Daf Yomi Siyum Seder Nashim

The Daf Yomi Commission of Agudath Israel of America is delighted to offer a complimentary live worldwide broadcast of Siyum Seder Nashim.  The program hosted by the Lomdei HaDaf of Lakewood, NJ, will be broadcast live from Lakewood, NJ on:

Wednesday, June 1, 2016 / 24 Iyar, 5776 at 8:00 PM ET.

We are exceedingly fortunate to have one of the most eminent Darshanim in America, addressing this event:
        Rabbi Yissocher Frand, Shlita
Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, Baltimore, MD.


Siyum broadcasts continue to give inspiration and chizuk for Lomdei HaDaf and their Kehillos. Both men and women are invited to participate at all broadcast locations.

We welcome the participation of your communities / shuls and request that you contact our graphic artist to have your location details inserted on the flyer design@calligraphix.com.

Chap a shvim

JP The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation backtracked on Thursday after announcing they would get rid of a four-hour window called “Women’s Swim,” which has specifically accommodated Orthodox Jewish women.

Numerous complaints were lodged at the Metropolitan Pool and Recreation Center in Williamsburg for the “separate swimming hours” program, saying they were discriminatory, the New York Post reported.

New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind criticized the decision to close the separate swimming program.

Lakewood yeshiva ‘Disappointed’ Court Cancelled $10M State Grant

Hamodia LAKEWOOD - America’s premier yeshivah reacted with disappointment to a state court’s ruling Thursday that a $10.6 million grant by New Jersey was unconstitutional.

Rabbi Moshe Gleiberman, vice president of Lakewood’s Beis Medrash Govoha, said in a statement that the appellate court’s decision discriminated against religious schools. He said that most of the 6,800 students at the yeshivah go into non-clergy professions.

“BMG’s positive economic impact is widely recognized, with our graduates entering diverse fields, including business, education, finance, law, technology, social work, and more,” Rabbi Glieberman said. “BMG graduates have a solid record in establishing and expanding businesses that create jobs and contribute to New Jersey’s economy.”

oy vey iz MIR

Lag Baomer fire in MIr ?
A fire broke out in the main building of the Mir yeshiva in Yerushalayim it was quickly extinguished.

Watch Miron Live stream Lag Baomer 2016- 5776

           Watch live Miron 2016 HERE or HERE
Scroll video to 3:00:10
Hadlaka in Meron  live Lag baomer 2016 watch live video broadcast hookup שידור חי מירון תשע''ו

Kosher Producers Positive on New FDA Regulations

Hamodia- Kosher food manufacturers overwhelmingly welcomed the FDA’s new guidelines for nutritional labels, saying they would give consumers more valuable information to make healthier choices.
“We think anything providing more transparency to consumers is a good thing,” said David Sugarman, CEO of Manischewitz. “The idea of the changes is to accurately present to buyers what they will be eating and it is being done in a way that will make a level playing field for everyone.”
Jacob Glauber, director of product development and marketing for Dairy Delight, said the clarity resulting from the new guidelines will answer many questions consumers now direct to companies.
“We will have a lot less headaches,” he said. “How many calories are from this ingredient, how much fructose is in it? Now a lot of those questions will be answered right on the label.”

Pesach Sheini Tisch in Kretchnif

 The Kretchenif-Sighet Rebbe, shlita, eats matzah at the Pesach Sheini tisch, Sunday night, in his beis medrash in Yerushalayim. The Krechenif minhag is to enact an entire Seder night during the tisch. (Yaakov Lederman/Flash90) Hamodia.

King David Hotel Orders Jewish Band To Remove Yarmulkas and Tzitzis

A7 One of Jerusalem's top hotels barred a band from wearing yarmulkes and tzitzit, i.e. Jewish religious garb, out of fear of offending its Arab workers. The King David hotel invited the Inbalim band to play for its workers, Army Radio reports - the vast majority of whom are Arab. As such, the band adapted its repertoire to suit its audience, including many songs from Umm Kulthum and Farid al-Atrash. But half an hour before the show, the producers banned the band from wearing their yarmulkes, "because it will hurt the feelings of our Arab workers."

Did federal prosecutors railroad Rubashkin?

DES MOINES REGISTER
When it comes to criminal prosecutions, the end never justifies the means.

Prosecutors who take shortcuts in winning convictions or lengthy sentences are not only violating the rights of the accused, they’re also undermining our entire system of justice.

