Flatbush — Brooklynites elected Farah Louis today to replace former city councilman, current Public Advocate, Jumaane Williams.
Patch.com reports that Louis defeated Williams’ endorsed candidate, Monique Chandler-Waterman, and six other candidates in the District 45 special election to represent Flatbush, Midwood and Canarsie with 42 percent of the vote, according to the New York City Board of Elections.

http://matzav.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/VIDEO-2019-05-14-20-42-59.mp4

Dear Matzav,
I’m writing this letter because I my Rav just taught me something I never knew and I wanted to pass it along.
My rav said that people have a misconception that if you miss a night of say sefira you shouldn’t bother counting anymore. In actuality, the bracha is m’drabanan and if you missed a night you lose the chance to make the bracha. (he also said that it’s a machlokes in the poskim and it’s a chiddush that we pasken this way.)
But the Rav emphasized that even though you cant make the bracha anymore the mitza to count each day is m’daraysa and applies even you miss a night.

A charedi IDF soldier on Monday told his friends that Satmar chasidim bought pies of pizza for a group of soldiers, Arutz Sheva reported.
In his post, the soldier said he was on duty near the Me’aras Hamachpelah when three Satmar chasidim visiting from the US came up to the jeep he and several other soldiers were sitting in and struck up a conversation.
“They didn’t know that there are chassidish eherlich people in the army,” the soldier noted.
At the end of the conversation, the Satmar chasidim surprised the soldiers by buying them all pizza.
Read more at Arutz Sheva.
{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]
What happens when you take a group of guys and bring them on an inspirational kiruv trip to the middle of Kentucky for three days?  You get an incredible bonding experience, a spiritual awakening, and memories that will last a lifetime.
Last week, 50 members of JInspire came together for a Men’s Spring Retreat hosted by Project Inspire, a division of Aish HaTorah.  The trip’s itinerary was jam packed with awesome activities including underground cave kayaking, the bourbon trail, ziplining, and more.  It also included lots of soul searching, chavrusa learning, and thought-provoking sessions on topics of Judaism and hashkafa.

[COMMUNICATED]
On Sunday 19th May, over 500 individuals will participate in OXC, OHEL’s Annual mud-run style extreme obstacle race at Camp Kaylie at OHEL in Wurtsboro, New York.

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the passing of Rebbetzin Rochel Leah Brudny a”h. She was 94 years old.
Rebbetzin Brudny was the wife of Rav Shmuel Brudny zt”l, rosh yeshiva at the Mirrer Yeshiva in Brooklyn, NY.
The Rebbetzin, an isha chashuvah in her own right, was supremely devoted to her husband, allowing him to be marbitz Torah for decades and educate bnei Torah.