Today is the 7th yahrtzeit of Rav Aaron Brafman zt”l, the much-beloved and revered menahel of Yeshiva of Far Rockaway. He was also a respected author and a dedicated askan. But more: He was a man who loved every Jew, who saw potential where others saw failure. In the words of a talmid, he was a man “who lived and breathed Klal Yisrael; whose days were filled with Torah and maasim tovim … and most of all, who epitomized the term ‘rebbi.’”
On his yahrtzeit, we share this interview with his son, Rabbi Avrohom Baruch Brafman, and Rabbi Brafman’s close talmid, Rabbi Dov Keilson.
WATCH:

A complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education says the student government association (PSGA) at SUNY Purchase College, part of the State University of New York system, engaged in a campaign of harassment against the campus Hillel chapter, encouraged by administrators.
The StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department filed a federal Title VI complaint on Tuesday, stating that the school in Westchester County, N.Y., failed to fix a hostile campus environment by ignoring Jewish students’ concerns, refusing to enforce its policies and engaging in unequal treatment compared to other groups.
Current students and recent graduates joined in the complaint.

Kosher Explosion: 50 Years In Motion
Let’s listen in to R’ Menachem Lubinsky, President & CEO of LUBICOM Marketing Consulting, for his unique perspective behind the scenes as he observed the explosive growth of Kosher products over the last 50 years.
WATCH:

View it in its entirety at https://www.kashrusawareness.com/post/kosher-explosion 
To Sponsor An Episode: https://pay.banquest.com/kashrusawareness
Listen wherever you get your podcasts!
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‘I thought that I would never see the light of day again,” former Hamas captive Louis Har told JNS this week.
On Feb. 12, after 129 days in captivity, Har and Fernando Marman were freed from Gaza by Israeli forces in an overnight rescue operation.
Since his return, Har has campaigned tirelessly to help secure the release of the hostages still held by Hamas.
“Somehow, we manage to go on. Physically, I’m okay. I feel more tired, I have less energy than I used to. I almost never sleep. Too many thoughts and too many things to take care of,” said Har.
Some days are harder than others, he explained, but telling his story is an integral part of his recovery.

IDF Sergeant Ori Ashkenazi Nechemya has tragically fallen in battle in southern Gaza. Cleared for publication on Thursday evening, Nechemya, aged 19, from Ashkelon, was a soldier in the 46th Battalion, 401st Brigade.
Nechemya was killed by an attack using an anti-tank missile in the Rafah area of southern Gaza.
Since October 7th, 695 IDF soldiers have been killed. This number includes 331 soldiers killed in the ground operation in Gaza. An additional 4,349 soldiers have been injured, and there are 21 soldiers still hospitalized in serious condition. Another 172 soldiers are in moderate condition, and three in light condition.
{Matzav.com}

The boy who went missing in Arizona has been found safe and sound, b’chasdei Hashem.
Tzion Marin was found in good condition by members of Rockland Chaveirim.
Developing…

Bullet fragments were discovered in at least some of the corpses of six Israeli hostages retrieved from Khan Yunis in Gaza this week, according to information shared with their families.
This finding lends credence to the theory that some hostages were killed by their captors shortly before an aerial assault that preceded Monday’s IDF and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) rescue operation.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called it a “daring and dangerous operation in the Hamas tunnels in Khan Yunis.”

Dear Matzav Inbox,
I’m writing to follow up on a Matzav letter that appeared earlier this week.
Not so long ago, there was a notorious website known as Failed Messiah. For years, it thrived on a diet of scandal, real or imagined, aimed squarely at destroying the frum community from within. Its goal? To sow discord, mistrust, and division by revealing every potential shortcoming, every possible mistake, every fabricated outrage—tearing down kehillos, rabbonim, and individuals with glee.
But, in a moment of Divine mercy, Failed Messiah was put out of its misery.

By Duvi Honig, Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce 

Thirty plus years ago, a smaller Jewish community could understand and bear the additional costs associated with producing Cholov Yisroel dairy products. The limited market justified the higher prices. But now, our thriving community, blessed with larger families, faces an unsustainable economic strain due to these inflated prices. While adhering to the mitzvah, we cannot allow these companies to capitalize on our religious devotion, profiting millions at the expense of our financial well-being.

As our community has grown exponentially over the past few decades, it is imperative for leading rabbinic authorities to address the pricing of Cholov Yisroel products.

Jelly Belly has informed the Orthodox Union that, due to changes in one of their factories, Jelly Belly products produced in that location will soon no longer be kosher.
There is no change in the Jelly Belly formulation, but because of production changes, other non-kosher products will be produced on shared equipment.
As a result, all Jelly Belly products sold outside of North America will soon appear in packaging without an OU symbol. Some limited production Jelly Belly items (mostly seasonal items) in North America will also lose their OU symbol.
All bulk Jelly Belly jelly beans sold in North America will continue to be produced under OU’s supervision, and most retail-sized varieties that North American consumers see in stores will remain certified, as well.