Talking about Private places- a new book for children

Talking about private places by Bracha Goetz

In a continuation of her series of books on child safety author Bracha Goetz published a new book titled "Talking about Private places" published by project innocent heart. Illustrated by Shepsil Scheinberg distributed by Feldheim. Its disturbing that for personal retribution a so called "child abuse activist" is looking to pull it off the shelf.

Frum candidates seek backing in local elections

Elections are less than a week away, in many frum communities there are frum Jewish candidates running for office. In Brooklyn, two frum candidates are running against each other. Dov Hikind, a lawmaker for 32 years, is being challenged by Republican Nachman Caller, who has made affordable housing a centerpiece of his campaign. Each one is garnering endorsements from prominent Rabbonim, admorim and Roshei Yeshiva. They are using the frum websites to attack each other and issue their plans and platforms. In elections, people look at history and results not at what they are wearing. Its an interesting race to watch.
In Lakewood the frum candidates did not get the backing of the local jewish council.

Professor Moshe Tzvi Reicher z”l

Hamodia - Klal Yisrael lost one of its most dedicated and talented askanim Monday with the passing of Professor Moshe Tzvi Reicher z”l, of Boro Park at age 66.

Credit: Hamodia

He carried a unique combination of titles as Bobover Chassid, distinguished professor and practitioner of International Law, licensed Australian barrister, and tireless worker on behalf of the klal. He was a man of tremendously aristocratic bearing and broad vision, eschewing all types of pettiness.

Young Moshe Tzvi was raised in Melbourne, Australia, were he attended the Yeshivah Gedolah before moving on to Yeshivas Kol Torah in Yerushalayim. He studied law both in Australia as well as in America, earning a degree from Harvard Law School.

Throughout his colorful career, Prof. Reicher used his expertise, education and excellent oratory skills — in both Yiddish and English — to advance a number of causes vital to the Jewish community.

Shidduch crisis wont be solved by forcing bochurim back early from EY- More money for Kolel will help

The way to stop the crisis is for gevirim to give more money for kolelim which will take away the financial support obsticle which is a factor in the shidduch crisis. Many involved with finding solutions to the shidduch crisis have been pushing an agenda to  have yeshiva bochurim return early from learning in Eretz yisrael or avoid bochurim from going to  learning in EY altogether. A big problem they say is the age differential between boys coming on the market at age 23 and girls entering at 18-19.  The claim is,  boys who come back from learning in EY at 23 dont want to date 23 year olds they rather choose the younger 18-19 year old girls. By having the boys begin shidduchim at an earlier age of 21 that will alleviate the crisis.

Supposedly some baal habatim have pushed the Lakewood Yeshiva, Beth Medrash Govoha to enforce a new policy and not accept boys over the age of  23, thereby forcing the boys to return to the states at an earlier stage.

This does not bode well with many Roshei yeshiva in America whose bochurim stay untill 4th year Bais medrash and first go to EY at 21-22. To have them forced back from the learning in EY is not an option.
What the gevirim should do is give more money to kolelim. The reason many girls cant find shidduchim is because the kolelim are not paying enough to support a new youngerman. Parents who want learning boys cant afford it either. If there was enough money for a youngerman to learn in kolel without having his shver take on most of the burden there would not be many girls waiting around. Instead of putting our money and efforts into studies and changing the system, the gevirim should invest more money for kolelim which will make it easier for boys to not worry about support and will help the so called crisis. 

Video: Tomchei Torah on fudraising tour from Lakewood to Kletzk

BD'H Rebbetzin Chasida Chodosh A'H wife of Mir Mashgiach Rav Aaron Chodosh Shlita

Levaya for Rebbetzin Chodosh A'h

The Mir yeshiva in Yerushalayim was plunged into mourning today erev Shabbos parshas Noach with the petirah of Rebbetzin Chodosh a''h wife of the beloved mashgiach Rav aaron Chodosh. She was 80 years old. The Rebbetzin was born in Tel Aviv to her father Rabbi Chaim Zev Finkel zt and her mother, Mrs. Leah OBM, a stepdaughter of Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld ztl.
 She Served as a school teacher in the bais yisrael school in the Musrara neighborhood of  Yerushalayim, Israel. She stood by her husband all the years and was known for her heartfelt tefillos.

 She is Survived by her Children a family of Torah and Chesed her husband The mashgiach  her brother is Rabbi Aryeh Finkel, Rosh Yeshiva of Mir Brachfeld and her sister  Rebbetzin Nebenzahl of the Jewish Quarter of yerushalayim. Kevurah was at har hamenuchos.
תהא נשמתה צרורה בצרור החיים.

