Tragedy struck the Sephardic community in Brooklyn on Shemini Atzeres / Simchas Torah, when an elderly woman was R”L struck and killed by a vehicle. The NYPD says the tragic accident happened on Tuesday morning (Shemini Atzeres morning) at around 11:00AM, when two women – a mother and daughter – were struck by a vehicle on Ocean Parkway and Avenue U. The two were walking home from Shul at the time. Flatbush Hatzolah rushed both victims to Maimonides Hospital. Sadly, Mrs Rahel (Rochel) Guindi A”H, 90-years-old was Niftar. Her daughter is in stable condition. A large crowd gathered for the Levaya which was held on Simchas Torah afternoon in front of the Shaarei Zion Shul on Ocean Parkway, and the Niftar taken to the airport where she was flown to Eretz Yisroel for Kevura.

The yishuv of Nariya in Binyamin was engulfed in mourning on Motzei Shabbos upon hearing the news of the tragic death of Renana Kantrovitch, a’h, at the age of 45. Renana, a mother of two and a beloved teacher, contracted COVID two weeks ago. On Friday night her condition worsened and she lost consciousness. MDA paramedics who were called to the scene carried out resuscitation techniques while evacuating her to the hospital but unfortunately her death was declared after arriving at the hospital. Renana was healthy with no underlying illnesses but was not vaccinated. She was a much-beloved teacher at the Bnei Akiva high school for girls in Nariya, where she also lived, and her many students, past and present, were shocked and devastated at the news of her sudden death.

Rav Shlomo Yehudah Zilbiger, z’l, the grandson of the Gaon Av Beis Din of the Eidah HaChareidis, HaGaon HaRav Tuvia Weiss, was niftar of the coronavirus on Simchas Torah at the age of 43 at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem. The niftar was born in Manchester to his father, HaRav Avraham Zilbiger, the Rav of the Beis Hamedrash HaChadash in Manchester, and his mother, the daughter of HaRav Weiss. After he married his wife, a resident of Ganei Geula whose grandfather learned with HaRav Weiss in London, Rav Zilbiger, z’l, settled in the Givat Moshe neighborhood of Jerusalem, near his illustrious grandfather. Rav Zilbiger was very close to his grandfather and learned in his kollel until the end of his life. He also assisted in transcribing and publishing HaRav Weiss’s divrei Torah.

YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of HaRav Moshe David Tendler Z”L. He was 95. Rav Tendler was the son in law of the late Posek Hador, Hagaon HaRav Moshe Feinstein ZATZAL. He was the Rov of the Community Synagogue of Monsey, New York. He served as one of the rosh yeshiva in the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary at Yeshiva University. He was a professor of biology and expert in medical ethics. He served as chairman of the biology department at Yeshiva University. Levaya and additional details will be published shortly. Boruch Dayan HaEmmes… (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Chaya Leah Bergman, a’h, 31, of Modiin Illit passed away of the coronavirus on Tuesday evening, Motzei Yom Tov, in Assaf HaRofeh Medical Center in Rishon L’Tzion. Mrs. Bergman, who was unvaccinated, was evacuated to the hospital on Tuesday evening after her condition took a turn for the worse and she was struggling to breathe. She stopped breathing during the evacuation and the paramedics carried out resuscitation techniques which were continued at the hospital but unfortunately, the doctors were ultimately forced to declare her death. “We’re using this opportunity to call again to the public to vaccinate and to prevent this type of tragedy,” a statement from the hospital said. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of Reb Yechiel Benzion (“Benny”) Fishoff Z”L, noted philanthropist & askan of klal yisroel. He was 97. Reb Benzion was the Chairman Emeritus of Agudath Israel’s Board of Trustees, and a longtime Askan and Baal Chesed who devoted his entire life to helping others. The Niftar was born in Lodz, Poland, to a family of Gerrer Chassidum. As a young child, he was Zoche to see the Imrei Emes. He miraculously escaped WWII by escaping to Shanghai, China, along with Talmidim of Yeshiva Chachmai Lublin. He later wrote his memories of that period in a book he co-authored “From Lublin to Shanghai: The Miraculous Exile of Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin”. He resided in Forest Hills, Queens.

Reb Raphael Yaacov Blugrond, z’l, 75, who lived in the frum community in Baltimore for many years, fell to his death on Sunday night in northern Israel after apparently climbing a palm tree to pick a lulav. The niftar was found on Road 90 between Kfar Korazim and Kfar Nachum. MDA paramedics confirmed his death and ZAKA Northern District volunteers were called to the scene and tended to kavod hameis. Reb Blugrond, z’l, was born and grew up in Tzfat and as an adult moved to the United States, where he lived in Baltimore for many years. He later moved back to Israel and settled in his hometown of Tzfat, where he was dedicated to the Ari shul, serving as the gabbai. A loving father and grandfather, he left behind four children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The levaya of Reb Avrohom Lavy, z’l, the Sanzer chassid killed in a car accident in Ukraine last week, took place on Sunday afternoon. Following a three-day delay, the niftar’s body was finally flown into Israel on Motzei Shabbos. The levaya began in Beit Shemesh, where the niftar lived, and continued in Kiryat Sanz in Netanya, where he was buried. The Sanzer Rebbe was maspid the niftar, saying that the niftar was considered an important person by Shamayim since Hakadosh Baruch Hu chose him to be a kurban tzibur. The Rebbe added that everyone must request mechila from the niftar since he was taken due to our sins. Later on Sunday, the Rebbe traveled to the niftar’s home to be menachem the ten yesomim left bereft by their father’s death.

Baruch Dayan Ha’Emes: An experienced, well respected, and renowned mechanech, HaRav Avraham Yisroel Hirschler ZT”L from Bnei Brak was Niftar in the Corona ward of Tel HaShomer Hospital on Sunday afternoon. HaRav Hirschler contracted the virus earlier in the summer. He was 86-years-old. The Niftar was born in Yerushalayim to his father HaRav Chaim Toderes Hirshcer who was one of the pillars of the Chareidi community in Yerushalayim. HaRav Avraham spent many years as an Mechanech in various different educational institutions in Bnei Brak. Among them, he served as a teacher in the Segulah Yeshiva located on HaShomer Street. After contracting the Coronavirus, Rabbi Hirschler’s condition deteriorated until he was hospitalized.

YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of HaRav Heshy Hirth ZT”L. The Niftar was a pillar and builder of the Passaic Jewish community. Under the guidance of Hagaon HaRav Meir Stern, the Rosh Yeshiva of Passaic Yeshiva, around 34 years ago the Niftar started a Yeshiva K’tana in a tiny converted house and ended up building huge buildings to accommodate the tremendous growth of the community over the past 34 years. He built Yeshiva K’tana Boys / Mekor Boruch, Yeshiva K’tana Girls / Bnos Bracha, Bais Yaakov of Passaic, Mikvah of Passaic/Clifton, and was involved in nearly every major Chesed Organization and project in Passaic for the past three decades. His Modsos are Mechanech thousands of students (boys and girls) every year.