That’s worth remembering when considering the ongoing legal battle over the 27-year prison sentence handed down to Sholom Rubashkin, the former head of Postiville’s Agriprocessors slaughterhouse.

In 2009, Rubashkin was convicted of bank fraud and money laundering. On its face, the lengthy prison sentence seems entirely justified. Rubashkin not only hired hundreds of illegal immigrants, he helped provide them with phony identification documents. He also defrauded his lenders, in part by laundering money through other businesses he controlled.

Watch Live: Telshe Yeshiva 74th Annual Dinner

Sefira Video: Haircuts in Halacha

Minhagim of Pesach Sheini this Sunday 14 Iyar 5776 May 22nd 2016

Some have a minhag to eat Matza on Pesach Sheini  it is brought down in the siddur of the Yaavetz (Rav Yaakov Emden) that it was revealed to him from the heavens that the kedusha of pesach and matzah lasts until pesach sheni because when they went out from Egypt they ate the matzos that they came out with until the 15 of iyar.
Some dont say tachnun.
Nitai Gavriel (Pesach Vol 3 Chapter 57) brings several Pesach Sheni customs. Among them:
To increase in Simcha (source: the Chida)
To read the parsha of Pesach Sheni and learn its Halachos (source: The Shalo).
To read the Parsha of the Nesi'im (source: The Shalo).
To visit the grave of Rabbi Meir Baal HaNeis in Teveria

Our sensitivities dulled nothing is private

Oh did you see the cute couple look at his kallah .. this has unfortunately become a normal standard in our circles. The couple who dont publicize their picture are the exception not the norm. Websites publicizing private pictures for the world to see. Social media has now taken over the internet. The content of videos and jokes passed around daily has dulled our sensitivities and lowered the tznius bar. Frum websites showing pictures of newly engaged chasanim and kallas has become a norm. Naive trusting Frum girls dont realize the churban of  sharing a private picture or video on Whatsapp. I no time someone else gets their hands on it and it is passed around for the world to see on various whatsapp groups.
The battle over TV was won years ago, now the TV has returned but in a more sophisticated and sneaky way. A new recent phenomenon is taking place  which until now has never been an accepted behavior by the frum torah yeshiva world and especially by the Chasidish crowds.

Dor Yesharim letter in response to mention in rap video

Dor Yesharim the organization that tests frum Jewish couples, with genetic screening for compatibility  before marriage issued a letter in response a mention in a rap video thats gone viral by frum girls.

Has Sefira gone out the window?

One of the things we refrain from doing during the days of  Sefira is listening to music. Poskim discuss if the Issur is pertaining to live music as opposed to pre recorded but in general the minhag is not to listen to recordings as well. Its a bit disturbing that frum news and entertainment websites keep on posting you-tube videos with music playing not just as a background soundtrack but full songs. More so, a news item featuring a video of a trip to kevarim during yemei hasefira showed members playing lively instruments as if it were during the year. Some people have private minhagim and hanhagos however why the need to publicize it and show a total disregard to halacha and minhag yisrael?

Prosecutors, judges decry Rubashkin "witch hunt"

DES MOINES REGISTER
The American legal system is often held to be among the best in the world, but it is not when someone is the victim of conduct that is neither just nor legal. A case in point is Sholom Rubashkin, the former vice president of Agriprocessors, America’s largest kosher meat-packing plant, based in Postville.

Reb Shalom Mordechai Rubashkin

There is new evidence of egregious prosecutorial misconduct that led to Rubashkin’s 27-year prison sentence for financial fraud, as documented in a recent merits brief filed by his lawyers in March. An unprecedented letter, recently sent to Kevin Techau, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Iowa, signed by 107 former high level Department of Justice officials, FBI directors, federal judges and prestigious law professors attests to the extraordinary prosecutorial misconduct which exacted the most possible punitive sentence for Rubashkin. Several former attorneys general, including John Ashcroft and even Michael

US House passes bill protecting circumcision, ritual slaughter

(JTA) — A bill unanimously approved by the US House of Representatives would extend religious protections to advocates of circumcision and ritual slaughter as well as atheists, addressing what its sponsors describe as an increase in religious persecution in recent years.
The bill, passed Monday, would broaden the definition of “violations of religious freedom” in the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to include the persecution of advocates of male circumcision or ritual animal slaughter. Atheists would become a new protected class.

