrapping 200-shekel note, even eliminating cash.

- The Brick Township Council voted 6–1 to advance an ordinance allowing one recreational cannabis dispensary.

- Toms River council meeting tonight  affordable housing in the agenda.

- EL AL announced major passenger-service upgrades beginning in November, including improved bedding, premium amenity kits, redesigned menus by chef Assaf Granit and new entertainment features. The airline is also introducing an upgraded mobile app and AI customer service assistant. 

Free Starlink internet is expected to begin rolling out on equipped aircraft in 2027.

Lakewood Taxes Surge as Municipal Share Nears School Tax

For a typical Lakewood duplex assessed at approximately $500,000, the municipal portion of the property tax has increased dramatically over the past five years. Based on the municipal tax rates, the municipal tax would have been approximately $3,455 in 2021 compared with approximately $4,895 in 2026  an increase of about $1,440 per year, or 41.7%. The increase in 2026 alone is approximately $720, or $60 more per month. Total approximately $14,000 a year.

And this comes at a time when the Township has sent residents a confusing tax bill marked “for advice only,” without clearly stating when the amount is actually due. 

Look at where the money is going: approximately 23% of the total property tax bill goes to the county, 36.8% goes to the school tax, 35% goes to the municipality, and about 4.9% goes to the fire district. The municipal portion is now almost as large as the school tax portion. For a $500,000-assessed duplex, that means nearly $4,900 a year just for the municipal portion.

At the same time, Lakewood parents are paying an average of roughly $5,000 a year in school taxes through their property taxes, while not even receiving courtesy busing, and paying an additional $700 per child for transportation. That raises a basic question: What are property taxpayers getting for the taxes they are already paying?

With the municipal portion alone rising by roughly 42% in five years, residents have every right to ask for accountability, transparency and answers about spending.

And with the Township Committee election coming up, now is the time for residents to pay attention, ask questions where's all the money going?

Officials keep blaming everyone else but themselves while they were in charge for the last 20 years.

Oif Simchas Sunday 8 Cheshvan

Chasunas:

Silber - Donnner Ateres Reva 

Spanier - Bornstein  Ateres Esther 

Stern - Funkel Cedar Palace 

Stretcher - Bikel Ateres Chaim Elazar 

Fishman - Liebb Kesser Moshe Yehuda 

Benson  - Lockshin Ateres Blima

Kaplan - Klug Fountain Ballroom 

Sunday October 18 News Updates Lakewood

Weather  High 58° Sunny

NWS: Freeze warnings are in effect throug Sunday morning for portions of northwest New Jersey, where temperatures have dropped below freezing, while forecasters monitor a developing nor’easter off the coast that could bring gusty winds, showers and potential coastal flooding concerns to shore communities starting early this week.

- United Refuah healthshare anounce first ever price increase beginning January 1,2027, will cost another $600 a year for single & Couple.

New monthly contribution

Single $199 to $249

Couple $349 to $399

Family, 3–6 members $499 to $599.

Addressing the price increase United Reguah statement said "healthcare industry experts project an approximately 9% increase in the per-person cost of medical care and prescription drugs in the commercial healthcare market in 2027. With rising medical costs, higher sharing allowances, and more expenses being shared through the Preferred Provider program, we believe a modest adjustment is now appropriate"

The company notified members looking ahead to 2027, we are pleased to share several enhancements, including higher sharing limits, updated annual wellness allowances, and continued growth of our Preferred Provider program. Alongside these improvements, our first-ever increase in monthly contributions will take effect on January 1, 2027.

- Accident on Central Ave near Sunset rd this evening, injuries reported road is closed off to traffic.

- Netanyahu is in talks with Moti Leitner, chairman of the New Haredim Party, about withdrawing from the race.

- New Simcha Hall opens at Ave of the states  in Lakewood the ALO venue hosted it's first simcha this past shabbos. The new hall is located off Ave of the states onto of the Soon ro be Rosemary bagels location.

- Reality hits as Lakewood homes are hit with huge property taxes. Tax bills arrive in the mail as Lakewood residents are notified as significant property tax increase now due for the 4th quarter. Elections begin in week for township committee which have increased taxes the last 5 years.

- Hachnosas sefer Torah today in memory of Rav Shimon Frank ZTL by the Frank/Klein families to the coventry shul.  The procession will leave from 228 Stratford at 2:45 pm to the coventry shul. Knives Oisiyos starts at 12:15pm.

