YWN regrets to inform you of the tragic Petira of Hagaon HaRav Michoel Bender ZATZAL. He was 71 years old. Rav Michoel suffered a heart attack and was Niftar in Monsey on Tuesday afternoon. The Niftar was the longtime Mashgiach at Yeshiva Bais Binyomim (Stamford Yeshiva), and was one of the secret Tzadikei Hador. Those who were Zoche to know him, say that there isn’t enough ink and paper to describe the Tzidkus and secret Chasadim that he spent his life doing. He was an extraordinary Oved Hashem, as he spent his life below the radar with extreme humility. He was a son-in-law of the late Stamford Rosh Yeshiva, Hagaon HaRav Simcha Schustal ZATZAL.

We regret to inform you of the petira of Rabbi Pinchas Stolper zt’l at the age of 90. Rabbi Pinchas Stolper, internationally renowned pioneer in Jewish youth work, was widely respected as a lecturer, teacher, educator, author and thinker. Rabbi Stolper was the founder of the National Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY) which he served for 25 years as National Director – from its infancy through its seminal role in the international Teshuva movement. During more than forty years of working with Jewish youth, he met and counseled thousands of young people. One of the world’s largest and most respected youth movements today, NCSY serves over 40,000 young people in the United States, Canada and Israel with fresh, innovative and creative educational programs.

YWN regrets to inform you of the passing of the admor of Kavunas HaLev, HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Zev Lichter, zt”l. He was 85. The Rebbe served thousands of followers in his position for over four decades. Born in 1937 in Galicia to his parents, R’ Noach z”l and Mamal a”h, he escaped from the Nazis along with his family to America. The rebbe married Rebbetzin Henya Kreindel, the daughter of the Krasna Ruv, HaRav Hillel Lichtenstein zt”l. The rebbetzin was nifteres in 2015. After the petirah of his father-in-law, Rav Shmuel Zev was named Rebbe, with the kehilla being named Kavunas HaLev, after the Krasna Ruv’s sefer. The levaya began at 10 am Friday morning at the Kavunas HaLev bais medrash on 43rd Street, with the kevura to take place in the Krasna Chelka of Beth Moses Cemetery.

YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of Rabbi Zechariah Wallerstein, a world famous inspirational and motivational speaker and educator. He was approximately 64-years-old. As was reported recently on YWN, Tehillim was requested for Rabbi Wallerstein, who was suffering from an illness for the past few years. Sadly, he was Niftar at his Flatbush home at around 5:00AM, Monday morning. The Niftar had become an icon in the Jewish world, delivering thousands of speeches around the globe. He had an over-three-decade career in chinuch. A dynamic educator-with his trademark passion, clarity, and love, touched the hearts and souls of thousands of students from all shades of the religious spectrum.

YWN regrets to inform  you of the Petira of Hagaon HaRav Nota Tzvi Greenblatt ZATZAL, longtime Posek and Av Bais Din from Memphis Tennessee. He was 96. Rav Nota was on of the closest Talmidim of the late Posek Hador, Hagaon HaRav Moshe Feinstein ZATZAL. Rav Nota’s father, Rav Yitzchak Greenblatt, was a native of Brisk, and traveled to the United States to fundraise on behalf of the local Toras Chesed Yeshivah. He subsequently assumed a rabbinical position in Washington, D.C., where his son Nota was born. He resides in Memphis until around a year ago when he moved to NY. Rav Nota contracted an infection recently and was hospitalized until his Petira at Maimonides Hospital on Friday morning. The levaya will be on Sunday at Mesivta Tiferes Yerushalayim at 2:00PM.

The Boca Raton community in Florida was plunged into tragedy, as word spread of a horrific incident which occured on Wednesday night. Sources tell YWN that Hatzolah of South Florida and Fire Rescue were called to a home for reports of a child drowing in a pool. Emergency responders raced ro the scene, and were there in minutes. The child was rushed to the hospital where every attempt was made to resuscitate the child, but sadly the child passed away. The child was identified as two-year-old Dina Avigail Dorsky A”H. Her family Davens at Khal Yagdil Torah (East Boca Kehilla). Levaya details will be published when they become available. Boruch Dayan HaEmmes… (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Mimi Reinhard, a secretary in Oskar Schindler’s office who typed up the list of Jews he saved from extermination by Nazi Germany, has died in Israel at the age of 107. Reinhard died early Friday and was laid to rest Sunday in Herzliya, near Tel Aviv, her son Sasha Weitman confirmed. She was one of 1,200 Jews saved by German businessman Schindler after he bribed Nazi authorities to let him keep them as workers in his factories. The account was made into the acclaimed 1993 film “Schindler’s List” by director Steven Spielberg. Reinhard was born Carmen Koppel in Vienna, Austria, in 1915, and moved to Krakow, Poland, before the outbreak of World War II.

A 6-year-old Chareidi boy on Monday was hit by a truck in the settlement of Emmanuel in the Shomron and died of his injuries shortly later. Emergency paramedics called to the scene found the child in critical condition They carried out resuscitation techniques while evacuating him to Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba, where his death was pronounced shortly after arrival. The boy was later identified as Yitzchak Avraham Biller, z’l. His family is part of the Slonim kehilla in Emmanuel. According to the police report, the incident was a hit-and-run as the driver sped away from the scene after hitting the child. The police carried out searches and soon located the truck at a nearby construction site and arrested the driver. The circumstances of the incident are under investigation.

YWN regrets to inform you of the petirah of HaRav Shimon Braish zt”l, a leader of the Agudas Achim kehillah in Zurich, Switzerland. He was 96 years old. Rav Shimon zt”l was the son of Rav Mordechai Yaakov Braish, the mechaber of Chelkas Yaakov and the rav of Zurich. He was born prior to World War II at a time when his father was the rav in Disburg, Germany, and fled with his family to Zurich when the Nazis rose to power. Rav Shimon learned in the yeshiva of Monterrey, Switzerland, where he was the chavrusah of Hagaon HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l, whom he remained in close contact with until Rav Shteinman’s petirah.

YWN regrets to inform you of the petirah of Mrs. Devorah Chana Phillipson of Monsey. She was 55. Devorah Chana a”h, was born in Boro Park to Mr. and Mrs. Menachem Mendel Gottlieb. Mrs. Phillipson’s husband, Rabbi Binyomin Phillipson, is a renowned philanthropist who leads the Yad Elka Foundation, distributing tens of millions of shekels before each yom tov to thousands of needy families in Israel. Additionally, he is a well-known donor to numerous Torah institutions and various tzedakos throughout the world. Mrs. Phillipson was his partner in all that he does. Her home was known to be open to all, and she was mekarev countless college students who received their first taste of yiddishkeit in the Phillipson home.