Thousands Mourn at Levayos for Reb Chaim Parnes, z”l, and Reb Yitzchok Rosenberg, z”l

NEW YORK -Hamodia-
Still reeling from the tragic drowning deaths of two of its prominent community members, the Satmar kehillah and many from the broader Jewish community gathered to bid a tearful farewell to Reb Chaim Parnes, z”l, and Reb Yitzchok Rosenberg, z”l.
The levayah of Reb Chaim Parnes, known as the Stropkover Rav, was held on Wednesday morning at the central beis medrash of Kiryas Joel and was attended by a large crowd of mourners. Given that the ordeal of arranging for the niftar’s release and transportation had caused significant delays, hespeidim were kept to a minimum to allow for the kevurah to take place as quickly as possible.

Levaya of Satmar members Reb Chaim Parnes, z”l, and Reb Yitzchok Rosenberg, z”l will be tomorrow morning in Williamsburg and Monroe

The Bodies of  Reb Chaim Parnes, z”l, and Reb Yitzchok Rosenberg, z”l will be flown from Miami Florida  and arrive to New York at 5:00 am. The Levaya for Reb Yitzchok Rosenberg Z''L is expected to take place in Williamsburg, Brooklyn 9:45 am in front of the Satmar Bais Medrash on 13 Hooper St. Later, his levayah will continue to Kiryas Joel.  were  thousands are expected. The Levaya for Reb Chaim Parnes, z”l, will take place in Monroe, NY in front of the main Satmar Bais Medrash Kiryas Joel, 12 Garfield Rd..
Both niftarim will be buried in the Satmar cemetery in Kiryas Joel.

Tragic Drownings in Miami Beach

BROOKLYN - Shock and sadness struck the Satmar community as news spread of an accident that claimed the lives of two of its prominent members, Reb Chaim Parnes, z”l, and Reb Yitzchok Rosenberg, z”l. The two were at a Miami-area beach when they were pulled into the water by a riptide and drowned. Their loss has sent shockwaves of distress through their kehillah, as well as Jewish communities at large.

“Every single one of us is heartbroken by what happened,” said Rabbi Shalom Lazer Frankel, treasurer of the Satmar kehillah under the leadership of the Rebbe Harav Aharon Teitelbaum, shlita. “To lose two pillars of the community in one day is very hard to bear.”

Video of Jews Dancing at Casablanca Airport Goes viral

Morocoworldnews Rabat – In a scene that speaks volumes of Morocco’s openness, tolerance, cross-cultural understanding and peace in face of difference, a group of Jews arrive at Casablanca Mohammed VI airport singing and dancing their ritualistic Talmudic dance as an expression of their gratitude for Morocco.

The scene, which can rarely happen across the Middle East and North Africa except in Morocco, features a group of Jews at the airport’s checkpoint dancing and singing in very apparent joy, some wearing Moroccan traditional clothes but many others wearing their full Jewish attire such as the kippah, the black hat and suit, etc. What was remarkably interesting on the faces of Morocco’s guests is the sense of security and comfort they expressed through dancing and through their smiling faces while being checked. Morocco has admitted its cultural diversity including its Jewish influence in the 2011 constitution.

Judge Weighs Ex-Parte Submission in Pollard Case

Hamodia NEW YORK - A federal judge is weighing a request by the assistant U.S. attorney representing the government to submit a classified, ex-parte submission to the court in the legal battle over Jonathan Pollard’s broad and unusually severe parole restrictions – one that Pollard’s attorneys will not be permitted to see and respond to.

Save Har Hazeisim event

Washington post: Sorry, the Rabbis know better

Washington post headline Rabbis are loosing the internet war They are not loosing its a constant battle and they are ontop of it with new ideas and tools how to address the issue.
JERUSALEM — Ultra-Orthodox rabbis have waged a battle in recent years to stop the Internet from infiltrating their insular communities. Their efforts have included declarations that smartphones aren't kosher, conferences on the evils of the Internet and rabbinic edits demanding that the pious stop using WhatsApp.

YWN, STOP SPREADING HATE ON FRUM JEWS stop the Charedi bashing

First this now another video publicized another article more comments on Yeshiva world news of so called wrong doings by the frum community with shocking headlines under the guise of "chilul hashem". You are doing a great job filling in the big shoes of  Failed Messiah and his ilk. A ratings war for for more hits and traffic to your site than your competitors does not give a heter to spread hate and lashon Hora on klal yisrael to the masses. Who appointed YOU! to be the mashgiach and rebuke anyone that does not tow your line?? The videos posted do nothing to change the wrongs or rights of the actions by those individuals. Posting them and publicizing it only shames frum Jews and desecrates hashems name. Posting a blaring  headline with a story about Hagaon Rav Chaim kanievsky  or another self righteous article only to be followed by another post bashing frum yidden fools no one. If you want to be attached to Gedolim follow in their ways.

