It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Reb Simcha Yissachar Dov Steinmetz z”l, a prominent member of the Spinka chassidus and longtime rosh hakahal of the Ner Baruch Linz Bais Medrash in Boro Park. He was 100 years old.
Born in the Hungarian town of Tetch to his father Rav Yechiel Michl Steinmetz zt”l, Reb Simcha survived the horrors of the Holocaust as a true ud mutzal mei’eish. He was a talmid of the Shefa Chaim of Sanz and carried the legacy of his rebbi with him throughout his life.
In the aftermath of the devastation of World War II, he succeeded in rebuilding and establishing a flourishing Torah home and family.

Emanuel Yechia Meshulam, a highly respected mohel from Rechovot, died at age 88 while officiating at a brit milah on Wednesday.
Meshulam, who dedicated over forty years to his craft, had performed brisos numbering in the tens of thousands before suddenly collapsing during the bris.
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As the yahrtzeit of the Tanna Rav Chanina ben Dosa this Shabbos approaches, rabbonim are warning the public not to visit his kever this year due to serious security concerns.
Located in the hostile Arab village of Arraba in the Galilee, the kever has long drawn large crowds, especially on Thursday nights, seen as an eis ratzon for yeshuos. In recent years, the site has become increasingly popular among those seeking yeshuos. However, its sensitive location has made it a cause for concern, and this year, leading rabbonim are urging the public to stay away.

The assault on the Torah world shows no signs of slowing. In a move drawing fierce backlash, Israel’s Attorney General has decided to penalize the children of yungeleit who are considered draft-dodgers by revoking their previously granted priority status in admissions to government-supervised daycare centers, where space is already extremely limited.
According to a report by Liel Kaiser on Kan News, this new directive would effectively relegate these children to the bottom of the list for admission, placing them at a severe disadvantage due to the state’s classification of their fathers as “lawbreakers.”

Last week, the Ramada Hotel in Yerushalayim hosted the annual OU Kashrus Conference, an event that has grown into one of the most prominent gatherings in the global kashrus world. The event drew hundreds of mashgichim from across the globe, as well as leading kashrus professionals and some of the most esteemed gedolei Torah and poskim, who came together for in-depth discussions on timely and complex halachic issues in kashrus.

Democrat Sam Sutton has emerged victorious in a closely watched special election for a seat in the New York state Senate, successfully holding off a Republican push to capture the traditionally right-leaning district, according to projections by Decision Desk HQ.
Sutton, a longtime nonprofit leader and businessman, defeated Republican challenger Nachman Caller, a lawyer who previously made an unsuccessful bid for the state Assembly ten years ago.
With this win, Democrats retain control of the seat vacated by Simcha Felder, who stepped down last month to assume a position on the New York City Council.

A moving ceremony took place Monday at Yad Vashem to mark the rededication of the towering 21-meter Pillar of Valor, which commemorates the bravery of those who fought against the Nazis. The event, held in advance of the upcoming Liberation and Rescue Day, was attended by leading rabbonim, government figures, diplomats, Holocaust survivors, and veterans.

Antisemitic flyers were scattered throughout the Squirrel Hill neighborhood in Pittsburgh, and residents reported being subjected to slurs, marking yet another hateful incident in the same area that endured the tragic Tree of Life synagogue massacre in 2018.
According to Pittsburgh police, the offensive materials were tossed out of a moving car. The flyers were enclosed in small plastic bags weighed down with kernels of corn, making it easier to throw them from a vehicle while driving.
One flyer bore the message, “Every single aspect of the Jewish Talmud is satanic,” a phrase captured in a photo shared by county comptroller and Pittsburgh mayoral candidate Corey O’Connor.

The chareidi city of Charish is in turmoil following the recent arrest and criminal indictment of Mayor Yitzchak Keshet on serious charges—sparking renewed attention to a stark warning delivered four years ago by the raavad, Rav Yehuda Silman.

In a sweeping operation conducted by the Tel Aviv District Police’s central unit, five individuals were arrested Monday—including a resident of Bnei Brak and a member of a known crime syndicate—on suspicion of serious financial crimes. The allegations include large-scale money laundering, conspiracy to commit a felony, operating illegal gambling businesses, income tax violations, and running an unlicensed financial services operation.
According to police, the investigation was carried out by the unit’s Morality Division in collaboration with the Tel Aviv District Attorney’s Office (Criminal Division), the Investigation Division of the Insolvency and Economic Rehabilitation Commissioner, and the Israel Tax Authority’s Diamond Unit.