Rav Moshe Sternbuch asked about who to vote for in US presidential elections

Hagaon Rav Moshe Sternbuch, Raavad of the Eda Chareidis, answers questions about the United States presidential election during a question and answer session that was broadcast live at a Lakewood, New Jersey charity event. The Rav was asked about voting for Donald Trump: “Is one permitted to vote in the US elections for a person whose personal opinions about marriage and the like are against the Torah?”
The Rav answered, “We are uninterested in his private behavior, and in any case, we consider all non-Jews to be in this category. We are only interested in how he acts toward the Jews.” The Rav was also asked if a Jew is permitted to use his non-Jewish name. He answered, “While it is beneficial to use one’s Jewish name, and as the Gemara says, ‘They did not change their names,” it is not forbidden.”

Chacham Yom Tov Yedid, Zt”l, Eldest Syrian Rav in America

Hamodia- Chacham Yom Tov Yedid, zt”l, the former Rav of Aleppo, Syria, was niftar Wednesday night in New York at the age of 93.
Harav Yom Tov Yedid served as Rav of Aleppo, Syria, in its prime when the shuls and communities were full, before the members of the community moved to New York. He was noted for his particularity in halachic psak, never wavering before any trial to dictate the minhagim and halachos in the community. Despite his firmness, he was beloved by the community, until his passing.
Since his move to New York in the 1980s, Harav Yedid was noted for his hasmadah, totally devoting himself to limmud haTorah, sitting and learning in the Achiezer beis medrash. He refused to undertake a public position in New York. Hagaon Harav Ovadiah Yosef, zt”l, only knew Harav Yedid through his sefarim,

Kosher food stand at the DNC this week

Photo credit: @NYCPhotog

Update: Missing boy found in good health

B''H he was found sleeping under a tree in good health.
 Please Pray for 15 year old special needs bochur who went  missing  last night at Satmar Camp in Round Top NY, name is Dovid Horowitz. Please daven for  Dovid Don ben Miriam Fradel. Hundreds now searching NYSP K9, Aviation brought in to assist. Hatzolah Misaskim on the scene.

Dem VP pick Tim Kaine at Jewish American Heritage Celebration

Agudath Israel sends delegations to both national conventions

Agudath Israel of America sent a sizeable delegation, including its vice president for federal affairs, Rabbi Abba Cohen, to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland this week and a similar delegation will be attending the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia next week.  
 While Agudath Israel of America does not endorse candidates, the goal of attending the conventions as official guests is to develop relationships with leaders of both parties and to engage in substantive discussions about issues important to our community.

Davening at the RNC

Trump legal advisor Jason Greenblatt davening at the Republican convention

BDE Rabbi Shmuel Yerachmiel Kaufman Z”L

Hamodia- Rabbi Shmuel Yerachmiel Kaufman, z”l, an especially beloved mechanech in the Detroit community whose strong and palpable love for Yiddishkeit, his fellow Jews, and life itself, has left a lifelong impression on generations of talmidim in Yeshiva Bais Yehudah as well as on countless individuals who were privileged to know him, was niftar Wednesday evening, 15 Tammuz. He was 82 years old.

“He had an unparalleled ability to connect with people from all walks of Klal Yisrael. He had a way of speaking to absolutely anybody, and they all loved him,” Rabbi Menachem Greenfield, Menahel of Bais Yehudah, told Hamodia. “Wherever he went, his very personality made a kiddush Hashem.”

Jewish Woman Dies in Nice Attack; Sister Seriously Injured

 Hamodia Staff
The Jewish community of Nice was saddened to learn of the petirah of Raymonde Mamane, Hy”d, who was among the many murdered in the horrific terror attack in Nice, France, on Thursday night.
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Pinson, Director of Chabad of Nice, informed Hamodia on Sunday that Mamane, an elderly Jewish woman, was killed in the attack, in which Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel mowed down crowds at a fireworks display celebrating the French holiday of Bastile Day, killing 84 people and wounding approximately 200, many critically.  Mamane’s sister, Clara Bensimon, was seriously injured in the attack, r”l, requiring amputation of both her legs. Readers are asked to daven for Clara Chaya bas Nouna.