New Rubashkin claims garner support from former attorneys general, judges

Prosecutors used disturbing tactics that secured a 27-year prison sentence for Iowa kosher slaughterhouse executive Sholom Rubashkin, The Desmoines Register  reports according to a letter signed by more than 100 former U.S. attorneys general, judges and others.
The April 19 letter urges Kevin Techau, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Iowa, to "rectify the injustice" done to Rubashkin, who was convicted in 2009 of bank fraud and money laundering charges in the wake of a historic raid by immigration agents at his family's Postville meatpacking plant, Agriprocessors.

The letter comes as defense attorneys detailed new evidence in a March filing suggesting that prosecutors knowingly allowed "false and misleading" testimony at a sentencing hearing that U.S. District Judge Linda Reade relied on in handing down the lengthy sentence. Among the signers accusing the prosecutors of misconduct are four former attorneys general, the Cabinet official appointed by the president to oversee all prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice: John Ashcroft, Ramsey Clark, Edwin Meese III and Michael Mukasey.

Watch, View, Must see! frum news websites now full time entertainment

No more comments, no more articles to read, the frum news websites have all but caught up to the secular sites they were supposed to keep readers away from. A reflection of the times, the comments section is a thing of the past. No more do people take the time to discuss issues or articles. Unfortunately, the content on frum websites has shifted to viral videos or the latest video clips making its rounds on social media. Every other headline screams Watch this, see this, must see video. Besides for the lashon hora aspect in these videos its counter productive to what kosher news is supposed to be. You can now sit back and watch full TV news 24 hours live streaming on the frum news sites and blogs catering to the yeshiva world community. A ratings war for hits and visitors among the  websites has lowered the bar as editors post content that never would have been posted just a few years ago. The argument would be thats what people want to see we are catering to their needs. Well why is there a double standard when it comes to the print media none of this nonsense gets published. Its time to rethink the concept of how  frum news should be reported and presented online, no reason to have two sets of rules, one for the print media  and another one for  the internet.

Satmar Rebbe slams NYC investigations into Yeshivas private schools’ secular education standards

Exclusive story reported by the New York Daily News
Pray for us!
That’s the message a leading Hasidic rabbi gave to his thousands of followers in response to the city Education Department’s investigation into its schools failing to teach secular subjects as required by law.
“These are bad times for us Jews,” said Satmar leader Aaron Teitelbaum during a May 4 speech. “We need to pray to God that (city officials) should not interfere with the upbringing of our children.”
“Worthless ... snitches” in the community are urging the Education Department to take action “which the government doesn’t even want,” the rabbi said at a large synagogue in upstate Kiryas Joel.
The Education Department last summer announced that it is investigating more than a dozen private schools to ensure their curriculum follows secular education standards.

Rabbi Asher Weiss candidate to head OU kashrus division

Israeli media websites are reporting that Rav Asher Weiss from Eretz Yisrael is considered a potential candidate taking over as rabbinical head of the OU kashrus division previously held by Rav Yisroel Belsky Zatzal. The OU has not issued any statements regarding the  potential appointment or any news so as of now its only a rumor. Rav Weiss lives in Yerushalayim he is an Av Beis Din is a noted brilliant talmid chochom he authored the sefarim  Minchas Asher and speaks English as well.

Anti Semitic incidents in Crown Heights

Hamodia BROOKLYN - An alarming increase in anti-Semitism is causing leaders in the Crown Heights Jewish community to call on the mayor and police department to be more proactive in order to prevent future occurrences. The arson of a yeshivah school bus Sunday afternoon by six African-American youths marked the third significant attack perpetrated against Jews in Crown Heights in less than a week. Yaacov Behrman, founder of the Jewish Future Alliance which advocates on behalf of the local community, told Hamodia that he “views this as a very serious incident” and called for condemnations.

The Rabbis Are Here to Inspect the (Legal) Weed

 From the NYT  Johnstown, N.Y. — The rabbis had never inspected a medical marijuana plant before.
They had arrived here at Vireo Health of New York’s plant, about an hour northwest of Albany, looking for evidence that the company’s products merited kosher certification. They would eventually give their approval, but not before asking some tough questions, beginning in the room where row after row of plants hung upside down to dry. “This is where they start getting worried,” recalled Ari Hoffnung, the company’s chief executive, because the kosher rules they were most focused on apply after a plant is dried.