- First Monday of בה"ב tomorrow Behab minyan mincha with krias Hatorah of Vayechal at Rabbi Forcheimers shul 418 5th st 2:10 pm

- New girls elementary school to open in Lakewood next year Ateres Bais Yaakov under the guidance of Rav Uri Deutsch shlita.

Limited shiva hours for the Rosh Yeshiva Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel shlita on the Petirah of his son.

- A shul in France has been desecrated today by Muslim rioters, with Sifrei Torah, seforim, tefillin and other religious articles found scattered across the floor.

- Trump: France is burning! The immigration of people from an entirely different world, people with hatred in their hearts, has shattered that once great country. Close your Borders and take control, before it is too late! President DONALD J. TRUMP

- Giyus: Dozens of demonstrators blocked traffic on the Route 4 highway Sunday in protest of the arrest of yeshiva bochurim for draft evasion, with police using force to remove them.

- New Jersey residents who purchase health insurance through the individual market will face an average premium increase of 19.8% in 2027, according to data released by the state Department of Banking and Insurance. UnitedHealthcare will have the largest average rate increase, at 35.7%, followed by Oscar at 29.3%, Ambetter from WellCare of New Jersey at 20.8%, AmeriHealth at 17% and Horizon at 15.3%. Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage begins on November 1, 2026, and ends January 31, 2027.(Onejerseyyscjorr)

- Tuition relief Watch Interview on Taline with Zev Brenner and Agudah COO Rabbi Avi Schnall. HERE. Hopefully by January 1 New Jersey will opt in. Parents can choose which school their donation  go to but can't choose which child. There's set limit in the scholarship given by a SGO per child. A couple filing jointly can donate and receive up to $3400 tax credit.

- The town of Fairfield, NJ gave approval for a Muslim school, with a cap of 90 students. 5 weeks in and they already got busted for flooding the town with hundreds more. Now the school seeks to increase to 400 at the planning board with local opposition.

- Lakewood zoning board meeting tomorrow on the agenda. 

Westmount Group, LLC 270 Albert Avenue, Block 855.01, Lot 1.01, R-20 Zone. Use variance for a used car lot and sales office.

2. Lakewood Township MUA 8 Four Seasons Drive, Block 1449, Lot 22.61, R-40 Zone. Height variance for a 100-foot lattice tower.

3. River James, LLC River Avenue and James Street, Block 415, Lots 14 & 15, HD-6 Zone. Construction of two duplexes.

4. Candlite USA, LLC 1763 Lanes Mill Road, Block 187.15, Lots 16 & 104, OT Zone. Minor subdivision into four lots for two duplex structures.

5. Kennedy Boulevard, Block 140, Lots 5 & 6, OT Zone. Use variance for a duplex.

6. 16 Adams LLC 16 Adams Street, Block 9, Lot 8, R-15 Zone. Use variance to construct a mikvah.

7. 1127 CL, LLC 1127 East County Line Road, Block 183, Lot 101, R-15 Zone. Use variance for an office building.

- President Trump posted that our country was SCAMMED and we now have the proof! “Wow. Our Country was scammed, and we now have the proof. You have not heard the last of this! President DJT”Newly declassified State Department records and whistleblower files are calling into serious question the accuracy of key testimony used against him in the 2019 Ukraine impeachment proceedings. The six largest boomerangs from that narrative are now coming into focus, and the lies that drove the process are starting to unravel.

Donald J. Trump endorses Netanyahu 

To the Great People of Israel:

Bibi Netanyahu has been a Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting the Islamic Republic of Iran, with its 51 year old chant, “Death to Israel, Death to America! We will destroy the Little Satan and the Big Satan.” What Country can survive when things such as this are allowed to be said, because eventually, they always end up being true? It would have been only a question of time until Iran would have put that ominous phrase into effect, but they have been systematically destroyed, both Militarily and Financially, and unless they change their ways, rapidly, we will soon finish the job. If Israel has the wrong Leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so. Bibi Netanyahu has been Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself. Despite all of that, he has endured and, in fact, he has thrived! I have watched Bibi under the most trying of times. Normal men or women in such situations would have wilted under the pressure — But Bibi did not wilt, he actually got stronger, and maintains that same Strength today. This is the kind of Partner that the United States of America is demanding of Israel, a Country for which it has done so much. Please let this Letter serve to represent my Complete and Total Endorsement of Bibi Netanyahu in his upcoming Race for Re-Election as Prime Minister of Israel. BIBI NETANYAHU WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN! Thank you for your attention to this matter.

