A man, aged 59, tragically lost his life this afternoon in a mikvah located on Yerushalayim Street in Bnei Brak. Emergency responders from Magen David Adom rushed to the scene and administered CPR but were unable to revive him, ultimately pronouncing him dead at the location.
Dennis Blokun, an MDA paramedic, recounted that upon arrival, the medics were informed by witnesses that a man had been found unconscious at the bottom of the mikvah. “They immediately went to help him and pulled him out of the water. He was unconscious, without a pulse, and not breathing. People on the scene began performing basic CPR, and when we arrived, we continued to perform advanced CPR, which unfortunately led to his death at the scene,” he stated.

The surgery undergone today by the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Bnei Brak, Rav Yisroel Hager, was completed successfully, to the satisfaction of all involved and according to the original treatment plan, Matzav.com has learned. This news follows a positive improvement in the Rebbe’s overall health.
Prior to the surgery, in the morning hours, the Rebbe was heard singing “Chamol” and “Od Yizkor” to the tunes of the Yomim Noraim as he entered the hospital for the procedure.
The surgery took place at City of Hope Hospital in Los Angeles, and at 1:40 PM local time, the doctors emerged from the operating room to confirm that the procedure had gone well. The medical team expressed their overall satisfaction with the outcome.

Maran Hagaon Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva of Philadelphia, was discharged from the hospital on Purim after being admitted the previous week due to complications from pneumonia.
Baruch Hashem, the zekan roshei hayeshivos is now recovering at home and has conveyed his gratitude for the heartfelt tefillos offered on his behalf.
All are asked to continue davening for a refuah sheleimah for Rav Shmuel ben Itta Ettil.

In a joint letter signed by three prominent rabbonim, Rav Shmuel Fuerst, Rov of Agudas Yisrael of Peterson Park, Chicago, IL, and Dayan of Agudath Israel of Illinois; Rav Gershon Bess, Rov of Congregation Kehilas Yaakov, Los Angeles; and Rav Menachem Greenblatt, Rov of Agudas Yisrael of St. Louis, the Torah-observant community is called to action in the face of growing liberal and reform influences on Jewish life in Eretz Yisroel.

Rabbi Yitzchok Kesselman, a Lubavitcher Chossid living in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, has reached a significant milestone in his career as the highest-ranking frum employee at Microsoft. He has now been promoted to Corporate Vice President of Messaging and Real-Time Analytics Platform at the tech giant.
Kesselman, an expert in enterprise software, leads Microsoft’s real-time data analytics division with a product called Fabric. This innovative software allows even those without a technical background to derive valuable insights from vast amounts of data. During the company’s May conference, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella emphasized the importance of this product, stating that it would “fuel the next generation of AI services.”

This Purim, the children of the late Captain Rabbi Avi Goldberg Hy”d, who was tragically killed in the Lebanon conflict, chose a unique theme for their costumes. They opted to dress as an “IDF reservist draft summons,” or “Tzav (Order) 8” in Hebrew.
Rabbi Goldberg, a rebbi at the Himmelfarb High School for Boys in Yerushalayim, was killed in action in Lebanon in October 2024.
His wife, Rochel, spoke to Arutz Sheva about the inspiration behind the children’s costume idea. She explained, “The children had the idea of dressing up as Tzav 8 and they refused to miss out on the festivities and joy of the Purim holiday. We have our own family draft order and that is to choose life anew every single morning.”

A young Chassidishe boy from the United States amazed listeners and viewers with his rhyming in Yiddish, focused on the gvir – wealthy man – whom everyone chases after but laughs at behind his back.
A video of the 12-year-old boy performing the grammen at a Purim seudah to the tune of a song by Reb Yom Tov Ehrlich has gone viral. “The big problem is that the financial situation is very difficult,” he says, “and the gvir only appears to be a gvir.”
The boy sings, “You probably ask, ‘Where did my wealth come from?’ Well, Hashem gave me a good mind, and I show real estate agents who buy homes, and I charge $1000 per meeting.

A recently conducted survey by the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the chareidi Institute for Policy Research, has uncovered concerning data regarding the prevalence of smoking in the chareidi community.
The survey revealed that smoking rates among chareidi adolescents are alarmingly higher than those of the broader population. Specifically, the study, which is the first of its kind in the chareidi community, showed that 54% of chareidi high school students and 80% of high school dropouts have experimented with smoking. In contrast, only 13%-23% of youth in the general population’s educational institutions have tried smoking.

A large effigy dressed as an IDF soldier, wearing chareidi attire, was hanged over a street in the Meah She’arim area of Yerushalayim on Sunday in honor of Purim, sparking significant outrage.
Many local residents pleaded for the dummy to be taken down, upset that the effigy will simply antagonize those who already despise the chareidi community.
This event adds to a series of previous actions where effigies or signs have been displayed in the neighborhood reflecting opposition to chareidi enlistment in the IDF.

A new yeshiva catering to post-high school American bachurim will be opening its doors, offering a unique environment for Torah learning under the auspices of R’ Eli Stefansky, Matzav.com has learned.
“The Yeshiva @ MDY,” under the auspices of Reb Eli Stefansky’s renowned MDY Daf Yomi shiur, is designed to provide a warm, caring atmosphere where bochurim can immerse themselves in Gemara learning and personal growth. With a focus on making limud haTorah geshmak, the yeshiva will aim to create a space where young bnei Torah can develop a deep connection to their learning.