Frum shoppers react to NYC Bag

Shabbos shabbos yom menucha... shabbos shabbos kodesh

..........מתנה טובה לי בבית גנזי שבת שמה
"ולא נתתו ה' אלוקינו לגויי הארצות, ולא הנחלתו מלכנו לעובדי פסילים, וגם במנוחתו לא ישכנו ערלים, כי לישראל עמך נתתו באהבה, לזרע יעקב אשר בם בחרת"
Algemeiner
Pop superstar Katy Perry declared in a recent interview that the whole world needs a weekly day of rest “like Shabbat,” to disconnect from social media.

“I wish there was a thing like Shabbat that wasn’t particularly religious-based, that was kind of a worldwide day where we’re not on our phones — like a movement,” the singer, who is not Jewish, told Cosmopolitan. “I just think something like this would be really great for our minds, especially because kids today —

Shlissel Challah, the Key to making it, the reasons behind it.

There is a minhag to bake shlissel challah (shlissel means key in Yiddish) for the Shabbos after Pesach. Shlisel challos are best known as a segula for parnasa,Some bake the challah with an actual key inside,

Ami Magazine gets Trump

NYC Emergency Broadcast Expands to more Languages, Including Yiddish

Notify NYC – the city’s free, official source for information about emergency events and important city services – has expanded to offer common notifications in 13 languages, including Yiddish, as well as American Sign Language and audio formats.

“The best way to learn about emergencies – the city’s Notify NYC program – just got better with the ability to reach New Yorkers who speak languages other than English,” NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Esposito said in a statement on Monday. “In an emergency, getting up-to-date and accurate information to New Yorkers is critical. The new multilingual messages will help more New Yorkers to stay safe and informed.”

No shame in publicly shaming frum jews

The frum online media keeps sinking lower and lower it seems after Failed Messiah shut down these so called frum yeshiva websites felt the responsibility to pick up where FM left off. Yeshiva world news published a few videos publicizing shame on frum Jews. One video with the title "chometz fights on motzei Pesach" showing Yiddin "fighting" over chometz items in a store the day after Pesach. Obviously the title is meant to get hits while painting and showing frum Jews in a bad light. Why else would such a video be posted? Oh perhaps these anonymous websites  consider themselves the moral authority and it is their job to lecture and rebuke the behaviors of  frum Jews, that is what failed Messiah said too.

On its Facebook page Yeshiva world News has published another video under the guise of self righteousness  embarrassing frum Jews and spreading sinas chinom  by posting pictures or videos of  kids enjoying a ride on a Chol Hamoed outing. The caption reads:
  "Pay 25 cents for 1 person, and 12 others ride for free. Not to mention the damage that can be caused to the ride.We know. We will be called haters and anti-semites for posting this" Yes, posting these videos would be befitting for an anti Semitic publication. If a prominent Rav feels these are issues to be dealt with lets hear it directly from him not by an anonymous website posting anonymous op eds causing a chilul hashem and bashmutzing klal yisrael.


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BizTank- The frum Shark Tank a joint Ami-IMBC projec

Enter BizTank, a joint Ami-IMBC project, where entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to "The Moguls," a group of top Jewish business investors. From $50,000 to $5,000,000 - Follow the full story in Ami Magazine's Business section beginning in this week's Mega Pesach edition. Get a chance for an investment! Submit your pitch at: http://www.biztankmoguls.com  The mission of BizTank,

Post Pesach Supermarket Scene 2016

Post Pesach Supermarket Scene 2016  5776-2016 Edition
By Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Haber on TorahLab.com
There is much ado every year as to where one can shop immediately following Pesach, how long the restrictions apply for and to what products. I hope this is found to be enlightening.

My goal is not to issue a halachic decision with this article, rather to present the fact on the ground. For a final psak please consult your Rav, who may appreciate you bringing some of these facts to his attention.
In order to properly understand the halachic implications we must first elucidate the basic supermarket structure. The general chain supermarket model is as follows:
Manufacturer → Distributor → Supermarket Warehouse → Individual Supermarket

In terms of Halacha, Chametz that was owned by a Jew on Pesach is forbidden. ‘Chametz’, for the purpose of this exercise, is a product that contains a kezayis (1.1 fluid ounces) of Chametz and more than 1/60th of the final cooked product is Chametz.

Therefore, if any company in the chain is owned by a Jew, and owned the Chametz on Pesach, it would be forbidden to eat after Pesach.

Stores where Chometz may be purchased after Pesach 2016

List from Star K