DONALD J. TRUMP PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Iran Israel News Updates Sunday Oct 18

- Trump gives full endorsement of Bibi  Netanyahu in upcoming elections

To the Great People of Israel:

Bibi Netanyahu has been a Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting the Islamic Republic of Iran, with its 51 year old chant, “Death to Israel, Death to America! We will destroy the Little Satan and the Big Satan.” What Country can survive when things such as this are allowed to be said, because eventually, they always end up being true? It would have been only a question of time until Iran would have put that ominous phrase into effect, but they have been systematically destroyed, both Militarily and Financially, and unless they change their ways, rapidly, we will soon finish the job. If Israel has the wrong Leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so. Bibi Netanyahu has been Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself. Despite all of that, he has endured and, in fact, he has thrived! I have watched Bibi under the most trying of times. Normal men or women in such situations would have wilted under the pressure — But Bibi did not wilt, he actually got stronger, and maintains that same Strength today. This is the kind of Partner that the United States of America is demanding of Israel, a Country for which it has done so much. Please let this Letter serve to represent my Complete and Total Endorsement of Bibi Netanyahu in his upcoming Race for Re-Election as Prime Minister of Israel. BIBI NETANYAHU WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN! Thank you for your attention to this matter. 

DONALD J. TRUMP PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

- Iran Calls for Nationwide armed readiness ahead of possible U.S. attack.

Iran Defense Minister Ketabchi declaring: “Our finger is on the trigger; we are ready for war with the Zionists.”

- Iran is pressuring Hezbollah to carry out an attack that would shift public opinion in Israel ahead of the Israeli elections.

- Mohsen Rezaei says Iran’s armed forces have prepared a plan “more destructive” than those used in the 12-day and 40-day wars if a new conflict erupts. “Iran’s new operational plan will not be conducted according to the rules they know,” he warned, dismissing threats from U.S. and Israeli officials”

- IDF says it killed 4 Hamas terrorists including a Oct. 7 Nukba terrorist, in latest Gaza strikes.

- Iran urges US to accept proposal to reopen Strait of Hormuz within six days. Iran's offer to the United States to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days is still on the table, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Iranian media outlets on Sunday

- Egypt is ready to provide Saudi Arabia with the support it needs to defend its security and stability, the presidency says, as Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis intensify their attacks on the world’s largest oil exporter.

- Vice President JD Vance says the U.S. has changed how and where troops are positioned after deadly Iranian attacks exposed serious vulnerabilities. “There were issues with where troops were located that we realized was a huge mistake and that we could do better on, and we have changed that.”

- 'You are the real target': Netanyahu warns Iran may attempt to develop missiles able to reach US.

Motzei Shabbos Parshas Noach News Updates

Weather: Tonight  low 38° Clear skies, tomorrow hi 59°

- BDE: Petira of Mrs. Goldy Kenigsberg A”H, wife of Ybl"c Rav Mordechai,  and daughter of Rav Efraim Greenblat ztl of Memphis. she was a beloved Lakewood Lakewood Morah for 3 decades.

.The Levaya will take place Sunday at 2:30 PM at the Chapel, off 7th st in Lakewood, followed by Kevurah in Lakewood.

- Tax bills arrive in the mail as Lakewood  residents are notified as significant property  tax increase now due for the 4th quarter. Elections begin in week for township committee 

- Yartzeit of Rav Meir Shapiro hundreds to attend Daf Yomi shiurum in tents set up on Hat Hamenuchos

- This Motzei Shabbos the Dirshu Amud Yomi siyum on maseches  Yoma will take place in Lakewood at Ateres Esther hall. The siyum will be made by Rav Reuvein Feinstein Shlita and guest speaker Rav Asher Dovid May Shlita.

- Joseph dream burgers open motzei shabbos until 1am

- Special Asifas Hoda’ah for the Flydubai Miracle.

This Motzoei Shabbos, October 17, from 9:00–10:15 PM, Agudath Israel of America, together with Agudas Yisroel Bais Binyomin and Hakhel, will host an evening of hoda’ah and hisorerus thanking Hashem for the miraculous Flydubai rescue. Speakers include Rav Moshe Tuvia Lieff and Rabbi Paysach J. Krohn, with music by Sruly Williger and Shloime Dachs. Men and women are invited.

- A Jay's school bus is was involved in a collision with a Brick Township ambulance along Lanes Mill Road in Lakewood shortly before noon Friday, October 16, 2026. The bus was carrying Orthodox school girls. (APP)

- Katie Zacharia: President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man. I wish more Americans appreciated him. No one will ever make America great the way he has and continues to.

It was an honor to work for him.

- Rav Shaul Altet instructed his chasidim to vote for UTJ in the  upcoming elections.

