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For many years, Rebbetzin Toiba Jungreis was the main breadwinner in her house. She juggled the responsibilities of caring for her growing family and paying the bills in order to allow her husband, the Tchenger rebbe of Boro Park, pursue a life of spreading Torah and of avodas Hashem.
The vicissitudes of the coronavirus, however, came down hard on the esteemed Jungreis family. The rebbetzin, the backbone of the family, was abruptly taken away on the second day of Chol Hamoed, during the worst of the pandemic. She had been suffering for awhile with the debilitating ALS disease, requiring the family to expend enormous sums for her support and medical expenses.

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Right now, much of the world lives in fear of one thing: COVID-19, the potentially deadly virus which has dominated the news and killed many. As the death toll rises in Israel, it becomes abundantly clear that though the vast majority of cases will be survived, the world will never be the same. This is most true for the young boys & girls whose parents have been lost to the virus.
 

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Mazel Dalel, 53, a Beit Shemesh mother of 9 with no preexisting medical conditions passed away from the coronavirus on Shabbos.
Dalel, a resident of the Kiryah HaChareidit in Beit Shemesh was hospitalized in Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem after contracting the coronavirus.
The hospital stated that “she was attached to a ventilator and sedated for over a week in serious condition. Her condition quickly deteriorated and she passed away on Shabbos. We share in the sorrow of the family.”
The nifteres left behind her husband R’ Yoel Dalel and nine children.

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The Pesach seder is just hours away, and Israelis are drawing a fascinating parallel between this year and the very first seder. Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu announced Monday night that citizens would not be able to leave their homes on Leil HaSeder, and that streets would be patrolled to ensure that this would be enforced.

As families sit in their home and recall the Bnei Yisroel in Mitzrayim, unable to leave their homes as the Mashchis moved throughout the land outside, the Haggadah will now be more relatable than ever.

For most, the restrictions mean stocking up on groceries and other essentials, and spending valuable time with spouses and children. For many, however, the increasingly strict rules are a threat to their very existence.

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Many in Israel were shocked yesterday to hear of the untimely passing of Reb Bentzion Kuperstock, famed baal chesed and father of 11.
 
Kuperstock was perhaps most famous for his role as the “Abba of Meron.” During the celebrations for Lag BaOmer in Meron which are attended by thousands each year, Reb Bentzion happily distributed free food to strangers. He was also the head of a Beis Yaakov seminary. Rabbi Kuperstock’s life was claimed by COVID-19 on Saturday night.
 
Shortly before his death, he had already begun preparations for the upcoming Lag BaOmer holiday, in case of the unlikely possibility that Jews would once again be able to pray at the kever of the Rashbi.
 

RUSH ON SBA-PPP LOANS MAY DIMINISH FUNDING
The Small Business Administration (SBA) is now offering “FORGIVABLE” Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to help businesses impacted because of the COVID-19. Thousands of loan applications are pouring into the SBA from banks all over the country, and SBA-PPP loans are starting to get approved.
The biggest risk appears to be that the SBA will run out of the $350bb in funding — so the clock is ticking and time is of the essence.

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Bringing Shabbat Home

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No matter who you are or where in the world you live, one thing is clear: This year’s Pesach is unique.
In typical years, Jews from around the world fly in to Israel to spend the holiday in the Holy Land. Conversely, young Anglos living in Israel fly home in droves to spend the holiday with family. Now thanks to the deadly virus COVID-19, the airports are closed, and so are all non-essential businesses. What was once the most traditionally social gathering of the year, the Pesach seder, is now a quiet affair. Many will be ‘making Pesach’ for the first time, and are busily preparing.