American Gedolim travel to Canada on bahalf of French Jewry

Roshei Yeshiva and Admorim joined together flying to Toronto, Canada to raise funds on behalf of  Jewish children in France to prevent a spiritual downfall.

Harav Dovid feinstein (L) Rav A'M Kotler Middle Satmar Rebbe, Rav Zalman Leib Teitelbaum (R)

Lakewood Yeshiva BMG students lead NJ in CPA first time pass rate

Story of the Ohr Hachaim and an attempted Coup in Turkey

 This week 15 Tamuz  is the Yartzheit of the Ohr Hachaim hakadosh Rav Chaim ben Atar ZT'L. Read this story how he notified the Sultan of an impending Coup which ended up saving the Jewish community.
Hamodia archives

On this day Erev shabbos parshas Chukas Book burnings in France

In Hilchos Tannis the Magen Avraham and Sefer Eliyahu Rabbah (Orach Chaim 580) says that it is the practice of ceartin people to fast on Erev Shabbos Parshas Chukas. The fast is in Memorial for the 24 wagon loads of handwritten Seforim ordered burnt by King Louis in Paris,France in 1242. It was said by Rabbi Hillel Ben Rabbenu Eliezer of Verona, a Talmid(student) of Rabbenu Yonah that this book burning was Hashems way of showing disapproval of the way the Rambam's Sefer Moreh Nevuchim was burnt forty days earlier with the encouragement of leading Rabbonim in Europe, in that very same area because of their disagreement with some of the Rambams ideas in the sefer and in SEFER HAMADA. On a postive note as an outcome Rabbenu Yona wrote the Sharrie Teshuvah as a way to recive forgivness for his part in burning the Seforim.He also adds that on the same day Erev Shabbos Parshas Chukas two major Jewish communities were destroyed during Tach V'tat, the Chmelnitzki uprising.

Members of Nice Jewish community in vicinity of attack in France Others miraculously saved

The French Jewish community of Nice has released the following names of members who were in the vicinity of the Truck ramming terrorist attack in France. Please daven for them names for Tehillim.
John Dray                                ג'ון דרי
Dominique Azan                 דומיניק אזן
Axel ben Yael                  אקסל בן יעל
Moche ben Yaakov        מוכה בן יעקב
Clara bat Nouna          קלרה בת נואנה

Yonathan ben Zuzy 

Local Chabad shliach Rav Yosef  Pinson related, there was a group of day camp counselors for the Nice Jewish community children who were watching the fireworks. They walked onto a side street just minutes before the truck rammed down the main road. The local Chabad shliach said they were in shock and getting psychological help.

For frum abuse activists its open season for bashing charedim

Hypocrisy at its best the activists for victims of abuse are sooo concerned about our children you would think they cared about the Jewish family, about safety, and about other laws of the Torah. Yet, they seem to have set their own rules and under the banner of protecting the kids they use a blanket heter to besmirch the way of life of frum Jews. Unfortunately for some they have used the abuse issue to advance their careers. This was posted on the Facebook page of a so called activist and someone who stands up for victims of abuse. "Eliminate or reduce section 8, wick,food stamps and every single form of govt subsidies and hand outs. Stop promoting people to have children they cannot afford to support and demand people take personal responsibility for their livelihood Without government money greedy scumbag develops a wont be able to build trash housing that will ultimately be paid for with taxpayer dollars. And last but not least , learn to respect zoning and building codes. Anyone building multi family illegal apartments should be thrown in jail."
You would expect such comments on an anti Semitic website but this proves the notion that some of these activists are not concerned about the children but just use the emotional abuse issue to get accolades from the haters of Torah all while continuing to promote themselves. The unfortunate machla of child abuse is found in cross sections of our community but you'll never find the online activists openly bash the MO coverups or that of other institutions of their hashkafic background. Its very telling what the true intentions are here.