- Gerer rebbe officially instructed his chasidim to vote for UTJ on the front page of Hamodia

בעהי"ת, מוצש"ק ז' מרחשון תשפ"ז בשם כ"ק מרן אדמו"ר מגור שליט"א כאשר הבחירות מתקרבות, הנני לבקש מכל אנשי שלומנו שיחי', להצביע עבור רשימת יהדות התורה והשבת שסימנה ג' אגודת ישראל. יעזור השי"ת שעי"ז יתרבה כבוד שמים

- This Sunday October 18th! At the John F. Patrick Sports Center at 111 Vine street in Lakewood, NJ This free, family-friendly community event will feature a petting zoo, pony rides, craft activities, garden tours, demonstrations, games, and lots of exciting vendors. It is open to all members of the public at no cost, though refreshments will be available for purchase.

- The new Charedi party tzibbur hacharedi held a campaign event tonight in Yerushalayim drawing a large crowd as polls show they have 2 mandates of frum voters.

- France erupts into chaos as up to 800,000 people take to the streets, with protesters setting fires, storming government buildings, & clashing with riot police.

- The US asked Iran for permission to strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site without retaliation, and Iran rejected the request, per IRIB state media correspondent Morteza Ghoroghi.He said "Trump's statements today point to war within the next 24 hours," and that Iran's military forces are "in a state of complete readiness.

Lakewood Zmanim עש'ק פרשת נח תשפ"ז

 יום שַׁבָּתוֹן אֵין לִשְׁכֹּחַ זִכְרוֹ כְּרֵיחַ הַנִיחוֹחַ יוֹנָה מָצְאָה בוֹ מָנוֹחַ וְשָׁם יָנוּחוּ יְגִיעֵי כֹחַ הָעָם אֲשֶׁר נָע וְכַצֹּאן תָּעָה יִזְכּוֹר לְפָקְדוֹ בְּרִית וּשְׁבוּעָה לְבַל יַעֲבֹר בָּם מִקְרֵה רָעָה כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ עַל מֵי נֹחַ.

   Friday, October 16, 2026 / ה׳ חשון תשפ״ז

ערב שבת פרשת נח

Candle lighting 5:57 pm

Shkiah/Sunset 6:15 pm

- מברכים בה׳׳ב

Weather Tonight low 48° Showers and thundershowers early, then overcast overnight with occasional rain. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Chance of rain 90%.

Shabbos day Cloudy skies. High 53F. Winds 10 to 20 mph.

- Who was the mother of נח? It is not mentioned in the Torah by there are 3 different names brought in a sefer from Harav Chaim Kanievsky

הגר"ח קניבסקי שליט"א בספרו טעמא דקרא (בקונטרס למכסה עתיק, פרשת בראשית עמוד ה) הביא, ששם אמו של נח היה אשמוע בת אלישוע בן חנוך. ויש אומרים, שמה בת אנוש (מדרש כתב יד). ויש אומרים, ברונוש בת ברכאל

(בריש ספר תולדות אדם להר"ש אלגזי. וכנראה העתיקו מאיזה מדרש)

Video: Noach was a big Tzadik

Friday October 16 News Updates Lakewood

 Friday, October 16, 2026 / ה׳ חשון תשפ״ז

ערב שבת פרשת נח

Candle lighting 5:57 pm

Shkiah/Sunset 6:15 pm

- מברכים בה׳׳ב

weather 78 Chance of a shower or two during the morning, followed by partly cloudy skies this afternoon.Chance of rain 30%.

NWS: Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds are possible,” the weather service said. “The timing looks to be late this afternoon and evening, approximately 4-9 p.m.”

Tonight low 48° Showers and thundershowers early, then overcast overnight with occasional rain. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low 48F. Chance of rain 90%.

Shabbos day Cloudy skies. High 53F. Winds 10 to 20 mph.

- A Special Asifas Hoda’ah for the Flydubai Miracle

This Motzoei Shabbos, October 17, from 9:00–10:15 PM, Agudath Israel of America, together with Agudas Yisroel Bais Binyomin and Hakhel, will host an evening of hoda’ah and hisorerus thanking Hashem for the miraculous Flydubai rescue. Speakers include Rav Moshe Tuvia Lieff and Rabbi Paysach J. Krohn, with music by Sruly Williger and Shloime Dachs. Men and women are invited.

- Trump  said he told newly appointed White House Press Sec. Katie Zacharia to reconsider her role, suggesting the job “may not be for her.”

-President Trump posts that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is considering RETIREMENT “A great man!!!”

