Starting at 10:00pm EDT tonight Topic: Are we victims to our circumstances? Rabbi Simon Jacobson https://us02web.zoom.us/j/645572066 Zoom ID 645572066 phone: 929-205-6099  ID: 645572066##
The post Live Now – Let’s Get Real: Rabbi Simon Jacobson Live on Coach Menachem Show – Are we victims to our circumstances? appeared first on The Yeshiva World.

For Jimmy, it all started with a simple post from Rabbi Lewis of Mesorah NJ: “Quarantine is a perfect time for you Jewish guys to start (or restart) the beautiful ancient mitzvah of tefillin.” It was May 5th, the day of Jimmy’s father’s second yahrzeit. Jimmy realized it was no coincidence when the post showed in his feed,  and reached out to Rabbi Lewis who not only encouraged him to start wearing tefillin, but sent Jimmy the tefillin that had belonged to his own father, Mr. Fred Lewis. This was especially meaningful, as Rabbi Lewis’ father had also passed away within the year, and with Covid19 making it impossible to say Kaddish, he now could honor him in this special way.

New Jersey drivers should expect to reach for a little extra pocket change when taking the state’s major highways starting Sunday. Construction and labor groups supported the plan, while environmental groups and some motorists criticized it. The higher tolls will fund a $24 billion construction plan that includes $16 billion to widen sections of the turnpike and parkway, permanently implement cashless toll payment and replace a bridge between New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The toll hike was approved by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority back in May, and was signed by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. Atlantic City Expressway tolls will increase an average of 57 cents. Garden State Parkway tolls will rise by 27%, increasing the cost of an average trip by 30 cents from $1.11.

Lebanese soldiers on Saturday fired rubber bullets and live rounds in the air to disperse hundreds of protesters trying to march to the presidential palace during an anti-government demonstration. Tension is high in Lebanon following last month’s devastating explosion at Beirut’s port that killed nearly 200 people and after another mysterious and huge blaze at the same site Thursday. The Aug. 4 explosion was caused by the detonation of nearly three thousand tons of ammonium nitrates that had been improperly stored at the port for years. More than five weeks later, it is still not clear what started the fire that ignited the chemicals, and no one has been held accountable so far.

OU Kosher has agreed to the request of Emirati officials to oversee the certification of kosher food throughout the Emirates. Following OU Kosher’s supervision of the preparation of kosher food for the Israeli-US delegation to Abu Dhabi last week, OU Kosher will now be the leading kosher certification agency in the UAE and will work in cooperation with the local Jewish community. “As the Jewish community in the United Arab Emirates continues to grow and due to the influx of Jewish tourists, there is a need for kosher food and a certification that is internationally known,” said OU Kosher CEO Rabbi Menachem Genack.

Iranian state TV on Saturday reported that the country’s authorities executed a wrestler for allegedly murdering a man, after President Donald Trump asked for the 27-year-old condemned man’s life to be spared. State TV quoted the chief justice of Fars province, Kazem Mousavi, as saying: “The retaliation sentence against Navid Afkari, the killer of Hassan Torkaman, was carried out this morning in Adelabad prison in Shiraz.” Afkari’s case had drawn the attention of a social media campaign that portrayed him and his brothers as victims targeted over participating in protests against Iran’s Shiite theocracy in 2018. Authorities accused Afkari of stabbing a water supply company employee in the southern city of Shiraz amid the unrest.

Yehoshua Eliyahu Chaim’s Neshama has left us, his tafkid complete, now his wife and sons need our help desperately. His Eishes Chayal, Sonya lost her incredible and kind husband, someone who gave her the strength to get through every day even while he was going through a horrible illness. Josh’s 2 sweet little boys, Jacob age 4 and Ben age 3 lost a father who was so proud of them and loved them so much. The world lost a diamond. Whoever had the pleasure of knowing Josh could not help loving him, his smile and kindness. He was always so willing to help anyone in need whether it be with free food from his catering business or a smile and kind word to someone going through a hard time.

In the early days of the pandemic, doctors noticed something about the people severely ill from COVID-19: Many were obese. The link became more apparent as coronavirus swept across the globe and data mounted, and researchers are still trying to figure out why. Excess weight increases the chances of developing a number of health problems, including heart disease and diabetes. And those are among the conditions that can make COVID-19 patients more likely to get very sick. But there’s some evidence that obesity itself can increase the likelihood of serious complications from a coronavirus infection.

Vice President Mike Pence has canceled plans to attend a Trump campaign fundraiser in Montana following revelations that the event’s hosts had expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory. President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign told The Associated Press on Saturday that Pence’s schedule had been changed, but the campaign did not provide a reason or say whether the fundraiser might be held at a later time. The change comes after the AP reported Wednesday that hosts Cayrn and Michael Borland in Bozeman, Montana, had shared QAnon memes and retweeted posts from QAnon accounts. The baseless conspiracy theory alleges Trump is battling an entrenched bureaucracy and sex trafficking ring run by pedophiles.

Israel’s Health Ministry confirmed 2,715 new coronavirus cases on Sunday morning, a typically lower rate seen on Sunday due to the lower number of tests performed on Shabbos. There are currently 38,008 active cases, which is an increase of almost 14,000 cases just over the past week. There are 513 seriously ill patients, of whom 139 are ventilated – the highest number of seriously ill patients since the pandemic began. The death toll has risen to 1,108. The government convened on Sunday to vote on a nationwide lockdown beginning on erev Rosh Hashanah on September 18.