Third Yeshiva Student is Niftar Following Fiery Crash in Jackson, NJ

  A third yeshiva student from Lakewood has passed away r”l following a horrific crash early Friday morning that has devastated the tight-knit Orthodox Jewish community.

The latest victim, Refael Faham z”l, succumbed to his injuries just before Shabbos, days after the minivan he was riding in struck a deer and slammed into a tree along North Hope Chapel Road. The impact caused the vehicle to erupt in flames.

Two other students, Dovid Yitzchok Handler z”l and Chaim Zelig Berl z”l, were pronounced dead at the scene.

The crash occurred around 4:30 a.m. when the Toyota Sienna, carrying five teenage bochurim, lost control after hitting the deer. Emergency responders arrived quickly, but the inferno had already engulfed the vehicle. Two survivors were rushed to the hospital; one remains in critical condition.

Law enforcement continues to investigate the incident, which has sparked an outpouring of grief and support from the Lakewood community and beyond. Levayas for the three victims were held over the weekend.

US Supreme Court Will Not Allow Yeshivos to take $$$$$ From the "Medina"

: A Divided Supreme Court rejects publicly funded religious charter school*-

An evenly divided Supreme Court ruled Thursday that states cannot provide funding to religious charter schools, turning away from a potential decision that would have fundamentally changed K-12 education.

The 4-4 split meant the justices upheld the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s ruling that Sooner State law and the US Constitution prohibit taxpayer funding from going toward religious schools.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett had recused herself from arguments, having taught at the University of Notre Dame’s law school for about 15 years. The school’s religious liberty clinic had represented one of the parties in the case, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School.

In June 2023, the five-member Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board had approved St. Isidore’s operation application in a 3–2 vote.

Both the Trump administration and Oklahoma GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt had sided with the charter school board and St. Isidore’s, which filed a separate lawsuit against Drummond that was consolidated into oral arguments last month.

 

Powerful Tribute from Rachel Goldberg-Polin mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin

Powerful Tribute at Yeshiva University and Rachel Goldberg-Polin mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin Delivers at Commencement AddressAt Yeshiva University

Rachel Goldberg-Polin—mother of slain hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin—delivered a tearful and inspiring speech after receiving an honorary doctorate.

Hersh, 23, was kidnapped by Ham*s from the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7, 2023. He lost his arm during the attack while trying to save others and was held hostage in Gaza for months before being executed. His body was recovered from a tunnel in Rafah in August 2024.

Here’s what Rachel told the graduates:

“Graduates! You wise, passionate, brave and intentional young people!
First, THANK YOU.
Thank you for being with us, and all the hostage families from day one. You never once stopped and said ‘hey, they don’t look just like us. They don’t share our exact sheeta (approach to Jewish law), our exact hashkafa (Jewish worldview) and their shul does things differently than ours.’

No! You looked for what connects us. You said, ‘Your agony is my agony. Your pain is my pain. Your son is my mother’s son. And so, your son is my brother.’
Yeshiva University students and graduates—you administered spiritual CPR on us and all of the hostage families. You showed up and you keep showing up.
And you did and you keep DOING.

As you graduates dive into the world outside of the exalted walls of Yeshiva University’s framework, remember to find what binds you with each other, find what binds you with your fellow Jews, find what binds you with your fellow human beings.”

🕯️May Hersh’s memory forever be a blessing.

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Mark Levin "the Enemy Within"

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Guy Christensen an Influencer with millions of followers praises Washington attack

Guy Christensen, an influencer boasting nearly 3.5 million followers on various platforms, has released a video praising the murder of two Israeli embassy workers in Washington.

The video includes a full reading of Elia Rodriguez's manifesto and a lengthy and impassioned list of accusations of genocide against the IDF. Christensen also claims that Israelis greet news of Palestinian deaths by 'rejoicing in the streets'. He speaks at length in favor of 'armed demonstration' to replace unarmed or peaceful protests.

The video has been removed from some platforms since it was posted.

"Hamas is not a terrorist organization; they are resistance fighters," he stresses. "Condemning the elimination of the two embassy workers out of fear that the government will crack down on the resistance movement is like condemning Luke Skywalker for blowing up the Death Star because the Empire might crack down on the Rebellion. We must instead meet this crackdown with escalation.''

LAKEWOOD: Two Bochurim Killed, 2 Critical, In Early Friday Morning Crash

 

A horrific tragedy unfolded early Friday morning in Lakewood, when a vehicle carrying five bochurim crashed on Hope Chapel between Clearstream and New Central, tragically resulting in the petirah of two of the occupants.

Preliminary reports indicate that the vehicle, a Toyota Sienna, was traveling along Hope Chapel Road when it struck a deer, causing the driver to lose control. The minivan then veered off the roadway and crashed into a tree.

A passerby who came upon the harrowing scene reportedly called 911 at 4:39 am. Emergency services were dispatched, with Hatzolah being called in for backup.

Two of the bochurim were tragically niftar at the scene. The three others sustained various injuries, including two who remain in critical condition and one who is reportedly in stable condition.

The niftarim have been identified as Dovid Yitzchok Handler z”l and Chaim Zelig Berl z”l. Levaya details will be published when it becomes available.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the crash, and further information will be released as it becomes available.

Please say Tehillim for Meir Moshe Aharon ben Devorah Naomi and Rafael ben Sarah, who are both in critical condition.

OU Withdraws Certification from All Beech-Nut Baby Food

 The Orthodox Union (OU), one of the most recognized kosher certifying agencies worldwide, has announced that it is no longer certifying any Beech-Nut brand baby food products. The change in certification status is effective immediately.

In a kashrus advisory released Friday, the OU emphasized that while some Beech-Nut baby food items on store shelves still bear the OU symbol and remain certified kosher, products without the OU symbol are no longer under OU supervision. Due to overlapping inventory, both certified and non-certified Beech-Nut products may currently be found side by side in the marketplace.

Consumers are urged to carefully check each package for the presence of the OU symbol before purchase or consumption.

The advisory did not specify the reason for the discontinuation of certification. Beech-Nut has not yet issued a statement regarding the change.

For more information or to verify specific product status, consumers can contact the Orthodox Union or visit their website at www.oukosher.org.

Zera Shimshon Parshat Behar Bechukotai

 

This is Insane! Listen to the Questioning of Sen Kennedy!

 

Israeli embassy staffer murder witness puts a CNN anchor in her place.