- Admor of  דעעש  will be sitting shiva in Lakewood on the petirah of his mother from Motzei shabbos through Sunday afternoon 3:00pm at 27 Lenox Drive after that he will join the aveilim in Boro Park 

- BDE: Petirah of Alter Yitzchok Isaac Wachtfogel A"h, son of yblch Rosh Yeshiva  Rav Elya Ber Shlita.The Levaya took place Friday morning at Shamgar in Yerushalayim.There will be limited Shiva hours.

- This Motzei Shabbos  the Dirshu Amud Yomi siyum will take place in Lakewood at Ateres Esther hall. The siyum will be made by Rav Reuvein Feinstein Shlita and guest speaker Rav Asher Dovid May Shlita.

- Frum Newspapers and magazines raise their prices

Ami magazine now $10

Yated Neeman $6.50

Hamodia $7

Mishpacha $8

- Over 1,191 flights delayed, 79 canceled amid widespread U.S. travel disruptions due to weather.

- Anti Trump protestors will gather for the annual no Kings  protest Shabbos morning in Lakewood at Route 70 just east of Airport Road.

- Degel HaTorah says it wants to protect those genuinely devoted to Torah study, but its representatives  MK Pindrus acknowledged that they were prepared to accept a system that would push some other Charedim toward military service and out of yeshiva.

- Giyus: 47 Bochurim/Avreichim are sitting in Jail this week for draft evasion. Today 2 more bochurim from Ohr Hachaim yeshiva were arrested in Yerushalayim. Protests likely to resume again next week.

- Kosher  meat prices are just too high Kiddusg club podcast exclusive   Do kosher meat prices really need to be that high? Or is Big Kosher Meat taking advantage of us? Watch Here 

- Faanews: A Three-judge panel of the New Jersey Appellate Division heard oral argument Thursday in the closely watched appeal challenging the Lakewood Planning Board’s approval of Sunset Road Sefardic Congregation  and the judges appeared highly engaged with virtually every major issue raised in the appeal.

- Whistleblower lawsuit rocking Jackson Township is moving forward more at faa

- White House press secretary Katie Zacharia responds to questions about whether she still has President Trump's confidence after her first week on the job. "I'm standing here, and I was able to travel with him... and I hope to be able to build the trust and confidence of everyone around me

- APP: Jackson Township DWI arrests have increased by 50% this year compared to all of 2025, according to new data from Jackson Police, which also shows arrests have more than doubled since 2023. But before you start thinking local drivers have gone on some kind of drunk driving binge, police credit much of the increase to stepped-up enforcement of all motor vehicle laws, from speeding and cel phone use to vehicle registration and insurance requirements..

- Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is reportedly considering retirement, potentially BEFORE the midterm elections. The timing could be critical. If Alito steps down, Trump and Senate Republicans could rush to confirm his replacement before January 2027, when Democrats could potentially take control of the Senate. (Report)

Hashkafa Q&A

Hashkafa with Rav Gershon Ribner shlita.

Are the great Hasidic bloodlines purer than ours The gabbai who obsesses over the clock in shul Maintaining amicable conduct while settling a monetary dispute in court Strategy unique for a Talmudic scholar regarding slanderous speech The woman destined for you rejected your proposal A scholar’s bias to his own novella

Oif Simchas Thurs 5 Cheshvan

Chasunas:

Michelson - Siegal Kesser Moshe Yehuda

Magid - Alter Neemas Hachaim 

Levin - Kitovits Fountain Ballroom 

Ely - Abrahamson Ateres Esther

Levy - Mandelbaum Lake  Terrace

Cohen - Raikhman Ateres Blima 

Better Ateres Chaim Elazar 

Roseman - Pollack  Ateres Reva

- Chumash Shiur by Harav Yeruchom Olshin shlita 11:30 pm at B"M Ateres Bracha live 646-726-9977

Kiddush Levana opportunity 

Thursday October 15 News Updates

Weather:  today Sunny in the 60's , tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Low 57F. Chance of rain 50%.

Severe thunderstorms with winds up to 40 mph are possible Friday as a cold front sweeps across New Jersey, bringing the chance for widespread frost this weekend.

- Frum Newspapers and magazines raise their prices

Ami magazine now $10

Yated Neeman $6.50

Hamodia $7

Mishpacha $8

- Secret Service on high alert at Trump's Alaska rally. One agent put his hand on his gun but doesn't draw it. 

