It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rabbi Yosef Basker z”l of Lakewood, NJ. He was 41.
Rabbi Basker was a beloved mechanech, teacher, and advocate who dedicated his life to the service of others.
Rabbi Basker was a teacher at Yeshiva Orchos Chaim, where his passion for Torah and chinuch left an indelible mark on his students.
He had previously taught at Yeshiva Tiferes Torah and also served as a teacher at Rav Noach Witty’s mesivta.
Beyond his contributions in the classroom, Rabbi Basker was also a tireless advocate for cholim, providing essential support and care to those in hospitals.

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of the Ziditchoiver Rebbe of Chicago, Rav Yehoshua Heschel Eichenstein zt”l. Known for his immense chochmah, humility, and dedication to Torah and avodas Hashem, Rav Eichenstein left an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of knowing him.
Born into a distinguished rabbinical family, Rav Eichenstein carried forward the illustrious legacy of his forebears with grace. His father, Rav Avrohom Eichenstein, instilled in him a deep love for Torah learning and a commitment to Klal Yisroel.

The Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rav Yitzchok Yosef, slammed the Israeli Supreme Court judges after they overturned his decision regarding a divorced father who had become non-observant. The father wanted his Chassidishe 10-year-old son to spend every other Shabbos with him, but the Chief Rabbi had ruled that the boy should stay with his observant mother on Shabbos and visit his father on Thursdays.
“These secular judges who do not know a single page of Talmud – what do they know? They do not come close to the ankles of our rabbis. There is no need to fear them,” Rabbi Yosef declared.

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Shraga Feivish Hager zt”l, the Kossover Rebbe, a revered manhig, a dayan, and a notable darshan. The rebbe had a devoted following.
The rebbe was born on January 10th, 1958. He was an alumnus of the yeshivos of Chachmei Lublin, Ponevezh, and Lakewood.
After his marriage, he resided in Bnei Brak, on the same block as Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l. He spent time in Shikun Viznitz, attending the tishen and tefillos of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, Rav Moshe Yehoshua Hager.

Back for its second year, the AKO Kashrus Camp Initiative is here to help any camp that wants to set itself up to succeed at serving kosher all summer long. Rabbi Moshe Kaufman, Kashrus Administrator for KVH Kosher ~ Rabbinical Council of New England and Co-chairman of the AKO Camp Kashrus Committee explains to us in depth, the great need to set your camp up with the proper systems in place. 
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By Rabbi Moshe Dov Heber
There wasn’t a dry eye in the room at the levaya of Rabbi Avi Oberlander z”l. His impact on hundreds was evident on the faces of so many assembled in the crowd. As the levaya finished and the shiva began, story after story about his influence as a rebbe started coming out. Men and boys of all stripes came and shared their connection to their beloved rebbe and the impression he had on them that they carry to this very day.

Following the Supreme Court’s ruling this week that stipulated that the military authorities must immediately issue draft orders to yeshiva students obligated to enlist, as well as cease funding for yeshivas, Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman, the senior member of the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah of Degel HaTorah and rosh yeshivas Rashbi, released a sharp and piercing letter. In it, he asserts that laws contradicting the Torah’s laws are null and void.
Rav Bergman begins his letter with a quote: “Indeed, Your enemies roar and those who hate You have lifted their heads.” To our brothers, the people of Yisroel, Torah students who are dedicated to the word of Hashem:

The senior member of the Moetzet Chachmei Hatorah of Shas, Rav Moshe Maya, addressed the Supreme Court ruling on conscription of bnei hayeshivos.
“Even someone who is not studying in a yeshiva is forbidden from enlisting in the IDF,” Rav Maya said in an interview with Yaakov Grodka on Kol Barama. “Anyone who joins the army today will end up desecrating the Shabbos.”
Rav Maya added, “Enlisting in the army is a transgression against the religion. We have a clear halacha that tells us that a yeshiva student is forbidden from joining the army. If they come into the yeshiva halls to conscript us, we will resist. It’s like forcing us to desecrate the Shabbos.”

Rav Gershon Ribner, rosh kollel of Kollel Nesivos Hatorah and son-in-law of Rav Shneur Kotler, has succeeded in applying classical Talmudical analysis and methodology to understanding all areas of Yiddishkeit, bringing out its profundity and sense.
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Dear Editor,
It’s surprising to me to see everyone patting themselves on the back for the so-called “great job” we did raising over $100 million for the yeshivas in Eretz Yisroel during this week’s visit of the gedolim. But let’s face the uncomfortable truth: this is all so twisted.
At a parlor meeting this week, someone apologizes to the gedolim for making them shlep all the way here to raise funds.
This is what has been gnawing at me all along.
Why did they have to shlep in the first place? Are we so incapable of donating generously without subjecting our revered 90-year-old gedolim to 16-hour days of grueling fundraising? And then we apologize with a straight face?