YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of Reb Menachem Mendel Braun, Z”L, who tragically lost his life following a boating incident. He was the husband of Mrs. Chaya Braun and the loving son of Rabbi and Mrs. Avraham and Mirel Braun. The Levaya took place in Baltimore on Sunday afternoon at Sol Levinson, followed by a Levaya in Monsey at Yeshiva of South Monsey and the Kevurah at Monsey Beis HaChaim on Brick Church Road. In the wake of this tragic event, the Braun family is urging anyone with cherished memories or anecdotes of Reb Menachem Z”L to share them through email at rabbimmbraunmemories@gmail.com To honor his memory and provide crucial support to his bereaved family, a Memorial Fund has been initiated.

We regret to inform you of the passing of Rabbi Dr. Yehuda Sorscher who was niftar in middle of the night Wednesday. Rabbi Sorscher was the first executive director of Yesha Derech Chaim, founded by his illustrious brother’s in-law, Harav Hagoan Reb Yisrael Plutchok ztl and Harav Hagoan Mordichai Reb Rennert ztl. Dr. Sorscher was a well-known dentist in Boro Park for over thirty years. His patients included Rav Avigdor Miller ztl, the Novominkser Rebbe and Rav Binyamin Zeilberger ztl, the late Rosh Yeshiva of Beth Hatalmud. Rabbi Sorscher spent his mornings learning in Derech Chaim and his evenings giving the daf yomi shiur at Beis Ahron Tzvi (Rabbi Felder’s shul) in Boro Park. He also gave the motzei Shabbos navi shiur in that shul. He gave these shiurim for close to thirty years.

YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of Hagaon Harav Aharon Schechter ZT”L, Rosh Yeshiva of Chaim Berlin, and member of the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah of Agudath Yisrael of America. He was 95. The Rosh Yeshiva has been unwell the past two years, and wad Niftar early Thursday morning. The Levaya will be held today at around noon at Yeshiva Chaim Berlin, on Coney Island Ave between Avenue L and Avenue M. Exact time will be updated when confirmed. Kevura will be in Long Island. Rav Aharon was a Talmid Muvhak of the late Rosh Yeshiva, Hagaon HaRav Hutner Zt”l, who appointed Rav Aharon as Rosh Yeshiva of the Yeshiva. He was a brilliant Talmid Chochom, and delivered a daily Shiur in the Yeshiva for many decades, as he was Mechanech thousands upon thousands of Bochrim.

YWN regrets to inform you of the sudden Petira of Hagaon HaRav Shlomo Zalman Kaufman ZT”L, a Rov and dayan in the Chestnut Ridge area. He was 71. Monsey Scoop reports that Rav Kaufman had chest pains and Rockland Hatzolah was called to his home just after 6:00PM. While Paramedics were rushing him to the Good Samaritan Hospital, he suffered a cardiac arrest in the ambulance. Hatzolah and doctors at the hospital did everything they could to save his life, but unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. Rav Kaufman was a tremendous Talmid Chochom, a highly sought-after Dayan and Posek, and had a Shul in Chestnut Ridge. Levaya details are tentatively set for Friday morning 11:00AM at 108 Scotland Hill Road in Chestnut Ridge.

YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of longtime resident of Flatbush, Rabbi Eliezer Hakohen Miller Z”L, the son of Hagaon HaRav Avigdor Miller ZT”L. He was in his high eighties. Reb Laizer was born in Europe while his father Harav Avigdor Miller was learning in the Slabodka Kollel. When the winds of war started blowing being that his father was an American they were able to obtain visas to come to America. Even though he was very young when he left, the livisha spirit never left him. He always personified the Slabodka Gadlus HaAdam, as he was always seen wearing a tie and jacket. After immigrating to the USA , Harav Avigdor became the Rav in Chelsea, Massachusetts.

A heartbreaking incident unfolded on McDonald Avenue as an elderly woman was struck by a car, prompting the closure of the avenue from Lawrence Avenue until 18th Avenue. The victim, identified as a 68-year-old Joyce Greenberg A”H, was in a wheelchair when she was tragically pinned by the vehicle and later succumbed to her injuries at the hospital. The accident occurred during daylight hours, and witnesses at the scene were shocked by the sudden tragedy. Emergency services rushed to the location and worked diligently to extricate the woman from beneath the car. She was quickly transported to the hospital in serious condition, but despite the medical efforts, she sadly passed away due to the severity of her injuries.

Avraham Yosef Weiss z”l, the 11-year-old Boro Park boy who suffered a massive allergic reaction in Camp Arugas Habosim in the Catskills nearly three weeks ago, has tragically passed away. Doctors at Westchester Medical Center valiantly fought to save the life of the young boy, who had suffered multiple cardiac arrests during the incident, but were sadly unsuccessful. Avraham Yosef z”l returned his neshama to its Creator on Sunday morning. The levaya is scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. on Sunday at the Kiryas Joel cemetery, 82 Raywood Dr., Monroe, NY. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

YWN regrets to inform you of the Petirah of Rafi Strauss Z”L. He was approximately 40 years old, and one of the biggest Baalei Yesurim of our generation, who accepted his fate in life with tremendous Emunah and Simcha. Originally of Teaneck, NJ, Rafi was born with a condition called Xeroderma Pigmentosa, which left his immune system without the ability to repair the DNA damage from UV rays coming from any source – especially the sun. Over his lifetime he wore a specialized suit developed by NASA for astronauts to help protect him from the sun’s rays, and underwent more than 500 surgical procedures to remove almost every type of skin cancer known to man. Rafi worked at various shuls in Monsey, helping clean then during the night hours, when it was safer for him.

A terrible tragedy occurred in the Catskills on Friday night, with the sudden Petira of a  young boy in camp. Sources tell YWN that Shia Singer, 12-year-old, had finished the Shabbos Seudah at Camp Arugas Habosem in South Fallsburg, when he suddenly collapsed. Catskills Hatzolah did everything they could to save his life and rushed him to the hospital. Unfortunately, despite their life-saving efforts, he was R”L Niftar at the hospital. The family are Mispallelim at HaRav Binyonim Eisenberger’s Shul in Boro Park.

The Miami Beach Jewish community was plunged into shock and sadness Motzei Shabbos as news broke that Mrs. Chana Rochel Stern (nee Pruzansky) suddenly passed away in Lakewood over Shabbos from a massive heart attack. She was just 45. Mrs. Stern a”h leaves behind 5 children, and her beloved husband Rabbi Yekusiel Stern, who is director of Miami Beach Community Kollel and secretary for the Beis Din of South Florida Mrs. Stern was a teacher of Jewish History and Parshas Hashavua at Bais Yaakov Miami. The levaya is scheduled to take place at the 7th Street Chapel in Lakewood at 4:30 pm, with kevurah in Eretz Yisroel. A fundraiser has been launched to assist her husband and children in the wake of this terrible tragedy. Donations to the fundraiser can be made by clicking here.