- Noribar sushi store opening location in  Lakewood at former Dips location Chestnut and Rt 9 (Feder status)

- Donald Trump’s grandson Joseph Kushner had his 13th birthday dinner (Bar Mitzva) in the Red Room of the White House. 

- BMG adds temporary parking for talmodim at a construction area off 9th st and Private way.

- End of an Era. After nearly 60 years of serving breakfast and lunch  in Boro Park on the corner of 16th Avenue and 48th Street, Lieberman’s Luncheonette is heading toward its final chapter, with plans to close once its building is sold. BP24

- Joseph's Dream Burger will be open motzei shabbos starting this week Saturday night this week! One hour after Shabbos ends until 1 AM!

- LSTA Bus Stop Changes: Parents Must Attend In-Person Appointments.

LSTA’s new bus stop change process will inconvenience parents, requiring them to book an in-person appointment just to request a change. For working parents and families with young children, this means taking time off or arranging babysitters just to attend an appointment, rather than being able to submit a request by phone, email, or text. LSTA says routes are especially tight this year and changes will be very limited. Convenience requests will not be accommodated. All requests will be reviewed based on route timing, geography, and bus capacity, and approval is not guaranteed. Requests with missing or invalid documents will not be reviewed. Appointments are available October 26–28, from 6:30–8:30 PM, and must be booked online Here or by calling 732-655-6333.

- The Kibitz Room, a 'Jewish" deli in Cherry Hill,NJ  known for massive pastrami sandwiches and an extensive pickle bar, has been fined $1,000 by the state for failing to properly display that it isn’t a kosher establishment. Per NJ.

- The Lakewood Township Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA) recently closed on a $4.9 million loan with the New Jersey Water Bank to construct a public sanitary sewer conveyance system in the Old Pine Acres neighborhood of Lakewood Township.The project will allow existing homeowners in the neighborhood to connect to the public sanitary sewer system and eliminate reliance on individual septic systems and septic fields.

- This Sunday October 18th! At the John F. Patrick Sports Center at 111 Vine street in Lakewood, NJ This free, family-friendly community event will feature a petting zoo, pony rides, craft activities, garden tours, demonstrations, games, and lots of exciting vendors. It is open to all members of the public at no cost, though refreshments will be available for purchase.  

- The FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Capitol Police have launched a multi-agency investigation after several letters containing an unknown white powder were sent to state election officials, including several Secretaries of State, and to offices on Capitol Hill.

- WhatsApp now lets people join voice and video calls without having a WhatsApp account. Hosts can share a call link, approve guests before they join, and hold free, end-to-end encrypted calls with up to 32 participants and no time limits.

- Elon Musk has publicly called for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to leave office. 

- Elon Musk Weighs Amazon Rival After Grok Bot Blocks Amazon has restricted third party AI shopping agents from accessing its platform, including bots powered by Grok. Users attempting to place orders through these agents report blocks citing violations of the site’s conditions of use. The policy aims to protect customer data, limit fraud risks, and preserve revenue from sponsored product placements that depend on human browsing.

- Jackson: Brewer's Bridge Road will be repaved in its entirety, aftwr NJ Gas installs  new pipes in the road. 

 - Lakewood, New Jersey had the highest childbearing rate in the country, with 155.6 women per 1,000 women ages 15-44 in Lakewood giving birth in the previous 12 months, ranking first among geographic areas studied nationwide. The data was compiled by the People’s Policy Project using the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey five-year Public Use Microdata Sample.(OneJerseyschorr)

- President Trump canceled the planned livestream of Nidal Hasan’s firing squad but said the immediate families of the victims can attend in person if they choose. He wrote that streaming the execution might have served as a deterrent but that many people preferred not to watch. Trump said Hasan will still be executed by firing squad on the scheduled date and that the families deserve to witness it. Hasan killed more than a dozen people at Fort Hood in 2009 while shouting “Allahu Akbar.” 

- President Donald Trump has reportedly been privately discussing replacing White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, one of his closest and longest-serving advisers. According to Politico, citing four sources familiar with the conversations, Trump has asked allies whether it is time for a leadership change and has floated several potential replacements.

- A Likud and Gadi Eisenkot unity government is what the Trump administration is reportedly pushing for in Israel, with Netanyahu remaining prime minister for up to two years before retiring from politics. The coalition's stated goals: ending the regional wars and securing peace agreements, Saudi Arabia above all.Eisenkot's bloc would demand Netanyahu's retirement be guaranteed, the judicial reforms reversed, and an inquiry opened into October 7. Israel Hayom. Ambassador Mike Huckabee denies this.