Dallas Jewish Community Mourns Fallen Officers

Hamodia By Rafael Hoffman  Sunday, July 10, 2016

NEW YORK - News of the tragic shooting in Dallas was met with shock and horror by law abiding citizens throughout the country, all the more so in the city that was scene to the murder of five police officers and wounding of nine more at a “Black Lives Matter” protest last Thursday. With the local Jewish community still reeling from the aftermath of the events, Hamodia spoke to leaders and members in an attempt to hear about their reactions, as well as the nature of their relationship with the officers of the Dallas Police Department. Rabbi Aryeh Feigenbaum, Congregation Ohr HaTorah, characterized the communal feeling as “very painful.” Speaking on Sunday morning, he said that throughout the city citizens have been “banding together” to deal with what he characterized as a communal “sense of grief.” Roughly 24 hours after the killings took place, on Friday evening, congregants of Ohr Torah paused prior to Kabbalas Shabbos to recite Tehillim and reflect on the incident. Rabbi Feigenbaum also spoke, emphasizing the community’s debt of gratitude to the police force, urging individuals to do what they can to express their empathy and support for local law enforcement officers.

BD''H 4 year old child passes away R''L after drowning incident

BDH:  Hayeled Shimon Ben R' Lazer Weiss (Boro Park) 4 year old Boy pulled from swimming pool in a bungalow colony in Swan Lake up in the Catskills  yesterday, passed away at Westchester Hospital. The Levaya will be later today in Brooklyn. May the family know of no more Tzaar. TNZBH.

What Rav Shteinman said regarding shooting of Police officers

From a few years ago..
Rav Moshe Schneider chavrusah of Rav Ahron Leib Shteinman siad, he spoke to Maran Rav Aharon Leib shlit"a this morning and told him that Lakewood is shut down today for the huge funeral of a police officer that was shot. Maran shlit"a said that this is very important since killing a policeman is the worst crime because otherwise there is no fear of the law and the Gemara says if not for the fear of the government people would commit crimes against their fellow man and devour them alive...

Yated Ne’eman: Issues statement- Show Cops Your Support

By Yated -  Jul 8, 2016
Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz, Yated Publisher, issued the following statement:

“We at Yated Ne’eman join in mourning the gunning down of police officers last night in Dallas at the hands of snipers who targeted them for murder. “We mourn the senseless loss of life and wish a speedy recovery to the officers who are fighting for their lives. “On this day let us all show appreciation to the dedicated police officers and first responders in our communities by reaching out to them and letting them know that they have our support.
“May the rule of law reign in this land.”

Agudath Israel to NJ Federal Court: Ocean Township Zoning Board Violates Yeshiva's Rights

In a federal lawsuit pitting a major yeshiva against a local zoning board, Agudath Israel of America is contending that the board's refusal to grant the yeshiva certain zoning variances necessary for the yeshiva to operate is motivated by a political cave-in to anti-charedi bias.

Yeshiva Gedola Na'os Yaakov of Lakewood, New Jersey, under the leadership of the Rosh Hayeshiva Rabbi Shloime Feivel Schustal, has grown rapidly since its inception several years ago, and has far outgrown its current quarters in Lakewood.  To meet its need for a larger space with full dormitory facilities, the yeshiva acquired spacious property in Ocean Township, and applied to the Township's Zoning Board for the necessary zoning variances.

Yes we made it

The image of two frum guys on Americas got Talent TV show at first seems like a nice thing, Jewish pride, look, we have 2 guys with white shirts and tzitzis hanging performing on AGT. Not only did they woo the crowd they got a yes from 4 judges and move on to the next round. They are talented beatboxers whatever that means. Yes its fun its entertaining,its harmless (its may even be kosher), but, is this really where frum Jews in the US should be at?
Its a sad reflection of how comfortable we are and how far we have been influenced by the society around us.

Hostage situation in Frum area of Baltimore

BJL- UPDATE: July 6, 12:00 PM -  Police send phone message to homeowners in area requesting they shelter in place and stay away or below window level
UPDATE: July 6, 9:52 AM - From Baltimore Police Captain Yerg:
We have an individual barricaded in his house in the 6900 block of Reisterstown, the house is secure. No exterior threat at this time.

At the Woodbourne shul in the Catskills