Frum media responds to NYT article on Lakewood -we beg to differ

The New York Times Sunday’s Times Magazine published an article on Lakewood under the title, “Beggarville, many were happy that the times somewhat portrayed Lakewood as a city of Tzedaka and Chesed, but leave it up to the old gray lady to report on it with distortions and in a condescending tone.
 Read this article in the Hamodia another article in Arutz Sheva ad a lengthy response in the Yated Ne'eman By rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz -The Givers Of Lakewood-Welcome To Giverville!

Across the country and around the world, Lakewood, NJ, is referred to as the “Ihr HaTorah” out of respect for the many thousands who reside here, learning, breathing and living Torah every day. We not only learn Torah on a grand scale, we scrupulously follow its precepts.
There are always exceptions, and we have become used to the scorn and ridicule heaped upon us when someone who happens to live here is exposed as a fraud. Then there is what the media refers to as our “insular lifestyle,” which draws contempt. Others view us as interlopers, whose patriotism they wrongfully question. The many burgeoning private educational institutions are also often pointed to by haters, who fear that we will take over their towns and force them into exile.

Helping the Shidduch crisis Lakewood yeshiva will not accept boys over the age of 23

In the ongoing effort by some to help the shidduch crisis by bridging the age gap, the Lakewood yeshiva is joining forces. Beth Medrash Govoha announced that for the upcoming Pesach zman they will no longer be able to accept boys who will be 23 years old or born prior to April 20th 1992.  It is still not clear as to what age exactly will be enforced. The hanhalas hayeshiva is providing advance notice to minimize any inconvenience as they may not be able to accept these Bochurim. The logic behind this is apparently to force Bochurim back from Eretz yisrael at an earlier age, thus entering the shidduch market at a younger age which will help close the age gap. Others feel the yeshiva has more to gain monetarily if a Bochur comes back earlier from EY since he wont be eating up grant money.

Bais Medrash Govoha, Lakewood

Surprisingly to many, that the Yeshiva will actually enforce such a policy. Many  Yeshiva Bochurim who complete a full cycle in their Rosh Yeshivas shiur post high school, do not go to learn in EY before the age of 21. For these bochurim, 23 is the earliest age they come back from EY to learn in the states. Other suggest that BMG get rid of the freezer to alleviate the shidduch crisis.

Video: Shabbos the day of rest- project Shabbos 2014

Many communities and individuals will be joining in the project Shabbos this coming shabbos parshas Noach October 24-25.

Rav Yosef Halpern Z"L- Tomech Torah

Rav Yosef Halpern Z''L

 Hamodia -Lakewood - It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Reb Yosef Halpern, z”l, of Boro Park and, in more recent years, Lakewood, who was niftar on 28 Tishrei after a protracted illness. Reb Yossi was renowned as a tremendous baal tzedakah and supporter of Torah institutions. Harav Eliyahu Meir Sorotzkin, Rosh Yeshivas Springfield, whose yeshivah was perhaps Reb Yossi’s primary project, mentioned in his hesped that the niftar would often come to the yeshivah personally to oversee projects that he was funding. Mentioning the well-known story in the Gemara in which Rav Chiya planted food himself to feed to his students, he offered a novel explanation that when one feels that something is his own, he does not delegate it to others. For Reb Yossi, supporting Torah was not a mere act of philanthropy, but part of who he was.

VIN relies on self hating Haaretz to deliver news about frum Yiddin

Who else can you trust, but the left leaning anti Semitic self hating Haaretz newspaper as the source for a VIN news story. Another of many stories that the liberal Haaretz loves to report.

"This is one of many flight delays over the last month occurring with ultra-Orthodox passengers refusing to sit next to the opposite sex. Several El Al flights were disrupted or delayed, prompting a petition to circulate requesting that El Al put a procedure in place to stop the harassment of women by ultra-Orthodox men on flights to Israel"

Suddenly there are many flight delays all because of Ultra orthodox Jewish men. Do we believe these stories? Are we getting an accurate account of what really happened? No one cares neither does VIN. Look at the hate fest going on in the comment section. Its an opportunity to bash frum Jews and the Torah.
Agudah, dont you see!!

Was the ban on VIN lifted?

Agudah convention ad

What seemed a bit shocking and surprising was an advertisement with a purple graphic background. Its a ad banner on VIN for the upcoming 2014 Agudah convention. It was not long ago that Rabbonim came out with a ban on VIN website. Not only that, but that website wrote an op-ed piece to the Novominsker Rebbe who heads the Agudah. How can the Agudah advertise on a site that gives a platform to the haters of Torah, full of lashon hora, bizuy talmidei chachomim, making fun of kol davar shebikduah.
   Also surprising is, Agudah, who is the from the only national frum organization that has yet to have an official website, have launched a website for the upcoming Agudath Israel of America national convention.
Either VIN changed for the better or the Agudah is taking a new step.