- Satmar spokesman Rabbi Moishe Indig: Hasidic Jews, like every other American, do NOT need permission from antisemites like Jake Lang or YouTuber Tyler Oliveira to build communities in Okeechobee, Florida, New York, or anywhere in America. Jewish growth is NOT up for debate. We will build, we will grow, and we will thrive. And those who are mad about it? Stay mad.

- Jackson  Police Chief Mary Nelson, who rose through the ranks to become the township’s first female chief, is stepping down after only eight months. 

- Coming Soon from Artscroll "At the Heart of Lakewood - Rabbi Yisroel Schenkolewski"The Quiet Force Behind America's Torah Capital

- Ami Magazine will not be sold in Crown Heights stores this week following the magazine’s front-cover feature of Rav Lazer Shach zatzal on his 25th yartzeit. Crown Heights stores have reportedly united in a decision not to carry this week’s issue. (Shechuna news)

- Jackson councilman Chris Pollack called out a Lakewood based news site as fake news in reporting on what went on in the council meeting. He said those who spoke out were not protesters but residents who  spoke regarding the case of a missing person  since last year.

- Israeli elections there's reports of certain  charedi factions and chasidus that are currently not endorsing or instructing their followers to vote for UTJ in the elections as many may just sit it out or vote for other parties. Negotiations continue.

Iran Israel Updates Thurs Oct 15

- Israel is now reportedly repositioning its air defenses as Western intelligence detects “extreme” new military moves by Iran, with Netanyahu briefing Trump on developments in Tehran as the U.S. president considers when to strike, per Israel’s Channel 12.

- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a direct warning to Tehran, emphasizing that Israel retains the ability to act independently. “We also have the option to act independently, and I do not suggest that anyone from among our enemies try us. In no way.”

- According to Lebanese security and military sources cited by Erem News, Iran has instructed Hezbollah to raise its military readiness to advanced levels as Tehran believes a major regional confrontation is imminent. 

Hezbollah is reportedly implementing a new decentralized combat system designed to allow field units to operate independently, even if Israeli strikes eliminate senior Hezbollah commanders or disrupt its central command structure.

- Iran is now reportedly preparing its missile launchers for a large-scale retaliation against the U.S. if Washington launches another major attack, conducting large-scale missile exercises as the Pentagon reportedly develops new strike plans involving the 21,600-pound “Mother of All Bombs” (MOAB).Reuters 

- Two Ships Sink near Hormuz after Being Hit by Projectiles Amid Surge in Attacks.

- More US airforce refueling planes have landed in Israel at Ben Gurion Airport as war drums loom again.

- Mother of all bombs': US potential Iran strike plans include largest non-nuclear weapon - report. According to CNN, multiple US officials said that the plans called for the MOAB to be used against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites, including Pickaxe Mountain.

- President Trump at an election rally in Arizona: “Iran’s first-level leaders are gone. They chose a second level, and they’re gone too. They chose a third level, and half of them are gone.” Trump revealed that he was asked to stop eliminating Iranian leaders and agreed. “They made me promise not to take out any more, and I did. I promised them.”He added: “I probably went a little too far. I’m sorry, because I don’t know who the hell we’re dealing with anymore.”

- Ministers in the government are in the process of approving an extension for the state of emergency on the home front until November 3, a week after the Israeli elections and on the day of the US

- Israel has introduced sweeping new aviation security restrictions following the September 30 attempted hijacking of a FlyDubai passenger aircraft bound for Tel Aviv.According to French investigative outlet Mediapart, flight crew members holding citizenship or dual citizenship from 31 countries without formal diplomatic relations with Israel are now prohibited from entering Israeli airspace aboard commercial aircraft.

- Former President Barack Obama declared during a visit to Northern Ireland that Israel has lost its moral standing in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, criticizing the country’s response to the October 7 Hamas massacre

- IDF: An Underground Terror Tunnel That Crossed the Yellow Line Area Was Dismantled: Southern Brigade and Yahalom Activity in the Gaza Strip Troops of the Southern Brigade, led by the Engineering Unit of the Gaza Division (143rd Division) and the Southern Command, continue to operate to clear the area of the Yellow Line of terrorist infrastructure in the southern Gaza Strip

The Lakewood VAAD’s Election Endorsements: A Slap in the Face to the Community

There is hardly a greater slap in the face to the Lakewood community than the VAAD issuing endorsements for the upcoming elections after remaining largely silent on the major issues affecting the very residents it claims to represent.

First, the busing fiasco that threw an entire town into chaos. Families were left scrambling for solutions, with no clear guidance or leadership. Where was the VAAD? Not a peep from the anonymous leadership that suddenly reappears when election season arrives.

