Rav Meir Mazuz, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Kisei Rachamim, shared his thoughts on the Draft Law during a discussion on Wednesday night. He addressed the proposed legislation that would require yeshiva students, previously exempt from military service, to enlist.
Regarding the exemption of Torah learners from enlistment, during an interview with Kol Barama Radio, Rav Mazuz referenced former Prime Minister David Ben Gurion’s decision, noting, “Say that Torah learners are exempted from enlistment and that was Ben Gurion’s idea – he did it so that he would not be worse than Vespasian, who gave us ‘Yavne and her wise men.'”

Following a fire that ripped through the Chassidim 110 – Chabad Shul in Pomona, NY, on Wednesday morning, congregants were devastated to discover that all three of the Shul’s Sifrei Torah had been destroyed.
Congregants, with the assistance of Chaveirim volunteers, were finally given access to the Shul located at 34 Northridge Road a few hours after the fire tore through the Shul, destroying the entire building.
They discovered that the Torahs, which had been stored in a metal safe, were tragically unable to withstand the fire.
Neighbors captured the flames on video a little before 6:00 am. The fire quickly spread and engulfed much of the building.
Residents are devastated by the loss of other holy articles as well, such as Tefillin, seforim and more.

Thousands of bochurim gathered in multiple locations last week to hear divrei hisorerus before the upcoming Pesach bein hazmanim. The gatherings, sponsored by Agudas Yisroel and arranged with the help of dedicated askanim in the respective locations, included close to 3,000 talmidim in Lakewood, 1,000 in Monsey, and a hookup to Montreal, and were directed at bochurim from Bais Medrash and 11th 12th grades.
The asifos, called to prepare bochurim for bein hazmanim in the shadow of the war in Eretz Yisroel, and in light of the threat to bnei yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel, were addressed by many of the Gedolei Yisroel.

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Binyomin Tzvi Kaplan zt”l. He was 68.
Rav Kaplan was a son of Rav Nosson Kaplan, author of Toras Nosson and Neizer Hakodesh, and Mrs. Chana Kaplan, née Gelernter.
He was a grandson of the famed Rav Yisroel Chaim Kaplan, rosh yeshivas Toras Chesed in Brisk and mashgiach of Bais Medrash Elyon in Monsey and son-in-law of Rav Yerucham Levovitz.
Rav Kaplan was a talmid muvhak of his rabbeim at Bais Medrash Govoah in Lakewood, most prominently the mashgiach, Rav Nosson Meir Wachtfogel, and the rosh yeshiva, Rav Shneur Kotler.

In Reb Reuven Feinstein on the Haggadah, Rav Sholom Reuven Feinstein, the esteemed and beloved Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshiva of Staten Island, guides us through the Seder. Indeed, as we enjoy this Haggadah masterpiece, we begin to actually feel that we are sitting with the Rosh Yeshiva at his Seder table.

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Asher Yaakov Shternbuch zt”l of Golders Green, London. He was 75.
Rav Asher Yaakov was a son of Rav Dov and Rebbetzin Rochel Shternbuch. Rebbetzin Rochel was a daughter of Rav Alexander Ziskind Ellinson, one of the leaders of the Torah community in England.
In his youth, Rav Asher Yaakov served as a maggid shiur at the Belzer Bais Medrash. He was highly respected by the residents of Golders Green and was known as a man of great piety who taught Torah with great simcha. He was mechanech many talmidim, who appreciated his yedios haTorah and his warmth toward each of them.

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Shapiro zt”l, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Shaarei Shemuos in Beit Chilkia and son of Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro zt”l. He was 69.
He was niftar at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer on Shabbos.
Rav Shapiro was a son of Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro zt”l, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Be’er Yaakov, and Rebbetzin Chaya Faiga Tziporah Shapiro a”h, daughter of Rav Aharon Weinstein zt”l.
At his bris, he was named Naftali Tzvi Yehuda after his grandfather, the Netziv of Volozhin.