What the real Shabbos APP should be

Shabbos App -shut the phone on shabbos

Much controversy on what was thought to be satire and a hoax is actually no joke at all. It’s very real. A group of mostly "shomer shabbos" jews  want to observe Shabbos and use their smartphones. They are in the process of inventing the  Shabbos APP. The developers claim to have researched halachic reasoning and opinions on the subject. They claim that this APP takes care of all halachic isurim that apply to using a smart phone on shabbos. No point yet to debate or even give any credence to these leitzanim.

What they should work on is a  real Shabbos APP. One that will lock the phone completely on Shabbos. From  Shkia to Tzais hakochavim. Similar to the new shabbos switch they invented.
Written bli shum chashash of chilul shabbos.

Daf Yomi- to celebrate siyum on Seder Moed, begin Maseches Yevamos

Those learning Daf Yomi will be finishing maseches Chagiga and seder Moed and starting the complicated masechta of Yevamos. Following the twelfth Siyum Hashas many joined in to learn the daily daf of gemara. Its two years in and they are on to seder nashim. Hatzlach to all the lomdei hadaf may they continue their daily hasmada in Torah. Many communities will be hosting siyumim in honor of concluding seder Moed.

Halachos when Yom Kippur falls out on Shabbos, 5775

This year Yom Kippur 5774 falls out on Shabbos there are some halachos pertaining to this day.

1.  We say Avinu Malkeinu by Shachris on Erev Yom Kippur that comes out on Friday since we dont say it on Yom Kippur

2. One should have in mind to be Yoitze kiddush Hayom of shabbos by the bracha of mekadesh hashabos after vayechulu. or during Shmonah Esrei.

3. We do not say Avinu malkeinu According to Ashkenazi customs since we dont ask for personal requests on Shabbos. However by Neeilah we do say it.

4. We dont say the yud gimmel middos by krias hatorah. (various minhagim on this)

5. If one must eat- Children, or someone sick, according to most poskim we do not recite kiddush before eating.

A reverse shidduch crisis for older boys, a possible solution as well

Would cross cultural shidduchim be an answer to the shidduch crisis setting up Chasidim with Litvaks ?

Shidduch meeting

A very unique conference held in Yerushalayim this week, fifty shadchanim from the chasidish  community gathered in order to consult about the the shidduch crisis for older single boys.
In light of the personal request of some of the greatest Israeli admorim Shlita they appointed Rabbi Chaim Shmerler  who founded an organization "GEFEN" to establish an orderly system to handle and solve the problem.
In the next few weeks they will anonunce solutions in fixing and helping these older bochurim known in yiddish as "elterer bochurim" find their bashert.

A special time- When yom kippur falls out on Shabbos of the Shmittah year-

The Talmud states, "If only Israel would keep two [consecutive] Shabbosim, they would be immediately redeemed"
.(Shabbat 118b) The book Noam Megadim (parashat Emor), from Rabbi Eliezer Ish Horowitz, a disciple of Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk, offers a compelling interpretation of the passage in the Talmud; that the two Shabbats refer to two Shabbats which comes together. That can only be when Yom Kippur falls out on Shabbos. Therefore the possibility for immediate redemption of our people is at hand. We only need to observe them, putting ourselves into the service of the day with a full heart and keep from becoming distracted.

Actually the possibility for speedy redemption is inherent in every Yom Kippur. The holy Zohar (parashat Noach) states that even if the people in only one synagogue did complete teshuva on Yom Kippur, then all of the Jewish People would be immediately redeemed! This is all the more so on this special year, when the two ultimate Shabbats come together at the same time. Indeed a special opportunity!!

Its easy to attack a frum newspaper when all you do is pull your online post

 A Torah website attacked a Frum Publication for an ad that was inadvertently placed in the paper. The paper apologized. What is more upsetting is that a torah website went on a blistering attack against the FJJ. While many  times its own articles and news posts are pulled due to lashon hora rechilos pritzus and others. Its easy to attack the print media when as a website all you do is pull the post. Some times there are mistakes. A few years ago a newspaper affiliated some what with the Torah website printed an ad that made light of the Luchos on Har Sinai. It was a bad error that slipped through. People were outraged, these things happen and we have to give the benefit of the doubt.
Yet the print media have editors with names who take responsibility as apposed to a no name website that posts anything just for Hock and ratings.

FJJ apologizes for Kapparos Advertisement

The Flatbush Jewish Journal  apologized for an ad it ran in last weeks issue which said "for Kapparos use money not chickens". The ad was asking people not to use chickens for Kaporos. In an editorial they wrote "the FJJ should not have accepted that ad and certainly dosent endorse any of its contents or message". The minhag yisrael of kaporos has been accepted and practices by klal yisrael for millenia. To strengthen their sincere apology, the FJJ presented  a series of letters from upset readers about the AD.