Then, just this week, Lakewood residents were hit with a massive municipal tax increase by the very politicians the VAAD is now endorsing. Did the VAAD publicly acknowledge the burden on homeowners? Did it demand accountability from politicians who have held power for years? Instead, the focus was on state aid cuts, while years of rising taxes and spending, tax abatements went largely unchallenged.

The deafening silence is especially troubling when you consider the VAAD’s election-season messaging. Every election, residents are flooded with mailers and robocalls boasting about how the VAAD keeps taxes low and urging the community to vote for its chosen candidates. But when residents are actually hit with another major tax increase, that same organization is nowhere to be found.

This is not a new concern. In a November 2013 Hamodia article, a VAAD spokesman, Weisberg, reportedly dismissed the idea that there was genuine frustration in the kehilla over rising property taxes, stating that “there is no real frustration in the kehilla regarding rising property taxes.” More than a decade and change later, residents are still dealing with the consequences of rising costs and are entitled to ask: Who is really standing up for the taxpayers?

Even worse is the continued use of the block vote. Anonymous individuals tell a taxpaying kehilla whom to vote for, yet the very residents being told to fall in line have no meaningful say in the VAAD’s decisions, no transparent process, and no accountability from those making these endorsements.

For more than 20 years, promises of change have come and gone. Yet, when election season arrives, the VAAD wakes up like a bear emerging from hibernation, expecting a gullible tzibbur to follow its endorsements and keep the same people and their political allies in power.

Meanwhile, what has the average Lakewood resident received in return? Higher taxes, an increasingly unaffordable cost of living, worsening traffic, and serious unresolved community problems.

The question is simple: Who is the VAAD really representing?

The community deserves more than election-season mailers, robocalls, and political endorsements. It deserves transparency, accountability, and leadership that stands up to elected officials when residents are struggling  not just when votes are needed.

If the VAAD expects the community’s trust and support, it must demonstrate that it is willing to represent the community throughout the year, including when doing so means challenging the very politicians it endorses.

Leadership is not about telling people how to vote. It is about standing up for the people you claim to represent. When the community needed a voice, the VAAD was silent. When election season arrived, suddenly it had plenty to say.

And What About the Fallout in Trenton?

There is another question the community deserves to ask: could the political campaign in Lakewood to challenge the sitting governor by backing Josh Gottheimer in the Democratic primary have contributed to the strained relationship between Lakewood and Trenton? Gottheimer ultimately finished behind the leading candidates, and since then, residents have seen state aid cuts and a lack of the cooperative relationship with Trenton that the township needs. That does not prove the campaign caused those decisions, but it raises a fair question: were the potential consequences for Lakewood considered before local political leaders chose to take that position?

If these political decisions may affect state funding, municipal taxes, and the financial burden on every homeowner, shouldn't the community be consulted before a small group makes those choices on its behalf? Residents are the ones who ultimately pay the price, and they deserve transparency about the risks, the strategy, and the consequences not explanations after the damage is done.

The Vaad’s Own Legitimacy Is at Issue

There is also a fundamental question of how the Vaad itself is constituted. The Shulchan Aruch discusses the appointment of  7 Tovei Ha'ir community leaders entrusted with managing communal affairs. Rather than decisions being controlled by a small, anonymous group, the community deserves a fair and transparent process that allows its members to be represented and have a meaningful voice in choosing its leadership.

How can the Vaad expect the entire kehilla to accept its political endorsements when so many residents have no say in who makes those decisions? A system that asks the community to follow its voting instructions, without giving that same community a meaningful voice in its own leadership, raises serious questions of accountability and representation.

The Condescension Toward Lakewood Residents

Beyond the taxes, the busing crisis, and the lack of accountability, there is another fundamental problem with the VAAD’s approach: the condescending assumption that grown adults need to be told whom to vote for.

Lakewood residents are taxpayers, business owners, and working families who are perfectly capable of thinking for themselves, evaluating candidates, and deciding what is best for their community. Yet every election season, the VAAD launches its campaign of mailers and robocalls as though the public cannot make informed decisions without being instructed how to vote.

This approach is not only patronizing; it is insulting to the intelligence of Lakewood residents. A community deserves information, transparency, and an honest discussion of the issues  not directives from an anonymous group that expects its endorsements to be accepted without question.

The residents of Lakewood are not children, and the VAAD does not own their votes.** If the VAAD wants to earn the community’s respect, it should start by respecting the intelligence, independence, and right of every resident to make their own decisions.